Contemplative Prayer Stations

This contemplative prayer station focuses on God’s creation through the use of Playdoh!
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Directions for Leadership:

Set up a table and place playdoh and the direction/quotes all around. You might want to consider a wash basin and towel too. You can buy playdoh at the store, or if you are thrifty like me you can make a bazillion pounds of it at home for a fraction of the cost. Here is the recipe:

Mix together:
1 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp Cream of Tarter

Pour Above into a skillet on med. - low and add:
1 cups cold water
1 Tbs oil
food coloring (have fun with it!)

Stir until thick then dump onto wax paper. When cool enough knead it till firm. Ta-da!
Makes
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Directions:

God is in the process of redeeming all of his creation, of bringing all that he has made back into right relationship with himself.

-Create something out of playdoh that symbolizes a part of God’s creation.
-As you mold the clay, pray that God would make right that part of creation.

“This world is Gods creation. Nothing is objective, everything has personal value attached to it. God is the creator and therefore has personal feeling for everything he has made. Every atom, molecule neutron is his artwork. He values every centimeter of space that he has brought into existence. As we wonder through this universe we are not encountering meaningless stuff, we encounter a chipmunk, a river, a child that is God beloved artwork. An art gallery filled with objects of meaning, expressiveness, revelation of Gods heart, intelligence, compassion and whimsy. We are not on public property, nor privately owned property. We are always on God’s property, on loan to us. Everything has some amount of value, not to us, but to God.” - McLarren

This contemplative prayer station uses various pictures to help contemplate incongruent attitudes towards people.
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Set up:
This can be at two tables or posted along a wall that the walk along. If on a table they can journal thiner responses or you can cover the table with butcher paper and they can write it directly on the table. If you do a written response you will need paper and pencils and pens. The first set of “Imagine this” goes first and the second “Imagine this goes later. Find pictures on google image to print up and place around the sets in order to bring a visual element to the station. One set of elderly, frail looking people, perhaps some in ————————————————————————————
Imagine This:
These are your parents, your grandparents, your loved ones. They are frail, they are dying. You visit them while on their death bed and they tell you they want to know God. That they were foolish to ignore him their entire life, but they want to change that now. They want to confess their sins and acknowledge Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
And with you, they do just that.
What are your feelings?
What are your thoughts?
What questions does this bring up?

Please move to the next set of pictures.
Now look at these faces. Mass murderers, rapists, torturers. What if these people, on their death beds, began to realize their lives were lived in a horrific manner. What if they chose to confess their sins and acknowledge Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross before they died.
How would you feel about that?
What would you be thinking?
What questions would it bring up?

Naturally there may be conflict about how we feel about the “grandma” having a death bed conversion and a mass murderer doing the same.
Why is that?
What do you think God’s opinion would be?
Why is it important to think about this kind of thing?

This contemplative prayer station offers worshipers an opportunity to remember that the call of God is often heard beyond the boundaries we create for it.

This station was originally found at www.crosspointings.org along with the example pictures. Thanks guys!
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Directions for Leadership:

Materials Needed:
Fine washable markers.
Medium-sized smooth aquarium stones (or other polished rocks).
Water fountain.
A poster of Images and Categories that worshippers would typically see as not being “in.” At the top of poster have the question, “Would you accept a dinner invitation from…”
Two Scripture Passages printed out: Acts 10:9b – 16 and Acts 10:47

Set Up:
Present the poster so it is easily readable by participants.
Set up the basin (decorated or covered to blend in as much as possible).
Fill the basin with water.
Arrange the stones around the “well,” along with the markers.
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Directions:
Take a moment to invite God into this time and space. Prayerfully consider the question that is asked on the poster, as well as the scriptures presented. After a while take time to turn your thoughts to a particular person whom you would have a difficult time accepting an invitation from for dinner. If no one immediately comes to mind, ask God to bring someone into your thoughts for you… then listen, be still, and let God speak. When you know who, write the name of that person on the stone.

While holding the stone in your hand, say a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to show you that God is involved with people who are outside of our self-styled boundaries.
Then place the stone in the fountain, to remember that when the Holy Spirit calls people - we are not in a position to keep people “out.”

This contemplative prayer station can be used for multiple topics. Basically you let people draw something according to the topic and allow them to tack it to a cross, letting it go to God.
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Directions for Leadership:

Set up a table that is covered with drawing paper. Then put crayons or markers out for people to draw with. Place directions in the middle. You can use this station for various topics. Hope, hurt, pain, thanksgiving…
Then make an area where they can then hang or pin their drawings up. Sometimes we hang a small cross for people to pin their drawing next to, or if you have a larger cross available let people tack them directly onto the cross. Make sure you have plenty of pins either way.

If butcher paper is not available then put out regular paper for people to use. We have also put out craft supplies and just let people go to town as well! My favorite version is when we have had people do this with finger paint.

Then make an area where they can then hang or pin their drawings up. Sometimes we hang a small cross for people to pin their drawing next to.

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Example Directions for on the Table:

Draw a picture of one of your greatest hopes.
As you draw, give that hope to God and when you are done you may either take it home as a reminder or tack it to cross as act of worship.

This is a great way to incorporate the ancient tradition of foot washing into a service!
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Directions for Leadership:
This station needs to have someone watching over it the entire time. This person will start it off and then keep an eye on things, in case one of the participants chooses to leave and not wash the next persons feet. It is done in a rotation style, so the person who has their feet washed then waits to wash the next person who comes to the station, and so on.
Set up: a chair, a large basin of water, a pitcher of water, towels, soap, and the directions printed on a piece of paper.
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Directions to lay on the chair:

If you choose, please stay and wait for someone to come back to this station so that you may serve them by washing their feet. Invite them to sit and then read the following to them…

John 13:5&13-15
Then Jesus poured water in to the basin, and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was wearing… then Jesus said to them, “You call me teacher and Lord; rightfully so, for so I am. If then, the Lord and Teacher washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did for you.”

We are to love and serve one another in love and humility, and washing each others feet is a symbolic act, a lesson in humility and a reminder of Christ example to us. Will you allow me to wash your feet?

When done please hand them this card and you may move on to another station or back into the community worship.