Month: August 2021

Playful prayer


 

While I was trawling the internet for play-related prayer topics and resources I came across a website called PLAYFUL PRAYER with the tagline, ‘Exploring creative communication with God’.

The blogs posts are by Susanna from the UK. She writes,

This blog exists to inspire you and I to play and explore with different ways of communicating with God. There are many different ways to learn and express. I happen to be a visual and kinesthetic learner: Truth and beauty sink into my spirit when I see and do. Don’t get me wrong, I do love words: There’s great power in spoken and written word but sometimes I get a bit ‘word weary.’ So, recently I’ve been having lots of fun praying in creative ways.

Here are some ways it’s helped me:

  • Focus when I pray for others (I’m easily distracted!)
  • Going deeper into understanding the bible
  • Emotional healing, overcoming fears, breakthrough freedom and spiritual growth
  • I’ve found new ways to worship God, thank him & mediate on his character
  • Ways to express myself when I can’t find the words
  • By creating something physical and visual it helps to share the joy with others

 
The most recent blog post is dated January 23, 2018. Still, the site is a treasure trove of ideas to inspire playful prayer activities where you are – in your family, church and neighbourhood.

PLAYFUL PRAYER posts you might like:

 

Check it out. Creativity, playfulness and prayer are always in season.

 

Fools for Christ


Spotted on a canal tour in Paris  (Photo: Irene Bom)
 

Call to Worship

We come into the presence of a God
we can neither see nor touch,
yet a God we can sense.
We are fools for Christ’s sake.

We come in the name of Jesus,
whose beauty we cannot explain or capture,
but know intimately.
We are fools for Christ’s sake.

We come to hear from a book,
words and stories that are ancient, and yet ever new.
We are fools for Christ’s sake.

We live in a world whose economy is based on keeping,
yet in this place we are invited to give.
We are fools for Christ’s sake.

We come, leaving behind all the business of our lives—.
all the other important things we could be doing.
We come here to worship.
We are fools for Christ’s sake.

 
~ from the United Church of Canada’s Bay of Quinte Conference website,
posted on re:worship
 

The promise of carefree play


I’m glad you are here

 

The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
      and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
      on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
      as the waters cover the sea.

 

 

From the blog
Wild animal praise
Tree of life
Little eyes
 

Safe to play

I have joined forces with my sister, Daphne (seated in the distance). Together we started this low-key outdoor art project in my neighbourhood in Rotterdam, open to passersby. We meet for a few hours on a Friday afternoon when we can, weather-permitting. We call ourselves “ZO MA outdoor art”. (ZO MA is a version of “zomaar” which means “just like that”.) Daphne’s medium of choice is chalk and mine is frottage, standing up against a tree and transferring some of the texture of the bark onto paper using a thick graphite stick or pencil. I usually turn the results into mini zines (A4 sheet of paper folded and turned into an 8-page booklet). You can find examples of my frottage experiments and mini zines on instagram (irene.bom)

 

A few quotes on the topic of play from a conversation between Esther Perel and Krista Tippett on onbeing.org:

“… playfulness comes with a certain element of letting go.”

“… play and curiosity are so intimately interwoven.”

“… play is when risk is fun. You can’t play when you are in a situation of danger, anxiety, or contraction. So you have to feel safe in order to play.”

 
May you find a safe place to play risk free and follow your curiosity, and may you pass on this gift to others too.
 

A benediction

May God’s blessing rest on each one of you.
May God’s light shine on you, and make your path clear.
May hope carry you through the challenging times,
and gratitude be your response when life is good.

May your days be filled with curiosity and adventure,
and may you discover the incomparable joy
of living lives that bring honour and glory to God.
Amen.

 
~ written by Christine Longhurst and posted on re:worship
 

From the blog
To dance with God
Ding! Dong! Curiosity
Heart’s desire