Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
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.
Children learning about God’s heart for the world (Photo: Irene Bom)
In October 2017 I visited the Scots Kirk in Lausanne, as part of a Local Church Review team.
At lunch one day I met Geraldine Ewen (82) who has been a part of the Lausanne congregation for 23 … 25 years. She told me about her links with the Salvation Army, through her grandparents. Still today Geraldine occasionally foregoes Sunday worship in her own church to attend the Salvation Army Sunday morning service with the band playing all the lovely hymn tunes.
Here is Geraldine singing one of the songs she learned as a child, and sharing how this and other songs from her childhood continue to do her heart good.
Transcript
Geraldine(singing):
Whisper a prayer in the morning
Whisper a prayer at noon
Whisper a prayer in the evening
to keep your heart in tune
Irene: Tell me the story of the song.
Geraldine: It was Salvation Army that we used to sing it. Yes. I don’t know if it was used by other churches.
Irene: You learned it from your grandparents or not?
Geraldine: Yes. Yes, and from Sunday School.
Irene: Right. Thank you.
Geraldine: But it’s something that has come, come with me all along. And when I go to Bible Study … we have Bible study in Le Mont. One of the girls here, she runs it in her home. And sometimes I just think of a chorus, a refrain, you know.
My grandfather, he used to sing, ‘He came right down to me … He came right down to me to condescend to be my friend. (in a whisper) He came right down to me.’ That’s another lovely one. ‘Condescended to come right down to me.’
Irene: What’s your name?
Geraldine: Geraldine.
Irene: Geraldine.
Geraldine: Geraldine Ewen from Lausanne, yes.
Verse 2 of “Whisper a prayer in the morning”:
Prayer changes things in the morning
Prayer changes things at noon
Prayer changes things in the evening
And keeps your heart in tune
To kick things off, a psalm that celebrates the rich blessing that flows from life-giving relationships amongst God’s people.
Psalm 133
A song of ascents. Of David.
How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life for evermore.
Digging deeper
On the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship website I found this article on Psalm 133 in the “Psalms for Families: Devotions for All Ages” series. All ages … that includes me and you.
A prayer
after St Cyprian of Carthage (c. 200–258)
Lord, we pray for the unity of your Church.
Help us to see ourselves as rays from the one sun,
branches of a single tree,
and streams flowing from one river.
May we remain united to you and to each other,
because you are our common source of life;
and may we send out your light
and pour forth your flowing streams over all the earth,
drawing our inspiration and joy from you.
This is the second in a series of prayers written by children from St Andrews Church, Brussels.
“The heavens tell the glory of God” (Psalm 19)
Thank you for my friends.
Thank you for my family.
Thank you for my school.
Thank you for my heart.
Thank you for my mind.
Thank you that I am not alone.
Thank you that I have you.
This is the first in a series of prayers written by children from St Andrews Church, Brussels.
Praise the Lord for what he does.
Praise him because he is good.
Lord our God is always near us, day and night.
He always will remember us.
For it is like he created a great big fantastic tree,
with his followers names on it,
and keeping watch over those people,
including me.
You will always know me.
Thank you for my love that I share.
For you are the greatest God ever.
Thank you because you teach people your word, and your greatness.
You are a great person because you sent prophets to the Israelites
to encourage them to fight Jericho and other things too.
Thank you for sending your unstopping,
never giving up, unbreaking love.
