From the Pastor's Pen

This week in Bridge worship, Anna teaches a type of prayer called breath prayer.  When you have a chance this week, here are some other resources for helping kid learn to pray in a way that works for them.

 

 Anna’s background this week features the prayer labyrinth we made and used this winter in the Children’s wing for Children’s Hour.  Had we known about this method, it would have saved a lot of time!  Here is a video showing how you can make a prayer labyrinth somewhere at home.  (Please note, he could have stopped with the spiral!)  You can use this method with a ball of yarn/twine/laundry line, or even sidewalk chalk.

 

If laying out a prayer labyrinth isn’t something you are up for today or this week, here is a handout created by First Presbyterian Church of Jesup for their kids.  You can use this as a finger labyrinth.

 

Drawing a labyrinth can be just as prayerful as walking one or following one on paper.  Here are some videos showing how to draw the most common types of labyrinths.

How To Draw a 5 Circuit Chartres Labyrinth    and How To Draw a 7 Circuit Classical Labyrinth

 

This video explains how to use your fingers as a way to think of what to pray about.

 

Those who like to pray in color may also be interested in trying a Christian mandala.  If your background leads you to be hesitant about borrowing practices from other religions, this brief introduction may be helpful for you (parents/grandparents/guardians) to watch first.    About Christian Mandalas

These videos demonstrate how to create a mandala.  For Christians it is a good idea choose a passage of scripture to read and meditate on.  For today, try using a verse from Psalm 23 (the worship passage from earlier this month), Psalm 150, or another familiar verse like Philippians 4:13.  Once you have chosen a bible verse, have your children draw a single image that comes to mind in the center of a circle.  Then fill in the rest of the circle as they continue to think about the verse.  Mandalas tend to be symmetrical, but that is the least important aspect for children to keep in mind as they color inside their own mandala.

Mandalas – a Beginner’s How-to   or Mandalas in 3 easy steps