The Bandaged Cross

Whilst many of the prayer stations so far have encouraged people to pray for others, we haven't done one specifically for healing so our new one is The Bandaged Cross.














The veterinary nurse in the family supplied us with some wrap-around bandages which were used to cover our large wooden cross.















Visitors are invited to think of someone that's poorly - someone that needs healing. They write the name on a plaster and stick it on the bandaged cross as a way to physically pray for that person.
For some reason I have loads of packs of sticking plasters so I didn't need to buy any new ones.


As always, various Bible verses are laid out to help focus, this time ones on healing.


Although the prayer station is to be available in St Stephen's Church for the next month or so, it was
set up this morning for our ecumenical Messy Church on the Good Samaritan.
In supervising the station, I quickly learnt to invite children by saying "Do you know someone who is poorly?". Starting by saying "Do you want to pray for someone who is poorly?" did not get positive responses.
By the end of this morning, the bandaged cross already has a good number of plasters on it. I'm concerned that the cool air in the church might make the plasters curl off but I'll keep an eye on that.


I wanted a picture of a plaster cross to use on the invitations and instructions
but could only find protected ones online. A simple answer to this was to photograph my own. This image is free for anyone to use.

Celebrating Pentecost

The week before Pentecost, we celebrated Ascension when Jesus tells his followers to wait for the Holy Spirit. It seemed like a good Sunday to start the Pentecost prayer station.

The cellophane ribbons were cut from rolls and hung from a curtain rod. The red fairy lights are powered through USB connections so are plugged into phone chargers on a timer. The ribbons hanging from the candlesticks look pretty but had to be removed as I hadn't realised that these particular candlesticks are used during funeral services (oops).


Visitors are invited to think about people that need the Holy Spirit, including themselves; write the names on flames or doves and stick them on the cellophane with sticky buddies.
As always, they are encouraged to spend some time thinking/praying for those people.

Even with just a few on, the "wall of flames" is beginning to look effective. I'll try to post a final photo before it's dismantled.

Instructions with Acts 1:8

Children's Corner

The same cellophane ribbons were hung from a hula hoop suspended from the ceiling tiles above the children's corner. The doves and flames available here are larger and the ribbons come to just above adult height. I was aware that it was too tempting for children to tug on the ribbons so adults are needed to do the sticking...
I also managed to find a children's book on Pentecost with the story told in rhyme. It's a bit old fashioned but I do like to add to the book collection.

Lord's table

For this prayer station we've been particularly blessed by Karen who used to do a lot of flower arranging. She offered to help and I set her loose on the Lord's table that's in the side chapel (with permission from the vicar).
I'd had the idea of draping red fabric from the cross with a white dove at it's centre but Karen made it come to life with some gold voile and ribbon spiral flames. She also made a foot-piece that finishes it off but I didn't get a photo of that.
The existing real candles have been replaced by (safer) battery candle lights. They are effectively weighting the fabric to stop it slipping off but I think they add to the design.
This table is the focus of the quiet time & morning prayer that happen most weekdays 8.30-9.30am so it will be interesting to get some feedback from those people that attend.

And here's the final curtain of Pentecost ribbons - a lovely, bright celebration!

Prayer Labyrinth

March 2016

Prayer Labyrinth

This was a simple floor labyrinth with a pile of rocks at the entrance. Visitors were invited to pick up a rock, carrying into the centre and then leave it at the cross there, retracing their steps to exit.

The labyrinth had to be created in situ. It's a bit too big to lay out anywhere else.

The floor cloth is 2 DIY dust sheets sewn together. They are an open-weave fabric on one side and thin plastic on the other. This was very handy so that the paint didn't go through to the floor underneath. The concentric circles were drawn with chalk using string around a traffic cone. The horizontal and vertical lines were added and the gaps brushed away to form one pathway into the centre.

I walked the route many times as I painted it in (with black emulsion) as I was paranoid that I would create one gigantic dead-end - not a good spiritual experience.





The top picture shows the labyrinth set up with the cross in the centre with some rocks and with some rocks at the entrance. There are bible verses on the outside of each quadrant:

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not see it?" Isaiah 43:19

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

"Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

"Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way" Proverbs 3:6

Once set up, I walked the route, carrying a stone simply to test it. Assigning a particular concern I had, I felt surprisingly lighter after placing it by the cross.

A young boy carried a large stone into the centre, saying that he was carrying for his 1 year-old cousin because he couldn't carry his own.

This prayer installation has had the biggest impact so far.

In the children's corner I added a book on different labyrinths from around the world. I also created some finger labyrinths which I laminated.

Put Yourself in the Picture

Our prayer station for the Advent period is called "Put Yourself in the Picture".

This station is based on the Church of England Blessing:

May the joy of the angels,

the eagerness of the shepherds,

the perseverance of the wise men,

the obedience of Joseph and Mary

and the peace of the Christ child

be yours this Christmas.

White lining fabric has been pinned to the top of the large wooden cross, to fall down and over the centre table. A 3D card star has been stuffed with about 8 of the white fairy lights and put on a pole duck-taped to the back of the cross. The lights, as for the "Praying in Colour" station, are on a timer to come on just before 8am and off at 4.30pm when the shop shuts.

I like the concept that the cross, whilst being covered and not remembered within the nativity narrative, is here supporting the whole scene.

The three frames, which I already had with unwanted pictures in them, hold 3 scenes:

• a starry sky for angels;
• a green hill for shepherds and
• a sandy hill for wise men.

Cutouts of the characters: wise men, angels and shepherds; have been put in front of each scene with sticky-fixers available. Some of the characters are uncoloured to allow people/children to colour themselves if they want to. Blank rectangles for peoples names are also there. Some sticky gold stars are there too, just because...

An empty crib with "straw" in it has also been placed in the centre with Christmas cards added to illustrate the expected scene.

Directions

Copies of the Christmas Blessing are available for people to take away and remember at home.

Christmas colouring sheets have been added to the children's corner to go with our seasonal theme. I'd also like to create some Christmas cards to colour - time allowing.

This prayer station will be available until 19th Dec when it will be dismantled to make room for a "Journey Into Christmas" - a manned interactive area by the Kingfisher chaplaincy team that will be open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in the Christmas week.