Over the Christmas period our youth group decided to provide something a little more creative than the usual nativity scene. Christmas is a time that we so easily get drawn into the business of the season, buying presents and rushing around like headless turkeys that by the time we hit Christmas day our stress levels are through the roof. Calm, reflective, serenity was the order of the day, not words usually attributed to church youth groups (especially if you know my lot) but for 4 days before Christmas it’s what they transformed our church halls into.
Firstly our children’s prayer room. I don’t know if anyone reading this is a parent, but I am, and even in my line of work I do sometimes find it difficult to pray with my children. We had lots of activities for kids and their parents – a shredder to get rid of the things we are sorry for, buns to ice for the people we wanted to thank and a huge tent full of cushions and stars to just chill out and chat to God.
In our main prayer room we provided a quiet space for prayer and reflection. Quotes and bible verses adorned the walls as did a map of the world and a great big ‘wailing wall’ for people to write their own prayer requests and pray for the ones others had written. There was a great sense of the spiritual in the room, not that a bit of black cloth and a few candles do anything magical, but they created an atmosphere where prayer became easy and God felt close.
Finally we had ‘the labyrinth’, no David Bowie music, it was something much better. Based on the journey of the wise men, it is a spiritual walk which encourages the participant to meditate on a variety of things as they journey through the maze. Thoughts about star gazing, baggage, life and gifts guide the journey to the manger while thoughts of the world, justice and support inspire us as we leave the stable and return to everyday life.
The few days reminded me how easy it is for our prayer lives to become stale, formulaic or even just like another to-do in the diary. But if prayer is just another chore, then what’s the point…