Creative church June 8th 2008

This coming Sunday is different at the Parish Church - our monthly 'creative church' service.

Here's the plan so far:

Theme: God’s promises to Abraham… and us.

Introductory worship: in the tower area
Call to worship
Hymn: 553 ‘To Abraham & Sarah…’
Godly Play story of ‘The great family’

Congregation to be given ‘plan’ of prayer stations (see below)…

Closing worship
We gather around the world maps in the side chapel to pray together & sing a blessing song together.

Prayer stations

1. (In side pews by South door) – praise
Watch a series of images & verses on the lap top:
depicting different terrains and pathways.. interspersed with verses (not only from Abraham’s story, but reflecting the Trinity) such as ‘I am the Lord your God’ ‘I will be with you always’, ‘I will give you this land’, ‘I will send the Holy Spirit, the comforter, to be with you’.
Reflect on times when you have known the presence of God, Father Son & Holy Spirit, with you on your journey through life. Thank God for this sense of presence.

2. (In the tower area) – forgiveness
Pick up a handful of sand. Feel the weight of it. Think of something in your life which weighs you down and you feel sorry for. Now slowly let go of the sand and let it fall back into the tray. See how your handful of sand disappears into the rest of the sand. You can smooth the sand down completely if you’d like to – just as completely as God forgives you all the sin and mistakes that burden you.

3. (In the chancel) – meeting with God
Look at the Rublev icon of the Trinity. Reflect on the three persons of the Trinity – the Father on the left, the Son in the centre and the Spirit on the right as you look at it. Notice how the fourth side of the table is open – for you. Wonder at the many ways in which God invites you to be part of the fellowship of the Trinity.
If you would like to, you could kneel at the altar rail, a guest at the table of the Lord, and thank God for your invitation to be there.

4. (In the main pew on the North said of the church) – receiving from God
Look at the various books depicting the journey of Abraham. Then with your finger, trace the path of the labyrinth on the sheet. As you ‘journey’, reflect on what it means to be blessed by God and accompanied on your journey of life. Even through all the twists and turns, you are never alone or lost entirely.

5. (In the side chapel) – praying for others
God blessed the world through Abraham and can bless the world through us. Place a candle on the map, on a part of the world for which you wish to pray for God’s blessing. Light the candle and pray in the silence of your heart.

6. (In the church room) – being sent out into the week ahead
You have a card, depicting the days of the next week (Monday to Saturday): you might like to jot a word or a picture next to the name of each day to remind you of significant things which are happening to you, or demands which will be made of you on that day. Choose a text to paste next to each day and take the ‘calendar’ home to remind you of Gods blessing for you on each day.
Title on card ‘I shall be with you always (Matthew 28: 20)’
Verses:
I shall bless you (Gen 12: 2)
Do not be afraid: I am your shield (Gen 15: 1)
I am God Almighty: live always in my presence (Gen 17: 1)
I shall make you exceedingly fruitful (Gen 17: 6)
I shall be your God (Gen 17: 7)
Is anything impossible for the Lord? (Gen 18: 14)

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