Week 12 - getting in a knot

Week 12 was at the start of the school holidays and so the option to have some prayer stations in the vestry wasn't available as the space was needed as an overflow from the cafe.

Instead, I put bits of blank paper and coloured pencils on the table and encouraged people to create and colour anything they wished and whilst they did this to pray for an individual or situation.

I also photocopied some celtic knots and suggested that indivduals should colour these in and pray at the same time. The drawing of patterns has long been used as a way of meditating. Celtic Knotwork,is a way of calming down and helping to focus on God. The emphasis on symmetry and repetition help to sort out cluttered minds and lives. 

Colouring in the celtic knots was especially popular with the children although it was quite difficult to explain to them what they were supposed to be doing because the environment was very busy and noisy. The colouring in is very relaxing and therapeutic (I ended up doing quite a bit of it myself as I tried to model what I wanted peple to do). Once more, it was the children who did most of the colouring.

This is the final (official) week of my MA pioneer project. The project has given me a lot of reflect upon.

My thoughts have included the following:-

• What constitutes a church?
• Does what I have been engaging in constitute a fresh expression?
• What prevents adults from praying?
• Why are children more open to prayer?
• How easy it is to enforce my opinions onto someone else regarding the way that I think others should pray.

Lots to think about. This is most definitely not the end ....