Hula Hoops and Bandages

On the way to 5 Senses to Prayer Book 2 - #24

Hi friends

Life is just rolling along for me right now. One day follows the next. It’s not that things are feeling routine or ordinary, but rather the opposite. In times of being busy, distracted or worried, it’s easy to let prayer routines get lost as we muddle through getting on with getting on. Finding the head space for conversation with God can feel complicated. Connecting prayer with action/reactions involving my senses helps me to focus on prayer, lean into my faith and feel the presence of God at work in my life.

Be humble in the Lord's presence, and he will honor you.

James 4:10 (CEV)

I write many prayers for use by individuals personally or to include in planned group worship experiences. There’s not always the luxury of time to use these prayers when life is rolling along and we’re rolling along with it. Yet even in these times, there are things that we each do each day that can be part of our default sensory prayer routine. For me prayer times are linked with some of the routine daily and weekly chores like cleaning. Working at the sink washing dishes, spraying and wiping benches, folding clean laundry, vacuuming, sweeping the porch… this is all the stuff that invites me to prayer. What are your go to prayer activities?

In today’s Virtual Prayer Room we have a thanksgiving prayer rolling a hula hoop and a confession prayer rolling bandages. Both are simple prayers, with a rhythm and order to them that keeps us rolling along with God as we roll along with our lives.

May God be with you this week how ever your life is currently rolling

On the journey

Caroline

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Rolling Hula Hoop Prayer

Sense of Touch – Thanksgiving (T.T.7)

Roll a hula hoop along the ground. With each rotation, tell God in one word something you are thankful and grateful about. 

Further suggestions and adaptations on using this prayer

Prayer Station

Use this prayer as part of a larger outdoor event such as a camp, retreat, picnic or bbq.  Have a stake in the ground with the station name and the instructions for the prayer attached to the stake.  Place a few hula hoops next to the stake.  Combine this prayer with other similar outdoor stations.

Individual

If you have a flat straight driveway you could use this prayer at home, if not you may have to go to a local park area where there is a flat surface space to roll the hula hoop.  See how many different words of thanks you can make as you rotate around the entire space.

Small Group

You could use this prayer if you have a large empty indoor space such as a hall or gym.  Ask any individuals in the group who have hula hoops to bring them to your gathered together experience.   Work in pairs, rolling the hoop to each other and saying one word prayers of thanks as it leaves one person before it reaches the next person.  Keep praying back and forth until the prayer seems to reach a natural ending. 

Large Group

Introduce this prayer visually down the aisles or across the front of your gathered together group.  You could project a pre-recorded image of someone rolling the hoop.  As the image shows a rotation encourage your gathered group to shout out their thanksgiving one word prayers.

Visual Images - Static, Projected, Live Props

·       Rolling a hula hoop

Getting ready checklist

·       Hula hoops

·       Large space