Every Monday night I'm involved with a Spiritual Direction Training Course where we spend the first part of the evening in prayer & meditation. This past Monday night was one of the best group prayer times we've had in the 2 years we've been doing this course. We usually pray in the gym and try to be creative in the ways we encourage people to pray, but this time the leader brought us all into the sanctuary where she had dozens of children's toys laid out up at the front. She told us all to go to the front and pick a toy and experience play as prayer.
The youngest people in the class are in their thirties with most of the students being in their 50s and 60s. It was SO exhilarating watching these 20 or so adults playing around the sanctuary - skipping rope, bouncing balls, blowing bubbles, rolling marbles under the pews and so on. I played with a yo-yo for several minutes with my primary thought being, "You mean all I'm expected to do right now is play with this yo-yo?!" It was so freeing and refreshing having 20 minutes where that's all I had to do. Normally, as a busy working father of 2 little boys, anything I do is supposed to have a greater purpose or leading towards something productive but in this very moment I was simply invited to play with a yo-yo and blow some bubbles.
As I wandered around the sanctuary blowing bubbles at people I have never seen such big smiles on adults in my life, especially in church. They were lighting up with glee at this prayerful opportunity. Some were even brought to tears as they reflected on God as their Father and them as His little child. We all basked in His love as we were freed for 20 minutes from all the worldly pressures and expectations most of us carry all day long.
God created us to work but He also created us to play. He created us to enjoy life and enjoy the world more than many of us do. Our modern world has certainly pushed us to work more, try harder, perform better, multi-task more, juggle more relationships, earn more money, spend more money...it's a high pressured life. But much of this is worldly expectations, not necessarily Godly ones. God wants us to live more simply, abundantly and joyfully as we enjoy Him, His world and the people He gives us to play with.
Next time you think you or the people you're leading think you need a deep, serious prayer time maybe try this instead. Take a yo-yo, ball, stuffed animal, playful puppy or spunky child and pray with them in a different way you may be used to. You may be pleasantly surprised at how good you feel and how you experience God's presence in a different way.
With this in mind I would like to invite you to check out my new prayer book which has a similar theme as above. It's a terrific book which invites the reader to experience God in simple, everyday, child-like ways we're all familiar with.
Playground Prayers and Monkey Bar Meditations
or here
Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you, anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God." Luke 18:16-17
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