Humans are physical creatures. Â Our bodies matter to us, and they matter to God – we’re not just pure spirit.
This month, if you’re looking for ways to get creative with your kids, here are some ideas for using your body to connect with God in a different way.
The first one is something I made for my nephew when he was christened recently.
On a sunny day, my baby’s Grandma and I were brave or foolish enough to take the three-under-three grandsons into the garden with paint, and get some foot and handprints.
It’s my nephew’s footprint, with a verse from the Bible about God’s word guiding our footsteps. Â You could use the same idea with other pieces of Scripture that use hand or foot imagery (perhaps use a concordance or a site like Biblegateway to find something appropriate).
Some other ideas:
- Cover some old boxes (cereal, baking powder, whatever’s about to go in the recycling bin) with plain paper, like a present. Â Draw or write all over the box with things you’d like to thank God for.
- Trace around your hand on a piece of paper and then use art materials to decorate the hand. Â While you’re making it look awesome, talk with God about how cool it is to have hands to use to do all sorts of things.
- Use your hands to make a card for someone who might need cheering up.
- For older kids: go for a special prayer walk, in three parts (a bit like the ancient practice of the labyrinth). Â Choose a destination. Â On your way there, concentrate on asking God to tell you something important that you need to know. Â When you arrive, stand still for a few minutes, listening hard to God. Â On your way home, think about what you might have heard God say, or talk with someone about it to figure it out and plan what to do next.
- Try talking to God with your body in a different position. Â Try kneeling, or sitting, or standing, or lying. Â What difference does it make to you?
- Do some knitting, or finger-knitting. Â As you knit, talk to God about the people you know who you would like to be better friends to. Â Ask God to knit you together like the wool.
- For older kids: when you’re doing something physical and repetitive, like practising goal-shooting, or music scales, or swimming lengths, see if it works for you to pray at the same time. Â You might pray for a different person in your class each length of the pool, or thank God for something different every time you finish a scale or score a goal.
- When it’s time for a treat, choose some sweet fruit (or something less healthy that I couldn’t possibly recommend) to eat. Â Close your eyes and eat it slowly. Â Every moment that it’s in your mouth, thank God for all the good, sweet things in your life.
- For further thoughts, check out Ten Ways to Pray, a good resource on all sorts of things.
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