Advent Week 2: Saturday

Family Scripture Reading: Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

72:1 Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king's son.

72:2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.

72:3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.

72:4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.

72:5 May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.

72:6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.

72:7 In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

72:18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.

72:19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen.

Prayer Beads for United Methodists

Kristin Vincent teaches people to pray with beads.  Kristen Vincent, Prayer Bead Artisan: “They might start with the cross and just say, ‘Gracious God.’ And then with each bead, they’re lifting up a different way in which they want to praise God.”

Kristen Vincent to group: “And that’s when you begin to hear God’s voice.” The idea may surprise some Protestants who associate prayer beads with other religious traditions. That’s why the artist, and her United Methodist pastor husband, have written books about the practice.

Kristen Vincent: “We’ve grown up bead-less, basically. This is what I do fulltime because the response has been so tremendous. And there is still so much work to be done because the majority of the Protestant church doesn’t even know that we have a prayer tool, that we have prayer beads.”

The roots run deep into the Old Testament, where God told the Israelites to take comfort in something they could hold. Kristen Vincent: “God comes to them in Numbers, Chapter 15, and says, ‘Take the fringe on your garments and hold onto it, and remember that I am the Lord your God.” And I think that that’s God’s way of saying, ‘Take a common ordinary everyday object.’ And indeed throughout the history of the early church Christians were taking pebbles or rope or beads and using that to help them focus in prayer.”  Vincent makes and sells strands and kits in various colors and styles that cover prayer intentions from breast cancer, to the Earth and Creation. This is a tool that can help people of all ages find focus.

Kristen Vincent: “Prayer is vague to all of us, but it’s particularly vague to children. And so, the prayer beads offer kind of a concrete tool to help them better understand how to talk to God. And they’ll pick out different colors, the color that represents their mom or their dog or their best friend. And then when they get to that bead, they will hold that and say, ‘This is for my mom’ and they’ll pray for their mom.”

Vincent volunteers with soldiers, showing them how to use prayer beads to alleviate symptoms of PTSD and heal their relationship with God. Churches may make prayer strands for shut-ins, to take on mission trips, or as a church fundraiser.  Kristen Vincent: “We’ve heard of churches where all of the staff members have prayer beads. At a certain time, they will all stop wherever they are in their various places, and take their prayer beads and pray for the congregation.”  Prayer beads can be ornate or as simple as beads strung by children on pipe cleaners. Smaller strands called chaplets are pocket-sized, for taking God on the go.   Kristen Vincent:  “Just holding them in your hand is a way of understanding that God is as close to you as the beads are in your hand. My hope overall is that people will understand that God is with them at every moment of every day, and that God always loves them deeply.”
http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/transcript-prayer-beads-for-united-methodists

Family Application:  /An example of a gift / Family Craft Project— Make prayer beads for each family member. See next page for instructions.  After you have made the prayer beads for each family member make one to give to someone else.  Then use the prayer beads to pray.  Give the prayer beads to someone with a copy of the following.

Prayer Beads

Large Bead  The Lord's Prayer Loving God, hear my prayer

Violet Bead I pray for oppressed people everywhere, help me to work for justice.

Indigo Bead I pray for people who suffer because of their religious or political beliefs.

Mauve Bead I pray for people who are trapped within abusive relationships. Loving God, hear my prayer

Dark Blue Bead I pray for those who feel sad today, help me to comfort the downhearted.

Medium Blue Bead I pray for those who face an uncertain future because of health or work worries.

Light Blue Bead I pray with thanks for those people I love and those who love me. Loving God, hear my prayer

Dark Green Bead Thank you for this beautiful world, help me to care for it.

Light Green Bead Thank you for the diversity of plants and animals, help me to use resources wisely.

Turquoise Thank you for the oceans, seas and rivers, teeming with life. Loving God, hear my prayer

White (or pale yellow) Bead I pray for the Make Poverty History campaign, that all your people can know abundant life.

Yellow Bead I pray for those caught up in conflict and violence, help me to bring peace into the world.

Dark Yellow Bead I pray for relief and development charities and those working for fair trade.
Loving God, hear my prayer

Bright Orange Bead Thank you for children, help me to see your face in each child.

Dark Orange Bead Thank you for older people, help me to value the stories of others.

Salmon Bead I pray for…  Loving God, hear my prayer

Dark Pink Bead Thank you for all people of faith, help us to work together for good.

Medium Pink Bead Thank you for my church, help us to be a sign of your love in our community.

Light Pink Bead Thank you for fun and friendship. Loving God, hear my prayer

Round Bead  Giggling, laughing and dancing God, thank you for me! Help me to love others as myself and to live always in the knowledge of your eternal love. Amen.