Prayer Station 3- Light

This is the third of three stations dealing with with passion. This one takes a little work but the effect is really worth it. I have done this on a larger scale using pvc pipe but it can also be done by stringing sheet from the ceiling making a tent of sorts. If you want to use PVC simply make a 4x4x4 cube with the PVC pipe. Then take a large white sheet and using fabric markers write as many verses of resurrection, new life, new creation and hope as you can fit on the sheet. Cover the cube with this sheet or sheets depending on how many it takes to cover your area. make sure to do this with the words facing in. Next find 5 flood lights, the ones are on stands or can connect to something are preferable. Take these light and position then around the cube, make sure the lights are not too close to the sheet so as not to catch fire. Each light should be plugged into a power strip and the strip into the wall. The room this is in should be dark so that the student will not be able to see the set up or the words when they are in the cube. The student should be equipped with a small flashlight before entering. There will be a card they carry with them into the cube and are instructed to not read it until they have settled into the cube and have experienced the dark for a time. In this time they are to contemplate areas in their life that are "dark" or "hidden". After this time of silent thought they are instructed to turn over the card. One the card should be written " Fear not for the one who you seek is not here, He has risen! They are then instructed to push the on button on the power strip and with the burst of light experience light in the darkness and resurrection. They are then instructed to spend as much time as they want in the cube reading the verses and stories that surround them, thinking about how those dark and hidden areas in their lives can experience resurrection.

Prayer Station 2- Fear

This could be used as the second prayer station in the series of three beginning with "dark" to celebrate Holy Week or it could be done on its own. Have the student in a small and confined space. A great way to do this is to make "tent room" with chairs and a couple of black bed sheets or black plastic. When the student arrives in the space the first thought should that they feel cramped or confined. There should be one solitary light. In this space the direction should instruct the student to ball up tightly with their knees to their chest and arms wrapped around their knees. This is supposed to induce a sense of hiding. There should be a card with a small write up on how the disciple hid in fear after Jesus was taken. After this write up a series of questions should follow where the student is instructed to read a question then put their head down to their knees, eyes closed and repeat the question in a whisper slowly until they have an answer which they will also say in a whisper. They can do this for as long as they like. Some questions could be "when have I abandoned Jesus in fear?" or "What am I hiding from now?" The goal of this station is two fold 1. to practice a prayer posture of fear and hiding 2. To give the student a self confessional space for some deep introspection. The station could end in one of two ways. 1. It could continue on to the final room of three Dark being the first to experience the three stations of Passion. 2. It could end with the student being instructed to sit in a comfortable position taking a soft and warm blanket wrapping it around their shoulders and reading the story of the Angles visit outside the tomb then followed by the verses in Romans 8:35-39.

Prayer Station 1- Dark

Have a small space possibly a closet set up with different kinds of light, i.e. candles, christmas lights, flashlights, lamps etc. the space also needs to be filled with different forms of colorful artwork. If possible have pieces the life of Jesus art. Have the student positioned in the center of the all of this. There should be the Passion story on index cards bound together. There should be one card for each element of light, maybe around 5. This will require dividing the story into 5 sections leading up til the actual death of Jesus. After each card the student will "extinguish" another form of light. They will do this back and forth untill every form of light is gone and each card has been contemplated. You have the option of ending the station here especially if this is a Good Friday or Holy Saturday station. If you are going for an entire Easter weekend service, you could have the student begin to relight each element as they cycle through a series of cards telling about the resurrection until the entire room is light again. Another option would be to have the student leave the room dark then move into another station to continue the story in to the resurrection. 2 more stations posts to follow that will complete the cycle.