Path of Prayer beads
By Karin
Carlsson, from Swedish translated and reworked in English by Kaarina
Hakkarainen Made for
EAEE council meeting’s workshop in Mustasaari, Helsinki It is possible to
use this path both indoors or outdoors, you can also take one or two stations
at a time and make a meditation or prayer around them. For indoor stations
you can take a look at Eero Jokela’s pictures at http://www.rukoushelmet.net/rhv.htm
Everything there is in Finnish but using links you’ll find pictures and with
these texts here can think which are which. In the beginning
This path
of prayer beads in is about a walk in life. Life can turn out to be very
different, but some things are common for everyone. Every
station deals with one or more beads in Pearls of Life. Every bead is a sign
for significant experiences in life. And at the same time every bead carries
with it a message from God. Every bead tells us something about God and about a
human being. Jesus Christ,
our Saviour has once walked on the earth as a human being. He went through
similar experiences as we. And yet his walk here differs from ours, because he
never did anything bad or loveless. He respected everyone he met and loved
them. He has shown us the right way. It’s not always easy to walk, but it takes
us to our goal. Walking through this path of prayer beads is walking together
with our Saviour and friend Jesus Christ. During the
walk you can search for a treasure, the most valuable riches of life. This
treasure is neither gold nor money. It’s something else and immeasurable
worthy. Take Pearls of Life with you; they’ll guide you forward. There is a path around the island and we’ll go around
it clockwise. You’ll find pearl stations alongside the path. It’s possible to
start on any station. Let’s begin at different directions, so there is time for
everyone to go in peace and silence.
Walk alone or with your friend. Please wait if there is someone else at
a pearl station. Here in this room, there are two stations and here you’ll come
back after going through every station on the path, at …o’clock. Here we’ll
wait for others and end our session together. At the end God Pearl The golden God pearl is
a sign of God’s presence in our life. And yet He is near us
and we are allowed to talk to him as our Heavenly Father. God gives us his good
gifts: light, warmth and love. He is the light of our life. And we belong to
him. Take a look at the
creation God has made. Think what is there
which makes you glad. Think also what else
precious you’ve got in your life. If you walk with
someone tell him/her, what makes you glad. Pearls of Silence This is a
place for Silence. Be silent for a while and listen what you hear, when you
yourself make no voice. They
remind us about our need to be silent. Prayer is not only our speech; it is
discussion with God, also without words. You can take the seashell from the box and put
it on your ear. What can you hear? After listening put the seashell back to the
box and walk forward in silence to the next station. I-Pearl
- Things
you need: a box where there is a mirror inside The golden God pearl is the biggest and finest pearl in the
wreath. The oblong pearls of Silence surround it. Beside the pearl of Silence
is a little pearly pearl. It is your own I-pearl, the most beautiful and
valuable pearl after God pearl in the wreath. Every human being is unique and
precious in God’s eyes. To remember this you can take a clam with a pearl with
you. Now you can take a look at the real genuine I-pearl.
When you’ll look at it you’ll see a secret, which is between God and you.
Nobody else but just you can see it. The Pearl
is in the golden box. Open it carefully and look at the precious Pearl of God.
Then close the box and thank God for letting you see this secret. Baptism Pearl
- Things you need: a
bowl with water During the
walk of life we often broke God’s will. We are
created in God’s image, but we cannot reflect God’s image clearly. Baptism
reminds us of forgiveness of our sins and we can always start anew. Baptism reminds
us also of belonging in God’s family. “I draw a
cross with my finger. I draw a cross on myself. It means:
I’m Gods child as Jesus was. As I was baptised a cross was drawn on my forehead
and heart. This cross
of baptism is in me; it’ll be never wiped away. God, look at the cross, keep me
always your child.” è
You
can dip your finger in water and draw a cross on your forehead. Desert Pearl
- Things you need: small
stones You’ve come
to Desert pearl. It’s dreary and lifeless in the desert. The wind has blown
sand so, that there are not any ways to be seen forward. You cannot know, how
to get out of there. Life is
sometimes like a desert. There are so many problems and difficulties, you
cannot know how to manage. Desert pearl is telling you, that different kinds of
difficulties are a part of life. Jesus Christ had to stay in the desert too.
And there he had to meet severe temptations. Think of what is difficult in your life just now. Take a stone from the ground and hold it in your hand.
This stone is the difficulty in your mind. You can throw the stone away and pray: Serenity Pearl - Things you need: some blue scarves and cards with a text “Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery. Today God is there for you.” Welcome to the place of joy and serenity. In order to feel
how light and enjoyable it is to be carefree, you can drape a blue scarf over
your shoulders. The scarf is blue like heaven, like sea, like the sea of
Eternity, Grace and Peace. Then read Jesus words to his friends: “Look at the birds of
the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour
to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the
field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in
all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the
grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,
will he not much more clothe you … Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of own.” Leave scarves to those who come
after you, or if you see them coming, you can drape them over their shoulders. In the basket there is a “message of
an angel”, you can take it with you to remind about God’s care during your
life. Pearls of Love
Welcome to
the station of Love pearls. In the wreath there are two red beads as signs of
Love. The first one tells about Love we receive from God and the other one
about Love we give. The first Love pearl, Pearl of Love we receiveGod loves us. It is
difficult to understand, because we cannot see him. But God has found an
excellent way to show us how much he loves you and me. He becomes a human being
to live among us. Jesus is born in our world. But God does not come to
us only in Jesus. He shows his love in giving loving people near us, a family,
friends, workmates. The second red pearl, Pearl of Sacrifice Take hold on the two red beads in your wreath. Keep the first one in your fingers and pray God in silence
thanking him for his love in Jesus Christ and for people who love you. Keep the other red bead in your fingers. Think how you could show your
happiness about being loved by others. Remember to say or show it to them. Mystery Pearls
- Things you need:
candles Three pearly
mystery beads are just alike like your own I-pearl. In the mystery beads you
can hide your most secret hopes, dreams, dearest ones, feelings that are most
difficult or most wonderful, things you cannot always find words. To touch
these pearls is a prayer: God you know,
take care. A candle is a sign for prayer. You can light a
candle as a sign of your silent prayers, ask, thank, joy for… or pray for
someone… Night Pearl
- Things you need: a black box where there is a
picture of Christ inside Life isn’t
only joy and serenity, light and love. Sorrow,
darkness and death are also a part of life. The Black
Night pearl is a sign of these feelings. There is nothing dangerous in them.
Crying helps us to bear our sorrow. With other people and with help of other
people we can get through fear and hard sorrow. During the
difficult moments of life you may feel like being alone in the darkness. You
can however always trust on that you are never alone. Open the black box and take a look at a picture of a friend, who is always there for
you. After looking in the box go on reading: You are not
alone in the darkness of sorrow and death. Jesus Christ is there with you. He
is as near you as the picture in the box or the black bead in the prayer
wreath. He knows, what it is to be in the darkness of death. But he is not dead
anymore. He can and will help you forward. Resurrection Pearl
- Things you need: little paper flowers with text: “You are God’s
beloved child. “ Or “God loves you. Your name is written in the book of
Heaven.” And a prayer card of Pearls of Life Welcome to
the place of hope and victory. This is the wonderful place of Easter and
resurrection. Darkness and death cannot ever say the last word, when you walk
your life with Jesus Christ. Life wins, when Jesus wins the death. He wants to
share it with you. He calls you to live the joy of resurrection in communion
with God. Take a folded piece of paper from the box. Put
it on the water edgings up. Wait and see and wonder a secret that this
little piece of paper reveals to you. You can take your little paper flower and sit down in peace and quiet waiting for others.
You can read
a prayer card and think what you
experienced during your walk. |