The Church of Ireland Diocese of Connor

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Sensory prayer night at Holy Trinity Woodburn

Tuesday November 27th 2007

Holy Trinity Woodburn’s Youth Fellowship, G1 (God First), organised a multi-media/multi-sensory prayer night for parishioners. 

The parishioners were invited to spend an evening of prayer and contemplation based around ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication).  Each of the themed stations involved interaction with the five senses. 

People moved from praising God for his creation with the aid of music and visual imagery of creation.  They then had the opportunity to sit and listen (through headphones) to praise music before moving to a wall of mirrors and thanking God that we are made in the image of God. 

Then, with the aid of verses from Scripture and lights, they were encouraged to contemplate Jesus as the light of the World, before moving through a series of stations challenging them about our sin and how it affects others as well as the individual (visualised through the ripples a stone makes in a pool of water). Participants were then able to confess those sins and to know God’s forgiveness.

People were encouraged to write their prayers of confession on a cross shaped piece of paper and to burn it on a barbecue where verses speaking of God’s cleansing assured them of sins forgiven and removed.  To signify the cleansing that Christ alone brings participants washed their hands as they read of the blood of Christ cleansing from all sin. 

Before moving on to prayers of supplication people were encouraged to rest in Christ.  A comfortable area was provided with words of assurance from Scripture of Christ’s presence.  Then with the aid of a map people were encouraged to pray for the parish and to place a cross on the map for people they had prayed for. 

A large mural confronted them with headlines from the world around and people were encouraged to pray especially for the persecuted church.  At the end they were encouraged to read God’s words of promise and blessing from Scripture.

Around 60 members of the congregation availed of the opportunity and later the 40 teenagers who had organised the evening took their turn to complete this prayer walk. 

The feedback was very positive from all age groups.  Many people commented on how much they were blessed by stepping out of a busy lifestyle to do such a journey of prayer and how the multi-media/multi-sensory, whilst initially new, different, and a little daunting to begin with had really helped them pray and know the presence of God.

It is hoped to repeat the prayer journey in the New Year and also to organise a similar journey for children.

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