Outside of the room where we've started
doing Godly Play we've had markers, word finds and coloring sheets.
Participants arrive over a wide time span and engage with these materials.
This
Sunday participants were so engaged in coloring that they had trouble making
the transition to enter the Godly Play room. They didn't want to stop coloring.
My efforts at helping them repeatedly
fell short. Sometimes they were met with resistance. Meanwhile it was hard for
the storyteller and those who had already entered the room to stay ready to
enter into the story.
As
I reflected afterword someone suggested maybe the materials we have out are too
stimulating. It hadn't thought of paper and markers as stimulating but they
are! We've unwittingly assumed we should have something for people to do to occupy
their time until enough have gathered to form the circle and start the story. We've been offering them something with
content and materials that invite creative engagement. Creative engagement is important.
However, the time for it in the flow of our hour together is in the response
time following presentation of the story. As participants arrive our goal should be to support
them in getting ready to enter a sacred story. This calls for quieting and becoming open. It's different from getting creative
juices flowing, even if they’re flowing in a focused, calm way.
How can we best help people be ready to enter? What
materials will make it easier for people? How should we guide
the use of materials?
Discerning this and
supporting people in getting ready to spiritually engage calls for being intentional, observant
and engaged ourselves. It's a task similar to that of people preparing the
environment and their own hearts for leading the morning church service or any other
communal spiritual practice. What an amazing opportunity we have!
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