Slow Down || Worship Helpers || Part 1

We’ve all heard the scripture that tells us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to be angry. I want to talk about those times when it feels impossible to do that. Those times when we are so overwhelmed with our thoughts or so paralyzed in our actions that we can’t do those things. We get stuck in this loop of listening to our thoughts, reacting to our emotions, and acting on impulses that taking this scripture to, in essence, “calm down” doesn’t work. It’s hard to tell someone else to do something when feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated.

Throughout our series on James, I will be introducing a variety of Worship Aids. They are for all children, youth, and adults who may have a hard time sitting throughout an entire worship service or may get distracted throughout the worship service. You can use these worship elements however you need to, but many of them center around prayer and reflection.

Today’s worship aid is called the “Finger Labyrinth.” This worship helper is something that you can use while you are in prayer or are in reflection. You use your finger and trace the path very slowly. While you’re focused on tracing this path, you can pray quietly or aloud. You can pray for others or yourself. You can pray with words or without.

We often get inside our heads a lot. We’re always thinking about the next thing: “Who’s next on the prayer list?” “What’s the next song we’re singing?” “Where am I going for lunch?” I am almost positive someone is thinking along this same line. This aid allows us to sit and be in the present. This exercise can help silence all those thought storms like I talked about a couple of weeks ago and let this moment be between you and God. As we go into prayer today, let us remember that we can be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to be angry even when it feels impossible. Why? Because God does the impossible, you can be invited into that time of impossibility and be slow, responsive, and, more importantly, be in God’s presence. Amen.