I’ve been living at the base in Swaziland for almost a month now, and I am still amazed about how well the staff loves us and how amazing they are. One of the things they do for us that blows me away, is a worship via writing class thingy. David, one of our field mentors, leads it; and the whole purpose of the class is to stretch us in writing as a form of worship.
Some of the class is focused on longer assignments while others are short little prompts. Here is everything I’ve had to write so far for our Monday writing worship sessions:
Prompt: describe interactions with people using as many alliterations with the letter “p” as you can in ten minutes.
“People pretend.
People pretend problems aren’t present.
People pretend because people perceive problems as proposterous,
but pretending only brings pain
People in pain try to hide behind pretty masks.
But when people stop pretending, and people drop the pretty masks,
Powerful freedom becomes present.
Phony people cause pain, but people who are willing to drop the pretty masks and show the not so pretty parts,
Those people create a place of powerful freedom for themselves and their peers.”
Prompt: 10 minutes. 10 lines only. Next line must start with the last word of the previous line. Talk about creation.
“‘Where did all of this come from?’
‘From a gentle but firm command from God.’
‘God commanded it all to be here?’
‘Here, there, everywhere.’
‘Everywhere I look is part of his creation?’
‘Creation is all His, yes, my dear.’
‘Dear goodness,’ said the little girl, ‘why’d he create us?’
‘Us?’ Questions the grandpa with a sparkle in his eye.
‘Eyes, ears, noses… why’d he do that?’
‘That, my dear, is because you’re His most perfect creation made in His most perfect image.'”
Prompt: something you wish the body of Christ brought before the Lord more that is usually not talked about
“You say You are enough for me and in my head I know its true, but I still struggle to believe. You say You’ll fill me up yet I still find myself wanting more. I just want you to be all that my heart ever craves, but I just can’t seem to get there. I can’t seem to get there no matter how hard I try.
We sing the song ‘I want more of You, God” but my wicked heart changes it to ‘I want more THAN you God.” Oh God, why can’t I find satisfaction in you. What am I doing wrong that I just can’t seem to get there no matter how hard I try.”
Prompt: the focus should be the great banquet (Luke 14) but besides that there are no boundaries. Can be a short story, a poem, or a song. Anything goes.
“Rejection is a feeling I’m well acquainted with.
Its been my good friend since a very early age.
Acceptance for who I am was simply a myth,
That is until I read those few words on that very special page.
‘Not only are you invited, but I, the king want you to come.
There’s nobody worth more and nobody worth less.
You, my dear, are going to be my very special guest.’
I was invited? There must be some mistake.
But as my eyes scanned the page, the words stayed the same.
The invitation was real, it wasn’t a fake.
I looked down at the invitation searching for information on what I should wear,
But ‘Come as you are” was the only thing written there.
I went to the party hosted by the great King
I knocked, the door opened, and there He stood.
He welcomed me in not asking for a thing
And showed me to this huge table made of wood.
I looked at the table and I could no longer breathe.
Its vastness was oh so astounding to me.
I was so overwhelmed that I turned to leave
But the King gently said, ‘please don’t go. This is where you’re supposed to be.’
So I found an empty chair and I sat down in it
And as I looked, I realized this table could still hold more.
There were hundreds seated, but still more would fit.
This table had a place for every person in the world.
As the party drew to a close, the King came to me.
He said, ‘Darling, your invite was not a one time thing.
If you accept, you become part of my forever family.
That seat at the table will always be yours.
You’re always welcome and accepted no matter the time of day.
There are no strings attached and there’s only one thing I ask…
Invite others to come, no matter their past.'”
Prompt: Get three partners and write a poem, no longer than 10 lines, using only lines from worship songs
“My soul feels crushed by the weight of the world
I’ve let my hope fail
There’s a wreckage, there’s a fire
Give me your eyes so I can see
You’ve given me space to breath but
There’s a weakness in my love
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
I wanna do what you do
Give me your love for humanity
Lord I wanna love like you
Your love is better than all the others
Though the earth may try to tell me your not faithful
My soul will rest in your embrace
I belong to you
For I am yours and you are mine
The earth may try to blind me from your goodness but
I am satisfied in you “
p.s. I titled this sucker click bait because I have a rousing 12 people consistently reading my blogs and I’m desperate for more viewers but I couldn’t think of an actual clever title that was actual click bait so here we are.
