#PrayLent Week 2

by Fiona Fidgin

Welcome…… to our resource sheet for our Lent Course – #PrayLent. This week we are praying with our imagination.

Taketime

This week we are exploring prayer with a mediation series called Taketime. This is known as the Imaginative Contemplation of the Gospels. This Ignatian way of praying invites us to meet Jesus by imagining scenes from the Gospel stories. You will be invited to visualise the event as if you were there, paying attention to the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and feelings of the event. Using your imagination in this way helps you to go deeper into the story and enables us to communicate with God in a more personal and evocative way.

We meet Rev’d Clive McKie, the founder of Taketime and hear how he started Taketime and how he has been using this way of praying in prisons, schools, hospitals, with all ages, in sermons, as part of the Gospel reading and in worship.

Clive says,

“Taketime meditations use your imagination to provide a calm, comfortable space in which to meet God. Anyone can use these meditations, regardless of background or religion and you can meditate anywhere you like.”

You can learn more about Taketime here: www.taketime.org.uk

Become a Taketime Practitioner

If you are interested in this way of praying and would like to lead a group, you can train to be a Taketime Practitioner. Training is also offered for school practitioners – both Primary and Secondary age groups. Details on their website.

Scripture reading

A reading from Mark 10:46-52 The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

The Meditation Questions

Rev’d Clive McKie, the founder of Taketime, suggests that you might like to think about these questions at the end of the mediation. These are good sharing questions, especially if you are listening together in a group.

1. I wonder which part of the experience you enjoyed most, the relaxation exercise, the story, talking to Jesus, resting with God, returning to the story or the music at the end?

2. I wonder what part was the most important part for you?

3. I wonder where you saw yourself in the story?

4. I wonder how you felt in Jesus’ presence today?

Why not share your answers on the PremierDigital Facebook Group.

#PrayerChallenge

Each week you’ll be given a prayer challenge!

This may not be your way of praying, you may love it or hate it, you might encounter new ways of praying… the invitation is just to give it a go!

At the end of this week’s video there is a 15 minute meditation – listen to this and pray with it.

• What did you notice?

• What was the experience like for you?

• Spend some time reflecting on your feelings, your desires, your conversation with Jesus.

• Sit quietly, write your thoughts, draw a response…

You might like to pray with the words of Jesus, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Perhaps you can use it on different days in the week?

Go to taketime.org.uk and listen to one of their many 5 minute mediations.