Tags: Prayer Beads

Hazel, introduced me to her new 'His Story' bracelet. Each bead represents something in the story of Jesus. It was moving to hear her tell me the story, pointing at each bead in turn - the story was somehow more real - there is something special about the physicality of beads :

'One night there was a bright star which guided three men, who were the three wise men, to the birth of Jesus who later in life became a carpenter and a fisher of men and souls. He had twelve apostles who spread the Word Of Christ but on one dark day of hatred, envy & death He was crucified. He shed His blood for us to purify & save us. He rose and is now in Heaven seated with the Father & the Holy Spirit. and He did all this because of His great love for us.

Tags: Prayer Beads

I find that making a prayer rope calms me, and the activity naturally becomes a 'still point' in a turning world; taking it further why not pray for the person you are making the prayer rope for and make it a spiritual activity? Liz Babbs book and CD, 'The Celtic Heart' has a beautiful meditation which fits:

Cords of Love
Thank you, Lord,
for the cutting and weaving
for that first umbilical knot
you were shaping
and forming
all that I was to become.

Thank you, Lord,
for the 'ups' and 'downs'
the 'unders' and 'overs'
you were weaving
beauty and purpose
into my life.

Psalm 139: 'When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.'

and as you hold the cord, hold the person before God:

We hold each other's lives
in our hands
What fragility and responsibility
Eathen vessels formed
from loving hands
So easily crushed
by clumsy words and actions
and only forgiveness can reassemble the parts
according to the Maker's instructions.

Tags: Spirituality, Prayer Beads

I sat on the beach at Tenby making knotted Anglican Prayer Cords for our
Confirmation Group - there are two adults (63 yrs and 38 yrs) and 3 young
people (12yrs). On our last session before the service, we had a practice and
then spent some time with God.

We started with an explanation and then we sang. We said the Lord's prayer on
the Cross, 'May the words of my mouth' etc on the invitatory bead, 'Jesus Lamb
of God, have mercy on me, a sinner' on the single beads - they repeated after me
rather than have it on a bit of paper, then on each group of seven beads, we prayed in
turn for the world, the church - worldwide, our parish, congregation, the
people that had told us about God; our family and friends - the people who
loved us, we loved, who encouraged us to be here; ourselves - our journey with
God, the service; and then back to the invitatory and Lord's Prayer. We
finished with anointing and another song.

It was a really good time together with God - there was that quiet and stillness
and unwillingness to move or break the silence which comes from having been in
the presence of God. Chandy

Tags: Prayer, Prayer Beads

The Pearls of Life are now available in the UK at SPCK bookshops price £6.99 and they come with a little leaflet. I'd really like to see an English translation of Martin Lonnebo's book about the Pearls. Share your experience of using the Pearls in a comment? Andrew

Tags: Prayer, Prayer Beads

Around 500 people visit anamchara each month - I thought it would be interesting to find out how many of you are new to the concept of prayer beads/prayer ropes as an aid to prayer and meditation? Maybe like me, you already use one? Please vote in the new Sidebar Poll (you also might be interested to see the results so far - they pop up after your vote...) I look forward to hearing from you: Andrew

Tags: Prayer Beads

There's something about the beauty of the colours and the feel of the woven cord on prayer cords - a friend has just asked me to make her one in Irish Spring - a mix of green colours. Having something to hold and use that's a thing of beauty itself, is inspiring - like nature.

Tags: Health and Wellness, Prayer Beads

Not long ago I sent for a set of 'Pearls of Life' from Sweden by Martin Lonnebo - I wear them on my wrist and I've been following his Meditations for each pearl - but recently I've been more and more convinced that Jesus taught his followers the 'Lord's Prayer' or 'Our Father', as a pattern for them in response to their question; 'Teach us to pray' (they didn't ask 'teach us a prayer' did they?) - it seems that the Church largely promotes his teaching as just a prayer rather than the holistic way of praying Jesus intended; how short we're being sold!

Then I came across Andii Bowsher's blog 'anamchairde' on the Paternoster Rosary by happy coincidence - and now I notice that Lonnebo has written about the connection between the Pearls of Life and the Lord's (way of) Prayer - see the July Word of the Month on the first pearl of Love.

Tags: Prayer Beads, Prayer

I use the Prayer cord to help me focus. It's physical - the feel of the knots in my hand help my mind not to wander. You don't have to say a lot of stuff; there's a stilling quality about doing it - it's about being in the presence of God in stillness.

I start off with the Cross. I normally say the Lord's Prayer, then I say either 'Lord have mercy' or 'Lord have mercy on me, a sinner'. On each knot I pray for a friend or family member. In the gaps between knots I say 'Lord have mercy'. I'm just holding the person in my hand before God asking God to remember them. I know that God takes over the burden even if I don't stop being concerned about them. CHANDY

Tags: Meditation, Prayer, Prayer Beads

I find the Prayer Cord comforting. It's a physical reminder of my close relationship with God every day, so I keep it with me all the time. I use it to pray for my friends or any big issues. When I'm really stressed I use the beads and just give people's names to God - and if they've a very big problem then they get lots of beads! I believe God drops people's names into my head. In my moments of greatest stress it was the only thing that gave me any peace. CAROLE

Tags: Health and Wellness, Prayer Beads