Wednesday Night Recap

We had a really cool night last night at youth. I have wanted to experiment with “worship without music” for awhile, and last night we did. We set out 6 tables with three chairs at each one. On the table there were four pieces of paper, a Rembrandt painting depicting a story of scripture, the story from scripture, song lyrics printed up that related to both, and a piece of paper with some encouragement to respond.

We told them to study each of the pieces of paper and write thoughts, prayers, and at one table, there was candles to light as you lifted someone up in prayer. It was pretty cool. I thought that it would last for 15 minutes and we would be thinking, "What are we going to do with the rest of our time"? It did not. It lasted 45 minutes and then some.

They all went to the tables and started to interact with worship song lyrics, scriptures, and paintings of scripture. They were encouraged to respond to God in the way that they felt led to do so. I wasn’t sure if this idea would tank or fly, it most definitely flew. I really can’t communicate the rawness and the power that is on the pieces of paper with scribbles and words and underlines and circles and arrows, but here are some responses from the tables.

Table 1

Painting: The Resurrected Christ and Disciples worshiping

1. Jesus you are the light of everyone’s life. You died on the cross for our sins and now please forgive me for mine.
2. Light unto my path & lamp unto my feet

Song: Here is our King, Crowder

1. I need healing now and I look to you my King
2. We all need healing help us to ask for it
3. He will always be there to love us
4. Rest, god is right next to you
5. He has made me believe and He will come for me

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10

1. Thank you for the real life!
2. I am learning to live without fear
3. (circling “he has risen” in the text) Thank You God
4. Thank you God for being there when I needed you most
5. Jesus will always keep his promises, so we know he’ll forgive us.
6. Help me not be afraid of my future. You are always there for me
7. Please Lord help me be brave

Response Paper: What portions stand out to you the most?

1. The be quiet part touched me for our lives become a bond w/ schedules, Lord help us to be quiet for you & to know when to speak!
2. Help me to be good
3. I wonder what you will really look like, what you see when you see me, what is the expression on your face? I hope it is love. I want you to be able to call me yours.

Table 2

Painting: Christ revealing his spear wound to Thomas, as he places his finger inside

Song: All I Can Say, Crowder

1. I am never alone because God will always be by my side.
2. All that you can give will always be good enough for Him.
3. (adding to the line “I didn’t notice You were standing here) But now I do
4. Please help me now!
5. Lord the dark is creeping up to swallow me. Help me, Hold me!

Scripture: John 20:24-29

1. You have to believe to see
2. Believing is seeing
3. Pain makes believing hard. Remember to believe in the hard times!
4. Never have doubt in the lord or scripture have faith know they are there

Response Paper: write down any thoughts, feelings, prayers

1. Do not live with doubt
2. Sometimes I forget you’re right beside me. I’m sorry.
3. Help me to follow you always
4. I am lonely but I shouldn’t be b/c you are there for me
5. I have questions that shake the conviction of my soul. I struggle believing, but everybody does.
6. I struggle & still a choice that I hope he’ll give to me. I pray 4 the answer, I will search 4 it till I fell it. Eyes, hand, & ears mean nothing unless you fell him.

Table 3

Painting: The prodigal son being held by the father

1. (drawing lines to people in background) servants (noticing they are not being held)
2. Comfort (triple underlined)
3. father (line drawn to the father)
4. “dead” son now “alive”
5. Bring others (sons/daughters) that are lost, help them to be found
6. Forgiveness
7. Loving

Song: He is the Love, Crowder

1. My hands, I want to be your hands Lord.
2. Lord thank you for giving me a home to be safe in.
3. (circling the line, “And He is the love) You are my one true love (even though I may not show it) YOU are
4. (circling the line, “I’ve grown to trust, And I believe) I’ve found in hard to trust anyone other than God, he is the only one that I can trust

Scripture: Luke 15:11-24

1. No matter how wrong we are, you forgive. Sometimes I wonder how.
2. Thank god for taking care of us and giving us a second, third, fourth…chance to be worth to be called your daughter.
3. Lord I was lost until I found you.
4. We do not need money it belongs to you
5. (circling the word “worthy” from verse 19) You are worthy Lord
6. He is love
7. Forgive us as the father did his child
8. thank you God for forgiving me time and time again
9. (bracketing verses 22-24) We aren’t worthy but you still give it all to us. Thank you.

Response Paper: Light a candle as you say a prayer for someone who is lost or suffering

1. Lord I pray for the peoples in Ohio
2. Lord I pray that you would help my brothers come to the Lord, ad realize how wonderful you are
3. Please help them Lord, they have given me so much to lose everything.
4. Forgive them as I do
5. Forgive those who persecute me for they have not seen the light
6. Lord please protect my cousin when he goes to Iraq in March and bring him home safe
7. Don’t let me waste anything you give me

Table 4

Painting: Jesus standing before the crowd with Barabbas

1. Lord please give me the strength to tell people that you sent your son to die for us
2. Lord help me to be more like you and less like the people who put you on trial.
3. *Give me confidence to let your words pour from my mouth
4. Our Father being rejected over a filthy murderer. That’s wrong.
5. He’s perfection
6. It hurts me to admit that I would have been a scoffer. But HE is good

Song: How Deep the Father’s Love for Us, Townend

1. He will love us forever
2. He will love us no matter how much we sin we are in
3. (pointing to the line “that he should give his only Son) Thank you God. Thank You!
4. Circling the lines “I will not boast in anything, But I will boast in Jesus Christ) Lord help me to do this.
5. I am proud to be his, and humble at the same time
6. Thank you god for this paper
7. God made me he loves me & thinks I’m beautiful.
8. (pointing to the line “His wounds have paid my ransom) Am I doing my best to be worthy of that price?

Scripture: Mark 15:1-15

1. (pointing to “many crimes” in verse 3) We are all guilty
2. He will not lie
3. Silence is powerful. Very few master it, but you knew!
4. To many times we try to please others instead of doing the right thing
5. (circling the word “crucified” in verse 15) I thank you for dying on that cross
6. How shallow can people really be? (another comment added to this one) Would we be ay different?
7. We all envy, I think that that should stop

Response Paper: Write down any thoughts you may have

1. God is love and LOVE IS REAL
2. please forgive me 4 the times that I have tried to please others instead of you
3. Please help me to focus on you and your will, and not on me and my own. I am sorry that I have been mad at you. (mad is triple underlined)
4. You could have called out and saved yourself, but you didn’t. You are the bravest man I will ever know.

Table 5

Painting: Jesus hung on the cross with the two thieves next to him

1. Thank you for going through it so I did not have to.
2. Thank you Lord
3. God, I thank you for giving your son to us. With this please forgive all my sins.
4. You gave your life so we could live with God & leave all our sins behind
5. You suffered worse than I have and that keeps me going.
6. You suffered for us. I push through the pains I endure because yours were harder and you never gave up on us!

Song: The Glory of it All, Crowder

1. Thank you for your sacrifice for me.
2. Forgive me for my sins
3. Thank you Lord for being there when we need it most
4. Things will never be the same now that you are in my life
5. Its you that keeps me going
6. Thanks for giving us the chance to live
7. Thank you for not coming down off that cross. I am sorry for being a sinner

Scripture: Mark 15:21-41

1. You are my true father
2. (pointing to “king of the Jews” in verse 26) Lord you are the King of all
3. Thank you Jesus for dying for me
4. God will never abandon us. He does everything for a reason

Response Paper: Write down any thoughts you may have

1. The perfect father
2. (answering the question who do you relate to in this story) the soldier for I am the same
3. Lord you are the King of Glory
4. (answering the question who do you relate to in this story) The bystander standing, questioning, wanting to help, unsure as to how. Forgive me.
5. Lord you are everything we need and you always forgive, thank you.

Table 6

Painting: Jesus and his disciples on the boat in the middle of the storm

Song: My Hope, Crowder

1. Salvation without faith is worthless
2. God hold me tight I need you and I love you. Help me to get on my knees and ask for your help because I am sinking!
3. (pointing to “wash me clean”) Cleanse me of my sin
4. Dear Lord, please wash me, cleanse me, set me free, hold me close and cover me.
5. (circling the line “needing You”) Always
6. I trust you
7. The sea may rage, but your hands hold fast to mine

Scripture: Matthew 8:23-27

1. (Circling the line, “waves breaking into the boat) things that break me down; everyday.
2. (Circling, “Lord, save us!) Please save me Lord.
3. I will praise you in my storms
4. I am not alone, even in the fiercest of storms
5. I will always have faith in God and trust what he is going to do.
6. We are like the boat. The scared disciples our doubts/fears that we have about God; as long as we have Jesus in our life also, there is no need to fear. He will calm our storms and stop the storms.

Response Paper: Write down any thoughts, feelings, prayers.

1. You will heal my storms. I will praise you in the storms. Thank you.
2. a storm may come and take me down, but you Lord will raise me up from my shipwreck
3. You have always lifted me up. You always will. Be glorified in me.
4. God please show me that you will always bee there through any hard time I might have.
5. This world is filled with hopelessness and despair, I look to you but find you no where, just when I think that I am going to sink, you lift me up and help me carry on through this storm that is called life.
6. God will save us through any storm