The Maker's Space

 This year's The Maker's Space, Oct.,2022- June, 2023, has had six sessions of creative prayer using art, some of which have touched on some of the ancient prayer disciplines. This has been our 10th year of The Maker's Space and all have been creating the environment where listening prayer and prayer in the form of art is a conversation with God.  All have been spaces where we come out of a chaotic world to slow down, play with the creator of the universe, and hear what He might be whispering to us visually through the art that we do. Next year, starting in October, we will continue with some of these ancient practices of prayer, to create a space for them, thus acquainting ourselves with the practice perhaps incorporating it into our daily lives.

 "Have you ever felt out of control when you're afraid or extremely stressed? There's a physiological reason that happens. When you nervous system senses danger, the amygdala, [sometimes called the emotional brain] takes over and literally bypasses the frontal lobe [sometimes called the logic brain] in order to prepare your body for fight, flight, or freeze, in a process that psychologist Daniel Goleman first called 'amygdala hijacking.' Your body reacts automatically, without intentional thought, and the result can often leave you feeling like you have no control over you reactions or behavior in that moment. Anxiety sets in. The limbic system serves your body well when you're facing an actual threat, like a bear attack for example, but it's not as helpful when the 'danger' is merely a stressful situation. These are the times when breath prayers, especially when practiced regularly, can be very helpful. As you slow your breathing, you're tellin

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."  2 Corinthians 4:7 How do we pray with clay? The sessions with clay are hard to explain the feeling of clay on your fingers and how it smooshes as your whole hand squishes the two pound lump of clay......

 60 of the clients of Haymarket Center, attended The Maker's Space Workshop, where for the sixth year in a row, art was used as a way to tell stories of recovery.  Haymarket's mission is to aid people with substance use disorders in their recovery, and the evening of art proved once again to be a powerful tool to help the clients express themselves.

Check out Allen Arnold's website for a free sample of his new book the Eden Option. In it, Allen describes the world of Story #2 that we are born into by default, but we can choose to live in Story #1, the real story we were intended to live, a life of constant communion with God, if we make the intentional choice.  Do you feel that the world we are living in is getting more and more less real?  The farther we go into Story #2, the less real the world becomes and the farther and farther we get from God and the life that we were intended to live.  Check out the free sample, then buy the full edition, either hardcover or Kindle!  

  These ideas are taken from the book,  Making Crosses—A creative Connection to God, by Ellen Morris Prewitt .   Active Prayer   —Praying with your body Praying With the Body-Bringing the Psalms to Life by Roy DeLeon   Roy is an Oblate of St. Benedict and a spiritual director.   He teaches classes in “Blessed Movements”, praying with body, heart and soul, and conducts workshops at monasteries and retreat centers.   He lives in Washington state.      Warm up Active prayer with the Psalms Opening Alleluia praise prayer to begin anything.   This is also a way to get Scripture out of our heads and into the air and into our bodies. When we begin, we are reminded why we are praying, our intention is union with God, wherever we are, it is Holy ground and we need to be attentive and watchful for the inner movement of the triune God with us. The prayers are written in sections, with a Lectio Divine format, a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures which enables the Bible, the Word of God,