Cloth Meditation
Pieces of fabric to hold. Play itunes track Spiegel Im Spiegel – Mirror in the Mirror. Performed by Daniel Hope.
Prayer


Each take a piece of cloth. This will represent different things in our time of prayer and our reading. Hold it in your hands.
Imagine this piece of cloth taking the shape of a tent.
Oh Lord Our God, we come to you, we take refuge in you.  In you we place our trust, in you we find shelter.
Imagine this cloth bound into a rope of escape.
Lord save us and help us out of all the trouble on our backs this morning.  Lift us out of the temptations and distractions coming at us.
Imagine this cloth dipped in water.
Wash us clean. Forgive us for any trouble we have caused this week, for the times when we have held back from doing the right thing, from love.  We turn to you again, assured of your forgiveness and power to heal.  Cleanse us and clear our eyes that we might see the wonderful things in your word this morning.
Imagine this cloth as a patch from a cloth that comes from the past and will travel into the future.
The psalms remind us that the reign of Jesus will endure as long as the sun and as long as the moon, through all generations.
Through our silence, songs, stories, prayers and communion with each other we worship you Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Enfold us in your love and allow us to worship you that your name may be honored in this place and in our lives.







Story for Meditation


Now that piece of fabric is going to become a part of our reading for this morning.
Play itunes track ‘Busy Street Ambience’ (People & Traffic) Urban Ambience Album.

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man – Mark 2:1-12 (NLT)

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door.
Imagine the cloth is part of Jesus’ coat. Picture yourself at Jesus’ house in Capernaum. Where would you be in the crowd? What would you be hoping for? What do you want to say or do to Jesus when you see him? When you get a moment face to face?
Play itunes track ‘In a Landscape (Solo Piano)’ by John Cage & Sylvano Bussotti.

While he was preaching God’s word to them,  four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.
Imagine the cloth is that mat. Are you watching the mat swing down, precariously from the roof, dumping to the floor?
Are you one of the team, working desparately hard, lowering your friend , trying to balance it very carefully, with all of your strength?
Are you on the mat? Your heart racing, looking up helplessly at your four friends? Totally out of control, your face burning with embarrassment?

Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?  Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?  So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

What have you just seen? What have you just experienced in your heart? Let us worship now.