Imagine the Worship and Wonder
by Christina Bledsoe
If you are anything like me, you desire a robust prayer life, you set aside time to pray but quickly find your mind wondering, distractions running rampant and next thing you know you have made a mental grocery list and have completely lost your prayerful posture.
If you can relate, the practice of imaginative prayer may be a helpful practice. Made popular in the 1500’s by St. Ignatius of Loyola, imaginative prayer is simply the practice of using your imagination, guided by the Holy Spirit, to see, touch and feel Biblical text. By placing yourself in a scene in Scripture, you see the Bible in a new light.
I invite you to bow your head and ask the Lord to guide you, along with me, as we practice the imaginative prayer using the nativity scene as our backdrop.
Luke 2:1-7: The Birth of Jesus (Passion version)
During those days, the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, ordered that the first census be taken throughout his empire. Everyone had to travel to the hometown of their family to complete the mandatory census. So Joseph and his wife, Mary, left Nazareth, a village in Galilee, and journeyed to their hometown in Judea, to the village of Bethlehem, King David’s ancient home. They were required to register there, since they were both direct descendants of David. Mary was pregnant and nearly ready to give birth. When they arrived in Bethlehem, Mary went into labor, and there she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped the newborn baby in strips of cloth, and Mary and Joseph laid him in a feeding trough since there was no available space in any upper room in the village.
After reading Luke 2:1-7, let us use our imaginations to set the scene.
Who are you in the scene?
Who else is present?
What do you think the weather was like?
What do you see around you?
What do you smell, hear, taste?
When I recently completed this imaginative prayer, I was shocked to receive a completely unique perspective than ever before. You see, I am going to be a grandmother soon (!!) and the Holy Spirit gave me the perspective of the nativity scene from Joseph’s mother’s view.
During my imaginative experience: I imagined traveling sixty-five miles with my son and daughter-in-law from Nazareth the Bethlehem. I cringed thinking of my very pregnant daughter-in-law riding on a donkey, I saw the dust and dirt caked on our feet as we approached Bethlehem. I was relieved that our journey would soon be over so we could rest. However, it pained me to hear my son being told over and over that there were no available rooms. Defeated, we accepted our only option was to spend the night in a dark, dirty room with filthy animals. We were hungry, Mary was in pain and my grandson, the Savior of the World, would enter the world and lay in a feeding trough.
But, oh the joy! As my precious grandson entered the world he was sent to save, he was so peaceful. Then shepherds and wisemen came and they bowed down and worshiped him and brought the most incredible gifts. And, the stars, they were so bright! We sang and cried and thanked God for the most beautiful baby boy.
I have heard the nativity story hundreds of times, but I never even considered how Joseph’s mother felt. That is the power of imaginative prayer - you can participate anywhere at any time, and it is your story. Invite the Holy Spirit into your imaginative prayer today, find out who you are in the story and discover a new way to worship.
