Can I Make Prayer Beads?

Here it is. The basic design for Prayer Beads in the Protestant Church. Particularly, these have been used in the Anglican and Episcopal Churches. If there is interest, we may hold more classes on making Prayer Beads here at the church. And YES! You can make Prayer Beads.

Prayer Beads are designed using a cross, five larger beads (one Invitatory and four Cruciform) beads and twenty-eight smaller beads called weeks, bringing the total number of beads to thirty-three, the age of Jesus when he left his earthly life. The smaller beads are divided into four, often separated by small spacer beads. When you look at the beads, the four Cruciform beads form a Cross.

Give it try or let me know if a class interest you.

Love and Prayers, Russell

What in the World?

Prayer Beads
for the
United Methodist

Having been baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church, I have high respect for the orthodox faiths. I am often drawn to certain aspects of how the Russian Orthodox express their faith and their spirituality. One aspect that caught my attention were Prayer Beads and Prayer Ropes. Some would refer to these as Rosaries, Rosary Beads, Chotkis and such. All of these differ in the number of beads and length and some have knots instead of beads, but all will have a cross or crucifix. However constructed, you might wonder,"What is purpose of having such a thing?"

In a traditional sense, Prayer Beads are used to count prayers and guide which prayer to pray . (Yes, I know; I am oversimplifying, but stay with me.) This would be particularly important when praying the Rosary. You need to keep it all straight. As those of the Protestant faith, Prayer Beads would not necessarily be used to count prayers or to guide us to pray certain prayers; although, they can. I believe the Prayer Beads for the Protestant seeks to revive a dying aspect of our faith. That dying aspect is the power of faith symbols. The various symbols related to our faith have staying power in our minds and our hearts, and trigger our senses. In the Orthodox churches there are many symbols. The crucifix, the altar configuration, the icons around the altar, incense and more.

Perhaps this illustration can better make my point. When I was young, my family traveled to McKees Rocks, PA most every summer to visit my father's side of the family. It was always a wonderful family time together. Life was different there, though. They had cellars! Not basements with concrete floors and block walls, but dug-out cellars with dirt floors and walls. My aunt's and uncle's cellar was lit by a single bulb that dangled from an electric cord. You had to go down the steps with only the dim light of the open cellar door to see by before the cellar light was turned on because it had a pull string switch. The "luminescently" challenged bulb created shadows that made the cellar seem creepier and more ominous than it was. Of course, you never really had a reason to go down in the cellar. Right? Wrong! The only and somewhat rustic bathroom was in the cellar making regular trips necessary. I never liked having to go down there. My bladder was all stretched out and much larger by the time we came back to GA. Maybe too much information, there

Here is my point. Over the years, I have been in people's basements and even cellars. Now, you know that when you start down the steps to a basement or cellar, you immediately notice the difference. The cooler air, the damp feeling, and that scent of mustiness. Whenever those senses are triggered, My mind flashes back, my senses come profoundly alive, and I am for a moment back on the stairs to my uncle's cellar. It's not scary or creepy; it's comforting and assuring.

Symbols are powerful whether it be the odor of a basement (feel free to choose your own odor) or a cross on the sanctuary wall. A friend of mine, who is younger than I, commented during a conversation that, "People my age just aren't into the symbolism thing. It just doesn't mean much to us." We who are teaching and training in the church today might decide that we can forget the power of symbols as being relevant, or we can recognize our failure to convey the Gospel message in ways that are internalized and have staying power in people's lives.

Are you ready to rethink your understanding of Christian symbolism and the power that symbols have? There will be more on this; but if interested, check out the article labeled "Can I Make Prayer Beads?"