Worship Cafe

Items and Tags

Finding items can be a lot of fun. They can be things you already have at home, decorative and ornaments. They can be things you find in interior design shops, or in the home section of your department store. If you are the Guide of a Gathering then you do not have to full responsibility for the Items – people can bring their own to share with the group, and write their own Tags.
As had already been mentioned Items always come with a Tag. The point of the Tag is to give suggestion of what to do with the Item, and to ask a number of open questions like:

When writing your own Tags remember that they are supposed to be asking questions not giving answers. People will interpret them differently. Once you have decided on your Items arrange them on tables or other surfaces in your worship space with the Tag next to them.

Example Items

Cubes

Glass cubes are available from many interior design shops and department stores. They are about the same size and of the same appearance as ice cubes. Because of their nature they work very well with a tea light in a darkened area. Beware however that they can heat up if built over the flame. Individual cubes work well as a guided meditation.

These cubes look like ice.
Build them, carefully, so that the tea light shines through them.
What does this say to you?
How are we like the cubes?
How are we like the light?

Icons

Icons and pictures are a very easy Item and work well unguided. They have been a part of Christian worship for centuries, and not only tell us stories about the saints pictured but also about the people who painted them. Even if you feel uncomfortable with images of Jesus or Mary there are lots of modern pictures available which are just as powerful.

Icons can be found on the Internet and printed out; you will find details of some in the resources section at the end of this book.One way to enhance the viewing of Icons is by viewing them a small section at a time. Cut a circular or diamond shaped hole in the centre of a piece of card that is larger than the Icon. Black is a good colour for the card, as it won’t detract from the main picture.

These icons come from a range of places and eras.
Look at them through the cardboard cut out bit by bit.
What do they say to you?
Which ones do you like?
How do you picture the invisible?

Stones

Polished pebbles are available in tubs from interior design shops, or you can collect and wash your own from the beach. The smoother the stones the harder it is to build them into a pile, although this can actually add to the Items appeal. Stones work very well as a group activity, placed on a covered table a number of people can work together to build a Cairn or create a design.

These stones are smooth.
Build them, carefully, into a cairn.
What does this say to you?
How are we like the stones?
How do they build best?

Jigsaw

The Jigsaw Item is made by cutting up at least two stained glass, or other images. Stained glass works well because of the way the images are already subdivided. The worshipers are invited to recombine them as they wish, perhaps to produce an abstract image, or a completely new story. Images can be found on the internet, and those images that tell a story work particularly well for this activity.

There are two pictures cut up.
Use the pieces to make something new.
What does this say to you?
What is your picture of?
How are you like the picture?

Fragments

By Printing an image, or a number of images, onto inkjet business card paper you can give everyone part of a picture. After spending time with their fragment they can search out its place in the bigger picture.

You hold in your hand a fragment.
You can look at it, or combine it with other fragments to make a whole.
What can you see?
What is missing?

Spheres

Hollow glass spheres can be bought from interior design shops. They are very fragile, so they may need to be watched if smaller children or some adults are using them. They work well on there own, but also benefit from having a light source such as a candle nearby to play on the reflections of light.

This sphere is hollow.
It is very delicate - be careful
Hold it up to the light.
How is the sphere like you?
How is the sphere like god?

Kites

Kites are a great activity to make and fly in church, or just to look at. Making indoor kites is not easy, and requires light material, sticky tape, cotton and cane. You can make kites out of drinking straws and plastic if you want, or carbon and rip-stop nylon from a kite store. Making the kites can be an activity in itself, and the kites can then be reused many times over. Alternatively small and very light kites can be bought from kite shops and from street sellers. The best way to fly kites indoors is to attach them to a cane of about five feet in length, using a line of about four feet. This enables the flier to remain fairly stationary whilst creating enough airspeed for the kite to fly.

These kites will fly in the lightest wind.
Look at them see how they fly what they need.
What does this say to you?
How are we like the kites?
How are we like a flier?

Colour Cubes

Color has traditionally played a strong part in Christian Symbolism. A color cube is like a large dice, but with a different color on each face. You can make these out of card, or you can buy foam cubes. Cubes can also be used for meditation and as a discussion focus for a group.

These cubes are colored.
Look at the color.
Which ones do you like?
What do the colors remind you of?
How are the colors like god?