A ‘Holding Cross’

29th June 2020

Many churches today are using social media to hold public services – either together at the same time or uploaded so you can listen and watch at any time and worship in your home when it is convenient for you

I find that having a ‘prayer space’ when I join, as well as when I pray alone, enables me to enter into that time of holiness quicker and more fruitfully. It’s like when you physically go to a church building for a service. Your hand holds the door handle and you choose to enter into a sacred space

Not many of us have the luxury of a separate space where we currently live, and in many ways I prefer not to distinguish prayer life from everyday life. After all, where does one end and the other begin? God is everywhere; in every room in the house. He’s no less in my home or yours than He is in our locked church buildings. He’s with me when I pray and when I eat, or cook, or watch TV, and so on

One item I appreciate is a cross that I can hold. Ideally one that completely fits into my hand

There are wooden ‘Holding Crosses’ that you can make or buy especially for this purpose, but you can use any material. Perhaps you could make one out of felt and stuff it, to give it form and solidity

I have one made from an old plastic book binding strip, which I cut to size. One piece slots into the other, to form the cross shape

What I appreciate about the holding cross is its firmness; it reminds me that Christ is my firm foundation; that God is solid and dependable. It reminds me also that whatever happens I will cling to Him. And it tells me that as I hold that cross in my hand so I pray that He will hold me forever, never letting me go or fall

See what materials you have from which you could make a Holding Cross. What feelings and thoughts come to you as you use it in your prayer and worship time?

Rev Dr Jo White

also published in Great Yarmouth Parish Life

The views carried here are those of the author, not of Network Yarmouth, and are intended to stimulate constructive and good-natured debate between website users

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