Highlight of the Week

Prayer Space returns to CSL

This week our pupils and students participated in Prayer Space. Our Chapel was transformed into six prayer zones - all based on the themes of Journeys and Hope. Pupils from Year 2 to 13 engaged with this event throughout the week, considering their journeys of life and faith and their hopes and dreams for the future.

The Prayer Space journey began with a trip to the Labyrinth - kindly loaned to us from the diocese of Llandaff. Pupils were given prayer cards to follow as they made their way through the labyrinth, praying for themselves and others. They were taken through twists and turns along the way - walking towards the light and love of God. (Luke 24: 32).

The next station, Partners, was based on trust. Pupils had to carefully choose a partner they trusted to carry out this activity. While one person was blindfolded, their partner guided them to drop balls into set holes in a box, designed and made by Seb R (Year 12) who was volunteering as part of his Gold DofE award. This demonstrated to pupils that we can journey alone, but quite often we need the assistance of others along the way, and so we should always remember to turn to others when we need help.

The third station, Confessions and Forgiveness, took place in a darkened space with a single lamp to light the station. Pupils and students were asked to consider their sins. Using UV marker pens, they were given a cross to write their sins on which were then pinned onto a larger cross – reminding us of Jesus’ death. They were then prompted to turn on the UV light and noticed that the writing on their crosses had disappeared. This was to remind everyone that if they are truly sorry, God will forgive all our sins and that Jesus gave his life for us on the cross. (James 5: 16).

Lifeboats and Refuge was the next station to navigate through. Sitting in lifeboats, pupils had to plan and mark their route through a maze. Once the maze template had been removed, a message was revealed - God is with you wherever you may go. (Joshua 1: 9).

The fifth station was based on Hopes for the future. Pupils were encouraged to think about the kind of person they hope to be as they grow up. They were then to write down the words that came to mind and post it through the letterbox to God. (Jeremiah 29: 11).

The final station focussed on the poem Footprints in the Sand where the prepared video guided the pupils through the activity. Pupils were given a sand tray and tool to make the sand smooth before choosing a footprint stamp to make their own footprints in the sand. In the poem, we were reminded that God walks alongside us in our journeys of life and faith and that we are never ever alone.

At the end of Prayer Space, pupils were then able to take home a cross and some wool to continue their journeys, reminding them of the season of Lent and Jesus’ defeat of death on Easter morning. As we continue to journey through Lent, we pray that we will stay along the right path, guided by the love and care of God.

Thank you to all the pupils for their sensible and mature nature during Prayer Space this year, for the staff for accompanying them and assisting during the sessions and for the prayers and support of all during this week. Thank you also to those who helped set up, make and run the Prayer Space this year - Seb R, Eric R, Eddie T, Neirin E, Madame Howells, Mr Hill, Miss Morton, Mr Goggs, Mrs Felstead and Miss Wheeler. Without all your help, Prayer Space would not have been possible. Diolch yn fawr iawn!

For more photos, please click here