Creative Prompt: Tear and Glue
A slow collage prayer
I’ve done a few collage prayers in the past week or so. One was led by fellow a spiritual director and was beautiful and gentle and slow; joining in with her and a few others felt like a gift to myself. In leading that, she helped me make space on a day when I would have struggled on my own. I decided to bring that gift to Sunday school on a day when I led the children in a contemplative exercise — imaginative prayer (more on that sweet time later!) — as a way to respond to the story. And those kids dove in with gusto!
So now I bring that gift to you, trusting that each tear of paper, each stroke of glue, is its own type of wordless prayer. With this practice, I invite you to pray without needing to explain yourself.
Gather a few pieces of paper. They can be:
old magazines
colored paper
scrap paper
junk mail
tissue paper
pages you no longer need
Begin tearing pieces slowly with your hands. Let the edges be uneven. Let the shapes surprise you.
Then begin gluing the pieces down to form any shape, picture, or design you’d like. You can use anything as your background, or download this page.
It doesn’t have to “look like” something and you don’t have to explain what it means.
As you work slowly, you might wonder:
What do I want Jesus to help me with today?
or
What do I want to say to God?
There is no right way to answer. The collage itself can hold the prayer.
Wondering Questions
You might hold one of these quietly while you work:
I wonder what my hands are expressing that my words can’t?
I wonder if God receives this just as fully as spoken prayer?
I wonder what feels torn in me right now?
I wonder what wants to be mended, supported, or strengthened?
I wonder what it feels like to let prayer be imperfect?
Notice what arises. No pressure to resolve it.
A Kid-Friendly Version
Invite children to:
Tear paper into different shapes and sizes.
Glue them down to make a picture or design.
You can gently wonder together:
What would you like Jesus to help you with?
Is there something you want to tell God today?
How does it feel to tear paper instead of cutting it?
Let their answers be simple. Let the art carry what they don’t say.
A Closing Invitation
When you’re finished, sit with your collage for a moment.
Notice:
Where does your eye rest?
Which piece feels most important?
Which one surprised you?
You don’t need to interpret it, just let it be what it is: a prayer made of torn edges and held together with care.
And trust that even this is received with delight.