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    A Bead and a Prayer: A Beginner's Guide to Protestant Prayer Beads
    A Bead and a Prayer: A Beginner's Guide to Protestant Prayer Beads
    A Bead and a Prayer: A Beginner's Guide to Protestant Prayer Beads
    Ebook93 pages1 hour

    A Bead and a Prayer: A Beginner's Guide to Protestant Prayer Beads

    By Kristen E. Vincent

    5/5

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    About this ebook

    This 4-week Bible study introduces Protestants to prayer beads as a tool for connecting with God. Participants will explore the history and art of using beads in prayer, discover ways to pray with beads, and learn how beads can help them deepen their faith, understand Christian beliefs, and listen to God. Each week's lesson contains a scripture passage, a reading that can be completed in 20–30 minutes, a prayer bead experience, and discussion questions. Instructions for making prayer beads are included, though readers may choose to purchase beads rather than making their own.

    UNIQUE SELLING POINT
    This book introduces Protestants to prayer beads as a way to connect with God.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherUpper Room Books
    Release dateAug 1, 2013
    ISBN9780835812191
    A Bead and a Prayer: A Beginner's Guide to Protestant Prayer Beads
    Author

    Kristen E. Vincent

    Kristen E. Vincent is an award-winning author, speaker, and artisan whose passion is spiritual formation, including the use of prayer beads. She is the author of four books, including A Bead and a Prayer: A Beginner’s Guide to Protestant Prayer Beads, and Beads of Healing: Prayer, Trauma, and Spiritual Wholeness. Kristen travels throughout the U.S. and internationally to lead retreats and workshops. She is a graduate of Duke Divinity School and The Academy for Spiritual Formation (#34). She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, Max, a United Methodist pastor, and their son, Matthew. Kristen loves words, the mountains, gatherings on her porch, and dark chocolate. Find her at www.prayerworksstudio.com.

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    • 5/5
      The gift of prayer!A few months back I became more interested in using beads as a meditative prayer tool. Over the years the idea of prayer beads has drifted in and out of my consciousness. I had investigated several sites, mainly looking at various Tibetan (Mala) Prayer bead sites. At that time I also became aware of Anglican prayer beads. But as so often happens, Interruptions came and went, and I drifted off to other things. And here is the relevance. Oh how I love the mystery of synchronicity! I came across Kristen Vincent's book as an ARC. For me this is a timely intervention. Prayer Beads have come into my life again. The opening quote by Robert Benson resonated,'We need some ... Sacred things that are as mysterious as the Mystery itself!'Kristen's book opens up a an exciting, proactive way to approach prayer and meditation using our own 'sacred things', literally 'touchstones' assisting us on our spiritual journey.The concreteness of the beads focus us in the now of the prayer cycle, adding a further dimension to the prayerful experience.Instructions are given to make your own bead set. The suggestion to include beads that might have some significance, I love. I think I will include my grandmother's crucifix. I like the idea of a generational chain of continuity.The book has instructions about making a set of prayer beads and the significance of bead placement. Following is a four week guide to using the prayer beads.The Appendix is valuable and has links to various resources and I must admit I spent many minutes lost in the exploration of the various sites.Thoughtfully composed this is an exciting beginning to a different journey for those feeling called to undertake it. Kristen's book is surely a gift.A NetGalley ARC
    • 5/5
      What a wonderful tool! I ordered a set of beads from her website and look forward to praying with beads!

    Book preview

    A Bead and a Prayer - Kristen E. Vincent

    To my parents,

    who gave me my first set of prayer beads,

    I AM THANKFUL.

    To my husband and son,

    who have loved me through this journey,

    I AM FULFILLED.

    To my gracious God,

    who created me for this moment in time,

    I AM IN AWE.

    A BEAD AND A PRAYER

    A Beginner’s Guide to Protestant Prayer Beads

    © 2013 by Kristen E. Vincent. All rights reserved.

    No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, write: Upper Room Books, 1908 Grand Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212.

    UPPER ROOM®, UPPER ROOM BOOKS® and design logos are trademarks owned by THE UPPER ROOM®, a ministry of GBOD,® Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.

    The Upper Room website: http://www.upperroom.org

    Cover design: Bruce Gore/Gorestudio.com

    Cover photos: Kristen E. Vincent

    At the time of publication all websites referenced in this book were valid. However, due to the fluid nature of the internet some addresses may have changed, or the content may no longer be relevant.

    Scripture quotations not otherwise identified are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    Scripture quotations designated NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan. com

    Scripture quotations designated RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    Scripture quotations designated kjv are from the King JamesVersion of the Bible.

    LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

    Vincent, Kristen E.

    A bead and a prayer : a beginner’s guide to Protestant prayer beads / Kristen E. Vincent.

    p. cm.

    ISBN 978-0-8358-1217-7 (print)—ISBN 978-0-8358-1218-4 (mobi)—ISBN 978-0-8358-1219-1 (epub)

    1. Beads—Religious aspects. 2. Prayer. I.Title.

    BL619.B43V56 2013

    248.3'2—dc23

    2012041492

    Printed in the United States of America

    CONTENTS

    Acknowledgments

    Introduction

    WEEK One: Why Prayer Beads?

    WEEK Two: Why Prayer Beads for Protestants?

    WEEK Three: How to Use Prayer Beads

    WEEK Four: How to Listen with Prayer Beads

    Leader’s Guide

    Making Prayer Beads

    More Devotions for Prayer Beads

    Resources

    Notes

    About the Author

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    THIS BOOK IS POSSIBLE because of many people and churches who have joined me in this journey of beads and prayer.

    Orange United Methodist Church was my church home when I experienced the call to make prayer beads. Its members were immensely supportive, encouraging, and willing to be the test subjects as I offered up the beads and experimented with ways of talking about them.

    Reverend Cyndi McDonald first invited me to lead a workshop on prayer and prayer beads with the women of Marietta First United Methodist Church. Through her leadership and unwavering support I found my voice and the confidence to share this material on a wider basis.

    This confidence led me to approach Sherry Elliott in the midst of SOULfeast 2010, The Upper Room’s annual spiritual formation retreat. She accepted my offer to teach two workshops on prayer beads for SOULfeast 2011. Both workshops were standing room only, and we realized we were on to something. We have been connected by beads ever since.

    This book came into being after discussions with Jeannie Crawford-Lee, Editorial Director for Upper Room Books. Jeannie believed in the idea and offered thoughtful guidance on its development. Her colleague, Rita Collett, project manager, led the editing process with particular skill, humor, and grace, resulting in a beautifully streamlined final product.

    Many people were involved in testing the material for this book, including

    • Members of two groups from our current church, Allen Memorial United Methodist Church, in Oxford, Georgia: Nancy Bowen, Margie Cline, Pierce Cline (may he rest in peace), Mary B. Flemister, Karen Green, Nancy Henderson, Brandi Gossage, Lyn Gossage, Ellin Knarr, Mary E. Leinweber, Patricia Owens, Carol Penn, Anna Silver, Kayla Vining, Jim Watterson, and Anita Wildman.

    • Members of Central United Methodist Church, Concord, North Carolina: Susannah Pittman, Kathy Taylor, Susan Love,Vicki Isenhour, Sherlon Dorton, Margaret Dabbs, Nancy Sanderbeck, Rosey Stein, Karen Johnston, Sue Jones, Jennie Tomlin, and Elaine Braziel.

    • Participants of the morning session I led during SOULFeast 2012: Laura Condra, Koky Elliott, Carol Burrage, Pamela Smith, Carolyn Rochelle, Suzanne LaFever, Leila Niemann, Olive Davenport, Mary Gentry, Linda Stephens, Marion Housel, Ginger Wilkins, Jane Camp, Elaine Jones, Tricia Nowacki, Marietta Smith, Ellen Bibb, Linda Bumgarner, Kathy Houser,Vernagaye Sullivan, Philip L. Holcombe, and Barbara Page Kell.

    • A number of the Prayerworks Studio Facebook fans, as well as the women of The Circle of Friends Evening Group of Hallied United Methodist Church, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, who tested the bead-making instructions and provided suggestions to ensure they were user-friendly.

    In addition, Rabbi Dan Gordon shared his remarkable gift of storytelling to help me understand the use of the Jewish prayer shawl and its knotted fringe.

    CeCe Nickolich, my spiritual director, offered abiding love and wise, Spirit-filled guidance that helped me to trust the God who has faithfully called me to this journey.

    The leadership team and participants of the Academy for Spiritual Formation have all helped me to

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