Hey I don’t know about you, but in my life I know there are a lot of things I’d like to see God turn upside down.

Before we move on we’re going to pause and reflect – something we often like to do in our services. I don’t know if that’s weird for you – if it’s a new experience just know it’s low pressure, lots of freedom, just some space to think about how what we’ve been talking about actually plays out on the real ground of your own life. 

I’m going to lead you in a few moments of silent reflection. You can close your eyes if that helps you focus and tune distractions out. Kids, you can join in this practice too, as we do some imagining together about what it could be like for God to turn some things upside down. 

So let me ask you first: as you think about what you see going on in the world – the big world – around you these days… where are things not as they should be? What needs to be flipped upside down? Is it poverty, materialism, increasing division and polarization among people, wars over right and wrong? After everything you’ve heard tonight, what is the thing you would like to see go differently, that you want God to flip upside down? 

I’m going to invite you to hold your hand open in front of you, and as you think of whatever those things are, picture them there in your hand. Like you’re holding them out to God. 

Now keep doing that for as long as you need to, for as many things as come to your mind. But at some point during the refrain the band is about to sing, when you’re ready, I invite you to just flip your hand over, upside down, and let that motion be your prayer that God would do it. (Sometimes it’s easier to pray with our hands than our words, that’s kind of what this practice is.) 

Now flip your hand back up again and let’s think on another level. What about in your personal relationships. Where are things not as they should be there and needing to be flipped upside down? Maybe in your family, your friendships, with other kids at school... maybe you have a Christmas dinner or two coming up that are going to be relationally hard. Where do you long for things to be very different than what you’re seeing now? Do the same again, and picture them in your hand. 

And now again, at whatever point you feel ready during the next refrain, flip your hand over, letting that become your prayer to God to come and flip things upside down relationally. 

Now flip your hand back up one more time, and let’s go one more layer down. What about simply in you? What do you need God to flip upside down there? What maybe feels stuck in you, where are you longing for real freedom? Are there troubled thoughts, difficult feelings? Is there a critical voice that plays on a loop in your mind? Fear? Worry? Shame? What do you long to see more centered and strong inside your own spirit? Same deal, picture whatever the ‘stuff’ is, there in your hand. 

And one last time, whenever you feel ready, flip your hand upside down, trusting even the insides of you to the God who loves you enough to shake things up in order to bring real peace