Wash Me Whiter

"Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin... Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." --King David (Psalm 51:7)

Good Friday is always one of my favorite worship services to plan. Since it's in the evening, we don't need to think about time constraints, since often there isn't another congregation using the worship hall after we do. We also have the freedom to get creative, and I try to make Good Friday services more interactive and experiential than a normal Sunday service.

Sometimes we will set up stations of the cross for people to wander through at their own pace; one time I placed a bowl of water in the front of the room for participants to wash their hands as they silently confessed their sins; once we ended our service in utter darkness and mourning, releasing people silently to make their way home and reflect on the darkness of that first evening when Jesus died on the cross. 

This year, I was feeling very heavy and sorrowful after hearing so much about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the starvation of the Afghan people, and other cruelty and pain around the world, and also hearing about some of my dear ones who had recently lost people they loved to death. The weight of death and the terrible effects of the world's sin was on my mind. But any celebration about Good Friday must still end in hope, though the first disciples may have had none. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful, I thought, if you could actually see the healing of your sin? Wouldn't it be meaningful if you experienced the truth of your sins being washed away? I started to research whether there was any way to have people write their confessions on a paper and then have the paper literally get washed away. 

The short answer... there is! And it's called Paper Solvy, a water-soluable stabilizer. Actually, the original purpose of this paper, and other similar papers, is crafting. You make a craft, printing or drawing a design on the paper, and then sew it onto a fabric, or put it in soap, and when you wash the fabric, the "paper" washes away and your sewn design remains. Genius. 

But for our purposes, it works just as well! During a time of reflection, I invited the congregation to think about the sins they are carrying and write their confession to God. I invited the worship band to play reflective music in the background. After 3-4 minutes, I invited them, if they wished, to bring their confessions and place them in the basin of water in the middle of the room. I didn't tell them what would happen, I just asked them to come. During two of our services, it took awhile for anyone to come forward, but eventually, they did come, first one or two, and then a stream of people. 

With amazement, they watched as the folded piece of paper they placed in the water start to come apart, the letters seeming to float off the paper. And then, as they swirled the water, the entire paper and its contents vanished before their eyes! 

Here's how we did it:

1. What You Need: 

• 1 sheet of Paper Solvy for every four people (give everyone a quarter sheet). Each package contains 12 sheets.
• Blue or black pens (but any kind of pens, pencils or markers should work)
• A table (If you have a large congregation, set up multiple stations. One table should be enough for 50-60 people). 
• A basin for water. I wanted to allow multiple people to do the activity at the same time, so I used an under-bed storage bin.  
• 2 large buckets
• 1 small bucket or pitcher
• A fine-mesh soup skimmer
• A towel for each station
• 4 large popsicle sticks
• 2 people to sit close by and keep the station clean, skim the water as needed and clear the station after the evening is done

2. Setup: 

• Set up the stations with a table, tablecloth, basin, buckets and skimmer
• Fill the basin with water and place the popsicle sticks on the table around it
• Place the quarter-sheets and pens on each chair or give them out at the door
• If you choose to dim the lights during the service, make sure they are bright enough over the seating area so that people can see to write.

3. Explain: During the service, announce that there will be a time for confession and that people can write their confession on a piece of paper. Depending on how comfortable your group is, they may readily do this activity, or it may take awhile for them to come forward. If you really want to help them be more comfortable, you could have them seated at tables. I placed tables around the room for people to use, but no one actually used them; they just remained in their seats to write. 

During the evening, we also included a time for spoken prayers as well as a message and songs around the theme of Isaiah 63:4-5. Check out the worship flow: 

Overall, it was a beautiful and meaningful way to remember Christ's redeeming work which washes away our sin. Sometimes an activity can be very simple yet have great impact for our understanding. May this activity also bless the hearts of your congregation too!