We created this song and worship activity when leading at the Salvation Army Mission Gathering, September 2023. Working with Major Kerry Coke, we used a portable loom as a visual and tactile focus for teaching and response. We also wrote a multi-part song to respond worshipfully to the theme. Feel free to use and adapt these ideas for your own context.
 

In the first session we gave everyone a piece of thread, which represented their journey to the conference. They were invited to add this to the loom in whatever way they liked. In the second session, we looked at how people had added their threads - some were neat and tidy, some were in crazy patterns, some people had even hung their threads off the side of the loom. We encouraged people that this was a great representation of how God is "weaving together" our stories to create a beautiful masterpiece. We're all different, we all have different postures towards church and faith, but God still unites us. 
 

We showed images from Nicola Moody's "Tear and Repair" project (with permission), a textile art project which has been exhibited in 10 cathedrals across the UK. The artwork was based on interviews with five women who had suffered sex trafficking. Nicola turned these stories into weavings, using colour, texture, holes and messyness to communicate the joys, tragedies, setbacks and triumphs of these women's lives. We invited people to reflect on the tapestry that God was weaving out of the story of their lives.

To respond to this second session we handed out strips of cloth, and again people added these to the loom. In the third and final session we had people thinking about ways that they had changed (using the frame of the man born blind, who says "I was... and now I am"). People wrote these on tags and tied them to the tapestry.
 

The song was written to have two simple parts which we taught to the congregation. There is also a lead vocal part. This was written to illustrate the idea of different parts coming together in harmony. You could lead this with your musicians (sheet music is downloadable), or you could use the video version to reflect on the song.
 

There’s a tapestry you’re weaving
from the tangle of our lives, 
O God, bring us together.
When we feel our colours clashing 
and the weave is wearing thin: 
O Love, weave us together. 

There’s a song that you’re composing
from the babble of our voice. 
O God, bring us together.
Though our choir feels unsteady
you unite our joyful noise. 
O Love, weave us together.

Weave us together, 
O God, bring us together.

There’s a story you are writing
from the fragments of our days, 
O God, bring us together.
Every journey finds it meaning
as you work your saving grace, 
O Love, weave us together.    

CCLI 7226960. © Sam Hargreaves (admin by ChurchSongs.co.uk). Can be used in worship services - please report on your CCLI licence.

With thanks to the 12 Song Challenge Virtual Choir for vocals: Caroline Bushman, Dave Jarvis, Peter Assad, Chloe Rose, Matt Weeks, Rebecca Beese, Chris Taylor, Olwen Ringrose.