One of the things St. Paul’s feels very strongly about is keeping the doors to our sanctuary open 24 hours a day for anyone to come and have a safe place to be, meditate and pray.
The important thing to God is not where you pray, but that you pray, and in what spirit you do it. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prayed in a large furnace, which is good to know should you ever get thrown into a furnace, but that doesn’t mean we should build actual furnaces for prayer. The apostle Paul prayed in prison, but we don’t want to jail people to get them to pray or build a devotional cell block in our churches. We can, however, set aside more reasonable spaces for people to use for praying.
Some people are not necessarily comfortable entering a sanctuary and would be more comfortable outdoors, enjoying God’s creation. As the painter of the Prayer Wall, Carolyn Macartney said: “I have to say it is such a lovely spot to be working in! The quiet church yard, the sound of the pine trees and the breeze are all wonderful. I am so happy to have been able to work in that quiet, solace filled space next to the Church.
This is a space set aside for posting what’s been happening on a specific concern of anyone. The news may be an update on the condition of a cancer patient. It may be word from people who moved to away, that they’ve settled in safely. It may be praising God for a new job, or prayer for healing, or giving thanks for a new baby. When people walk by, they will see the Prayer Wall, and thus also see that the prayers are having an impact. It gives everyone something to hope, pray, be grateful about.
We invite all who enter Marfa to share your thoughts and prayers. We invite you to pray along with one another. The prayers on the wall will be incorporated in our Sunday worship.
