Congregational
United Church of Christ

Prayer Shawl Ministry
Shawls of Sanctuary

"Shawls ... made for centuries universal and embracing,

symbolic of an inclusive, unconditionally loving, God.

They wrap, enfold, comfort, cover, give solace, mother,
hug, shelter and beautify.

Those who have received these shawls have been uplifted and affirmed,
as if given wings to fly above their troubles…”

We meet on the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in our church cottage at the East end of our church parking lot, 3350 Harrison Blvd., Ogden. All are welcome to join us.

Please come and join us - bring your knitting, crocheting, quilting or whatever kind of handiwork you enjoy - or just come and join in the conversation!!! Questions? Call Kim Harbath at 737-3667.

We are an interfaith group, recognizing the absolute goodness in all. Men and women from all faith walks are very welcome, including those who do not attend Church. If you do not know how to knit, someone will be honored to teach you.

You may knit, crochet, sew or create a shawl in any manner that suites you. We can help you learn, and provide tools and materials. If you would like more information, please call Kim Harbath at 737-3667 or our church office at 392-5012.

Prayer Shawl donates to Habitat For Humanity

On Monday January 18th, Habitat for Humanity of Weber and Davis Counties dedicated a renovated house at 133 Doxey Street in Ogden to the Noorda family. What a joyful celebration! Todd and Sarah Noorda each expressed their sincere appreciation to all who made the opportunity of home ownership a reality for them.

As part of the ceremony, Linda Garner presented an afghan from the Ogden Area Prayer Shawl Ministries and explained that the group presents shawls and afghans as both gifts of compassion and celebration. Blocks had been knit and crocheted by women from the congregations of Good Shepherd Episcopal, United Church of Christ, 1^st United Methodist, and 1^st Presbyterian churches. These blocks were joined together in a patchwork afghan to create a gift from many loving hands and giving hearts to will help turn the Noorda’s new house into a nurturing home. What a wonderful, concrete expression of community support for this family!

The Prayer Shawl Ministry is a Wide Circle

We know that there are Prayer Shawl Ministries at least around the nation if not the world. The following is a story of how our Prayer Shawl group’s circle of ministry just got larger.

On August 1^st, Kim Harbath wrote, "I got a call yesterday from a woman in Minnesota. She got my name off prayershawl.com. Her daughter is in the intermountain Health Care facility in Murray, in ICU with swine flu. She desperately wanted her daughter to have a prayer shawl. Remarkably, I had one sitting by my computer. I will take it to her daughter on Saturday. The mother said she tried for two weeks how to figure out a way to get a prayer shawl to her daughter, who was not doing well, forty-five years old and on a ventilator.

Sunday afternoon, Kim emailed the mother: "Mission successful. How wonderful to hear your daughter-in-law was taken off the ventilator just before we got to the hospital. Thanks so much for the opportunity to gift a prayer shawl."

Within the hour, the mother wrote an email back to Kim saying, "Thank You soooo much. Mary was so excited to get the prayer shawl. She won't take it off. Just let me know how I can help with this wonderful program. I would like to start one here in Crosslake but just don't know how to do it. Again thanks so much. God Bless, Eva"

Prayers for Knitting

When first beginning:

Mantle of Love, Healer of Hearts,

I light this candle as a reminder of Your presence as I begin.
I ask a blessing from all who have come before me;
whose hands have been instruments of creation and beauty;
who have used humble tools and hand-spun wool
in order to provide cover and warmth for
themselves and those they loved;
who have felt, as I will feel, the yarn in their fingers;
who have seen, as I will see, the growth of the fabric;
who have heard, as I will hear, the click of the needles.

Guide my attention to stay on course.
Hold me close and ground me.
Bless, also, this yarn and these knitting needles.
May any negative energy connected to them be cast away as I cast on;
and all positive energy bound in as I bind off.
In their simplicity, may I find comfort and solace.

Bless my hands...
Often just appendages at the end of my arms...
workers doing their job without appreciation...looked at, yet not really seen.
These instruments of love have done mundane tasks, yet also create beauty.
They reach out, touch, stroke, scrub, lift, grasp, gesture and guide.
These hands, my hands, gifts of great importance,
Blessings be on them and in them as I begin.
May the fruits of their labor be good!

By: Janet Bristow - 2000
from Beginning To Knit Dedication © 2008 All Rights Reserved

Prayer to be said while knitting:

Bless this shawl that it may be
filled with healing energy.
_____(name)_____ is in my heart today
as I knit and as I pray.
May each stitch be filled with care,
comfort, strength, and warmth to share.
May the love in every row
help God’s sacred healing flow.
By: Marti Belknap- Cardiff, CA Fall 2008

And another:

God in the clicking of the needles;
God in the yarn,
God in my fingers and hands.
God in the intentions.
God in the Ewe.
God in the weaving, for the sake
of Your Peace.
God's Peace in the making
Christ's Peace in the giving
The Spirit's Peace in the receiving.
Amen, Amen, Amen
Author Vicky Dawson writes;
"I was knitting all the positive energy into a prayer shawl during a Celtic Spirituality retreat and this prayer just flowed into my mind."

PRAYER SQUARES:

This is a smaller version that can be used for people who do not have the space, or convenience of having a place to put a regular size shawl or would not use a shawl.

Materials needed:
1 skein of Lion Brand Homespun yarn and Size 11, 13, or 15 knitting needles

Knitting Directions:
Cast on 24 stitches. Row one: K3, P3 to end of row.
Row two: K3, P3 across row. Row three: K3, P3 across row.
Row Four: P3, K3 to end of row. Row Five: P3, K3 across row.
Row Six: P3, K3 to end of row.
Repeat these six rows 10-12 times. Bind off all stitches.
Crochet an edge around the square, using SC or a scalloped edge
of five SC that connect to knitted edge every three stitches.

Some interesting Prayer Shawl and Knitting internet sites:

http://www.shawlministry.com/tipsheet.html

www.shawlministry.com

www.lionbrand.com

http://joann.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-prayerShawl.html

www.lionbrand.com/prayerShawlCards

www.lionbrand.com/Newsletters

http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Shawl-Ministry-Reaching-Leisure/dp/1574865919

http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-into-Mystery-Shawl-Knitting-Ministry/dp/0819219673

Prayer Shawl Ministry Shawls of Sanctuary

Prayer Shawl Ministry
Shawls of Sanctuary