Prayer Shawl Ministry
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”, and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Luke 10:27
Casting on: The Beginning
The Prayer Shawl Ministry at Hertford United Methodist Church began in January 2007. This ministry combines the love of knitting/crocheting with the Lord’s commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself”.
The women who knit/crochet the shawls have been inspired by stories of women who have received prayer shawls. Knitters use the guidelines outlined in the book, “Knitting into the Mystery”, by Susan S. Jorgensen and Susan S. Izard.
Although most of the knitting/crocheting is done at home, meetings are organized for instructions, fellowship, prayer, and blessings for the recipients of the shawls. The meetings are relaxed and informal. They are scheduled for the Monday after the second Sunday at 10 a.m. and the Monday after the third Sunday at 7 p.m., usually at the church.
Completed shawls are placed on the altar rail in the sanctuary, and the Pastor dedicates the shawls to the glory of God and prays for the recipients.
The first three prayer shawls were dedicated by the Pastor on Sunday, March 11, 2007, and distributed to the recipients shortly thereafter. Over 1,000 shawls have been completed by the group.
New members, whether experienced or inexperienced, are invited to join either of the prayer shawl groups at any time. Directions for knitting or crocheting shawls are available in the church office.
Binding Off: Giving Away a Shawl
Much love and attention are given to the act of “giving away a shawl”. Shawls are usually wrapped in white tissue paper and tied with a strand of the yarn used to make the shawl. A written blessing and a card with the name of the maker and the recipient are included with the shawl. Also included is a brief history of this ministry.
Prayer of Blessing for a Complete Shawl
May God’s grace be upon this shawl . . .warming comforting, enfolding and embracing. May this mantle be a safe haven . . . a sacred place of security and well being . . . sustaining and embracing in good times as well as difficult ones. May the one who receives this shawl be cradled in hope, kept in joy, graced with peace, and wrapped in love. Blessed be! By Janet Bristow, 2000
General Information
The knitters/crocheters gather for an hour each session. They begin with an opening prayer asking God’s blessing on the workers and His guidance on their work. After prayer, we knit/crochet and share stories about the shawls, knitting, crocheting, and prayer concerns.
New members are given instructions and assistance as they begin their shawls. Each shawl is made with love and prayers for the recipient.
Near the end of the sessions, those who have completed shawls share their reasons for giving the shawls. Each shawl is passed through loving, caring hands as prayers for blessings are offered for the recipient and the maker.
Uses for the Shawl
Prayer shawls are given to celebrate the gift of love, friendship, and caring. They offer comfort during illness, and for those undergoing surgery, medical procedures, or the loss of a loved one. They may also be used to celebrate the joy of a new baby, weddings, birthdays, baptisms, ordinations, graduations, going to college, and other life transitions.
Our Pattern
The basic pattern for knitting the shawls is Knit 3, Purl 3 although knitters may use any pattern they choose. “The basic pattern of threes may be found in religion and in society. Human existence has three stages: birth, life, death. Time has three divisions: past, present, future. The panorama of colors is based on three primary colors. Human “being” has three parts: body, mind, spirit. The virtues frequently mentioned together are faith, hope, and love.”
Most importantly, as Christians, we believe in the Triune God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For this reason, the K3, P3 pattern is sometimes called the Trinity stitch and has special symbolism for prayer shawls.
