EVEN BETTER...

...now the 24-7 Global Week of Prayer has started!  

Heather from the Community Fridge asked me yesterday if I would go down to the Church today, not to be a volunteer, but to be in the Prayer Room and to speak to any of our customers who wanted to come and see what it looked like.  I said I was happy to do that and I was amazed at how different it looked today with the tea lights on, soft music playing and with each Prayer Station looking so good.  

Louise, my friend, who was baptised last June, has done a wonderful job of setting it all up and you can see the difference from my collage yesterday to some of the photographs today.  

It is a very welcoming, calm and peaceful space and there was definitely an air of expectancy there this morning.  It was also amazing to think that thousands, or perhaps even millions of people would be following the same format - although of course, there may be different scenarios - but basically, the format is the same all over the world.  That is mind-blowing!

You may remember that we always pray before the Community Fridge opens, and today was no different except that we prayed up in the Prayer Room, which made it very special.  We were also told that our new Minister, Mick, would be visiting the Community Fridge today, so he was prayed for too.

When the rest of the volunteers had gone downstairs to the Community Fridge, I was left on my own, and the first Prayer Station I looked at was the one shown at the top right entitled “Refiner’s Fire”.  In fact, when I read what we were encouraged to do, I was in tears and looked around for some tissues - but found none.  I therefore looked over the balcony down to the Community Fridge entrance and called to Louise to ask if there were any tissues about and because she was busy, she shrugged her shoulders and mouthed back to me “No, sorry!”

I decided to go downstairs and look in the stock room and managed to find two boxes of tissues, so took them back upstairs and you can see them on the table in the Quiet Space, where we are encouraged to “Be Still”, as I personally felt that people might feel more tearful in that corner, although of course, I could be wrong - and it could be anywhere.  I also left some of my little wooden hearts there, so that when people had finished, they could take one.

I was thrilled that several people came up from the Community Fridge, after choosing their items, and I encouraged one lady to pray about those she was concerned about who were involved in conflicts in different parts of the world.  We chatted together and I prayed with her and then we shared Communion together, which was very special.  

I feel privileged that I was able to pray with others too and one lady said that having been up to the Prayer Room, she felt “lighter”.  There may be a 24-7 Prayer Room near you - and if so, I would encourage you to go - even if you only go to feel the calmness and peace and to take a step back from your normal way of life - and to know that your thoughts and prayers are part of this amazing movement all over the world for the next seven days.

I am reminded of some lines from a poem, which I learned at school almost 70 years ago:

“More things are wrought by prayer
     than this world dreams of. 
Wherefore, let thy voice
     rise like a fountain for me 
          night and day....

Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)