Prayer room offers praise in a variety of styles

A dark blue banner hung outside the entrance to the grand ballroom of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. On the banner, in gold letters, are the words, "Enter in, the veil has been torn."

This was the invitation that greeted General Conference participants to the room designed for personal meditation and reflection.

The General Conference prayer room was the product of many hours of planning, preparation, and prayer by the Western Pennsylvania Conference prayer ministry team. It was meant to be a convenient, multisensory experience for all General Conference participants and to encourage praise in a variety of styles.

"If someone comes in with a concern, it doesn't matter if it is a delegate, a bishop, or a visitor; if someone comes and wants prayer, we will pray with them," said Jaye Beatty, co-chairperson of the Western Pennsylvania prayer ministry. "We have invited everyone, even the staff that works here, to come and enjoy this area of rest and refreshment."

More than 220 prayer delegates signed up before General Conference, some from as far away as Singapore, to promote unity and to pray continually for the participants throughout the duration of the conference. The prayer delegates not only assist in the prayer room, but also offer themselves as support for the General Conference.

The prayer room was located at the convention center and included:

. Seven different prayer stations designed to encourage meditation and take those in prayer on a personal passage through the Psalms.

. A prayer tent in the middle of the room, where prayer delegates were available to pray one on one and minister to specific prayer concerns.

. Daily concerts of prayer designed to encourage praise in music. Different local worship teams led prayer and worship daily at 7:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m.

. An e-mail prayer request area.

. A "send-off" area to commission prayer delegates for prayer coverage.

Donna Zeigler, a member of Harmony-Zelienople Church in the Western Pennsylvania Conference, designed the seven prayer stations and the prayer tent. She designs living altars for her church. "The designs for each station were Spirit-led," Zeigler said.

The designs are elaborate recreations of themes from Psalm verses. At one station, addressing brokenness, participants wrote on broken pieces of pottery the things that have broken their heart or God's heart. They smashed the shards with a hammer and placed the pieces in a vase, symbolizing Jesus taking broken vessels and making them something beautiful.

Another station addressed forgiveness. Participants were encouraged to write on red paper those they are to forgive, nail the paper to a large wooden cross, take a nail as a reminder, and look into a mirror to see the transformative power of forgiving. Other stations addressed repentance, adoration, communion, guidance, refreshment, and unity.

"General Conference is an intense time," said Beatty. "Many very important decisions are made, and we could all use prayer, wisdom, and help."

David Malloy is a United Methodist News Service correspondent and director of communications for the church's Greater New Jersey Area.

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