God Sighting: Prayer Vigil
Thank you to the 50 participants in the 2020 Good Friday at-home Prayer Vigil!
In these times we had to rethink how we normally do things. In recent years the Good Friday Prayer Vigil required folks to come to the Chapel at Sheridan to pray. In the Chapel, they found a prayer guide, Bibles, hymnbooks, interactive prayer stations, candles, soft music, the cross and tools of Christ’s torture and suffering to enhance their hour of prayer. We provided security through the night so participants felt safe. It seemed like a perfect setting to encounter the presence of our Lord. But in recent years participation had dwindled so that during one or two hours of the night vigil was only held by the security personnel.
This year that all had to change and the idea of an at-home Prayer Vigil took shape. We offered a new opportunity for participation and 5 times the usual number of folks signed up. What we discovered in this unusual time was the desire for an intentional time set aside to be in the presence of a loving God. In asking for feedback from those who were part of this year’s Vigil, we heard that folks prepared their hearts and minds throughout the day in anticipation of their hour of prayer and maintained a sense of God’s peace in the days that followed. They were able to experience a rich sense of being in God’s presence in the warmth and comfort of their prayer space at home. As one participant said, “Being in my own home allowed me to settle in without distractions and be completely at one with God.”
We will follow the leading of the Spirit in how the Good Friday Prayer Vigil will look in the future but fresh ways of providing spiritual opportunities have come from this time of social distancing and isolation and no one had to get out in the middle of the night.
National Day of Prayer at Home Prayer Vigil
Our congregation will join millions of Americans in setting aside time for prayer for the people and leaders of our nation and our world on the National Day of Prayer. You can participate in this prayer vigil from the comfort of your home from 7am to 7pm on Thursday, May 7. A prayer guide will be provided to guide your time.