Sunday, July 6, 2003

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An Hour of Prayer

With her eyes closed, Carole Nedrow, left, of Export, Pa.,is led to feel a tree by Carol Burns, of Dayton, Oh., during a spritual formation exercise. Participants were asked to observe nature and reflect on what God has given.

Ken Gresh, left, of Windber, Pa., and Kimber Mitchell, of State College, Pa., pray together during the "Hour of Prayer" Sunday morning in the Pavilion.

In keeping with the Conference theme and the emphasis on prayer, Sunday morning began with "An Hour of Prayer" to prepare for the day and bring focus for the work ahead. Glenn Mitchell, a spiritual director from Boalsburg, Pa., led several hundred people in the main worship hall in The Pavilion through a series of prayer forms. "We will simply pray our way through the hour," Mitchell said.

Those forms included prayers of gratitude; praying with scripture, using the Conference theme text from Colossians and taking hold of words or phrases from that text; praying together with one or two other people and "holding them in God's light, God's love"; intercessory prayer for the Conference and its leadership; and a prayer for unity, noting our oneness because of God's work in Christ.

Mitchell emphasized the distinction between "inward" and "outward" prayers those foucsed on self and God versus those directed outward to others and the world, much as breaths are taken in and out. "Prayer is never only inward," he said.

A display featuring prayer pictures from 845 children from 84 congregations brightened the Student Union.

The introductions to each form were followed by periods of silence in which participants could offer their own prayers. One man knelt near the stage for the first half of the hour, and others held their arms outstretched in the power of the moment. An occasional prayer given aloud punctuated the silence.

After each prayer segment, Conference music coordinator Shawn Kirchner led the group in a song as a time of transition.

In a closing blessing, Mitchell offered words of challenge and encouragement: "May you remain in prayer, and may the prayer of Jesus continue to be felt and manifest in your life."

Other ways the prayer emphasis is being lived out at Conference this year include a display of children's drawings on prayer, a prayer room, morning prayer walks along the Boise River, prayer stories shared to open business sessions, and themes of the daily worship services.