You are here

House of Prayer in Newark prays with their neighbors

House of Prayer in Newark
By: 
The Rev. Joyce McGirr

Friday, September 11 was the third time this year that House of Prayer in Newark offered prayers and blessings to our neighbors. This has all been in response to the Bishop’s invitation and to the Holy Spirit moving us to go outside of the walls of the church and to come together with our neighbors in prayer and in witness to God’s gifts of love and healing in our lives.

Late in the afternoon of September 11, parishioner, Sylvia Ajaghanna her nine-year-old niece Denice, and GTS seminarians Nancy Hennessey and Tommie Watkins accompanied me to offer prayers and blessings at Broad Street Station.

Here is a note about the experience from young Denise:

Hi, my name is Denise and I’m writing about 9/11 in New York. My church H.O.P.E. and three of us gave out the Newark Prayer. We enjoyed giving out blessing and prayer on little cards.

And Nancy Hennessey noted afterwards:

We didn't know what to expect or how we would be received. Some walked by us in a rush – clearly avoiding eye contact – but others smiled and willingly took our prayer card with appreciation. Being new to the House of Prayer, I was touched by the fact that this congregation created a prayer specifically for Newark, the city that has been their church home for generations. They pray the prayer each Sunday and as I handed the card to commuters they appeared touched that there was a specific prayer for Newark and they thanked me. The other joy I had that afternoon was watching two parishioners – an adult and a child embrace this prayer day at Broad Street Station. They were as eager – and often more successful than the rest of us in reaching out to those who were passing by. Bringing the church to the streets is something that is not often done. But on this beautiful afternoon prayers were said silently and aloud to those going about their day in Newark. I was honored to be a part of this ministry.

On the way back to church, a man was standing on the corner of Broad and State Street and I asked him if he would like some prayers. I remember him smiling and saying “Absolutely.” And there we all stood, strangers united for a brief moment in the loving embrace of our Lord.

Previously, on June 17, seminarian Charlie Bauer joined me on the platform of the Broad Street Station to offer prayers and blessings to the late afternoon commuters. After about a half hour, two young and friendly policemen came to ask us who we were because they had received calls about some “angry protesters” at the station! After they realized that we were clearly not dangerous, we prayed a few moments with them, and then with their permission moved to the plaza of the station for another hour and a half.

On June 19, in response to the horrific slayings at the Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, our warden, Charlotte Chappell and Charlie Bauer, tolled the bells at noon for ten minutes while I held a candlelight vigil on the corner of Broad and State Street, prayed with some and distributed the St. Francis Prayer to all who passed by. A high school group expressed their dismay at all the violence that is so prevalent and appreciated the prayers for peace in their daily struggles.