Ship of Fools: Prayer facilities in church

Thread: Prayer facilities in church Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

To visit this thread, use this URL:
http://forum.ship-of-fools.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=70;t=025758

Posted by Pilot Light (# 17549) on :

I'm looking for ideas and observations on the subject of furnishing/equipping an area suited to prayer within my small parish church. The church itself is open most of the week with the office being open, and people do come in to pray/be still. However, there isn't really a suitable spot to sit/kneel/stand unless one sits in a pew or is brave enough to stand/kneel at the altar rail. The Lady Chapel is unsuitable, being right next to the office door and effectively being a thoroughfare. There's a spot that's about 6 foot square up a corner which gets good daylight. I want to put in something attractive, inspiring, yet simple and uncluttered, suitable for anyone, with somewhere to keep books/printed prayers tidy.
Suggestions gratefully received!!

Posted by Arch Anglo Catholic (# 15181) on :

Perhaps a foolish thought, but is it worth looking at the Lady Chapel and office access to see if the Chapel can be used as a place of prayer and the admin access made elsewhere? It does sound as if admin convenience is getting in the way of what the Church and Chapel are really for? Could the tail be wagging the dog?

If not, then an area for prayer needs to be safe, contained, comfortable and with a focus I would suggest. That does sound awfully like a chapel....! Is there an area which could be turned into another prayer chapel?

Second hand altars are not that expensive and give a focus/direction, chairs arranged thoughtfully provide shape and 'protection' and in good medieaval tradition, although it is good to face East, not a necessity. You will find hundreds of early examples of churches with additional chapels, mortuary or otherwise, facing every direction inc East.

Posted by seasick (# 48) on :

Pilot Light,

Welcome to Ship of Fools and to Ecclesiantics! I hope you enjoy being part of the community here and that you get some good ideas for your prayer facilities.

seasick, Eccles host

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :

It seems to me that a prie-dieu* to kneel on with a crucifix or holy picture on a wall to aid in prayer or contemplation would be enough. A small shelf to hold books of private prayers could be placed there as well. It doesn't have to be fancy.

*a padded kneeler.

Posted by Galilit (# 16470) on :

Include some secular but reflective literature eg The Little Prince, The Red Tent, poetry eg Mary Oliver as well as devotionals. And if your people can tolerate it some Dalai Lama on compassion, etc.
Keep us informed as to progress too.
Blessings on the endeavour.

Posted by dj_ordinaire (# 4643) on :

If your church is of the 'old English' model, then I would say a major point is to make sure it will be warm enough in the winter! If you only heat the church during services, then there may not be much uptake for spending time in private prayer at other occasions.

Because of this, small areas that can be heated separately from the main building can be useful (parvises or organ lofts can be suitable for this, but come with their own access issues). One church near me had sectioned off an aisle with glass partions to keep the 'space' intact whilst being able to keep one section heated during all opening hours.

Posted by Pilot Light (# 17549) on :

Thanks Arch Anglo Catholic and PeteC!
The office door problem is as much to do with the level of chatter and telephone noise which emanates - which of itself is a good thing, the office is the daily hub of the parish. The office is part of the vestry, so the office exit is also the vestry exit. Access to the church in the week is gained via the outside office door: the South outer doors are open but the glass inner doors remain locked. The Lady Chapel is effectively the top of the North aisle, and faces north rather than east. Somehow it doesn't feel right facing the wrong way...And as you mention, it's got to feel safe - which it doesn't with the door so close.
I go with the prie-dieu suggestion (in fact we've got a rather small one) and a focal point, which for me personally a plain cross would be ideal. But I'm open to more radical suggestions/experiences/nice photos of what other churches have done! And then of course there's the candle question!
The part of church I have in mind actually used to be an unenclosed chapel, being at the top of the south aisle, but the altar was removed many years ago and the font was then transplanted from the back to roughly in front of where the altar was - good for baptisms but rather cramping the space available. I don't think we'd have room for much more than a suggestion of an altar...And then there's how to make it feel more enclosed...

Posted by Pilot Light (# 17549) on :

The heating is kept on low - and there's a radiator in my chosen location!!

As regards literature etc, any info on "non-naff" stuff available would be appreciated. I've got a few poems in an anthology which really get to the heart of the matter but I'd have to look into the copyright issues.

As an aside, I went into church to pray a few weeks ago and knelt at the rightmost end of the altar rail instead of the middle. After a short while I began to notice the unaccustomed feeling of getting beautifully warmer in church - and was just about to think "whoaa - that's a new one!!" then realised I'd parked myself next to a radiator which was nice and hot!!

Posted by Hooker's Trick (# 89) on :

Do you reserve the Sacrament and if so, where, and could that be your focal point?

Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :

Would you be likely to have more than one person wanting to pray at the same time?

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

Some large cushions would be good - not everyone finds kneeling helpful. I like to pray lying down and am sometimes brave enough to do so in church.

Maybe a few prayer 'gadgets' - a holding cross, rosary.

Some votive candles and post-it notes (for prayer requests).

[ 05. March 2013, 17:26: Message edited by: leo ]

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

A pricket stand, candles and matches. People instinctively are drawn to such a place in churches, light a candle and then stare at the flame while they pray.

Another idea from my own church - a wooden 'tree' with branches, onto which you can clip leaf-shaped pieces of paper, once you have written your prayer on one.

Posted by Jade Constable (# 17175) on :

We had something similar to what Leo describes at the SCM conference I was at this weekend, albeit in an empty classroom rather than in a church and it worked very well. We had bunting which people could write their prayers on which I loved! We also had use of a whiteboard on which to draw as well as write prayers - perhaps a small chalkboard could be used like this (chalkboards look nicer than whiteboards and don't need smelly whiteboard pens). Re non-naff prayer resources, I find that the Quakers have very good ones and are very helpful if you were to contact them about it.

Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :

There's some surprisingly non-naff and wonderfully cheap booklets and free resources here.
For instance, these at 45p each and free poster downloads too! They are very popular in our place.

Candles and prayer cards will get used - yes and yes.

An inviting sign outside: "Come to sit, to look, to pray"

A sense of enclosure, safety, privacy. Maybe some tasteful material draped over a rope?

A [print of] an icon of your patron as a focus?

Go for it and let us know how you get on.

Posted by Qoheleth. (# 9265) on :

PS: Use it! Do your clergy and/or office team say the Office ( [Biased]

) ? Hallow the space with daily prayer.

[ 06. March 2013, 07:33: Message edited by: Qoheleth. ]

Posted by Arch Anglo Catholic (# 15181) on :

One practical issue to be careful of is keeping the area 'in keeping'. I'm not talking about making everything just the same. Rather, making sure that what you want to do fits the space and the people. A good friend of mine worships in a local church where a very odd 'prayer tent' has been constructed, and not very well to be honest.

Some of the older congregants have been quite offended/uncomfortable with the fact that the job looks to have been thrown together in about five minutes and looks not unlike washing on a line waiting to dry. The objection has much to do with the feeling (justified or not) that the work looks slapdash and is not the best that we could offer to God, who has given us everything.

Doubtless there will be some who object to any change, but a really good, well planned use of space, smartly and sensitively laid out will be appreciated by all, or at least those who will even begin to accept a change(!). Your common sense approach in planning it well first has to be good.

It's nice to take the whole of the congregation with you, but even if some don't like it, they can at least acknowledge that the job was done well!