News

Prayer Room Offers Delegates Sabbath Times

Entrance to the Prayer Room

(April 30, 2008, General Conference, Ft. Worth, TX/GBOD) — The General Conference Prayer Room -- a cross between an oasis and a refuge -- is a place of prayer and discernment for the 992 delegates from around the world attending General Conference 2008, meeting in Fort Worth through May 2.

The Prayer Room has seen a steady stream of lay and clergy persons using the various prayer stations or walking the labyrinth.

Many who have come to the Prayer Room have commented about the clear spiritual sense of God's presence in the place.

One translator for the General Conference came for the first time today, looking for a friend, and asked a volunteer: "What is the source of this wonderful feeling? There is something different here. I will come back."

Judy Tutt prays at Chapel of the Cross

Located in Exhibit Hall A, the Prayer Room -- "A Space for Prayer" -- was organized and prayed into being by a former hospital chaplain, the Rev. Len Delony, and Judy Tutt, the co-chairs of the Central Texas Host Committee Prayer Ministries Team, and a host of others who have worked with previous general conferences.

After the initial meeting in Nashville prior to the September 2007 GBOD-sponsored event, "Becoming a People of Prayer," the local committee, co-chaired by the Rev. Len Delony and Ms. Judy Tutt, led the creative discernment process that resulted in the Prayer Room that is, in itself, a work of art," said Tom Albin, dean of The Upper Room Chapel.

In the spirit of Paul, the committee and a community of prayer ministry teams across the connection and across general conferences, have been praying without ceasing to get a sense of "Sabbath rhythms" to try to offer delegates Sabbath times to let their work come out of a prayerful place with a sense of God's presence and guidance, rather than having their work be about competing agendas.

"At General Conference there is so much to do and little time to do it in. This is a space where delegates can listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. A space of quieting and slowing," said Delony.

There has been lots of appreciation for the space from delegates, staff, volunteers and visitors from other places.

According to the hosts, the labyrinth is the most popular space among delegates and is at the heart of "A Space for Prayer."

Among the many beautiful settings, the "12 Stations of the Resurrection" by the United Methodist Texas artist, Billy Keene, is the most unique.

According to Delony, "Martha Jacobson helped create the Chapel Space. She prayed about the themes, which are an act of prayer for her and the people who helped make this gift of love possible."

Delegates frustrated by legislative committee work have come and walked the labyrinth and returned to their work and found others open to prayer without ceasing."

Over two years ago, a member of the Central Texas Host Conference Committee called Len to tell him that he had been "chosen" to co-chair the Prayer Ministries Team for General Conference 2008.

"We prayed our way into this. Ephesians 3:16 came to us early. As we were praying, we found Weavings journal to be a very helpful gift that fit so well with what we are doing. It's an example of things coming together better than we could have planned." The journal titled, "Pray" was given to delegates, visitors, and staff," said Delony.

The Prayer Room is a quiet place where everybody's prayer requests are prayed for individually throughout the day. "Sharing in Prayer Cards" may be found in delegate's packets, at the Prayer Room, and at the Welcome Center.

A Space for Prayer includes five chapel areas with symbols of the Christian faith.

• The quiet atmosphere of the Eucharistic Chapel, which has areas for kneeling and sitting, invites silent prayer, centering prayer and breath prayer, and may be used alone or with others.
• The Chapel of the Cross is the most private of the chapel areas, and is reminiscent of Jesus' practice of taking time for solitary prayer.
• The Chapel of Our Servanthood, the largest of the prayer chapels, accommodates small groups that wish to gather and pray in community.
• The Chapel of Remembrance is an open chapel area suitable for prayer with movement. The organizers are hopeful that the themes of water presented throughout this chapel will call us to remember our baptism and the connectedness we share as the body of Christ. And finally . . .
• The Chapel of the Word, featuring tables spread with Bibles, pens, paper and colored pencils, inviting visitors to feast on God's Word through prayerful reading, journaling, and art.

In addition to the prayer chapels, the Prayer Path is a path suitable for fast, energetic prayer walking around the outside perimeter.

The Prayer Center is a place of peace and quiet, of solitude and serenity, where delegates come to seek God's face, to sort out their stand on issues before the conference, to pray for wisdom and guidance and unity; it is truly a space for holy listening, holy conversation, and holy conferencing.

Tom Albin

Albin, consultant and spiritual guide to the local committee, hosted a meeting of all the people and groups that participated in the Prayer Room at General Conference 2004 to make certain that all the important lessons and insights gained in 2004 were passed on to the local committee for 2008.

"As Dean of The Upper Room Chapel, our mission is to help people experience God through prayer, Scripture, and transformational groups. Because of our faithfulness over the past 73 years, The Upper Room is widely respected as one of the leaders in Christian spiritual formation," said Albin.

Delegates are also using the Second Breath Prayer Tents, which Len calls "oasis outposts" located in the main concourse surrounding the plenary area.

And as delegates continue their important work, the Prayer Ministries Team members will continue to pray that God will give them wisdom as they discern together God's will.

The General Board of Discipleship's mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD (www.gbod.org) is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at 877-899-2780, ext. 7017.