One of the ministries at the heart of UBC is our Caring Committee. Led by lay people and together with our pastors, we make visits in homes and hospitals, we make meals for people during tough times, we offer rides to doctor appointments and church events. It is in our caring that we make the love of Christ real to one another in community.
We knit and crochet shawls and blankets, made in the spirit of prayer, to be given to people in need as a physical and symbolic reminder of the enfolding love of God and caring church community. These shawls are dedicated in our worship service and given away in prayer and support.
Union Baptist Church
Prayer Shawl Ministry
In the fall of 2010, we began a “Prayer Shawl Ministry.” Created with prayer and blessing woven into its very fabric, the shawls are a symbol of the enveloping, inclusive, comforting, and unconditional love of God. Here at the Union Baptist Church, we hope to continue such a ministry of grace and reach out to those in need as a loving church community. The shawls are given away as a tangible offering of the care of our congregation and a reminder of the ongoing presence of God, in all of life’s circumstances. Weaving our stories, our prayers, our blessings together, and with God’s mercy, we hope to make a difference, one shawl at a time.
The prayer shawl group meets on the first Thursday of the month, at 10:00 a.m. in the Morgan House. These meetings include praying together, working together, and centering our ministry with the support of one another. If you cannot make our meetings, you can still knit or crochet shawls. Contact the church office for the Prayer Shawl Ministry Journal and Guidelines. Two to three times a year, we will bless and dedicate the shawls before they are given away.
Psalm 121
Psalm 121 speaks of a God who “keeps” our lives, our coming and going, day and night. The symbol of the shawl is part of this keeping, symbolizing care, comfort, hope, courage, strength, peace, and mercy found in God.
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
He will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
