Prayer Blanket Ministry

Knit one, pray too

From the banks of the Genesee River to South Carolina’s sunny shores, God’s love is on the move.

And in the mail.

The latest in a wealth of colorful prayer blankets — lovingly handcrafted by a group of faithful volunteers at the First Presbyterian Church of East Avon (New York) in the Presbytery of Genesee Valley — was dispatched last Sunday to a South Carolina woman who had likely never heard of the hamlet south of Rochester, but whose life would be touched by it.

“This past Sunday, we blessed a blanket for a woman named Cas,” said Cathy Garrett, a relatively new church member who launched the prayer blanket ministry at East Avon, where she is thrilled to see it flourishing.

“Our friends met Cas while they were serving at the food bank in their hometown in South Carolina,” she said. “When they noticed that her leg didn’t look healthy, they encouraged her to seek medical attention. Because she has no health insurance, she was resistant to go to the doctor. They, however, continued to encourage her, and when she did finally seek medical attention, the doctor stated that although it was not cancer, the leg would have to be amputated. It’s our prayer that she will receive the blanket as a physical symbol of God’s love, peace, comfort and healing.”

Garrett explained that whenever the congregation receives a request for a prayer blanket, the church’s pastor, the Rev. Michelle Allen, invites worshipers to come forward, as they are able, to lay their hands on the blanket and pray as a witness that everyone shares in the ministry.

“Because the Holy Spirit is so present and active at East Avon Church,” said Allen, “it is a wonderful blessing for our prayer blanket ministry to be carried by the Spirit throughout the nation and world.”