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.

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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.”

Since East Avon is a small congregation with some 50-60 members and friends worshiping each Sunday in person or on Zoom, Garrett decided that the best way to introduce the prayer blanket concept to the church was to connect with Alice Malin, who leads the Crafters, a longtime weekly ministry group.

“Alice immediately came up with a pattern for people to knit for prayer blankets,” said Garrett, who first learned about prayer blankets when she received the prayer shawl that had comforted her mother-in-law at the end of her life.

“As soon as the idea took hold with the Crafters, soon others in the church stepped forward to offer to teach crocheting and knitting,” Garrett recalled. “Now everyone in church is involved with the prayer blanket ministry in one way or another, including the children. We have been honored to send blankets all over the world to people we’ve never met. The stories we receive are incredible.”

Peggy Stallworth, a quilter who leads the pack in donating her beautiful, handmade quilts, shared with Garrett how the ministry has brought new meaning to her handiwork.

“Peg, who is one of those who has quilted many of the blankets,” recalled Garrett, “said to me, ‘I can’t thank you enough. I love to quilt, but I ran out of people to give them to, and now I have purpose for my quilts.’”

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Whenever a blanket is hand-delivered or mailed, the church encloses a laminated photo of the congregation praying over it with text on the back to let the recipient know that the church will continue to remember them in prayer. They also invite them to email the church with updates, should they wish, and to join the congregation on Sunday mornings for worship.

“Through its thriving prayer blanket ministry, the East Avon Church bears witness to the Gospel story of the loaves and fishes,” said the Rev. Dr. John L. Odom, executive presbyter for the Presbytery of Genesee Valley. “By the power of the Holy Spirit, a small congregation has all the gifts and resources it needs to do miraculous things.”

Having seen the impact of the prayer blanket ministry, Garrett would agree.

“We sent a blanket to a woman who wasn’t expected to live after a stroke,” said Garrett. “She told us that when the blanket isn’t on her, it stays in her windowsill with a picture of the congregation next to it. She said she looks at it all day long, and that it has given her strength.”

Today, Garrett said, the woman is able to speak and eat, and is learning to walk again.

“What a blessing it would be,” she exclaimed, “to have other churches pick up on this practice and just let the Holy Spirit fly!”

The East Avon Church invites Presbyterian News Service readers to contact the church via email to learn how to start a prayer blanket ministry in their congregation or if they — or someone they know — is in need of a blanket.