At the beginning of this ongoing COVID pandemic, we set up a chalk mural for families with children to come to the campus one at a time to place their prayers and see the prayers of one another. It was a big success! Not only did families come use the space and express how helpful it was to them and their children, but also various other communities who continue to use our campus & our physical neighbors also came to add their own prayers of grief, joy, and love.
Reflecting on that experience, the clergy and the Buildings and Grounds Committee, discerning together, have moved forward with installing a temporary Prayer Chalkboard on the Hawthorn Lane side of the Parish Hall/Church Office building.
We are inviting everyone, our neighbors, those other communities who still use our property, and of course the members of St. Martin’s, to come and place their prayers on the chalkboard. Everyone is invited to use either words or images to offer their prayers of joy & pain, of hope & loss, for change and restoration. We hope that this will offer a space for all to reflect, ground, and express themselves. We also hope it will communicate to our neighbors and those other communities that we truly do love them as ourselves, and care about their prayers, concerns, and hopes.
This Prayer Chalkboard will be maintained by both lay and clergy members of our community, who will be keeping what is placed on the board in our prayers. This is currently a temporary installation, and the Landscaping Task Force will be considering how we might take this forward along with how we use all of the St. Martin’s campus. If you have current questions about this, please reach out to Alex+ (alex@churchofstmartin.org).