The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Submitted by Rev. Ina Golaiy St. Andrew?s Presbyterian Church "Again Jesus said, 'Simon, son of John, do you truly love me?' He answered, 'Yes Lord, you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Take care of my sheep.'" John 21:16 Jesus calls Simon and all those who profess their love of him, to take care of his sheep, to express God's love and caring through our love and caring for others. We do this in many different and creative ways. St. Andrew's decided that one way to take care of God's people was by beginning a Knitting Ministry just over a year ago. Through the shawls that people knit we express God's love in a very tangible, concrete way. In the simple act of knitting yarn and weaving prayers into shawls, a vessel for God's mysterious presence in other people's lives is created. The shawls are dedicated in a worship service and then given to people living with cancer or other illnesses, or people who are suffering from depression or struggling with life in general. These mantles of prayer have been given to men, women and children in Flin Flon, Canada, United States and New Zealand. Those who have received these expressions of caring are sustained when life is hard and reminded that God chooses to dwell with us always. The prayer that is said by the knitters is similar to this: I knit a shawl as a mantle of caring. I knit a shawl as a mantle of protection. I knit a shawl as a mantle of wholeness. I knit a shawl as a mantle of strength. I knit a shawl as a mantle of healing. I knit a shawl as a mantle of patience. I knit a shawl as a mantle to enfold you. I knit a shawl as a mantle to encircle you. I knit a shawl as a mantle to empower you. Amen. Everyone needs to be wrapped in God's love and through these shawls many have been.
