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Prayer Wall Engages at Gloria Dei, Long Beach

At last spring’s Synod Assembly, Bishop Patricia Lull challenged our congregations to share something they were going to do to reach out to the community. Pastor Steve Beckham from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Long Beach shared his idea of a Prayer Wall, essentially a very large chalk board with “Please Pray for…” spaces where neighbors can write in their own prayers.

This month that wall became a reality thanks to the craftsmanship of members Galen and Sandi Anderson.

Pastor Steve conceived of the idea after viewing a TED talk by artist Candy Chang who turned a derelict house in New Orleans into a center of hope in her neighborhood after Hurricane Katrina. She nailed plywood panels painted slate gray around the exterior walls of the house and stenciled the phrase “Before I die I want to…” repeatedly on the panels then left an ample supply of chalk so her neighbors could fill in the blanks.

The prayer wall is open to the public. Everyone is invited to add their prayers to the wall and members of Gloria Dei then add those prayers to their own daily prayers. The wall’s 66 spaces were filled up with prayers in a matter of days.