MEMPHIS, Tenn. — One Mid-South congregation created a unique gift to celebrate 200 years of the city of Memphis: a wall of prayers they hope will encourage and uplift others.
As church artist Carolyn Moss read the 200 prayers representing every year the city of Memphis has been around, she couldn’t help but feel touched.
“It was just a nice thing to think that we were praying for the city of Memphis,” Moss said.
Moss and the pastor of Advent Presbyterian Church in Cordova came up with the idea earlier this year as a way to celebrate Memphis’ bicentennial year.
It took several months to complete, with members handwriting prayers in the bulletin or on little slips of paper.
“It was quite the adventure getting all the prayers in, and then having to put them onto the board was another trial for me,” Moss said.
Each message uses different words but all carry a similar sentiment.
“Well, I think love and peace — those were the two things that kept coming through in almost every message,” Moss said. “I definitely believe it’s a strong thing when we’re united, and when two or more are gathered together and raise up our message, it’s bound to be more powerful.
Moss said this prayer wall will likely be relevant in another 200 hundred years.
“It probably has a timelessness in that as you study history, you find that the same type of things from earlier days that are still our same concerns today,” Moss said.
The church is looking for places to display the prayer wall throughout the city before installing it on a wall of the church.
