People who have established a relationship with the House of Prayer and are over 21 years of age and have filled out an application and been approved may receive a key fob that will let them enter the building seven days a week, 24 hours a day, all year.
A first-time visitor needs to meet with Vance Marker at St. Margaret’s to fill out a form and leave their driver’s license to enter the House of Prayer.
St. Margaret’s is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Also, St. Margaret’s is, of course, open for worship each Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon. The House of Prayer will be open on Sunday mornings.
People under 21 years of age must have adult supervision to use the House of Prayer.
We hope your time here will be peaceful and renewing. In silence we may feel God’s presence, experience guidance, restore our energy, and be filled with insights. As you leave the fast pace of daily life, may the quiet in this place, the design of the building, and the beauty in nature bless you on your journey.
The Arkansas House of Prayer is a joint ministry between
St.Margaret's and the Diocese of Arkansas. It is led by a
Board of Directors including The Rev. Evelyn Hornaday, Charlotte Brown, Dan
Blair and others from the wider faith community. This past year we have had
1,800 visits to the House of Prayer. People come for silence, prayer,
meditation, healing and the beauty of nature. A steady stream of visitors come
to the St. Margaret's campus to find quiet and to listen to God in this place.
In addition to people dropping by for silence, the House of Prayer has
sponsored two workshops in 2009.First, the Rev. Susan Sims Smith taught an all day
workshop on "Practical Ways to Pray and Meditate" last Spring. This
was attended by 65 people from all over Arkansas and a few people from out of
state. Also, board members Sara Catherine Phillips and Susan Phillips worked
for several months with a group of teens from several world religions. This
culminated in an amazing all day retreat held at St.Margaret's last spring. To have young people from all the
major religions come together to listen to one another, to celebrate God's love
for the entire planet and for prayer is a blessing for our community.
Many
thanks to the St. Margaret's staff who work cooperatively with the House of
Prayer to extend this ministry of God's love into the larger world. P. Allen
Smith has promised 4,000 more daffodils for this spring, keep your eyes open
for their blooms.
The Rev. Susan Sims Smith
Board President
House of Prayer
I would like to
invite you to visit the House of Prayer for a time of silence.
Why silence? Besides a wealth of literature on the benefits
of silence, I can personally attest to its importance. Over the past year, I
have spent most Sundays from 3 pm – 5 pm at the House of Prayer (HoP). My only
rule has been that I must not bring anything “productive” with me, i.e. work.
Otherwise, depending on how I am feeling, I fill the time with
meditation/prayer in the HoP, rocking on the back porch sketching a picture of
the beautiful fountain, watching the vibrant green lizards busily dart across
the back porch, reading books on meditation and prayer in the reading room,
and/or taking a walk on the inspiring grounds. The benefits of this time are
immediately clear to me. While I might be white-knuckling the steering wheel on
my drive to the HoP with those late afternoon Sunday thoughts of what the week
ahead will hold, I find that my experience driving home is much different. I
immediately find the radio, which usually seems necessary to have on at all
times, to be really annoying and turn it off. Then I start noticing the lovely
trees on my drive down Chenal Parkway that are starting to change colors.
Through the week, I notice that I am able to keep my tasks more in perspective
and stay healthy in managing my workload, or maybe I linger in a nice
conversation with someone even if I need to get home to finish laundry. Over
the course of several months, I have noticed God in moments throughout the day,
and I sometimes will even take a step back to think or reflect on the moment.
The healing power of silence is there because I give God a chance to have time
to talk to me. Sure, there are Sunday afternoons when I feel that I just can’t
do it…going to the HoP is yet another item on the “to do.” During those time, I
flex my will, wrestle with the to do list and demand those two hours stay
sacred. I am never sorry that I did, and I find that all those tasks (which
seemed so pressing but cannot be named at the moment) seem to work themselves
out.
The beauty of silence is that we can share it regardless of
faith or belief system. We have people of all faiths that come to the HoP, and
this time on Sundays will be no different. If you would like to join me, all
you need to do is show up. You don’t have to stay the entire time…feel free to
come for as few as 20 minutes. Bring only yourself or a sketch pad or a yoga
mat or whatever you feel is right for you. You get to decide how you spend the
time. I promise, this gift to yourself will not disappoint.
Sarah Catherine Phillips Board Member of Arkansas House of
Prayer
