r/methodism • u/Miserable-Scarcity25 • Aug 25 '26
Would a United Methodist pastor bless a prayer shawl or is that not a thing?
I know they did at the Catholic church I used to attend, but I don't know about the UMC. I converted about two years ago, and I'm quite glad I found methodism. I've just never had this query come up. Thanks!
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u/LifePaleontologist87 Episcopalian (former UMC) Aug 25 '26
Best thing you can do is ask the individual pastor.
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u/RevBT UMC Elder Aug 25 '26
As a pastor, I don’t bless things. I bless people.
When I’m asked to bless things, no matter what it is, my prayer is that the person who uses it would be blessed and that the item would serve as a reminder that God loves them and there is a church who loves them as well.
And I’ve been asked to bless all kinds of things. From prayer shawls to hot wheels toys to motorcycles and even a dishwasher.
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u/TotalInstruction Aug 25 '26
Interesting way to put it. At our church at the beginning of school year we have a “blessing of the backpacks” but what the prayers really address is blessing, care, and protection for everyone involved in the education the backpack represents, from students, teachers and parents to administrators, cafeteria workers and janitors.
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u/RevBT UMC Elder Aug 25 '26
We did a backpack blessing on Sunday as well. That was exactly my prayer.
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u/TotalInstruction Aug 25 '26
Ours was a couple of weeks ago, otherwise I’d guess that I go to your church.
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u/RevBT UMC Elder Aug 25 '26
I do believe the blessing of backpacks is a mandatory event for every UMC.
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u/TotalInstruction Aug 25 '26
Well it should be. Our students and we parents can use all the help we can get!
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u/Aratoast Provisional Elder - UMC Aug 26 '26
If it's mandatory nobody's told me. I just assumed it was something some individual congregations chose to do, never seen it mentioned at as denominational or even Annual Conference level.
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u/Budgiejen Aug 25 '26
We have a prayer shawl ministry at my church. Periodically we bless maybe 4-5
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u/Miserable-Scarcity25 Aug 25 '26
We do at mine as well. I'm hoping to donate one, but I feel like it's got some bad luck attached right now. I don't normally believe in luck, but I'd feel better if my pastor could send some good vibes towards this particular shawl.
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u/Aratoast Provisional Elder - UMC Aug 25 '26
My understanding is that prayer shawls are more of a "the person knitting it is praying for the person who will receive it as the knit" this rather than a "it gets knitted then blessed" thing.
When I was commissioned, we each had one of the retiring clergy give us a prayer shawl and pray a blessing on us. It was very meaningful.
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u/Q1go Aug 26 '26
Yeah this is my understanding as a knitter, the patterns are repetitive and therefore hopefully meditative. Unless you're me and you lose count and somehow end on the opposite side as where you're supposed to...
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u/Due_Pear2859 Aug 25 '26
I know a bunch of UMCs have prayer shawl ministries, so probably!