Fabric artist designs prayer cloths with ecology theme for Earth Ministry benefit

Winners of Earth Ministry’s 2009 “Celebration of St. Francis Creation Care Sermon Contest Fund Raiser” will receive a prayer cloth made by fabric artist and ordained minister Deborah Rose of Westminster Congregational UCC in Spokane.

Deborah Rose's ministry is with bright fabrics that spread joy.

The People’s Choice Awards go to the contestant with the highest number of votes on donation ballots, after two lay and two clergy preached on Sept. 26 at University Lutheran Church in Seattle.

Deborah said she designed the banners to reflect the first verse of Tom Chapin’s song, “This pretty planet, spinning through space, you’re a garden, a harbor, a holy place.”

The brilliant-colored prayer cloths, which are mini banners, show a swallow flying across the earth surrounded by crescent shapes with different fabric that suggest spinning. At the bottom are hills covered in flowers and the harbor.

In addition to the awards, Deborah is making a limited edition—a total of 35 prayer cloths for people to hang on the wall for a home worship space. Some have already been sold and others will be available for sale at the event.

At the PNC Annual Meeting two years ago in Yakima, Deborah said Leanne Beres, director of Earth Ministry, had a table across from her table displaying and selling stoles.

“I did green stoles for the green liturgical season and for ecology,” she said. “I had a sign—‘Got green!’—that attracted interest. Leanne took pictures and proposed that I make a stole for an attorney who entered ministry and was being ordained in Seattle to a specialized ministry with Earth Ministry.”

Next she made stoles last year for the sermon contest winners. Earth Ministry is an ecumenical ministry based in Seattle seeking to inspire and mobilize the Christian community to give leadership to building a just, sustainable future.

Deborah said most of her art pieces—including stoles, paraments and banners—express her conviction that “God’s signature is the beauty of things”—a quote from Robinson Jeffers in “Look, How Beautiful.”

For information, call 206-632-2426 or visit www.earthministry.org.

Copyright © September 2009 - Pacific Northwest United Church of Christ Conference News