Winter Quiet Days

The Arkansas House of Prayer will offer “Winter Quiet Days” December 15–21. Everyone is invited to come and spend some quiet time during a busy and holy season. The doors will be open each day 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

We are also developing a handout of seasonally appropriate prayers, meditations, and reflections from different religious traditions.

Share your story with us!

We know that every one of you has a story about your experience with the Arkansas House of Prayer. Each of those stories is unique but they all have in common the transformative power of this special place. Whether your story about the House of Prayer is a single sentence or a whole essay, we’d love to hear them.

We would like to use some of your stories on our website, our social media channels, upcoming newsletters, and fundraising. If you would like us to not use your name, please let us know in your email.

Mornings with Sacred Silence | Oct. 8, 2024

The Rev. Patricia Matthews, executive director of The Interfaith Center, led us in a drumming meditation and spoke about silence traditions from other faith traditions.

Election Day Vigil

A time of silent prayer and meditation.

In the face of increasing division, prejudice, and fear, we believe that our country is stronger and safer when we unite across our differences in a spirit of love, hope, and unity.

To that end, The Interfaith Center, the Arkansas House of Prayer, and St Margaret’s are sponsoring an Election Day vigil. The Arkansas House of Prayer will be open all day on Tuesday, November 5, and we invite everyone to join us for a day of prayer and meditation .

You can sign up to come at a specific time or simply come as you are able. Our goal is to have a constant cycle of prayer and meditation participants during poll hours – 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. – so please share with friends who may be interested. All are welcome!

The Arkansas House of Prayer is a place of silence. Guests will be invited to remove or cover their shoes and engage in silent prayer and meditation. A labyrinth is also available nearby for those who prefer a walking meditation.

Love Thy Neighbor 2024

ARKANSAS HOUSE OF PRAYER AND THE INTERFAITH CENTER HOST FOURTEENTH ANNUAL LOVE THY NEIGHBOR EVENT.

“Love Thy Neighbor: Sharing the Light,” an interfaith celebration of hope, will be held Thursday, September 5, at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church (1000 N Mississippi St, Little Rock, AR 72207). The event will also be live-streamed on the Interfaith Center’s Youtube page. The celebration will begin at 6 p.m. CST.

Love Thy Neighbor is an annual interfaith service that brings central Arkansas faith communities together for an evening of music, shared wisdom, and reflection. This year’s theme “Sharing the Light” invites participants to come together in challenging and painful times to share the light of hope with one another and to then carry this light out into the world. Speakers from various religious backgrounds will share stories, poems, and prayers of hope from their faith traditions, and local ensembles and musicians will invite participants into times of quiet reflection and collective harmony. The Interfaith Food Festival will follow the service in the parish hall at Saint Mark’s with delicious vegetarian dishes prepared by local caterers and faith communities.

The event is free and open to the public. While no childcare will be provided, children are welcome at this event.

Love Thy Neighbor began in 2011 as a peace-oriented service on the grounds of the Arkansas House of Prayer, marking the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001 as an opportunity to draw people together who are dedicated to peace in our community and the world.

Located in West Little Rock on the campus of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, the Arkansas House of Prayer is an interfaith haven, set apart in nature, dedicated to contemplative prayer, meditation, and quiet, where all are welcome.

The Interfaith Center strives to reduce the fear and prejudice among the people of the world’s religions through providing education, enhancing interfaith dialogue, creating relationship building opportunities, and teaching interfaith cooperation skills (www.theinterfaithcenter.org).

Centering Prayer Retreat with Dr Nick Cole | Nov. 4–8

Consider giving yourself the GIFT of a Centering Prayer Retreat at Subiaco Monastery and Retreat Center, November 4-8, 2024. The monastery and retreat center is located in a peaceful, pastoral setting in the Arkansas River Valley.

The retreat will have ample periods of silence, three prayer and meditation periods per day, and some teaching on the TRANSFORMATION of the false (or lower) self. A recommended book to read before the retreat is The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer. This is not a requirement but I will be sharing ideas from Michael’s material.

Cost

Private room – $450; shared room – $370. A $50 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of registration.

Registration

Call Laura or Donna at the Coury House Retreat Center at Subiaco to reserve your place: 479-934-1290.

Leader

Nicholas Cole, M.D., who has staffed retreats in Colorado and Arkansas since 1993. He has been mentored by Thomas Keating, Cynthia Bourgeault, Richard Rohr, and all the retreatants he has served during these thirty-plus years. If you have questions for Nick, he may be reached at ngcole42@gmail.com.

A retreat is a wonderful way to strengthen a meditation practice and thus bring more of the spiritual practice into our lives. Retreatants will be best served by having a daily practice of Centering Prayer or meditation prior to attending (please discuss with Nick if you have questions in this regard). Retreatants will be asked to commit to attending the entire retreat.

You’ve thought about giving yourself this kind of gift. If not NOW … when?

Arrival and Departure

Arrive on Monday, November 4, between 3–5 p.m. Supper will be at 6 p.m. and Opening Circle at 7 p.m.

Depart after lunch on Friday, November 8.

Mornings with Sacred Silence | May 14, 2024

We were blessed to have Sr Deborah Troillett join us this morning for our last Mornings with Sacred Silence before we take a break during the summer. She spoke on “Silence and Deepening Our Capacity for Nonviolence,” a message that we all need right now. A special thank-you to Sr Deborah.

You can also download a PDF of the slideshow and a PDF of the script.

Mornings with Sacred Silence | April 9, 2024

Dr Nick Cole was our special guest for Mornings with Sacred Silence on April 9, 2024. His talk was inspired by the book "The Untethered Life," and he encouraged us to approach the world with an open heart.

A Circle of Earth and Stone

From Susan Sims Smith

The inside of the House of Prayer carries its own mystery. In the middle is a circle of stones that enclose a circle of soil. The circle of stone surrounds a column that is filled with dirt that goes 16 feet below the House of Prayer floor to connect with the actual earth under the building. 

The ceiling is designed to beckon the visitor to another level of spirituality. It is dome like, filled with light and uplifting. 

The room has a deliberate sense of enclosure. As well as a peek to the outside world. 

We are made of matter and spirit and we are enclosed by Divine Love. 

On the day of the dedication of the building in 2007, people from many religions brought soil from their places of prayer and worship. That soil was mixed into the center circle of soil to remind us that we respect all religions, we welcome them to this place, and are connected to them in love .

Mornings with Sacred Silence | March 12, 2024

Catherine Crews on the Welcoming Prayer.