[Samuel Dangremond/The Daily Pennsylvanian] Worshippers reflect in the House of Prayer, a tent on College Green in which visitors can pray 24 hours a day through this Saturday. [Click to enlarge]

Nursing senior Esther Kim, the worship leader, strums her guitar as she sings "Jesus" over and over in a song of prayer.

The group, made up almost equally of men and women, is huddled around a space heater in the "House of Prayer."

The worship center, which was set up last Sunday by Penn for Jesus, an umbrella organization for Penn's Christian groups, will be staffed 24 hours a day through tomorrow night.

Penn's own version is one of 51 similiar structures that appeared at universities around the country this semester.

Organized by the national Christian group Campus Transformation Network, the tent is part of "an effort to promote 24/7 prayer on college campuses," said College senior Michael Hu, Penn for Jesus' director.

"A lot of students are finding it's something they don't want to or can't live without."

Visitors to the tent will find a prayer wall full of sticky notes with handwritten prayers. Check marks denote prayers made more than once.

A separate worship wall provides blank space for worshippers to "draw a picture, write a poem, blurt a thought or scribble a praise," as a sign says.

Repentant visitors can write out their misdeeds, shred them and then throw them into the "sin bin."

A guitar and bongo drum sit in the corner waiting for a musical leader to put them to use. Students huddle in blankets at all hours of the day and night, silently mouthing prayers.

Many students find the worship center a moving way to connect with their faith.

"The calming atmosphere revives your mind," said Temple University sophomore Kayoung Lee, who is active with Emmanuel Christian Fellowship, another campus Christian organization.

Megan Wellington, a College of General Studies student who usually prays for a few hours every morning, said it's touching to see visitors pray for people they have never met.

"We're praying for a revival of Christian believers throughout campuses, in the United States and the world," Wellington said.

Solitary praying is the most common reason students come to the tent.

"We're all here for the same cause, so we don't introduce ourselves to each other," said Engineering freshman Kathleen Sieffert. She first visited the tent Wednesday, and she planned to return with her Bible study group.

Christian students are finding the House of Prayer very accessible.

"I love praying," said College junior Mark Cheng. "I come every day -- it's convenient to be open 24/7."

However, not everybody is pleased with the addition to College Green. Hu said he has overheard people making fun of the worship center as they pass by outside.

"The response from non-believers has been mild interest to mockery to annoyance," he said.

Larbi Alaoui, an economics graduate student, was curious about the structure as he walked past on Wednesday.

"It's the 7-Eleven of churches," Alaoui said. "It seems kind of weird, like being inside a dorm room," he added after peeking inside the tent.

Hu said people of all faiths would be welcome to stop by the worship center but that the House of Prayer is specifically intended for Christians. He added that Satan worshippers aren't welcome.

"There are a lot of people on this campus who don't believe this stuff," Cheng said. "They can come in and see what this is about."

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