People follow the lead of LifeLine’s Dorothy Hunt in praying for God to shed his grace on our elected officials Thursday during the National Day of Prayer observance outside the Vance County Courthouse.
About 100 people crowded onto the steps outside the Vance County Courthouse at noon today to participate in the National Day of Prayer.
In some ways, the gathering itself was an answer to prayers in Henderson: a group of a significant size, crossing racial and denominational lines, coming together to seek a better, safer community.
One of the organizers, the Rev. Doug Addington of West Hills Presbyterian Church, noted that it took only a week to pull together a successful observance of the National Day of Prayer — albeit a week that required a lot of phone calls on his part.
In addition to Addington, among the ministers who spoke or attended the 20-minute ceremony were Dorothy Hunt, Mary Emma Evans, Richard Henderson, Peter White, Frank Terry, John Miles, Sheila Kingsberry-Burt, Paul Baxley, Rick Brand and William Clayton.
Peter White, left, Doug Addington, Dorothy Hunt, Mary Emma Evans, Richard Henderson and Rick Brand help lead the service.
Those ministers and the scores of other people at the event responded to a call that the Vance County Coalition Against Violence issued during its Faith Summit less than two weeks ago: for the faith community in and around Henderson to unify against the crime and violence in the community.
“Guide this county and guide this city,” White prayed Thursday. “We’re not being selfish, because it’s in our back yard.”
The anti-violence focus fit with the theme of the National Day of Prayer this year, “God Shed His Grace on Thee,” based on a biblical verse, Hebrews 4:16, and used in the song “America the Beautiful,” which the Rev. Henderson led the crowd in singing Thursday.
Nearby church bells rang for most of the service, which was broken into six sections of prayers for God to shed his grace on:
* Elected officials, led by Hunt. “We’re petitioning you with our prayers,” said Hunt, who called for elected officials to bring about local change without abusing their power.
* Schools, led by Evans. She thanked God for the local schools and asked that he guide the superintendent, the Board of Education and all others who teach Vance County’s children. She also prayed that the teachers be granted students who are obedient.
* Law enforcement, led by White. “I feel like I know a little bit about law enforcement,” said White, who retired from the state Highway Patrol as a major at the start of January. He asked God to protect law officers, the 911 staff and firefighters (Fire Chief Danny Wilkerson was there) and to “touch the community so they (law officers) have your support.”
* Human services, led by Baxley. He sympathized with the plight of agencies providing social services, from public agencies such as the Department of Social Services to faith-based groups ACTS and LifeLine, all of which face “decreasing resources and increasing needs.” He said that within the range of his voice “there is pain, there is suffering, and there is division.”
* Churches, led by Brand. He noted that the community is never more segregated than on Sunday mornings, when church services tend to be black or white. “So much of the problems around here are the result of churches not being able to do their job.” Brand prayed that the local churches “might be the instrument of your grace.”
* The community as a whole, led by Addington. He said Thursday’s ceremony was “a beautiful symbol of the unity of our churches.” He urged God to “break down the barriers of crime and the work of the Evil One” as the people of Vance County try to bring about real change. And he prayed that Vance will soon be known not for its problems, but for its grace and mercy.
Brand noted afterward that Thursday’s attendance, in the middle of a workday, far exceeded the attendance at the Faith Summit, held two Saturdays ago across the parking lot from the courthouse at Brand’s church, First Presbyterian.
Addington and other ministers hope to keep building community unity and involvement with twice-monthly prayer meetings that began last week. The next session will be Tuesday night at 7, to be followed by a noon meeting on Thursday, May 26. The prayer meetings are at West Hills, 1354 Ruin Creek Road.
“Don’t make praying for our community only an annual event on the National Day of Prayer,” read a blue program given to Thursday’s participants.
Also in recognition of the 54th annual National Day of Prayer, Rep. Bob Etheridge, D-Lillington, who represents the southern portion of Vance in Congress, issued the following statement:
“As our troops face daily danger in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world, it is fitting that we remember them on this National Day of Prayer. Our nation’s troops and their families are serving our country and making great personal sacrifices in the name of honor and duty. This day and every day we should remember those fighting for their country and their family members.”