A Good Day For Ecumenism

2009 National Day of Prayer...Thursday May 7th

Romans 12:12-13 "The body is one and has many members, but all the members, many though they are, are one body; and so it is with Christ. It was in one Spirit that all of us were baptized into one body. All of us have been given to drink of the one Spirit."


The National Day of Prayer is a wonderful opportunity for members of all faiths to look past our doctrinal differences and join hands together across America, thanking God for this Country, and our ability to worship Him as we choose, unencumbered by any human or State pressure to the contrary. I will have the privilege of joining dozens of Catholic and Protestant Christians at a prayer breakfast where we will enjoy our Sheriff Department's color guard play the National Anthem and hear a great spiritual message from one of our lay community members. Later at lunch, in our town square, several local community leaders will lead us in prayer to commemorate this special day.

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state governors plus the governors of several U.S. territories signed similar proclamations.

The National Day of Prayer has great significance for us as a nation. It enables us to recall and to teach the way in which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. It stands as a call to us to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people. The unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as an annual event, signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning.

Last year, local, state and federal observances were held from sunrise in Maine to sunset in Hawaii, uniting Americans from all socio-economic, political and ethnic backgrounds in prayer for our nation. It is estimated that more than two million people attended more than 40,000 observances organized by approximately 40,000 volunteers. At state capitols, county court houses, on the steps of city halls, and in schools, businesses, churches and homes, people stopped their activities and gathered for prayer.

The National Day of Prayer belongs to all Americans. It is a day that transcends differences, bringing together citizens from all backgrounds.