“This is what the church truly looks like.”
The Rev. Kevin Greenwald from First Christian Church opened the National Day of Prayer ceremony at the Logan County Courthouse in Bellefontaine on Thursday, May 1, by encouraging unity that “is not uniformity.”
Describing unity in prayer as being beneath God’s “canvas of love and peace,” Greenwald called the annual event a “time for people of all faiths to unite in prayer for our nation.”
The small crowd began the day of recognition with music, once again led by Pastor Ethan Bunce and other members of the Bellefontaine Grace worship team. Bunce read John 3:16-36, reminding listeners of the love of God and the promise of eternal life to all who believe in His Son.
After the opening prayer, Robert Starnes, pastor at Gretna Brethren Church, then lifted up individuals in the community, from the marginalized to those struggling with addiction or mental illness to the unborn.
“Help us, as the body of Christ, to step into the gap,” Starnes prayed. “To take under our wings those in need and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
Eric Tanner, representing Trail Life USA, introduced Sam Tighe, a homeschooled seventh-grader, to lead the prayer for families. According to Tanner, whenever they ask a troop member to pray, Tighe’s is the first hand to go up.
Thursday’s prayers also included one for the community from Joe Antram, Logan County commissioner; one for schools from Bunce; one for those in our armed services from Starnes; and a prayer for the nation from Ben Vollrath, Logan County Chamber president.
Following the benediction from Greenwald, Bunce closed the service by leading attendees in a final song after reading 2 Corinthians 5:14-21.
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” (2 Cor. 5:20, 21 NKJV).
The National Day of Prayer was officially established in 1952 by Congress and President Harry S. Truman. On May 5, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed an amendment to the law designating the first Thursday of May for the annual observance. Each year, the president signs a proclamation recognizing the National Day of Prayer.
