WILLIAMSBURG — People of all faiths and religious backgrounds are invited to commemorate the National Day of Prayer on May 2 at 6:30 p.m. on the green outside the Williamsburg Regional Library and the Stryker Center.
Pastor Tom Hallman of Williamsburg Calvary Church helped to organize last year’s celebration, the first held in the area.
“We had such a high number of participation last year. We got a lot of participation from the different church leaders in the area. Their excitement level was really received well, more so than what we anticipated,” Hallman recalled.
This year’s celebration will center on the theme “Lift up the world, light up the world.”
“It’s taken from a book in the Bible’s Old Testament, 2 Samuel, Chapter 22, verses 29-31. It’s really just a time for us to lift up our nation and to be lights in our nation and our communities for the Lord,” Hallman said.
All faiths will be represented at the event. Hallman has also reached out to local government officials to invite them to the event.
Prayers will be included for the military, family, church, business, education, government, arts, media, and entertainment. There will also be specific prayers for the community of Williamsburg.
“Our Nation is great and we want to lift that up, but we really want to also pray for the different needs in our communities,” Hallman says.
The free event will open with prayer, and include worship songs and fellowship.
The hour-long ceremony will be a relaxed environment. Those attending are welcome to bring a lawn chair or blanket. In the event of inclement weather, the event will not be rescheduled.
“There were so many people that had been wanting and seeking an opportunity to pray publicly for our nation and our community. We were able to provide a place for that. The event is really great because it’s just really nice to see. People were really happy and feeling blessed last year after the event was over. We plan to continue to do this for as long as we can,” Hallman said.
For more information on the celebration, visit the Calvary Chapel Williamsburg website.