I attended the National Day of Prayer service May 1 at Sacred Heart Culture Center, sponsored by Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver and the South Augusta Pastors'Alliance. Prayers were done by various public figures, area pastors and the mayor. I thought the ones by Chaplain Mitchell Morton from Fort Gordon, Superior Court Judge Daniel Craig and Dr. Gregory Fuller were especially moving and inspiring.
With that said, I was surprised and a little disturbed that one group of people were omitted on the program for prayer. I am referring to our firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, EMTs and all health care providers. I understand that our military, state, nation, city, schools, education, educators, schools, churches, pastors, state and nation deserve recognition, but the media?
Our firefighters and police officers put their lives on the line every time they put on their uniforms and go out to serve and protect our citizens. Our doctors, nurses, and emergency medical technicians care for the sick, injured and disabled, working long, hard hours. Most of the time they don't even get a "thank you."
This may seem petty to some but I feel it should be addressed. I hope in the future that our mayor and the pastors' alliance will remember this group of professionals when planning another National Day of Prayer service.
Sarah Lamb, Augusta
Comments
Sarah Lamb the only right thing to do is to just keep praying for those folks daily yourself....Put them on your prayer list as many others do....God knows what is in the hearts long before you or I do....Sometimes the hardest working, most giving men and women in this land get left on the sidelines but God listens and knows their needs.....Just continue praying and hopefully the mayor and pastors will begin praying for these brave men and women on their own....
If you don't pray in public God will not hear you. If you're an Augusta politician, just pray in front of a crowd and votes will come your way. This is what modern day christianity has evolved into.
Augusta is very fortunate to have a Mayor thats not ashame to put God first. His leadership with the Mayors monthly Prayer Breakfast, the National Day Prayer, the Christmas Tree lighting are all community events that all are welcome to attent. And each time these event are done they continue to grow and get better. And one thing about being a citizen of any community is that we can alway contact our leaders and give input. And that freedom is what make this country great. So let our voices be heard.
Until I read Ms. Lamb's letter to the editor, it didn't occur to me that this most critically important group of people was not included to 'pray for.' I was not an organizer of the event, however, I can assure you that, this was simply a terrible oversight. The South Augusta Pastor's Alliance and the Mayor do pray and have deep concern for those individuals who put their lives on the line every day. Regarding the media (praying for), that is also important since it has so much influence (oftentimes negative) on people. By the way, I was the person who prayed on behalf of the media. I didn't take Ms. Lamb's comment personally from the media's stand point, but I did take it personally that this important group of people was inadvertently left out. I am truly sorry about that. Thanks Ms. Lamb for bringing it to our attention. I have enough confidence in the organizers that this won't happen again. God bless everyone. And God Bless America!
Elected officials have no business officially endorsing a religious event.
I think it was a shame that right handed, green-eyed, red-haired, beaten stepchildren from the 30809 zip code were not the beneficiaries of the prayer. How unfair is that?
Ms. Lamb (no relation) is a person who sees the glass perpetually as half empty.
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