To commemorate Sept. 11, 2001 three events are scheduled for Fayetteville and Peachtree City this coming Saturday. Two are Christian prayer gatherings: the first at midday on the Old Courthouse Square and the second that evening nearby at The Villages Amphitheater.
The third — Patriot Day at Peachtree City’s Falcon Field Airport — is dedicated to honoring and remembering those who lost their lives nine years ago.
The nationally based “Cry Out America” prayer gathering will be held on the grounds on the old courthouse in downtown Fayetteville beginning at noon Saturday.
For the organizers the need for the prayer service is simple. America is in a spiritual crisis, and now is the time to cry out to God for guidance and for a new awakening through Christ.
Commenting on Cry Out America, Fayette County resident and organizer Carolyn Wyatt said, “We who have been established as a Christian nation by our founders are witnessing a cultural revolution. As the influence of churches in our society is increasingly being challenged, we are facing a spiritual crossroad that has many ramifications in practical life. Political leadership, moral standards and faith are all being affected. We are seeing the disintegration of our Biblical foundation at all levels of society. This event is an opportunity for local citizens to join a national effort across denomination and political lines and unite under the Biblical mandate, ‘In God We Trust.’”
Cry Out America is a nationwide event that is in its third year and Fayette County is participating for its second consecutive year, Wyatt said. There is at least one of these events taking place on Sept. 11 in every state in the union and in more than 1,000 counties nationwide, she said.
“If you believe that our nation is in need of God’s blessing, please join your fellow Christians and unite with us in prayer to commemorate this most important day for our county, our state and our country,” said Wyatt.
Parking for the event will be available at the First Baptist Church and the First United Methodist Church east of the Courthouse Square.
Later on Saturday an “Evening of Prayer” will be held at the Villages Amphitheater from 5-8 p.m. The two-fold intent of the prayer service is to glorify God and to pray over the nation’s firefighters, police officers and soldiers and for the nation and the victims of 9/11 and their families. This is a free event, organizers said.
Evening of Prayer spokesperson Coral Benge said the event is being held to glorify God and pray over our country on the day of our nation’s largest attack on American soil.
Benge said the event was organized and funded by a group of citizens that would like to remain anonymous in order for all the glory to be given to God. Benge did note that special recognition should go to Christy Solly for her organization efforts and to Bridgette Koivu of the Beyond Words Dance Team for organizing the dance portion of the event.
Though held in Fayetteville, an Evening of Prayer is an event that will have participation from churches across Fayette and Henry counties.
“So what better way to remember 9/11 than to be reminded that our God is bigger than all of our problems,” Benge said. “We especially want the police officers, firefighters, and 9/11 victims to know they are still being lifted up in prayer and we appreciate their service. Unfortunately, it seems many people haven’t realized the power of prayer especially when the Body of Christ unites. We are looking forward to an awesome night of fellowship and hope everyone comes as they are. And flip flops welcome.”
Another 9/11 event will be held earlier in the day on Saturday. Falcon Field in Peachtree City will be the site of the 4th Annual Peachtree City Patriot Day & Freedom Walk.
Peachtree City Leisure Services Director Randy Gaddo said the community will again remember the lives of nearly 3,000 people killed on Sept. 11, 2001.
Gaddo said the Patriot Day event will be held at Atlanta Regional Airport, Falcon Field, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with the “America Supports You Freedom Walk,” followed at 10 a.m. with a formal program. The public is invited to participate in the walk, which is less than one mile and all on airport grounds, he said.
Peachtree City’s 4th annual event will feature honors to the flag including the national anthem and pledge of allegiance. A commemorative wreath will also be presented. The guest speaker will be Mr. Bob McCubbins, president of the General Raymond Davis chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association.
In fair weather the formal program will be held at the Veterans Memorial at Falcon Field, Gaddo said, adding that the proceedings will be held at the adjacent Commemorative Air Force hangar in the event of inclement weather.
“Nine years has not dimmed the horrific memories that the world witnessed on that day, when Islamic extremists used commercial aircraft as weapons of mass destruction in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, killing and injuring thousands,” Gaddo said. “In order to ensure remembrance of the lives tragically lost, Patriot Day was declared by presidential proclamation to be a national day to remember those who died or were injured and their families.”
Commenting on the history of the Freedom Walk, Gaddo said it started as a commemorative effort by employees in the Pentagon to honor those who were killed there. From there it spread and has become a national tradition that calls on people to reflect on the lives lost, remember those who responded, honor our first responders and veterans past and present and renew our commitment to freedom and the values of our country.
For more information call 770-631-2542 or visit the city’s website at http://www.peachtree-city.org.
And on Sept. 18, the Villages Amphitheater will be the setting for The Jesus Feast, a culmination of the 40-day focus on the miracles of Jesus and the desire to lift Jesus up in the community and across the nation.
The Jesus Feast is a project conceived by two Christian business women from Fayette County, Ga., whose goal is to lift Jesus up in this hour, to this generation, in this community and nation. It is a simple plan which invited people to spend 40 days focusing on Jesus beginning Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010, and ending on The Day of Atonement, Saturday, Sept. 18.
The Jesus Feast is a free event at the amphitheater and will begin at 7 p.m. The event will feature music, scripture reading and prayer. No offering will be received, no merchandise will be sold, and no church or ministry will be spotlighted, organizers said.
