The Lord is my solid rock, my fortress, my rescuer. My God is my rock—I take refuge in him! He is my shield.
Psalm 18:2
It seemed like a crazy idea. A team from SEAPC would drive to Plymouth, Massachusetts, to commemorate through prayer the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ Mayflower adventure. A carload of guys, a van full of women, and one air traveler packed light and took off.
It would be eleven hours of drivingthrough five states. Covid-19 mandates meant lodging out of state, some inRhode Island, the remainder in New Hampshire. Masks were mandatory, restaurantshad restrictions, and Starbucks was so busy that it required half an hour ofwaiting for a tall chai latte. In true 2020 fashion, the wait yielded weak,barely flavored tea.
Driving through the fading autumn,leaves drifted from tree branches already taking on their austere winter appearance.Bursts of bright sun, interspersed with gray clouds, gave a portent ofapproaching rain. In the van, the chatter of women’s voices—deeper timbres ofthe elders, higher pitches of the youngers—joined in laughter interspersed withmusic, naps, and snacking. A great, binding sense of peace, purpose, and powerinfused the group. Helpless as humans, Jesus imbued each one with his sufficiency.
The next morning meant back intothe van for an hour drive into Plymouth. Instead of the usual chilly air andsnowfall of a New England November, God provided sunshine, coat-free warmth, agentle breeze. The long-planned local celebratory events had been postponeduntil 2021. There were no balloon vendors, food trucks, or tightly packedcrowds. Instead, small groups of Christians gathered together in PilgrimMemorial State Park. Men blew shofars, while wireless speakers emitted worshipsongs, ancient and contemporary praise being raised to heaven at the same time.
The SEAPC team went to serve the localRiver of Life Church. Worship songs were accompanied by colorful flags beingwaved. The sweet sound of prayer in Chinese and English mingled. As we prayer walkedaround Plymouth rock, the Mayflower, the harbor, it became clear that the bodyof Christ has at its core a diverse universe of believers. Native Americans,motorcycle dudes, old ladies, dark and light skin—that which really isthe United States gathered together in single-minded purpose. PraiseGod. Lift America. Beg mercy.
After a time of walking andpraying, the two teams returned to the site of the rock. More worship, moreprayer. A pastor from Puerto Rico and his family joined us. Random peoplestopped to gather in prayer. People stepped forward with wisdom revealed tothem by the Lord. Messages of hope, sent by the Father to his beloved, hurtingchildren.
As prayer soared, these wordsappeared in this writer’s thoughts:
“Trust me in this,” says the Lord. “You will neverbe bound by chains of oppression because your true freedom is in me.”
In fervent prayer, the writer’simagination fled and the Holy Spirit whispered his roaring message. The freedomswe hold dear in this country are important and to be protected: free speech,equality, freedom to worship, and the many other concepts the Founding Fathersput in prayerful place.
At the same time as the team prayedin Plymouth, the SEAPC office staff in Pittsburgh dedicated a time for prayer,each person in their own space. When they came back together, they discoveredthat all had been praying for the same basic things. As always when we don’tknow what to pray for, the Holy Spirit guides us.
The SEAPC teams, together—evenseparated by 600 miles—were all one in beseeching the Lord. We felt theprivilege of being able to communicate freely with God. And with our hearts unitedin prayer through the Holy Spirit, there was no dependence on location or priorplanning. Rather, our unity in Jesus joined us in spirit to fight against thecommon enemy of the soul of our nation.
Before leaving the site, there wereopportunities to contemplate Plymouth Rock. On its own, the boulder itself isan unprepossessing stone. Smallish and of non-descript color, it is engravedwith 1620. In danger of splitting in two, a mason repaired it; the white cementpatch looks like a cross. It may be the real stone the Pilgrims stepped ontothat day 400 years ago, perhaps not. That detail isn’t important, because itrepresents the founding of a new nation in religious freedom, invested withvalues still precious to us today.
For those who follow Biblical truth,there is an even greater rock to which we cling. In Deuteronomy 32:3-4: Iwill proclaim the name of the Lord: ascribe greatness to our God. He is theRock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulnessand without injustice, just and upright is he. Moses saw these attributesof his King in the immovable strength of a rock.
Luke and Matthew in the NewTestament relate the parable of the builder. Jesus reveals that those who cometo him and hear him are like a man who builds his house on a rock that nothingcould shake. Our lives are the house. Jesus is the rock. When we stand on him,nothing—let me repeat that—nothing can shake us.
The Pilgrims came to America sothat they were free to build their houses on the solid foundation that is JesusChrist. Four hundred years has changed many things. The Mayflower is a replica.The rock is a fragment. There are cars and computers and electricity and everythingthat encompasses modern experience.
But in four hundred years thefoundational aspects of life have not, and will never, change. Jesus is thesame yesterday, today, forever. As the SEAPC team stood at Plymouth Rock withbelievers from many different backgrounds and ages, that truth became apparent.We stood by the temporal rock. Our prayers rose to the eternal Rock. It was aday of great blessing. A fountain of peace. And a solid foundation for the daysyet to come.
OnChrist the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all otherground is sinking sand.