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Word of the Week

Word of the Week: Holy

Holy is a very Christian word. To be holy means to be set apart for a purpose. We use it sometimes to describe a divine moment. We sense God’s love and power and we declare this to be a holy moment - a time where God drew near and we knew it.

Sunday night, August 12, was a holy moment in the Charlottesville Christian community. We gathered to lament, repent and rejoice as we remembered the sorrows of last August 12, 2017. Even though there had been some loud protests earlier, and a terrible thunderstorm not long before the event, as many as 1,000 local Christians worshipped together. The crowd was a tapestry of different colors, from a variety of churches and groups. Church participants included Union Run Baptist, Evergreen Ministries, Christ Community Church, Portico, Charlottesville Community Church, Meadows Presbyterian, Hope Presbyterian, All Souls, Trinity Presbyterian, Word and Table, First Baptist (Park) and of course a few from Grace Community Church! I think there were many other churches represented - more than I know.

It was a time of both great sorrow and great joy! There was some terrific music with a combined worship team from several churches. We were led through prayers of repentance and lament, and heard an inspiring message from Jay James, who encouraged us to lay down our lives for one another in Christ’s name.

The event exceeded my expectations and though not well reported, was the largest gathering of any kind all weekend related to the August 12 remembrance. It far dwarfed protests, memorials and other community gatherings. It wasn’t ever meant to be about the numbers, but the Lord blessed it. Something wonderful happened in spite of the protests, the fear, and the bad weather.

It left me wondering, what could God do through us if we drew together in love and unity? How might we bless, encourage, challenge and reach our community? I wonder, Lord!  Will you bring more holy moments in the coming months?

In Christ,

Don

Don Ward

Senior Pastor

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