On Thursday, April 9, there were over 10,000 independent internet views of a Scripture reading and prayer service led by pastors from around the Detroit area. Called “A Sacred Assembly,” the Maundy Thursday event was initiated by Pastor Doug Kempton of Grace Community Church, an NAB church. Participants were encouraged to fast all of that Thursday prior to the video presentation in the evening. Pastor Doug made clear that the idea for a sacred assembly did not come from him but from the vision of a prophetically gifted man in his congregation.
In a show of much-needed unity for the church, and especially in the Detroit area, eight of the pastors were African American and six were White. There was worship music between readings, and topics included personal confession, leader’s confession, national confession, and petitions for those impacted by the coronavirus, for healthcare workers, for the government, and for researchers. There were petitions to the Lord for the church to respond in faithfulness and for our nation and for the world. The event ended with Psalms of thanksgiving and praise.There was much significance to this event. It was not the first time that churches in the Detroit area collaborated, but it was unique due to the social distancing requirements in place. Each pastor recorded his portion of the event, and the videos were compiled into the one-hundred-minute video. Fourteen pastors participated, each reading a scripture from the Psalms and then leading a prayer.
The Lord is moving in many different kinds of ways during this crisis, some very visible and others in ways that are not so visible but just as significant. What a privilege to follow Jesus during these times!