Day of prayer honors first responders

Last Wednesday, nearly 50 people gathered in front of the Wahkiakum County Courthouse to pray for first responders here and around the country.

The Gather Around the Flagpole event was sponsored by Our Saviour's Lutheran Church as part of the National Day of Prayer, celebrated on September 23.

Pastor Theron Hobbs spoke for a few moments and then encouraged participants to join hands as they stood in a large circle around the flag pole. Then he began to pray.

"The prayer was inspired by a conversation between Theresa Videan and myself," Hobbs said later. "Theresa served as a dispatcher for many years with the San Jose Police Department in California, and her abundance of compassion is still very present for those who serve as first responders throughout our country. We agreed that doing a prayer for our local men and women who serve in dispatching, firefighting, medical emergencies, and law enforcement is very important."

"The Christian faith was birthed out of a sacrifice," Hobbs said, "and the Christian life is a daily response to that gracious sacrifice, therefore it is fitting that we pray for those who daily sacrifice for our Wahkiakum community."

"It was an honor to serve in a small way for those who serve us in a big way," he added.