Dear Friends,
Several churches in Bryson City are inviting anyone who feels drawn to the work of making peace to participate in a Day-Long Peace Vigil this Wednesday, February 11. It will be held at Bryson City United Methodist Church, where the sanctuary will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Participants are invited to sign up for a 30-minute time slot at any point during the day via this spreadsheet or by calling the church office at 828-488-2680. Those who come will find a simple guide offering prayers, scripture, and reflective prompts. If you cannot come in person, you are invited to sign up for a time and pray from home.
In addition to the open vigil, there will be two community gatherings — a brief midday service at noon centered on contemplative prayer and scripture — and an evening service at 6 p.m. including music, scripture, space for spoken prayer and a short reflection.
Sponsors include Beth Newman, Bryson City Presbyterian Church; Jeff Helpman, The Grove Church; and Cole Altizer, Bryson City United Methodist Church. As Rev. Altizer says, “To be a people of peace is to commit ourselves to the slow and faithful work of reconciliation. It means choosing curiosity over contempt, listening over reacting, compassion over certainty. It means resisting the pull toward dehumanization and remembering that our neighbors are more than their opinions. Peace, in this sense, is not passive. It is active, courageous and deeply hopeful.”
The organizers stress that this gathering is not partisan nor about promoting an agenda or drawing lines between “us” and “them.” “We believe peace is not only something we long for. It is something we practice. And we believe that when people come together across differences, grounded in prayer and hope, something meaningful can begin.”