Standing on the Rock

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 400^th 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 driving through five states. Covid-19 mandates meant lodging out of state, some in Rhode Island, the remainder in New Hampshire. Masks were mandatory, restaurants had restrictions, and Starbucks was so busy that it required half an hour of waiting 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 of approaching rain. In the van, the chatter of women’s voices—deeper timbres of the elders, higher pitches of the youngers—joined in laughter interspersed with music, naps, and snacking. A great, binding sense of peace, purpose, and power infused the group. Helpless as humans, Jesus imbued each one with his sufficiency.

The next morning meant back into the van for an hour drive into Plymouth. Instead of the usual chilly air and snowfall of a New England November, God provided sunshine, coat-free warmth, a gentle breeze. The long-planned local celebratory events had been postponed until 2021. There were no balloon vendors, food trucks, or tightly packed crowds. Instead, small groups of Christians gathered together in Pilgrim Memorial State Park. Men blew shofars, while wireless speakers emitted worship songs, ancient and contemporary praise being raised to heaven at the same time.

The SEAPC team went to serve the local River of Life Church. Worship songs were accompanied by colorful flags being waved. The sweet sound of prayer in Chinese and English mingled. As we prayer walked around Plymouth rock, the Mayflower, the harbor, it became clear that the body of Christ has at its core a diverse universe of believers. Native Americans, motorcycle dudes, old ladies, dark and light skin—that which really is the United States gathered together in single-minded purpose. Praise God. Lift America. Beg mercy.

After a time of walking and praying, the two teams returned to the site of the rock. More worship, more prayer. A pastor from Puerto Rico and his family joined us. Random people stopped to gather in prayer. People stepped forward with wisdom revealed to them by the Lord. Messages of hope, sent by the Father to his beloved, hurting children.

As prayer soared, these words appeared in this writer’s thoughts:

“Trust me in this,” says the Lord. “You will never be bound by chains of oppression because your true freedom is in me.”

In fervent prayer, the writer’s imagination fled and the Holy Spirit whispered his roaring message. The freedoms we hold dear in this country are important and to be protected: free speech, equality, freedom to worship, and the many other concepts the Founding Fathers put in prayerful place.

At the same time as the team prayed in Plymouth, the SEAPC office staff in Pittsburgh dedicated a time for prayer, each person in their own space. When they came back together, they discovered that all had been praying for the same basic things. As always when we don’t know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit guides us.

The SEAPC teams, together—even separated by 600 miles—were all one in beseeching the Lord. We felt the privilege of being able to communicate freely with God. And with our hearts united in prayer through the Holy Spirit, there was no dependence on location or prior planning. Rather, our unity in Jesus joined us in spirit to fight against the common enemy of the soul of our nation.

Before leaving the site, there were opportunities to contemplate Plymouth Rock. On its own, the boulder itself is an unprepossessing stone. Smallish and of non-descript color, it is engraved with 1620. In danger of splitting in two, a mason repaired it; the white cement patch looks like a cross. It may be the real stone the Pilgrims stepped onto that day 400 years ago, perhaps not. That detail isn’t important, because it represents the founding of a new nation in religious freedom, invested with values 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: I will proclaim the name of the Lord: ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without injustice, just and upright is he. Moses saw these attributes of his King in the immovable strength of a rock.

Luke and Matthew in the New Testament relate the parable of the builder. Jesus reveals that those who come to him and hear him are like a man who builds his house on a rock that nothing could 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 so that they were free to build their houses on the solid foundation that is Jesus Christ. 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 everything that encompasses modern experience.

But in four hundred years the foundational aspects of life have not, and will never, change. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, forever. As the SEAPC team stood at Plymouth Rock with believers 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 a day of great blessing. A fountain of peace. And a solid foundation for the days yet to come.

On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.