Guideposts held the first Good Friday Day of Prayer in 1970. “The fact that this is going on for 49 years speaks volumes about what it means to those who attend,” says the Rev. Dr. Pablo R. Diaz, Vice President of Ministries for Guideposts Outreach Division.
Held at the Peale Center in Pawling, NY, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST on April 19, the popular event allows visitors to mark this holy day in a special way. “Some churches don’t have a service, so this is an opportunity to congregate for those from different communities of faith,” says Diaz. “It can be hard to find something good in this day, due to the nature of the story. But we find the Goodness of God in being together. We find the Goodness of God in praying for the needs of others. We find the Goodness of God in realizing that this is a day that is more about love than it is about suffering and pain.”
Guests are invited to pray over thousands of prayer requests that have been received from all around the country. “Something happens when you remove yourself from your own needs and you put yourself in the shoes of someone else,” says Diaz. “You find insight and you get spiritual energy.” But Diaz says that one of the most moving parts of the day is the Nail it to the Cross service, where guests are invited to nail their own prayer requests to an oversized cross. “People stop and think, ‘What does the message of the cross mean to me? What does this day mean to me? How does it shape my faith?’ ”
Many people spend several hours at the event. The sermon at the 11:00 Chapel Service, “Strength in the Voices,” will be given by Katie Allen Berlandi, a granddaughter of Guideposts founder Norman Vincent Peale. A light lunch will follow. “People like to linger,” says Diaz. “There are so many encouraging things that go on during this day. There are materials you can pick up. You can have a have a cup of coffee and sit with a stranger or sit with an old friend that you haven’t seen since last year and reconnect.”
Another draw is the opportunity to tour the Peale Center. Longtime Peale Center archivist George Hart leads visitors through the life of Dr. Peale, the author of The Power of Positive Thinking, and allows them to view an array of photos and videos. “There is an opportunity to sit in a little room and listen to a Dr. Peale sermon. It’s nostalgic; it takes you back to a different era. That is part of why people feel so lifted up when they leave, because they’ve been inspired by someone who dedicated his life to service.”
Diaz says that every year there are still a handful of people in the chapel at 5:00 p.m. “Something happens when you remove yourself from your own needs and you put yourself in the shoes of someone else,” says Diaz. “People leave extremely encouraged and inspired; that’s why they keep coming back.”
Please join us by sending in requests for your loved ones and visiting OurPrayerGoodFriday.org during the event and praying for others.
If you are in the Hudson Valley area, we welcome you to join us in person,April 19th, 8am-5pm at the Mizzentop Day School (formerly Peale Center) 66 East Main Street in Pawling, New York, where Guideposts’ praying community will gather to support those in need. Attend our Chapel Service, take part in our Nail it to the Cross Station where we uplift concerns that weigh heavily on our hearts. Tour the Dr. Norman Vincent Peale History Center filled with inspiring memorabilia and learn about the founder of Guideposts and the Father of Positive Thinking.
