Thursday afternoon's "business" in downtown Aiken included messages offered by several dozen people focusing on delivering a message beyond lunchtime options and window shopping.
Aiken's National Day of Prayer committee played host, at Laurens Street and Hayne Avenue, to a gathering of about 55 people for almost an hour of prayer. Participants focused on topics ranging from local children and families to the White House and international terrorism leaders.
"I just believe it is amazing to see so many people in this city praying on the same page," said Aiken resident Georgeann Crawford, who was among those who took the chance to take a minute or two to pray aloud in the circle a few yards from the City of Aiken's administration and finance building.
Among the event's organizers was Ridge Spring resident Alvin Ligons, the pastor at Faith Outreach Center. "I think ... one of the greatest things that we could possibly do, to bring change in our communities, is for people to come together and pray, because I feel the problem of the world as a whole is people have simply turned away from God, and the only thing that's going to bring change is for people to turn back to God whole-heartedly and come back under the lordship of his government."
Participants also had the chance to pick up a list of local, state and national officials, to help in offering prayer on behalf of individuals by name and not simply by position.
In the gathering of about 55 people, most stood for the entire session - a challenge for some, as one of the older participants recalled. Some prayed aloud. Others were mostly silent. Some raised their hands, and others clasped theirs together. One brought her dog. At least one participant set her prayer to music, and the entire group concluded the event by praying the Lord's Prayer and singing "Amazing Grace."
Aiken resident Gail Diggs described the event as "a time for us to come together and pray for our city, our state, our community, for each other, for other countries and for the people that are risking their lives for our freedom, but also, it's a time for us to give thanks for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon us."
Referring to the mid-day gathering, she added, "We were showing, I think, everybody that we are not ashamed to be children of God and that we trust him to take care of us and provide direction for us."
Bill Bengtson has worked for Aiken Communications since 1996.