Prayer and the Ancestors

I was thrilled to be a part of the Descendants’ and Black Seminarians’ weekend at 

Virginia Theological Seminary. 

I decided to participate in all the happenings. 

On Saturday morning, April 22, 2023, I arrived at the chapel a little late. As I entered the chapel, the minister was reading a passage from the prophet Zechariah.  I thought of how beautiful that moment in the chapel was and how beautifully the weekend was going.  I felt deeply connected to God and to my ancestors, John Holman Peters and his father John Henry Peters, who both worked on the property of Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS). 

I asked myself, “Who prayed this moment into existence?  Who prayed the beauty of these blessings on my life?” THE BLESSINGS of experiencing God in a deeply passionate way.

The blessings of spending this weekend at VTS in honor of my grandfather and great-grandfather.   

I imagined my ancestors walking the grounds of VTS, praying.  Praying for future generations and now, now I sit here, in the blessings that they asked God for.  

Tears began to flow.

As I felt faith rise inside of me, I prayed the blessings forward onto my children and my grandchildren.

Then the unimaginable happened! The psalmist began to sing:

           “The Lord bless you and keep you …

            May His favor be upon you ♫🎶

            And a thousand generations

            And your family and your children

            And their children and their children.”

I started to sob.  

I believed in that moment that I was carrying the prayers and the legacy of the Peters’ family forward.  I understood that now I have a responsibility to yield to and respond to God so that He can answer the prayers of my ancestors.

I was overwhelmed by every scripture that was read, every song that was sung, and every word that was spoken.  I began to cry so uncontrollably that I decided to leave the sanctuary and sit in the vestibule until I could steady myself.

 

Mary Margaret Jones

Loving grand daughter of John Holman Peters 1908-1997

pictured below.


Proud great granddaughter of John Henry Peters 1881-1960
                 pictured above.






You may be able the hear the song via this YouTube link
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxdOWY-ugBx67UcDaFQ03IoBctXRTfXb4k?si=4-bh8clV_w_HMxz_



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