Zimbabwe Anglicans celebrate return to churches

A Godalming curate was in Zimbabwe earlier in the month to join Anglicans celebrating the return to their churches after five years in exile. Anglicans in the eastern Diocese of Manicaland were finally able to return to their churches and cathedral after being barred from places of worship for the last five years. They were forced from their buildings when two renegade bishops in Manicaland and Harare attempted to take control of diocesan properties. Even as they worshipped outside, they faced violence and harassment. All the while, priests were not funded and church assets were stolen. The hardship only came to an end when Zimbabwe's Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Anglican Church and legally restored their ownership of the buildings. The focus of the weekend's celebrations was on forgiveness. Joining them was the Reverend Kate Wyles, whose father's family were missionaries in Manicaland.

Praise:

God for this change and the court's move to bring freedom to worship again to the Anglican Church. (Jer.34:15)

Siberian shaman finds Jesus

Alexander’s first experience with a shaman, a Siberian witch doctor, left him wanting to go deeper into this realm. ‘I saved money to become a shaman and eventually became powerful in the community,’ he recalls. Then he received an unexpected invitation. ‘Some Christians invited me to church and I went so I could spy on their God.’ He entered the church, believing the gods he served were much more powerful than the Christian God. But as Alexander sat back in the wooden pew, something unusual happened. ‘When I closed my eyes I felt God’s presence,’ he says. ‘It was so strong; I was overwhelmed by its greatness.’ Unable to resist the majesty and power of the one true living God, Alexander surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and was born again. ‘I have now begun to work with missionaries here in Russia,’ Alexander says. ‘I help others learn what Jesus did for me.’

Praise:

God for the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Alexander. (Lk.12:12)

Police reassure over London Marathon

A senior Metropolitan Police officer has reassured runners and spectators that Sunday's London Marathon will go ahead as planned. Commander Christine Jones said security was being reviewed following two deadly explosions at the Boston Marathon. The public should be ‘reassured’ the police were ‘very, very well-practised’ at managing big events, she added. London Mayor Boris Johnson has also spoken to police about the possibility of extra security on the day. In Boston, at least three people are known to have been killed on Monday and more than 170 injured in blasts close to the marathon's finishing line. Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said he was ‘absolutely confident’ the London Marathon could be kept safe. London had ‘enormous experience’ of delivering major events and the UK had some of the best security professionals in the world, he told the BBC, adding: ‘This is one of those instances where the best way to show solidarity with Boston is to continue.’

Pray:

for the safety of this event and any steps to disrupt it will be thwarted.(Ps.5:11b)

Christian sacked after Islamist harassment seeks hearing in Europe

A Christian worker who was dismissed from her job at Heathrow Airport has been granted permission to challenge a ruling by an employment tribunal which left her without any rights under employment law. Last year, an Employment Tribunal found that Nohad Halawi was not technically employed, so she had no protection under employment law, despite the fact she had worked at Heathrow for 13 years. But the Employment Appeal Tribunal in London has allowed this decision to be appealed. Mrs Halawi worked at a duty free shop at Heathrow Terminal 3. But management took away her ‘airside pass’ – meaning she was unable to continue working at the airport – after Muslim colleagues made unsubstantiated complaints about her conduct. Mrs Halawi had stood up for a Christian colleague who was being harassed by Islamist staff and complained to management over personal abuse and harassment from Islamist staff members over her Christian faith.

Pray:

for Mrs. Halawi and that at her next hearing the Employment Appeal Tribunal will agree that she was employed and deserves the protection of the law. (Ps.145:18)

It might take new financial crisis to restore morality to City

It could take another financial crisis to force the City to ‘wake up’ to the scale of changes it needs to make, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales warned last Sunday. The Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, likened profit-obsessed business chiefs to staff at the scandal-hit Mid Staffordshire hospitals trust who lost sight of basic morality because of an obsession with money. He will told an audience in the City that new regulations would not be enough to bring about real change in the wake of the banking crisis, and could itself become simply a ‘lazy proxy’ for moral values. He said working in the City is a noble vocation, capable of doing real good for society but that the pursuit of short term profit has been allowed to become the sole purpose of business, creating a moral vacuum.

Pray:

for the financial sector in the City to develop a greater sense of morality and a clearer purpose to serve society. (Lk.12:15)

Mission from everywhere to everywhere

Mr Kafwanka, Director of Mission for the Anglican Communion, speaking in Glasgow last Sunday said, ' The mission trip has often meant ‘going to help some poor African souls who cannot help themselves but this is not the only story of mission today. It is tempting to think of mission in terms of one party providing support and another receiving. But such a relationship will come to be characterised by paternalism on one side and dependence on the other, instead of both sides seeing mission as an opportunity to serve together. There is small but growing confidence among Christians in the majority world and a determination to forge partnerships characterised by sharing and transparency, In that sense, mission today is less about 'what we do out there' and more about churches being in a relationship of sharing'. While he commended the UK church's heart for world mission, he said that British Christians going to do mission were not being properly prepared to learn.

Pray:

for a new response to mission that is mutually inclusive and transparent. (Jn.13:34)

8 million people 'one paycheque' away from losing their home

One in three people could not pay their rent or mortgage for more than a month if they lost their job, new figures from the housing and homelessness charity Shelter have revealed. The research reveals families with children are in the most precarious situation: 43 per cent could not pay for their home for more than a month, and nearly a quarter (23 per cent) could not meet their payments at all. Campbell Robb, Chief Executive of Shelter said: ‘These figures paint an alarming picture of a nation where the buffer between having a home and potentially becoming homeless is a single paycheque. Millions are living on the edge of a crisis, only secure in their homes for a matter of weeks. At the same time, support for people who have lost their homes is being stripped away - it’s easy to see why every fifteen minutes, another family in England finds themselves homeless.’

Pray:

for a more robust economy that allows for greater security in the tenure of homes. (Lev.25:35)

British Armed Forces redundancies

The Armed Forces are undergoing a dramatic reduction in size and reorganisation. Over 6,600 personnel across all three services were notified of their selection for redundancy in the first two tranches, which took place in 2011 and 2012. The third tranche, affecting only the Army, was announced in January 2013. A fourth tranche is expected in early 2014. The complete process should be over by the middle of 2015 with approximately 9,500 people expected to be released under tranche 3 and 4. Up to 5,300 Army personnel are in the pool for redundancy in tranche 3. Those selected for redundancy in tranche 3 will be told on 18 June 2013.

Pray:

for those Service personnel as they wait to hear if they are losing their job. Please pray for the families as they have to face finding homes, new schools and a new life situation. (Jer. 29:11)

Volunteers get cleaning in Ipswich

Church members will be among those rolling up their sleeves to clean up an estate in Ipswich over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Neighbours will be joining forces to clear rubbish and disused furniture from the town's Queesnway estate. Ten skips have been positioned around the estate and leaflets have been distributed asking residents to give up four hours of their time on Bank Holiday Monday. ‘Carry the Can’ has been organised by the Christian Noisy Group, which has worked to make a difference on the Queensway estate for the last 13 years. The group is led by Mick Earrey, who lives on the estate. He said: ‘It is really great to see the local churches, businesses and community all working so well together to make positive improvements.’ The initiative has the support of local councillors.

Pray:

that the witness the church gives by this initiative will lead to many blessings. (Ez.10:4)

Vatican plans huge pro-life, evangelization gathering

A major highlight for the Year of Faith will be a two-day celebration in Rome on the Church’s teaching about the dignity of life and how it fits with the New Evangelization, reports Catholic News Agency. Father Geno Sylva, the English-language official for the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization, hopes the event will speak so clearly to the secular world that it is 'going to have to listen and say, ‘well, there is a culture of life coming out of the Church.' The June 15-16 international gathering will begin on Saturday morning with a catechesis session on ‘The Gospel of Life and the New Evangelization The event will ‘explore the enduring and timeless truths of Blessed John Paul II's 1995 encyclical, ‘Evangelium Vitae,’ and the central role that the Gospel of Life continues to have in the Church's mission of the New Evangelization,’ according to organizers.

Pray:

that this event will bring wisdom and understanding on the subject of the dignity of life.

Demand for forced labour increasing in EU

The economic crisis is leading to a rise in the number of people being trafficked for sex, hard labour or organ donation, the EU commission said Monday (15 April,) but the vast majority of member states have failed to implement an anti-trafficking law. While the Czech Republic, Latvia, Finland, Hungary, Poland and Sweden have transposed the law, the remaining 21 member states, including Bulgaria and Romania from where most of the victims come, have not. Reported statistics, published by statistical agency eurostat, show that around 23,600 people were trafficked between 2008 and 2010. The figure rose each studied year with 6,309 in 2008; 7795 in 2009 and 9,528 in 2010. EU home affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom put the rise in numbers partly down to Europe's economic crisis which has seen public spending slashed and GDP slump in several EU countries.

Pray:

that anti-trafficking laws will be implemented across the EU. (Ps.105:45)

NIGERIA: Christians threaten retaliation

Christian militants MEND (The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta ) threatened to attack Muslim targets in response to bombings carried out by Boko Haram. Targets would be mosques, hajj camps, Islamic institutions, large congregations in Islamic events and assassinations of clerics that propagate doctrines of hate. However Mend has appeared increasingly fragmented in recent months. The group behind the current threats is believed to comprise disgruntled militants who have turned against the amnesty agreed between Mend and the Nigerian government in 2009. ‘We are on the cusp of something imaginable happening.’ said Tolu Ogunies a journalist and witness to attacks on Muslims in southern Nigeria. This new round of proposed violence is codenamed Operation Barbarossa. (Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union)

Pray:

for threats of murder and violence to be replaced by peaceful stability and helpful diplomacy. (Ps.43:1-4)

USA: Boston Marathon

A grieving Boston community filled a park late Tuesday where 8 year old Martin Ruchard, a local boy and the youngest victim killed in the Boston Marathon bombings, once played. They prayed for the family and neighborhood as they held candles and sang ‘God Bless America.’ Martin was by the finish line when the explosion killed him and two others and injured 176. Richard's mother Denise suffered brain injury and his 6-year-old sister Jane lost a leg. We are asked to pray for Bill the family’s father. President Barack Obama vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. Christians have taken to Twitter to express their sympathies and ask for prayers with the hashtags #prayforboston and #BostonMarathon Mars Hill Church Pastor said, ‘The most powerful weapon at our disposal against evil is the hope-filled prayer of God's people.’ See also: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/prayers.after.boston.m arathon.explosions/32145.htm

Pray:

for medical personnel and counselors treating the victims. May God give these men and women helpful words for hurting people. (Ps.40:17)

North Korea: Hidden truths

The Panorama program reporting on North Korea this week showed poverty and greyness - a bottling factory with no bottling going on; a collective farm with no crops or animals; a smart new hospital with no patients ; but most of this is already known. Real insights come from escapees over the border in South Korea and from experts and analysts. North Korea is a secretive, dangerous place, with brainwashed people - often in the dark because the lights don't work. What we don’t hear in the media is the 200,000+ North Korean citizens, including many of our Christian brothers and sisters, suffering under brutal conditions in six confirmed labour camps for political prisoners. Three examples are:- Camp 14 - where 50,000 prisoners will work until death. Camp 22 - the size of Los Angeles used for human experiments. It also holds about 50,000 prisoners. Camp 25 - controlled by secret police and believed to hold felons, religious leaders and spies and their families. Very few North Koreans survive detention camps. See: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june152012/korea-religion -pk.php

Pray:

for God in His mercy to touch the lives of North Korean people, for His protection to be over believers and God's workers in the underground church. (Ps.64:9-10)

Canada: March for life May 9th,

Canadians are the only western nation with no protection for the unborn. Each year at the National March For Life thousands gather to demand protection for children before and after birth. Last year almost 20,000 pro-lifers assembled on Parliament Hill and marched through downtown Ottawa to inform Canadians how they treat the unborn. This year Provincial Marches For Life will also take place simultaneously across Canada, drawing thousands more. Since 1969 over 4 million children have been killed by abortion in Canada. This year another 100,000 babies will be put to death at taxpayer expense while society turns a blind eye. This event is an opportunity for people of all ages to join in the civil rights movement of our day. We are asked to pray during the coming weeks many will make the decision to add their voices to the cry on behalf of the unborn Canadians.

Pray:

for God to use these events to shift public opinion across the nation. Pray for a softening of hearts and a true awareness of the need for the law to change in Canada. (Mat.10:29-30)

Syria: Situation worsens for Christians

Reports are surfacing of alarming conditions facing those who remain in Syria. ‘When people leave their houses in the morning they say goodbye to their families in case they don’t come back. There are suicide bombers and car bombs going off all around. 70% to 80% of the Christian population has fled to Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, and Egypt. Living conditions in Syria are extremely harsh and dangerous. Few people are employed. The infrastructure is in tatters. People are beheaded. Girls are raped and killed. The prices for gas and food are ten times what they were two years ago. But the situation is worse for Christians because they face persecution from all sides of the conflict. There is al-Qaeda, dissidents from the Syrian army, a Muslim group called Victory, and other factions. Before the revolution Christians enjoyed legal protection from the Assad government.

Pray:

for God’s mercy to rest on all innocent victims still living in Syria. May those who know him also know his comfort and may those who do not yet know him be found by Him. (Ps.60:5)

Iran: Baluchestan Province earthquake

The second earthquake to hit Iran in less than a week toppled homes and shops on both sides of the Iran-Pakistan border on Tuesday. Iranian TV criticized international media for ‘exaggerating’ the death toll, raising questions about the full extent of the damage in the rugged region that's a front line in Iran's battle against drug traffickers and the Sunni-based militant group, Jundallah. The earthquake damaged area is home to the Baluch people- a remote tribal society. Iran's state-run Press TV initially said at least 40 people were killed on the Iranian side but later removed the figure from its website and news scroll. The website of Tehran Geophysics Center said the quake was the strongest in more than 50 years in one of the world's most seismically active areas. Pakistan reported 34+ killed on their side of the border and 80 were injured. Up to 1,000 mud homes were damaged, Pakistan Television added.

Pray:

for all who were affected by the earthquakes especially those living in desolate hills and valleys. Pray also for those attempting rescue operations in a complicated emergency situation. (Ps.60:1-2)

Uzbekistan: Protestants harassed and bullied

Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov rules according to Communist Soviet methods, so society is heavily regulated. Revolutionary and jihadist Islam are real threats to his regime. Religious laws primarily targeting these Islamic groups are also used to persecute Protestant Christians whom the regime considers are threatening social cohesion. Small house churches are routinely raided by hostile security police. Protestants charged with breaching the religion law by possessing Christian literature, witnessing or worshipping without registration face exorbitant fines often 50 and 100 times the minimum monthly wage. These fines leave them destitute. This persecution has nothing to do with state security and everything to do with making Protestant Christianity undesirable to its members and to the masses. Despite this, Uzbekistan's Protestant and independent churches are growing.

Pray:

that God, who rules heaven and earth, will raise up political and civic leaders in Uzbekistan who will establish justice and liberty. (Karimov has poor health and the next elections are in 2015.)