Church

This Sunday, in a number of churches, we will be IDOPing. The acronym stands for "International Day Of Prayer" for the persecuted church. I tend to appreciate that my life is fairly comfortable.  If I am persecuted for my Christian stand, I can turn to various remedial channels to correct that.  Sometimes I may feel unfairly treated. But nothing like those in many countries around the world.  Death is not an unheard of result of converting to Christianity, being the leader of a group of Christians, or just taking a stand for Jesus! I guess our question is -- will we take a stand with those who are persecuted?  Can our first place of standing be prayer?

Philip Yancey in the latest Christianity Today.  He points out that C.S. Lewis said Christians must make a distincition between communicating the good news of Jesus to those who hear for the first time, and those who have embraced and then rejected the good news.  "A person must court a vigin differently than a divorcee, said Lewis.  One welcomes the charming words; the other needs a deomonstration of love to overcome inbuilt skepticism."

He’s gone. He came in the night. She let him in - he needed a place to stay. Then, he departed to his old haunts. To take care of business. To find himself. Not many days later, he was back. With his same habits, and hauntings. She took him in again. He didn’t fit. He needed to go. In the morning, at 1:10 am, he boarded the bus. To another city, another province. And maybe eternity. His life span will be short at the present rate. He’s heard truth. He’s seen truth. But will he grip The Truth?

I'm giving the opening prayer at the local Remembrance Day service.  Here is what I will be praying: God, we are not here to start another war.  If anything, that wars would cease and peace would reign, is our opening prayer. At the same time we recognize the sacrifices given for us.  Where evil has reigned we have desired good to triumph.  Over the years this task, passed from generation to generation, has been sacrificial, even to the shedding of blood. We give thanks for lives given and freedom obtained.  In sorrow we grieve unfulfilled dreams, shattered hopes and blood spilt. Grant us in these moments, your comfort, counsel and wisdom - as we pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  AMEN.