Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - May 22

Eight regulars gathered at Kitty’s to pray, joined by Lex who had visited before and was now able to come again, during a time of personal transition.

Although some had been experiencing times of spiritual attack or struggle, even if linked to new growth, we rejoiced in the evidence of answered prayer:

• K’s son A, who was entering his next stage of life with evidence of real commitment and growth;
• The various groups which faithfully evangelize in Roxbury, and for S’s most recent experiences of openness there;
• Not only has the commitment target almost been reached at G’s church, but there is evidence that the campaign around a common goal is strengthening community there.

In our time of prayer, God continued to speak around the themes we have experienced of late:

Water—D. read Psalm 1:

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

D. spoke further of God’s invitation, which is always for the here and now, to step into the river, which is always new, regardless of where the river goes.

K. read later from Isa 43: I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. In this sense, we prayed especially that God would make a way for A. and L. during times of transition; and we prayed anointing and protection on K.’s son A. as well as he goes to college.

Spiritual attack—K. read from Ephesians 6 as we prayed for discernment and protection. We remembered especially the effect of lies, whether spoken in our own mind through fears, or in the wider society through myths like the daVinci Code being widely believed. However, we rejoiced in God’s sovereignty, and ultimate victory over evil. We were grateful for the opportunity for God to show his power in turning around strategies of deceit; and we acknowledged that for us, “so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Eph 6:13.

In the midst of these familiar themes, we also prayed to be open to the new work of creation with which God is ever at work, but which we often fail to recognize: our lenses are so often adjusted to looking for re-vival, in the sense of bringing the dead back to life, about which so much has been spoken and written that it seems familiar to us. However, we can miss much of what God is doing in creating the new, as K. read from Isaiah 43:

18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

We prayed for the ‘radar’ to see opportunities for ministry and witness; and courage to take them.

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - May 15

Four regulars gathered at Kitty’s to pray, joined by D. who had visited once before. We heard of his work in creating the Carpenter’s Fund which finances the set up of Christian businesses in Africa.

In prayer, we remembered the various themes through which God had been speaking to us recently:

Water — as a source of cleansing and blessing, and refreshment

Spiritual attack — we prayed for discernment and protection

We remembered the church in this country, especially the US Anglican Church which faces the choice of a new leader soon, and asked forgiveness when the church has been unfaithful or even apostate. We were reminded of the example of Ezra who called the returned people of Israel to faithfulness, and prayed for prophets to arise in Boston and for wisdom on all church leaders who sought truth here.

We prayed too for the city—and for its leaders, especially Mayor Menino. We prayed that people would come to recognize the ‘unknown God’ in the midst of their many idols, in the words of Paul. We prayed also in the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14: if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”

We were grateful for Greg’s opportunity to pray with a troubled colleague last week, and to see the prayers answered later that week; and that the capital campaign at his church had reached the milestone of 80% of its target. We prayed for God’s work to be blessed and released in the church.

In prayer, we lifted up:

• J.’s job situation
• A.’s friend M.—that she would recognize truth
• D.’s ministry through the Carpenter’s Fund—that the deal flow would be adequate and the work blessed; for the Muslim head of the water drilling company; and for the Masai chief he had mentioned.

We were also asked to pray for recruiting decisions faced by both H. and D., and for A.'s office.

-David P.

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - May 8

Four regulars gathered at Kitty’s to pray, joined by S. who runs a non-profit ministry in Boston which ministers to families of victims of violence, and is staging concert to support this soon.

Some of us came with plans; others weary or despairing after continued spiritual attack; or frustrated at co-workers; still others feeling remorseful or ashamed. We gathered by the small spiritual ‘spring’ which has bubbled up at Kitty, and through sharing and in prayer, we drank deep of the living water which comes up from the great reservoirs of grace; and which brings cleaning, refreshing and slaking of thirst according to all the different needs there were.

In prayer, we were reminded that “these three remain: faith, hope and love; and that the greatest of these is love”. We remembered God’s unchangeable love for us, which seeks us out even when we flee or feel unworthy—“Where shall I go from your presence?” as the psalmist asks. In the light of this love and acceptance, we could experience renewed hope in the future; and renewed faith that God is indeed at work in and through us and in this area. We were encouraged to wait hopefully on God, with the word to ‘fear not, since I have overcome the world”.

David had recently been taken to a climbing wall, where he had experienced physically the safety harness which meant that even when he slipped, he was held safe and able to start again. This experience gave a metaphor of the safety net of grace which undergirds us as believers and enables us to keep climbing with hope, even though it takes effort and we are likely to slip at times.

In prayer, we remembered:

• S.’s program for Live for the Future
• The M. family who lost another family member to violence in Boston over the weekend
• A.’s coworkers and upcoming event
• J. and her work situation (after the door on the present prospect had closed)
• J’s brother Jim who had recently had major heart surgery and other friends known to her
• Jim and his vision for ministry in Boston
• All those who had passed through Kittys over the two years; and especially the regulars not present.

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - May 1

Seven regulars gathered at Kitty’s to pray.

In the time of general sharing, we discussed how some of us were feeling under forms of spiritual attack—in part, following or linked to times of busy-ness. In this season, it seems all the more important that we walk by faith and not by sight, believing the things which God is doing within us and in the wider Boston area. Often, our eyes do not see as they should.

In this context, we were reminded of the need to rejoice at the various signs of change—for example, the recent conversion of several people in or through Marty’s church; changes in the lives of people in Andrea’s church; and evidence of healing and deliverance through the Healing Center.

Even when we do see—for example, Hank reported a recently renewed sense of his mission field being local—a Godly restlessness and hunger for the Kingdom may still rightly characterize our lives this side of heaven.

We also discussed the possible uses of the Kitty’s upper floor space. Jim Luther’s group in New Hampshire continues to be interested in downtown mission but the expected funding has not yet been forthcoming.

In prayer, we remembered:

• M. who was entering a detox program
• P. who is undergoing health problems
• The forthcoming outreach in Roxbury of which S. is part, remembering especially Muslims
• The potential construction of a new large mosque in Roxbury
• J. and her work situation
• G.’s church and in particular, its current capital campaign, that God would use the new energy and commitment to prayer for his purposes.

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - April 24

Six regulars gathered at Kitty's to pray.

We started with feedback from the prayer walk led by Hank on Friday evening on State Street. Three people had moved slowly up the street, stopping to pray at major buildings, and culminating at the place marked by a plaque which indicated that DL Moody had been converted there on the same day in 1855. Hank and David had gone on to join the Tremont Temple prayer gathering, where they found Bob. The meeting had been very different from what was expected: only around 70 people, far from the expected crowd, had met to pray, worship and hear from some of the area leaders. These insights had in themselves made the evening worthwhile, as these pastors spoke of their sense that revival had started in the heavenly realms, although not necessarily in the way which man might expect: rather than by gathering crowds of believers for times of refreshing, they spoke of how this revival was ‘for the harvest’ and how the church was called to act like John the Baptist in these days, preparing the way of the Lord. We were encouraged to be intentional and bold, while healing and strengthening the body. David shared the picture of trench warfare which had in some ways characterized the church’s external ministry—brief sorties across no man’s land, with little change of the front lines for a long time. However, the ‘weapons of mass deliverance’ of which we had prayed previously could cause the enemy trenches to be abandoned unexpectedly; and that, if we went over the parapet, we could find the ground undefended and ready to be taken. We discussed fear and boldness for a while.

In prayer, we were reminded of God’s great forgiveness extended to us all. We specially remembered G’s family, asking that he would have the wisdom and insight to minister forgiveness, which would bring healing to family members and relationships. We prayed too for J’s recent job interview—that God would bless her boldness in the interview and open doors for her in work.

We continued to pray for Kitty’s, following news of impending changes to the upstairs area: that God would bless the business and all who patronized it; and continue to provide a place for prayer and ministry.

Judas: A Saint for Our Seasons

From Gerard @ American Digest.org, some articulate insight into modern-day betrayal, treason, sin, shame & guilt:

Have you ever betrayed your promise?
Did you ever break a vow?
Have you traded love for money,
And are you happy now?

Did you kiss him in the garden,
And then abandon him to fate?
Is your final sin forgiven,
Or is it far too late?

WHEN IT COMES TO DISCOVERING new ways to cheapen the human soul, the "professional intellectuals" of our society have cornered the market. So it was last week when, timed carefully to cash in on the Easter holiday, the "serious" editors of National Geographic chose to release their gleanings from a sheaf of rags and call them "The Gospel of Judas."

....But beyond these considerations, the publication of the "Gospel" of Judas has another, deeper and more lasting benefit to our neophytes of nihilism. It puts one of the final elements of their anti-morality play at center stage. It seeks to sanctify treason.

It was never a question of "if," but only a question of "when" our contemporary society would discover an avatar who would make treason acceptable. It only codifies the realities of their secular belief system. Treason against others or one's country has long been as common as adultery in this country. Like adultery the rate of treason is on the rise because, like adultery and similar forms of personal betrayal, it no longer has any consequences at all.

It is true that the federal crime of treason is not easily established and is rarely if ever charged. But the formal crime of treason is not what I am discussing here. Rather the more common, garden variety of treason as understood by plain people -- the rabid and unremitting hatred, expressed in word or deed, of the country that gives you the freedom express your hatred. It is the treason of the ingrate, the soul-dead, the politically perverted, and the bitter; it is, as Roger Kimball at The New Criterion discusses, the treason of the intellectuals and "the undoing of thought."

It's a fact of our self-centered contemporary existence that betrayal has become one of the common forces that shape our lives. For when our own desires ride us like a drunken demon lodged on our shoulders, betrayal is the first order of the day when others seek to thwart our desires, or even when others become a mere inconvenience to our wants and whims.

Final Exams

For some time now, God is been telling us that we are in a time of preparation. As He has said, He is preparing the hearts of a few (us), for He will soon be bringing many. The time of preparation is almost over. We will soon be on the stretch for Him, as George Whitefield put it, stretched as never before. We can do it. We have Him, and we have each other.

You have been faithful in the little things I have given you; now I am about to bestow on you great things and great responsibilities. Everything to this point has been a test. You have passed them to my satisfaction. Some of them, you had to take over “more than once” but you have passed, and you are ready for the next step.

It is a time of great preparation, of rapid review of everything I have taught you. For you are about to enter your final exams. Spring break is over, and it is time to bear down. Do so with joy. I will help you prepare. I will make sure nothing is lost or overlooked. I will guide your studies in these final precious weeks. I have not brought you this far, I have not invested in you all that I have, I have sustained you through all your adversities, to abandon you now, or leave you in any way comfortless.

Take my hand, as you have so often in the past, and let me lead you to the table I have prepared for you, in the presence of my enemies. For I shall anoint your head with oil, and I shall fill your cup to overflowing, and you shall dwell in my house forever.

A week from Friday, the Noon Hour is going Prime Time. On Friday, the 21st, from 7:30 till 9:00 PM at Tremont Temple, we are having our first evening prayer time. Ask Him, if He would have you be among that number. If He wants you to come, then you must come, no matter what roadblock the other one might put in your path, or sudden 'emergency' he might throw at you, to keep you from coming. If God wants you there, He will clear the way for you to come. And please, bring every friend you can.

-David Manuel

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - April 10

Five regulars gathered at Kitty's to pray. Four of us had been at the Sacred Assembly at Franklin Field the day before, and we shared our observations of the afternoon.

In prayer, we were grateful for the gathering—for the weather, which had turned out so well; for the organizers, and for all who came. We also gave thanks for the students and others who had faithfully prayed during the recent JHOP 40 days of prayer. We prayed, too, for First Baptist Church in Cambridge, which had allowed them use of its premises: that the church would be filled with new worshippers. As usual, we also prayed for Kittys. We asked for guidance about the Alpha course going forward; and we prayed for the 80 or more people who have joined in prayer in this space over the period of close to two years since prayer started.

As we prayed, we remembered the recent spate of confusing and sometimes directly misleading publications—from Judas Diaries to the forthcoming da Vinci code movie. We asked that such media would only make people thirstier for the pure, living water which alone can quench thirst; and indeed, we prayed for ‘raging thirst’ on the part of all who read or saw them.

We asked that Holy week would be holy in new ways to people who had lost all sense of its meaning; and were emboldened to pray that Jews celebrating Passover this week would also be drawn to Messiah. Bob mused before the Lord how wonderful it would be if the revival to come was led by the Chosen people of Boston, who had come to know Messiah.

We also remembered our families, especially J’s mother. We also continued to lift up the changing work situations of J and K.

Some of us were also struck by different images of water flowing in the city: whether from dams and reservoirs which were broken open by divine action, flooding the streets, and being sucked into and out of the top of tall buildings; or whether gushing from underground reservoirs which had been blocked, and which were now being re-opened as people dug deep down by seeking God’s face, and removed the debris which had clogged their own wells. In the spirit of ‘weapons of mass deliverance’ from several weeks ago, Bob spoke of the dam buster bomb, which was developed to break down dam walls in World War 2. Hank noted that, after launch, the bomb took time to bounce, then sink and explode against the dam wall. So too, we have to wait in faith for the cracks to widen and show following the recent intensified spiritual warfare in Boston. Andrea reminded us that it only takes a small crack to start the process of a large dam wall splitting.

-David P.

Abdul Rahman thanks Pope Benedict for safe sanctuary

AP: Thursday March 30, 2006

ROME - An Afghan man who had faced the death penalty in his homeland for converting from Islam to Christianity said Thursday he was certain he would have been killed if he had remained in Kabul and thanked Pope Benedict XVI for intervening on his behalf.

"In Kabul they would have killed me, I'm sure of it." Abdul Rahman, who is under protection after being spirited out ofAfghanistan to a secret location in Italy earlier in the week, told Italian journalists. "If you are not a Muslim in an Islamic country like mine they kill you, there are no doubts."

SEARCH

Meanwhile, at Frontpagemagazine, Serge Trifkovic, former BBC commentator and US NEWS and World Report reporter, points to the 50 million Christians killed for their faith throughout the world in the past century:

when Christians are routinely mistreated and killed by our other trusted friends and allies of the United States in the region - notably Pakistan, Egypt, and even the "secular" Turkey - you don't hear about it, there are no vigils, no protests, no offers of asylum. In Pakistan, murders, endemic discrimination, and constant harassment of Christians - who are mainly poor and account for a mere one percent of the population - is persistent. Any dispute with a Muslim - most commonly over land - can become a religious issue. Christians are routinely accused of "blasphemy against Islam," an offense that carries the death penalty as Pakistan has some of the strictest blasphemy laws in the Muslim world. Charges of blasphemy can be made on the flimsiest of evidence - even one man's word against another - and since it is invariably a Muslim's word against that of a Christian, the outcome is preordained.

Healing Zeal

The Boston Noon Hour had a rare treat yesterday. We were privileged to look into the heart of a young fire-bearer, and see and feel the purity of the flame burning there.

Jaeson Ma is an Asian campus evangelist, well-known on the West Coast; unknown in New England. I met him in Colorado Springs two years ago, at a conference at the World Prayer Center for those with hearts burning for revival. It was not a big conference (we jokingly refer to this as the "No-name, No-money Awakening" -- no one's ever heard of the ones in the trenches, all of whom are afflicted with acute cash-flow problems). Jaeson persuaded Dutch Sheets to come, and also his mentor, Lou Engle, both of whom happened to be in CSprings at the time.

Yesterday Jaeson was in town to be part of what God is doing at JHOP Boston, praying for the Spirit of God to fall on Harvard, MIT, and the 51 other campuses in the Metro Boston region. I asked him if he'd come share whatever God laid on his heart.

He started softly, in synch with the spirit of the Noon Hour. People strained to hear him. Then the full anointing kicked in, and with great passion (and no need for amplification), he described the finger of God coming down on campus after campus. There were 24/7 prayer groups everywhere! He showed us young people who had previously had no direction in their lives, suddenly aflame with the only direction anyone would want. He showed us the walls of America's intellectual Jericho cracking and starting to crumble, as louder and louder came the shouts of the small but growing army marching around them. As we could plainly see, it was an army that would never quit, and would greet each obstacle with even greater zeal.

Listening, it was hard to fight back tears. God was showing us how He was going to take every campus in this country! This year! He was showing us the second wave of the Awakening in action, and the sight of it confirmed in our hearts that the Third Wave -- the one which would over-wash everyone -- was about to break.

As we joined hands in our circle at the end, Alex declared there was healing power in Jaeson's zeal -- a zeal so strong and pure that people were going to be healed at his meetings. We prayed for Jaeson (who was thin when I met him, and is rail-thin now, on the 40-day fast). If you weren't among the 80 who were there yesterday, pray for Jeason now. He is a true torch for the Lord! May he burn ever brighter, confounding the darkness wherever God takes him!

Calendar notes: This Saturday (day after tomorrow) I'll be leading the next day-long Hearing-God workshop, at the Connecticut House of Prayer in Kensington. Check out their website at: http://www.wellspring.net/Lead_Stories/HearingHisVoiceApril1.html and/or call Barbara Lachance for reservations: 860-460-4716. People have asked if there couldn't be one nearer Boston. There can -- in my living room in Hull. On April 22 (the Saturday after Easter), 9:30 to 3:30, $25 per person, beverages provided, but bring your own brown bag. There's plenty of free parking at the Hull ferry, right across the street, but only twelve comfortable chairs, so we'll limit it to that number. Email me here. April 6-9 -- Rumble University (Lou Engle's JHOP Boston gang) comes to Tremont Temple! Catch the fire! http://www.thecauseusa.com/rumbleuniversity

April 9 -- The Black Ministerial Alliance is calling for a Sacred Assembly on Palm Sunday, 3:00 to 6:00 pm at Harambee Park in Franklin Field. You don't have to be black to attend. Ask God, if He would have you be among that number. Alex and I will be. http://newne.net/db_public/u14_public/index_EN.php?display=onepage&what=1154&ciu=443a46930b84c684ac56dab3e1cde16c

April 21 -- The Boston Noon Hour goes primetime. We're having our first evening prayer gathering, at Tremont Temple, 7:30 to 9:00 pm, the Friday after Easter. Time to gather the candles! If you've been receiving these updates, it's more than likely He will want you there. Ask Him. (If he does, don't be surprised if the other one starts throwing all manner of obstacles in your path, to keep you from coming.)

-David Manuel

Christ carries across radio waves in Middle East

Medium and Message, World Magazine - Jill Nelson

From the the parliamentary victory of Hamas to Baghdad violence over last month's bombed shrine in Samarra to the never-ending cartoon controversy over depictions of Muhammad wearing a bomb as a turban—Islam, it appears, is "all the rage" in the Middle East. So it's surprising that those on the frontlines of Christian broadcasting in the Middle East tell this story: "I have no doubt that the hold of Islam on the Muslim people has crumbled. We shouldn't be deceived by the superficiality of the political scene." Those are the words of one Christian broadcaster in the Middle East, who spoke to WORLD and asked that his name not be used because, while he believes what he said, they are words that could cost him his ministry—or his life—in the present climate.

Radio and television broadcasts are penetrating oppressive walls and rules in the Middle East. Medium-wave and short-wave radio broadcasts are particularly instrumental because they have the ability to bounce signals off the earth's atmosphere, sending them miles and miles away.

With an estimated 97 percent of households in the region with radio access, Christian broadcasters are taking advantage of the waves. Using indigenous Christians to produce quality programs, broadcasters have the potential to reach almost every household in the 22 nations of the overwhelmingly Islamic Arab League....

MERF's director acknowledges that these changed lives are costly from a personal standpoint, requiring patience, emotions, time and prayers, but emphasizes the need for believers to notice the hand of God at work in the Middle East: "Our concern as a whole is that Christians do not lose sight of the kingdom work by events taking place."

"The only way to change these people is through the intervention of the Holy Spirit. The Islamic world still wants to bring the United States and Israel to its knees," said Ms. Brooks. And that, in turn, is what Ms. Brooks wants to see happen in the Arab world.

link

Abdul Rahman is off the hook, but not out of the woods, yet

Critical reading from Mark Steyn's Will we stick out our necks for his faith?

...You cannot ask Americans or Britons to expend blood and treasure to build a society in which a man can be executed for his choice of religion. You cannot tell a Canadian soldier serving in Kandahar that he, as a Christian, must sacrifice his life to create a Muslim state in which his faith is a capital offense.

As always, we come back to the words of Osama bin Laden: "When people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature they will like the strong horse." That's really the only issue: The Islamists know our side have tanks and planes, but they have will and faith, and they reckon in a long struggle that's the better bet. Most prominent Western leaders sound way too eager to climb into the weak-horse suit and audition to play the rear end. Consider, for example, the words of the Prince of Wales, speaking a few days ago at al-Azhar University in Cairo, which makes the average Ivy League nuthouse look like a beacon of sanity. Anyway, this is what His Royal Highness had to say to 800 Islamic "scholars":

"The recent ghastly strife and anger over the Danish cartoons shows the danger that comes of our failure to listen and to respect what is precious and sacred to others. In my view, the true mark of a civilized society is the respect it pays to minorities and to strangers."

That's correct. But the reality is that our society pays enormous respect to minorities...

"I am serene. I have full awareness of what I have chosen. If I must die, I will die," Abdul Rahman told the Rome daily, responding to questions sent to him via a human rights worker who visited him in prison.

"Somebody, a long time ago, did it for all of us," he added in a clear reference to Jesus.

Stand up for Jesus

As we left Tremont Temple after the Noon hour yesterday (our 41st Wednesday), Alex commented that each hour has its own personality. Some have periods of profound slence. In some, God gives us a burden to pray for the intercessors around the city, or for the young prayer warriors assaulting the walls of America's intellectual Jericho, etc.
Yesterday, there was a sense of personal need in the sanctuary. We started off singing many of the old familiar refrains from 30 years ago. And then we sang, "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" after reflecting on the origins of that hymn.
Our Noon hour is modeled on the New York Noon hour of 1857. As you know, that one became a full-scale, big-R Revival, which rapidly spread to every major city in America. (A shoe salesman named D. L. Moody took it to Chicago.) On March 30th the following spring, in Philadelphia, some five thousand men gathered in the largest hall available, to hear a young Episcopal rector named Dudley Tyng, who had just been ousted from his church for his stand against slavery. Under his anointed exhortation, a thousand men gave their lives to Christ. A few days later, he lost his arm in a terrible farm machinery accident. As he lay dying in the hospital, his friend, Presbyterian minister, George Duffield, came to see him. Did he have any word to send to the next prayer rally? "Only this: Have the men stand up for Jesus." George did, and then wrote the hymn that became the signature hymn for the Great Prayer Revival of 1857-58.
Please pray for Sandy Emerick, who has just lost her husband, after a long illness.
And join us next Wednesday, if you can. And be sure to reserve the evening of Friday after Easter (April 21, 7:30 to 9:00, Tremont Temple), when the Noon hour goes prime-time.

-David Manuel

April 9 - A call to Sacred Assembly in Franklin Field

Purpose: For the Christian community of Greater Boston to gather across denominational, cultural and economic lines to pray for God’s revival, to seek God’s peace for the city and to pray for God’s blessing and protection upon our youth.

Bishop G.A. Thompson writes: "[We are calling this Sacred Assembly] in recognition of the need to repent and pray for God to forgive our sins, both corporate and individual; to seek God’s face for the healing of our land (2 Chronicles 7:14); and to unite as one church to be conduits through which God’s power can flow to bring peace and prosperity to all in our city." (03 08 06)

Scriptural references: A Sacred Assembly is a united gathering of people to come before God in humility in order to repent, pray, and seek God’s forgiveness and favor, and to be consecrated.

Humility: (2 Chronicles 7:14; 1 Peter 5:5)
1. Prayer: (2 Chronicles 7:14; Jonah 3:8)
2. Repentance: (2 Chronicles 7:14; Joel 2:12-13; Jonah 3:8)
3. Seeking God’s Forgiveness and Favor: (2 Chronicles 7:14; cf. also Isaiah 55:6)
4. Consecration: "to set apart for holy use by prayer and profession" (Joel 2:16)

Date and Time: Palm Sunday, April 9, 2006, 3 - 6 pm

Location: Harambee Park at Franklin Field, Corner of Blue Hill & Talbot Avenues, Boston, MA

More information: http://www.bostonsacredassembly.org

To speak with someone in person, please call the Black Ministerial Alliance at 617-445-2737, ext. 29; or call the coordinator, Patricia Bonner-DuVal (Pat) at 617-232-5453.

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CHAIR: Bishop Gilbert A. Thompson, Jubilee Christian Church

CO-CHAIRS: Bishop Nellie Yarborough, Rev. Dr. Michael Haynes and Rev. Dr. Wesley A. Roberts

THE PROPOSED PERIOD OF FASTING AND PRAYER: The 40 days of Lent, Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday, March 1 to April 9, 2006. (See attached suggestions.)

CONVENING COMMITTEE MEMBERS: (As of 3/8/06)

Black Ministerial Alliance Boston

Ten Point Coalition

Cambridge Vineyard

Church of the Living God

Congregacion de Leon de Juda

Covenant for New England

Emmanuel Gospel Center

Greater Boston Prayer Initiative

Greater Love Tabernacle

Jubilee Christian Church International

Life Church Ministries

Little Zion Church of God in Christ

Morning Star Baptist Church

Massachusetts Family Institute

Mount Calvary Holy Church

Mount Sinai Baptist Church

New England Concerts of Prayer & Inter-Prayer

New Testament Church

People's Baptist Church

Southern Baptist Church

Twelfth Baptist Church

U.S. Campus Ministry (Campus Crusade for Christ)

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Respectfully,

Madeleine Prendergast

madeleine@mprendergast.com

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - March 20th

Eight people who had gathered at Kitty’s before joined with three visitors who had not, including Bob’s son, to pray.

Several of those present had been to visit the First Baptist Church, Magazine StreetCambridge, where the JHOP 40 days of 24/7 prayer are happening. They shared of the joy to be found there. We were also reminded of the Sacred Assembly for the church in Boston called for 9 April at 3pm at Franklin Field.

In prayer, we repented of our own sin, and that of our society and nation's. We acknowledged that our hearts have become calloused and that we need divine softening to be able to feel as God feels, and respond with love, not stridency, to the society. We held up the JHOP prayers, and the leaders of the Sacred Assembly asking for God’s hand of guidance, blessing and unity on the day.

We prayed for the youth of the area; and for their fathers, praying that the prophecy of Malachi (4:6) would be fulfilled: “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."

We prayed for Weapons of Mass Deliverance to come to the Boston area, bursting like a bomb of grace, spreading grace and truth across the area.

(Note: the prior verses in the Malachi passage sure sound like a Weapon of Mass Deliverance in use:

"Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.")

We prayed to be better witnesses—even praying for those we made eye contact with daily. We prayed for Kitty’s and its owners and staff, as we often do, but also prayed for all taverns in Boston. Greg had a picture of small communities of believers meeting in taverns, drunk not on wine but on the Holy Spirit. Diane spoke of longing for a ‘pub awakening’ in Boston, just as previous awakenings had started in unexpected places like factories.

We also continued to pray for Sam’s full healing and restoration.

-David P.