Praise and reflection

Psalm 144
1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
We stand on You, dear Lord.
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
We pray to You, dear Lord.
2 He is my loving God and my fortress,
We claim Your shelter, dear Lord.
my stronghold and my deliverer,
We claim the power of Your name to rebuke demons.
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
Our security is in You.

3 O LORD, what is man that you care for him,
the son of man that you think of him?
Save for the blood of Jesus, we are not worthy, dear Lord.
4 Man is like a breath;
his days are like a fleeting shadow.
Oh, how we are fallen.
5 Part your heavens, O LORD, and come down;
touch the mountains, so that they smoke.
6 Send forth lightning and scatter {the enemies};
shoot your arrows and rout them.
We thank You for coming down to Nigel, scattering all that caused him harm, shooting Your arrows and routing them. We thank You, dear Lord.

Reflection
For a while now, I’ve been harboring a spiritual impression. I haven’t publicly shared it before and don’t know if others are experiencing something comparable. Simply put, the playing field has changed.
Some portions of the charismatic wing of the church put great stock in the Hebraic calendar. September not only brought a new year but a new decade, which they deemed to be highly significant. I am a liturgical creature, but my time has always been ordered according to the Christian calendar in a more cyclical fashion. I found it interesting that different seasons in the Hebraic calendar were associated with different spiritual possibilities or anointings, but was unsure of what to make of it.
But I do perceive that we are in a new season. The battle remains. In the last season in the Episcopal Church, the battleground was ecclesiastical politics. It is not that all the players and facts have gone away, but, like a click in a kaleidoscope, the pieces have rearranged, and the battleground has changed. Or, so it seems in my spiritual impression.
I’m wondering if Nigel’s illness augurs a new season of healing ministry. Spiritual impressions can only be confirmed by subsequent developments. Time will tell.
However, I relate two recent events. My husband and I prayed for someone with a 13-year history of fibromyalgia, and, through God’s grace, he instantaneously improved. We had prayed for him in the past, to no avail. Also, we were part of an ecumenical prayer team for someone with inoperable pancreatic carcinoma. The patient has not yet had any follow up X-rays, but one thing is certain–that prayer session was filled with God’s glory.
I simply ask our readers to be open to the power of healing prayer, to be bolder in offering it, to be persistent in difficult cases, and to share testimonies of God’s goodness. Nigel’s continued recovery is an awesome testimony. Usually folks come off of a ventilator in a week or so; Nigel was on one over 40 days. Following his recovery is like reading the account of the valley of the dry bones–prayers from the four corners of the earth speaking breath into Nigel’s lungs. Nigel breathes. Nigel stands up on his feet. Nigel lives. Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!

Thanksgiving

Matthew 19:25-26
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank You for the salvation of Nigel’s soul and for the continued healing of his body. With You, all things are possible. Amen.

Obadiah 18a

The house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame.

O God our Father,
Your servant Jacob wrestled all night to receive Your blessing. His son Joseph was the product of his passion for Rachel and became the savior of the age.
Raise up within Your church men and women who contend mightily for Your blessing. Raise up leaders who are passionate for You. Bless them, Lord. Bless them to be the saviors of the age for this nation. Anoint them with Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Nahum 1:2a

Nahum 1:2a
The LORD is a jealous and avenging God.

Thank You for Your protection, dear Father.

Report on Mississippi clergy meeting

Thank you for your prayers, dear intercessors. The format used in discussions in the past few years was breaking into assigned groups to discuss assigned questions, with a reporter from each small group. Yesterday, the clergy were allowed to share their hearts, one at a time. It was respectful, charitable, and spiritually mature.

O Lord, You are a God of tender mercies. We praise Your holy name. Amen.

San Diego

Judge to rule on summary judgment in San Diego today.

We lean on You, dear Lord. We lean on You.

Praise in Madison County

Today’s meeting of the Mississippi presbyters in Madison County promises to be painful. May God be fully present.

O Lamb that was slain, with head full-crowned, worthy are You.
May all of creation between the Pearl and Big Black Rivers proclaim, Worthy are You. The wildflowers and the trees, the meadows and the lakes, sing of Your glory.
May the atmosphere in Madison County be filled with angelic voices proclaiming, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.
May every creature in Madison County, in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the lakes, and all that are in them, say, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.
May the affirmations of the four beasts and the twenty-four elders fill the air.
We join our voices to theirs and say, O Lamb that was slain, with head full-crowned, You are worthy to take the book sealed with the seven seals. You are worthy to open the seals, for You were slain and have redeemed the saints by Your blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. You have redeemed the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb.

Mississippi clergy

In the aftermath of GC09, the clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi will meet today.

Jehovah-Sabaoth,
Commission Your holy angels to bring Your servants messages, plans for the establishment of Your kingdom in Mississippi. As Your servants go forth with Your new assignments, show them the path of righteousness through any unrighteous structure.
You parted the Red Sea to deliver the children of Israel from bondage and the Jordan River to bring them into the Promised Land. Part the unrighteous structures to open a way forward for Your servants. Amen.

Mississippi clergy

In the aftermath of GC09, the clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi will meet on Friday.

Jehovah-Tsidkeenu, O Lord our Righteousness,
There is much in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life that woos our hearts away from You. There is much in the world that resists the establishment of Your kingdom on earth. We drift in a fog of confusion and are easily carried away from You by prevailing currents.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
We pray that Your clergy in the diocese of Mississippi will not become discouraged when they recognize the influence of Satan. Rather, Lord, open their eyes to view into the realm of God. Let their thoughts and words and actions be guided by kingdom principles. It is not always easy to discern what You would have them do, both individually and corporately.
Even if it requires supernatural intervention, Lord, we ask for insight into Your way, Your truth, Your life. Grant this diocese a new mind. Bring them into the mind of Christ.
Help them to stand firm and not abandon Your call on their lives. Use them in the carrying out of Your will on earth. Amen.
1 Kings 19:1-3

Mississippi clergy

In the aftermath of GC09, the clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi will meet on Friday.

Jehovah-Mekaddishkem, O Lord our Sanctifier,
Stir to their remembrance the scriptures and specific words You have given them in seasons past. Refresh Your voice in their spirits and grant them Your revelation for this season.
You are the Alpha and the Omega. Guide Your servants to the end of each task You have assigned them. Amen.

Trinity School for Ministry

Almighty God,
You are the great Lord of the harvest, and you faithfully call and equip your people for the ministry of your Gospel. We thank you for raising up Trinity, its faculty, staff, students, trustees, and supporters, and for enabling us to equip men and women for ordained and lay ministry in the Church. We ask you to sustain and expand this good work. Establish us in the grace of your Holy Spirit. Help us, both by our lives and our witness, to be faithful witnesses to your Gospel. Use us to strengthen and enlarge the number of people you send out on your mission to the world. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Church of England

A brief sketch of the current issues within the Church of England, provided by our esteemed British blog commenter Pageantmaster, can be found here.

Luke 1:30
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.

Luke 2:34-35
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

O Lord,
You are holy God, and You cannot share Your glory with lies. We pray that the leaders of the Church of England will seek Your favor and humbly submit themselves to Your Holy Word. Amen.

Mississippi clergy

In the aftermath of GC09, the clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi will meet on Friday.

Jehovah-Elyon, O Lord Most High,
Guide Your servants to Your throne of praise. Release springs of living water within their spirits. As these springs flow from their mouths, expel bitterness, pain, and sorrow. Amen.

Minnesota

Election ongoing today.

Gracious God, you give light and life to your people. You guide us in pathways of renewal and transformation. Light the way before us now, as we discern and choose the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Minnesota. May we find a pastor who will lead us in hope, challenge us to ever greater faithfulness, and equip us with love for mission and ministry in the church and in the world. We pray in thanksgiving for your guiding presence and your grace, in the Name of Jesus our Savior. Amen.

Minnesota

Today a bishop election takes place in Minnesota. I’ve been following reports on Anglicat. Her assessment of the bishop candidates can be found here.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Oh, for a bishop that knows Jesus, that yearns for Jesus, whose zeal for Jesus is unrelenting! I cry out for Jesus in the election of the bishop of Minnesota. I cry out for Jesus in the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota. I speak the name of Jesus over the diocesan convention. May Jesus be in the atmosphere, the sound of His name in the hearts of His children. I speak the blood of Jesus around the diocesan meeting, and I implore You, Lord, for the election of a man or woman whose passion is Jesus. Amen.