Spain: World youth day
Around a million young Catholics from all around the world are streaming into Madrid for five days of prayers, processions and learning. World Youth Day opened Tuesday night with a multilingual Mass in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles. The youths were welcomed by the Archbishop of Madrid who told them they were part of the generation of Pope Benedict XVI. He said, ‘Your place in life has its own characteristics. Your problems and circumstances have changed. Don’t be afraid of being a saint, let Christ live in your heart. Respond to Him with a ‘yes’ that’s full of excitement and generosity of life.’ President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity said, ‘You have come to say aloud to the whole world, and in particular to Europe which is showing signs of being very lost, your unwavering ‘yes’. Yes, faith is possible,’
Pray: for the 4,000 pilgrims to rediscover and strengthen their faith and then be encouragers to their brothers and sisters across Europe. (Ps.24:7)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/world.youth.day.gets.underway.in.madrid/28451.htm
Spain: World youth day
Around a million young Catholics from all around the world are streaming into Madrid for five days of prayers, processions and learning. World Youth Day opened Tuesday night with a multilingual Mass in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles. The youths were welcomed by the Archbishop of Madrid who told them they were part of the generation of Pope Benedict XVI. He said, ‘Your place in life has its own characteristics. Your problems and circumstances have changed. Don’t be afraid of being a saint, let Christ live in your heart. Respond to Him with a ‘yes’ that’s full of excitement and generosity of life.’ President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity said, ‘You have come to say aloud to the whole world, and in particular to Europe which is showing signs of being very lost, your unwavering ‘yes’. Yes, faith is possible,’
Pray: for the 4,000 pilgrims to rediscover and strengthen their faith and then be encouragers to their brothers and sisters across Europe. (Ps.24:7)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/world.youth.day.gets.underway.in.madrid/28451.htm
Turkey: Eviction fears in working-class neighbourhood
The June 12 election signalled a political change heralding the start of evictions within the central working-class Istanbul neighbourhood of Tarlabasi; to make way for an ambitious project to beautify the city. Continual evictions leave residents
who will not or cannot move for financial or other reasons fearful. Bahattin Argis said, ‘I am living in absolute uncertainty, despite being a house owner I face the possibility of being thrown out of my own house at any moment!’ The municipality claims imminent domain over buildings slotted for destruction, even though the confiscated property is being sold to a private contractor. Mine Erel bought her home in 1977 and worries about the safety of living in a semi-demolished neighbourhood. A lawyer for about 100 plaintiffs calls the situation ‘a humanitarian drama.’ Amnesty International urged the municipality to stop the neighbourhood’s forced evictions saying, forced evictions disproportionally affect those most in need of protection and violates the rights of these groups.
Pray: for the Roma, Kurdish and other internally displaced persons (groups) living in Tarlabasi to be respected by the government and landlords. (Pr.14:21)
Turkey: Eviction fears in working-class neighbourhood
The June 12 election signalled a political change heralding the start of evictions within the central working-class Istanbul neighbourhood of Tarlabasi; to make way for an ambitious project to beautify the city. Continual evictions leave residents
who will not or cannot move for financial or other reasons fearful. Bahattin Argis said, ‘I am living in absolute uncertainty, despite being a house owner I face the possibility of being thrown out of my own house at any moment!’ The municipality claims imminent domain over buildings slotted for destruction, even though the confiscated property is being sold to a private contractor. Mine Erel bought her home in 1977 and worries about the safety of living in a semi-demolished neighbourhood. A lawyer for about 100 plaintiffs calls the situation ‘a humanitarian drama.’ Amnesty International urged the municipality to stop the neighbourhood’s forced evictions saying, forced evictions disproportionally affect those most in need of protection and violates the rights of these groups.
Pray: for the Roma, Kurdish and other internally displaced persons (groups) living in Tarlabasi to be respected by the government and landlords. (Pr.14:21)
The Methodists' Handwritten Bible goes live online
The complete Methodists’ Handwritten Bible, created by tens of thousands of people across Britain and Northern Ireland, is now online. The Handwritten Bible contains 7,000 pages of text and illustrations transcribed by people from every part of Britain and further afield. More than 30,000 volunteers joined in from across communities - including prisons, schools, colleges, libraries, nursing homes, airports and shopping centres - to copy the whole of the NRSV translation of the Bible after Methodists voted to transcribe the Scripture at their Conference in Portsmouth last year. Since the first volume went live on the Deepening Discipleship website last month, the Handwritten Bible has been viewed more than 1,000 times. Most of those readers accessed the site from within the UK, but there have been visitors from 76 other countries, including the United States, Malaysia, Australia and South Africa.
Pray: that this special Bible will touch the hearts of its readers in a powerful way. (1Ti.4:13)
More: http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.newsDetail&newsid=524
Christians must be visible in the community
Britain’s Christian community must provide a strong visible presence on the nation’s streets during tough times, Street Pastors founder Les Isaac says. Street Pastors is an organisation that was launched in 2003 in response to London’s growing gang culture and yobbish behaviour. More than 9,000 volunteers now patrol streets throughout the UK on a regular basis. ‘We have been going out on the streets ever since the start of the riots, but we think as things are calming down, it’s now even more important for us to be out and we want church leaders to stand alongside us.’ Aside from calling Christians to go out on the streets, Rev Isaac is calling on the church to pray strategically during these difficult times. ‘I believe that young people have a major part to play in finding solutions for the problems with disaffected youth, and prayer will help to kick start the solution finding process.’
Pray: that the Christian community will make a strong, positive and prayerful response to the recent riots. (Je.42:3)
Catholic nurses use Equality Act to protect their pro-life beliefs
Two Roman Catholic nurses have won the right not to work in an abortion clinic after they accused the NHS of breaching equality laws. The case is believed to be the first in which the Equality Act has been used successfully to defend a ‘pro-life’ position as a philosophical belief and could have implications for other Christian medical staff. The nurses were moved from their normal nursing duties at a London hospital to work once a week at an abortion clinic. When the nurses discovered that they were participating in abortions they objected but were told by managers that they must continue with the work. One hospital manager allegedly told the pair: ‘What would happen if we allowed all the Christian nurses to refuse?’ The case marks a rare example of equality laws being used to protect the rights of Christians. Previously judges have been criticised for interpreting equality and human rights legislation in ways that allegedly ‘marginalise’ religious beliefs.
Pray: that this is a turning point and that the Equality act will, in future, protect the rights of Christians. (Dt.12:28)
Vogue’s disturbing ‘fashion’ images of girl aged ten
A top fashion magazine has sparked outrage by publishing images of a ten-year old girl wearing heavy make-up and posing like an adult model. Paris Vogue’s disturbing images of child model Thylane Blondeau have brought strong criticism from parents’ groups and politicians. In a 15-page spread in the December/January issue, she is wearing heavy make-up and gold stilettos. Last week the Mothers’ Union issued strong criticism of the pictures. ‘We have grave concerns about the modelling agency which clearly does not know if it represents a child or an adult,’ it said. ‘Photo shoots requiring her, a ten-year-old-girl, to dress in full make-up, teetering heels and a dress with a cleavage cut to the waist across her prepubescent body deny Miss Blondeau the right to be the child she is.’ A summit called by Prime Minister David Cameron and the Mothers’ Union to address the sexualisation of children in advertising and the media will be held in October.
Pray: for an end to the sexualisation of children by the fashion industry and in the media. (Ps.34:11)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/vogues-disturbing-fashion-images-of-girl-aged-ten/
Please keep praying for the WPA! Your prayer support will be all-important to the planning of this event which is intended to be a “new paradigm” for an international congress—carried out Acts 13-style—incorporating listening to God, united prayer, and strategic implementation of world-impacting action that proceeds out of that encounter with the Lord and one another.
Riots: Churches supporting with prayer and practical assistance
The recent riots spread across a number of major cities in England, including many parts of London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham and Bristol. The police struggled to respond to fast-moving and rapidly changing events. Most of the looting and disorder has been in economically deprived parts of the country, and among young people. The General Director of the Evangelical Alliance has described the rioting, looting and vandalism of the last few days as ‘shocking and unacceptable’. He added that churches were uniting and taking ‘immediate action’ to provide relief, support and care to victims of the riots. ’Christians are present on the street and participating in the clear-up by offering encouragement and support to the emergency services and their neighbours while praying for peace,’ he said. After four days of riots the Prime Minister has said ‘We needed a fightback and a fightback is under way.’
Pray: against the work of the enemy that has corrupted the minds of the young and pray for the restoration of order, for peace and for safety and understanding. (Job.28:28)