As a church, we recently made some changes to the format of our Sunday evening service with the view of emphasising corporate prayer as a church family. There have been some teething issues, and a good amount of reflection as to whether this was a good move. But having vacillated on this, having worked through some theological and ecclesiological issues, and having listened to … [Read more...]
Foundations for Prayer: Relationship
As a church, we have been deliberately working to grow as a praying community. As we continue to pursue this important goal, it may be worthwhile to remind ourselves of some foundational issues as they pertain to prayer. In her excellent book on corporate prayer (Praying Together: The Priority and Privilege of Prayer in Our Homes, Communities and Churches), which I highly … [Read more...]
Just Say, “Yes!”
Many years ago, the US government made a concerted effort among young people to combat drug abuse. Nancy Reagan led the charge with the exhortation that, when offered illicit drugs, “Just say no!” That’s short and to the point—and, at a certain level, helpful. “Just say no” has become a catchphrase that is intended as a simple response to the obvious—a means to forego … [Read more...]
Compelled to Pray
The Compelling Community by Jamie Dunlop is simply one of the most helpful books I have read concerning meaningful church membership. I have recommended it to several pastors and I am so grateful that my fellow elders have led us to study this in our weekly Family Bible Hour. Dunlop’s biblical arguments are compelling and his wise advice as to how to implement them is … [Read more...]
Prayer and The Great Commission: The Pardon and Power of Prayer (Luke 11:1–13)
In his upcoming book, Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global, Andy Johnson writes, “God intends not only that his mission would go forward, but that it would go forward on his terms. He means to get glory by showing that the mission is his, and that his power sustains it. Any effort on our part to change or broaden the mission, or to substitute our ideas for God’s, runs the … [Read more...]