Print
| Use your browser's back button to return |
Print
|
| Transformation Thurrock |
Gideon shows up (again) at Transformation Thurrock Prayers for Unity
 Seventeen people gathered from across the borough and representing a number of churches and denominations for nearly two hours of intercession based on three elements from Luke 24:45-49.First of all, Rev Rosemary Pritchard of Grays Methodist Church welcomed all present. Then there was a time of worship was led by John Gorham (of Fresh Hope Community in Stanford-le-Hope) on guitar. After opening prayers were said, Tim Harrold of Transformation Thurrock introduced the theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, "You are witnesses of these things", and read Dr Luke's scripture from which this phrase is taken: Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."  The prayers were split into three sections. The first covered the Great Commission - the call to evangelise: "... repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations..."Either we go to all nations - or all nations come to us. A quick on-the-spot survey came up with over twenty nationalities present in our churches and the community: Albanians, Australians, Bangladeshis, Bolivians, Brazilians, Chinese, Germans, Ghanians, Hungarians, Indians, Irish, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Poles, Scots, Sierra Leonians, South Africans, Thais, Ugandans, Vietnamese, Welsh - and, as someone pointed out, English! (Sorry of anyone's left out!) Three groups prayed about being a verbal witness, fulfilling the great commission, praying across the ethnic groups and the cultures that make up the borough, and against cultural clashes that can inadvertently cause the misunderstandings, miscommunication, ignorance and intolerance behind certain forms of political extremism present in the area. How can the church respond to this? How can the church act out of cultural relevance to the community where you are planted? What creative ways are there of getting over the message of Jesus without imposing on a locality? How does the church come alongside, be a part of, be an agent of social integration for the sake of effectively communicating the Gospel? How does the church be Kingdom? The second section of prayer was devoted to the fact that "You are witnesses of these things ([that] The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day)". Praying in pairs, each prayed for the other for fresh encounters with the once-dead-now-alive-forevermore Jesus... that lead to fresh encounters with people. In the third section, everyone present joined hands in a circle and prayed on behalf of Thurrock's church to be filled and energised by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and be "clothed with power from on high" - for empowerment and enablement to be transformative individuals and a transformative body, united as one in Christ, just as the Son is one with the Father.  Before the gathering came to an end, Andy Blakey (of Thurrock Christian Fellowship in Grays, on the right in the picture) brought a word. As he'd been parking up in the car park - backing in, whereas all the other cars were parked forwards - he sensed God say to him one word: "Gideon". Andy explained that maybe the Lord was reminding the church that the battle is won by the whittled-out, wisely-alert few, rather than the many. Tim asked Andy if he'd read the article on the Transformation Thurrock website about the word concerning Gideon that was given at the Grays Leaders' Prayer Day of Prayer and Fasting on 7 January. He hadn't! (He wans't told, either.) Then Pastor Frank (of Destiny Chapel, South Ockendon) said that the whole story of Gideon is about God seeing potential in someone who couldn't see that potential for himself, and that potential being realised - and that this is a picture of the church in/and Grays and Thurrock. It was suggested to Frank that he also read the GLP article! What is the Lord trying to say to us? See the "GLP Fast is a real feast!" article at www.transformationthurrock.com/Articles/176970/Transformation_Thurrock/Prayer/Grays_Leaders_Prayer/GLP_fast_is.aspx The next Transformation Thurrock Prayer morning is at 8.30am on Saturday 20 February at St Cedd's, Cramavill Street, Stifford Clays, Grays.
| ||
Tim Harrold, 25/01/2010 |
