Passions of the Soul

Global Day of Prayer

Until about four months ago, I had never heard of the Global Day of Prayer.  Yes, we have the National Day of Prayer, which occurred 10 days ago (May 1), but the GDOP began more recently.

I'm still a little fuzzy on the details, but I know it began in Africa in 2000, spread to all 56 nations in Africa, and in 2004, an invitation went out to the rest of the world to partner together in prayer.  You can read the full history, as I intend to do, today.  The whole idea is based on one of my favorite verses of scripture, in 2 Chronicles 7:14:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and seek my ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

We need to do this in this country, for this country and for ourselves.  I need to do this, for the country and for myself.  And for the world.

Did you know that Christians in Africa pray for America?  They see our materialism, our consumerism, our arrogant self-reliance, the way our society is systematically shutting God out; they see our stressed-out lives, that we don't know peace within our borders or ourselves, and they pray for us.  Thank God.  Somebody needs to pray for us!  We need to pray for us!

You can learn more about the GDOP here, and here, and read the prayer which is being prayed for the world today, May 10, 2008, in any of 39 languages.  And elsewhere on the GDOP site, you can read about the 90 Days of Blessing which will start tomorrow.

Many Christians in Tucson have been building toward this day, probably since the GDOP last year, and began 10 days of prayer on May 1 (the NDP).  The Tucson event will be held tonight, in one of the city parks; I understand that about 3,000 people participated last year.  I cannot be there tonight, because our Compassion Sunday begins, tonight, at my church, and I need to be there.  But two of the advocates on our southern Arizona team will host a Compassion table at the event, which is really exciting for us, too!

So if you're a praying person, there is much to pray for, today.  Our world, our country, and we ourselves are broken, and we need to turn to the Great Healer, our God, our Lord.

Expelled

I've now seen Ben Stein's film, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, and I cannot recommend it strongly enough.  It is a documentary and does not showcase the famous Ben Stein sardonic humor.  It is serious, both in tone and in import.  See it.

The Gospel According to John (NT)

On Easter, our pastors wrapped up a great sermon series on the "I AM" statements of Jesus.  I often think back to something I heard my dear, dear friend and former college adviser Reuben Welch say, long ago:  that "we don't take as seriously as we ought the words of Jesus," and I think he was right.  This series, though, focused on some of the biggest statements Jesus made, because--as was repeated each weekend in the recent series--every time Jesus began a statement with the words, "I AM," He was invoking the name God used for Himself (Exodus 3:14, and elsewhere).  So Jesus was saying, "I, God, AM..." and completed the sentence with various statements about Himself.  Of course, he risked being stoned to death for blasphemy, but God had another plan.

But I really started this post to write about something else.  I have a scribbled note on a piece of scrap paper that has stayed in my Bible for three, maybe four years, from a time when I was reading through the Gospel according to John.

In 13:23, John refers to "the disciple whom Jesus loved...."  He is generally thought to be referring to himself, here and elsewhere (see 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20).  My NIV* study note on this verse explains that, of course, the reference does not "mean that Jesus did not love the others, but that there was a special bond with this man"; i.e., presumably John.

I think that is a true statement.  In 19:26, Jesus brings John and Mary, the mother of Jesus, together, and v. 27 tells us that, that same day, the disciple took Mary into his home.

But I have never forgotten one of my reactions, back in the '70s, when I watched the film Godspell.  After the "Jesus" character had gathered the various individuals into his band of disciples, I watched his reaction with one person after another.  At first, I would think, "Oh, that's his favorite," but then he'd turn around and interact with another one, and I would say, "No, wait...that's his favorite!"  Finally, I realized that he saw each one as a very special individual, and loved him (or her, in the movie).

So, back to John:  I wrote down two questions, which I have answered for myself, and I'll leave my one or two readers to do the same:

1.  Could it not be that John was so aware of Christ's love for him that that awareness was just always there, forever a part (or the foundation) of John's sense of who he was?

2.  Doesn't God have a way of making each of His children feel special, as if "He's always liked me best!"?  Not because any of us deserves His all-encompassing love, grace and mercy, but just because that's the way He is?

When I taught freshman composition classes, I admonished students not to end an essay with an unanswered question.  I'm sure none of them is reading this, however, and I'm leaving not one, but two questions.  So there!

*New International Version