What if and what else?

The leader of 24-7prayer in Ireland Adrian Eagleson has just written this little update of the first 4 months of our year of prayer. Adrian is not really this small....

Pop over to the 24-7 Ireland site and check the full article out. Here's a little clip:

"In the year of What if I would not be surprised that we end up with more Holy Spirit collisions and unexpected opportunities that we have not even thought about. We have at this point a plan for prayer rooms up and down the nation, however this might just be the beginning, the donkeys part of the story what God wishes to do in Ireland at this time. More and more we are finding others who we have not been connected with who have a similar commitment to build the kingdom. 24-7 it seems, is simply another way of joining the dots together.

And in all of this we have been amazed by the 80 prayer rooms that have already taken part in our first four months. At our monthly gatherings in Carnmoney, Lurgan, Dublin and Belfast we have heard stories of people encountering God in a new and personal way in the place of prayer. One of my favourites is of a prayer room in a rural part of County Armagh where a woman who has been a Christian for over 30 years felt comfortable enough to pray out loud for the first time in a prayer gathering. This speaks to me of the freedom that can come to our nation through the place of prayer, we can apply it at an individual, community and national level.

We are excited about the opportunity that exists as we travel the length and breath of the island, provoking, stirring and encouraging the fullness of God’s Kingdom.

Yet in and through it all, we will remain vigilant continuing to be committed to what God has called us to, and asking the questions what if and also what else?"

Friends

I have been thinking about friendship, can someone really have 3000 friends?

A couple of summers ago a friend of mine was coming to visit us at our centre in the westend. Some of the people he was sitting with just before he left to come see us said "Our you going to hang out with your christian friends?" he said "No, I am just going to hang out with my friends!"


In the past I have said or been in situations where people have been encouraged to bring the "un-churched friends" along to something or I have heard people say "we went out for a meal last week with our non-christian friends" whats that all about!!!!!

Whatever happened to just using the term "friends?" Why does it need a precursory label?

Doesn't the label further encourage a delineation between those who are in and those who are out? Labels can separate and segregate. Of course they can also be used to define and identify people which is helpful.

Maybe I am just a little averse to the terminology because for me it carries an intimation of exclusivity.

I have friends, some our christians and some are not, but they are all just friends.

Worship Leader v Chef

A friend of mine said this to me and I wondered what others thought:

So you're a worship leader and I'm a chef.

What we are going to do is look at the life of Jesus.

You tell me all the stories that involve Him and sung worship and I'll tell all the stories that involve Him and food.

You start......

Like

I don't know if you use facebook, I do, I like it although I can find it a little addictive.

I was talking to someone at the weekend who feels that in the end the amount of friends people have on facebook will drop to a more concise and true representation of your friendship circle and that twitter will be for a wider audience.

What I like about facebook is photo's, the chat and groups.

If you haven't already I would really love you to join this group 24-7Ireland facebook group

I really want to push all that is going on in Ireland and the more people who join the better, it just keeps you informed and helps you stay up to date on all that happens in N.Ireland. You don't have to live there to a be member we would just really love to spread the word.

Also check out this latest article about an Inter-Chapliancy Prayer Room  in Queens University Belfast.

I am really feeling Ireland on my Heart at the moment.

"We have always found the Irish a bit odd. They refuse to be English." Winston Churchill

This is worth watching

Come On! // Director's Cut from 24-7 Prayer on Vimeo.

Season 7

Well here we are about to embark on our 7th summer season here in Ibiza. Spring is in the air and there are a lot of people getting ready, it's hard to believe that in about 4 weeks time our centre will be open again.

Our first two summer team members arrive today, they are Tim and Becky who have both been before. Tim came as a single guy a number of years ago, then they both came on a two week team and now they are here for the summer!! This is exciting.

What will this summer hold? I don't know but we have to keep the energy going and enthusiasm for all that we are about. It's been hard to keep our eye on the ball when we know that in about 16 months time we will be going home. We know how quickly that will fly.

I guess it will be about going deeper, working harder, listening to God more and for Tracy and myself, finishing well.

We want to do more with prostitutes, we want to see deeper relationships develop in town, we want to help as many people as we can and we want to give people the opportunity to connect with their maker.

Do we have a vision statement? sort of! "Our aim is to care for the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of the people we meet in San Antonio" it could possibly do with a little tweaking but I am happy with that.

Hope

I was deeply saddened and moved by the death of a policeman in N.Ireland this weekend. Ronan Kerr, 25, was killed by a bomb which exploded under his car. I watched his mother talk about him on television yesterday and found it so sad that this lady had to talk about her murdered son on Mothers Day, actually it's wrong on any day....

More reason than ever to pray for our nation, I know in my heart that this incident will not push us back but it reminds me that below the surface tension still exists.

Which leads me to a story of hope, check this out it's an article written by laura brown on the 24-7Ireland website.  West Belfast a story of hope.

Camels

Currently I am on a train to Birmingham, UK where I will be speaking this weekend on Prayer, Community and Missions.

There is a 24-7prayer room in the United Arab Emirates this week, please pray for all involved!!! I can't tell you much but I UAE is a real hub for so many places. A major trading partner with Iran etc.. 3 hours from India, 2 from Pakistan, bordering Saudi Arabia. We need to pray for this region and the arab world.

Join with our christian brothers and sisters this week who are calling out for transformation for water in the desert and for Kingdom come in places such as these!

Hope you like my camel snap!!!!