25 hours of prayer...

Our community of friends prayed from midday Saturday until midday Sunday - which was actually twenty-five hours of non-stop prayer. Rosi and Jon did the double 1-2am slot when the clocks went back. (Bizarrely, we also happened to pray overnight a few months ago when the clocks went forward.)

Tim talked about walking through Romford on Saturday and feeling discouraged by the vain 'perfectionism' expressed in people's appearance... he scrawled a big 'Romford, you are beautiful!' as his prayer.

Jon prayed about peace coming where there is violence and drunkeness in the town. The 'map' of Romford he'd drawn during our previous 24-1prayer weekend became a focal point for our praying this time around.

Mikki and Nick said they loved the extra 90 minutes beyond their hour-slot... Nick composed a song and Mikki wrote an amazing poem about God being like a river through all seasons (I'll see if I can post it up later?).

And the children joined in too. Little Abigail's prayers and pictures were scattered around the walls. And Megan had set up a kind of prayer-wall for our community. They all enjoyed it - I love that. I especially loved it when Poppy read her version of the Lord's Prayer just before we broke bread together a little later. Only a few years ago, Emma and I would never have dreamt that she would be able to do that...



And it was so good, once again, to share the prayer-journey with so many other friends. Thanks to everyone who joined in...
+ to Richy - I loved that thing you felt about Jesus washing your feet - wonderful...
+ to Sarah and Dewi...
+ to Clare and David, Thomas and Oscar...
+ to Abi, from Frances Bardsley School for Girls... it was so good to see you Abi, and yes, you can pop in to use the prayer room anytime...
+ to our community-housemates, Helen and Ian (who did some tough night-hours), Esme and Lewis...
+ to the wonderfully creative Rosi and Jon...
+ to Miranda, our long-time Kamoflahj-friend, who turned up at 12.50am after a night-out in London - it was great to have you join with us Miranda...
+ to Emma, Megan, Poppy and Angel...
+ to Jo...
+ to Anna and Tim, who clocked up quite a few hours between them...
+ and to Wild Goose Emma - who sang as I prayed.

Celebrating Birthdays! wa-hay

Thought I'd just post my thoughts about saying thanks on our birthdays as I didn't feel I communicated myself very well at our community meal today! I know it's random but there we are!

I was just reading something about celebrating birthdays and how we can think about getting a year older, but I guess I was struck by how, for each of us to get a year older, God shows Her/His faithfulness.

I guess being pregnant with a child is a miracle in itself, to carry your child each week further through it's development is another miracle, to then give birth and to have a healthy baby is yet another miracle, to then help your baby grow from one week, month to the next is another miracle. I know that I have been greatly blessed in having got pregnant twice and having 2 children. I know that many others aren't as blessed as Ian and me to varying degrees along that process.

And Then . . . God has not only blessed us with children but also provided for us, simply fed us, clothed us, given us rest and peace (again I others who don't have this), given us friends and family and fun, given us health. And much more than this.

And so I'll get to my point now! I think that our birthdays are an opportune moment for us to thank God for sustaining us, blessings us, being with us, showing us miracles . . . For us to have some healthy rhythms of prayer. We may be a year older but what a year of God showing Her/His favour and faithfulness.

Thanks Jesus, help us to be creative in recognising that You're with us.

Tom&Jo (Back From Malawi)

Jo and Tom are good friends... part of our extended community/family. They've been part of New Generation Church in Sidcup and of us (from back in our Kamoflahj days!) for a long time. And for the past year or so, they've been serving Jesus in Malawi.

Their aim was to set up a 'model farm' and to train local people in various agricultural techniques... to improve farming and diet and quality of life and wealth, etc. However, as we listened to their stories and saw their photos on Tuesday night, it was clear that Jo and Tom have become far more than 'farmers'... which is often Jesus' way. He makes us more than we are.

Huddled around Tom's new MacBook (a substitute 'baby' until their real one arrives! Ha ha), they told us their stories...
...of the poverty among some families and the relative wealth of others,
...of misplaced Aid, of hundreds of goat-gifts and other supplies, which often complicate and confuse the issues rather than solve them,
...of loneliness and unexpected friendships,
...of days spent at the crisis nursery, with abandoned/orphaned children,
...of bizarre confrontations with witches chanting outside their home night after night,
...and of the witch-doctor who brought 70 pregnant mothers to their HIV-awareness training sessions,
...of Malawian people whose names I cannot remember, but whose stories I won't forget,
...of giant spiders (Jo's favourites!) and other creepy crawlies, and their pet dogs,
...of a trip to see Malawi play Egypt at football,
...of visa troubles on the Zambian border,
...of a 600km journey in a bus with a broken windscreen being held in place by the driver,
...of their involvement with Flood Church and the new shape that this is bringing to their work in Malawi,
...of God's provision, of favour, of healing and hope amongst big challenges.

Phil.

Community Meal@David&Claires

David's New Job!

It's confirmed - I start my job at Network Rail on Monday 13th October! Yippee!!

Rich, Tim, Jo, Ros and I gathered to pray last Tuesday, praying about our work, life and just being with God. We then spent time praying over each other in turn which was amazing and really encouraging, with lots of prophetic words spoken. Tim decided to use his 'spot' by picking up my guitar and singing a song which he had been singing on the way over, a song he sang over our town and we all basked in the presence of God and prayed for Gods' Spirit to come to Romford!

On Sunday...Me, Ros, Rich and Drew met at Sue and drew's to look into some Bible passages together. Following on from our last venture we looked at Deborah in Judges 4, though Ehud at the end of Judges 3 (he who killed fat king Eglon!?)

J0N