February Prayers 2011

Three main things in our local prayers

1) The power of prayer
This month we play host to Alf Cooper, who tells the tale of the Chilean miners of last summer, trapped for 69 days with no human chance of living through the ordeal after being entombed by a rock fall. But for the power of prayer and the saving grace of God, their destiny was fairly certain to be the same as many mine workers in obscure and often barely cared for mines and workers. 33 miners, only one a confessing Christian on day one, fell on their knees before the living God and prayed their hearts out every day. They studied the Bible together, led by Jose, their one token Christian, and God showed up in power. They tell of the presence of a 34th man and by the time of their rescue, 25 of them were confessing a faith in the living God and the saving presence of Jesus in their lives. Ouyr prayer is that their story of hope-filled prayer and God's power will inspire the people of Marlow to call on the name of the living God in humble and heartfelt prayer.

2)
Our Team Ministry (the people of the churches of Great Marlow, Little Marlow, Marlow Bottom, Bisham and Encounter) are currently in a vacancy for the post of Team Rector. In January the ongoing leadership team met with the Bishop to plot the way forward through the vacancy period of being without a pivotal leader for the team, and plotting a way towards making the appointment of God's chosen person for this post. Our prayer htis month is that good progress will be made in putting in place the right foundations for a good appointment, including a "Team Review" (a kind of Anglican Church Ofstead) before finalising the papwerwork that candidates will view prior to discerning whether to apply to the post.

3)
Meanwhile the Encounter community, with others, is starting Lent early, with a Spiritual MoT, courtesy of the Purpose Driven Life, reminded this Sunday (6th) that our first purpose in life is to give pleaseure to God - or in more commonplace terms - to Make God Smile. In the light of this, our Sunday learning focussed on the return of the lost son to his loving Father in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15). Our prayer, then, is that we look to God and look to scripture to discern the things that will fulfil our primary purpose of creating joy in the heart of God our Father - and then do them!

Beyond these local concerns, the worlwide concern is for peace to rule with a Godly justice in Tunisia and Egypt.