National Prayer Leaders’ Retreat

by Richard Long,

   Terry and I have the wonderful privilege of representing NHOP this week out in B.C. at Camp Stillwood.  We are here at a retreat hosted by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.  We spent Monday getting reconnected, praying for each other’s ministries, and just worshipping Jesus.  We also heard a report from the More Than Gold team who are coordinating the outreach during the upcoming Olympic Games. Today we spent more time praying about how we could moblize prayer coverage for the radical hospitality that the Church in Vancouver is going to offer to the 300,000 guests who are coming in 2010.

  Camp Stillwood is in an amazing spot just a mile north of the American border and looks out over Cultus Lake.  A great place to get aside to meet with God and with each other.

A Lecture with Dr. John Stackhouse

By Jeremiah Smith

This past week many of us at NHOP had the opportunity to attend a lecture by Dr. John Stackhouse.    He is a distinguished Canadian theologian and writer.  He teaches at Regent College and also travels as a professional speaker.

I enjoyed his approach, which was intelligent and extremely honest.  He was not afraid to address issues that some in Christianity would deem “untouchable”.  He not only asks, “what do you believe?”, but also, “is that a correct or legitimate belief? And, why?”  For instance he brings into question the WWJD (what would Jesus do?) fad.  Read an excerpt from his book, Making the Best of It: Following Christ in the Real World:

“What would Jesus do?” therefore is the wrong question for Christian ethics. If we keep asking it, moreover, we will keep making the perennial mistakes many have made, such as prioritizing church work over daily trades (“because Jesus gave up carpentry for preaching the gospel”); valorizing singleness, at least for clergy (“because Jesus didn’t marry”); and denigrating all involvement in the arts, politics, or sports (“because we never read of Jesus painting a picture or participating in political discussions, much less kicking a ball”). Instead, “What would Jesus want me or us to do, here and now?” is the right question—or, if I may, Who are we, for Jesus Christ, today?

Check out Dr. John Stackhouse’s blog here.

OneThing’ 09

By Jeremiah Smith

If you haven’t heard of the OneThing Conference then you definitely need to check it out. It’s worth the trip down to Kansas City, and who hasn’t always wanted to say as they leave Kansas, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more.” Not to mention intense teaching, passionate worship, and thousands of young adults pressing on to know God.

On A Leash

By Jeremiah Smith

Every so often I have the opportunity to walk “Oakley”, the National House of Prayer’s very own prayer dog.  He actually belongs to Rob Parker, but I steal him away some times.  Along the route we usually walk on is a leash-free dog park.  Rob will usually let him off and Oakley will run and play with the other dogs.  However whenever I walk him I never feel confident letting him off the leash.  The thoughts always runs through my mind,

“What if he doesn’t come when I call?”

“What if he doesn’t recognize my voice and command?”

“What if he runs away? Or get’s hurt?”

As those thoughts ran through my head I thought of my relationship with the Father.  Those thoughts sparked this prayer:

Father, may I accept your leash.  I want to be trained to walk by your side.  Create in me obedience, so that I may recognize your voice.  Keep me from running too far away from you.  Although I long for freedom I know I am not ready.  Train my heart, mind and soul so that when freedom comes I will be ready.  Amen.

40 Days for Life

by Kirsten Harty

The fall campaign for 40 Days for Life is back in full swing. This will be the campaign’s third season in Ottawa, with six other Canadian cities participating. The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada is showing their support for the event as well.

By choosing to be a silent, prayerful witness, you are a voice for the unborn:  the vulnerable, the voiceless….

Prov. 31:8 – 9  ”Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.  Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Here were the events for Day 1.

Vigil guidelines can be found here.

See you there.

NHOP as Community

by Richard Long,

   We are in the middle of our first two weeks of “Boot Camp” for our new Nazarites and Prayer Missionaries.  It’s an intense time where they are brought up to speed with all our teaching, philosophy and practice of prayer, and the dynamics of being a ministry that hosts guests every week.

   One of the most important topics we cover is the fact that they have come to live in a prayer ”community” for 12 weeks.  The hothouse environment of living in a busy, intense environment causes all of us to be challenged and to grow in the area of relationships.

Here’s what one experienced writer has to say about the value of living in community …

Creating Communities of Caring
Elizabeth O’Connor

The primary purpose of the disciplines, structures of accountability and mission of the Church is to build life together, to create liberating communities of caring. To each of us is given a gift for the building of a community of caring, a community in which we can learn to embrace our pain and to overcome all those oppressive inner structures that would keep us in bondage and make us protective and anxious for our own futures.

Source: The New Community

Magnificent – U2

by Richard Long,

Now for something completely different …

Some of my friends got to go to the U2 concert last week in Toronto. If I had been there I would have been waiting for the new song from their most recent album that is titled “Magnificent”.

There are some really interesting songs on the “No Line on the Horizon” CD but so far my favourite is this one that is quite a strong worship song. Not everyone appreciates U2, but any honest appraisal would have to admit that Bono and boys are quite overt in their faith as they write their songs.

Here’s the lyrics from Magnificent…

Magnificent
Songwriters: Clayton, Adam; Eno, Brian; Evans, David; Hewson, Paul; Lanois, Daniel Roland; Mullen, Laurence;

Magnificent
Oh, oh, magnificent

I was born, I was born
To be with you in this space and time
After that and ever after
I haven’t had a clue only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue, oh, oh

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

I was born, I was born to sing for you
I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice from the womb
My first cry, it was a joyful noise, oh, oh

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar
Justified, till we die you and I will magnify, oh, oh
Magnificent, magnificent, oh, oh

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts
Justified, till we die you and I will magnify, oh, oh
Magnificent, magnificent, magnificent

© POLYGRAM INT. MUSIC PUBL. B.V.; UNIVERSAL MUSIC CORP.;

Rich Mullins – Creed

by Richard Long,

  I think I have all his albums.  Some purchased after his sudden death exactly 12 years ago today.  Rich Mullins wrote so many amazing songs, including his most popular – “Our God is an Awesome God”.

But I think my favourite is Creed which puts the Apostles Creed to music. I love the lines, ” I did not make it, no it is making me, it is the very truth of God, not the invention of any man.” The images in the video are also wonderful.

Here’s the official music video with Rich Mullins singing the song, as my way of paying tribute to a great songwriter and follower of Jesus Christ.

Shana Tova – Happy Rosh Hoshana

by Richard Long,

   Well my Jewish friends tell me it is now the year 5770.  It seems very fitting (and intentional) that tonight all over Canada there will be the official launch of the documentary by Marnie Blom – From the River to the Ends of the Earth.

 

Hopefully wherever you are located in our nation you have access to a showing.  Go here to find a showing in your area.   Here in the Ottawa region, there are about 19 venues in local churches and home and centres like NHOP.  My wife – Terry also had the opportunity to show the trailer on Parliament Hill today to a couple of different groups that meet at the East Block Chapel on Fridays.

  The prayers that will be stirred up today for the destiny of Canada, seem a very appropriate way to begin the Jewish New Year.

On a ministry level, it is also the night that our new Nazarites and Prayer Missionaries are being launched into their 3 month program with us.

Saint John – National School of Intercession

Check out all the details here.