Liven up sermons
Sermons delivered by Catholic priests are often painfully ‘grey and dull’ and need to be livened up with the ‘scandal’ contained within the Bible, the Vatican's most senior cultural official said. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi said preaching in churches had become so formulaic and boring that it risked becoming ‘irrelevant’ to congregations accustomed to the excitement and immediacy of television and the internet. ‘The advent of televised and computerised information requires us to be compelling and trenchant, to cut to the heart of the matter, resort to narratives and colour,’ said the cardinal, who as the head of the Pontifical Council for Culture is the Vatican's unofficial minister for culture. Too many priests employed theological language that was ‘grey, dull and flavourless’ and instead should spice up their sermons with graphic stories contained in the Bible, which used much more forceful imagery. The Bible was ‘crowded with stories, symbols and images,’ he said.
Pray: for all those who preach to be led by the Holy Spirit to convey the Word in relevant and appropriate ways. (Ac.11:15)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8872795/Catholic-priests-urged-to-liven-up-sermons.html
Redefining marriage could have ‘massive impact’
Redefining marriage so that couples of the same sex can get married could have a ‘massive impact’ on society, the Scottish Government has been warned. The Government, led by the Scottish National Party (SNP), is currently holding a consultation on whether to rewrite the definition of marriage. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Paisley met the SNP’s deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon to discuss the controversial plans last week. John Deighan, the Roman Catholic bishop’s parliamentary officer, described the meeting, saying: ‘The bishop said the Church is against this because it will be fundamentally damaging to society and the government. ‘If you look at the number of civil partnerships taking place it’s tiny, yet this change could have massive impact on the society far beyond those numbers. ‘Marriage is a fundamental human institution based on the socialising of children and that needs to be respected.’
Pray: for governments to listen to the advice about the vital role of marriage in society. (Pr.19:20)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/redefining-marriage-could-have-massive-impact/
Secret Children
‘Open Doors’ has launched a prayer initiative called Secret Children: 49 Days of Prayer. Launched last Sunday on the International Day of Prayer, Open Doors is encouraging as many people as possible to get involved in daily prayer between now and Christmas Eve for children persecuted for their Christian faith. The organisations says ‘Who knows how many there are? We estimate 30 million, maybe more. And they come from all over the world: North Korea, Algeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Egypt, and Colombia. With your support we can put a child through school, help them learn a trade, support them while their parents are in prison, or paying for their medical care. We use safe houses to protect them from harm. and provide trauma counselling for children living with 'horror movies' inside their heads.’ Their parents face terrible choices: between staying faithful to Jesus or protecting their children; between raising their children as Christians or keeping them physically safe.
Pray: for these children and for the work of Open Doors. (2Cor.4:8-9)
Clarion Call – Piercing the Storm 2012 January 17-20 in Colombo, Sri Lanka
For this Summit, we are thinking of a gathering of 40 senior ministers (age 40-55 years) who have pioneered in difficult situations and established a work approved by the Lord. We are not thinking of an application and approval but trusting your own sense of your call to be amongst others like you. Your spouse is welcome. If you have to bring your children, they can be provided accommodation for no cost. Accommodation is free of charge. There is no registration fee. No cost once you arrive.
Think Tank – Lalith Mendis of Sri Lanka, Biju Thampy of Bombay, Jeremiah Yap and Ron Hee from Malaysia, Yang Tuck Yoong from Singapore, Ralph Gloeckner of Agra & Germany.
Format – There will be no preaching, but it will be an apostolic – prophetic roundtable where we shall minister to one another and to the Lord. We hope to have five father figures who have pioneered and gone ahead of us (please make a recommendation). Sessions will be intense. Bring your Passion & Revelation.
For more information, contact Dr. Lalith Mendes This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
