Worship News May 6, 2009

Abraham Lincoln's Day of Prayer

Lincoln said that nations are blessed only if their "God is the Lord." In March, 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, the U.S.Senate asked President Lincoln to “set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.” Lincoln did so, saying "it is the duty of nations as well as of men ... to confess their sins ... in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord." Lincoln declared, "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness." Lincoln agreed with the Senate, naming April 30, 1863, "as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer." He did not ask people to pray that the North would win the Civil War, but that citizens would be sorry for their sins and find forgiveness. That, he was sure, would restore the country to unity and happiness.

Day of Prayer Events, May 7

Thursday, May 7, is the National Day of Prayer. Please pray for yourself, your community and your country. Here are some of the day's events scheduled in Copper Country: Globe-Miami: From noon to 12:45, gather at the County Courthouse flagpole just east of Jack in the Box in Globe. You can also pray wherever you are on Thursday morning as members of the Gila County Ministerial Association do a Prayer Drive through the neighborhoods. Payson: Crossroads Church, 114 East Cedar, and Mountain Bible Church, 302 East Rancho, will each be having a time of special prayer in Payson from 7 to 8 a.m., along with a light continental breakfast. Payson's Rumsey Park Ramada #5 will be the site of the noon until 1 p.m. patriotic emphasis event, along with music led by Payson Community Christian School. An evening event will begin at 7 at the Church of the Nazarene, 200 East Tyler Parkway. Mesa: A Mesa service will be at Central Christian Church, 933 N. Lindsay Rd., from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Pine: Pine will be having two special observances, from 7:30 to 8 a.m. at the Pine Elementary School Flagpole and from 11 until noon at the Pine Community Center Ramada. Phoenix: Mayor Phil Gordon will lead a Noon Rally for Kids, joined by KFLR’s Chris and Emilee Danielson, Firefightersfor Christ, and children's groups, at the City Hall Atrium, 200 W. Washington Street.

Payson/Pine to Observe Day of Prayer

The National Day of Prayer, May 7, will be observed with six Christ-centered events in Rim Country, each with the theme of "Prayer ... America's Hope," from Psalm 33:22. Events are sponsored by the Payson Christian Ministerial Fellowship. Payson: Crossroads Church, 114 East Cedar, and Mountain Bible Church, 302 East Rancho, will each be having a time of special prayer in Payson from 7 to 8 a.m., along with a light continental breakfast. Mountain Bible’s prayer time will be led by Mike Latsko, Director of Prayer ministries for Frontiers Mission, a group that operates "underground" in "closed" countries where Christian evangelism is forbidden. Payson's Rumsey Park Ramada #5 will be the site of the noon until 1 p.m. patriotic emphasis event, along with music led by Payson Community Christian School. An evening event will begin at 7 at theChurch of the Nazarene, 200 East Tyler Parkway. Pine: Pine will be having two special observances, from 7:30 to 8 a.m. at the Pine Elementary School Flagpole and from 11 until noon at the Pine Community Center Ramada.

Globe Paintballers Attract Valley Competition

(L-R) Jr., Tyler and Zack are paintball buffs. Salvaged Youth Ministries is developing a paintball facility in Globe, with the help of local businesses and ministries. Already, over $3,500 has been raised toward a $16,000 facility. Youth Pastor Chad Campbell says,"We are asking that you would partner with us as we build a new attraction for our community and make an impact in the lives of our teens." Tax-deductible contributions may be made to "Salvaged" and sent to C. Campbell, P.O. Box 2375 Claypool, AZ 85532. "Salvaged" has already started a local paintball league that attracts about 50 paintballers weekly. Valley visitors are already driving up to enjoy the terrain, cooler weather, personalities and competition. Salvaged has its own traveling paintball team made up of local teens. It’s interesting to know that some teens, instead of being bored or getting in trouble, are spending time cheerfully "shooting" each other!

Your Heart Tells All, by Barbie Howland Morton,Co-Pastor, First Christian Church(Disciples of Christ

What's your passion? It is true that the desires of a man's heart reflect what his greatness is. What does your heart hold with the greatest of passion? This is whatever you think about or do continually. For some people, their passion is to walk and talk with God, and to others that is of no interest to them. Truly, your heart will tell others about you.

Payson Church Serves Free Dinners

Hungry? Finances tight? You can still eat out once a week, and find good food and a friendly atmosphere, every Monday from 5 to 6:30 p.m.,at Mountain Bible Church in Payson, 302 E. Rancho Road. Turn east off SR87 at Pioneer Village Store (with lots of antlers). Watch for the "302" marker beside the road; the gray church is set back a bit. If you reach Payson Elementary, you went a little too far. Everyone is welcome at the Monday dinners, and at Sunday morning services at 8:45 and 10:30 a.m. Mountain Bible volunteers serve dinner every Monday.

Singer’s Call to Prayer

Ricky Skaggs plays fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin. Grammy-award-winning country singer and composer Ricky Skaggs invites all Americans to join in the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 7. He says, "Prayer always precedes revival ... no revival ever started without prayer."

Prayer Conference Starts May 15 in Globe

Hal and Cheryl Sacks of BridgeBuilders Living Waters Community Church in Globe will host a Prayer Conference on a Friday evening and Saturday morning, May 15 and 16, open to church men and women across Copper Country. (The cost is $10 for each participant. Please contact Jean Campbell by May 12 at 928-812-1890.) Presenters will be Hal and Cheryl Sacks and Guy Chadwick of BridgeBuilders International, based in Phoenix, and Guy Chadwick, director Arizona Call to Prayer. Bridge- Builder founder Hal Sacks has spoken to church, government and business conventions. His wife Cheryl is the author of the book "The Prayer Saturated Church." CCN's Rita Hassard calls Cheryl "one of the most inspiring prayer warriors I’ve ever met." Two of the goals of Bridge- Builders are to 1) Mobilize the Church in united fervent prayer and worship, and 2) Strengthen Christian leaders to fulfi ll their God-given call. Many Christian leaders face a sense of i s o l a t i o n and discouragement in facing the chal lenges of life and leadership. A time of gathering with other sincere Chr i s t i ans and hearing c o n f i d e n t speakers can be motivating in itself, and if all the participants could fi nd just one key to improving their prayer life and drawing closer to God, the good consequences would be well worth their investment in time.

Let Us Pray

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14