We Gather (to dance?)

It's still dark in Edinburgh but my body thinks it's a couple of hours ahead of Scotland. Arusha time... I like that Africa wakes me up and says, "You may be somewhere else, but this continent is still in you."

I like seasons and rhythms. For the last 7 years, a significant happening in our autumn has been the global gathering of 24-7 Prayer. We've collected ourselves in some great places- Barcelona, Dresden, Seville, London and Amsterdam, to name a few.

But it's not where we are. It's who we're with. We're with friends who believe that prayer can change the world. And after prayer (or with prayer, or during prayer) these same folks roll up their sleeves and jump in to the crazy, messy world around them and start trying to be the answer to the prayers. Last night we heard from a man who has helped see 300 victims rescued out of human trafficking in the last 2 years. They've prayed and worked hard to liberate each one and they continue a supportive relationship with these who are now recovering.

And if when I say "people who pray" you get a drab image in your mind, allow me to burst your wee bubble. There's too much creativity, life and mischief in these hearts for drabness . Even with a grave awareness of the awful pain so much of the world lives with, there is unstoppable joy.

So imagine us here: Scottish men in handsome kilts playing fiddles like their lives depend on it while we, gathered from all over the globe, dance like madmen into the night.

Joy spills out because there is One who hears our prayers and responds.

A good Scottish caleigh seemed the only proper response :-)

MAGNIFY! (Edinburgh 2010)

I love 24-7 Prayer! I love the people and the passion. I love the way they believe that the world can be changed and throw themselves into what they do.

And what do they do? Prayer, mission and justice. They're all about changing the world by praying like mad and living like crazy. That means they talk to God about the condition of the world around them, they love people actively and reach out practically. So whether it's helping drunk revelers get home after losing it on the streets of Ibiza, offering to pray with a homeless person they are serving a meal to or encouraging each other toward spiritual depth, these friends of mine are not fakin' it.

Byron and Heather and I are very much looking forward to the big 10th anniversary gathering in Edinburgh come September. For the first time ever, there's lots of room at the event because it's in a bigger venue this year. That means tickets are still available!

Join us at Magnify. It's going to be good.

Find all the information you need here.

Seriously. You should come.

(And let me just say it's a little funny to talk about 24-7 as THEY cuz it's US. I am 24-7 Prayer!)

We Heart Europe (so we pray)

We live in Africa but we have major feelings for Europe. And Europe needs our prayers. Our amazing extended family in the 24-7 Prayer movement is virally spreading the word that this is a brilliant time to be praying.

Catch the daily video casts HERE this week from the likes of Pete Greig and Andy Freeman and join in the avalanche of prayer. It's going to make a world of difference :-)

My Nose Gets an Update of Her Own

I had a small surgery on my nose on Tuesday and this is only Friday but I'm having difficulty hanging around being gentle. The process to remove the basal-squamous-carcinoma from my nose involved Swipe, Freeze, Check, Repeat. These are my non-medical terms for it (in case you thought otherwise--ha ha.)

Swipe is when the doctor takes the scalpel and cuts off what he believes will be all of the cancerous stuff on my nose. Freeze is when they freeze the tissue so they can look at it. Check is when they look at it through the microscope and decide if they got it all. If there are basal-squamous cells at the edge, they have to go back until they get a clean perimeter.

It took 3 Swipes before they got it all. The little hole left in my nose is about the diameter of a plump pea says Byron, who was watching the procedure.

Next step was Cover the Hole. This required a little skin graft taken from right in front of my left ear.

Then you have Stitch and Patch. Or Patch-Stitch-Patch. Make a patch, cover the hole, sew it in, sew up the graft site, and patch me up with bandages.

This all went fine. The patch of graft on my nose is lighter than my nose skin so I will have a little polka dot on the left of my nose. I could decorate that with a piercing, I suppose. (Except I'm too old for that.)

Anyway, it's THE BANDAGE that has given me grief. Turns out I'm allergic to the adhesive on the tape and I woke up on Thursday all swollen with puffy eyelids. Happily, the allergic reaction caused the nurse to remove my LARGE clown-nose bandage. Sadly, I have to be more careful now in the next few days because my nose is more vulnerable to disruption.

So, I was set to fly to Kansas City today to be with my 24-7 Prayer mates. But I'm here in Pasadena being gentle instead.

I am accepting this weekend as a gift of rest... but I'm still having a bit of a hard time with it. I can't help but feel a little sorry for myself to be missing out on the chance to be at the Kansas City Boiler Room with some of the best folks around. Many of them have flown in from Europe for this.

The remaining patch on my nose looks like a yellow ball about the size of a gob of chewing gum. It looks like the stuff that people hang posters on the wall with. It's actually sewn onto my nose right over the skin graft and it looks like I've stuck chewing gum onto the side of nose.

This ball patch comes off Tuesday when I go show my healing to the doctor.

And all of this is to say, PLEASE WEAR SUNSCREEN, friends. I've not been a mad sun-worshipper but every minute of over-exposure does finally catch up to us.

Thanks for prayers. I appreciate them.

(Regarding the photo: the sewn-on patch is a little bit scary to look at but here I am anyway, some puffiness still remaining.)

without ceasing

and this is how we pray
backs nestled into the hammock
faces turned toward the stars
the warm air lifts against us
and we are quiet, quiet
as you, god, speak to us
about how big you are

and this is how we pray
sitting on the leaf strewn ground
peering across the pattern of sun and shade
the clear pool under the giant fig
where the monitor lizard slips through the water
and we whisper our worshipful thanks
again and again

and this is how we pray
standing in the kitchen
speaking out the worries in our minds
telling this perfect parent god
just how small our faith feels
conscious of how sweetly ludicrous
our doubts must appear

and this is how we pray
curled into our duvets
safely tucked in on this wind blown night
thoughts far from here
with our friends who sit in vigil
waiting for a precious life to pass
maybe even tonight

and this is how we pray
with longing
and with hope
with stress
and with joy
with daring
and with simple words

Dear Kenya, We Sing for You Your Song

Today, my prayers for Kenya are shaped by the simple, sweet words of her national anthem.

This is the first verse and I found it a good way to sing my prayers for a land that our family loves.

"Oh God of all Creation
Bless this our land and nation
Justice be our shield and defender
May we dwell in unity, peace and liberty
Plenty be found within our borders."

Dear God of all Creation, hear our cry.

I Sing My Lament

Tired this Friday morning and longing for God, I find myself again in this place of quandry. The pathways that were so familiar for so many years, the ones that almost guarnateed the destination, feel a little like abandoned trails that no longer reach the place of my longing. Exploration of Him and discovery of expressions of His community that have filled me like a rich meal, leave me nostalgic for those hard and beautiful days in Europe when we pressed into the journey together.

I pull up some favorite music on the ipod to pump through the speakers into our living room. It's U2 and Bono is belting out:

"You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross
And all my shame
All my shame
You know I believe it
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for..."

I believe it. That doesn't quaver. And the admission that what we find around us is still not quite IT comforts me along the way. We are all broken and we form no perfect communities. That's a given. But it's ok to long. In fact, it's healthy to long.

Next up is U2 again singing "40". The haunting refrain becomes my prayer for Kenya.

"How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long? How long?
How long? How long... to sing this song?"

I stand in my living room with the prayer lifted up for the brokeness and pain. The verses, taken from Psalm 40, become my hope for that land.

"I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry.
He brought me right out of the pit,
Out of my miry clay.
I will sing a new song...

He set my feet upon a rock,
And made my footsteps sure
Many will see,
Many will see and fear
I will sing, sing a new song..."

There are times when I can express my prayers without assistance. Today I am grateful for the lamentations of an Irishman as they help release the things in my heart.

Trevor, Off and Away (or My Prayers go Walkabout)

Trevor left for California today. He retraces his flightpath from Kilimanjaro to Nairobi to Rome to Washington D.C. to L.A. Bless him. It was amazing to have him here. You already know how much we don't like seeing him go. That's well documented in the posts tagged "Off to College." He goes to a good place full of good people for good reason... So, despite the sadness, we rejoice!

News from Kenya continues to shock and sadden us with at least 350 people killed during the violence. My prayers are all over the place--praying for peace in my old home, safety for dear friends, healing for other friends fighting heavy battles against cancer. And all these "serious" prayers are interspersed with little personal requests like, "Could you keep Trevor's guitar safe on the trip home?"

The Lord must wonder at me. I don't pray in priority order or by degree of seriousness. I pray as an on-going stream of consciousness conversation with someone I believe hears me.

Thanks for Prayers

Several of you have asked if there was news of my cousin, Brenda. (See post called "Brenda" two posts down.)

My uncle wrote us all today with the news of her passing. I will copy a portion of that below.

"Early this morning our much loved Brenda went peacefully to be with her Saviour. We are thrilled for her, no more pain, a new body, dancing with the Saints,couldn't be better. The pain for us is severe but it will not last. Please pray for her family today."

Thank you so much for continued prayers for her entire family, especially for her husband and children.

If I could think of something to say in response to the sadness of this loss, I guess I would write it.

Some times silence is best.

Brenda

I sent the following out as a note to some friends today. Then I remembered that I have friends in blogdom who would pray too.

My cousin, Brenda, is younger than me and the mother of four. She has a very strange disease which creates ulcers all over her body, (Pyoderma Gangrinosum.) They treated it with strong chemo that did a terrible amount of damage and she went into a coma. She has now been in a persistent vegetative state for 6 weeks.

Yesterday the tremendously difficult decision was made to stop feeding Brenda. They expect her to pass in the coming days or weeks.

Please, please pray for Brenda and for her family. Obviously her husband and four kids are totally wrecked. Brenda is the oldest of three sisters and her dad is one of my mum’s younger brothers.

We are still asking the Lord to wake her up, but trusting Him in it all. Not that trusting is always that easy.

Countdown to Spain

This Saturday, before dawn, Byron and I will head out to Spain for a week of 24-7Prayer events.

I'm getting excited! I always look forward to seeing the rest of the leadership team and I love what goes on at the Round Table and the annual gathering, the Feast.

We fly from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Schipol in Amsterdam. Then we go Schipol to Madrid, where we will arrive close to midnight and find our way to Kelly and April's for a little sleep :-) (Can't wait to see those guys!) Next day we'll train from Madrid to Seville, where we join the rest of the team.

After the initial days of leadership meetings and Round Table times, the real fun will begin. From around the world, they will come, lovely people who have taken the call to Prayer, Mission and Justice quite literally and who are praying and mission-ing and justice-ing all over the place! It's always a big JOY to be together, hear the stories, celebrate and get filled up.

AND BARBARA IS COMING TO SPAIN TO SEE US!! Woohoooooooooooooo!!

The Russell family have 4 home schooling kids, and 4 puppies that lost their mama and need to be bottle-fed every few hours. We thought it would just add to their happy hub bub to throw Colin and Heather into the mix for the days we are away :-) Ha! We are so thankful for a home that really feels like our second home for our kids to be folded into it.

I'll be leading two seminars at the Feast. Oh!

Tears... ( or, Learning How to Pray)

Today I received an update from my friend, Tamara.

I think I will not try to explain the long story but just tell you that the last two years of life for her and her extended family have been unbelievably difficult.

Reading Tamara's words made my eyes fill up with tears. I am out of words when it comes to prayers for their situation.

But the tears were cool on my cheek and I just let them sit there.

Today, fresh quiet tears are my prayers.

Safe from Abuse

This is Heather and friends at school.

Look at all those sweet faces!

Heather has not been in school for very many years but during that time I have always taken her safety completely for granted. I have never worried that teachers at her schools would prey on her.

Yesterday as our family watched the documentary Dear Francis I was reminded that this is not the case for African school girls. Across Africa, the rape of even very young school girls by their teachers is extremely prevalent... horrifically common.

I remember a situation in our very remote location in Kenya where a young school girl was refusing to return to school. She was being told she had to return when the term began again. She was adamant that she did not want to return.

In the end, this young Maasai girl got into the strong pesticide used to keep ticks off her father's herds and drank some. She took her own life rather than return to school.

It was a huge scandal in the community. Byron and I always suspected that she was being raped by a teacher and that is why she would not return.

The fact that she made some noise was very unusual. Most commonly, these students have no voice.

Take a look at Heather and her friends again. What would our communities do if girls like these were regularly in danger of sexual abuse at school?

The continent of Africa and her extreme challenges can threaten to overwhelm and paralyze us. Still, I am convinced that many small people doing their small parts do actually make a difference.

Our Broken Nation

Please pray for this nation, the United States, today as there are reports of copy-cat threats emerging since the airing of videos made by the Virginia Tech killer.

There are so many directions that I'd like to point my finger.... irresponsible media heading the list right now.

But pointing fingers never really helped anything.

We are a nation of empty souls, desperately in need of filling.

Your prayers are appreciated.

Wordless Prayers

32 dead on a Virginia campus today.

"The worst shooting in U.S. history."

If I could think of words I might write them, might pray them.

But words don't come. Instead, my gut aches.

I take this ache and point it toward heaven. There is One who understands how to interpret this cold, clamy pain in my stomach into prayers.

He hears. I believe this.