Global prayer circle bent
(Originally written May 11)
Africa, once thought of as the “dark continent,” is now sending missionaries filled with fire to evangelize North America. One of the recent leading papal candidates was an African cardinal. Also, within the Anglican Church, Africa rejects the tolerance doctrine on same-sex marriage, insisting North American Anglicans stick to the Bible instead.
Even though Africa today is a continent of social turmoil with civil wars and an AIDS epidemic, its Church is more vibrant and alive than in North America.
Breakdown of the family, depression, addictions and suicide continue to dramatically rise, while church attendance in North America continues to fall. Pastor Dan McNaughton from Calgary Full Gospel Church says most Calgary churches find only one-third of its members actually attend a service on any given Sunday.
Pentecost Sunday, May 15 at 3 p.m., marks Calgary’s first year of participation in the Global Day of Prayer (http://www.gdopcalgary.com), to be held in Calgary at the Pengrowth Saddledome. This prayer revival has come to North America, once again, by way of Africa.
Beginning in Cape Town, South Africa four years ago, this “Canopy of Prayer” now encompasses 56 countries in Africa (more than 1,200 towns/cities) with more than 22-million people participating in a day of prayer. This year, more than 240 countries will participate via satellite.
Alberta and B.C.‘s participation will close the global prayer circle, and Edmonton and Canmore will also participate with their own prayer rallies.
Canada’s pluralistic tradition of choice is derived from our Christian heritage. But Canada is in great need of prayer. Apathy, not AIDS, is reaching epidemic levels. “Battered citizen syndrome,” similar to “battered wife syndrome” is creeping up on us because many feel there is no hope for change or improvement of morals from those that govern us. We are black and blue from over-exposure to lies.
One lie that continues to resonate is the twisting of “separation of church and state.” Calgary MP Rob Anders recently explained in the House of Commons that separation of church and state is actually an American concept by way of Thomas Jefferson: “When he talked about the separation of church and state, he was merely doing so for the idea of an ecumenical (Protestant and Catholic) Christianity in the United States. He was not advocating that church leaders abdicate the public square.”
The church in Canada has in many ways allowed itself to be pushed to the periphery by abdicating its traditional role of defending moral values. And most people have forgotten that less government bureaucrats were once needed because the church’s records alone were the final say regarding births, deaths and marriage.
It has been my observation over the years that the more a church evolves away from reliance on the Bible, the more the Church’s pews empty over time. Change begins within each of us and what many seeking tolerance rather than absolutes don’t realize is, “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty.” (II Cor. 3:17)
Copyright ? 2005 Janet L. Jackson.
Columnist for the Calgary Sun, Janet L. Jackson is also Executive Director of the Canadian Conservative Union. Through her work with conservative political action committees, Jackson has been an effective and prominent voice for preserving traditional marriage, religious freedom and free speech.
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