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Over 10,000 people have signed the Jubilee Debt campaign petition for a ‘Jubilee for Justice’ calling for cancellation of the unjust debts of the most indebted nations, the promotion of just and progressive taxation policies, and an end to harmful lending which forces countries into debt. At the start of 2013, over 400 faith leaders signed a similar letter to the Prime Minister calling for the same three things to tackle the global debt crisis. The Prime Minister’s response to the faith leaders said that “Freeing developing countries from their debt service payments frees up vital resources that can be used to support the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals” and that the UK had been doing this through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. The organisation has now written to the Prime Minister again, with six concrete proposals of how the UK government could cancel unjust debts, promote just taxation and control lending.
Pray: for world Governments and the IMF to recognise the need for debt cancellation and ending unjust taxation. (Lev.25:28)
More: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/19116
Delivering his Easter sermon at Canterbury Cathedral, Dr Rowan Williams affirmed that it was possible to experience joy and happiness in spite of difficult circumstances. He pointed to the examples of Christians who remain faithful despite facing threats and attacks in Pakistan and northern Nigeria. ‘Authentic happiness doesn’t take away the reality of threat or risk of suffering; it’s just there. This is one of the hardest things to get hold of here. How can I feel ‘happy’ in a world so full of atrocity and injustice? How can I know joy when I’m aware of my own failure, my own shabbiness, my own depression? There are no answers in theory because this isn’t a matter of theory. Joy’, he maintained, was ‘not feeling cheerful or simply pretending that things are not so bad after all and it’s a grim reproach that’s all too often what people half-expect from Christians, a glib and dishonest cheerfulness,’ he said. Pray: for people to find a lasting connection to joy through Jesus Christ. (Ps.19:8)
Jesus and Mary are usually the centre of attention at the school Nativity play, but Iain Duncan Smith says society – and the church – would do well to pay more attention to Joseph. Writing in the Daily Mail last week, the Tory MP said Joseph was the ‘forgotten hero’ of the story of Christ’s birth. The example set by Joseph in standing by Mary and Jesus offered, he said, a ‘very clear message for our own time’ in which generations of young people are growing up without fathers. Mr Duncan Smith said society seemed to have forgotten the important role played by fathers, from providing shelter and placing food on the table, to nurturing and supporting their children. ‘It’s about providing the best male role model that a man can have,’ he said. Mr Duncan Smith pointed to the link between fatherlessness and family breakdown, high levels of truancy, anti-social behaviour, youth crime, street gangs and teenage pregnancy.
Pray: for all fathers to recognise their responsibility to be a good role model for their sons. (Pr.1:8)
People are being asked about their sexual orientation, any ‘hidden impairments’ and whether they are transgender when they want to join a library. A national newspaper has learned that councils, including Islington and Haringey, are asking for the information reportedly in an effort to comply with equal opportunity rules. But critics attacked the questions, calling them unnecessary, intrusive and a waste of taxpayers’ money. In Islington people are quizzed on whether they have a ‘hidden impairment’, such as cancer, HIV or diabetes. They are also asked, ‘do you consider yourself to be a Gypsy or Traveller’, whether they are transgender, and: ‘how would you describe your sexual orientation’. Haringey Council asks: ‘Does your gender differ from your birth sex?’ Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Taxpayers will be alarmed to discover that their hard-earned cash is being wasted on such unnecessary and intrusive questions for people who just want to take out a book’.
Pray: for common sense to return to these councils so that intrusive personal questions will be dropped. (Pr.16:2)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/joining-an-islington-library-are-you-transgender/
Fairtrade Fortnight 2013 (25 Feb – 10 Mar) has now begun! This year we are being asked to sign Fairtrade’s petition to urge David Cameron to champion a better deal for the world’s smallholder farmers when the UK hosts the G8 summit in Northern Ireland in June. This year, F arairtradee ramping up the pressure. It is nothing short of a scandal that half of the world’s hungry people are the smallholder farmers who produce 70% of the world’s food, as our new report Powering Up Smallholder farmers to Make Food Fair makes clear. The fact that so many hungry people are food producers shows just how unbalanced our global food system has become. It’s madness that we allow hunger, poverty and exploitation to continue to scar the lives of millions of food producers, while in the UK it is reported we throw away one third of the food we buy.
Pray: that this challenge by Fairtrade will have the desired effect in raising awareness at the G8. (Pr.31:9)
John Sentamu, the charismatic Archbishop of York, appears to have been snubbed in the hunt for a successor to Rowan Williams, amid claims that church leaders are in ‘deadlock’ and could take months to nominate a new Archbishop of Canterbury. Speculation about who will be the next head of the Church of England went into overdrive after the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) failed to announce a decision. The CNC had been widely expected to send a two-name shortlist to the Prime Minister on Friday. The PM then recommends the leading candidate to the Queen. But instead, the commission released an opaquely worded statement saying ‘its work was continuing’. Leading contenders such as Dr Sentamu and the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, were thought to be out of the running Tuesday, with new favourites including the ‘compromise candidate‘ Graham James, the Bishop of Norwich and dark horse Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham. (See item 5 below)
Pray: for wisdom and God’s guidance for those charged with the responsibility of the selection of the new archbishop. (1Sa.16:7)
A special church service with a focus on poverty will be taking place at the start of the Labour Party's annual conference. Joel Edwards, leader of the Micah Challenge anti-poverty movement, will challenge Labour MPs and conference delegates to commit to ending poverty. The Christian movement is mobilising the church worldwide to hold governments accountable to the Millennium Development Goals to eradicate extreme poverty by 2015. Edwards will tell the Labour Conference delegates about The Jesus Agenda, which examines Jesus' mission statement and calls upon Christians to become advocates of the poor and vulnerable. The service takes place at St Ann's Church, Manchester, on 30 September and is being organised by the Christian Socialist Movement. It is a traditional and well-attended gathering point for Christians from all around the country to be a prophetic voice and pray for the Labour Party.
Pray: that the message that Joel will bring will be heard and accepted widely by the delegates. (1Cor.1:18)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/joel.edwards.to.challenge.labour.party.on.poverty/30669.htm
Launched by the Church of England, The Real Easter Egg, a milk chocolate egg to celebrate the real meaning of Easter, is said to be the first and only Fairtrade egg to mention Jesus on the box. Telling consumers that Easter is not all about cute bunnies, fluffy chicks, and eating too much chocolate. The packaging reveals the true message that Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, then rose again three days later on Easter Sunday. Many believe that chocolate eggs represent the boulder that sealed Jesus’ tomb and with eggs being widely thought of as a symbol of hope and new life, the custom grew where people exchanged gifts of chocolate eggs at Easter. Each sale made will benefit two charities, Baby Lifeline and Traidcraft Exchange, with proceeds going to purchase everything from medical equipment for new mothers in the UK to chickens for small-scale farmers in Africa. Pray: that this initiative will prove popular and will be a successful outreach opportunity. (Ac.5:20) More: http://www.christianpost.com/news/jesus-themed-easter-eggs-fill-supermarket-shelves-in-uk-49062/
Comedienne Jennifer Saunders says she does not like the sexualisation of pop music and is concerned about the effect of online pornography on boys. The actress, who is married with grown up daughters, criticised the sexual content of music videos, saying: ‘I don’t think it helps society’. Miss Saunders also commented that the proliferation of pornography on the internet is fuelling a wrong attitude towards women. She told Stylist magazine, in response to a question on pop’s sexualisation: ‘I don’t like it. I find the whole R’n’B sexual videos stuff really annoying.’ She said: ‘I think they are having to re-educate boys on how to treat women in schools, because of the internet and the amount of porn they see. I think that’s a shame.’ Last month a leading head teacher said the ‘liberal dogma of the past’ has left us with the ‘moral abyss of the present’, as she hit out at the sexualisation of children.
Pray: that more people at all levels of our society would speak out against our falling moral standards. (Jas.1:21-22)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/jennifer-saunders-criticises-sexualisation-of-pop-music/
The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Wales made a desperate plea on 7 September to nonconformist Christians in Wales. Addressing the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Wales in Lampeter, Rev Gwenda Richards said that selfishness has resulted in jealousy and strife among Welsh Christians and churches. ‘The great tragedy of Nonconformism in Wales is the unhealthy competitive approach that has thrived between denominations, between churches and even between members. Since the beginning of last century we’ve lived off competition – and I daresay that jealousy and stubbornness arising out of competition will be the death of us. Nonconformists need to find their unity in God.’ The Presbyterian Church of Wales has around 30,000 members in more than 700 churches. Its General Assembly is currently meeting at Trinity Saint David University, Lampeter. Pray: that a united vision may be granted to the Church in Wales. (Ge.11:9)