National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast 2020
The National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast in Westminster Hall has become a fixture in Parliament’s timetable, but until now numbers have always been limited. However, because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year the event will be held online – and for the first time ever, everyone can attend.
The Breakfast will be livestreamed on Tuesday, 30 June, from 8.30–9 am.
Visit Christians in Parliament for more information about the National Prayer Breakfast, or EventBrite to register for the Breakfast and sign up for Bible Society’s webinar (to attend the webinar, choose ‘Church leader’ when asked for your role).
Seeing Humanity at Work
Are there any jobs that the coronavirus pandemic has not affected in some way or another? I struggle to name even one.
The impact of the crisis on our working lives has been enormous. 856,500 people signed up for unemployment-related benefits in April according to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, and 9 million are currently on the government’s furlough scheme.
This article is one in a series (Connecting with Culture) from the the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.
Prayer Walking - Ways to love God and our Neighbour
If you’re taking a walk, consider prayer walking!
Prayer walking is a type of intercessory prayer that involves walking to or near a particular place while praying. As you prayer walk, your prayers extend beyond your own concerns, focusing directly on the needs of others and opening yourself to see them with God’s eyes and heart.
This article was published by the C.S.Lewis Institute - Discipleship of Heart & Mind
We Can’t Breathe
George Floyd is the latest in a long line of black people who, in recent years, have died at the hands of the police in America. This has led to a global outcry against racism, demanding fairness and equality in interpersonal relationships. But more than this, justice requires us to root out and re-order any system, structure, or narrative which privileges white people over people of colour and their cultures, norms, and perspectives.
Many consider racism against black people to be an American problem, but Britain’s imperial history has given us our own particular brand. While many white people would publicly denounce overtly racist behaviour, many of our systems are inherently racist and some people remain willing and conscious participants in them.
This article is one in a series (Connecting with Culture) from the the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.
Celebrate Pentecost this Sunday
Mark Woods at the Bible Society writes: "After the Ascension of Jesus, the disciples went into a strange time of waiting. All their old routines had broken down; they knew they had a message to share, but they weren’t sure what it was, and they didn’t know what was going to happen next.
"This Sunday the Church in the West celebrates Pentecost. In Acts 2 we read: ‘they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.' (The Message)
"And the rest is history."
Here are some resources for today ...
Normal People, Normal God?
‘It’s the most relatable thing I’ve ever seen.’
Such was my housemate’s review of Normal People, the BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney’s bestselling novel, and what finally convinced me to watch it. Twelve half-hour episodes later, I can confirm: she was right.
When I was growing up, I inexplicably longed for a film or a book or a TV series that contained no real drama. No deaths, no explosive break-ups, no extraordinary wealth or unbelievable meet-cutes… just something that showed life as it is.
This article is one in a series (Connecting with Culture) from the the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.
Breaking Open
I was reminded, recently, of a Hasidic tale which evokes Deuteronomy 11:18, and seems especially apt for now: ‘The pupil comes to the rabbi and asks, “Why does Torah tell us to ‘place these words upon our hearts’? Why does it not tell us to place these holy words in our hearts?”
‘The rabbi answers, “It is because as we are, our hearts are closed, and we cannot place the holy words in our hearts. So we place them on top of our hearts. And there they stay, until, one day, the heart breaks, and the words fall in.”’
It’s often the case that our own break-throughs seem to happen when we, ourselves, break open, isn’t it?
This article is one in a series (Connecting with Culture) from the the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity
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