Therapist faces expulsion for views on homosexuality
A Christian psychotherapist is the subject of a professional conduct inquiry in London for supporting therapy for those with unwanted feelings of same-sex attraction. Dr Davidson is a trainee with the British Psychodrama Association (BPA) and also a director of Core Issues Trust, a non-profit Christian ministry supporting men and women with homosexual issues who voluntarily seek change in sexual preference and expression. He took part in a BBC local radio broadcast in January 2012. As a result of comments he made about homosexuality, the BBC interviewer - among others - complained to Dr Davidson’s professional body. In response to a question, Dr Davidson said: ‘Yes I do believe homosexuality is a sin.’ The initial charges against Dr Davidson were purely against the expression of his views and therefore an issue of free speech .
Pray: for Dr Davidson that his expression of beliefs will not lead to expulsion. (Pr.8:13)
New push to legalise assisted suicide
Lord Falconer will have another go at legalising assisted suicide – despite being soundly defeated last time. He says he will introduce a Bill to the House of Lords in the summer, but peers rejected a similar effort in 2009. The Care Not Killing group, which opposes assisted suicide, believes the Lords will reject this latest attempt. Currently, assisted suicide is a crime in the UK but some terminally ill patients travel to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland and are helped to commit suicide. Under Lord Falconer’s new proposal, relatives of terminally ill people could legally help with travel to the clinic or with a drug overdose at home. Peter Saunders, campaign director of the Care Not Killing group, said a new bid to change the law had been expected. He said he believed the Lords would reject the attempt.
Pray: that this further attempt to legislate in favour of assisted suicide would not succeed. (Pr.14:27)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/peer-in-new-push-to-legalise-assisted-suicide/
Teachers risk facing the sack
Over 40,000 teachers have said they would risk being dismissed from their jobs by refusing to teach children about samesex ‘marriages’ in schools. According to a new ComRes poll released this week, one in ten teachers said they would refuse to cover same-sex ‘marriages’ in their lessons, while 74,000 - one in six - said they ‘wouldn’t be happy about it.’ Commenting on the survey, Campaign Director for the Coalition for Marriage, Colin Hart, said: ‘As this recent poll shows, tens of thousands of teachers face the real prospect of being disciplined, or sacked, over the Government’s proposals to redefine marriage, creating a poisonous atmosphere in every staffroom in every school.’
Pray: for this situation and others that are likely to occur following Tuesday's vote that these potential consequences will not materialise.
Spain: Growing corruption scandals involving key institutions
Just one day after a tense debate in Spanish parliament on how to stop political corruption, a leading newspaper published Thursday what it said were handwritten documents detailing 19 years of secretive payments to leaders of the ruling conservative Popular Party. El Pais newspaper said the alleged payments through 2009 - off the party's normal books - went to Mariano Rajoy, a long-time party leader and Spain's prime minister since December 2011, and to numerous other current or former top party officials. The party quickly issued a statement Thursday morning, denying any ‘hidden accounts’ and insisting that all payments to party leaders have been ‘legal and in compliance with tax obligations.’ Thursday evening, hundreds of protesters reacting to the report gathered near the ruling party's headquarters. They were kept back a distance from the building itself by riot police on two ends of a long street.
Pray: against corruption in high places and that justice would reign. (Is.1:4)
More: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/31/world/europe/spain-corruption-scandals/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2
Spain: Growing corruption scandals involving key institutions
Just one day after a tense debate in Spanish parliament on how to stop political corruption, a leading newspaper published Thursday what it said were handwritten documents detailing 19 years of secretive payments to leaders of the ruling conservative Popular Party. El Pais newspaper said the alleged payments through 2009 - off the party's normal books - went to Mariano Rajoy, a long-time party leader and Spain's prime minister since December 2011, and to numerous other current or former top party officials. The party quickly issued a statement Thursday morning, denying any ‘hidden accounts’ and insisting that all payments to party leaders have been ‘legal and in compliance with tax obligations.’ Thursday evening, hundreds of protesters reacting to the report gathered near the ruling party's headquarters. They were kept back a distance from the building itself by riot police on two ends of a long street.
Pray: against corruption in high places and that justice would reign. (Is.1:4)
More: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/31/world/europe/spain-corruption-scandals/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2
Workers inside Libya started a prayer initiative to pray and fast for Libya during the first 90 days of 2013. YOU are invited to join them!
They write:
"Something incredible is happening in the nation of Libya. God is working in an unprecedented way. We are trusting in faith for Disciple Making Movements to start in 2013. We are in an unprecedented time of history in this nation. There are many new workers inside Libya who are committed to pray & fast for the people of Libya for the first 90 days in 2013. Starting on January 1st, and finishing March 31st, would you be willing to join in with us to see this breakthrough happen? You can respond by picking a day in the week or the month that you want to join in this prayer effort and also pass this on to as many people you know to love and pray for Libya!"
Go to: https://www.google.com/calendar
Prayer:
1. Pray that the Lord would protect the local believers from extremists.
2. Pray for stability and a government that would bring law and order without bringing yet another totalitarian regime.
3. Pray for workers to get residence permits more easily.
4. Pray that Arab Christians would be willing and able to get jobs and share their faith.
5. Pray that expatriates who go would be committed to stay after they run into the difficulties of life in the country.
You can read more information to help inspire your prayers by visiting this website: http://pray4libya.net
Each year the poor suffer, children unnecessarily die, and the majority of the world population suffer hunger and unnecessary illness because of improper stewards of our Global financial resources (1 Trillion US$ goes missing each year due to corruption activities! If you want to see what 1 Trillion dollars looks like please take a look at the attached presentation). In Africa $148 Billion US Dollars goes missing that is 25% of our total GDP!
God cares about this, and so should Christians and the Church!
Please pray for:
• Ongoing passion and commitment among our team and our partners to mobilize Christians and the Church around the issues of poverty and corruption.
• We urgently need to get some additional funding in order to continue to pay our staff, meet our financial commitments and continue to develop our toolkits for the Church, Business and Government engagement.
• Please pray for our Press and Partner event in Cape Town on the 11th of March. This will be a significant marker for EXPOSED.
Unashamedly Ethical
The role that God is calling Unashamedly Ethical to play in South Africa and across the globe is critical. More than ever we need Christians to take their place in Business, Government and the Church to establish Godly values and ethics.
South Africa is at a kairos intersection. The governing party and the government are failing the people. It is our privilege to pray for the nation and its servants, and also to support them and where appropriate hold them accountable for the responsibility they bear in governing for justice, peace and provision for all in the nation.
Please pray for:
• Our team of full time and part time workers and their families. Pray for safety, health and provision for their spiritual and physical needs.
• Please pray for the campaign in Southern Africa where we plan to add another 1 million signatories to UE in 2013. This strong base will allow us to engage with Church, business and government in a meaningful and significant manner to see the values of God’s Kingdom transforming and renewing society.
• Please pray for our need of human and financial resources in this campaign. In order to do this work we need approximately R2 million per year.
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Rise in post-traumatic stress disorder rates among British troops
New diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in British service personnel have increased, official figures show. A total of 94 members of the armed forces were newly registered as suffering the disorder between July and September last year, nearly four times the 25 diagnoses recorded in the same period in 2008. There were 305 new cases of PTSD among UK troops in the 12 months to September last year, double the 153 logged in 2007 to 2008, according to statistics released by the Defence Analytical Services and Advice. Rates of mental disorders were found to be significantly higher in personnel who had served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Women, soldiers, RAF personnel and non-officer ranks were also more likely to suffer mental health problems. A spokesman for Combat Stress, a mental health charity for military veterans, said "The nation is facing huge numbers of soldiers who will need help overcoming things they've experienced serving their country."
Pray: for all those members of our armed forces affected by PTSD and for a commitment to high quality treatment for them. (Ps.34:4)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9849097/Rise-in-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-rates-among-British-troops.html
Justin Welby confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury
The Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Justin Welby, has officially become the Archbishop of Canterbury at a ceremony, known as the ‘Confirmation of Election’, which took place in the context of an act of worship in St Paul's Cathedral today. The ceremony forms part of the legal process by which the appointment of the new Archbishop of Canterbury is put into effect. It was presided over by the Archbishop of York with the assistance of the Bishops of London, Winchester, Salisbury, Worcester, Rochester, Lincoln, Leicester and Norwich. All were commissioned for this purpose by Her Majesty The Queen – who is the ‘Supreme Governor’ of the Church of England. Bishop Justin’s name was put forward to The Queen some months ago by the Church’s ‘Crown Nominations Commission’ in accordance with constitutional arrangements that have been in place for many years.
Pray: for the Right reverend Justin Welby that he will be blessed by God in his new role at a time when the challenges to the church are so significant.. (Ac.20:28)
More: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/articles.php/5014/justin-welby-confirmed-as-archbishop-of-canterbury-at-st-pauls-cathedral
Church of England raises fears over future of RE in schools
The Bishop of Oxford, the Church’s lead spokesman on education issues, said ministers viewed the subject as a “scary nuisance”, despite retaining a legal requirement for schools to teach it. The Rt Rev John Pritchard’s warning came in a letter to bishops following a meeting with David Laws, the Liberal Democrat schools minister. Highlighting RE’s exclusion from the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), the new school leaving certificate, the bishop wrote: “The state and future of RE is still a major concern. Not only is it not in the EBacc, but teacher training places have nearly halved and a spiral of decline seems inevitable. The latest survey shows secondary schools not filling vacancies and reducing time for RE, and some primary schools giving the responsibility to teaching assistants.” He added: “We’ll keep up the pressure as I’m sure you will too, but it’s clear that Government has no real interest in RE.”
Pray: for an appreciation of the importance of RE in providing a foundation for our cultural history and our nation's moral a spiritual welfare (Dt.6:4-7)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9844144/Church-of-England-raises-fears-over-future-of-RE-in-schools.html