Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children
"After the scholars were gone, God’s angel showed up again in Joseph’s dream and commanded, ‘Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay until further notice. Herod is on the hunt for this child, and wants to kill him.’
Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother under cover of darkness. They were out of town and well on their way by daylight. They lived in Egypt until Herod’s death. This Egyptian exile fulfilled what Hosea had preached: ‘I called my son out of Egypt.’
Herod, when he realized that the scholars had tricked him, flew into a rage. He commanded the murder of every little boy two years old and under who lived in Bethlehem and its surrounding hills. (He determined that age from information he’d gotten from the scholars.) That’s when Jeremiah’s sermon was fulfilled;
A sound was heard in Ramah,
weeping and much lament.
Rachel weeping for her children,
Rachel refusing all solace,
Her children gone,
dead and buried.”
Matthew 2:13-18 The Message/Remix by Eugene Peterson
A sound was heard in Ramah,
weeping and much lament.
Rachel weeping for her children,
Rachel refusing all solace,
Her children gone,
dead and buried.”
Matthew 2:13-18 The Message/Remix by Eugene Peterson
Reading this passage, I thought about Jesus, probably the most famous child at risk in the Bible, and remembered how he was a huge threat to the authority and power of Herod. Then I remembered the other children at risk in that time period—the boys Jesus’ age and how the king, taking no chances, removed every possible threat by murdering them all.
Unfortunately, this kind of behavior continues to haunt the children of the world. The first prayer request on this week’s list came from a recent report by the Free Burma Rangers. I’ll give you a Readers Digest condensed version of this complex situation. The government of Burma (I don’t call it Myanmar because it is not recognized as a legally elected government) is intent on wiping out or conquering many ethnic groups in the country because they occupy areas rich in resources that the government wants.
And like the 62-year-old grandfather in one of the requests, many of these people — children, women, and men — have fled in fear from the Burma Army time after time after time. The government of Burma, through its army and militia, has continued this systematic campaign of murder, destruction, and enslavement for decades.
Would you join me in prayer this week for children at risk and their families in Burma, China, Costa Rica, Kenya, the U.S., and everywhere else in our global community? The Faces of Children prayer group will meet this coming Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, Midland in the Bride’s room. I hope you will also stay for lunch ($5) and a time of fellowship following the prayer meeting.
Blessings,
Chris
Unfortunately, this kind of behavior continues to haunt the children of the world. The first prayer request on this week’s list came from a recent report by the Free Burma Rangers. I’ll give you a Readers Digest condensed version of this complex situation. The government of Burma (I don’t call it Myanmar because it is not recognized as a legally elected government) is intent on wiping out or conquering many ethnic groups in the country because they occupy areas rich in resources that the government wants.
And like the 62-year-old grandfather in one of the requests, many of these people — children, women, and men — have fled in fear from the Burma Army time after time after time. The government of Burma, through its army and militia, has continued this systematic campaign of murder, destruction, and enslavement for decades.
Would you join me in prayer this week for children at risk and their families in Burma, China, Costa Rica, Kenya, the U.S., and everywhere else in our global community? The Faces of Children prayer group will meet this coming Wednesday, January 21, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, Midland in the Bride’s room. I hope you will also stay for lunch ($5) and a time of fellowship following the prayer meeting.
Blessings,
Chris
No comments:
Post a Comment