Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

It's been fun (and, for me, educational) rolling out the Pray Connecticut blog and website in 2005. Thanks for your support and encouragement along the way. The crack staff and I are going to take off a few days and will resume blogging right after the New Year.

Have a great 2006!

6th Circuit says enough already to ACLU

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals struck terror into the hearts of the ACLU today by paying attention to what the Constitution actually says on the matter of church and state.

Specifically the Court noted

The First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state.

The ACLU had sued to prevent Mercer County, Kentucky from displaying historical documents which included the well-known subversive text, the Ten Commandments. In a rare display of "I've had enough," one of the judges said that the ACLU's

repeated reference 'to the separation of church and state' ... has grown tiresome.

This is a victory and early Christmas present for those of us who have actually read the Constitution (and yes, your author is a lawyer, before anyone asks) and know that the First Amendment was designed to prevent there being established an official government supported church or denomination. In this vein it will interest you to know that Connecticut had an official state religion supported by tax dollars until 1818 - the Congregational Church. Note that 1818 is almost 20 years after our current Constitution went into effect. That will scramble your mind a bit if you think about the implications for Federalism, etc. But that is a story for a different blog.

Get the full opinion of the case, entitled ACLU v. Mercer County, here.

Tags: Christianity, Evangelical, Connecticut, church and state

Top religious trends in '05 ... where do we go from here?

George Barna, perhaps the leading church researcher in the U. S., has come out with his review of the top trends in the church world in 2005. Among the more alarming things he mentions is the rise of Biblical illiteracy, particularly among youth, which he traces in part to the decline in family devotions.

Let's work and pray to reverse that trend, which could lead our nation to become like Europe, completely secularized and without hope to pass on to the next generations. Seeking purpose and meaning in life, some ethnic Europeans are converting to radical Islam - one Belgian girl, Murielle Degauque, even blowing herself up as a suicide bomber in Iraq recently.

Chuck Colson writes in a recent "Breakpoint" commentary:

This shocking incident reminds us that Islam is no longer confined to oppressed and angry Arabs. It is in our midst and deadly dangerous. But there’s something else going on: that is, the cultural setting in which people like Degauque make their choices....

The effects of European secularism, you see, are not limited to the children of Muslim immigrants. A culture where barely half the people believe in God, and far fewer practice any religion at all, cannot compete with Islam’s vitality. While Europeans have ceased believing in God, they and their children have not stopped needing Him: Their need for meaning and purpose has not gone away. They have just been convinced that these will not be found inside a Christian church.

I don't believe this has to be our future; indeed, there are signs of life for the American Church. Nor does the weakeness of faith in Europe negate what God is doing all over the world, shaking Asia, Africa, and Latin America with powerful revivals. Let's press in together in prayer to see a mighty outpouring of God's grace in our region in 2006 and beyond!

Tags: Christianity, Evangelical

Some Media Insensitivity in Nilan Murder

Because of the emphasis of this blog I typically wouldn't comment on particular crimes except as they highlight the need for prayer for a particular region or a situation in the State. However, I was provoked when I read about the death of jogger Judith Nilan and saw the insensitivity on the part of some of the press. First, it's debatable whether we need all the lurid details. It may be our CSI-crazed society that wants to know or picture these things, but a little self-policing can hurt no one.

A second aspect: as most will have heard, Ms. Nilan's body was discovered on property belonging to Carroll Spinney, who plays Big Bird on Sesame Street. So it was more than a little disturbing to see Yahoo! News pick up a story from E! Online with a headline that read, "Body Found at Big Bird's Nest." Imagine this being your loved one found in such a state and then encountering that. Headline writing can be difficult, but certainly one could have incorporated the fact of Mr. Spinney's ownership of the property, if it were necessary, without resorting to such a stunt. Will anyone apologize for this?

Tags: Connecticut, News, Yahoo

Ronald Reagan on Christmas

"Our coins bear the words 'In God We Trust.' We take the oath of office asking his help in keeping that oath. And we proclaim that we are a Nation under God when we pledge allegiance to the flag. But we can't mention his name in a public school or even sing religious hymns that are non-denominational. Christmas can be celebrated in the school room with pine trees, tinsel and reindeers but there must be no mention of the Man whose birthday is being celebrated. One wonders how a teacher would answer if a student asked why it was called Christmas."

Nothing I can add to that.

Tags: Christian, Evangelical

ABC News spotlights students praying for Supreme Court

View this video from ABC's Nightline about student interns in Washington, D.C. praying for the Supreme Court and asking God to intervene in our nation. Includes an interview with Lou Engle, author and founder of their prayer ministry, known as Justice House of Prayer. It's rare to see a news spot that doesn't make all believers, especially the ardent ones, look like they're off their rockers.

Tags: Christian, Evangelical, Supreme Court, Abortion

Revamped Pray CT Website Launches!

It's not that I can't make up my mind, I just want the site to look nice and be easy to use. So, with those two principles in mind, we relaunched our website Saturday night.

Just one glitch that I am aware of: the Church Google Map does not work properly in Firefox browsers. Internet Explorer seems just fine, though. Please let me know if you spot anything else squirrely.

Thanks to all of you who have encouraged and complimented us on the site and this blog. I'm praying they will grow into a great resource for Christians in our State in 2006!

Tags: Connecticut, Christian, Evangelical

Christmas notes from The Christmas City... and services for the depressed

From the "It Had To Come to This Eventually" Department: A California Methodist church is holding a "Blue Christmas" service for people who get depressed during the holidays.

Pastor Barbara Smith says, "It's designed for all of us to acknowledge in the midst of all these activities that we have this sadness."

In the same vein, and closer to home, the First Congregational Church of Kent will hold an alternative Christmas service tomorrow.

“The purpose of this worship service,” explains the church’s pastor, the Rev. Melinda Keck, “is to provide a setting where people can come together, acknowledge their pain, be reassured that they are not alone in their feelings and to experience the message of God’s unconditional love, which is at the heart of this season.”

Not a bad idea to be sure, but I can't help wondering how many people would be helped a bit in their emotions if the entire society would embrace the joy of Christmas, instead of turning it into the annual war it has become.

What do I mean? Read this touching and nostalgic piece by Bill Stanley in the Norwich Bulletin about the days when Norwich was called the Christmas City. And have a Merry Christmas!

Tags: Connecticut, Christian, Evangelical, Christmas

Christian education gets a boost

More signs of warming towards the evangelical community: some favorable press for Grace Christian School in Stamford. Grace Christian is the only independent, non-denominational Christian school in lower Fairfield County, drawing from a population base of 300,000 or more. Pray for this school and all the Christian schools in the State, especially in areas lacking any significant evangelical representation.

Tags: Connecticut, Christian, Evangelical

A few money notes

A few items of interest on the State's economic front for prayer and reflection:


Lost wages

Connecticut has the highest wages in the country, with a median household income of $56,409. This is good news, although as we all know, it is certainly not distributed very evenly. Still, we give thanks. As a State we are bored with the fact that we are richer than our cousins, so the media was more excited about the fact that Fairfield County (usually called the Gold Coast in these stories) dropped to No. 3 in income, behind Middlessex and Tolland Counties. Cute comments:

We'll pray for them," quipped Fred Carstensen, director of the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis. "Obviously Fairfield County should probably file for some emergency relief."

I'm glad to see that Pray Connecticut is having such an impact on society!

"Hard times down here is when people buy the 500 series BMW instead of the 800 series BMW," said defense attorney Mickey Sherman, who has represented some of the area's well-heeled residents.

The funny thing is, he's right.


Window Windfall

New London picked up a cool $400,000 from the sale of a Tiffany window. They'll use the money for police cruisers. Or legal bills from eminent domain cases, I guess.


This isn't news to some of us ...

Turns out the Stamford-Norwalk metro area is the second most expensive in the country, beat only by San Francisco. You have to make just over $60,000 to afford a two-bedroom apartment. So if you are not making $29 an hour, forget it.


Sub fight veterans back to fight for jobs

Continue to pray for the economy of the eastern shore, as Electric Boat is facing the loss of about 2400 jobs.


Tags: Christian, Connecticut, Evangelical

Close your eyes, kids... we're getting onto 91!

Peter Wolfgang is blogging over at the Family Institute of CT about the profusion of so-called "adult" billboards in our State in recent years. He also talks about Kingdom Life Church evicting a bookstore selling the stuff. Let's pray against these over-the-top ads and the effort in society to make all this normal. Not sure that such imagery hurts anybody? Read this by the Canadian Insitute for Education on the Family.

Tags: connecticut, evangelical, christian

New Haven clergy uniting to do good

Pastor Todd Foster from Church on the Rock - New Haven and other area pastors were inspired to work together in the aftermath of Katrina and decided to continue to do good "near and far." Pastor Todd has launched a blog connected to the effort called New Haven 828. Check it out; this looks like a noble work. What force in society is equal to the compassion of Christ Jesus within His Church?

Tags: Connecticut, New Haven, christian, evangelical

Or do we? Keeping the flu away...

At the risk of drawing some chuckles from our more secular readership, it's important that we as a State begin to pray and claim the promises of Psalm 91, particularly where we are promised that "no evil shall befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling." (Ps. 91:10) What's up? Simply this: more and more little outcroppings of the bird flu.

A ninth man has died in Indonesia from the virus, and some continue to fear the bug will mutate into something easily transmissible between human beings.

Closer to home, the New Britain Herald had a great piece about how plain awful things were around here the last time there was a flu pandemic, including this terrifying bit:

In Connecticut, approximately 8,500 people died in a four-month span, between Sept. 1 and Dec. 28, 1918. More locally, 466 people lost their lives in New Britain during this time frame, more than 200 in Middletown died and more than 100 died in Bristol, according to the Connecticut Health Bulletin, A Journal to Promote Public Health, dated April 1919, which was put out by the state’s public health department.

Read the whole story here.

In 1918 our State population was approximately 1.4 million, so 8,500 deaths would equate to a proportional death toll of about 25,000 today. This is truly frightening and requires the thoughtful prayers of every believer in the State.

For more on bird flu in general, check out the BBC's flu page here.

Tags: connecticut, christian, evangelical, bird flu

At least we've got our health...

A mixed bag of blessings this week, as they say, in the news that we are the seventh-healthiest state in the US. Read the very interesting snapshot, which includes the bad news that child poverty is up about 20% - bringing our rate up to about 12%. On the brighter side, teen pregnancy seems to have dropped subtantially.

Danbury Mayor spearheading immigration push

Danbury's Republican mayor Mark Boughton has been gaining increased visibility over his efforts to bring immigration issues to the forefront of our political discussions. This past week, Mr. Boughton, together with the Democratic County Executive of Suffolk County (Long Island), announced the formation of a coalition to push for reforms. Boughton has recently claimed that Danbury's population is not really 70,000 but actually 90,000 owing to the presence of numerous undocumented workers from central and South America.

The left-leaning blogger ctblogger has posted this video of the press conference on Google.

Let's pray for wisdom and solutions to these issues, both in Connecticut and nationwide.

Tags: connecticut, evangelical, immigration

Animal Mutilations Mystify DEP

No, there aren't any chupacabras in Connecticut, but what is killing animals in Bethany? Theories abound, but nothing is certain yet.

Tags: connecticut

Notes from here and there...

• Despite running a surplus that some are estimating at $500 million, the Governor says state government cannot contribute its full share towards the funding of teachers' pensions. Right now the fund's liabilities exceed its assets by over $5 billion dollars. Pray for wisdom for this situation, which looms in our fiscal future.

• The US Justice Department is accusing Connecticut of taking $750 million under the No Child Left Behind law without while trying to avoid the requirements of the law. Federal officials said, "Now, on the eve of the deadline for implementing one of the central conditions of the act, the state seeks - first through a set of waiver requests and now through this lawsuit - to keep the funds while jettisoning the accompanying obligations." Pray for wisdom on this one as well.
  

• Mrs. Rell will be pleased to know that she has been determined to be the most popular Governor in the US. She probably received a big boost from the fact that she is not John Rowland, but she does have her own strengths or else she would not have maintained that spot. Let's pray that she will use her political capital wisely. (If you were wondering, Gov. Bob Taft of Ohio is the lest popular governor, with an approval rating of 18% compared to Mrs. Rell's 77%.)

• On the lighter side of life, try sending your Christmas cards from Bethlehem this year. I mean Bethlehem, Connecticut. It's a postmark with a little extra meaning.

Fined for cussin'

The Hartford Police are actually fining students for using bad language while they defy their teachers.

One girl, a sophomore at Hartford Public,

said she was ticketed for shouting an expletive in an officer’s face while handcuffed for taking a swing at him. “It’ll stop me from swearing,” she said. “Well, it won’t stop me from swearing, but I won’t cuss at the teachers.”

The AP has picked this up and is running it all over the country. I am curious as to whether people think this is a good thing or a bad thing, but it seems interesting enough to newspaper editors to carry it. The story has a certain Rudy Giuliani - no graffiti - no broken windows quality to it. However, as usual, the slices of life the press shows of Hartford do not enhance our State's reputation. Keep praying!

Big name political figures hit UConn

The firebrand conservative writer and speaker Anne Coulter stirs up trouble before even getting to U Conn. Cindy Sheehan is also coming. It's not dull up in Storrs.

Believing God for revival in New England

A couple of you have sent me this article from CBN concerning a "joyous revival" which is being predicted to sweep New England. Clearly God is preparing to do something in this region, but we would be very wise not to announce that something is happening when it is not; neither should we ever describe anything as revival before the time. True revival and transformation involves, as it did in the case of the Welsh Revival, a fundamental shaking of the entire society, and not a mere blessing:

It is estimated that 100,000 were converted throughout Wales during the revival just as Evan Roberts had predicted. Not all these turned out to be genuine but the effect of so many coming under the influence of the spiritual awakening meant that whole communities were transformed overnight. Crime was completely eradicated from some areas so that magistrates were given white gloves. Pit managers reported increased coal output and swearing diminished so much that the old pit ponies were disorientated. Outstanding debts were repaid and longstanding quarrels were settled amicably. The churches of the land were full of people praising God and praying fervently for the salvation of others, young and old, not only in the Sunday services but at the weeknight prayer meetings as well. Sir John Morris-Jones, one of the leading literary figures of the time, was amazed at the elevated language that uneducated people used in their prayers.

National as well as local newspapers gave day by day reports on the progress of the revival in different parts of the principality. Men and women, boys and girls, were seen calling on God on railway station platforms, train compartments and buses, while prayer meetings were held underground in the coal mines and in student common rooms. Notorious sinners were remarkably converted. Public houses were not only forced to close but in some cases the landlords were themselves transformed by the work of the Spirit.

Tags: Christian, Connecticut, Evangelical

ACLJ files brief in Kerrigan case

Although the legislature is not in session, persons opposed to maintaining the traditional family structure continue to work. The case of Kerrigan v. State of Connecticut is still active and seeks the redfinition of marriage in Connecticut, so as to include same-sex couples. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has now filed a friend of the court brief asking the Superior Court to dismiss the case. (Click here to see court docket sheet; no copy of the brief is available on the Web at this time.)

ACLJ attorney Vincent McCarthy stated that:

“Their argument is all that’s needed for marriage is two individuals who seek an intimate relationship with each other, and their sex doesn’t matter. But marriage was not established primarily for mutual gratification. It was always grounded in the interest of the State in regulating the procreation, protection and growth of children and to ensure that they had a mother and father."

Read the ACLJ press release here.

Please continue to pray for this case, which can have tremendous repercussions and which we cannot allow to go off the radar.

Gearing up for our annual war

No sooner do we finish figuring out what to do with the leftover cranberry sauce (why is it called sauce anyway?) when we must again figure out what to do with Christmas. God makes an annual appearance at Thanksgiving, of course, but that gets submerged in pie and revisionist history. Governor Rell did not even mention the Creator in her annual Thanksgiving Proclamation - instead urging us to join her "in expressing our deepest gratitude to those who touch our lives everyday and in extending a healing hand of hope to those who need it most." As if the United Way were the source of our blessings.

Still, it's Christmas that irks people, as the Christian content is so, to a secularist, in your face. Fox News's Jon Gibson struck early, releasing in October his book The War on Christmas. The leader of the ADL now reportedly says that Evangelicals are the "key domestic challenge to... our democratic values." But that was all just warm-up. Now the season is here and soon, probably no later than this weekend, each state will have one or two threatened court cases to focus on. Everyone will wonder where Judge Alito will come down on these things, should he be confirmed.

For concerned parents, the ACLJ (not the ACLU) has a letter here explaining peoples' legal right to sing Christmas carols, etc., in schools. Let the games begin but let not your hearts be troubled.

We'll follow any Connecticut Christmas religious liberty stories that pop up, If you hear of any, please let us know at our e-mail address in the side column.

Thanking the Author of all that is good

We thought we would share with you the Thanksgiving Proclamation of our first President, and please take note of the language. Whatever arguments people may throw out to say that Washington was a Deist more than a Biblical Christian, the references to Providence, national trangressions, etc. are telling.

General Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

Josh McDowell event stuns Meriden

Pastor Will Marotti of New Life Church in Meriden sends this report from Saturday night's event in Meriden with well-known Christian apologetics writer, speaker, and youth worker Josh McDowell:

Grace and Peace,

On Saturday night, November 19th more than 1,500 people packed O.H. Platt High School in Meriden to hear the music of Bradley, Seventh Day Slumber and the teaching of Josh McDowell. It was by all accounts an incredible night. Following the teaching more than two hundred adults and teens made documented decisions for Christ with nearly half of them indicating they were accepting Jesus for the very first time! More than 50 churches were represented from CT, MA, RI, NH and NY.

We want to thank those who collaborated with us to help make Saturday a great success!

Calvary Baptist Church – Meriden
Christ Community Church – Cheshire
Cornerstone Church – Cheshire
Colonial Chapel – Berlin
First Baptist Church - Meriden
WFIF – Milford
WIHS – Middletown
WVNE – Worchester, MA
Rock the Sound
The Cecil B. Day Foundation

and the more than other 50 churches and youth pastors who bought tickets and brought their kids!

Thanks to all and to everybody – Happy Thanksgiving!

Will and Ann Marotti
Staff and members of New Life Church

Let's give thanks for what the Lord is doing and continue to pray for this work of His grace!

New London spotlighted again (N. Y. Times)

The New York Times has follow up today on the Kelo v. City of New London eminent domain case.

Let's remember to pray for the economically struggling regions of our State. The Times notes that New London has:

...a high unemployment rate and fewer residents today than it had in 1920.

Are we really that cheap?

It's that time of year again, when the "most miserly state" in the Union is selected. Once again, New Hampshire has "won." But Connecticut is right up there, one of the six stingiest states. The AP report says:

Using the Catalogue of Philanthropy's standard, the 10 stingiest states, starting from the bottom, were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Minnesota, Colorado, Hawaii and Michigan. Connecticut, with an average income of $67,136, had average contributions of $3,565, ranking 45th.

Still, this report is criticized because of its methodology, comparing what people give to what they have. (Sounds at least somewhat Biblical to me.) By these standards, New England residents will always appear stingiest for they have higher incomes.

Old media reeling - is it any wonder why?

Brian Brown is blogging about the newest round of layoffs at the Courant and he attributes it, rightly we think, to that paper's trashing of family values. Warning: excerpt is not for the faint of heart. Is it any wonder why Christians (and many others who have not yet gone insane) are deserting the newspapers, getting their news online and selling their cars on eBay instead of the good ol' classifieds?

Read this article called "The End of News?" for the big picture. It's written from a left-of-center perspective and charts the decline of the newspaper business, among other things.

Connecticut church leaders cry out for transformation

This past Thursday some 150 pastors and ministry leaders from around the State and from a host of different backgrounds gathered at Wellspring Church in Kensington to seek the Lord for the transformation of Connecticut. This was a powerful and, above all, encouraging time of prayer and fellowship.

One of the highlights of the day was the premiere of the video, "When Connecticut Prays," produced by Gerry and Barbara Lachance. This DVD featured numerous Connecticut leaders speaking on prayer and community transformation. Both the DVD and Pastor Rick McKinniss, our host, ably set forth the vision for a series of prayer meetings to be held in each of our eight counties, leading up to a great statewide meeting to be held in Hartford on Pentecost Sunday, 2006, the Global Day of Prayer.

Other significant elements included:

• Anointed worship times led by Quigley Foran
• Wonderful fellowship and new friends made
  
• Times of free intercession where people cried out to the Lord for our State
  
• Prophetic word concerning the coming together of dried bones and the breath of God coming into them according to Ezekiel chapter 37. It was prophesied that God would turn our State into a Garden of Eden.
  
• Prophetic word concerning God coming into our State this year and 2006 like a fire and a hammer that breaks the rock. It was prophesied that He would come into churches like a fire and also come into certain places like a hammer, shattering foundations of evil and exposing it in Hartford, New Haven, Willimantic, Milford, Danbury, Litchfield, and throughout Litchfield County.
• Much thanksgiving was made to God concerning how much change there had been in the spiritual atmosphere and in the level of cooperation between Christians in the last several decades. Clearly we are not the same as we have been.
  
• The night before the meeting, one pastor had received the word "check," as in a game of chess. He shared how our nation was in a precarious position as though we were in "check" on a chessboard. Prayer, repentance, tears, and faith would be needed to avert trouble.
• Corporate prayer was offered to eliminate the effect of an occultic ceremony that was taking place that day in Massachusetts and which would affect the Connecticut River. We later learned that an earthquake occurred that afternoon only a few miles south of Plymouth, Mass.
  
• Another pastor received the message that it was time to go through the gate. Symbolically and prophetically, the attendees went through the gate and believed God for the beginning of the new season of advance which so many have been promised. This provided a powerful close to our time together, and participants committed to support the work of prayer leading up to the Day of Pentecost.

I don't think it would be any exaggeration to say that this meeting was a significant and, although we should always hesitate to use the word, historic event in the life of our State. Special thanks again to Pastor Rick McKinniss, his congregation, the Lachances, and many others for facilitating a great day of advance for the Kingdom of God in our State.

When Connecticut Prays

Today from 9 am to 3 pm there will be a prayer gathering for pastors and leaders with a heart to see Connecticut transformed through the power of God. Please pray for those in attendance that they will hear the voice of God for the State of Connecticut. Pray that there will be a momentum of prayer building from now until the Global Day of Prayer, June 4, 2006. Pray that there will be a full house with leaders who desire to see transformation for the State of Connecticut. Pray for the successful completion of a special DVD designed to promote prayer for our State, called "When Connecticut Prays." This will be a powerful resource suitable for showing on community access TV.

Meeting Location:

Wellspring (formerly Kensington Baptist Church)
222 Lincoln Street
Kensington CT

Directions and More Info: www.wellspring.net

One small step for a blog...

The Big News from the international headquarters of Pray Connecticut - we are mentioned in the Courant's Northeast Magazine dated 10/23/05. Well, linked to, actually. No discussion of our blog itself in the Courant's online edition, so I guess I am not annoying as many people as the Family Institute of Connecticut.

All kidding aside, it's OK by me if people stop by and are made to think and even pray about what goes on in these parts.

Fine, be that way...

Read this column in today's Courant, entitled "Don't End Up Like Connecticut." The author, Walter Ellis, is a former editor at the London Sunday Times. He writes this piece as an open letter to Brittany, in France, lamenting what the loss of farms has done to Connecticut, urging them to learn from our example and generally ripping our way of life to shreds.

The title is meant to shock, obviously, but it is probably true that there is a lot we can do to help our farmers, whom Ellis described as "sad, isolated figures."

Weird Connecticut This Week (Vol. 7)

The Weird Connecticut column returns. A little levity is good for the soul, after all.

• Identical twins allegedly try to fool a judge in New Britain. The reason: one had a final. (I wonder what she's studying.) I thought that stuff only happened on the Patty Duke Show.
  

• Why haven't I known before today that our cute little State has not one, but two museums devoted to garbage?

• And the kicker: Stamford police report that they arrested a man who sold his house for $670,000. That's no crime, and not even remarkable in Stamford. The criminal part came when he allegedly used the proceeds to set up a crack factory at the Stamford Suites on Bedford Street. Who knows? He might have gotten away with it if that address were not across the street from Stamford Police Headquarters.

Praying for another unknown people group

If you've been around evangelical circles for a while then you know that "unreached people groups" are often targeted for prayer, Bible translation, and evangelism. I'd like to propose we go to prayer for a despised and unwelcome group within American society which faces misunderstanding and even prejudice in our society. Who are these unfortunates? Parents!

Have a peek at this decision by the Ninth Circuit Court - easily the most frequently overturned court. However, you may judge for yourself when you read. If you live in the Ninth Circuit, you may no longer opt your public school children out of sex surveys, even if they are in elementary school. Quote from this opinion:

"... there is no fundamental right of parents to be the exclusive provider of information regarding sexual matters to their children."

This is beyond absurd, and in my opinion calls for civil disobedience. We have reached a level of animosity to religion and family similar to that of Soviet Russia, where, it is said, parents would sometimes stay up all night "unlearning" their children out of what they had "learned" that day in school. Thanks to the general collapse of morality in the Western world, parents have it hard enough as it is. Let's pray that our nation can recoup some sanity before we go right off the cliff.

Finding peace when conflict is everywhere

The Christian more than anyone is a person who can walk in confidence: confidence that God rules in the events of his life and that He is also the God of history. When we see great turmoil in the nations, we must turn to Him and recall the words of Psalm 46, where the Psalmist said the people of God would not fear "though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." (Ps. 46:2)

Faith and perseverance are necessary in our current climate. One phenomenon Christians face in this country is a whipsaw effect. We know that righteousness exalts a nation, and so we rejoice when spiritual or temporal victories occur. However, our hearts are too easily crushed by outbreaks of wickedness and the deliberate denigration of Christ and His Church. Both can happen on the same day, and so if we are not careful our hearts can be rattled by the schizophrenia of modern America. For example, this week we saw Texas overwhelmingly approving a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. In Maine, however, those supporting traditional families went down to defeat.

Keep a steadfast heart. Let's be sober-minded enough to realize that in any battle there are advances and setbacks. Continue to pray for all who are in authority, which Paul says we must do "first of all." (1 Tim. 2:1) As we remain faithful in prayer, God will do things we never thought possible!

Spam attacks blogs

Now that's a headline that couldn't have existed just a few years ago, although our moms might have thought it had something to do with Hormel. Anyway, because spammers are now stuffing blog comments as well as e-mail mailboxes, I am moving to a higher level of protection which will require people to enter word verifications when they make comments. You'll see something like this when you leave a comment:

You know how it works, I'm sure. Sorry for the inconvenience, but these things will continue to happen until the Spam Death Penalty Act of 2007 is passed and goes into effect.

Early and often... the real aftermath of Election Day

In Chicago the most famous political saying is "vote early and vote often," a reference to the many people who would "vote" in Windy City elections under false names, even the names of the dead. Our own elections yesterday probably didn't see that level of turnout, although there were a few surprises, including Mayor Jarjura returning to power in Waterbury on a write-in campaign, and a 22-year old ousting an incumbent to become mayor of Torrington.

What we can do early and often in Connecticut is pray. In 2006 the political stakes will be much higher. The pro-family agenda, already battered, finds that its champions are few and far between. Still, I believe that prayer can make a difference, that healing the land is possible to a people who will arise with faith in their hearts. There are many hopeful signs, as Christians in various corners of the State are seeing a new vitality in their churches and there is a new season of cooperation between believers of all stripes.

Let's start praying early for the 2006 elections! It remains within our power as people of prayer to write history and not merely study it.

Family Institute of Connecticut profiled in Courant

The Family Institute of Connecticut (FIC) and its Executive Director, Brian Brown, have been featured in the Courant's weekend magazine, Northeast. The story is largely positive, or at least doesn't give Brian Brown horns and a pitchfork. (Still, the usual tactics may still be at work, such as questionable camera angles or a candid close-up of Brian with his lip sticking out. If you pay attention, you will see these sorts of photo techniques used against people of faith or whoever the story sees as the villain du jour.)

The FIC's blog now has an RSS feed, which I recommend to you. They keep abreast of the issues statewide and do comprehensive work in the pro-family field, naturally.

Praying for France

I think it's important even while we think about our own elections tomorrow to spend some time praying for France. There are new concerns that the riots there will spread to other nations in the region, and, more alarmingly, that they are being well directed by others. Technology is also helping the rioters, as mobs are being orchestrated by text-messaging and internet. While economic concerns have been giving rise to disturbances of this type for many years, certainly on a smaller scale, the danger now is that Islamists will take advantage, if they are not doing so already.

To see the mood, watch this video of French President Jacques Chirac. It's in French, and my French isn't so good anymore, but you should at least watch this for the body language. Many people think that President Bush is painful to watch on TV, but this performance will not inspire confidence over there.

Armed guards escort people out of church building in Bridgeport

This one you really have to read to believe. A Black Rock (Bridgeport) church closes abruptly, and at the conclusion of the final liturgy (which apparently no one realized they were attending), two armed guards emerge to make sure everyone knows where the exits are.

If there is another side to this story, please someone let me know.

I stopped running the weekly "Weird Connecticut" posts a little while ago, but this has inspired me to pick it up again.

Follow-up on Eminent Domain case

Interview here with the attorney who represented the homeowners in Kelo v. New London. I like the reference to the New London Tea Party!

Christian Music Rolling into Connecticut this Weekend

The press knows we're a "blue state," so it's a little curious to some of them perhaps that we will be hosting a major Christian event in Bridgeport this Saturday, the Rock the Sound concert. New York City public radio has this interesting bit about Contemporary Christian Music , including a sympathetic (non-slamming) interview with author Mark Joseph and Rock the Sound organizer Joel Stier, who is bringing Rock the Sound concert into Bridgeport. You will find it very interesting and worth your time to listen to this interview.

Federal law to attack Connecticut property decision?

Looks like the House of Representatives is getting ready to pass a law punishing governments which take private property for economic uses. A number of State legislatures have already reacted to the case of Kelo vs. City of New London, in which New London took people's homes for a development, including a marina.

What Happens When Satan Rules the Street

I recommend to you as highly as I can this piece by Cindy Brown Austin, writing for the Courant. It shows very clearly the clash between good and evil in our capital - urban combat complete with turf-level spiritual warfare. It's all too easy in our schizophrenic State to overlook what is happening in our seat of government. Pray earnestly for Hartford, as without prayer all the hard work will be limited in what it can do.

New Christian Events Calendar for Connecticut!

I'm in the process of constructing a new Christian events calendar for Connecticut, which you can access here. The calendar will also be available from the link in the right-hand column, and will also be accessible from the PrayCT website very soon. (I was more than a little displeased with the performance of the one I had originally selected. Lesson learned: we get what we pay for!)

How to post events to the calendar:

Please e-mail us to post your events. Please provide as much info as you can. If you would like to post a brochure or flyer, you may also send them to me. Try to use Windows-friendly formats such as Word, Publisher, or PDF. I will host these files on the PrayCT server and therefore the calendar will enable people to quickly jump to your brochure. If you provide no brochure, I will instead provide a link to your church or ministry's home page. The service is free for the foreseeable future, but any donations to defray the cost (even micropayments) would be appreciated. Just click the Paypal button which appears in the right-hand column under "donations."

Episcopal Church Boiling Over in Connecticut

Several weeks ago, six Episcopal parishes, their elected officials, and five priests brought a federal lawsuit against the Bishop of Connecticut and the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the USA. Part of the ongoing dispute over the consecration of an open, practicing homosexual as the Bishop of New Hampshire, the lawsuit alleges numerous violations of State and Federal on behalf of Bishop Smith. The entire lawsuit can be read in PDF form here. To follow what I must sadly refer to as the implosion of the Anglican or Episcopal Church worldwide, go to www.ctsix.org, or Virtue Online.

Now the AP is reporting that the members of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, at their annual meeting, have come out strongly in favor of civil unions, and passed a resolution urging Bishop Smith to allow priests to officiate at these ceremonies.

Ordinarily in a post like this I would ask prayer for the Episcopal Church at this point - but is there any point to that? Hasn't such a denomination reached the point of no return? Please pray for those Episcopalians who are holding to the truth of God's Word and not melting like chocolate in the face of these pressures. Ask God for wisdom and help as they face the future...

Connecticut Going Nowhere Fast?

The Conncticut Economic Resource Center has come out with an alarming report on the future of Connecticut's economy. James C. Smith is the CEO of Webster Bank, one of the companies that commissioned the report, and editorialized about it in the Courant.

Smith notes the trends many are already aware of, but adds:

To be sure, these trends are similar to those in other Northeast states - a region that has seen people and jobs leave for other parts of the country. But Connecticut has lost more people and more jobs than other Northeast states.

Between 1990 and 2000, we experienced a greater loss of young adults (18-34) to other states than any state in the nation. We lost a congressional seat in 2000. Unless this trend is changed, we will more than likely lose another seat by 2030, further diminishing our clout in Washington.

In terms of median age, we are now the seventh-oldest state in the country. Our Medicaid spending per capita is twice the national average.

We have shown no net job growth over the past 15 years. In fact, we would have shown negative growth if not for the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos.

Then there is the growing disparity between our core cities and the surrounding suburbs. We are the most affluent state in the country, and yet we have three of the nation's poorest cities.

To download a copy of the report (PDF documents) go here.

Pray Connecticut Website Launched With New Features!

We're happy to announce that we've launched the new and improved Pray Connecticut website! The time required to work on that explains my absence from blogging for several weeks.

Please stop by and check out these features:

• The beginnings of a true Christian portal for the State of Connecticut, including links to all Connecticut municipal websites and nearly all online Connecticut news sources

• Our ever-growing Connecticut Church Google Map

• Brand-new Connecticut Christian Events Calendar

• Articles on a variety of prayer and discipleship topics (just starting)

• Loads of Christian links and Bible study resources (coming soon)

• Online Christian bookstore (coming soon)
  

We hope you'll stop in and watch us grow over the next few weeks and months. Please help us build the site by sending us info on your church event or suggesting a church for the map.

And now, we resume blogging...

Nature and Nature's God - how did they vote on Civil Unions?

Today's the day...

Here's my question: does a State Legislature even have the power to invent "civil unions?" Professor Bradley Watson writes:

"Henry Herbert, the second Earl of Pembroke, said that Parliament can do anything but make a man into a woman. In this remark, he was pointing to the idea that some things exist in nature, and Parliament, while supreme over human affairs, was not omnipotent. Parliament is, ultimately, a human institution that lacks power when it comes to controlling the articulations of nature and nature's God— the most fundamental and self-evident of which is the man-woman distinction and the natural consequences of it. It is also worth noting that Pembroke was speaking only of Parliament, not of the far more hubristic, nominally common-law courts of America, which have come much closer to toying with the order of nature than Parliament ever dreamed possible. We can now foresee the day when, in effect, courts will routinely declare men to be women, and vice versa, according to the political pressures of the age."

The phrase "nature and nature's God" also appears in an ancient document which is no longer read by our citizenry and which, if it were proposed to day, would be shot down as unconstitutional because of its religious references. I'm speaking, of course, of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration not only speaks of Divine Providence (the active working of the God of the Bible in history) and the Creator (referring to the active working of the God of the Bible as He makes all human beings in His image, thereby giving them inalienable rights and dignity), it also speaks of the laws of nature and Nature's God.

Thus, our founders understood that the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government were fenced in by natural law as well as the Christian consensus of society as revealed in the primary Judeo-Christian text, the Bible. There were certain things which could not be legislated (to say nothing of their being imposed by judicial power) even if a large segment of society agitated for them because society as a whole understood that they were contrary to the way human society was designed to function. We would say nowadays that they had no paradigm that would enable them to conceive of legislating such a thing.

Reason and experience, in addition to Scripture, taught our ancestors that the legislature has no power to destroy and, indeed, should only proceed very carefully to regulate, the relations between parents and children, or spouses. Thus there could be no government-sanctioned abortion, nor easy divorce, nor sodomy, nor civil union, nor tolerance of sharia law in Western nations - whether they were Protestant or Catholic nations.

Who or what gave our legislators and our governor the authority to obliterate the very definition of civil society as we know it has existed across the entire world for literally millenia?

Maybe it's time we started asking our legislators harder questions.

Connecticut Church Google Map being built

The busy folks over at the Pray Connecticut website (umm... that would be me) are in the process of constructing a Google map of evangelical, charismatic and what I suppose I would call "orthodox mainline" churches in Connecticut.
Jump over to check it out.

Please do not be offended if you are not on the map yet - I need you to help me build it! Spread the word around and together we can create a wonderful resource for believers and the unchurched in our State.



Each "pin" on the map is clickable and will show the location of the church, contact information, including a link to the church's website if there is one.

Check out this photo for an idea of what it looks like. Shown in this screen are the church I serve, and the pin at the lower right is our good friends at Presbyterian Church of Old Greenwich.

Hope to hear from lots of you on this one!

Final preparations for civil unions

Justices of the Peace are receiving their final training to get ready for civil unions on October 1st. After all, as one justice was quoted, "The last thing Connecticut needs are incompetent justices of the peace." Justices, at least so far, are able to refuse to civil-unionize same-sex partners based upon their convictions. We'll see how long that lasts...

And, Atty. General Blumenthal says Connecticut will recognize civil unions performed in other states.

Keep praying!

We're back...

Hope you like the new look of the blog. Some day I may tweak the colors to make it more like our state colors, but since it is fall it's OK for now. Not all our fans can be happy, few though they may be.

I've been swamped with a couple of projects and so have not been able to post. We should be more regular now - thanks for coming by!

Back to school...back to God

Years of concerted prayer for college campuses are bearing fruit as this story in Christianity Today attests. Faithful intercessors, including some tenacious student leasers, are redigging wells of revival originally dug centuries ago by men of faith who founded many of the Ivy League schools.

Remember to pray for Yale this fall, and all the college campuses in our area.

Civil Union getting ready to roll out

While Gov. Schwarzenegger gets ready to veto gay marriage, Connecticut is getting ready to launch its slightly watered-down version, the so-called "civil unions," on October 1st.

Here's a summary of what to look for from the Courant. However, we need to stay on guard in prayer that the courts do not expand this legislation beyond its parameters.

Praying for rain...

Praying for rain may strike you as an odd or antiquated notion, but it's actually a sign of a healthy spirit - one that can acknowledge its dependence on God and what He supplies.

The famous Bible passage which encourages us to pray for revival says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14) But what was the healing the land needed? Sometimes it was lack of rain.

In the verse before the famous one, God tells the nation of Israel, "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people..." (2 Chron. 7:13) This provides a little context. God has the ability, should He choose, to turn off the spigot.

The people of that day lived and died (literally) with the weather and the rain cycle that gave them their harvest. So God found it easier perhaps to get their attention than He does ours. Has anyone noticed the drought or near-drought conditions in our neck of the woods of late? Read this to see how some wells are drying up and just how little rain we are getting. Not only wells but also agriculture is being affected. (You can track drought conditions all over by going here.)

Take some time in your prayer closet this week to thank God for the provision which we so often take for granted. Then, and at the risk of sounding odd, or even antiquated, ask Him for rain in our region.

President declares a National Day of Prayer for Sept. 16

The President has declared a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the victims of the hurricane. In it he quotes the words of Jesus, "For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in."

Read the full text of the declaration here.

(One warning, the White House's website is a .gov, not a .com. The domain whitehouse, followed by the ".com" is something unsafe for children (and others) to view. Unfortunately, such is the state of society. Many people have mad the mistake of going to the wrong address and had their eyeballs assaulted.)

Give thanks for this declaration and let's pray earnestly for all those dislocated.

Connecticut will take some 1500 Katrina evacuees

Governor Rell announces the State will take in 1,500 evacuees.

Please continue to pray for the displaced. This is a time to show the compassion of Christ!

New website coming

I've decided I need to switch over to a new host. My old host has no record of me and none of my files. (Yes, I paid the bill!) Stay tuned.

The new site will be this, which is easier to spell and remember perhaps: www.prayct.org.

New e-mail should be up soon as well, which is info@prayct.org.

Website down

Our website at www.prayconnecticut.org has been pulled for some reason unbeknownst to me. The hosting company does not even show me in their records at the moment. I am at a loss to explain this but I am less than thrilled. Sorry for any unconvenience.

Waterbury area readers: Katrina relief efforts

First Assembly of God in Waterbury is providing relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Especially needed are water and diapers.

For details, call the church at (203) 753-8023.

Federal Judge grants Injunction to save air base

Governor Rell has been arguing that the Pentagon cannot realign the Bradley Air Guard base without her consent. A Federal Judge has agreed, at least temporarily.

Pray Connecticut Website launches!

I'm happy to announce that we have officially launched the new Pray Connecticut website. It's a work in progress, but functional enough at this point to help you find some news or some information about your hometown.

We will continue to add to it with the goal of making it a full-blown Christian portal for Connecticut!

Current pages include:

• a complete list of Connecticut newspapers on the web
• links to all municipal websites

Coming soon: an events calendar for Christian events in our State, church listings, teaching articles and other great features!

Stop by!

How can we pray for Connecticut? (Part 3)

In the previous posts in this series (see links below), we talked about how God has given "redemptive gifts" to different places and regions. These are gifts and abilities he has given to advance his cause and make us a blessing. We talked about how Connecticut has a call to be "The Arsenal of the Nation." In the natural, this reflects our traditional connection to the military. In the spirit, it speaks of how we have advanced the Kingdom through intercession. We also talked about how Connecticut has a call to model and Godly leadership and government, reflected in our nickname, "The Constitution State."

Connecticut also has a calling to meet the needs of others.

An early nickname for Connecticut was “The Provision State,” a name we received in part by being a major supplier of provisions for the Continental Army, supposedly saving the troops at Valley Forge. Some say we provided nearly half of Washington’s supplies.

This was also reflected in our State and Hartford in particular becoming the “Insurance Capital of the World,” inventing modern insurance and the modern insurance company.

We have also accumulated enormous personal and corporate wealth and influence out of all proportion to our size.

However, our wealth has not gone to advance the Kingdom of God but selfishness, creating gross inequities. Thus Greenwich, the richest town east of the Mississippi, exists in the same State as a Hartford, the # 2 city in the entire United States for child poverty. And we now boast two enormous casinos, one of which is the largest resort casino in the world, breeding gambling.

PRAY for Connecticut to become the Provision State once again and that her great wealth will be released for the advancement of the Gospel!

Click to read Part 1

Click to read Part 2

The $100 fill-up... and how much warning of Katrina?

Governor Rell is considering options to help with the soaring cost of gas... including suspending the state gas tax.

Pray for the economy!

Here's an eerie story about a worst-case hurricane scenario in New Orleans, published in 2004 by National Geographic... read it.

Katrina and Connecticut

Some Connnecticut universities are going to accept Katrina storm refugees.

The Connecticut Sun are donating proceeds from their Friday playoff game to the relief efforts. This is expected to bring in $50,000. Bravo!

The AP is throwing around a nice story about the rough-and-ready Connecticut Red Cross volunteers. Thank God. Read this one.

No surprise, we are also ever ready to provide National Guardsmen and utility workers.

Lots more of this going on, too!

Keep praying.

Was New Orleans disaster prophesied? Let's seek God's Voice!

Continue to pray earnestly for our entire nation as we witness the aftermath of Katrina. Let us be attuned to the Voice of the Spirit and hear what He is saying to our nation.

Prophetic minister Chuck Pierce prophesied in 2004 winds and waters coming to New Orleans, and refugees heading north. Although I try to avoid lengthy quotes, read these excerpts from the End Time Prophecy and Vision site:

"After Chuck discussed traveling from Wisconsin directly to Louisiana, he prophesied:

"From the North to the South I am ready to awaken two winds that will awake the nation. There are resisting forces in both states that will cause our nation to not move forward. Go up and down and decree the wind of God will awaken in both places. The states will shift in a new way or the nation will not shift and will go backwards."

Later when addressing the Saul structure in Baton Rouge, Chuck prophesied:

…. The WIND and WATER will rise in the midst of New Orleans. Many from the south will come north for refuge. Prepare. Prepare now for winds and water that will surprise you. I will renew the pattern not fully seen before. Worship will be here, and birthed in a new way from here. Prepare! Prepare! Prepare! Shift! Saul will be no more. David will arise from this day forward. The wind from the south will begin to blow. Watch for the effects. This will purify the land and bring great change."

Then in Alexandria that night Chuck shared from Song of Solomon 4:16 (Awake the north wind; come, o south wind. Blow upon the garden of this nation). He led the people to pray for the south wind to come. This south wind would be a purifying wind, cause corruption to be blown on and cause corruption to shake and initiate a righteous move starting with the children, then moving to the youth. We were to watch the government and the Catholic Church shake, and watch New Orleans change.

Then Chuck prophesied, 'I will put a mantle on African Americans in this land. That which was brought in through parts of this state and held people captive will let go. I will send the wind up the Mississippi River and this wind will shake Missouri. You will see the land shake in Missouri because of the wind from Louisiana. Get ready. Don't brace yourself. Throw yourself up. Get ready for the new is coming. Every place I blow on will shake. The wind is coming on Louisiana and it will shake the entire state. I will fill churches. The south purifying wind of My holiness will sweep across Louisiana. People will be on their faces in malls and shopping centers. Boldness will come upon My people in Louisiana. There is a worship call. Get ready - the wind is about to blow. The river is changing courses. You will be one of the first that changes.'"

Let’s endeavor to hear His Voice and respond. Pray for His Purposes to be accomplished more than concentrating on what the Devil seems to be doing.

(A note about sources: You may verify that this was predictive prophecy by going here for Google’s cached version of this report, dated February, 2005.)

Connecticut Red Cross info

This is the address of the Connecticut Red Cross. You can donate on line or call using the phone numbers provided, etc.

Governor sues to prevent loss of Air Guard planes; wrap-up of other stories

There is a little bit of news in the Constitution State, even while we are all looking towards New Orleans. Lost in the hurricane watch is the news that Governor Rell has sued to stop the BRAC from closing out the Air Guard base. This afternoon, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the recommendation. A hearing will take place on September 7.

Former Governor Rowland may be arrested for illegally doing business with the state after leaving office.

The business community is twisted about the problems and costs of doing business in Connecticut.

Hedge funds have been popping up like mushrooms in Connecticut, particularly in lower Fairfield County, but apparently there is a dark side.

Connecticut comes in second in per capita income according to census data released today.