Pray Connecticut listed among the State's most influential political blogs

We've been ranked # 19 on Blog Net News's list of Connecticut's most influential political blogs. Although we are not a political blog per se, nowadays it's not easy to separate the political world from the religious world!

Thanks to all our readers and users of our main site for helping us grow!

Courant profiles Peter Wolfgang of Family Institute of Connecticut

The Courant has a profile piece on Peter Wolfgang, who has assumed leadership of the Family Institute of Connecticut from Brian Brown.

Wolfgang's steady voice and earnest, scholarly demeanor are markedly different from the in-your-face style of his predecessor, Brian Brown, who has been the group's public face since 2001.

Brown, who hails from Orange County, California, predicted that Wolfgang's Connecticut roots will serve him well in the land of steady habits.

"Peter has connections around the state," said Brown, who is leaving to take charge of a new group dedicated to fighting same-sex marriage at the national level. "He's very much a go-getter and he's in this for the fight."

We wish Peter all the best as he carries the ball forward for Connecticut's leading pro-family organization!

A window into the occult in Connecticut

Nothing is more common in Connecticut these days than the local New Age shop.

And although she doesn't push it on customers, she also offers Tarot card readings for $5 — for those who can use a little of her intuitive insight.

In a small room lighted by a white candle on a mantelpiece and closed off with a thick drape, she demonstrated her reading ability for a visitor. Through card-reading, she was able to discern a variety of personal information about the subject, such as how old he was when he first got married. Then, having established a base of credibility for her intuitive abilities, she talked a little about his future.

More here (Connecticut Post).

Light blogging

Blogging will continue to be light over the next couple of weeks as we enjoy the summer. Keep praying!

Evangelist Tommie Zito to hold series of meetings in Waterbury

Evangelist Tommie Zito returns to Connecticut for a series of meetings hosted by First Assembly of God in Waterbury. From a press release:

"My prayer is that as we take this gospel truth to Connecticut, individuals will realize that we as a church have been asleep for way too long," Brother Tommie says. "God desires for this state and the rest of the nation to be awakened to the fact that He must be their all."

Each year, Brother Tommie is called to carry out the "American Awakening" in specific regions in an attempt to bring the nation back to the principle it was founded on; One Nation, Under God. Through worship, prayer and evangelism, Tommie Zito Ministries is stirring up people's spirits and impacting entire regions. Pastor James Lilly of First Assembly of God has invited Brother Tommie to continue his mission of waking up the church and crying out to those who are hungry for God and address residents in Waterbury and surrounding cities in Connecticut next week.

Lives will be transformed and hearts renewed at the "Connecticut Awakening." This experience is open to the public and is free to attend. Residents will have the opportunity to witness Brother Tommie's fiery, radical-edge preaching on Sunday, July 29 at 8:30am, 11:00am & 7:00pm and Monday, July 30 - Saturday, August 4 at 7:00pm nightly. Outreach services take place Tuesday - Saturday at 10:30am. First Assembly of God is located at 1263 Thomaston Ave, Waterbury, CT 06704.

Update to Christian search engine site

Our friends at Kingdom Engine have revamped their Christian search engine site with a more pleasant appearance and some useful custom search engines available on a variety of topics such as:

• The Bible
• Apologetics
• Creeds and Confessions
• Spurgeon
• Worship Music
  

You can also add these searches to your own site or blog, if you have one.

As they note, the Web has grown so much that searching for "King David" on Google gives you 84,700,000 results. Custom search engines limit searches to just a few hand-selected sites that deal with the topic you're interested in. They're great for research.

Happy searching!

New Haven launches illegal immigrant ID card program

Has the Mayor put the welcome mat out?

You can find this story everywhere in the Connecticut media, but it's interesting to see the view from abroad, in this case the BBC no less:

A city in Connecticut has become the first in the United States to issue identity cards to illegal immigrants.

New Haven - best known as the home of Yale University - is offering the cards to all its residents, including to some 12,000 undocumented immigrants.

City leaders say the plan will enable immigrants to open bank accounts and make them less vulnerable to crime....

But opponents said the move would encourage illegal immigration.

Bill Farrel, of Southern Connecticut Citizens for Immigration Reform, said: "It's going to be a welcome mat for illegal aliens to come to the region, flood the labour market and dry up working-class and middle-class jobs."

BBC Americas editor Will Grant says the controversial move stands in stark contrast to the approach towards illegal immigrants adopted in other parts of the US.

New laws and proposals in more than 90 cities or counties across the country include prohibiting landlords from renting to illegal immigrants and penalising firms that employ them....

Are there really 12,000 undocumented immigrants in New Haven, a city which ostensibly has a population of only 124,000?

It's this kind of cold, hard number that bothers people, something which IMHO the political leaders of both parties don't understand. In my experience of half a lifetime, most people bear no ill will towards immigrants - especially in Connecticut, where so many of us have immigrant roots through grandparents who arrived between 1890 and 1930. But many people who are not xenophobic or racist feel that society is being completely made over without anyone even asking them for their opinion. Lawmakers castigate the people for being concerned about the lack of security, increase in crime and education costs and so on and so on.

And we may wonder why it is in Connecticut that a city feels compelled to thumb its nose at the Federal government and create a potential magnet for lawlessness.

Will lawlessness breeds lawlessness? Witness New York City's possible issuance of New Haven-style IDs.

Photo by Vanessa Hamtaro, some rights reserved CC2.0.

Dr. Dobson speaks out against Harry Potter

Dr. James Dobson

The Chairman of Focus on the Family has spoken out against the Harry Potter series in order to correct a statement made in a Washington Post article to the effect that he actually favored it:

This is the exact opposite of Dr. Dobson's opinion — in fact, he said a few years ago on his daily radio broadcast that "We have spoken out strongly against all of the Harry Potter products." His rationale for that statement: Magical characters — witches, wizards, ghosts, goblins, werewolves, poltergeists and so on — fill the Harry Potter stories, and given the trend toward witchcraft and New Age ideology in the larger culture, it's difficult to ignore the effects such stories (albeit imaginary) might have on young, impressionable minds.

More here. The Post will issue a correction.

Massachusetts looks at troublesome effects of casinos in Connecticut

Are casinos really glamorous?

What??? There are negative effects to having casinos? I'm quite sure I've never heard of this.

Oh, but our neighbors to the north are looking at hard quality of life numbers while they think about a casino in Middleborough, Massachusetts.

Over the last six years , calls to the Ledyard Police Department, a short drive from the Foxwoods Resort Casino, have almost tripled, according to local authorities. And in Montville, where Mohegan Sun is located, calls to police are up 38 percent overall since 1997.

Arrests for drunken driving have risen in both towns -- up from 38 to 87 in Ledyard since 1991 and from 39 to 113 in Montville since 1997. But the big reason for the increase in police calls, according to both departments, is not casino- related vices, but the sheer volume of people passing through these towns every day, creating more opportunities for problems just by being there.

Traffic is up as much as 275 percent near the casinos -- a source of frustration for many residents. With the traffic, though, has come job growth. And with the job growth have come developers scooping up land and immigrant families seeking steady employment at the casinos as janitors, cooks, and dealers.

Together, these changes have altered life in Ledyard, population 15,215 , and Montville, population 17,019 -- and in the surrounding region. Some say for the better, others for the worse. Either way, with two casinos rising into the sky just 10 miles apart, it is impossible not to notice.

Actually, doubling or tripling the amount of drunken driving would seem to be a problem, but what do we know? More here from the Boston Globe.

Christian Events in Connecticut this week (July 23 - 29)

The following events are taking place in Connecticut this week. For more information or to add an event to our Connecticut Christian Events Calendar, please visit our website here.

Wednesday, July 25:
Intercessory Prayer (Colchester)

Thursday, July 26:
Prayer in the Park (Hartford)

Saturday, July 27:
Solid Rock Cafe Christian Coffeehouse, featuring Victoria James Norris (North Haven)

Congressman Shays refuses to give a non-apology apology

U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays

From The Courant:

After a profanity-laced altercation with a Capitol police officer - during which he reached to touch the officer's nametag - U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays Friday apologized Friday for acting "in a way I know was not appropriate."

The 4th District Republican said in a statement, " I take full responsibility for this incident and want to ensure it does not reflect negatively on the officer in any way." Capitol police did not respond to requests for comment.

The good part of this story is that Rep. Shays did not do what so many politicians do, which is give the old "non-apology apology." According to the Courant story, Mr. Shays said, "...I know I clearly could have handled the situation with the officer in a more professional and respectful way, and I regret I did not do so." We applaud this statement on the Congressman's part - it's a good example in this day of weaselly press releases.

Doug Hartline in concert in Redding, Sunday July 22

Doug Hartline in concert.

Doug Hartline will be holding a free concert this Sunday on the Green in Redding, at 10 Lonetown Road, from 6-8pm. The event is very casual. Bring lawn chairs, food, kids, etc.

Doug's CD’s “Simple Gifts” “ A Gentle Presence” “It’s Nice To Be Home” and “From The Heart” demonstrate his ability to write strong, memorable, melodies, which combine with a flowing optimistic breeziness. The music might be considered jazz with strong folk influences such as The Beatles, Steely Dan, James Taylor, and Pat Metheny. Critics have described his sound as buoyant, soulful, bright, and positive.Doug has explored presenting his music in different formats such as with jazz dancers and in contemporary church services, which subsequently drew attention from The New York Times in a feature article.

To purchase Doug's two most recent CDs go to: www.itunes.com or www.cdbaby.com and search “Doug Hartline.”

Christian Events in Connecticut This Week (July 16 -22)

The following events are taking place in Connecticut this week. For more information or to add an event to our Connecticut Christian Events Calendar, please visit our website here.

Monday, July 16:
Litchfield County Regional Prayer Meeting (Torrington)

Wednesday, July 18:
Intercessory Prayer (Colchester)

Thursday, July 19:
Mickey Robinson (West Haven)
Prayer in the Park (Hartford)

Friday, July 20:
Mickey Robinson (West Haven)

Saturday, July 21:
Christian Coffeehouse (Danbury)
Cityfest (Waterbury)
Mickey Robinson (West Haven)

New Churches Added to the Connecticut Church Map

We're happy to announce that the following churches have been added to the Connecticut Church Map:

New Haven: Christ Presbyterian Church

Tolland: River of Life Christian Fellowship

If you'd like to add a church, please write us at info@prayct.org!

Top Christian Books for 2007 announced by the ECPA

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) has announced its Christian Book Award (formerly Gold Medallion) winners for 2007. Here they are:

Christian Book of the Year: Ever After (Even Now Series #2), by Karen Kingsbury

Bible: Archaeological Study Bible: An Illustrated Walk Through Biblical History and Culture, Edited by Walter C. Kaiser Jr. and Duane Garett

Bible Reference and Study: The IVP Atlas of Bible History, by Paul Lawrence

Children & Youth: Sexy Girls: How Hot Is Too Hot?, by Hayley DiMarco

Christian Life: What Jesus Demands from the World, by John Piper (Spanish version here)

Fiction: When Crickets Cry, by Charles Martin

Inspiration and Gift: Pearls of Great Price: 366 Daily Devotional Readings, by Joni Eareckson Tada

Bible upheld once again by archaeology

I knew it all along.

The sound of unbridled joy seldom breaks the quiet of the British Museum's great Arched Room, which holds its collection of 130,000 Assyrian cuneiform tablets, dating back 5,000 years.

But Michael Jursa, a visiting professor from Vienna, let out such a cry last Thursday. He had made what has been called the most important find in Biblical archaeology for 100 years, a discovery that supports the view that the historical books of the Old Testament are based on fact.

Searching for Babylonian financial accounts among the tablets, Prof Jursa suddenly came across a name he half remembered - Nabu-sharrussu-ukin, described there in a hand 2,500 years old, as "the chief eunuch" of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.

Prof Jursa, an Assyriologist, checked the Old Testament and there in chapter 39 of the Book of Jeremiah, he found, spelled differently, the same name - Nebo-Sarsekim.

Nebo-Sarsekim, according to Jeremiah, was Nebuchadnezzar II's "chief officer" and was with him at the siege of Jerusalem in 587 BC, when the Babylonians overran the city.

The small tablet, the size of "a packet of 10 cigarettes" according to Irving Finkel, a British Museum expert, is a bill of receipt acknowledging Nabu-sharrussu-ukin's payment of 0.75 kg of gold to a temple in Babylon.

The tablet is dated to the 10th year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, 595BC, 12 years before the siege of Jerusalem.

Evidence from non-Biblical sources of people named in the Bible is not unknown, but Nabu-sharrussu-ukin would have been a relatively insignificant figure.

"This is a fantastic discovery, a world-class find," Dr Finkel said yesterday. "If Nebo-Sarsekim existed, which other lesser figures in the Old Testament existed? A throwaway detail in the Old Testament turns out to be accurate and true. I think that it means that the whole of the narrative [of Jeremiah] takes on a new kind of power."

Read more here in the Telegraph (UK).

New church added to the Connecticut Church Map

We're happy to announce that we've added St. John's Episcopal Church in New Haven to the Connecticut Church Map.

If you'd like to suggest a church for inclusion, write us at info@prayct.org. Thanks!

Vatican affirms that other churches not true churches

In a move which won't do much for ecumenical relations, the Vatican has released a document in which it has reasserted the position that other churches aren't really churches at all because they do not accept the primacy of the Pope.

A 16-page document, prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which Pope Benedict used to head, described Christian Orthodox churches as true churches, but suffering from a "wound" since they do not recognize the primacy of the Pope.

But the document said the "wound is still more profound" in the Protestant denominations -- a view likely to further complicate relations with Protestants.

"Despite the fact that this teaching has created no little distress ... it is nevertheless difficult to see how the title of 'Church' could possibly be attributed to them," it said.

"The Call" rocks Nashville

Lou Engle prays for America in this clip:



And in this one you can experience some of the worship:



From Baptist Press:

"America is a sleeping nation. We have casually and nonchalantly let things slide and get worse," said Morgan Blount, a staff member of The Call from Dallas. "We are calling for young people in this country to wake up and take a stand, to pray about our world instead of just complaining about what's wrong with it. We are calling them to take action and believe that the Lord can change things."

Prayer is the key to spiritual awakening, said Adam Thomas, a staff member of The Call from Louisville, Ky.

"This weekend was about prayer, whether you are Baptist or Catholic or Church of Christ. We believe that prayer changes things," Thomas said. "Our desire is to see God come back on the scene like He did in the 1800s, when there was a great awakening that shut down entire towns with the power of God.

"I believe that a movement of prayer is going to unlock these things for America. We believe history belongs to the intercessors. Ezekiel 22:30 tells us God is looking for a company of people who will stand in the gap in prayer so the country will not have to be destroyed. We want to be like the widow in Luke 17 who kept pressing the judge until he gave her what she wanted."

As midday temperatures soared near 100 degrees, worshipers lifted their hands in prayer. The stadium floor was sectioned off for those who wanted the freedom to prostrate themselves or kneel in prayer.

Many of those in attendance had fasted for up to 40 days in preparation. Prayerwalkers left Nashville's Centennial Park at 7 a.m. and made their way in silence through downtown to the stadium.

To symbolize their desire for America to return to a covenant relationship with God, three couples simultaneously exchanged marriage vows late in the afternoon.

Organizer Lou Engle, who initiated The Call in Washington, D.C., in 2000, chose the date -– 7/7/07 -– because seven is the biblical number of covenant.

"In the Old Testament, the cult of Baal was identified with violence and death, sexual promiscuity, pornography and promiscuity," said Dutch Sheets, senior pastor of Springs Harvest Fellowship in Colorado Springs, Colo. "We are here today to confess our nation's sin and ask God to renew His covenant with us. This stadium is a courtroom today. We have filed for divorce as a nation from the spirit of Baal, and we are petitioning God for custody of our children."

Christian Events in Connecticut This Week (July 9 -15, 2007)

Renowned worship leader and recording artist Kent Henry comes to Manchester this weekend.

The following events are taking place in Connecticut this week. For more information or to add an event to our Connecticut Christian Events Calendar, please visit our website here.

Wednesday, July 11:
Intercessory Prayer (Colchester)
Fairfield County Pastors' Fellowship Lunch (TBD)

Thursday, July 12:
Regional Prayer Meeting (New Haven)
Prayer in the Park (Hartford)

Friday, July 13:
Men 4 Men Ministries Coffeehouse (Clinton)
Kent Henry (Manchester)

Saturday, July 14:
Gospelation 2007 (New Jersey)
Statewide Intercessors Gathering (Kensington)
Grace Community Coffee House (Milford)

Sunday, July 15:
Kent Henry (Manchester)

New York Times covers Bristol Episcopal controversy

“I’m ashamed to be an Episcopalian,” said Father Helmandollar, who has a certificate in Anglican studies from Yale Divinity School and two master’s degrees. He said he grew up the youngest of seven children in West Virginia coal country, and lived on the streets for two years after dropping out of ninth grade. A father of three, he spent 20 years in the Navy and 17 more as a military contractor before pursuing a career in the clergy.

He said he was dismayed that the church’s philosophy of inclusion did not seem to extend to conservative factions like his own, complaining, “It includes everybody except us.”

“In the last 50 years, as society has changed, the church has changed,” he added. “It has become more revisionist and more liberal.” While he could accept those changes on theological grounds, he said, the recent quarrel over sexuality “has turned out to be the tripwire.”

With the showdown looming, banners made by parishioners have been taken down from Trinity’s nave for safekeeping, and Father Helmandollar has packed up some books he kept in his office. Bank accounts and valuables, he said, have been left alone until an agreement or court order decides their fate.

Read it all here.

Pray For America Today: The Call

Today's the day!

Church for Men

You've seen the pews and maybe you've seen the statistics: in the American Church the population is mostly female. How can this be fixed? Now there's something called Church For Men. Before you laugh, watch this video (3m 42s):



What do you think?

What is the impact of gambling in Connecticut?

The State is going to find out:

Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Mohegan Sun casino pump about $445 million into the state’s general fund each year.

“The casinos over the last five to 10 years have been a stable segment of the state budget,” Robert Genuario, Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s budget director said.

However critics says state officials have taken the money and ignored the negative consequences of legalized gambling.

In May, Special Revenue Executive Director Paul Young said the last study cost about $400,000, and it now will cost more than $700,000 to hire experts to gauge “the good, the bad and the ugly” of legalized gambling.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the legislature conducted gambling studies every five years. The last study was done in the mid-1990s and published in 1997, only a few years after Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun had opened.

Let's pray for a complete picture.

Tags: Christian, Connecticut, Foxwoods, gambling, Mohegan Sun

Cal Thomas defends anti-islamist comments

This is different from making anti-Islamic comments. I hope we can make the distinction. Please pray for the gathering of Muslims in Hartford this weekend.

JesusFest 2007 coming up this weekend

Reminder:

JesusFest 2007 is a free, all-day RAIN OR SHINE Christian Country Fair, Music & Arts Festival on Saturday, July 7 from 11 am to 9 pm. There will be plenty of activities planned for everyone, from little tykes to senior citizens!

For complete information, visit: www.JesusFestCT.org

Pray Connecticut launches new web site design

Stop in and visit our main site at www.prayct.org, where we've just completed a new design which will make our site fresher and easier to use! All your favorite features are still there, just with less clutter. Thanks for your continued support, which has helped us to grow significantly over the past six months.