The C of E's experimental baptism liturgy
The devil, it is sometimes said, is in the detail. But in an experimental service from the Church of England, it is the absence of Satan from the small print which is causing a furore. A trial liturgy for baptising children in church has been making waves because, while parents and godparents have traditionally been asked whether they ‘reject the devil and all rebellion against God,’ the suggested alternative format merely asks them to ‘reject evil’. Also proving contentious is the omission of any question asking whether those bringing a child to be christened are willing to repent – as has been the case up until now. The service is currently being trialled. To come into permanent use, it would need to gain approval from the church's governing body, the General Synod. The existing wording in the Common Worship service book, with its references to the devil and to repentance, will remain in use either way.
Israel: Miraculous healing stuns Israelis
Israeli news stations are reporting a miracle that’s impossible to explain. - When Therese Daoud arrived at Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital with a malignant tumour the size, of orange doctors said her only chance of survival would be to amputate the leg. However Therese said the surgery was postponed three times due to unforeseen incidents and ‘This was a clear sign to me from Heaven that I should not have the surgery.’ Israeli TV showed images of Therese praying in a church and three months later they reported the killer growth had receded dramatically. ’This just does not happen’ stammered a professor. ‘A growth of this kind cannot recede like this.’ Hospital staff and reporters traveled to Therese's home to look for other explanations. They tasted the food she eats and checked the water she drinks, but there was no physical explanation. They left contemplating one undeniable, unavoidable and very uncomfortable option—that prayer in Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel, still heals today.
Pakistan: An encouraging story
A brother who had participated in a prayer seminar last year wrote to the conference facilitators recently and shared the following, ‘You gave me a verse and said God was going to change me and use me as an evangelist. The power of God came on me like never before. I began to go out witnessing. I have just come back from X city (known as a hard satanic place) where I have made several trips. Five non-Christian families have come to Christ. You taught us to first teach them to pray. Now we have a small prayer group there. We are praying against satanic strongholds and seeing God answer.’ He went on to say he lives in a city on the edge of the desert where there are 40 born-again Christian families. They have organized themselves into 24/7 prayer throughout the week. During Saturdays and Sunday afternoons they send evangelistic teams into the area and are seeing lives changed all around them.
Bangladesh: Democracy in peril
Earlier this week the country's religious minorities deserted the polls following threats from Islamists. The election results saw the ruling party win. The opposition boycotted the poll when police failed to protect voters and people died in factional clashes. Anger and cynicism best describe the voices on the streets of Dhaka. The mood inside Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s residence is jubilant. At her press conference she was asked about the legitimacy of her win. On Tuesday the BNP called for a nationwide strike, disregarding the reality that in the last three months more than 300 people have lost their lives in violence generally attributed to the highhandedness of the Awami League (AL). Many believe the return to power of AL in the general election is widely regarded as lacking credibility and likely to be challenged by angry opposition in violent street protests in the coming weeks and months. See also
