The Costa Concordia, believed to be the largest cruise ship flying the Italian flag, struck rocks in shallow water off Italy's western coast on Friday. The cruise liner captain accused of abandoning ship reportedly claimed he was unable to lead the evacuation because he slipped and tripped into a lifeboat while helping passengers leave the stricken vessel. The captain did however admit responsibility for crashing the ship into rocks forcing him to ground the vessel. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/18/costa-concordia-captain-tripped-lifeboat The name Concordia is Italian for harmony. Ironically, a Swiss national told national daily La Tribune de Genève he was listening to the theme tune from the film Titanic in the restaurant with his brother Kevin at the time of the accident. However, he said staff incompetence in evacuating the stricken vessel bore no comparison to the Titanic disaster. ‘Besides kitchen staff, who helped, there were no crew members,’ Mr. Sgaga is quoted as saying.
Pray: for God’s to rule and reign over this disaster, giving encouragement to survivors, comfort to family and friends of the deceased and those still not accounted for and that this will not become an ecological disaster. (Ps.47:8)
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy has voiced concern about Europe's ‘energy dilemma’. Opening the European business summit in Brussels on Wednesday, he said, ‘It's now becoming clear; eventually Europe may well be the only continent in the world to depend on imported energy. Already by 2035 our dependence on oil and gas imports will reach more than 80 per cent. This will have an impact on the competitiveness of our companies, and of our economy as a whole. He said he wanted the ‘energy dilemma’ to feature on the agenda at next week's Brussels summit of EU leaders and heads of state. In a keynote speech, Van Rompuy said that reviving job creation and growth was Europe's ‘foremost’ political priority. Other aims are fighting unemployment and supporting growth in the near term and strengthening the economic and monetary union.
Pray: for the Brussels summit as it gathers next week that wise decisions will be made by the delegates. (Pr.1:5)
In February of 2011, the World Health Organization dubbed Moldova the world's leading nation in per-person alcohol consumption, reports Mission Network News. Reports show that the average Moldovan consumes 18.22 litres of alcohol annually--three times more than the average of 6.1 litres. Other former Soviet nations on the list of heavy alcohol consumption included Russia, Ukraine, Estonia and Belarus. In Moldova, there is a special provision in the government budget for treatment of alcohol, but that government provision is not enough and churches are stepping forward to help alcohol abusers as well. Slavic Gospel Association reports that its affiliated evangelical churches are deeply grieved at the level of alcohol abuse in their communities. In response to the crisis, many SGA churches have begun Bible-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation ministries, which SGA partners help support when possible. These programmes not only provide care for overcoming the addiction, but they provide the life-changing Truth of the Gospel message as well. Pray: that the work of the Church programmes will have a significant effect among those in need. (Ro.12:21)
‘We're living in globalised times causing groups to feel insecure about their identity which has become radicalised and closed rather than open to others,’ said the director of the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC). In early April the CEC launched a ‘Euro-Arabic Dialogue’ in Crete to determine how Christian and Muslim groups can build on existing relationships of trust. ‘In Europe where religion has often been seen as a problem public opinion hasn't been concerned about the fate of religious communities. This is changing now as false images of religion give way to a greater awareness of its contribution to the common good. It isn't up to churches to suggest practical action, we're calling for a clear warning of consequences to continued persecution.’ Some say Christians present a soft target because they don't fight back - but many Muslims view Christians as a strong missionary network and are on the defensive. Pray: for decisions made by this group and other similar meetings to usher in God's spiritual provision over Europe. (Ps.125:3)
Next year's World Day of Prayer will be focusing not on Malaysia, Chile or Cameroon (as the last three did), but on our neighbouring France. While France is often thought to be a Catholic country, now only five per cent of the country would identify themselves as such, and 74 per cent of French people have never opened a Bible. And although when thinking of France we often imagine great food, good wine and a long cultural history, it also has the highest rates of depression in the world. Over 90 per cent of the country's towns and villages have no evangelical church. However, the evangelical church has seen a growth of nearly 10 times since 1950, and half of this number are younger than 35. And there is a new evangelical church planted somewhere in France every 10 days.
Pray: that our prayers will help towards a revival of the church in France. (Ps.85:6)
More: http://www.eauk.org/current-affairs/news/church-planting-in-france.cfm
‘The entire wealth of the Church is at the disposal of the country so that we c
an stand on our own two feet and not relying on foreigners,’ Archbishop Chrysostomos said after meeting Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades early on Wednesday. The Church of Cyprus is a major shareholder in Cyprus's third-largest domestic lender, Hellenic Bank. Unless Europe, the International Monitory Fund or Russia give Cyprus more money or the banks will go bust. Cyprus has become the tax evasion centre for Russian oligarchs. It is doubtful Angela Merkel would agree to a bailout blueprint that causes German taxpayers to subsidise Moscow billionaires with a German election looming this autumn. Anastasiades - a month in the job - gathered party leaders and the governor of the central bank at his office on Wednesday and was due to hold talks with officials from the EU, European Central Bank and IMF while Finance Minister Michael Sarris was in Moscow negotiating a Russia bail out to safeguard high levels of Russian deposits in Cypriot banks.
Pray: for God in His mercy to sort out the looming turmoil that would affect ex-pat European citizens. (Ps.20:1)
More: http://news.yahoo.com/cyprus-throws-bailout-disarray-seeks-russian-help-074339638--sector.html
The European Commission has come under fire for producing more than three million copies of an EU diary for secondary schools which contains no reference to Christmas. More than 330,000 copies of the diaries, accompanied by 51 pages of glossy information about the EU, have been delivered to British schools as a ‘sought after’ Christmas gift to pupils from the commission. But Christians have been angered because the diary section for December 25 is blank and the bottom of the page with Christmas Day is marked only with the secular message. While the euro calendar marks Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Chinese festivities as well as Europe Day and other key EU anniversaries, there are no Christian festivals marked. If the commission does not mark Christmas as a feast in its diaries then it should be working as normal on December 25.
Pray: against the authorities that keep undermining the Christian faith. (Ps.28:18)
Christians have been told they must find a framework for promoting their beliefs if they are to confront the challenge of aggressive secularisation and the erosion of Christian values across all spheres of life. Opening the Beyond Individualism conference on Friday, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali said it was ‘amazing’ that a Christian nurse in Britain today could be suspended for offering to pray for a patient, when it was Christians who had set in place many of the institutions and public services now taken for granted. He warned that the Christian values inherent in Europe’s heritage have been eroded by a process of ‘aggressive secularisation’ that Christians must understand if they are to challenge it. While politicians offer ‘thin’ values like respect and tolerance, the bishop said such ‘political mantras’ were ‘not enough for society to be cohesive’.
Pray: that the Church will take its rightful place in Europe and not give way to aggressive secularism. (Ep.3:16)