Go to the “Prayer Team” tab under the picture at the top of this blog to view the videos.

Here is the Cheesesteak Challenge:

This Cheesesteak Challenge is a response to some very well written blogs that I follow from the Prayer Movement, specifically the IHOPs in KC, Cleveland, and Charlotte (examples of KC blog, Cleveland blog, and Charlotte blog). If you are an intercessory missionary and will be in the area in the month of February 2007, do the following:

1. Leave a comment with the general timeline of your visit

2. If you meet the *criteria*, or compensating circumstances

3. I will meet you at an approved cheesesteak location and lunch or dinner is on me.

WHY WOULD I DO SUCH A THING?
1. I am a displaced HOPper myself, having moved into a region without a visible prayer house. I would like to meet other likeminded people and show off the incredible spiritual opportunity of this de-churched region. I’d like to think that every prayer burns brighter here because it is a darker area. But the food is great! Plus, there are some rich historic and prophetic places around here to reclaim.

2. In the event that anyone you know gets prompted to actually move out here, I’d like to have a track record of hospitality so that we could add you to the network God is weaving out here. I’m meeting a lot of people recently moved or moved back to the area.

*Here are the QUALIFICATIONS:

• The Cheesesteak Challenge is good for February 2007.
• Prayer Missionary at IHOP KC, Cleveland or Charlotte
• Prayer Missionary at another HOP/Boiler room (40 hrs or more/week)
• If you are a local prayer leader type person with sweat equity, I will take notice also.
• If you believe you qualify in the spirit of these requirements but not the letter, let me know regardless.
• If you are a vegan/vegetarian, we will scrap the whole thing and I’ll treat you to some sprouts or something.

Realized a couple minutes ago that the endorphins must be firing off in my head. Feeling great. Saturday afternoon, Panera wifi room, 71* outside. And I’m here in Philly with the best job I’ve ever had, a sense of peace and contentment, and enough rest left over from hanging out with some crazy prayer people last night. Life is good.

I’m even wearing my “too close for missles, I’m switching to guns” t-shirt that my sister-in-law gave me.

This self-depricating shirt can be purchased for the wimp in your life from randomshirts . This arrows on this shirt point to my non-existent biceps which is probably the reason this shirt was given to me in size small. Wearing this shirt will accentuate the mortality and vulnerability of anyone who wears it.

I am considering a retaliatory purchase of this shirt for the both of them:

But, Life IS Good . I’ve got opportunities to pay off debts, practice my instrument, give back to society a bit, and mentor/train my prayer team at church. Can’t complain. Some dude in Sweden even emailed me about a Clementi sonata I recorded years ago. As my Bon Jovi-quoting brother (who gave me this shirt) would say, “Have a Nice Day”.

As a prayer junkie, and former prayer leader for several years (at a daughter HOP) until recently displaced, I was stoked when in January 2006 the IHOP began webcasting. Now I could plug back into prayer even though I was 2 hours away from any semblance of a prayer house. There was a nice, unobtrusive (albeit bland) backdrop that was incapable of detracting from the prayer and worship that was happening.

Enter GOD TV makeover this week. …So is the room Blue now? Or is it Orange? Come back, beloved Beige – martyred for the masses. I haven’t seen my favorite hue (vomit green) yet, but I suspect it comes out between 345-4:10 AM.

I remember life at a few church plants right before moving into that first building. Oh, how we were admonished against taking sides based upon opposing Interior Design doctrines that would, if not repented of, surely split the church.

Call it schadenfreude if you must, and I shall duly repent, but from reading several unofficial blogs, the trials of this makeover might begin to approach Biblical levels. I guess it’s refreshing that people aren’t that different even in a prayer community such as IHOP – this too shall pass.. next time you remodel the prayer room!

I’m sure I’ll get used to this eventually… good luck friends as you acclimate to the volitile hues of your new prayer room!

“The antislavery meeting here, opened in 1856, brought many leading abolitionist speakers as guests of George Corson and his wife, Martha Corson. Built over a carraige shed, the hall could accomodate up to 200 visitors. The family’s 1767 homestead had already long been a station on the Underground Railroad. Later, 1881-1895, Abolition Hall was the studio of son-in-law Thomas Hovenden, who painted “Last Moments of John Brown”.

*The quote comes from Senator Sam Brownback who draws a parallel between the abolitionist cause and the pro-life cause. Both maintain the humanity of people as people, rather than a piece of property. Brownback on Monday announced a possible candidacy for a Presidential run in 08. With the likes of McCain, Guiliani, Clinton, and others, Brownback may be the only pro-life candidate.

In my haste to generalize my perspective of the prevailing tone of blogs and articles regarding this subject I did not allow the readers to check them out themselves, and have been appropriately chastised for it. Thanks Sharla & Diana for the correction.

I suggest you read Sharla’s entry since it indeed has a redemptive tone to it which I did not mention in my post. If Sharla will pardon me for the breach of blog protocol and more importantly for the inference from the title which she specially chose to clash with the compassionate tone of her blog. I didn’t give the reader an opportunity to appreciate this, but it made for a great punch line.

Diana’s comment is correct because the point of this blog is to defy the contentious spirit to be found just about everywhere. I’m 0 for 2 on this one. This post was probably better suited for Christians Behaving Badly, the blog where I “redemptively” point out such gaffes which are more typically committed by professing celebrities on reality shows to our collective dismay!

Here’s the proverbial finger (lowercase although I may deserve Uppercase for this transgression) pointing back at me. Thanks for commenting and I’ll be responsible with future posts and sources.