National Prayer Breakfast - Feb. 1
To borrow a phrase from Master Card…Airport parking $42.00, airfare to Washington Reagan Airport $200.00, hotel room $320.00, seeming republicans and democrats work together in peace at the National Prayer Breakfast priceless….
Frances and I were fortunate enough to attend the 55th National Prayer Breakfast (NPB). As Sunny Lane’s representative here I would be remiss not to share some information and thoughts about this event and experience.
After sign in and registration on the afternoon of 31 January our first event was to attend the Great Plains Congressional Dinner. The states that were represented at this breakout dinner included IA, NE, KS, MO, and OK. There were approximately 150 people present. While this is billed as the National Prayer Breakfast there are people from around the world who attend. We dined with four from Australia, one from New Zealand and three from MO. On the plane trip I decided I’d be intentional about asking each person I encountered what brought them to the NPB. Bernie, a businessman from Australia said he had been coming six years. When he was invited the first time he didn’t know what to expect. He learned the principles of Jesus and that prayer with a small group of people made a big difference in life. As a result he changed his life and now runs a non-profit organization that ministers to children at risk. The three from MO were college students who came as part of a leadership program. Steve explained how they are actively involved in the Young Life program taking the message of Jesus to high school students. They had decided that they would continue to serve God in missions and live together in community to study God’s word and grow as people.
After dinner we had a three hour tour of the capitol with David Barton of Wall Builders acting as our tour guide. This private tour of approximately 50 people included a dozen Congressmen who agree with this interpretation. He provided detailed explanations of how our founding fathers really did intend us to be a Christian nation. This wasn’t opinion but was supported by dozens of original documents.
On 1 Feb the day started early, with instructions to be in-place early because of security we lined up for admission at 6:00 AM. We found our table, Naila, an oil and gas director from Azerbaijan, explained she was here for the first time and was excited to see prayer build effective relationships. How exciting just a few years ago Azerbaijan was part of the USSR and faith and religion were not permitted by the government. John Taylor walked up and introduced himself, a member of England’s Parliament in the House of Lords. He had not attended the NPB before either. He was impressed with the model of our Congress meeting and praying together in weekly small groups. He explained how hard he found it to reconcile his faith and beliefs as a Christian to how those he represented expected him to vote on social issues with moral consequences. Our Senator Jim Inhofe was seated at the table with us. We were amazed to hear of the ministry work he is doing in Africa. He explained that he meets privately with the countries top leaders, representatives and talks to them about the importance of having a relationship with Jesus and praying for other leaders of the country. In addition to the leaders, he also works with the youth of the country to help them understand the importance of a relationship with Jesus. The youth are equipped to go out and spread the message. Senator Inhofe told a story of how he met with a leader from Nigeria and how that leader came to know Jesus through this movement. How it began to make a difference in the lives of those who had lived under oppression. After the breakfast I gave him my Sunny Lane business card. He said "drama ministry I don’t understand that." I explained that is was essentially evangelism and a different media for presenting the gospel. Senator Inhofe stated "I’d like to see that." I invited him to come by anytime. I wondered to myself, even though we have been doing drama at Sunny Lane for over ten years how many of us still don’t get the ministry.
The NPB consisted of over 4,000 participants; of all sexes, races, and from all around the world. The chairs this year were Representatives Emanuel Cleaver and Jo Ann Davis. Cleaver is an ordained Methodist pastor from MO. He explained this prayer breakfast was a fellowship of friends and a world wide family, there is no formal organization or structure, they recognize Jesus as their leader, and establish small, weekly prayer groups. The key not speaker, Dr. Francis Collins Director of the Human Genome Project, explained his research shows we are all 99.9% the same. Collins once an agnostic and atheists now a devout Christian says he was lead to Christ by individual witness of patients he treated as a doctor. God and the Holy Spirit worked on his heart and he became a believer. As the Director of the Genome Project he leads a team of over 2,000 from 26 countries. They have succeeded in mapping our DNA. Collins said God is the answers to all our "whys." The sign posts in nature could only be called God. He offered the idea that atheism is the least logical of all beliefs. Dr. Collins referred to himself as a self confessed science nerd at the conclusion of his address pulled out his guitar and had us all sing Thomas Troeger’s hymn "Praise the Source of Faith and Learning." President Bush provided short remarks, saying we are a nation that prays, he thanked those who prayed daily not only for him and his family but for all the leaders of the country and the world.
At a midmorning workshop we talked to the Andersons from Edmond, the only other Oklahomans we encountered. They told us they supported the NPB to help individuals from other countries to attend. Bob Shaffer the former Senator from CO told us a story of how he had sponsored a parliament member from the Ukraine against the wishes of the State Department. Then while on a visit to the Ukraine the leader requested a meeting with Senator Shaffer. The State Department said "No, it will create an international incident." Shaffer described him as a man of Jewish background, and a "mafia type." Shaffer said his day went to 5:00 so after that on his own time he went to meet this leader. This Ukrainian parliament leader told Shaffer as a result of attending the NPB he now understands America is great because God loves America. He asked Shaffer to help him start small prayer groups of believers of Jesus. Again we talked with students, this time from Georgia, about sharing life together, following the example Jesus gave of going out in twos to serve the world and proclaim the message. They practice and live their lives like Jesus lived. They come to the NPB to walk the walk and build relationships. There were also students involved in the SE Whitehouse project a long term intervention program for families at risk. Again, not talking but living the mission of Christ.
Lunch found us dinning with Joe and his family from HI. They were volunteers who worked to make the NPB smooth and seamless. When he found out we were from OK he told us all about Senator Inhofe’s work in Africa. How is it a man from HI knows about this but I didn’t? When he asked about my activities I told him about our drama ministry. He asked for an example and I told him of the drama Olivia and Ryan just presented in worship. Joe exclaimed how wonderful, then he told a story of how they had used pantomime to tell Bible stories to children in the Philippines and how effective it was in reaching others. Another Joe was at our table. Joe number two was the Director of Program development of Fuller Theological Seminary. As I explained how we use drama in ministry he immediately chimed in that they had just begun a program for the emmerging church focused on the arts in worship. HE told me how the seminary felt drama was so important to the worship experience. Joe took my card to share with the developers of the program.
Preview of "Amazing Grace" story of movement to abolish slavery in British Empire. Wonderful…GO SEE IT!
We enjoyed dinner with David Laux ambassador to Taiwan under President Ronald Reagan and Frank Chang-ting Hsieh former Premier of Taiwan and front runner to become the next president of Taiwan. It was Franks first NPB, he was impressed that people from different political parties could pray, work, laugh, and be together in small prayer groups. He said in his country political opponents are viewed as enemies, to be overcome, he was amazed. He left wondering how he could initiate such groups in Taiwan. Also at the table David a man who got his law degree from ORU, did you know ORU had a law department in the 70s. Since he new the people from Taiwan at our table I asked if he did business there. His reply was no if you go to do business people think you want something from them, we only go to share the story and love of Jesus. There was also a young man, a junior from the University of Tennessee. He had come with other students and was thrilled at all the people he met. His first NPB was the experience of building relationships. He ask what we did for work or jobs but then said "how absurd that we define ourselves by work. We should be asking who are you, and get to know what a person is about not about what they do."
One of the speakers talked about the prayer of Solomon, he (Solomon) prayed for himself and world leaders. Is that conceit? No, it was explained, as a leader, he needed God’s protection and guidance to ensure he was serving his subjects. In a discussion with John an staffer with Navigators explained he feels called to minister to the rulers and leaders of countries because if you reach those that govern with the message of Jesus there is a larger impact on the oppressed and marginalized.
There was also a man named Schmer (sp) at the NPB. He described himself as a Muslim from Lebanon who was a believer of the ways of Jesus. He said we cannot Judge Islam by what the corrupters have done. He said he had come to know Jesus through the NPB. He researched the Quran and found nothing that would keep him from believing in Jesus, in fact Jesus is mentioned in the Quran over 80 times. He had started a charity in Lebanon but he had not succeeded, but when he removed himself and put God in the proper place in his life everything began to work. He had written a song that he played that talked about all groups coming and working together in peace.
I have met many here in Washington DC that said they come to the prayer breakfast because it is important to pray for President Bush, and our country. I talked to congressmen who say it is important to lead other world leaders to Jesus from a view point of a one-on-one relationship.
Make no mistake there were plenty of $1,000 suits and expensive jewelry at the event. We saw Obama and John McCain enter together all smiles on their faces. There were people who, as part of their visit to the NPB, had other meetings to lobby and politic with the rich and powerful happening in other locations but not at the NPB.
What is the lesson for us? First, form small prayer/accountability groups, they are essential. Become connected to missions and service to others, focus outside yourself. Finally, hold up in prayer all elected officials and leaders.
In Christ,
Ulrik