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PRAYERGEAR.COM / SPIRITUAL RESOURCE SERVICES
NEWSLETTER
May 4, 2000 Issue 43: Misplacing the Keys to the Kingdom, Part 1
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<>< CONTENTS <><
1. Mini-Reflection
2. Cruising Christian Cyberspace!
3. Prayergear.com product and services updates
4. Let us know!
5. Weekly Reflection: "Misplacing the Keys to the
Kingdom", Part 1
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Greetings to all of you once again! And I thank you again for
inviting us onto your screen and (hopefully) into your hearts.
Today is the 49th annual National Day of Prayer. We'll have more
to say about that below. It is also the beginning of a new series
of Weekly Reflections, written and sent to you in prayer.
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1. ~~ ** Mini-Reflection ** ~~
The following is a poem reportedly written by a youth in Bagdad,
Arizona, that is making the rounds. We have no clue as to the
author, but if you do please let us know so we can properly
credit him or her. This work is titled, "The New School
Prayer."
Now I sit me down in school / Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God / Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites / It violates the Bill of
Rights.
And anytime my head I bow / Becomes a federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green / That's no offense; it's
a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise / Prayers spoken aloud
are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall / Might offend someone with no faith
at all.
In silence alone we must meditate / God's name is prohibited by
the state.
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks / And pierce our
noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible / To quote the Good
Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen / And the 'unwed daddy' our
Senior King.
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong / We're taught
that such 'judgments' do not belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls / Study witchcraft,
vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed / No word of God must
reach this crowd.
It's scary here I must confess / When chaos reigns, the school's
a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make: / Should I be shot, my soul
please take. Amen.
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2. ~~ ** Cruising Christian Cyberspace! ** ~~
Our web site feature of the week is
National Day of Prayer Task Force
(www.ndptf.org)
The homepage is graphic intensive and requires the exercise of
patience to load. Although some sections are still under
revision, this site is the authority on the purpose and
background of this annual event, happening as this newsletter is
being published. It explains that "The National Day of
Prayer (NDP) is an annual event established by an act of Congress
which encourages Americans to pray for our nation, its people and
its leaders...Days of prayer have been called for since 1775,
when the Continental Congress designated a time for prayer in
forming a new nation...Officially, the NDP was established as an
annual event by an act of Congress in 1952..." We, of
course, invite our non-US subscribers to join us in prayer today
for the leaders of all nations and the leaders of our churches.
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3. ~~ ** Prayergear.com Product and Service Updates ** ~~
Our online store has undergone spring cleaning. You'll find it
easier to navigate, load and view our diverse Christ-centered
products. We are making the "Mother's Day Department" a
permanent section, renamed, "For Mom's Anytime"
We'll do the same for our upcoming section for Father's Day. We
certainly don't need to wait for a special day to "Honor
your father and mother."
Please visit the store often, tell your friends about it, and
help keep this ministry in business. Thank you much!
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4. ~~ ** Let us know! ** ~~
Our subscriber list is quite stable and growing, which means you
are still finding these newsletters helpful. At least we hope
that's what it means. We do encourage you to share these
newsletters (in their entirety, please!) with friends and those
whom you believe would be receptive. Indeed it is part of the
Internet culture to forward items all over the web. Some of these
forwards are annoying to recipients, however, particularly the
ones promoting "urban legends" such as Microsoft will
pay you $218 for every product promotional you email to someone.
Prayergear.com maintains a strong anti-spam (anti-unsolicited
mass emailing) policy. While the growth of newsletter subscribers
relies almost solely on your informing others and forwarding a
newsletter or two, upon which we depend, please ask the person to
whom you forward these newsletters to subscribe themselves. If
they are interested, they will. If they are not, your continued
forwards will only serve to annoy them. And we certainly don't
want our newsletters to be annoying :-).
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5. ~~ This week's Weekly Reflection follows below ~~
Please do encourage others to subscribe without spam. (Subscribe
instructions are always posted after the Weekly Reflection.
Please forward newsletters in their entirety.) We thank you for
that. Christians need to have a greater presence on the world
wide web and we believe that is God's will, so long as it honors
His Name only. We'll talk to you next week, God willing. Unless
you delight us by "talking" with us before then!
"The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face
shine upon you, and be gracious to you." (Numbers 6:24-25.)
John
John S. Hilkevich, Ph.D.
Spiritual Resource Services: Prayergear.com
~ Education, Services and Products
in the Christian Faith ~
www.prayergear.com
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For a more attractively formatted Weekly Reflection or links to
previous
Reflections, point your browser to
http://www.prayergear.com/weeklyintro.html
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WEEKLY REFLECTIONS
Misplacing the Keys of the Kingdom
Part 1 of 4
What's New/Article Index / Home/Welcome Page
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletters and have them sent directly
to your computer!
Just send a blank email with "subscribe Prayergear.com"
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