Why you should belong to a church

I thought I'd post this piece of pastorally-edgy theological reflection by Peter Adam of Ridley Melbourne, because I've just had cause to use it again! twice!  Peter doesn't blog, but if he did...   

I first came across this as a little pamphlet in the back of St Jude's Carlton in the mid-90s, and its relevance has not faded since.  Every now and then, I still hear someone declare that they don't really need to join a church, or that church the way it is today doesn't work for their faith.  If that's you, or if you've come across that thinking before - read on!

Why you should belong to a church

Because you need the regular support and encouragement of Christian fellowship.

The Christian life is not designed to be lived in isolation, and those who try it that way are likely to crash!  (see Hebrews 10:25)

Because fellowship provided by Christian friends is no substitute for belonging to a church.

You choose your friends because their ideas and style are similar to your own, God puts different people in a congregation so they can learn from each other.  (see Titus 2:1-10)

Because gifts can only rightly be used by someone who is a member of a congregation.

Gifts are primarily for the congregation, not for the individual and are rightly used to build up the church.  The picture of a church as a body tells us that our various gifts complement each other.  You don’t see a foot or an eye wandering around by itself!  (see 1 Corinthians 12)

Because God’s basic unit is the church, not the individual.

The story of the Bible is that of God making, shaping and refining his people, beginning with Abraham.  The lives of individuals like David, Isaiah, the Disciples, and Paul have their meaning because they are part of God’s continuous community.  It has tasted c.4,000 years – and there are no signs that God has changed his plan!  (see Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-6; Romans 4)

Because you are not paying the price of being a Christian.

The ‘solo flight’ is a very attractive style of Christianity for some, but it evades a basic element, the cost of Discipleship.  Jesus called his followers to serve their community of faith… to be ‘slave of all’.  (see Mark 10:35-45)

Because you cannot understand the New Testament properly unless you belong to a church.

Most of the New Testament is addressed to churches.  If you only read the Bible privately, then you will not be in the right place to hear God’s word.  You will ‘privatise’ its message, and so misunderstand it.  (see most of Paul’s letters)

Because basic maturity in faith and knowledge is only found in the church.

The Bible clearly teaches that immaturity is found in those who cannot cope with the church ‘system’ (Titus 1:5; 3:10), and that maturity and fullness of faith is a corporate experience of the Christian community.  (Ephesians 3:14-21; 4:13-16)

Because sharing in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper is basic to Christian obedience.

We share in these sacraments because of the command of Christ.  They are not private rites but corporate actions of the body of Christ.  A ‘grab and run’ approach is wrong; sharing in them means belonging to a church.  (see 1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:17-34; 12:13)

Because submitting to Christian leadership is integral to New Testament Christianity.

'Going-it-alone' is okay in the short term, but eventually we err if we imagine that we do not need structures and human authority. God's provision of order and authority  in the church is his realistic way of helping us. (see Hebrews 13:17)

Because fellowship-groups, evangelism teams, Christian societies are no substitute for churches.

Special groups and teams are more exciting than churches, because they attract people of similar aims, ideas and abilities.  They do good work but are not the same as churches, because they are limited in membership and task oriented.  Churches have to accept everyone, gifted or not, and so they more accurately reflect God’s free grace.

‘...not neglecting to meet together … but encouraging one another.’

Hebrews 10:25 (R.S.V.)

Daily Bible Reading and Prayer

Every now and then someone asks me about how to keep going reading the Bible and praying everyday.  I usually respond with these bits of advice:
1. Two good half-an-hour blocks a week are better than five rushed minutes per day.  It's grace, not guilt, so the point is to engage with God through His Word, not tick the boxes and follow the 'rules'.
2. 'Pray until you pray', is a Puritan maxim I love - from John Bunyan, author of 'The Pilgrim's Progress'.  Just as in any conversation, it takes more than a few minutes to move from the perfunctories to the deep and meaningful in our conversing with the Lord.
3. Make a time and space, and commit to it.  Bible reading and prayer is spiritual exercise, and it's a bit like physical exercise.  If you're looking to get fit, you commit to a training regime and, come rain, hail or shine (ideally), you're out there with your runners on.
Plan, organise, commit to a time and space (not in front of the tv, perhaps in your favourite closet) and your spiritual exercise is more likely to happen.  No one lost weight or got fit without a plan and purpose to get off the couch.
4. Bible reading plans, devotional books and various other resources can be helpful.  I've used a range of them over the years, but find that I need to chop and change.  Just like with my running routine, the same routes and programmes get boring after awhile, and need refreshing.  Here are a few I've used:
Don Carson's For the Love of God (two volumes)
John Stott's Through The Bible in A Year
This Bible Reading Chart, which I think was put together by AFES - can anyone enlighten me?  I love this, partly because it doesn't guilt you into feeling bad if you haven't followed some sort of daily plan.
The point is to cross out chapters as you read them, in any particular order, at any pace.  Have a look at it, perhaps get your group of Christian friends to read along with you.  The times I've used it I've progressed through multiple books at the same time, or had a weekend polishing off a few smaller books in one sitting.  It's very cathartic, being able to visualise the sense of getting through the whole Bible.
The ESV Bible website has a pile of free resources: click here.  I love the ESV Study Bible, and can recommend it wholeheartedly.  If you have a Kindle or Kindle reader for your electronic device, the ESV Bible for Kindle is free here.
Any other tips from anyone?  What's helped you to keep drinking deep from God's Word and praying regularly?

Is sex only important for beetles?

Question: Is sex only important for beetles, as you may have implied on the weekend (YAWA: our young adults' weekend away) by only mentioning it in that connection, or else what is its purpose?


Sorry for the absence.  Here's continuing our answers to questions.  


1. God created humans as relational, and sexual, beings.  Which is to say that our sexuality is an inherent part of our 'createdness', our physicality, our being, our identity.  It is part of who we are, so we shouldn't deny, suppress or marginalise that aspect of ourselves.

2. But sexuality is not the sum total of our identity, and should not be allowed to become a bigger part of us than it actually is.  So we don't obsess over it or give our physicality undue attention.  Crazy dieting and manic fitness fanaticism fall into the same error here.

3. Sex, or the intimacy of the sex act, for us (not beetles) occurs in the context of relationship.  That is to say, the way God designed it, the fullest and most intimate expression of our sexuality should mirror the fullest and most intimate expression of relationship - marriage between a woman and a man, out of which new life is created.  So a key purpose of sex is to partner, to fulfil, to consummate and strengthen the marriage relationship that is already there.  Or to put it another way, a marriage relationship without sex or with dysfunctional sex, is a bit like a car with three wheels.  It'll work, but not quite rightly.

4. Those themes of relationship, mutuality and creativity mirror who we really are - beings created in the image of God the Trinity who within himself expresses those three themes.  There is relationship, mutuality and creativity within and between the Father, Son and Spirit.  It's enough to make the mind spin!

How do two single people of the opposite sex have a close, platonic friendship?

...would it be inappropriate for these two people to have dinner together without anyone else present?  What should the boundaries be for a male/female friendship?  Should these be the same regardless of whether the people are single, dating or married?  Should they be different to the boundaries between two friends of the same gender?
That's a whole stack of questions!  I'm a Bible teacher, so if I stick to my area of expertise, I'd have to say that the Scriptures don't contain a set of rules about any of this.  The Bible contains a stack of principles, not rules.  And when you think about it, that's very helpful to us, because appropriate behaviour in friendships is very culturally conditioned.  What's appropriate changes with culture, context and over time.
In parts of Africa, it's perfectly normal for adult (heterosexual) men to hold hands and walk down the street in public, as an expression of their friendship. Different cultures signal different things by hugging, kissing, physical proximity during speech... just to name a few relational practices!
But back to the question.  Let's observe that Jesus was known for being a friend of women, including prostitutes and those from a less-than-upstanding background.  I'm not sure that this meant one-on-one dinner dates with them, but it does mean that Jesus the single man found a way to connect with single women and cultivate deep friendship.  Notice that Jesus managed to do this in a way that his integrity in these relationships was not compromised - although his enemies did call it into question repeatedly!
Jesus' experience is instructive.  It criticises a tendency I've noticed in contemporary evangelicalism to go for a 'purer than the driven snow' approach, where it's never appropriate for two single people of the opposite sex to be seen together.  I don't think this is always helpful.  Such thinking isn't going to help our ministry among people with a same-sex preference.
Having said that though, we need to reflect on our particular context to work out what some appropriate boundaries might be.  Here are some questions to consider:
- what expectations will this behaviour create for me or for my friend?
- what will others be tempted to think?
- is this a helpful way forward in our friendship?
- will this serve to show off the goodness of God in Christ, or not?
- can we actually talk about these things in our friendship? or about our friendship to others?

What about single men in their 30s?

Question: "We heard a lot of talk about single women Christians, but what about the men?  What advice do you have for them?"
Well, thanks for asking.  You're right.  A lot of our thinking and awareness around singleness in our context tends towards single women.  This means that a temptation for unhappily single men is to think that there's something wrong with them, since none of the many single women seem to be interested.  If only finding a partner were as simple as being the 'right' sort of person!
I shy away from offering any dating advice or 'how to find a spouse' advice.  I just know too many good and godly single men and women who are just that: single.
If anything the Scriptures invite us to trust that the Lord is good, and that God's purposes for us are for good not ill.  They also tell us to keep being busy about the Lord's work - loving and serving others, being engaged in mission and in encouraging your fellow Christians.  So....

• Find opportunities to serve in contexts where you will meet and keep meeting people.  
• Keep growing as a believer, keep being changed by the power of the Spirit and by the truth of the Word.  I find that men and women who are growing in godliness and in effectiveness as God's people in God's world, are intrinsically attractive.  
• Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6).  Work on both.  
• The flip side of this is that ungodliness and irresponsibility are unattractive.  So if you don't wash, don't keep reasonably healthy, don't have a job, don't have 'purpose' in life...
• Cultivate lots of Christian friendships, with both genders, with different ages.  And hopefully your Christian community is helping you out in this - see previous post! 

"Singles often get left behind by their paired-off friends". Comment.

Sorry for the week's absence!  I'm continuing to work through our questions from St Alfred's Redeeming Relationships teaching series.  The assertion above isn't actually the question that was asked, but I had to find a way to summarise the email I received.  It went something like this:

- in the teaching on Sunday, it was said that when a friend pairs off, you need to allow the new partner to become their 'main support' and withdraw a little

- ok, but what if this happens a couple of times in a row, and you're left as the single person with no support?  

- as a single, what do you do? 

I think this is a great question!  And it highlights again what we said repeatedly in this series - that relationships happen in a wider context than just two people.  And that the church community has a big role to play in caring for singles, marrieds, 'datings', 'recently broken-ups' etc. etc..  Just as Jesus came not to be served but to serve, Christians should look firstly to serve others in relationships.  

For the friend who is newly partnered, this means recognising that your new relationship has an impact on older friendships.  Enjoying a new relationship does not mean completely dumping existing friendships - we can do both, in godliness.  Do include single friends in your newly partnered/ married/ newborn-child lifestyle.  Don't assume they're not interested, have stopped loving you, or have nothing to contribute.  

If you're the single who is beginning to find yourself 'unsupported' and 'alone', then being open about this with your wider Christian community is a first step towards helping them love you better.  You can take the initiative to care for others (single or not), and to remake and remodel patterns of friendship and social activity.  I'm close to a single person who decided to have a birthday party in a park, with heaps of child-friendly activities, and heaps of married friends with kids.  The late John Stott was noted for - among other things - his love for children, and their love for him! 

Leaders within the church have special responsibilities to care for and love people, including organising and influencing the culture of the group.  My own sense of this has increased all the more through this teaching series (and blog!).  If you're the praying type, please do pray for wisdom and love from God, for me, for each of those in my care.   

What is a good way to ask someone out on a first (Christian) date?

"Excuse me, would you like to read the Bible with me?"
"Wow, that's a great WWJD bracelet. I've got one in blue. Would you like to see if our colours match over coffee?"
"I'm going to a prayer meeting. Wanna come along?"
Ok, enough fun for one post.  The question begs another one about dating, and all the cultural presuppositions that go with it.  If by 'date' you mean hanging out exclusively to get to know one another with a definite view towards marriage, then a good way to ask is by being up front about that.  Josh Harris in his book 'Boy Meets Girl' tells the story of how that happened with his (now) wife.  A bit of circling around each other, a bit of will-he or won't-she laugh at me, but eventually they awkwardly organise themselves into an exclusive just-him and just-her meal.
If however by 'date' you mean, 'I like that person and would just like to find out more, hang out more' but with no reference to how that person might feel about you, then perhaps the best course of action is to work out how to spend more time together in a group setting with other friends building friendship in that context.
"My church is running a marriage course this week.  There's free dinner if I bring someone along..."

Is it appropriate for a single woman to be a mother?

...sperm donor, fostering, adoption etc.. (the question goes on to note).
(Take a deep breath, answer carefully...)  The first thing to say is that I know of single mothers who have done a great job, under the most challenging of conditions.  So this isn't a discussion about the capacity of a single woman to be a great mom.  The question is about 'appropriateness'.
Let's start with the idealised context for parenthood: two perfect people, a man and a woman, united in the covenant relationship of marriage.  There you go, it doesn't exist because nobody's perfect.  From that starting point, we are then talking about 'best-case scenarios' out of a whole pile of less than ideal situations.
I'm married, we have kids.  They are no doubt going to be afflicted with their parents' imperfections!  Yet, that's a better situation than if I were a single father, or if my wife were a single mother.  Two parents are often better than one simply because it takes a lot of hands to do nappies, washing, cleaning up, feeding and bathing.  Unless of course one parent is a complete layabout.
Now, if you're a single woman asking the question above, it might pay to think about why you're considering motherhood.  Is it about you and your needs/ wants/ desires?  Or is about serving others?  That's a quintessentially Christian question to ask.
That would be the difference between sperm donation or surrogate motherhood and adoption or fostering. The former smacks of being more about a self-centred desire to be a mother, the latter about serving children who need help.  'Service above self' is the Christian way to go.
I can think of situations where a single woman might serve by fostering or adopting kids, but, again, this is a best-case out of a pile of less-than-ideal situations.  In Australia, I suspect that it would be hard (probably impossible) for a single person to legally adopt or formally foster children.
Christian communities, families and friendships are so important in this area.  I know lots of single people who get so much from meaningful, lasting and 'parental'-type relationships with their friends' children.  (And it's great for the kids too.)  Hint: single people can make fantastic godparents.  Find ways of being included in single and family life.

Is the Bible telling women to be more assertive in romance? (Like Ruth was with Boaz.)

When we looked at Ruth chapter three in our sermon series, we observed that Ruth was pretty bold, risk-taking and assertive in her pursuit of marriage with Boaz. But we also noticed many things about their cultural context that are very different to ours.
Lots of social expectations are deeply embedded in the particulars of our culture, history and context so it's impossible to be definitive. Instead of rules, wisdom is required! And on wisdom, the Bible has no shortage of things to say to us:

 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
  but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:30)
 A word aptly spoken 

  is like apples of gold in settings of silver. (Proverbs 25:11)

Or one of my favourites:

 Like a gold ring in a pig's snout,
  is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion (Proverbs 11:22)

What the Proverbs, and the wisdom of the Bible, tells us is that words should be used carefully, strategically and wisely. They are powerful. The Bible also tells us that physical beauty and attraction is literally only skin-deep and deceptive - dangerously so. That doesn't mean 'dress like a dag' and 'speak like a shotgun'. But it does mean that as much as we attend to appearance (which is a celebration of God's goodness and beauty in creation), we should all the more attend to godliness of character and wisdom in speech.
So, 'to be assertive or not in romance?' No easy answers. No blanket prohibition, nor open warrant.
Ruth took risks for the sake of God's plan to redeem and to save, and was assertive with Boaz. He was already known as a man of godliness, who would probably respond positively, as he did. So perhaps this is the lesson from Ruth: to be bold if you think that together you could make a greater advance for God's plans for good, than you could alone.

Is there joy to be found in singleness? How do I find it?

Yes, there certainly is!  The promise of life in the Spirit is love, joy and peace - so let's not forget the joy!  The Letter of James is instructive.  Especially chapter one.

v2 - Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds.  That is, the challenges of life are to be met with an attitude of 'pure joy'!  Why?  Because, v12, those who stand the test, will receive the crown of life that God promises to those who love him.  Our joy is in the anticipation of a deferred - and great - reward.  But our joy is also in our present circumstance, v16-18, knowing that the eternal and unchanging God is caring for us, giving us good and perfect gifts, choosing us to be the first-fruits of his creation.

v22 famously reminds us not to be merely hearers of the Word, but doers also lest we deceive ourselves.  What is that Word to singles?  Why, it is 1 Corinthians chapter seven, which points out the freedom (and joy) that singles can have to be devoted to serving God and serving others.  From that service, comes great joy.

When I reflect on my own life, I think that the periods of greatest joy have been when I've been less focussed on my own circumstances, precisely because I've been busy serving others and working for the good of some larger project.  These have, typically, been challenging times of hard work, overcoming obstacles and even frustrating times of working with (would you believe it) people who don't agree with me in every detail.  But the joy has come from seeing us together achieve something that none of us could have done alone, something of value to God's kingdom.

Is there a burden on the guys in church to evangelise more bloke friends for all the single women?

What a great question!  I think the answer is, 'Absolutely'!  And I'm not just being cheeky.  From a general perspective, every believer has to respond to Jesus' Great Commission to go and make disciples.
The fact that there are proportionately more single women in most of our churches lends a certain pastoral edge to the already urgent task of evangelism.
Having said all that, ladies, I'm not recommending descending en masse on the newly converted cute guy sitting in the back row.

Why is singleness so often considered second best (including in the church)?

I think there is incredible pressure on us to normalise marriage, family, 2.3 kids and to marginalise singles.  Both the prevailing church culture in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and the overall culture of urban and suburban Australia do this (to a certain extent).  Consider some typical movie or tv show narratives: families are often fun and 'normal', singles are eccentric and odd-ball-funny.  Every rom-com has a marriage narrative weaving through it.  So no wonder we buy the message that marriage is best, singleness is second best.

The related question of what we can do about it, on the basis of what we've learnt from 1 Corinthians chapter 7, is a good one.  I think just having our teaching series has been a start.  Giving singles 'stage-time' and an acknowledged leadership presence in our community is another.  Inviting quality leaders to speak who are single, is yet another.  I'm not yet convinced of the value of a distinctly 'singles' ministry - see this parody of them: Surviving Church as a Single. 

Any other ideas?

Is singleness a symptom of the fallen world?

Yes, it is.  Because God's original design, that we read about in Genesis 2, was for a man and a woman to be united together in marriage. Marriage ideally fulfils our deep, created need for relationship and intimacy. But because of Genesis 3 (the fall, the fallen world, sin coming into creation) even the best marriages now don't work they way they should. So...

Singleness and marriage, the way they are both experienced today, are symptomatic of how imperfect the world really is.  As I said on Sunday (download from here) each of the three great monotheistic religions of the world - Judiasm, Christianity and Islam - value marriage highly, but ONLY Christianity affirms singleness as inherently positive.

Seen in the Christian light, singleness is therefore an opportunity to shine as a positive example of God's power to redeem.

Hope that helps!

Sarahs' small group

Yup, that's not a misplaced apostrophe.  There's a St Alf's small group with multiple 'Sarah's in it.  Tom nearly got his name changed by deed poll just to fit in.  I visited last night to lead the discussion/ study on singleness.  I think the group had fun and a useful, encouraging time.  If you're in a St Alf's young adults' group and would like me to come along to do this, just ask!  I'd be more than happy to.

Redeeming Relationships - Singleness

We've come to the end of this sermon series at St Alfred's.  I don't think I've ever received such an amount of positive feedback about the relevance and applicability of a teaching series before!  Our 10 minute Bible reflection - 10 minute panel interview - 10 minute Q&As format worked a treat.  However, we went over time with Q&As each time, and there are a pile of questions that we just didn't get to.  I'm proposing to tackle them here, beginning with:


Q: That guy Doddy looks hot.  Can I have his phone number?
A: Not from me, you can't.  But you know where to find him next Sunday at 6pm!

On the occasion of the King James Bible's 400th!

From my friends at accordancebible.com

KJV Word Modern Day Definition KJV Definition KJV Sample Passage Tablet A flat computing device, such as the iPad Ornamental jewelry, probably a string of beads worn around the neck And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold. -Exodus 35:2a Charity Give back to the community...and get tax write-offs Love Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. -1 Corinthians 13:1 Passion A fire in the belly Suffering To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. -Acts 1:3 Peculiar Strange or weird Possession or property For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiartreasure. -Psalm 135:4 Bosses They write your paychecks The projecting parts of a shield He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers. - Job 15:26 Gin An adult beverage often mixed with tonic A trap or snare The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him. - Job 18:9 Ouches Where Dora the Explorer Band-Aids go. AKA "hurties" and "booboos" Cavities or sockets in which gems were set And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel. -Exodus 39:6 Bravery A courageous display of valor Glory or beauty In that day the Lord will take away thebravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon. -Isaiah 3:18 Prevent To hinder or keep from occurring To meet or come before The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. -Psalm 59:10 Husbandman A redundant married man One whose business is to cultivate the ground And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard. -Genesis 9:20

Promoting the Gospel with our Money

Preached this sermon today at St Alf's, although we could have done with three sermons on the topic!  Here are two questions that came up afterwards. Thanks for asking them, E!

Q: Should I get a mortgage? Isn't that just tying you down to a massive piece of debt that will limit your ability to go wherever God might call you to?
A: Mortgages, or more specifically, owning your own home, is neither godly nor ungodly on its own. The reality is that most people have to borrow money to buy a home, and that our Australian financial situation means that mortgages aren't essentially sinful.
My favourite story is of two friends. One bought a home, but insisted against that open-plan rubbish. He had two living areas: one for the family (kids) to run riot in, and another that could host small group Bible studies or pastoral meetings in quiet at the same time. The other refused to go into that sort financial (and emotional) commitment so that he could stay 'fliexible' and available to go wherever God called. He ended up overseas as a missionary for a decade. The first friend ran small groups and did ministry out of the house. Both were godly decisions, with good Gospel outcomes.

Q: What do you think about overseas travel for young adults/ uni students/ gap years? Doesn't it cost too much and that money could be given to missionaries or Gospel workers?
A: Travel is pretty neutral on its own, I think. Yes, there are environmental and opportunity cost issues, but the positive side of travel is that it's a chance to see more of God's good creation, including especially the good in the diversity of humankind, human history and culture.  These are the 'every tribe, people, language and nation' that will worship around the throne of the Lamb.
The problem with much young adult travel is that it's done for its own sake, or for fun times, or for the tourist value.  And Christians who travel often check out of worshipping in a corporate context (church on Sunday) for the duration.  That's just self-indulgent travel.
But travel with a view to taking in more of God's view of his entire world and all his people, enlarges us, expands our vision of what God is up to around the world, and opens us up to possibilities in ministry and universal Gospel truth that our often limited local experience makes hard to appreciate.  Yes, it's costly, but if prayerfully approached, and if structured with the right connections to local Gospel ministries in the places to be visited, can be a valuable investment in someone's ministry future.

Prayer

'Prayer changes things.' 

'When we pray, God works.'

Pithy saying, full of truth, but of course not to be over-extended into absolutes.  This season I'm praying earnestly for two big things, that I thought I'd share with you. 

The Queensland and Brisbane flood crisis.   

See our national news website for updates - http://www.abc.net.au/news/

I'm praying that God would be merciful and spare lives, property and precious memories.  And also that amidst loss and grief will come opportunities for Christians to demonstrate the grace, generosity and love of God in Jesus Christ.  

The referendum in Sudan, to decide if the mainly Christian south should become a new nation and separate from the mainly Muslim north.  Especially that God would achieve peace, justice and freedom from persecution for all the people groups in Sudan. 

Do join with me in praying!