Prayers and Ashes
This week saw two significant events that likely shape our future. On Thursday a Wisconsin judge ruled the National Day of Prayer, celebrated since 1952, was unconstitutional. On Wednesday, a volcano erupted in Iceland and by Thursday and Friday air travel across the European continent was grounded and literally millions of people waited for the ashes to clear and allow for travel to begin again.
This week saw two significant events that likely shape our future. On Thursday a Wisconsin judge ruled the National Day of Prayer, celebrated since 1952, was unconstitutional. On Wednesday, a volcano erupted in Iceland and by Thursday and Friday air travel across the European continent was grounded and literally millions of people waited for the ashes to clear and allow for travel to begin again.
I couldn’t help but ponder the contrast and results. An attempt by an organization that wants freedom from religion seeks to remove the very acknowledgment of a powerful supreme being from our national awareness. While in the very same week God’s soverign power in nature is displayed in a majestic way. It brought a smile of irony to my lips.
It made me wonder if God in His heaven simply chose to remind His earlhly creatures that He is very real and we are not the ones in power or control, much as we would like to be. The words of Isaiah 40:22-28 speaking of His power and preeminence echo in my mind at times like these.
Prohibiting prayer doesn’t change His character nor diminish His sovereignty. How I need to be reminded of that daily.
Gwynne Johnson
Gwynne Johnson currently serves on the Board of Entrust, Inc., an international education and training mission where she authored the Entrust curriculum, Developing a Discerning Heart. She recently served as Co-Chair of the training project, Christian Women in Partnership, Russia and as Senior Director of Women's Ministry at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas. Gwynne has a M.A. in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. She currently lives in Huntsville, Texas with her husband of 58 years, Don. She works part-time in her daughter and granddaughter's bakery "The Best Box Ever," where she gets paid in cookies.
