Among Southern Baptists the name “prayer meeting” means many things to many people. For many it means hearing people complain about health problems (which are often insignificant). For others it means gossiping about what someone else is doing “we need to pray for them because. . .” Prayer meeting for many also means a lot of talking but not very much actual praying.

Having said all that, some time ago I knew that the Lord was calling Daybreak to pray, to have a prayer meeting. My personal prayer was that when people left the time that they would not describe it as I did above. If you have been a Christian for any length of time you can easily report of a time when the “times of prayer” were just plain dead. Also, among our congregation God was moving in other people’s hearts for the need for the church to pray together. So a small group of people and individuals separately, have been praying for God to move His people to desire to pray and get right with Him.

Last night we saw God move at a Prayer Meeting. We simply read Scripture and then prayed asking God to show us what we need to apply to our lives from what was read. People shared things that were on their hearts, and we prayed. We bowed down and prayed, and we stood to sing His praises. There was some laughing and joy, but mostly there was weeping and brokenness before the Lord.

God moved on the group’s heart to covenant before the Lord our desire to put away distractions, sin, and everything that keeps us from doing what God has commanded us to do and being the people we are supposed to be. It was not planned and was not initiated by me. I led the time of prayer, but God moved in the heart of His people. We all promised before the Lord to follow Him with our whole heart. Words just can’t describe it, and it is truly one of those moments when “you just had to be there.”

At the end, the praise team led the congregation in one last song, and I walked to the back to greet people as they left. As everyone left no one really said anything and there was a quiet reverence and appreciation of an experience we shared of being with the Lord. We hugged instead of shaking hands and people just quietly walked into the night.

What will God do next? I don’t know but I’m going to follow and see. (Matt. 8:23-27 – Jesus calms the storm)

The hoods, gowns, and caps worn in academic ceremonies today are modified versions of clothing worn by ecclesiastics and students in the 12th and 13th centuries. They wore gowns and hoods to their lectures, probably for warmth in the damp, unheated halls where classes were held. The designs and colors of these costumes have come to symbolize the level of academic attainment and the institution attended.

The bachelor’s robe has an elaborate yoke but is otherwise a plain garment with a closed, pleated front and long, full pointed sleeves. The master’s robe is identifiable by its sleeves, cut for the arm at the wrist and just above the elbow, which have a distinctive oblong back and are squared at the ends. The doctor’s robe, full cut and with voluminous long sleeves, is distinguished by its rich velvet trim. Robe-length front panels and velvet sleeve bars are either black or symbolize, by their color, the field in which the doctorate was obtained. The mortarboard or tam is worn with tassels that are usually black but may represent the degree held by the wearer. (from Commencement Exercises, Spring 2009 booklet published by SEBTS).

So for Mother’s Day I thought I had a great idea. Every year I go with the safe gifts for my wife (clothes, perfume, spa treatments, etc…) but this year as a I was in Wal-Mart (which should’ve been my first red flag) I had a brainstorm. There were other factors as to why I chose the gift I did. The economy is making it to where we need to cut expenses and an emphasis to “go green.” There was also the idea that what I purchased — we could do as a family. And we could teach our children how people used to do things way back when. So here we go …. I purchased Kimberly everything one needs to can fruits and some vegetables (water bath canning). I got her a giant pot, racks to hold the mason jars, mason jars of different sizes, packets of flavoring, accessories like tolls to pull the jars out, magnet to handle the lids coming out of boiling water, a funnel, and a book to explain how to can. As she opened all 7-8 separately packaged gifts I could tell it wasn’t what she was looking for. It could have been her response when she said, “It looks like you got a great Father’s Day gift.” Anyway, I thought it was cool, but right now it is sitting in the garage because it’s still too early in the growing season to can anything. So, our first round will be with strawberries.