stockbridge boiler room

SCHEDULE UPDATE

Four scheduling updates

1.  We are beginning an experiment for the month of July to meet with neighbors and friends of the Boiler Room on Sunday nights from 6:30-7:45 for worship, prayer and learning.  As many of our simple church friends are here in the neighborhood, we are going to incorporate the next two simple church meetings into this time with a particular focus on our neighborhood.  Thus, No Simple Church large gathering in June or July.  

2. We are going to postpone the start of the Divine Healing reading group for at least a week.  

3. We are having a Fourth of July Pancake breakfast and parade starting at 9a.  More info to come.  

4. We are having a basketball camp for boys in the neighborhood from 10a to 1:30p.  More info on how you can pray to come.  

closing 247 prayer-more thoughts on worshipping in spirit and in truth

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.

 I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.  (Psalm 40:10)

Some written and spoken reflections on what God provided as we worshipped in spirit and truth :

Some reflected about worship itself

*He gave me words, a song in my heart, to praise His name and share His part

*Combine praise and worship with prayer-the effect will show God is alive and well (and very powerful)!

*It was a restful week, like a drink of water.

*I was sorry to miss the closing session of the prayer week. But just wanted to say that I and others I talked to really enjoyed the drop in worship sessions. Perhaps that is something we could incorporate into future 24/7 weeks or just into the rhythm of the boiler room in general...

*I was amazed to watch people worship.  I will never forget this week.  

*I think our friends who lead worship outside of the Boiler Room had a different experience here as they facilitate drop-in worship.  Here they had a secret place where their audience was God and a couple folks showed  up to hang out with them in God's presence.  Often worship for musicians like us can shift toward performance and audience quite subtly.  But here in the secret place the audience is God.  And that was huge for so many of the worshippers.  One guy said he felt like the roof opened to reveal the heavenlies.  

A number of folks commented on the Spirit's leading during the week.

*He has become my guidance in uncharted lands. 

*When I asked Him for wisdom, guidance and even what He wanted me to intercede about, faithfully He provided me with the word of knowledge, the Scripture verse and the call to obedience.  

*I found myself during this week, more emotional.  And I don't cry easily.  But I found myself crying at movie previews.  I was feeling things more.  I'm convinced that He was leading me to feel more.  

Truth convicted others in this time of worship

*God gave me Ezekiel 34 tonight.  As our shepherd, He strengthens the weak, heals the sick, binds up the injured, brings back the strays and searches for the lost.  These five things are my daily focus for the next five days, one for each day.  I want to follow my Shepherd's example,  I want to obey Him.  

* I go to school at GRCC and on my way there I go down Pearl street, at first I didn't think anything of it, but after a few weeks of driving down that st, and just a part of it, I began to feel that I should pray for it, not sure why I just did.  Then one day it dawned on me, this part of Pearl that I was having this heavy feeling about has bars all over,left and right, and ironically enough, at the end of this part of Pearl, was a church.  It was kind of a slow developing thing, God slowly opened my eyes.  Then one day I had this thought that saddened me, these people,and mostly younger people, were probably at these bars because they were lost, or drowning the bad things of their day or week,and perhaps they were bored, so after all the drinking and "drowning of sorrows" who was there to help them figure out what to do?  Only their drinking buddies who were also there doing the same thing, how sad that there was no one with a clear mind to council them, or even listen and then pray for them or with them.  I thought wow, here are all these lost souls that are doing the only thing they know, and this church at the end of all this is closed when people might need them most.  Not that the church is to blame, I just thought how great would it be for people to have a person to talk to,a live person, when they need one, a person full of God's love, even though they may not even realize they need are in need of it.  I have been waiting and praying about what God wanted me to do with all of that, I wouldn't even know where to begin.  Then in the last couple of weeks I was praying for a family member . . . So I was praying for them, and I can't even tell you how exactly it happened, but I found myself thinking of prostitutes, and wondering why someone couldn't pay them to sit and listen to the Gospel or to pray with them, or for them.  I know that sounds strange, but again, I really feel this is God.  I have learned that many of these girls are stuck and can't get out or don't know what else to do, or maybe they have been doing it so long that they figure they may as well stick it out, or maybe that they deserve this.  I am sure that you have already thought of those reasons, but some of this is new to me.  So when I was at the Boiler Room Friday I prayed a lot about if these two things are something that I am supposed to keep pursuing.  Of course God came.  When I was getting ready to leave I was looking at the map that you have in the prayer room and the first tab that I read says "Break the strongholds of  addiction and prostitution."  The two things that I have been praying about were staring back at me, I left knowing that I am to do something.  I am still praying about what that looks like, but seeing that on the map, I knew I had to e-mail you and at least share this.

*John 15 called me to abide in the vine.  And since it was summer vacation, I could and I did and it was my best 247 week.  

*Psalm 68 spoke to me all week.  "God sets the lonely in families."  And I believe that is what He is doing with simple churches, with the Love Feast, with discipling and with the growing family of folks beyond the interns who live in this neighborhood.  God showed me the truth of what He is unfolding.  

We bless God.  

::tony::

light: 247 stories

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2)

At a January Love Feast,  Jordan asked Harvey our friend from the neighborhood, "How can I pray for you?"

Harvey responded, "I don't want you to pray for me."

This didn't keep Harvey from coming back to the Love Feast.  

With his experience in catering, he helped us to reconfigure the seating in order to accomodate more family at the Love Feast.  

Back in May, when Michael broke into "There is a Fountain" during the opening of worship, Harvey sat back down and listened.  

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;

And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;

And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

He sat and talked with Jordan and Nate for a long time that night.  

Harvey has begun meeting with Jordan and Nate to talking about faith, confess sins, ask questions and hear about the love of Jesus.  

This past 24-7 week, Harvey has been a fixture at the evening community prayer, showing up in brightly colored Hawaiian shirts, sitting in the easy chair in the corner.  

And at the of the week, Harvey saw a bunch of candles at a garage sale and picked them up for the prayer garage. "I figured you all go through a lot of candles."

It looks like we're adopting another family member.  A light has dawned on him.  And he's beginning to bring this light to others.  

May the light of Christ shine in and through our lives.

::tony::

pouring: 247 stories

"Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."  (Malachi 3:10)

So often it seems like God moves in significant ways during 247 weeks for His glory.  

On this weblog on June 5, we posted the story of 139 Quilts and some of the needs that Kristen still had.  Kristen has been praying for God's provision in terms of 139 Quilts in order to make this opportunity possible, regardless of cost for neighbors.  

And over the past week, God has thrown open the floodgates of heaven and we bless His name.  We have had secret drop-offs of material during prayer.  We have had sewing machines promised.  We have had cutting tools and funky cloth dropped off during Kristen's afternoon prayer for God's provision.  

And we thank God for the five particular friends who listened to the Holy Spirit and have come alongside how God is moving through 139 Quilts.  

May we all see what He can do.  

::tony::

establish: 247 stories

and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.  (Isaiah 62:7)

God hears the prayers of His people.  And he responds.  He healed Richard's heart so much that his doctor said, "this is odd" when he went in for his checkup.  

Each week, we ask our friends at the Love Feast to share how we can pray for them.  So many are praying for jobs; so many are praying for housing.  We are being faithful in praying for these needs.  Join us please.  

We also have friends asking for prayers to grow closer to God.  Richard and Leesa asked for "peace and well being." When I talked with them last night at the Love Feast, they said that it has been an unusually calm week.  Bless God.

We prayed for our friend Teresa that she might have relief from nightmares and she said last night at the Love Feast that she was having peaceful sleep.  

Tammy has been facilitating our intercession effort.  (if you have online prayer requests, email us at stockbridgeboilerroom@gmail.com) Right now we are hanging all of the prayer requests on clothesline in the prayer garage.  During closing prayer for 247 on Friday night at 8p, we will invite everyone to take home some of the prayer requests for friends and neighbors to call on Him to make this neighborhood and this city the praise of the earth.  

May we all join in this sacred murmur.  

::tony::

key: 247 stories

I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.  (Isaiah 22:22)

There's something about this week of 24-7 prayer; little sense of practicing a discipline and more sense of exuberance spilling over.  We dove in to worshipping in spirit and in truth and I believe God is leading us somewhere important.  Certainly all the random evidence of spiritual warfare and pushback from the enemy would suggest this.  But even more than that, there is a joy that's coming with all the friends hosting worship.  The joyful noise that is emanating out of the garage fills the alley and beyond.  

Someone left a note saying "praise and worship is such a key element for prayer."  And I think that may be the difference this week.  We're focused on the Christ and worshipping Him and this leads us into spirit and truth filled prayer.  I remember Bruce Cheadle teaching me in India about how he would break into hymn (most particularly "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name") when his prayer time seemed dry and arid.  And from this streams of living water would flow into his communion with the Father.  

During this week, members of the community have been looking for a variety of ways to bring worship.  After dinner last night, I walked in on Danmike and Michael learning a Ben Pasley song "Give Me Your Hand" that we sang in Minneapolis with the 247 tribe to play during 8p prayer.  

There's none too poor, too dirty

too broken, too naked

too stupid, too drunken to be . . .

There's none too poor, too dirty

too broken, too naked

too stupid, too drunken to be . . .

There's none too poor, too dirty

too broken, too naked

too stupid, too drunken to be

thrown outside His love.

Singing with them in the dining room; pounding a drumbeat on the table;  affirming the truth of this worship song was the highlight of my week so far.  We literally ran from the dining room into the prayer garage after that ready to worship our God some more during evening community prayer.  

Tim Keller, our pastor back in NYC, described worship as the church's lightning.  He reminded us of the car in Back to the Future.  

If you recall, in order to get this car/time machine to work again, the Professor had to hook up the car to the clock tower by cable, hoping to channel the electric current from the lightning strike to power the car.  Keller's teaching was on how worship is the church's lightning.  Spirit and Truth emanate forth from it and with it, the Lord makes these dry bones rise.  

We're learning and we're asking Him to lead us in spirit and in truth.

::tony::

family: 247 stories

 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." (John 17:20-26)

One of the things that has been on my heart has been on my heart during this 247 week is the idea of family.  The Father adopted us into his family.  He prayed for us to be one in our family.  

It also seems right to give a hat tip and a link to Ben Pasley's Churchthink.   Ben came to speak and lead worship for the 247 gathering.  He's informing some of our thinking on family.  This article is a good introduction.  Download Recalibrating_for_family

::tony::

24-7 prayercast

As you join us for 24-7 prayer in the garage this week at the Stockbridge Boiler Room or as you join us in prayer from afar (Jenna's praying in India), check out these prayer prompts from our 24-7 friends.

Pete Grieg introduces what God has put on the hearts of friends in Europe.

Andy Freeman casts a vision for what to pray for in response to the unfolding European elections.  

Click here to hear the rest of the week's prayercasts.

::tony::

rest: 247 stories

Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, 

       for he shields him all day long, 

       and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.  (Deuteronomy 33:12)

We are approaching Worshipping in spirit and in truth with great excitement.   The prayer garage has a particularly inviting thematic vibe.  The guest worshippers are all set up to come in and welcome any and all who might drop in.  After hearing stories of the 612 boiler room in Vancouver going for it with the Lord for 9 hours at a stretch during their 247 weeks;  we were all geared up.

So often, I veer uncontrollably into working in my own strength and cleverness rather than relying on the Lord.  He will often let me run on ahead until I come to the "end of myself" and then He'll gently ask "are you ready now?" This is why the discipline of fasting is so useful for me to stay weak and dependent.  

Graciously the Lord helped me to remember this idea of resting on this first day of 247.  This image of the beloved of the Lord resting between his shoulders is a particularly powerful one for me.  Remembering Henri Nouwen's Greek translation of praying continually as hesychia is one that I remind myself of consistently.  Hesychia means "come to rest."  Resting in our Father is such a great way to spend these weeks devoted to loving Him with all of our heart and mind and strength.  

This morning, I came in to pray with the interns.  I had an agenda of praying for each other and strategically praying for the week etc.  God simply wanted us to rest.  As we entered Kyle and Max were still playing guitar and worshipping.  We sat, listened and began reading, journalling and drawing.  Eventually, they ended and we sat in silence, continuing to read and pray and rest together all in the same garage.  

I was so struck by Psalm 68 that I spent an hour copying it down onto scraps of cardboard box and tacking it to the wall, simply because I wanted to soak in God's word.  Eventually Danmike picked up a guitar and began strumming some Jonathan David Helser.  

When I looked up, two hours had gone by.  Folks had come and gone.  The sun was peeking through the clouds and we had spent a couple hours around each other in the Father's presence.  No striving.  Simple and restful.  Pouring out time on the feet of Jesus.  It is a privilege to find these spaces in one's day to pour out one's time on Jesus' feet. And more and more I'm thinking I need this shielding of the Lord all the days of my life as I go out and pray for Deba Jean's healing and teach the God Story and meet with prayer partners and plan for hosting pilgrims and reach out to neighbors and all the other work that God has put in front of us.  

Maybe I do need to start with these times of rest and fit in the remainder of my schedule around this time between His shoulders.  

May we all find this security.

::tony::

learning opportunities

On Tuesday June 16 from 7-8p, we'll be discussing the first half of Floyd McClung's The Father Heart of God.   On June 23, we'll finish the discussion.  

On Tuesday June 30  from 7-8p,  we'll be discussing the first half of Andrew Murray's Divine Healing. On July 7, we'll finish the discussion.

Pick up books on your own and have them read for the first discussion.  If you'd like to join please RSVP at 

stockbridgeboilerroom@gmail.com .

::tony::