Prayer Summit Begins with Praise

The 2013 Christian Reformed Church Prayer Summit opened on Monday night with such a celebration of spirit-filled prayer and song that it seemed as if participants were releasing a year’s worth of pent up praise and energy.

The three-day event began modestly enough with announcements, reflections on the significance of the gathering, a video, and a short prayer.

But then, when the praise team began to sing and pray and play at All Nations Church in Lake View Terrace., Calif., people attending the gathering from all over North America jumped to their feet. They raised their arms and sang fervently, as if knocking on the door of heaven with their voices.

This was the second year for the denomination-wide Summit. The first was held last April, also on the expansive campus of All Nations — a Korean CRC church set in the foothills north of Los Angeles.

Praise team leader Charles Kim paused between one of the opening songs, saying, "This is worship. The King is here. He is worthy of our worship and praise. There is nothing to lose but to worship him."

People filling the sanctuary needed no urging. The intensity of their worship was obvious to anyone who was there, including keynote speaker Richard Mouw.

"As we just sang together in a prayerful way, it was a way of saying 'wow,' just how wonderful it is to be in the presence of the living God," said Mouw, the soon-to-retire president of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. He also taught philosophy for nearly 20 years at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.

A large video screen positioned on the stage wall behind him showed live scenes from the Summit as Mouw reminded everyone why they were all there.

"We come into the presence of God to experience his sovereign grace. By grace alone we are saved," he said.

Tuesday’s schedule

The Summit continued Tuesday with a series of presentations, stories about answered prayer, and workshops. There were to be several times for prayer itself throughout the day. These included a time of Korean-style prayer held at dawn.

J.B. Wernlund, a pastor at Providence CRC in Cutlerville, Mich, hoped to be among those gathered bright and early on Tuesday in the sanctuary of All Nations to take part in the  type of prayer called Tong Song prayer.

This is a kind of prayer, especially popular in Korea, is which participants have an opportunity to pray out loud, often with great intensity about any number of subjects.

"I came here for different reasons, and one of them was to be here for the dawn prayer,” he said.

"This type of prayer can help to make our prayers be more participatory. At the same time, we all lift up our hearts to the Lord in many different types of prayer."

Besides Tong Song prayer, the 500 or so participants from all over North America were to have a chance on Tuesday for individual prayer and prayer in groups. They could also take a guided prayer walk in the afternoon in Lake View Terrace, and then there were the times of corporate worship in the sanctuary, and the evening worship service.

Also, churches across the Christian Reformed Church unable to attend this year's Prayer Summit will be able to take part this evening in a Watch and Pray event, available via an Internet download and featuring a video from Monday's opening session. Another Watch and Pray event also will be available on Wednesday.

In fact, this evening’s video will include clips from Mouw’s talk.

‘Your Kingdom Come’

In his presentation, Mouw focused on the theme of this year's Summit, which is "Your Kingdom Come!" — the familiar words from the Lord's Prayer.

He especially touched on the significance of the Summit being a chance for participants to enter into God's kingdom — that is, he said, “to step into God's throne room” and to acknowledge God’s glory and power through prayer.

But the Summit is also a time, he said, to pray for the coming of God's almighty and unified kingdom.

Years ago, when he was at Calvin College, Mouw worked on committees whose goal was to make the Christian Reformed Church more ethnically and culturally diverse.

Although the work isn’t finished, he saw evidence of growth and improvement as his eyes swept over Korean, Caucasian, Hispanic, and Native American Summit participants.

"I look around at this gathering. It represents many tribes and nations, and I thank God for this visible sign tonight," he said.

“The CRC is becoming part of a new priesthood, a holy nation of many tribes and nations."

Keep in mind, though, he said, as diverse as the denomination is starting to become, it is still crucial to remember that “we are all beneficiaries of the cross" and share one body and one blood— "the blood of Jesus Christ, who cleanses us of all unrighteousness.”

Mouw ended his talk by reminding participants that a significant part of God's kingdom is listening to God's concerns and his sorrow over what is happening in the world — be it war, widespread immorality, or a consumer culture in which materialism runs rampant.

"God grieves over the injustices of the world and we are called to be peacemakers," he said. "When we pray, the Lord God listens and pours out his spirit on all flesh, manifesting answers."

Praying for CRC Ministries

Monday night's opening session ended as representatives from CRC administrative offices and agencies described their work and asked for prayer.

During this time, small groups joined throughout the sanctuary and prayed, some in loud voices, some quietly, and some in words that were hard to understand.

One of those asking for prayer was Rudy Gonzalez, the US advocate for the Christian Reformed Church Office of Race Relations.

He said that he, like Mouw, found it heartening to see the CRC becoming more diverse. But he also said it is important to realize that there is work to do. He asked for prayer, seeking God's help as the denomination becomes a more "mutual community."

Rev. Joel Boot, executive director of the CRC, helped to close the session by asking for prayer for the denomination, which is undergoing a great deal of change, especially in leadership positions.

Much of the change, he said, arises out of the need to address and adapt the ministry of the denomination to the shifting circumstances that the Christian church — and not just the CRC — finds itself facing in today’s culture.

In this time of turmoil and upheaval, he said, the CRC must stay steady, continuing to seek God’s kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.

"The ground is shaking underneath our feet. Everything is becoming new and that is frightening, making it all the more important for us to pray to God to help us strengthen our grip,” he said.

About 500 people all from all over the CRC are attending the Summit.