Prayer Week 2014: Day 5

Thursday, Day 5 of “Bedeuge” (Prayer Week) in Denmark, highlights a daily theme that could cause confusion: Admonish One Another. That’s because the word often translated “admonish” in Hebrews 10, is often taken in a negative light. That’s just as true in Danish as it is in English.

But think of it this way: In Scripture we’re told to admonish each other for the purpose of encouragement, and for building up each other. It’s positive, not negative.

Even so, that’s a tough sell in a culture where it’s tough to be vulnerable or accountable enough to hear the kind of caring advice that can do us the most good. Sound familiar? But God cares about His church in Denmark so much that he wants Danish Christians to open their lives to each other, to become vulnerable to each other in love, and to see them grow into mature disciples. That’s our prayer for today.

PRAY that God will help Danish believers lower their cultural defenses so that they might admonish each other, and encourage each other in love.

PRAY for the flourishing of small groups where genuine growth can happen.

PRAY that God will open channels of respect and openness among Danish believers of different traditions, so they might build each other up -- even across denominational lines.

PRAY for those walls to come down in love.

Prayer Week 2014: Day 4

Wednesday. It’s Day 4 of “Bedeuge” (Prayer Week) in Denmark.  And Hebrews 13:2 is quoted in the week’s daily devotional:

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Which brings us to the day’s theme: Show Hospitality to One Another. Why? Once again, God has provided an example for us to follow, throwing open the doors to his very own home, his Kingdom, inviting us in.

And in many growing Danish churches, one sees a common denominator: An emphasis on hospitality within small groups. It’s no coincidence, but the moving of God’s Holy Spirit. We’re talking about the kind of hospitality that invites strangers for dinner. The kind of hospitality where believers open their lives to each other. The kind of hospitality and fellowship that provides accountability and a biblical pattern for growing as disciples of Jesus.

Watch and pray. Danish hospitality and community can provide a warm environment for growing the church of Jesus in this country.

PRAY that Danish Christians would continue to rediscover authentic biblical hospitality as a way to grow authentic disciples.

PRAY that even the smallest churches in remote towns would learn to practice hospitality more and more. And in the cities, as well!

PRAY that Danish Christians would be known for opening their doors to refugees and immigrants, and that God would give them a heart for hospitality to strangers.

Prayer Week 2014: Day 3

Tuesday, Day 3 of “Bedeuge” (Prayer Week) in Denmark, brings us to a challenging theme: Care for One Another. Of course, God has shown his care for us in Jesus Christ, as an example of how we should care for others. But how can we put that example into practice?

That’s the question Danish Christians face. And that’s a unique challenge in a country where few live in want, where government programs are designed to provide everything from comprehensive health care to psychological counseling and generous vacation time. Danes are proud of their social welfare safety net.

Perhaps that leaves the Danish church in an interesting position, at times, wondering how to demonstrate care for each other, and care for those outside the Body of Christ. After all, hasn’t that been the role of the government?

PRAY for Danish believers, that God would show them new ways -- even unexpected new ways -- to care for each other.

PRAY that the Danish church would continue to reach out to foreigners and immigrants, making a place for them in Christian fellowship.

PRAY that God would give Danish Christians new boldness to reach out in love to those who feel unloved, and that many would come to know Jesus as a result of that love and care.

PRAY that this may be the start of revival in Denmark.

Prayer Week 2014: Day 2

On Day 2 of “Bedeuge” (Prayer Week) in Denmark, organizers are asking Christians all around Denmark to “See One Another!” In other words, look for believers (and others!) in the workplace, on the street, in the grocery store, at home. Seek them out. Bless them with your care and attention, and find new ways to encourage them, as Jesus noticed and encouraged those around him.

If one may generalize, this speaks to the typically Danish tendency to quietly go about one’s business. In public, Danes often maintain a somewhat reserved personal style.

So the Prayer Week devotional book, circulated by the Danish Evangelical Alliance, describes their need this way:

To meet a Christian brother or sister who doesn’t see past me, but who sees me as I really am, and who gives me a bit of their attention, is a gift and a glimpse of Him who always shows me his full attention.

So let’s PRAY for relationships within the growing Danish church. As Jesus prayed, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21)

PRAY for unity at the congregational level, from small independent country churches, to larger urban church plants, to growing Lutheran churches in the Valgmenighed movement.

PRAY for Danish believers, that the Holy Spirit would fill their families and their fellowships in a fresh way.

Prayer Week 2014: Day 1

Today, Sunday, January 5, marks the beginning of a yearly prayer emphasis in Denmark, appropriately called “Bedeuge 2014,” or “Prayer Week 2014.” (Bede=Pray, Uge=Week.) It’s organized by the Evangelical Alliance (see PFD 5/21/13), and brings together believers in churches across the country under the question, “Shall we stand together and pray for Denmark?”

Shall we? The question goes to the heart of the “Pray for Denmark” ministry. And through your prayer and heart for Denmark, you join not only with PFD across North America and worldwide, but you join now with Danish believers at a time when many of them are on their knees daily, seeking God for mercy and direction in their country. So it’s a particularly good week for us to join them in prayer.

Prayer Week organizers are offering a daily theme for each day of this week, which we’ll pass along to you, as well. Here’s what they tell us on their Facebook entry for Sunday, January 5:

Prayer Week begins today, Sunday. The theme for the week is “Each Other,” with suggested daily prayer building from there. For example, the first day’s theme is “Love One Another.” We don’t often use the word “love” in the form of a command. But love between Christians can be described as a command. Namely, we love, because he first loved us.

Yes, we shall stand together and pray for Denmark. We can do no less.

THANK GOD that Christ first loved us, and ACKNOWLEDGE before him that we have often loved others… not enough.

PRAY for believers across Denmark today, that their lives might shine even more brightly in a land darkened by self-interest, consumerism, and sin. (Isn’t that like our own land?)

PRAY for a new, Spirit-led unity among Christians in Denmark -- that Lutherans, independents, Baptists, Pentecostals, and free church members might find common ground under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

PRAY that Danish believers might also find fresh encouragement in each other, and that they would boldly proclaim Jesus as they seek Him.

Still Denmark’s Literary Giant, at 85

He’s now 85 and one of Denmark’s most recognized literary voices, an outspoken conservative Christian who was, in his college days, just as much of an outspoken atheist. He’s the author of nearly 50 books, mainly Biblically based fiction and faith-based romances, as well as countless articles and opinion pieces. And he’s not about to stop writing about the God he loves.

Poul Hoffmann at his typewriter (photo: Ole Mortensen)

Yet up to now Poul Hoffmann has shied away from writing an autobiography. So his historian son, Helge, recently produced his own version of Poul’s life story, Vinden blæser hvorhen den vil (The Wind Blows Wherever It Pleases). 

The title echoes a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, recorded in John 3:8. (“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”) And as Magnus explained in his book’s forward, the stories he records are simply a result of casual conversations between father and son. 

As you might guess, the younger Hoffmann is in a unique position of understanding his father better than any journalist, so the book reflects that insight. It’s also an opportunity for the elder Hoffmann to offer up a variety of opinions, as he has for the past 60 years as a writer and public figure.

Poul has something to say about fame, for instance. In an interview with Kristeligt Dagblad, Denmark’s Christian news daily, he explains the potential pitfalls.

“I always have to watch out that I don’t indulge in taking all the glory,” he says, “the way Moses did when he had the fortune to draw water from a rock.”

Or on relationships. Without hesitation, he says the biggest thing that ever happened to him was meeting his wife Kirsten, who would herself become a skilled editor and writing partner. The couple met in 1950, at a time when Poul described himself as “aggressively antichristian.” During a train ride to visit Kirsten, however, he says he experienced a revelation. In an instant, it became clear to him that everything in the Bible was true. Since then he’s been known for his vigorous defense of Biblical inerrancy.

“It wasn’t something I chose,” he says. “It was something that chose me. And ever since then, I’ve been categorically committed to it.”

Most recently, Poul and Kirsten have been the subject of headlines in Denmark for disenrolling from the state Lutheran church over its decision to sanction homosexual weddings.

So Poul has been called a “modern dinosaur,” an expression C.S. Lewis also used of himself to describe an old-school writing philosophy, perhaps also a way of describing the contrast between his conservative faith and the surrounding popular culture. The nickname seems to fit the Dane as well as it once did the Englishman.

Still Poul continues to hammer out novels on his manual Olympia typewriter. Not every day, and yet…

“It’s slow now,” he tells the Dagblad. “Sometimes extremely s-l-o-w. And that’s probably what bothers me a little about getting old: That there’s not as much juice in the batteries.” But, he adds, “You never run dry when you’re writing about biblical stories.”

And like the wind Jesus once mentioned, who knows where the creative journey for Poul and Kirsten will lead next? 

PRAY for Poul and Kirsten Hoffman, for their influence on Danish culture, and for their continuing ministry through literature. 

PRAY that God would reach hearts through Poul’s books and through other Christian literature, now and in months to come. 

PRAY for a new generation of Christian writers in Denmark who will follow Poul’s path as they reach Denmark for Christ… through story and through God’s truth. 

PRAY that God would raise up even more stories and books by Danish Christians to spark revival in the lives of many Danes during their long, dark winter. After all, it’s a good time to read!

A Christmas Challenge

For years, special Christmas magazines have been a popular tradition in Denmark. Often they have included quaint short stories, articles, recipes, or a variety of lighthearted features on holiday cheer. They’re almost as much a part of the holiday tradition in Denmark as a favorite Christmas television special.

So this year Udfordringen (The Challenge), a Christian news and outreach publication, is once again producing its own 32-page holiday outreach issue, called Julens Udfordring (The Challenge of Christmas). Priced at 5 Danish kroner apiece (less than a dollar), it’s designed to be passed along to friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

 

But… a printed magazine? In an age of online communications, the old-school format seems like a bit of a throwback. But Julens Udfordring will feature plenty of pop culture references and articles, from The Hobbit motion picture to TV personalities. Hillsong’s Copenhagen fellowship (a recent church plant aimed at Internationals that promotes lively, contemporary worship) is also included. And according to the publishers, every article in this issue is designed to focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

That’s a challenge in a country where Christmas is the highlight of a long winter, where Christmas traditions are taken very seriously and held very dearly. Danes are specialists in this holiday. It’s also a time of year when many Danes who would otherwise never attend church, do. So Julens Udfordring goes to the heart of the Danish Christmas with an even deeper, more potent message.

After all, the message of the God who put on flesh is infinitely more powerful than heartwarming carols and julenisser (Christmas elves), roast goose or gift-giving. Even in the pages of a simple Christmas magazine, the Creator of the universe is reaching down to enter a dark, chilly northern land where Christmas candles may burn brightly in every window, but where the genuine Light of the world still needs to find its way into the hearts of all its people.

PRAY that the Light of the world, Jesus, will burst out of quaint Danish Christmas customs this year, that many Danes will read and understand the message of peace through Julens Udfordring.

PRAY that Julens Udfordring magazines will find their way into unexpected places, that copies will be passed along to those who need to read it, and that many who are far from faith will have their hearts softened to hear about the real Jesus this Christmas season.

PRAY for the believers behind Julens Udfordring, for their protection and health, that they may continue to reach out with the daring message of salvation -- in print, online, or through whatever means God opens up.

And while you’re at it, please PRAY that God will use this Christmas season to bring salvation and revival to many more Danes. Julens Udfordring is just one open door of many.