A Call to Prayer

It's been a dangerous month for college students.

As we remember the students murdered by suicidal gunners in Baton Rouge, and Illinois, I hope it will call the Christian community of university students in New Orleans to prayer. We are not immune from the dangers realized at Northern Illinois, and Louisiana Technical College. The same fears, insecurities, hatreds, and imbalances are present among us. It is our responsibility to be the hands and feet of Jesus (the Body of Christ) reaching out with love, care, and healing in this broken world, and that starts with prayer - praying to a God who hears and responds to our prayers.

This weekend, a few Christian communities at Tulane and Loyola are sponsoring 48 straight hours of prayer, and I invite you to join us.

Forty8 kicks off this Friday at 7pm. Instead of Chi Alpha's usual Friday 8pm prayer, we will host everyone interested for a prayer and worship time at Rogers Chapel at 7pm to get the 48 hours started. I hope you can join us.

The other 47 hours will be hosted at the BCM building on Freret St. Students and friends are signing up for one hour blocks, and we hope to have at least one person praying at all times: praying for our campuses, our city, and our world.

Please join us. You won't regret it.

February Doings

forty8 hours of prayer Uptown, Feb 22-24. www.forty8.org

the Gathering: Tonight

Chi Alpha's monthly, city-wide gathering.

We're exploring our place in the story God is writing through friendships, song prayer and worship, and engaging the Bible. This month, we'll be tackling sex and relationships.

8pm at Loyola's Danna Center - Audobon Room

Special Musical guest: Philip Babineaux

Lent 2008

As we journey with Christ toward his Cross, and ultimately, his resurrection in this season let us truly enter into his way. Jesus called his enemies hypocrites - play actors. Let it be our prayer that our small abstinences, our small fastings, our small acts of charity this Lenten season are not mere play acting, but true reflections of the inner self that is being renewed in Christ day by day.

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” Luke 9:23-25

It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

Here are a couple of weblinks to help you focus your hearts and minds in prayer:
Sacred Space - a daily guided prayer ~approx. 10min
Daily Lenten Readings, Reflections and Prayers ~you can do this quickly or meander a long time

happy Mardi Gras

Tomorrow, Zulu and Rex Parades will roll, ushering in the Grand Finale of Mardi Gras. Other than sleeping and finding something to do with your recently acquired enormous bead collection, there is ONLY ONE THING TO DO.... come to the Chi Alpha CRAWFISH Boil. 

Audubon Park at 4:30 (Bocce and Soccer and other fun stuff while we wait for the crawfish to be ready)

Look for us at the pavilion across from Loyola - otherwise look for a red tent in the grass near the pavilion. Call (504) 909-1428 if you get lost or in case of rain.

BRING A FRIEND - THIS IS A GREAT EVENT TO INTRODUCE YOUR PALS TO CHI ALPHA!