anointing with oil
books by Andrew White
Happy Second Advent, my friends. Love and peace — Rudolf Schenker
Suffer the children to come unto me. — Jesus
We are not the person other people wish we were. We are who we decide to be. — Paulo Coelho
Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander. — Holocaust Museum
A house has been blown up said Andrew somewhat nonchalantly after checking his phone as though commenting on the weather. Not quite an everyday conversation, but then I was not sat next to an everyday person, I was sat with Canon Andrew White aka the Vicar of Baghdad who as well as checking his phone was doodling with the children on the table cloth.
We were both at the Boiler Room in Guildford, not to be confused with the Boiler Room in Guildford. We were at a rather drab function room well passed its sell-by date at the Stoke Pub where Andrew was about to give an eagerly anticipated talk.
In the Middle East it is very tribal, it is too in the West, it is just that we do not notice.
A little girl Amy, Canon Andrew White had worked with both her grandfathers, as a medic and as a cleric.
We are at the Second Sunday of Advent. It involves a little more than getting the chocolate out of the Advent Calender, it is not preparation for Christmas, but rather to mark the return of Jesus, the Second Coming.
Isaiah chapter 40, prepare for the Second Coming, a message repeated in Mark.
On this day we also remember the birth of John the Baptist.
No matter how bad a situation there is always hope.
In Iraq today, houses blown up, shops blown up, not that we would know if we relied on the news (though try Al Jazeera which has far better news reporting).
– Iraq: Muslim mob shouting “Allahu akbar” attacks, ransacks, burns Christian-owned shops and hotels
– Christians Attacked in Iraq by Kurdish Extremists
– Kurdish leader: Clerics ‘instigated … acts of sabotage,’ wounding 25
Iraq is an amazing place, the setting for many Biblical stories.
The Garden of Eden was in Iraq, between the Euphrates and the Tigris. Abraham was born in Iraq. Job came from Iraq and his tomb or shrine can be found in Iraq.
We know Job was in Iraq, because although it is not explicitly recorded that he was in Iraq, it is recorded that he was killed by the Chaldeans or Mandeans and they were only in Iraq.
Mandeans are followers of John the Baptist. They hold their services in water, they even get married in water.
The Second Exile (the First Exile was to Egypt) was to Babylon.
According to the children in Iraq, Jesus was also in Iraq, he was the fourth person who was seen in the flames.
If you want something, pray!
An Ayatollah sought from Canon Andrew White some meat, when told he had no meat, he said pray.
Please God, send me some meat. Amen.
Next morning at a breakfast, a burly American asked, Father, do you want some meat? How much? Over 100 tons of meat!
Think BIG!
In 2003, St George’s in Baghdad re-opened. Until then, its congregation was a few pigeons. The first service was for military and diplomats. Soon it became too dangerous. Then the Iraqis started to come. First Sunday 100, next week 200, then 300, then 400, then a thousand, then two thousand, then three thousand, then four thousand.
When many of the congregation were killed or fled, it was thought there would be less mouths to feed, but not so, the Christians were replaced by 500 Muslim women. For them it was the same God, the God of Abraham.
Many, many people have been killed, kidnapped, tortured.
The entire church leadership were kidnapped one night and killed.
Last October, when Canon Andrew White was in Guildford to give a talk, he heard the tragic news that 58 people had been massacred in a neighbouring Catholic Church including the priest. It was a period when many Christians were killed, their homes and businesses destroyed.
– Dinner with Canon Andrew White
St George’s is no longer a church, more a city. It has an associated clinic which is better than you would find in England. It provides a school, welfare, food. After Sunday service, everyone is given a bag of groceries to take home.
The Curate at the church is the first ever Iraqi Anglican!
24-7 Prayer is run from the church.
Angels appear, or what are believed to be angels. Even when asked to go away, even if only for a few minutes in order that photos can be taken they stay and appear as blobs in photos. An example can be found in Faith Under Fire.
In Iraq, you cannot just walk down the street, knock a few doors and ask would you like to come to church this Sunday? Too dangerous.
But there is no need. They turn up anyway.
Muslims are made very welcome in the church.
In the Middle East you show respect by inviting to dinner and having plenty of food on display to eat.
Special place for children, of which there are several hundred, 21 of who form a special inner circle.
Several of these children are in the book Suffer the Children telling their stories.
One of these girls now works as Andrew’s PA.
Occasionally a few of the children are brought to England.
One of Andrew’s sons said he wished to go to Iraq. Why? He wished to update his facebook profile and wanted a picture with big guns.
His request was acceded to. He spent most of his time with the soldiers who guard Canon Andrew White. One day when asked where he had been when he vanished for three hours, he had apparently been with the soldiers learning how to strip and reassemble an AK-47!
Isaiah spoke of a chosen people: Egypt, Iraq (Assyria) and Israel.
There is a t-shirt in Iraq: Don’t worry it can only get worse
Another t-shirt shows a smiley face with a bullet hole in the head and blood dripping down the face with the slogan: Have a nice day some place else
Canon Andrew White had with him two very special objects: a little bottle of anointing oil and a very old Bible. Both had belonged to Smith Wigglesworth, who his grandfather had worked for as an assistant.
The oil was used to anoint everyone present. One person invited forward, hand held out, who then anointed those at their table.
After talking Canon Andrew White led a singing session, then chatted with the children and signed books.
I picked up three more signed copies of Faith Under Fire.
I came bearing gifts.
I gave a copy of a talk Andrew had given a few weeks earlier in Guildford.
– Canon Andrew White at Guildford Baptist Church
To Andrew too a copy of the talk within a Christmas card plus to take back to Baghdad: Aleph, The Alchemist and The Valkyries, all by Paulo Coelho. As the people there cannot read English, I will see what I can do to arrange for copies in Arabic.
Smith Wigglesworth (1859-1947), was a leading light in the Pentecostal Church. He was known as the Apostle of Faith, moved in mighty signs and wonders and it was even claimed raised people from the dead!
– Smith Wiggleworth Prophecy for Britain Coming to Pass!
Guildford Boiler Room is a Christian community that meets at Stoke Pub in Guildford.
Creative Arts @ Costa evening Tuesday 6 December 2011 at Costa, Swan Lane, Guildford.
An African Christmas The Occam Singers evening Saturday 10 December 2011 at St Nicoals Church (bottom of High Street over the bridge), Guildford.
Guildford Boiler Room Carol Service evening Sunday 11 December 2011 at Stoke Pub, Guildford.
Keystone Spirit evening Tuesday 13 December 2011 at Keystone Pub (behind St Nicolas Church), Guildford.
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