I'm not exactly sure what's all involved, but I'm sensing a lot of negative spiritual flow this weekend.
The Alito hearings that will start tomorrow have brought a lot of contention to Washington, with the secularists on the left looking at their next-to-last stand of retaining a liberal court. The real last stand would be (if Alito's confirmed) when one of the liberal justices (Stevens and/or Ginsberg) would be replaced, creating a 5-1-3 conservative majority; the court would be 4-1-4 post-Alito. No, not all the folks opposing Alito are with the forces of darkness, but there's a lot of darkness on that side of the aisle.
The bad vibe isn't just on the left. The rhetoric has some less-than-edifying thoughts flowing from the right, as folks more interested in personal economic gain than stemming amorality are returning fire at the usual suspects on the left. Even the theocons (if I'm not mistaken, the latest Justice Sunday went down this evening) can get into a just-win-baby mentality that can be unbecoming and unscriptural. Demonizing the left as retaliation for demonizing Alito isn't helpful in clearing the spiritual air.
Also, Sharon's political death (even if he gets out of the hospital in one piece, it'll take a full miracle to have him healthy enough to stay on as PM) has brought a few of Screwtape's minions out. One seems to have got into Rat Pobertson (as the Capital Steps malaprop guy might call him) thought pattern and caused the punditry to backfill rather than pray for peace of Jerusalem when it desperately needs it. Folks and principalities that would rather see a lot of conflict in the Holy Land want to see things fall apart in Israel and see either a over-hawkish right or an over-dovish left get ahold of things.
I'm not sure that the Kadima folks have things perfectly down, but they seem to be closest-to-correct of the three main camps, and that's bad news for the bad guys.
On top of all that political and geopolitical stuff, our church is striving to spend more time in prayer and listening to God. That's really going to get Ol' Sloughfoot ticked and may be the core of the spiritual heaviness that I'm sensing.
I read that some ministers went/snuck into the room where the hearings start tomorrow and anointed the chairs with oil.
What is that practise about?
Why would they announce they did?
How is the following scriptural?
a) put oil on inanimate objects
b) announce it to media
Apparently a right wing Jewish group used voodoo type dolls in their prayer services invoking that Ariel Sharon be struck down, then rejoiced and danced when he had his stoke and announced it to the media. How are these two incidents different?
As for your prayer life...I'm praying for you. I credit the negative spiritual flow you say you are sensing more to humans at each others throats over power and the noise it's generating, and some of us sensitive to others feel it deeply. I pray you will know and experience the Peace that passes all understanding.
Posted by: Bene D | January 08, 2006 at 10:58 PM
I'm not sure about anointing chairs, but praying over the site of an event in advance is not uncommon in evangelical circles, especially in more charismatic ones.
It's not uncommon to see a person getting prayed over get a little 'anointing' of oil on the forehead in various evangelical circles (once again, mostly charismatic/Pentecostal, but I've seen it at non-"Spirit-filled" places as well); I could see folks with that streak might be thinking that they're doing some anointing-by-proxy for the senators and witnesses.
That's stretching it less than your voodoo Jewdoos; that would be some sort of witchcraft that the OT would frown upon.
Posted by: Mark Byron | January 08, 2006 at 11:13 PM
How are these two incidents different?
Let's review:
--Anointing objects with oil and praying that God's blessing be upon an area.
--Using voodoo dolls and praying that a man be afflicted with illness and/or death.
Are you really saying that you don't see a difference between the two?
Posted by: Joe Carter | January 09, 2006 at 04:12 PM
I stand corrected. I saw the piece, speeded through it and didn't find it again until today.
It was "pulsa denura" a death curse, and I'm unclear about what that involves. I apologize for saying dolls were involved. I don't think red strings were involved either, but I haven't done further research. It's a form of extremism called Kahanism.
Why would someone sneak into a room, anoint inanimate objects and then tell the media?
I'm not criticising prayer - I'm saying why anoint inanimate objects and then literally broadcast your actions?
I'm assuming it was a courtesy - if there is oil on the chairs, I'd want to know before I sat down and stained my suit.:^)
Posted by: Bene Diction | January 09, 2006 at 05:10 PM
Okay Joe, I respect Mark far too much to joke about this. Perhaps I shouldn't say I'm praying for him, but I do pray for him and if I say so it is to encourage him - no personal gain involved.
Here is the story on the curse.
http://blogs.salon.com/0003494/2004/10/07.html#a153
Here is the story on anointing the chairs.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB113649645107138940-Ku05eyOWs5xFbqD33aaAarliwqo_20060112.html?mod=blogs
Both are religious acts for political ends.
Posted by: Bene D | January 09, 2006 at 05:49 PM
Usually, the anointing oil was just a little dab on the forehead, not enough to gunk up things, especially if it had a few days to dry.
Why would they do that? Showboating, methinks. I'll write more about the guy behind that anointing later.
Posted by: Mark Byron | January 09, 2006 at 05:51 PM