Praying HandsTODAY, Friday 3rd September 2010, is our third Day of Prayer for the Christian book and retail trade, and there’s lots to be thankful for as well as to pray for. For details of meetings at various venues around the country, please see the facebook event page; but regardless of where you are — whether on your own or with others — please take some time out today to remember Christian authors, agents, booksellers and publishers in your prayers.

  • May each of us, from our different vantage points, come to understand that we are all in this ministry together, serving the same Lord and working for God’s Kingdom. May we never seek to gain unfair competitive advantage over one another but may we instead seek opportunities to support one another in love.

Please continue to pray especially for Mike Norbury as he comes to terms with the recent loss of his wife, Jackie. Mike writes:

Will you please thank all the (literally) hundreds of people in this great trade of ours who sent messages of prayer and condolence by card, letter, Facebook and e-mail. It was like being carried on a wonderful bed of feathers lifting me above what could have easily been a bed of nails.

My request for prayer now is that:

  1. I will be able, eventually, be able to come to terms with her leaving me at such a young age – just 48. Even though I know she’s in the loving arms of our Saviour and rejoicing with Him for eternity It is so hard.
  2. That God will continue to put His loving arms around us all as we get used to life without Jackie, especially her family in Bolton (and a sister in the USA) who are heartbroken.
  3. That the good work He started through Jackie will continue – already her testimony is changing lives.

Let’s also pray for:

  • Living Oasis Croydon seeking suitable premises after losing the lease on the former Wesley Owen store to another company.
  • Shops and other businesses struggling to make ends meet. In particular, please pray for LST Books & Resources and my colleague Nick Aston as he prepares to take on responsibility for the shop after my departure on 16th Sept; and for me as I focus on developing UKCBD and this blog post-LST; and the poor unfortunates at Sainsbury’s, Biggleswade, who will be contending with my presence on a part-time basis as I seek financial stability.
  • Durham Cathedral Shop: the story is far from over as staff adjust to new working relationships. Please pray for the Cathedral authorities as they struggle to come to terms with their complicity in staff mistreatment; the tribunal process seeking justice and compensation; and the Brewer brothers as they continue to evade justice: may there be a fair outcome for all.
  • STL UK as they continue to rebuild trust with their trading partners at both ends of the supply chain: publishers, other suppliers and retailers alike; the former STL staff whose roles were made redundant, and the staff now working under a new regime.
  • All other businesses and individuals still struggling in the aftermath of Biblica’s withdrawal from the UK Christian trade last year; for Biblica themselves as they have yet to acknowledge or show signs of repentance for the damage done.
  • Eden.co.uk as their business continues to grow and they explore ideas for working creatively alongside the rest of us.
  • Hymns Ancient & Modern and St Andrew Press seeking a way forward for Church of Scotland publishing.

For more prayer points and a good overview of the current state of play in the Christian book trade, please see GLO Bookshop’s note, Day of Prayer for UK Christian Bookshops Friday 3rd September 2010

Let’s be thankful for:

There’s much more we could be offering prayer and praise for, of course: these are just a few things off the top of my head as I write this post: thank you for reading and thank you for praying.

Looking back:

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