Our call to Ireland started in the Spring of 2001. We had no specific direction other than our trip was to begin in the fall. It was not until several months later that we first heard others were headed overseas as well. Over the subsequent months the details of our journey became more evident. There is a huge connection to Tennessee through the Scot-Irish. Our "Hillbilly," roots were enormous history shapers. As a result, our focus would be in Ireland and Scotland. Many of our team have this heritage in our families. One of the most important stops of our trip was going to be the Abbey at Bangor, Ireland.
There is a legend told of St Patrick that he and his companions came one day to a certain valley to rest. Suddenly "they beheld the valley filled with a heavenly light and with a multitude of the host of heaven they heard, as chanted forth from the voice of angels, the psalmody of the celestial choir".They named the place "Vallis Angelorum" – the Valley of the Angels. In the process of time there was built in this valley a holy place – called Bangor.
Prior to leaving on our trip to Ireland a friend, Linda Folmer, had notified us that the only publicly accessible copy of the Antiphonary of Bangor was located at a University some 60 miles from our home. Our first question to Linda was “What is an Antiphonary?” She explained that the Antiphonary is a collection of the liturgical prayers from the Abbey of Bangor. The Abbey at Bangor was founded in 538 A.D. It was from Bangor that the Celtic Church and Christianity as a whole flourished in the dark ages. We knew immediately that these prayers from the Abbey would play a significant part in our journey.
We traveled to the University to view the document and to perhaps take a few notes. Upon our arrival it was found that the Antiphonary was on a media called a “Micro Card”. Up until recently this media was not available to copy. However, of recent, the library had installed a device that allowed copies to be made from a Micro Card. Through the favor of the librarian we were allowed to sit for over 5 hours and copy 400 pages of this ancient text.
The next problem was that the original document was written in ancient Latin. We exhausted all local sources in Tennessee for translation help.
Through the Internet we stumbled upon a man in Ohio who could not only read the text, but could meet our tight deadline. After hiring our translator we found out he was a former Roman Catholic monk from Italy. Due to this background he could help fill in missing words from the Antiphonary. Many of the pages were damaged and illegible. We left the United States with five copies of the Antiphonary of Bangor along with an English translation for the first time in history. The Antiphonary is the oldest liturgical document in the world. This was clearly going to be a “God Encounter”. Little did we know what strategic timing was about to unfold.
We learned thru the Antiphonary that the Monks worshiped 24/7/365. Accounts differ, however it is safe to assume that prayer in the Abbey continued for 150 years unbroken. They prayed through all 150 psalms every day. They were on a three-hour prayer schedule. Each three-hour session had a particular theme. It was clear to us that perhaps God wanted us to have a 24-hour watch somewhere in Bangor to re-release the prayers of the Abbey into the area.
Our prayers began at the Abbey the morning of October 5, 2001. The Bangor Abbey was the light of the world during the dark ages. The entire European continent was affected by the work from this location. Three thousand monks worshiped and worked there. A third of them were involved in intercessory prayer and two thirds of them were involved in power evangelism accompanied by signs, wonders, and miracles that accompanied them.
It was our prayer that God would allow us to release the Antiphonary in the Abbey. At this point it was unclear as to what access we would be given by Reverend Nesbitt. The 9/11 tragedy had just occurred in New York. It was a miracle we were even in Ireland at all. Tensions were running high around the world.
The original Abbey was built from wood. There was nothing durable about it. The Danes burned it around 800 AD. On that day the invaders killed 900 monks. Their blood cries out from the ground. A prophecy hung over Ireland as the result of this murder so many years ago. It was said that "Ireland would be a violent people until the prayers of the Monks were reintroduced in the Abby." Little did we know the history that was about to unfold over the next 24 hours.
Dorothy, the Secretary of the Abbey, appeared behind us and gave us the keys to the Abbey. We were a bit taken back by her generosity. We went into the Abbey and began to pray and worship the Lord. We inquired of him as to the location for the release of the Antiphonal Worship experience. We were open to whatever God had in His heart.
Shortly thereafter Reverend Ronnie Nesbitt appeared and was more than happy to allow us free and full access to the Abbey for the 24-hour watch in which we would participate. We were stunned by his hospitality and friendship. This was a real act of faith on their part to allow strangers free use of their beautiful abbey. I kept holding the keys to the Abbey in my hands. I could hardly believe what God was about to do.
The First Watch- 6:00 P.M. until around 8:00 P.M
Our first watch began at 6:00 p.m. This watch was called vespers, the beginning of night. We also met with Rosemary McConkey at the Abbey. Rosemary is from Ireland and she was the Celtic voice that was to release the words from the Antiphonary. Rosemary read from the Antiphonal Documents opening our time in the Abbey with the liturgies of the Monks from 1500 years ago. We then proceeded to worship the Lord spontaneously with twelve or so Psalms. These included Psalm 121, 122, 64, 103, 112, 116, 27, 8, 29, 96, 95, 33, 66 and 1. One prophetic release involved the repentance for the United States lack of support for Israel of recent. We closed the gate on any changes of the borders of Israel. We sensed that there was an opportunity for us through this intercession to affect the affairs of the world. To perhaps change history through intercession. The Abbey had had the same effect on the affairs of the world. We concluded with a couple of hymns that were consistent with the theme of the hour, the angelic proclamation of the birth of Christ to the Shepherds. We attempted to make sure that our Psalms fit within the guidelines of the theme of each watch from the Antiphonary. Then we chose an old hymn, “Angels We Have Heard On High,” which was a proclamation. Rosemary once again prayed a blessing over us from the Antiphonary to close the watch. That was the close of the evening prayer time, the beginning of night. We also prayed the blessing of the fire from the Antiphonary and lit candles that would represent the fire that visited upon Israel in the wilderness, a pillar of fire to lead us. His Holy Spirit would be part of our activities throughout the night and the morning hours.
The Second Watch- 9:00 P.M. until just after 11:00 P.M.
The second hour of prayer had a focus on the prayers of repentance and a broken heart, the hour in which God hears the prayer of the repentant. We sang and spoke and worked through Psalms 5, 6, 102, 38, 74, 143, 52, 55, 80, 130, 126, 78 and 116. There was a truly repentant heart that was among us. The Lord showed us prophetically that He was in the midst of a repentant heart. He moved us through so powerfully. These Psalms had a focus on the repentant heart. In the midst of it God spoke a powerful prophetic word. This word was that He was about to do a greater work than the first in Ireland and Scotland. This is the age of joining the generations. We were redigging the well of intercession of those who had gone before us. We were witnesses to this moment in time, this kairos moment that God was spinning out a new work. The return of the Antiphonary to Bangor was no small thing.
The Third Watch-Midnight to after 2:00 A.M.:
Focus of this particular watch was the passing of the Angel of Death over Israel on the day of Passover, as well as the celebration of the five virgins who were prepared when the Bridegroom came forth. Their lamps were full of oil and their wicks were trimmed. They were not like the foolish virgins who missed the coming when the door was bolted. We prayed through a number of Psalms. They were spoilers sent forth into any attack against the United States. The House of Representatives was a particular focus. There was a lock placed on the doors to all access to nuclear arms of various groups. There was an uncovering of these cell groups that are part of the terrorist network across the World. There was a strong intercessory release regarding the other teams that were out on strategic level intercession in the 40/70. There was a very interesting rhythm that arose, with the instrument being a bottle of wine, which represented the blood of Passover. The blood of Jesus was placed on the altar in remembrance of the placing of blood on the doorposts and lintels of the homes of Israel. There was a very unusual prophetic sound that was released. A cloud of His presence to the release Celtic drums, the pipes and other worship instruments. We prayed that there would be a new release of the Celtic sound for praise and worship. Psalm 10, 106, 115, 136, 112, 107, 118, 101, 144, 123, 124, 76, 90, 77 and 17 were released on the Third Watch.
Fourth Watch-The Hour of Matins 3:00 A.M.
This was the most intense time of intercession. It was known as the hour in which Christ arose from the dead. The hour in which He ransomed souls and it is also a very active time in the Heavens. Psalms released at this hour were 132, 24, 149, 148, 150, 2, 102, 145, 104, 97, 98, 99, 146, 93, 125, 4, 134, 48, 87, 3, 6, 9, 45, 147, 68, 20, 42, 139, 41, 146, 131, 85, 68, 138, 69, 14, 19, 50, 32, 71, 117, 9, 113, 127, 128, 129, 67, 7 and 11. Some of the prophetic intercession released at this hour was in regard to the day of deliverance for the Celtic Church. A Church which is free from astrology, the hand of man, any Occult connection or Celtic mysticism, Druidism or any of the other influences that have crept into the body of Christ. We also prayed the prayer from the Antiphonary of Deliverance. We stood in the gap so that no element of the body of Christ would be infected by any influence other than that which is from the throne room of God. There was a release of the song of the Lord among several. There was a spontaneous worship Psalm that we entered into. There was a fullness that we were moving in. This was a very strenuous exercise in prayer. It took for the most part the full three hours to get through enough of the Psalms at that hour. This was typical of the Abbey prayers. We also released women’s ministries. There was a particular song about women wearing a bit and bridle. We released women’s ministries from any controlling spirit that was on the scene here in Ireland. There was a traditional Celtic or typical Bangor garment that was worn by the women that was a woolen shawl. Paula happened to be wearing one. So we released women’s ministries in the fullness of time.
Fifth Watch-6:00 A.M. to around 8:00 A.M.
On the Fifth Watch, this was the time of first fruits. We released Psalm 12, 53, 25, 26, 92, 30, 119, 72, 54, 37, 81, 86, 89, 15, 73 and 21. We also read the prayers for travelers. We prayed for Pastors. We prayed for the sick, for those who give to the poor, for those who are baptized. These prayers were a continuation of the Antiphonary. We are getting much closer to a full release of this document in this form of worship. The lights were on in the Abbey throughout the night in prayer. May the city of Bangor once again resonate with the fullness that it once did.
This is the day that has been set down in eternity. This is the day that the angels have looked forward too. Since the time of the first church of Ireland, I the Lord God have spoken and breathed life into you. My body for this time and this season and this purpose, can you hear the rumbling that’s taking place in the Heavens? Can you hear the river beginning to bubble up? It will roar across this land. It will roar across this nation. It will roar across these islands because My river is not affected by water, but My river flows from the throne room of God. I am saying open up Heaven wide today. Take your divine opportunity and open up Heaven so that My river can begin to flow in the dimension that I pre-ordained thousands upon thousands of years ago, because I am the Lord God. I never ever, ever change. There is no shadow of turning with Me. Even though men think they are as gods, I am still the eternal one. The all-sufficient one! My name is El Shaddai. I am the many- breasted one and I am all the sufficiency that this church needs. So continue to open up Heaven. Open it wider and wider and wider. You cracked it open this morning, but I want it to open wide enough for that river to flow and flow into the churches, to flow into the wells of revival, because there will be salvation in My church. There will be deliverance in My church. There will be healing, restoration, deliverance from demonic forces that have held people captive for generations upon generations upon generations. Because I the Lord God of Heaven and Earth have declared it today, so open up Heaven! Open it wide! Let My breath, My life, and My voice flow through you today. Let My light breathe into these Psalms and I will open up Heaven. I will open it wide. My church will be alive with the fires of revival. Send the Spirit of the living God.
Sixth Watch-9:00 A.M. to around 10:30 A.M.
Prayer focus for this segment was the prayer for the Apostles to receive the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Psalms included 114, 34, 18, 120, 36, 133, 135, 49, 39, 141, 84, 63, 111, 75, 110 and 16. We released a prayer to the dry bones in the cemetery from Ezekiel in which the son of man was told to prophesy about the dry bones. Going out to the ancient graveyard we released that very scripture upon those graves. Rattling some chains we prophesied that those dry bones were beginning to rattle in Ireland. We also lit a candle over Rosemary as a symbol and representation that the fire of Pentecost is coming. The fire of Pentecost is coming to the Irish Church and the Celtic people. A roaring wind had been blowing against the building since our first watch. We opened the window to invite in the Holy Spirit. Inviting in the roaring wind of the Holy Spirit as on the day of Pentecost into the Irish Church. A team member released the prophetic word that was recorded just prior to this segment. We called forth the order of Melchizedek upon the Irish people, that there would be a youth revival that would spring forth and that there would be such an outpouring of souls for the Kingdom of God that it would be as the dew upon the grass.
For I am opening the mouths of the Irish people and out of their mouths shall flow a river of prophetic utterance for the nations. I am lifting up a generation of prophets amongst the people here. There will be such purity in the stream that many will be drawn to it. For I have placed upon them a burden in the heart that will not be quenched except by My presence. I will lead the nations through the Irish people for I have laid up an inheritance for them in the Heavenly places. I have chosen them as My mouthpiece. I have ransomed them from the pit for My purposes in this day. For I love these people, the Irish with all My heart.
Seventh Watch-12:00 Noon until around 1:00 P.M.
The Seventh Watch was at 12:00 noon in which Jesus ascended the cross. Psalms prayed through 22, 28, 109, 35, 13, 57, 40, 43, 140, 44, 136, 142, 137, 83, 62, 59, 23, 105, 79 and 82. Previously recorded word came forth about the new level of prophecy that would emerge from the Irish people, the new stream of the prophetic. We prayed the agony of the cross. Through each of the Psalms were enemies that surround. Psalm 22 was very specific to this hour of prayer.
Eighth Watch -3: 00 P.M. until around 4:00 P.M.
The theme for the prayer was the death of Jesus and the extension of Grace to the thief on the cross. The final Psalms released 100, 47, 60, 61, 94, 51, 88, 58 and 56. Rosemary read the last Psalm as a Representative of the Nation of Ireland. The prophetic word that follows was then released to the team. Communion was served in Celtic glasses that were given to each team member in remembrance. Then the Apostolic Creed, The Lord’s Prayer and the Communion Prayer were read in unison from the Antiphonary. We then gave the Antiphonary we had used for our 24-hour watch to Rosemary as a Representative of the Irish People. We released the Antiphonary to the fullness of time.
I have asked the Lord for a word for each of the team members. I inquired of Him and I believe I heard Him say, “ In the beginning I was lonely. Though I had created the heavens and earth there was yet a place of unfulfilled desire. So I created a man to be a companion to Me. I would say to you that for the last 24 hours My cup is full. For you have been companions to the most-high God. There has been a dispatch from Heaven. There were two Scribes. In their mouth was a scroll. Every word that was spoken as part of this intercession has been inscribed on the scroll. There was an accurate count of every tear that fell to the ground. It was sealed upon the scroll. The Angelic Host brought it into My presence upon which I replied “My cup is full.” Then the scroll was sealed with a kiss. It was placed under the throne with the 900 Martyrs from the Bangor Abbey. Upon receiving it they cried out with the voices of all the martyrs, “Worthy is the Lamb who is slain.” I would say to you that from this time until the end of the age, the Martyrs would hold the scroll before me. I will say to you, “My cup is full, I am well satisfied.”
The Director of Prayer at the Abbey was kind enough to come to the church and lead us through vespers. We were so blessed by the kindness of the Abbey. We were exhausted but full of God. We concluded vespers around 6:30 P.M having been awake for over 24 hours.
Little did we know that events in history were about to take a dramatic turn toward peace. Indeed the prayers of the monks were reestablished at the Abby and peace was about to break out in very unexpected ways.
(reprint from Belfast newspaper 10-24-2001)
THE IRA is committed to our republican objectives and to the establishment of a united Ireland based on justice, equality and freedom. In August 1994, against a background of lengthy and intensive discussions involving the two governments and others, the leadership of the IRA called a complete cessation of military operations in order to create the dynamic for a peace process. 'Decommissioning' was no part of that. There was no ambiguity about this. Unfortunately there are those within the British establishment and the leadership of unionism who are fundamentally opposed to change. At every opportunity they have used the issue of arms as an excuse to undermine and frustrate progress. It is for this reason that decommissioning was introduced to the process by the British Government. It has been used since to prevent the changes that a lasting peace requires. In order to overcome this and to encourage the changes necessary for a lasting peace, the leadership of Oglaigh na hEireann (IRA) has taken a number of substantial initiatives. These include our engagement with the IICD (Independent International Commission on Decommissioning) and the inspection of a number of arms dumps by the two international inspectors, Cyril Ramaphosa and Martti Ahtisaad. No-one should doubt the difficulties these initiatives cause for us, volunteers and our supporters. The political process is now on the point of collapse. Such a collapse would certainly, and eventually, put the overall peace process in jeopardy. There is a responsibility upon everyone seriously committed to a just peace to do our best to avoid this. Therefore, in order to save the peace process, we have implemented the scheme agreed with the IICD in August. Our motivation is clear. This unprecedented move is to save the peace process and to persuade others of our genuine intentions.
Signed: P O'Neill.
Agreement log-jam 'has been removed'
10-24-2001
THE IRA's historic decision to start disarming should remove the "log-jam" holding up the Ulster peace process, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said today. Mr. Adams said he now expected a "warm and generous response" from Ulster Unionists and from the British Government to the IRA's arms announcement. "The issue of weapons has now effectively been taken out of the political equation and put where it belongs," he said. "This issue is one that has now been removed as a log-jam in the process." Mr. Adams, addressing a press conference in London, said that he hoped it would be met by a positive response including early moves to scale back the British military presence in Northern Ireland. "It is my view that we will get a warm and generous response but it has to be sustained until the end of the road," he said. The pulling back of British troops and the military infrastructure of watchtowers guarding border areas like south Armagh should begin "with speed". "I see no reason why there should be British troops in any part of the country. I want to see all that infrastructure removed," he said. "We need to see steps from the British and the unionists to match the steps from the IRA."
Making peace
10-24-2001
Move to end the 'limbo' begins FINAL moves to restore the power-sharing Executive were under way today after verification of the IRA's historic act of decommissioning and David Trimble signaled he is willing to go back into government. Stormont's state of limbo, with half the province's Departments left leaderless for almost a week, was coming to an end as the International Decommissioning Body confirmed a "significant" IRA decommissioning event. The final pieces of the political jigsaw were falling into place as the Prime Minister's official spokesman confirmed today that four security installations in south Armagh and Londonderry will be dismantled "logistically and physically as quickly as possible". Meanwhile, UUP Ministem Sir Reg Empey, Sam Foster and Michael McGimpsey, who had resigned, will walk back into office before midnight tomorrow, to be followed Dy me~r UUH counterparts. They will appear and take the oath of office before Assembly speaker Lord Aiderdice, allowing them to return to their respective Departments. No Assembly meeting is necessary. It was also revealed UUP Executive members are likely to be asked on Saturday to approve an instruction to Assembly members to support Mr. Tdmble for First Minister, at an Assembly meeting next week. The move could thwart UUP dissident Assembly members Peter Weir and Pauline Armitage, whose votes could block Mr. Tdmble's safe return since his resignation in July. But Mr. Weir said today he had no immediate comment to make on the prospect of a formal party instruction. "I think at the moment the people of Northern Ireland are being treated like school kids and if this is just a one-off gesture it does not take things far enough to support it," he said. "I would not want to be put in any privileged position in terms of the details, I think people as a whole have a right to know." He said UUP officials have made no contact with him in recent days but "at the moment" he would not be inclined to back the developments without more details. Mrs. Armitage said: “I have not even thought about it. I want to wait and see what further concessions have been made to Sinn Fein on demilitarization.” Sir Reg said Mr. Trimble would make his mind up later today about a return to power, but he expected the party to go back into the Stormont Executive. And he rounded on the DUP, accusing lan Paisley's party of "piggy-backing" along for the benefits of an agreement they never wanted. "If we followed them, there would be no devolution, because they ran away from the talks," he said. decommissioning, because they said it would never happen. "I have never seen such hypocrisy in all my born days." DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson said he believed both parties should wait until more details of the decommissioning package had become clear. In London, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said today that the IRA move has to be met by actions from the Government and the UUP. He said the IRA's "political initiative to rekindle the process has to be seen in the wider political context". "What the two Governments and all of us need to do now is build upon the dynamic that all of this has created and to ensure that what the last 48 hours has seen is a real transformation of the process. This is a time for looking forward, not backwards," he said. Secretary of State John Reid was due to go before the House of Commons today to spell out the Government's response to the IRA's action. A Government source said there would be "fairly rapid movement" on specific measures spelled out last August after the Weston Park talks. Those include the demolition of watchtowers at Camlough and Sturgan mountains, the removal of a lookout post in Newtownhamilton and the destruction of an Army base in Magherafelt. The Government is also likely to proceed with an amnesty measure for IRA suspects still on the run. But the source also hinted at further demilitarisation measures to be announced by Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan after the House of Commons statement. Dr Reid said the IRA disarmament move would allow all parties to implement the entire Agreement, including demilitarisation and reform of the criminal justice system. Dissident UUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said the party must retain the right to withdraw
again if the IRA did not continue to disarm. Commission expires in February.
Decommissioning is just one 'outstanding' hurdle
10-24-2001
THE peace process appears to be lurching from predicament to progress - but does decommissioning mean there is an overall settlement? Political correspondent Chris Thornton looks at where the four "outstanding issues" lie. LOGJAM is a word used beside the phrase "peace process" so often that it is hard to imagine one without the other. But the IRA move to actual decommissioning could change all that. The standard analysis of the current problems says there have been four main obstacles: decommissioning, demilitarisation, the working of devolution and policing. The Weston Park package spelled out some immediate moves: the demolition of a sangar in Newtownhamilton, the destruction of Magherafelt Army base and the removal of Army towers on Sturgan and Camlough mountains in South Armagh. Sources in Government hinted today that more will follow rapidly.
Policing
With both London and Dublin satisfied about the new policing arrangements, and three of the four main parties participating, this was the one element of the peace process that seemed closest to resolution. But the transition isn’t over. The new Policing Board meets early next month and the RUC's name will slide into the past at the same time. But the most rigorous political negotiations surrounding policing appear to be over. SDLP sources remained assured yesterday that there had been no behind-the- scenes concessions to Sinn Fein on policing in order to secure decommissioning. Sinn Fein sources also hinted last week that they were convincing the IRA that policing could still be resolved in the political arena.
Institutions
A senior Sinn Fein source said last week that the IRA would not be asked to decommission until they had assurances that the Ulster Unionists would no longer seek to stall or pull down any aspects of the Good Friday Agreement. This is essentially about Sinn Fein Ministers participating in the North-South bodies. David Trimble has yet to spell out publicly if he has made a commitment in this area, but the Court of Appeal yesterday finally killed off his legal case in support of the ban. He said the main aim of the ban was to achieve decommissioning. It would be easy for him to quietly resume nominations of Sinn Fein Ministers again. resolved together. Now they all seem to be moving along the lines the British and Irish governments sketched out in August, after the Weston Park talks. Does that mean the problems are solved?
Decommissioning
The arms issue has often been described as the key to unlock the problem. The two governments described it as "indispensable". With the report of actual IRA decommissioning, the main question about decommissioning: 'Will it happen or won't it?' has been answered. But the detail about what decommissioning entails and what is enough will have to be addressed. Will loyalists respond? Do republicans intend this to be a one-off act? Do unionists see this as a gesture of republican good faith or is it a practical measure to destroy every last weapon? There will now be efforts from the governments and pro-Agreement parties to move the issue out of the political arena -to stop it being an obstacle to further progress - by leaving the pursuit of further decommissioning, loyalist or republican, to General de Chastelain's Decommissioning Commission. The SDLP is pushing for a meeting of all the parties and the Commission to make arrangements to make future handling of the issue less political.
Demilitarisation
London's main card to play in the resolution is the future of the British Army, especially in areas like South Armagh that have had a traditionally heavy security presence. The Government has said it intends in the long-term to keep British troops in Northern Ireland - more than there were before the troubles started - for training purposes. As a result, a number of Army bases will also remain.
The Curse was broken. Not a single IRA related bombing has occurred since that night at the Abby when the lights burned long into the night. History was rewritten with the help of God's strong right hand.
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