Been to Iceland & got the T-Shirt! by Ian Nicholson

Published: November 20th, 2007

This has been the year of the T shirt. Everywhere I go I seem to be given one and I love it!

There’s the one declaring ‘Holy Fire’ for New Zealand produced by the little church community in Tamaranui who had been praying pretty much non stop for 18 months. Then the 24-7Ibiza shirt (much in demand) which the team have been wearing as they pray and walk the streets of the West End in San Antonio. And a few weeks ago it was the Glasnost shirt (bit of a punk feel) produced by the growing 24-7 community in Skopje, Macedonia. What I love is that they all remind me and reflect what God is doing through groups of friends around the globe – all a bit different but part of the same flow.

Well today I’m wearing Iceland – a nice black number with a map of Iceland and Isaiah 9:2 blazoned across it! A few of us were there a couple of weeks ago and had a fantastic time. Some had been before and we were particularly wanting to support good friends Eric (Eiki) and Katy St Clair who have moved to Reykjavik and are looking to establish a praying community. We shared a conference with some great guys from ZHOP in Charlotte bringing different perspectives on our prayer journey – it all melded well. We made loads of good friends – especially with Kolbeinn Sigurasson, who is a prophetic fireball with a burning passion to call Iceland to build a house of continuous prayer. We worshipped, we prayed, many wept, we all laughed, we ate (putrefied shark, puffin and whale steak), we dreamed and schemed.  

Iceland is unique, straddling the point where the American and Eurasian plates meet. Its the same size as England and Wales but only has a population of only 400,000 and 85% live in Reykjavik. That’s a lot of wilderness to fill with mountains, fjords, lava fields, thermal pools, waterfalls and active volcanoes. In some ways it is harsh (Icelanders used to have a service every Spring just to celebrate surviving the winter cold) but also incredibly cool and mystical. Like many of the Nordic nations there is a huge passion for God among the Christians waiting to erupt.

Iceland is also incredibly creative and musical – it’s in their DNA. Centuries ago over 100 foreign courts recruited Icelanders to be their poets and storytellers. The day we returned home Iceland was in the news again. Icelandic super-group, Sigur Ros, with their unique, other worldly sound, had released a full-length film ‘Heim’ (meaning ‘at home’). Having travelled the globe they came home to reconnect by visiting most of the towns and villages in Iceland and performing for free. Some gigs were to thousands but many to just a few people. It moved me to tears to see all ages walking over fields or up mountains to hear the band.

However I have started praying that what has just happened in the natural will also happen in the Spirit. That the church will connect with its own land and call people to the place of prayer. There is a particular dream next May for Icelanders to travel around the nation calling communities – whether in their hundreds, or in their twos and threes, to prayer. There is a strong feeling that this is a time of opportunity for Iceland and it begins in the place of prayer.

Please pray for Iceland and if you would like to stay connected then there is a Facebook group (24-7Iceland) and you can email Simon Turner to be kept in the loop for any future 24-7 teams.
 

Ian Nicholson lives and works in Guildford, England and is one of the leaders of Guildford Boiler Room.  With a heart for mission and particularly Europe Ian is part of 24-7 Prayer's International Leadership Team and enjoys football, food with friends and international travel.

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