PrayerWalk Guides

Rigatoni Bake

The March 2012 issue of Family Circle featured a recipe called “Rigatoni with creamy pepper sauce.” It looked so good that I decided to try the following variation with some ingredients I had on hand.

INGREDIENTS

1 large sweet red pepper

1 or 2 yellow squash, sliced in half or fourths lengthwise

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 cup shredded Swiss or parmesan cheese (or mix)

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 pound rigatoni

1/3 mozzarella ball, divided into 4 or 5 smaller balls

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced in thin strips

5-6 grape tomatoes

Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat broiler. Line a large broiler pan with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place pepper on prepared pan, cut side down; add squash. Broil for 9-10 minutes, about 4 inches from heat source. Turn oven to 350 degrees. Remove pepper and squash from heat and set squash aside, slicing into wedges when cool. Place the pepper in a paper bag or covered bowl for 5 minutes. Peel skin off peppers and discard; thinly slice peppers.

3. In a large nonstick skillet bring broth to a simmer; add garlic and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in cream, salt and pepper and cheese and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook pasta following the package directions, about 10 to 14 minutes for al dente. Drain and return to pot.

5. Butter a medium-sized casserole and add cooked pasta. Add cream mixture and sliced peppers, squash, tomatoes and mozzarella balls; stir gently to combine. Sprinkle with basil and parmesan.

6. Bake uncovered at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned on top.

Many a Christian has cheated himself out of the blessing of the Holy Spirit’s inspired impulse to do something good or kind for someone else by not obeying that urge. Instead of bringing joy to someone else’s life by an act of kindness, the self-centered person stifles the impulse and sinks deeper and deeper in the slough of despondency and gloom. It is one thing to get good impulses; it is quite another to transmit them into acts of goodness.

– Tim LaHaye, Spirit-Controlled Temperament

This segment of the Tower of London walk takes visitors through Traitors’ Gate, the Medieval Palace and the Bloody Tower.

Traitors’ Gate

In pre-Tudor days, the Tower of London was used primarily as a royal palace and not yet as a full-time prison. At the time, the river came right up to the Tower wall where today there is a wharf. The Thames River was the city’s lifeblood and provided a busy thoroughfare for commerce and trade. The river entrance to the palace was called “Traders Gate” and acted as a sort of tradesman’s entrance where vendors could pull up in barges, sell their wares, then push off again and ferry to their next stop.

When the Tower’s purpose took a more sinister turn, the river entrance offered a way to sneak the monarch’s more controversial prisoners into the Tower away from public eye. Princess Elizabeth made a low-key entrance through this “Traitors’ Gate” at the age of twenty-one when her Catholic half-sister Queen Mary Tudor imprisoned her on suspicious of inciting a Protestant rebellion. Elizabeth vehemently protested her innocence and, although Queen Mary’s throne was not considered secure as long as Elizabeth was alive, Queen Mary did not order her execution. After Mary’s death in 1558, Elizabeth acceded to the throne as Queen Elizabeth I and reigned for nearly 45 years.

The Medieval Palace

Just beside Traitors’ Gate lies the entrance to the Medieval Palace, where modern visitors can get a vivid sense of life at the Tower during the 13^th century. The Medieval Palace is the collective name used for the three towers of St. Thomas, Wakefield and Lanthorn, where King Henri III and his successors Edward I and II lived at various periods during the Middle Ages.

In medieval times, kings and their courts traveled frequently, sometimes at a moment’s notice. All furnishings and decorations required portability. Rooms themselves had to be adaptable, since each chamber held multiple functions throughout the day, serving in turn as a bedchamber, dining hall and a place of entertainment.

Edward I’s bedchamber has been painstakingly restored to its medieval splendor with richly colored furnishings, wall hangings and a magnificent four-poster bed all based on descriptions of the palace found in surviving documents and in archeological research. Costumed interpreters bring the Medieval Palace to life through various speeches and sketches.

The Wakefield Tower includes a throne room complete with a throne replicated from the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey as well as a small oratory (or prayer room), where Henry VI is thought to have been murdered while at prayer.

Did You Know? The Crown Jewels were displayed in the Medieval Palace from 1870 to 1967.

Bloody Tower

The Bloody Tower, formerly known by the more prosaic name of Garden Tower, enshrines in its walls the secrets of its many prisoners. Chief among its secrets is what happened to two young princes once imprisoned there.

At King Edward IV’s death in 1483, his 12-year-old son acceded to the throne as Edward V. But things went downhill for him after that. On his way to London, Edward was met by his uncle Henry, the Duke of Gloucester, who escorted him to the Tower of London where he was to be kept until his coronation. Edward was joined by his brother Richard, age 9, a few days later. Before Edward has a chance to be officially crowned, his uncle declared his brother Edward IV’s marriage to the young princes’ mother unlawful, making the boys illegitimate offspring and therefore ineligible for the throne. The Duke of Gloucester then declared himself king and reigned as Richard III.

The princes at the Tower were seen less and less frequently until they seemed to disappear altogether, never to be seen again. Foul play on the uncle’s part was suspected, as William Shakespeare depicts in his play Henry III, but nothing was ever proven. Fueling rumors that the boys were murdered was the discovery of two small skeletons, presumably of two boys around the princes’ ages, in the White Tower 200 years later. What really happened to the young princes remains one of the Tower’s darkest mysteries.

The Bloody Tower is also known as the place where the great poet and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned for 13 years, accused of treason by King James. Despite his long imprisonment, Raleigh lived in considerable ease and comfort and managed to write his History of the World before his beheading in 1618.

King David often compared God to a fortress, a strong tower and a refuge in times of trouble. The Tower of London may have provided shelter for kings and been a stronghold against their enemies but it had flaws and weaknesses. On the other hand, we have a Fortress that never fails.

A Mighty Fortress is our God

Words and Music by Martin Luther

***

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;

Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:

For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

***

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;

Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:

Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,

And He must win the battle.

***

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:

The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure, One little word shall fell him.

***

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;

The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,

His kingdom is forever.

“The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” (Psalm 18:2)

Deviled Eggs

This is my go-to side dish for parties and get-togethers – I never have to worry about leftovers! All measurements are approximate and should be modified to taste.

INGREDIENTS

6 large eggs

1/3 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

1/8-1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

1/4 tsp of mustard (I like dijon)

Dash of sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

6 pimento-stuffed green olives, cut in half

Paprika

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil eggs, then peel and cut in half lengthwise.

2. Scoop egg yolks into a shallow bowl and smash with fork; place egg white halves on a plate.

3. Add mayonnaise, relish, mustard to egg yolk mixture and stir to combine. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Add more mayonnaise if smoother consistency is desired.

4. Fill each egg half to overflowing with yolk mixture.

5. Place one olive half in the middle of each egg. Sprinkle eggs with paprika (see photo).

Nat’s Notes

* For eggs that are easier to peel, I like to put them immediately under cold water after they are done boiling.

* To peel the eggs, crack them on both ends then roll them gently on a clean counter until they’re cracked all over. Starting at the hollower end of the egg, stick your thumb under the layer of egg shell and start peeling back the shell. It should come up in one solid sheet of shell.

* The smoother the filling, the easier it is to put into a pastry bag and do fancy deviled eggs. But then this would be a recipe for “fancy” and not “easy” deviled eggs.

* I always boil one more egg than I’ll actually need. I use the extra egg whites as “replacement” for any whites that get damaged in the peeling process.

In Matt. 13:3-23, Jesus gives the parable of the sower who throws his seed out onto various types of soil. Most of the seeds don’t stick for various reasons; some do and bear fruit. Jesus states to his (confused) disciples that He’s speaking of the Kingdom of Heaven and the seed of the gospel on men’s heart.

But I’ve often felt there’s a similarity between the sower in this story and the intercessor who sows the seeds of prayer. When you’re praying for people going through a rough time — illness, loss of job, etc. — it seems that the more receptive they are to divine intervention in their lives, the more open their hearts are to the moving of the Holy Spirit, and the more apt they are to receive a miracle or a breakthrough in their lives.

And even if a breakthrough or miracle doesn’t arrive, those people seem to be given extra grace to survive or handle their situation with strength and fortitude.

The least receptive and most self-sufficient “sufferers” — even among Christians – seem to continue simmering in their problems with no apparent breakthrough unless there’s a turning point within their heart. Perhaps this sounds judgmental. I don’t mean for it to be. It’s just something I’ve observed in my own prayer times and as a result of my own frustration with unanswered prayers, both directed at situations in my own life and prayer for others.

So, ask yourself, Am I being receptive and open-minded when it comes to the prayers of others for me and my life or have I hardened my heart a bit — because I think I can get out of this or handle this situation on my own? Or maybe because I have given up or feel like I deserve punishment and don’t deserve to be blessed?

With prayer, persistence is key (remember the parable of the widow who kept knocking?) but at the same time we must acknowledge that the human will plays a key part. God will not force anyone to salvation, to faith or even to blessing. We must open our heart’s door to Him.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. — Revelation 3:20

These prayer points and points to ponder will be inserted at corresponding points of the Tower of London section of the Crime & Punishment chapter.

Point to Ponder – Tower of London

Dungeons, torture devices, beheadings and executions all seem like a thing of the past. The natural tendency when walking around the Tower grounds is to think, “Whew, glad I wasn’t around when all of that was going on!” But did you know that torture of a different type takes place still today? Consider how often we place others in the prison of unforgiveness or use the torture of silent treatment or commit murder in our hearts.

In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus says that if we are angry with our brother or speak harsh words to someone, we are just as deserving of judgment as someone who kills.

Pray that God will give us the strength to forgive as we have been forgiven and to love others with the same unselfish love that God has lavished on us (John 15:12).

Point to Ponder – Our Fortress and Strong Tower

King David often compared God to a fortress, a strong tower and a refuge in times of trouble. The Tower of London may have provided shelter for kings and been a stronghold against their enemies but it had flaws and weaknesses. On the other hand, we have a Fortress that never fails.

“The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” (Psalm 18:2)

Point to Ponder – Crown Jewels

Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne! As you gaze at these emblems and symbols of the Kings and Queens of England, consider the glorious upcoming ceremony of the Coronation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Consider the words of Revelation 19:12, “… and on His head were many crowns.”

Prayer Points – Tower of London

Matthew 6:13, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Many of the power struggles in history, and the Tower of London’s history in particular, were caused by the same vices that mar the human heart today.

• Pray against the Tower’s pervasive legacy of hatred, greed, envy, pride, selfishness, caprice, murder, adultery and lies.
• Pray against the weapons of torture and imprisonment we use on one another through the silent treatment, bitterness, harsh words, gossip and resentment.
• Pray that power struggles between Christians would dissolve and that we would learn to love others as Christ has loved us.
• Pray against the murder we commit in our hearts through the thoughts we think and the words we speak.

Point to Ponder – Wall Walks

There are about 75 instances each of the words “fortress” and “strong tower” in the Bible, most of which are metaphors for God. Praise the Lord for his faithful protection in our times of crisis and need! Quote these verses as you walk along the walls of the Tower.

“And he said, the Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior; thou savest me from violence.” 2 Samuel 22:2-3,

“For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” Psalm 31:3

“Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.” Psalm 71:3

“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” Psalm 91:2

“My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.” Psalm 144:2

“For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.” Psalm 61:3

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10

Yeoman Warder Tour of the Tower of London

After exiting the Crown Jewels exhibit, join the group forming at the Middle Tower, just inside the entrance gates, for an hour-long guided tour led by a Yeoman Warder of the Tower. The first tour is at 9:30 am and a new tour leaves every 30 minutes.

Yeoman Warder with group at Tower Green

You’ll recognize the Yeoman Warders by their distinctive uniforms and hats. They are an elite group of men (and one woman) whose traditional duty since the Middle Ages has been to guard the Tower. These days, along with their ceremonial duties, they act as tour guides and answer visitors’ questions.

Yeoman Warder in undress uniform

Their uniforms have two basic designs: a blue and red uniform – called the “undress” uniform – for everyday use and a scarlet and gold uniform worn only for special occasions. The dress uniform, with its trademark Tudor-style pleated collar, was originally designed in 1485 and is reported to be not only expensive but also very heavy and uncomfortable.

Although your guide may try to convince you it means “Extremely Romantic,” the embroidered monogram ER on the uniform actually stands for “Elizabeth Regina” – Latin for “Queen Elizabeth,” the current sovereign of England.

To be eligible for selection as a Yeoman Warder, one must have at least 22 years of military service and have reached the rank of Sergeant Major. A good conduct record for 18 years is also required.

Yeoman Warders are often called “Beefeaters.” No one knows for sure the origin of the term but it was presumably used as a derogatory nickname for the Yeoman Warders because of their daily ration of beer and beef. Only rich people could afford beef at the time.

Today’s Beefeaters are highly entertaining and give wonderful tours, shock full of stories – some truer than others.

Take a Break: The New Armouries Café

New Armouries Cafe

Inside the tower complex, try the New Armouries Café. Formerly the site of the royal arsenal, the New Armouries Café provides a spacious, pleasant environment for a lunch or afternoon tea. The service is cafeteria-style and prices are reasonable. Kids’ menus are available.

God, Who Touchest Earth with Beauty

Mary S. Edgar

***

God, who touchest earth with beauty,

Make my heart anew;

With thy spirit recreate me,

Pure and strong and true.

Like thy springs and running waters

Make me crystal pure;

Like thy rocks of towering grandeur

Make me strong and sure.

Like thy dancing waves in sunlight

Make me glad and free;

Like the straightness of the pine trees

Let me upright be.

Like the arching of the heavens

Lift my thoughts above;

Turn my dreams to noble action,

Ministries of love.

God, who touchest earth with beauty,

Make my heart anew;

Keep me ever, by thy spirit,

Pure and strong and true. Amen.

This segment of PrayerWalk London takes you from the Tower of London’s Opening Ceremony through the Crown Jewels in the Jewel Tower.

Jewel House Entrance

Once inside the front gates, resist the temptation to go on the first yeoman warder’s tour. Instead, go directly to the Crown Jewels exhibit. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200 just go directly – go, go, go! – to the Crown Jewels. You’ll enter the Jewel House just under the clock in the Waterloo Barracks.

The lines inside the Jewel House have a bit of a Disneyland feel. Large electronic screens on either side of the anti-chamber play scenes from the last coronation to date, that of Elizabeth II, to entertain the waiting hordes. But because you were very smart and came early, you will not be one of them! You can breeze through at the speed of light to the Crown Jewels exhibit.

In this room are displayed the regalia, scepters, orbs and swords used for coronations and other ceremonies of state. The value of the objects in this room is inestimable. They have been used through the centuries and are still in use today; in fact, it is not unusual to find one of the swords missing because it is in use that day for a knighting.

As to the age of the jewels, when Oliver Cromwell acceded to power as Lord Protector in 1653, he ordered the jewel collection of his predecessors – those powerful symbols and reminders of the monarchy – be destroyed, melted down and dismantled. Therefore, most of the regalia on display today date from 1661 and the reign of Charles II, whose first order of business was to replenish the royal jewel collection.

The Crown Jewels are displayed in five glass cases. Visitors pass them on a sort of moving sidewalk. No photos are allowed. When you’re done, hop off and have another go at the moving sidewalk, congratulating yourself once again on beating the crowds.

Be sure to notice:

• St. Edward’s Crown. This is the crown that the Archbishop of Canterbury places on the monarch’s head at the moment of coronation. It weighs nearly five pounds and contains 443 precious and semiprecious stones.
• The Sovereign’s Scepter. The largest cut diamond in the world, Cullinan I (a.k.a. the First Star of Africa) is set in this scepter. The diamond weighs 530 carats.
• The Imperial State Crown. Used annually by Queen Elizabeth II for the State Opening of Parliament, this spectacular crown contains the legendary “Stuart Sapphire,” the “Black Prince’s Ruby” and “Queen Elizabeth’s Pearls.” It includes 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires and 11 emeralds.
• The Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. This crown contains the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond from India, which weighs 106 carats. It belonged to the Queen Mother, who died in 2002.
• Queen Victoria’s Diamond Crown. A tiny crown, it weighs only 4 ounces and was commissioned in 1870 by special request of Queen Victoria. It cost £50,000 to make.
• The Anointing Spoon. The oldest surviving piece of regalia on display in the Jewel Room, the anointing spoon is from the 12^th century and is used to pour holy oil.

Point to Ponder. Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne! As you gaze at these emblems and symbols of the Kings and Queens of England, consider the glorious upcoming ceremony of the Coronation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Consider the words of Revelation 19:12, “… and on His head were many crowns.”