There’s a profile in The New York Times of Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer. New to me, apparently it is a ministry he began in 1999 that emphasizes around-the-clock prayer and worship. Those who come from across the country (and world?) find here the sort of direct experience of God, “visceral communion,” that they might not achieve elsewhere. Bickle claims to be non-political, but there are links between his group and Texas Governor Rick Perry’s planned day of prayer in Houston. Bickle believes that fervent prayer can accelerate the Second Coming, which he believes will occur within the next fifty years.

The International House of Pancakes has filed a trademark infringement suit.

It’s somewhat reassuring to know that America continues to be an incubator for new and unexpected forms of Christianity.

Predictably, the article also cites detractors and claims of “cult-like” behavior among participants and allusions to brainwashing (though that word is never used). The author also refers to past controversies in which Bickle was involved.