Many of the bishops have opportunity to enjoy local worship today (though some have ministry responsibilities.) Not surprisingly, many of them are commenting as to how t.i.r.e.d they feel. So this 'editorial' is simply an encouragement for us to uphold the Conference delegates, both in our personal prayers and in the places where we worship.
The following (adapted) prayer, written by the Evangelical Alliance in the UK, may help us to focus on their needs and God's purpose through this Conference.
Dear Lord,
We repent of all that we have done that has failed to communicate in word or deed the love of Christ. We confess that, at times, the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ has not remained central in our proclamation and practice and we pray for your help in returning to the primacy of that gospel.
We pray for all those attending the Lambeth Conference and ask that their discussions and deliberations may be characterised, above all, with the grace and compassion of Jesus Christ. We pray that as they focus on issues of global justice, evangelism, discipleship, the Bible and the future of the Anglican Communion, they will be able to hear your voice guiding and uniting them in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We pray also for those Anglicans who have chosen not to attend, that they may know your wisdom as they seek how best to remain faithful to your gospel in the context of the Anglican Communion. We pray for a willingness and openness to be corrected in matters of doctrine or discipleship, as all are sinners at the foot of the Cross. We confess that in our lives we all mar the image of Christ in different ways. Illuminate for each bishop the deep and incomprehensible power of divine purpose manifested in our human sexuality. Help the bishops understand how they may be faithful to that revealed purpose in a shared understanding of marriage and mission.
We pray for the Archbishop of Canterbury, and his wife Jane, as they lead the two conferences. We ask for your especial blessing on each of them that they might be able to unite the bishops and spouses, with their Anglican flocks across the world, around your truth and your grace embodied in Jesus Christ.
We acknowledge our utter dependency on you for all of this, conscious of our own failings and weaknesses, and with a desire to see your gospel faithfully proclaimed throughout the nations. Lord, please help the Anglican Church to emerge stronger from this time of consultation, yet weak enough to be inter-dependent towards one another, and increasingly dependent on the Holy Spirit.
Bless and guide each of the bishops and their spouses, as they seek rest and restoration on the Sabbath, so that they may begin again tomorrow with refreshed minds, souls and bodies. Give them new strength and vigour and discernment of Your will, for the final week of the Conference.
We pray all of this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Please pray - and encourage people you know to join this prayer team around the world - at www.praylambeth.org Please do forward this email to anyone you think might be interested.
John Simons (on behalf of the team)
Sunday's Agenda:
Pray: Please feel free to use the agenda in whatever way you like to prompt your prayer cover over the day's proceedings. Click the more link to find further information from the main Lambeth Conference website.
More: http://www.lambethconference.org
Prayer for the Episcopal Church in North America (TEC)
These prayer bulletins are primarily intended to mobilise informed prayer for the bishops (rather than the issues on the Lambeth Agenda). However, in practice it is often impossible to disentangle the two.
Yesterday’s Bulletin 09 focussed attention on the tough time being had by orthodox Bible-believing Anglicans in the USA and Canada.
In this Bulletin, we ask you to pray particularly for Bishop Bob Duncan, the Bishop of Pittsburgh since 1997. He is a key leader of the evangelical part of the TEC. He is also the President of the Anglican Relief and Development Fund which provides millions of dollars in disaster relief and aid each year.
ARDF is committed to helping true partners in the Gospel achieve real results on problems like those highlighted by the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goals.
At the request of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, Bishop Duncan attended the 2007 Primates Meeting in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania where he provided contrasting views to that of the liberal Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori. Bishop Duncan believes God's vision for the Diocese of Pittsburgh is "One Church of Miraculous Expectation and Missionary Grace."
The Bishop believes this vision will be accomplished in five areas: building congregations, making disciples, establishing partnerships, gathering resources and recruiting youth.
When successes, triumphs or challenges are pointed to, the Bishop's response is predictable: "It's 90% prayer, 10% all the rest."
Bishop Duncan, one of the organisers of last month's Global Anglican Future Conference in Jerusalem (GAFCON) is under threat of deposition by The Episcopal Church bishops when they next meet in September 20th the House of Bishops of TEC will be voting on whether to depose him.
It must feel very odd for him and his wife Nara to be on campus at Canterbury for three weeks - alongside those liberal bishops seeking to remove him.
The wider USA Anglican crisis continues to escalate - and will intensify towards the end of 2008. In the autumn, several American dioceses will vote on whether to separate from the Episcopal Church. One US priest confided: “Its all over but for the lawsuits!” But let’s wait and see..
Pray: Lord, please guide and uphold all your servants who hold fast to Your word and lead your people to good pastures.
Bombshell Report due?
Lambeth is now over half-way through. Today, the Sabbath provides a mid-way island of replenishment. On Monday, the Indabas lead into the final week—and the forecast is for plenty of action (and therefore a premium on prayer).
There is a perception that TEC & Canada may have overplayed their hand - by pushing so strongly they have caused some previously ‘middle-ground’ bishops to identify not with the liberal cause but rather precipitated them to dig their heels in and move towards the orthodox pole. The sense of frustration and pain that has been caused by the actions of TEC and Canada, who've brought the communion to this point of fracture, is beginning to be expressed at some Indabas and at the 'hearings' that are less structured than some bible and Indaba groups.
The separate spouses Conference is going well, with conversations and engagement at a significant level. There's also a rising perception that they want their husbands to get to grips with the issues!
Amid all this movement, the advance intelligence is that on Monday the Windsor Continuation Group (WCG) will deliver a third presentation to the bishops at Lambeth. This will call for the creation of an Anglican Holy Office to police the boundaries of the faith.
Backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Anglican “Faith and Order Commission” will be a fifth instrument of unity for the Anglican Communion. For instance, it notes "questions concerning the authority of a Lambeth Conference and the nature and authority of its Resolutions" and likens Lambeth resolutions to those issued by "the councils of bishops in primitive Christianity" in that "they are of sufficient weight that the consciences of many bishops require them to follow or at least try to follow" them.
In a press conference, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams would not go into detail about the proposal, saying only that “there is a very strong feeling that we need another level of structure to have a clearing house for some of these issues.” He added: “I don’t want to say anything about the detail because it’s a flag raised to see who salutes it.” He said the proposal was being discussed by bishops in their Indaba groups today.
'We’ll see how it flies.'
Pray: that the final week of the conference will be constructive and fruit-bearing. Another picture from intercessors was of Lambeth being like a garden which needed both weeding and watering.
GLOBAL INPUT: Storm clouds loom over Canterbury
A group of SOMA UK / Crosswinds intercessors for Lambeth had the following picture come to them:
They saw storm clouds gathered over the Tent of Meeting (or alias Big Top - a venue that came about because the University of Kent did not have an auditorium large enough).
The prayer group had an apprehension that the clouds were close to being riven by lightning. However, they also felt the storm may ‘pass over’ - and presage blessing rather than disaster.
Please pray for discernment as to the meaning of this picture. Send us feedback as to what you sense the Spirit may be saying to the churches.
In this context, we have remembered the story of how Elijah sent his servant to the Carmel mountain top to pray for rain. He saw a cloud the size of a man's hand, and knew the promised rain was coming. The fierce drought was coming to an end. (1 Kings 18:41-45.)
Soon the storm clouds brought an abundance of rain - the fierce drought was coming to an end.
Click the links below to download, save and print the Pray Lambeth posters and fliers in pdf format
'I am very pleased SOMA, along with Crosswinds, have organised this prayer initiative during the Lambeth Conference.
The Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Revd Rowan Williams
It is an important time for us in the Anglican Communion and this group of people who commit to pray for us during our meetings will play a significant role behind the scenes.
My thanks to all who have helped set up www.praylambeth.org.'
Every ten years, Anglican bishops from around the world meet to share, pray and have fellowship, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
SOMA UK and Crosswinds Prayer Trust are co-ordinating briefings to inform and equip like-minded people who wish to cover this 2008 event with prayer.
If you would like to participate, please add this page to your favourites and consider signing up for the email briefings.