God Who Holds the Vision Before Us

O God who holds the Vision before us,

We know that “where there is no vision, the people perish.”

Weave, we pray, our differing threads of opinions, various theological strands, diverse liturgical expressions into a sacred tapestry so that we will be empowered to vision and dream of a Church where Love is the centre of our actions, thoughts, conversations, and prayers.

We, your people, want to be dreamers and visionaries through whom your Church thrives to your glory!

Great Weaver of us all, when we find ourselves fearful of the future, uncertain of the present, regretting the past … help us to glimpse the entire Tapestry which is good and holy in your sight, and not focus on its underside where our knottedness, frayed ends, and tattered threads can be seen.

Holy God, who created order out of chaos, beauty out of disarray, restore hope in the hearts of your people.   Encourage our bishops in their ministries and protect our bishops.  May they feel the prayers of your people around the world and experience your Presence in their plenary discussions and one-on-one conversations.   And, may their love of You, be foremost in their deliberations so that this beloved Anglican Communion will remain one in Christ long after the Lambeth Conference ends.

All this we ask in the precious Name of the Jesus Christ, who died that we might live – to vision … to dream … to be part of your Holy Tapestry – and to praise your sacred name.

Amen.

God Who Meets us in the Wilderness

God who Meets us in the Wilderness,

We have been privileged to experience the profound depth of at-one-ness with You.  We have felt your unconditional love when we felt unlovable … your gentle healing touch when our bodies hurt … your peace that passes all understanding when our minds are confused and stressed … your soft embrace when the storms of life batter us … your comforting, encouraging and affirming Voice when all we seem to hear is a cacophany of gossip and negativity … and your everpresent spirit of hope when things seem bleak.    We are humbled and grateful.

Our Lenten journey has begun.   Our experience is only too familiar.  In the wilderness, we are beset by temptations and wild beasts. The temptations … to sow seeds of negativity in our conversations, our emails, our thoughts … to accuse others of not following You … to be complacent and leave others to pray for our bishops and Primates … all these allure us.

The wild beasts – of anger – of fear – of disillusionment – of bitterness  – of resentment – are ravenous and eat at the core of our corporate entity, your Body.   The temptations and wild beasts seem particularly deadly as we approach the Lambeth Conference.

Embolden us to resist the temptations.   Give us courage to remain steadfast in the face of the wild beasts.   Empower us to raise one another up instead of tear one another down.  Encourage us when we falter.   Give us willing hearts to forgive one another.   Keep us focused on that which is good in this Church, so that the evil one will not be able to build on our complaints.

Remind us that the upcoming Lambeth Conference is an opportunity for Grace to flourish.  Sustain all bishops each day as they seek your Voice in their deliberations, your Direction in their actions, your Word in their thoughts when they gather at Lambeth.

And, help us repent of those moments when we allow the temptations and wild beasts to detract us from being your Good News in the world and the Church.

God who Meets us in the Wilderness, hear and have mercy.

Amen.

Christ our Heartbeat

In the stillness of prayer, O God, the ticking of the clock is clearly heard. Like a healthy heartbeat, its tick-tock is strong and regular in tempo – a gentle reminder of your steadfastness.

Yet sometimes, our hearts skip a beat, as we ask the “what if …” questions:

- “What if the Lambeth Conference doesn’t resolve the tension in our Anglican Communion?”

- “What if some bishops don’t go to the meeting?”

- “What if all of them go, but their words aren’t ‘gentle as doves’, their actions aren’t filled with ‘love, joy, peace, patience,
indness, goodness, thoughtfulness, gentleness, self-control’?

- “What if they talk of what ‘love of neighbour’ means, but forget that they are each other’s neighbour?”

Dear God, why do we continue to ask the “what if” questions? These questions only seem to cause distress and anxiety. They only seem to cause our corporate heart to beat irregularly, so there is less compassion, less intentionality about justice, less adherence to your holy Word, less ability to receive your Grace, your peace, your joy.

Keep our hearts beating strong for You, O God. Keep us focused on being your students of the Word, your servants in the world, your peace-makers, your justice-seekers, your ministers who live out our baptismal promises, in love.

When the “what if” questions arise within the hearts and minds of the bishops, all your people, take them from us, for they are not of You.

In their place, breathe new life into every fibre of our being so that we are stilled with an abiding awareness of your Presence in the Church and our lives.

May our common heartbeat be steady, healthy and sure, so that we may be focused on You and not be distracted by .. the “what-if’s” of the Lambeth Conference … the “what-if’s” of our daily lives … the “what-if’s” of our Diocesan Synods and Conventions … the “what-if’s” of the actions of our bishops.

Encourage our bishops, O God, in their ministries. Strengthen their faith. Empower them to be hope-believers for the sake of the Church and risk-takers for the sake of the Gospel. When the difficult daily decisions they are called to make are made, may they be given the grace to leave the outcome with You.

And, too, may we be given the grace to leave the outcome of upcoming Diocesan Synods, Conventions and the Lambeth Conference in your Hands.

All this we ask in the name of the One whose heart beat long ago in the body of a human being and whose heart continues to beat today in us, your sons and daughters. May we bring glory to that Name, the Name above all names, Jesus Christ, our Heartbeat.

Amen.

God of All-Time

O God of All-Time,

The Lambeth Conference, when bishops around the world will gather to take counsel with one another, pray together and unite in worshipping You.   That date seems so far away, and yet it is so near. There is growing tension in the hearts of your people as the date of this gathering approaches.

We, who gather in prayer around the world each Monday, ask that you would breathe your Spirit upon us, so that we might feel the calming Ruach breezes flow through and among us, bringing hope and healing to your people, the Church.

As rumours circulate, still the voices of negativity.   Discourage us from taking sides … from trying to second-guess what will happen at this gathering … from anticipating which Primates will speak from which perspective.

Encourage us to pray – to feel hopeful – to receive your Grace.

In the coming months, O God, may the Primates be blessed with the ability to hear your gentle, loving Voice in and through Scripture, holy conversations with one another and others, and in the depths of their hearts.   Remove any anxiety that may be present within and among them as they look to the fast-approaching dates, and grant them this coming week, a sense of your holy peace-filled presence in and through their daily activities.

We thank you, O God, that we can come to you with our anxieties and concerns about this situation and that by your grace, we will be restored to a posture of anticipation, not dread, at the outcome of the Anglican Lambeth Conference.    All this we ask in the precious name of Jesus, who weeps with us.

Amen.

Prayer for these difficult days

Merciful God,

Your people ache at the thought of the Anglican Church breaking apart. Our spirits grieve and our minds, confused by the issues at hand, struggle to seek clarity, purpose and vision once again for this beloved Church.

Each week, it seems, there is more to separate, than unite, us.

Hear, O God, our prayer … that we may focus on the Good that unites us and not that which divides … that we may feel your love for us in the midst of our pain … and that we may be filled with hope for our future.

In the days and weeks to come, leading to the gathering of bishops, each time we receive the holy bread and wine, may we be encouraged by the reality that at the Lord’s Table, we are united in our differences, equal in your sight, and unconditionally loved by You.

Our bishops and Primates, faithful people of God, in response to your call, have said “Here I am, Lord.” Many have encountered deep pain in their episcopal ministry. We know You walk with them and love each precious one of them. We would ask that you encourage them to release their burdens to You each night before they go to sleep and that when they arise in the morning, they would feel your gentle peace, infilling their bodies, minds and spirits.

These are difficult days, O merciful God, and yet these are grace-filled, wonderful (wonder-filled) days – for You are with us.

Though many feel we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we steadfastly hold to the promise that “surely goodness and mercy shall follow” and we are grateful. We thank You for your Presence in our lives and in this Church and for your never-ceasing Love, Jesus Christ, in whose Name we pray.

Amen.

Weeping God

Prayer for the conclusion of the Lambeth Conference, 1998.

Weeping God,

How you must ache for your Church which now faces an uncertain future. How you must ache for your children, our bishops, who debated at such length at Lambeth, some speaking words of judgment, malice and scorn. How you must ache for your children who remained at home and read press releases, personal reflections, editorials, pastoral letters from their bishops, etc., with an ever-increasing sense of anxiety about the future of their Church.

Many have been praying, O God … praying for your peace to permeate the discussions; praying that rhetoric would be set aside and compassion, openness and reconciliation would happen; praying that whatever the outcome of the deliberations, the world would look and marvel at the ability of our bishops to love one another.

Some of us have cried “How long, O Lord, how long.” Some have whispered “Let this cup be taken from me.” Some continue to remember, though dimly, that You are with us, even “in the valley of the shadow of death.”

Help us to be a people of hope, O God. Help us to be a people who continue to look to You for direction. Help us to be a people who are faithful to your call to “love one another.”

There is a kaleidoscopic tumbling of emotions that many are feeling at this time. May your Holy Spirit bring healing, bring reconciliation, bring peace to your Church.

Equip us to bear no resentment, exhibit no triumphalistic behavior, manifest no superiority. Enable us to work through our pain, move beyond our woundedness and become the people You would have us be.

May we remember to pray for all bishops, regardless of their position on the divisive issue of sexuality. As they depart Lambeth, may each return home safely, may they be renewed in their call to the episcopate, be restored in their hope for the Anglican Communion and energized for the ministry that will be awaiting them on their return. And, in the struggle, may they find your gifts of courage, strength and joy.

We are confident, O God, that the Church will survive … through us. “How” it will survive is not for us to determine – or even know. May we have the desire to work together. May we have the tenacity to endure. May we have the love of Christ to bind us together.

When we gather again in ten years, may your Church be stronger than it now is; may we be a Church that expresses itself as an embodiment of your love; and may we be seen by the world around us as a people who not only speak words of forgiveness and reconciliation, but truly are people who forgive and reconcile. All this we ask in the name of your precious Son.

Amen.

Reconciling God

The following Lundi-Lambeth prayer offering draws upon the foot-washing image that was part of the ‘98 Lambeth Conference.

Reconciling God,

As bishops enter into the issue-oriented, final phase of the Lambeth Conference, we ask that you bring to mind faces … the faces of those whose feet the bishops washed, the faces of those who washed their feet, the faces of those they have encountered at the Lambeth Conference.

May these faces be remembered as bishops speak to the pressing issues. May they remember the example Jesus set for disciples (of long-ago and of today) in the humble and simple act of footwashing, embracing the conviction that ’strength and growth in the life of the kingdom of God come not by power, authority or even miracle, but by such lowly service.’

May there be no posturing, no grandstanding, no guilt-laden pronouncements, no defensiveness, no disrespect, no impoliteness, no condescension, no passive-aggressive behavior, no judgment and no biting comments in the discussions. Instead, may there be moments of holy listening, grace-filled comments, expressions of love and prayerful posture throughout the deliberations as each remembers whose servant they are by following the example of Christ in their actions, thoughts and spoken words.

May your Love so permeate the discussions, that the bishops experience your reconciliation, forgiveness, and healing, becoming your channel of hope among the people You have called them to serve in their home dioceses.

For this, and all things O God, we give you thanks.

Amen.

Mirroring God

As I sit before the computer listening for God’s Voice to help with the creation of this week’s Lundi-Lambeth prayer, I see the image of a mirror–a mirror that reflects what is happening at Lambeth to the rest of the world.

I wonder what is being seen beyond the boundaries of Lambeth as the world looks at the happenings of this Conference.

Is the Face of God seen? Does the world, other than Lambeth see the face of divine Love in action?

There’s a little song I’ve taught children in the Children’s Time over the years called “Day by Day” (author unknown). It, and the mirror image, provide the basis for today’s Lundi-Lambeth prayer.

Mirroring God, in Whose Face we see pure forgiveness, holy compassion, unconditional love, infinite patience,

Empower the bishops gathered at Lambeth to see that their words and actions reflect You to the rest of the world. In their verbal expressions, gestures and activities, may they mirror your loving concern for all persons: the homeless, the marginalized, the poor, the fearful, the homosexual, the doubter, the lonely, the persecuted, the isolated, the rejected, the burdened, the sick, the aged, the young, the dying, and those in pain.

As each bishop looks at the face of their brother and sister bishops–may they see your Face reflected back to them. As the world looks at Lambeth–may it see the Face of God.

Guide, O God, these your servants, so that in the coming weeks, their words and actions expressed at Lambeth (with one another, with the media, with the Secretariat, with the ACO staff members, with their own staff, with the translators and with the tourists) will be your mirror beyond Lambeth so that the world may ’see You more clearly, follow more nearly, love You more dearly, ‘day by day.’

Amen.

Welcoming God

Welcoming God,

Through the waters of holy baptism, You welcome each one of us, precious in your sight, to live in the power of your resurrection’.

We thank you, O God, for this holy welcome which unites sisters and brothers in Christ and brings bishops in your Church together at Lambeth in conversation, in fellowship, in worship, in study and in prayer.

May our bishops be reminded of your welcome to the ‘new life of grace’ through baptism, and be renewed with the ‘gift of joy and wonder in all your works’ … through the laughter and smile of a child … the brilliant colours of a peacock’s tail, the industriousness of an ant … the grace of a butterfly … the agility of a gymnast … the speed of cyberspace communication … the unconditional love of a family pet … the gentleness of lovers … the subtle fragrance of a rose … the miracle of birth … and in this gathering of bishops at Lambeth from all parts of the Anglican Communion.

May their hearts welcome those who are ‘other’. May their bodies express ‘welcome’ with wide-open smiles, warm embraces, respectful bows from the waist and outstretched hands of greeting. And may they experience your ‘welcome’ in the eyes of those they meet. Blessed are You, our strength, our song, our joy and our salvation.

Amen.

Life-Giving God

Life-Giving God,

Our individual prayers may not seem like much in the scheme of your Plan. Then again, neither does one little drop of water, seem like much, by itself. But we know that when droplets of water are put together, great things can happen–parched dry crops become nourished by life-giving rain, flowing rivers abound with salmon, glistening snowflakes remind us of our individual uniquenesses, magnificent waterfalls bring forth powerful energy, new life emerges from the waters of baptism.

If these can result when tiny droplets of water come together, it is awe-inspiring to realize what You, O God, can do with tiny droplets of prayers offered by those around the globe who are praying for the Lambeth Conference of bishops around the Anglican Communion.

We, your daughters and sons living in various parts of this planet, ask you to transform our individual prayers into cascading waterfalls of healing for the Anglican Communion.

May parched and dry theological discussions be watered by your living Word.

May rivers of conversation flow freely, gently and lovingly among the Bishops gathered at Lambeth.

May your servant, the Archbishop of Canterbury, be sustained with waters of life-giving energy as he leads the Conference.

May we, your Church, anticipate great and wonderful (wonder-filled) results of this gathering of women and men bishops and not focus on the controversies, friction and divisions.

May our bishops be blessed with traveling mercies and be brought safely to the shores of the UK.

May all involved in the Lambeth Conference–participants, volunteers, staff, visitors, intercessors–drink from the well of your love which sustains, encourages, comforts and connects us in the Spirit.

And may ‘new life’ emerge from the waters of Lambeth for us all.

‘Glory to God, whose power working in us, can do more than we can ask or imagine!’

Amen.