Purpose:

To pray for the Bishops of the Anglican Communion as they prepare to gather for the Lambeth Conference in July at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd. and Rt. Hon. George Carey.

To observe a nine-day cycle of prayer between Ascension and Pentecost, May 22-30, 1998, corresponding to the period the apostles, Mary, and other disciples of our Lord gathered in the upper room as they awaited the promise of the Holy Spirit. [Acts: 1 and 2] The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Rev. Canon John L. Peterson, through the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, has requested that "everyone observe these nine days as a solemn time of prayer invoking God’s Holy Spirit to be with those who gather at Canterbury in July, our ‘waiting’ apostles".

In response to that request the following prayers have been chosen and adapted as a spiritual aid.

There are three prayers for each day: a beginning daily prayer, a prayer for each consecutive day, a daily concluding prayer, and a scripture verse from 2 Corinthians, the Epistle that the Bishops will be studying.

TO BE PRAYED DAILY:

BEGINNING PRAYER 
Come Holy Spirit, kindle in us the fire of your love. Living God, you meet us in the presence of Jesus the Christ. Prepare your Bishops for meeting together at the Lambeth Conference. Bless this holy meeting. Make it a base for mission and ministry. Make it a base for peace and unity. Make it a base for grace and generosity. Make it a base for holiness and hospitality. Amen.

CONCLUDING PRAYER
Abba, Send your Holy Spirit upon the Bishops; grace them with wisdom, compassion and strength for their task. Enable them to wait upon you in worship and prayer and to wait upon your people in joyful service; So that the life of the Risen Lord Jesus be known among us. Amen.

FIRST DAY

Pray for the Archbishop of Canterbury as he continues to draw together the Anglican Communion to be an effective witness to the Gospel in the countdown to the next millennium.

Gracious God, we give thanks for the rich diversity of the human family, Above all, we thank you for the Anglican Communion of which we are a part, Bless, we pray the Bishops as they prepare for the Lambeth Conference, and grant that as Bishops gathered together from all parts of the world, you will draw them into a deeper unity and towards the vision of service and sacrifice which we see in your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:11 As you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

SECOND DAY

Pray for Mrs. Eileen Carey and all the spouses.

Gracious and loving God, may Lambeth 1998 be for the spouses present a celebration of your glory, a reflection of the rich variety of those who follow your Son, Jesus Christ, and an inspiration of your Spirit. Amen.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:8 And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.

THIRD DAY

Pray for all the Bishops, our "waiting" apostles, members of the Anglican Consultative Council and ecumenical partners.

Loving God, Triune in Majesty, you reveal yourself in many ways to us, your global family. As we rejoice in our diversity, we pray for our unity as ambassadors of your love. Bless, we pray, the Bishops of the Anglican Communion, the members of the Anglican Consultative Council, and our brother and sister ecumenical partners as they gather in Christ’s name as the Lambeth Conference. Bind us together by your grace, that we may be faithful to our calling to serve the world and each other, O glorious Trinity, whom we worship and adore as Creator, redeemer, and Sanctifier, now and for ever. Amen.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

FOURTH DAY

Pray for all those who are involved in the organisation, preparation, and fulfilment of the many details and needs for the Lambeth Conference.

God of refreshing grace, you have called us into one Church through the waters of baptism. Help us to live in partnership with one another. May we seek to break down those things that separate us and build up those things that unite us, that bearing each other’s burdens and sharing each other’s strengths we may work together for the common good through Jesus Christ our reconciling Saviour. Amen.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:20 For in him every one of God’s promises is a "Yes". For this reason it is through him that we say the "Amen", to the glory of God.

FIFTH DAY

Pray that the message of 2 Corinthians will be revealed. Pray that this wrestling, alongside that of Paul, will help us all to discern and to live out in person a leadership that is closer to the mind and heart of Jesus.

Lord, by your Spirit and through your word, make us, with all who lead your people, so to take up your cross that we may point others To your resurrection, so to share your poverty that we bring others to your riches, so to bear the mark of your wounds that we may with others reflect your glory, so to enter into your death that we may share with others in your risen life, and be drawn into the communion of the Triune God now and for ever. Amen.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:1 It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

SIXTH DAY

Pray for the call to full humanity. Pray for the places in our world where the fullness of human dignity is denied.

God of compassion Look with mercy on our fragmented humanity; Let the design of your love fashion us into a new wholeness; Through him who became human that we might become divine. Even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

SEVENTH DAY

Pray to live and proclaim the Good News. Pray that local church communities may be the Body of Christ in word and action.

Dear God, from all eternity you sent out the Word of your love, the Son who was made flesh in Jesus Christ. Draw us into that love so that we may be drawn into your action, and reach out with you to the lost, the guilty and the needy. In the power of the Spirit, renew all members of your Church and transform your world. May your Kingdom come, with healing, with justice and with hope, and may all creation come to reflect back to you the glory of your gift in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:5 For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.

EIGHTH DAY

Pray to be a faithful church in a plural world. Pray that the Church as it seeks to be involved in every context of human life may be faithful to the eternal word as revealed in Jesus Christ.

Holy God of justice and compassion, Spirit of steadfast love and gracious mercy, your have called us into a Communion of one faith with many ministries in a world full of change and rich diversity. Strengthen us in your truth and wisdom that we may encourage our churches in the many ways of serving and sharing the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the pioneer and forerunner of our faith, in whose name we pray. Amen.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:14,15 For the love Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died forall, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died; and was raised for them.

NINTH DAY

Pray to be One. Pray that the Conference may equip the Bishops to implement in their dioceses a unity of Faith, Life and Witness with other Christians.

Eternal God, in whom all life finds wholeness, Where we have shared commitment to mission, hold us together; Where there is a shared fellowship within our diversity, teach us mutual respect and goodwill; Where we share resources, teach us to acknowledge that all we enjoy comes from you; Where there is indifference and hardness of heart, reprove and change us; So that the world may believe in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

2 CORINTHIANS 13:11b listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

This Novena was adapted from the Bishops’ 30-day Cycle of Prayer Booklet for Lambeth published by SPCK. Mr. David Long, Lambeth Conference Manager, compiled the Booklet and wrote some of the prayers for it. The authors of the prayers included in the Novena were : David Adam, adapted daily beginning prayer; The Archbishop of Canterbury, First Day; The Revd. Susan Baily, Second day; The Revd. Canon John Peterson, Third Day; The Rt. Revd. Simon Chiwanga, Fourth Day; The Rt. Revd. Simon Barrington-Ward, Fifth Day; The Most Revd. Njongonkula Ndungane, Sixth Day; The Rt. Rev. Rowan Williams, Seventh Day; The Rt. Revd. Frederick Borsch, Eighth Day; The Rt. Revd. Jabez Bryce, Ninth Day; Sr. Carol, CHN, adapted concluding daily prayer.

The prayers for the Novena were chosen and adapted by Flo Mayer, Prayer Life Commission, Chair, and AFP Diocesan Representative of the Diocese of Lexington.