Thought for the Week

IT’S not everyday you get a letter from an Archbishop. It happened to me in my previous church as the Archbishop of Canterbury was our Patron. But to get one signed by two..well!?

It would be right to conclude that it must be important. It is!

I need to admit that the letter, with both their crests and signatures on, was not addressed to me, personally. I suspect that it went to all clergy in the country and maybe many others too. This is not an exclusive message. It is a letter about a subject which all Christians are called to engage with.

The Archbishops’ letter is a call to prayer in the lead up to Pentecost 2016. This is for just over week from May 6 to15. They are calling it “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done…”. It draws its inspiration from the prayer our Lord Jesus taught us; the same prayer that was recently banned from being broadcast in cinemas. A powerful and provocative prayer to take to our lips, but one that is to be prayed in love.

A national call to prayer is not common, but it is precedented. King George VI wrote to the nation on D Day 6th June 1944: “At this historic moment surely not one of us is too busy, too young or too old to play a part in a nationwide, perchance a worldwide, vigil of prayer as the great crusade sets forth. If from every place of worship, from home and factory, from men and women of all ages and many races and occupations, our intercessions rise, then, please God, both now and in a future not remote, the predictions of an ancient Psalm may be fulfilled: 'The Lord will give strength unto his people: the Lord will give his people the blessing of peace.'”

God answered this prayer in a remarkable way.

Our Archbishops’ call to prayer is about sovereignty of a different kind. It is about the sovereignty of God in our nation. It is a challenge to the church to deepen our faith and have confidence to show and share the goodness of God with all.

I make no secret that I am delighted to be part of a church where two Archbishops are calling us to prayer for the blessing of our nation.

Churches around the country will be aiming to have people praying round the clock 24/7. In Ilkley, Addingham and Burley volunteers have already come forward to cover most of the week. Others in the Wharfe Valley and nationally will be doing the same. If any readers have specific prayer requests please contact a participating church. In fact members of any church would count it a privilege to pray for you.

In this week of prayer, may our nation know God’s blessing and peace in new and unimaginable ways and may it prove to be a positive pivotal moment in our nation’s spiritual destiny.