This week the Lambeth Conference begins. It is held once every decade as a gathering of Bishops from across the Anglican Communion. It is a time of prayer and reflection, as well as an opportunity for discussion and exploration of what God is calling us to as the church at this time. This year's theme is: "God's Church for God's world: walking, listening and witnessing together". The Biblical focus is a study of 1 Peter.
Bishops from our diocese are attending and it will be good to keep them and the whole conference in our prayers over the coming days. There is a website dedicated to the event https://www.lambethconference.org/ And in particular, you may be interested to take a look at the daily prayer guide, enabling us all to pray alongside the Bishops as each day has a particular focus. This is the link for that guide:https://www.lambethconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Lambeth-Conference-Prayer-Guide-2022-ENG.pdfIn it there are prayers written by religious communities from around the world, reflecting the wisdom and spirituality of those who have responded to a particular calling to a way of life shaped by patterns of prayer across the world. In today's gospel the centrality of prayer in Jesus' life is highlighted, as, on seeing him pray, a disciples asks to learn how to pray and Jesus gives us what we now call "the Lord's prayer": that God's name may be glorified and God's kingdom come. Praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ as they gather to discern together the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of our wider church may be a very good response to what Jesus teaches in today's gospel.Let's also remember closer to home this week, the children of our primary schools, especially those marking the end of their time at West Exmoor Federation. We pray for God's blessing as they look forward to the next step in their young lives.
God bless
Samantha
Reminders: Epilogues continue on Sunday evenings at 8.30 at Countisbury
Lammas Service and Cream Tea: Sunday 31st July 3pm Martinhoe