A NEW national initiative aimed at “demystifying prayer” has been launched by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
He plans to hold three or four prayer days a year, at different locations, designed to create a space for the Church to come together in prayer and conversation. The first was held at Canterbury Cathedral on Saturday.
Archbishop Welby wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that he was grateful for all who joined him. “There are many different ways to pray,” he said. “But simply, it’s about being absolutely open to God reaching out to us. Looking forward to future Prayer Days in other cities soon.”
His goal is to strengthen existing initiatives and inspire the whole Church to explore new possibilities of how to pray. The gatherings are part of the Archbishop’s priority of prayer and the religious life.
The prayer days have four main aims: to provide an opportunity for people to hear Archbishop Welby’s vision of prayer; hear from local leaders on the impact of prayer in the world today; build unity in prayer by offering the Church a chance to explore and experience the offerings of other denominations and traditions; and resource those at the event, and the wider Church, to develop or encourage corporate prayer in churches, schools, homes, and workplaces.
“Prayer is simple, accessible to all and yet indispensable,” the Archbishop said last month, when the prayer days were announced. “Absolutely anyone can pray. It doesn’t take a saint or even an archbishop to pray. In prayer, we learn to see God at work in our world and open our lives to God’s transforming love. I hope this new initiative will bring the Church together, in all its glorious diversity and traditions, in learning to pray to God, who hears every prayer.”
For the first event on 27 May, Archbishop Welby was supported by the Bishop of Dover, the Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, and her chaplain, the Revd Dr Richard Braddy; the Dean of Canterbury, the Very Revd David Monteith; the Rector of St Martin and St Paul’s, Canterbury, the Revd Mark Griffin; and the Canterbury diocesan prayer co-ordinator, Lyndall Bywater.
Also present were members of Chemin Neuf, a Roman Catholic Charismatic and ecumenical community; and the Community of St Anselm, the ecumenical community of young Christians who live at Lambeth Palace for a year in prayer, study, and service.