As the Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church prepares for his first Primates Meeting (in Canterbury 1-6 October) he is asking congregations and churches across Scotland to engage in an act of prayer alongside him in the days leading up to the meeting in Canterbury.
On Friday 29 September the Primus will spend time in prayer and meditation in St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh (in the Lady Chapel) from 11am until 2pm. There will be a short Eucharist celebrated at 1.05pm.
Sunday the 24th
“Dear friends across the Province, in my capacity as Primus I am preparing for my first Primates Meeting, the meeting is held in Canterbury from the 1st to the 6th of October. At the meeting, there will be many issues and points of debate, some which may be more difficult than others. I am therefore asking if our congregations and churches across Scotland would engage in an act of prayer alongside me in the days leading up to my journey South.”
Merciful God,
Fill your servant Mark with grace and power,
that he may always be ready to proclaim
the good news of salvation.
Fill his heart with love of you and your people,
That he may feed and tend the flock of Christ.
Give him humility, and defend him from all evil,
that he may exercise without reproach the office of Primus,
Using its authority to heal, and not to hurt,
to build up, and not destroy.
Accept our prayer through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit belong glory and honour,
worship and praise, now and forever. Amen
Monday the 25th – Finbarr of Caithness
Today we pray for the Scottish Episcopal Church, our church.
On this the feast day of St Finbarr of Caithness we give thanks for those who had the courage to bring the Christian faith to this nation. We rejoice with those who have listened to the voice of the holy spirit as the church has woven itself amongst the culture and people of this land. And we give thanks as we continue to reflect on the generosity and diversity of the people of Scotland.
Everlasting God,
whose servant Finbarr carried the good news of your Son
to the people of Scotland:
grant that we who commemorate his service
may know the hope of the gospel in our hearts
and manifest its light in our lives;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.
Amen.
Tuesday the 26th
Pray for the Primates. Today as we pray with our Primus, we pray also with the 39 Primates of the Anglican Communion. We pray for those who will be in Canterbury and pray for those who are unable to join us. We pray for:
The Most Revd Winston Halapua
The Most Revd Philip Richardson
The Most Revd Philip Leslie Freier
The Most Revd Paul Shishir Sarker
The Most Revd Francisco De Assis Da Silva
The Most Revd Martin Nyaboho
The Most Revd Frederick Hiltz
The Most Revd Albert Chama
The Most Revd Sturdie Downs
The Most Revd Zacharie Masimango Katanda
The Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby
The Most Revd Paul Kwong
The Most Revd James Richard Wong Yin Song
The Most Revd Richard Lionel Clarke
The Most Revd Nathaniel Makoto Uematsu
The Most Revd Suheil Dawani
The Most Revd Jackson Ole Sapit
The Most Revd Onesimus Dongsin Park
The Most Revd George Takeli
The Most Revd Francisco Moreno
The Most Revd Stephen Than Myint Oo
The Most Revd Nicholas Okoh
The Most Revd Pradeep Samantaroy
The Most Revd Humphrey Peters
The Most Revd Allan Migi
The Most Revd Renato Mag-Gay Abibico
The Most Revd Onesphore Rwaje
The Most Revd Ng Moon Hing
The Most Revd Thomas Kanjirappally Oommen
The Most Revd Thabo Makgoba
The Most Revd Gregory James Venables
The Most Revd Daniel Deng Bul Yak
The Most Revd Ezekiel Kumir Kondo
The Most Revd Jacob Erasto Chimeledya
The Most Revd Stanley Ntagali
The Most Revd Michael Curry
The Most Revd John Davies
The Most Revd Daniel Sarfo
The Most Revd & The Hon John Holder
We rejoice at the call to the Primates to gather for “leisurely thought, prayer and deep consultation” and ask that all may meet in the fellowship of Christ.
Let us pray,
Gracious Father,
who in your prophet Isaiah promised us
a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and inward strength,
knowledge and true godliness:
breathe that same Spirit on the leaders of your church today,
that they may meet you in one another,
find perfect freedom in your service,
and bring forth your Spirit’s fruits of love, joy and peace;
that your church may be renewed in the form of your Son, born, crucified and risen
that we might be one with you and in you,
ever one God, merciful and mighty.
Amen.
Wednesday the 27th – St Vincent de Paul
Today we pray for all the networks and agencies and of the Anglican Communion, for our work with refugees, for our work on issues of Justice and peace, for the networks on health and gender. We pray for matters of Ecumenical concern and relations with those of other faiths. We pray for the Anglican Consultative Council and all who work in our offices, churches and communities
Merciful God,
whose servant Vincent de Paul,
by his ministry of preaching and pastoral care,
brought your love to the sick and the poor:
give to all your people a heart of compassion
that by word and action they may serve you
in serving others in their need;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Thursday the 28th
We pray for Archbishop Justin as he leads and guides the Primates Meeting. We pray for him with the burden of leadership and pray that he may find joy in the fellowship and collaboration of the Primates. And we pray for Bishop Mark as he speaks from within the life of our church that he may speak with a clear mind and a loving heart.
Eternal God,
you called Justin to proclaim your glory
in a life of prayer and pastoral zeal:
keep the leaders of your Church faithful
and bless your people through their ministry,
that the Church may grow into the full stature
of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
Friday the 29th
We pray today that the Primates can find the space to listen to the concerns and needs of their brothers and sisters across the Anglican communion. That as we seek to address the particular issues of each province and the global challenges facing the whole Communion. We pray for Bishop Mark as he speaks of matters relating to Scotland, its Church and its People. Give him the patience to listen and to learn from others.
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ has taught us that
what we do for the least of your children we do also for him:
give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all;
who gave up his life and died for us, but lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
Amen.
Saturday the 30th – St Jerome
Today as we remember St Jerome – Teacher of the Faith and translator of the Bible – we give thanks for those who have helped us interpret the word of God. We pray for the Primates as they travel across the world to Canterbury. We pray for the Cathedral in Canterbury as they prepare to welcome us and pray that the next five days will bring renewed fellowship, a sense of peace and a commitment to work towards healing the divisions in our world.
Almighty Father, whose blessed Son before his passion
prayed for his disciples that they might be one,
even as you and he are one:
Grant that your Church, being bound together in love and obedience to you,
may be united in one body by the one Spirit,
that the world may believe in him whom you sent,
the same your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
The Primus would appreciate these prayers being used in churches around the Province.
He will be praying them each day
Finally, the Primus will spend a time of prayer in St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh on the 29th September from 11.00am until 2.00pm, during the prayer time the Eucharist will be celebrated at 13.05.
All who are able to come are actively encouraged to do so or to pray with the Primus from their own church, office or home.