Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We are writing at this Epiphanytide to invite you to join us in praying ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ in the period between Ascension Day and Pentecost.
After the very first Ascension Day the disciples gathered with Mary, the mother of our Lord, constantly devoting themselves to prayer while they waited for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Like them, our reliance on the gift of the Holy Spirit is total – on our own we can do nothing. This is why through the centuries Christians have gathered at that time to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
‘Thy Kingdom Come’ picks up this tradition. Over the past three years more and more worshipping communities have rediscovered the riches of this tradition and have dedicated the days between Ascension and Pentecost to pray ‘Come Holy Spirit’. We are praying that the Spirit would inspire and equip us to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with our friends and families, our communities and networks. It has been amazing how many varied ways there have been in which people from every tradition have taken up this challenge. The effects have been remarkable.
So once again this year we are asking every Christian in every worshipping community to join us in praying for the renewing and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. It is our prayer that those who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus Christ and his love for the world will hear it for themselves, and in faith respond and follow Him. Specifically, we again invite each and every Christian across the country to pray that God’s Spirit might work in the lives of 5 friends who have not responded with their ‘Yes’ to God’s call.
Whether you have joined in ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ before or not, we invite you to take part this year – along with churches from over 65 different denominations in 114 countries around the world. We have produced a wide range of different resources for use at home or at church; alone or with others; for large events or small, to encourage and equip churches with ideas of how this might work in your own context. There are resources for liturgical services and prayer rooms; beacon events or prayer walks; for families or individuals. They are available to download free at ThyKingdomCome.global.
If there is something that you need but cannot find please get in touch with the team and they will do all they can to help you. We want to ensure that there are a wide variety of resources – something to meet the needs of everyone. Equally, if you want to do things in your own way locally, please go ahead. The essential thing is to pray.
Together let us pray ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, trusting the faithfulness of God.
Come, Holy Spirit.
+Justin Cantuar +Sentamu Eboracensis
January 2019
