OCTOBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020 PRAYER DIARY Launde Abbey is a retreat house in the heart of the country with God at its centre October 2019 - January 2020 Retreats at Launde Abbey For more information and to book WALKING RETREAT please call or see our website 21st - 25th October Launde Abbey, East Norton, LISTENING FROM THE HEART: Leicestershire, LE7 9XB A CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER RETREAT Led by Cathy Davies 21st - 24th October THE GIFTS THAT OTHERS BRING Led by John Bell 28th Oct - 1st Nov GROWING INTO RETIREMENT (FOR CLERGY AND SPOUSES) Led by Launde Abbey and the Dioceses of Leicester and Peterborough 10th -12th November SIGNS OF HOPE: A GREEN WEEKEND Led by Brian Davis and Kevin Durrant 22nd - 24th November ADVENT RETREAT: WAITING IN HOPE Led by David and Helen Newman 25th - 28th November ADVENT JOY AND TRANSFORMATION: PRAYING WITH HANDEL’S MESSIAH Led by Euan Tait 6th - 8th December STILL BEFORE CHRISTMAS: LET US GO TO BETHLEHEM Led by Sister Rachel Overton 9th - 12th December QUILTING AND TEXTILES SEWING RETREAT:“FROM EPIPHANY TO ETERNITY, JOURNEYING WITH GOD” Led by Claire Goode 6th - 10th January © Matt Musgrave Serving the Dioceses of Leicester and Peterborough www.laundeabbey.org.uk • 01572 717254 • [email protected] • Charity No: 1140918 FOREWORD FROM THE BISHOP OF LEICESTER One of our A particular challenge is often about speakers at what we can specifically pray for around the recent mission and evangelism - how we pray Bishops’ about increasing numbers of disciples, Conference, one of our diocesan three key questions the (from Shaped by God). This can seem like American an impossible challenge, but once again theologian Stephen Bevans advises “...commitment Stephen to the spread of the gospel is... a matter Bevans, of allowing the missionary task to wrote in shape Christian spirituality. Prayer and his book contemplation is seeing and feeling with “Prophetic the missionary God, aligning one’s needs Dialogue” 1: and wants with the saving activity of God’s “...before we pray we must listen to God’s missionary presence in the world.” So stirrings within our hearts...”. In other once again, we are called to listen to God’s words, before we begin to speak to God prompting and to open our eyes to notice about what we think we should be praying the Holy Spirit at work in the world and for, we should spend time listening to join in with what God is already doing. what God be saying to us, where he might be prompting us in the silence. Unless we are attuned to God’s voice, then how can we know what we should pray for? 1 Stephen B. Bevans and Roger P. Schroeder: “Prophetic Dialogue: Reflections on Christian Mission Today”; 2011; pub. Orbis Books, New York www.laundeabbey.org.uk • 01572 717254 • [email protected] • Charity No: 1140918 WELCOME Welcome to the new edition of the diocesan calendar of prayer, which takes us through the autumn and winter, through All Saints, Remembrance, Advent and Christmas. If you know of anyone else who would like to receive a paper copy of this document, then please contact the Bishop’s Chaplain as below. It can also be downloaded from www.leicester.anglican.org/everyday-faith/calendar-or-prayer Every day we pray for Bishops and our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world using the Anglican Cycle of Prayer and the Porvoo prayer calendar (www.porvoochurches.org) – these are included in italics at the bottom of each day. You will also find one of our own partner dioceses featured every week. The key to the parish entries is as follows: C = Clergy; R = Reader; P-Ast = Pastoral Assistant; Pio = Pioneer Minister; Evng = Evangelist. Do let the Bishop’s Chaplain know if you’ve got a story to feature on a Sunday in a future edition – with as much notice as possible please! Email Revd Rosie Woodall at: [email protected] or phone 0116 270 3390 or send it c/o Bishop’s Lodge. We are very grateful to Revd Canon Brian Davis for his work on gathering parish prayer requests. SUNDAY 6 OCTOBER TRINITY 16 Next Saturday, new lay ministers of One Reader about to be licensed for the various kinds will be licenced, authorised first time is Sian Rigby, who is also our and commissioned at our annual diocesan Together Leicester support worker. As she “Called Together” service in the Cathedral. prepares for the service, she writes “I am Some will be Readers (with primarily a very excited to be licensed as a Reader in teaching ministry, but many also leading the Church that I have been called to serve worship and some particularly authorised in, St Denys, Evington. The next stage in for funeral ministry). Others will be pioneers, my vocation journey, simply a part of the working with fresh expressions of church in life-long journey of discipleship – journeying a variety of settings. Some will be Pastoral with God everyday, wherever I am, whatever Assistants, working in parishes to care for I am doing and whoever I encounter. It is a big those in especial need. In some years, we responsibility, to preach the gospel in both also authorise children and youth workers word and deed, in the church and outside to work with young people and families; and of the church in my workplace, home and Evangelists who have a particular focus on neighbourhood, as an ordinary person living sharing the good news of the gospel. All an ordinary life, seeking to serve God with these new lay ministers will be supported all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and at the service by friends, family, colleagues seeking to preach the gospel in both word and others from their contexts. Other more and Spirit, with truth and in the power of established lay ministers will come to be God. Please pray for me and all those to be recommissioned, and to be prayed for. licensed alongside me”. Please pray for: • for those to be licensed, authorised and commissioned for the first time next Saturday at “Called Together” • for all those engaged in any kind of ministry in our parishes, chaplaincies, fresh expressions and schools • for more vocations to all kinds of ministry and for those currently in training The Church in Wales: Archbishop John Davies MON 7 OCTOBER Faith Leaders’ Forum Pray for city faith leaders gathering with the Bishops this evening for food and discussion. Phulbani (North India): Bishop Bijay Nayak; Christchurch (Aotearoa, NZ & Polynesia): Bishop Peter Carrell; Kolhapur (North India): Bishop Sandeep Vibhute TUES 8 OCTOBER Diocese of Trichy Bishop D Chandrasekaran Pray for those areas of the diocese experiencing acute water scarcity following the failure of the monsoon, whilst other areas are suffering the devastation of flooding. Give thanks for the prompt practical and pastoral response from our Christian sisters and brothers. Pittsburgh (USA) Bishop Dorsey McConnell; Chubu (Japan): Bishop Peter Ichiro Shibusawa WED 9 OCTOBER 900th anniversary of St Denys, Evington We rejoice together today with St Denys, Evington, who celebrate their 900th anniversary, giving thanks to God for the past and committing to God the future. Polynesia (Aotearoa NZ & Polynesia): Archbishop Fereimi Cam, Bishops Henry Bull, Gabriel Sharma, Afa Vaka; Clogher (Ireland): Bishop John McDowell; Cochin (South India): Bishop Baker Fenn THURS 10 OCTOBER Guthlaxton Deanery Area Dean: Sharon Constable; Lay Chair: David Beeson Pray for the parishes in vacancy and for parishes where there is going to be significant growth in the next few years. We are also looking at new patterns for rural ministry within the Deanery and the challenge that brings. Popondota (Papua New Guinea): Bishop Lindsley Ihove; Coimbatore (South India): Bishop Timothy Ravinda FRI 11 OCTOBER Countesthorpe with Foston & Peatling Magna; Willoughby Waterleys In vacancy; June Ainge (R/Pio); Helen Stokes, Mike Oates (R); John Frakes (R-PTO); Paul Gask, Michael Turton (Evng); Gail Mackley (P-Ast) Give thanks for all those who experience the love of God through The Rainbow Shop, ‘Holiday at Home’ summer event and Messy Church. Pray for the process to appoint a new Rector and for those caring for the Benefice during the vacancy. Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea): Bishop Denny Bray Guka; Colombia (USA): Bishop Francisco Duque; Kollam–Kottarakkara (South India): Bishop Dr Ooman George SAT 12 OCTOBER Called Together We pray for all those to be licenced and commissioned as Readers, Evangelists, Pioneers and Pastoral Assistants today. Port Sudan (Sudan): Bishop Abdu Kodi; Colombo (Ceylon): Bishop Dhiloraj Canagasabey; Kondoa (Tanzania): Bishop Given Gaula SUNDAY 13 OCTOBER TRINITY 17 Today begins Prisons Week 2019, which runs until 19th October. Often unseen and forgotten, the prison population in July 2019 numbered 82,570; and many thousands of children grow up without a parent while they serve their sentence. The theme for this year is “What does freedom mean for you?”, with the key text as Psalm 111: 9. We asked an inmate and a prison officer from one of our Leicestershire prisons to speak about what “everyday faith” meant to them in their difficult and challenging context. The prisoner wrote: “my everyday faith living inside me this could not become a norm means I feel personally empowered, a for me. God has not only answered prayer in uniqueness of self-discovery. The Lord our rejuvenating my passion but taught me the God is working in me and I feel blessed to be value of his wisdom and power of his word. here. That’s not to say I’m institutionalized. I know that when hopelessness, fear and It’s the very nature that in amongst this sadness overwhelm I can turn to God to find a pain and suffering, there is such beauty at peace which increases my resilience, patient work in me, “I am the potter you are the clay”.