How should we pray for evangelism?
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have announced a focus on mission in May. Cathedrals and churches are being urged to set aside the week before Pentecost as a week of prayer for evangelism. The plan has arisen from the Evangelism Task Grouping, which is itself and interesting venture. The briefing paper for the side by side session of General Synod explains:
The Archbishops responded to the Synod's encouragement to establish a Group. They did so past seeking experienced people. The feel they sought was in most cases non experience of the Synod, nor of the writing of Synod papers, nor of shaping the structures of the Church, but experience of sharing the news of love and the gift of being loved by Jesus…
And so some of the Group'due south members are intimately involved in leading meaning initiatives of faith-sharing (for example Alpha, Christianity Explored, Soul Survivor) or in daily encouraging local Christians and Christian communities to enter this moment of sharing. Some are pastors, within and outside the local church building. Some are apologists. Some accept roles of leadership in mission agencies, or in dioceses. The reports here reverberate that mosaic of feel. They reverberate also the Group's breadth of approach, and also from time to time the Grouping's impatience and want to encounter modify. In brusque they seek to be both an encouragement and a provocation.
The work of the group bears all the hallmarks of Justin Welby'south leadership, beingness focussed on realistic activity, with advisable supporting reflection, but having in view achievable goals, rather than either the development of ideas or the fostering of endless give-and-take. The focus on prayer in the week of Pentecost is but such a manageable, focussed projection. There volition exist broad interest, with an invitation going to all serving clergy to consider creative ways they can act locally, but with higher profile focus on 'beacon events' centring on the cathedrals at Canterbury, St. Paul'south, York, Durham, Winchester, and Coventry.
It will exist interesting to see how this proposal is received. Later on all, the good old C of E had its Decade of Evangelism in the 1990s nether the leadership of George Carey at Canterbury, and (every bit can be seen from the rather damning analysis of Leslie Francis and Ballad Roberts), the Church was everywhere worse off at the end of the decade than at the kickoff. (I call up Francis and Roberts' conclusion about theological tradition is faulty because of some erroneous assumptions, simply that is another word). So why should the initiative of the Evangelism Task Group exist effective now when the focus of a whole decade failed?
There are ii obvious answers. The showtime is that, during the decade, whatever was proclaimed from the top equally the primary agenda, in fact nearly of those years were hijacked past arguments about liturgical revision and the replacement of the ASB with Common Worship. It was, in effect, the Decade of Liturgical Revision. Alongside that, tensions were developing on the question of women in ministry building and leadership. And so the real free energy was spent on internal bug rather than looking outward.
The 2d is a more than general answer. The 1945 written reportTowards the Conversion of England, despite being described as '1 of the most remarkable statements ever authorized for publication past the Church building of England', had fiddling obvious impact on the Church, and continues to be cited as an aspirational platonic that has notwithstanding to be realised. (Run into this helpful Grove booklet which revisits it.) The consensus is that is addressed a Church building was not ready to listen to information technology—and I recollect the same was truthful for the Decade of Evangelism. Reading the report from the ETG, I was struck past the list of proposed partners for the Pentecost Week of Prayer: 24-seven Prayer, Promise, the World Prayer Center, the Neighbourhood Prayer Network, the National Day of Prayer & Worship, and musical worship leaders such as Matt Redman, Tim Hughes and Martin Smith. Not very many years ago, these ministries either did non be, or did not await very much like partners for the Church of England. They do now. And it is (again) characteristic of Justin Welby'southward leadership that the commencement initiative should be one of prayer, rather than action.
This raises some other question. If nosotros are going to spend a week in prayer, what should we exist prayingfor? Richard Pennystan, vicar of St Chad's, Romiley in Stockport, welcomed the thought enthusiastically every bit just what the Church of England needs:
I am convinced that the Church of England won't abound until we get serious most praying for salvation of those who are not following Jesus. This weekend the Archbishops have announced an initiative for the week of Pentecost to inspire Christians to focus on an intense week of prayer for evangelism. Excellent news.
The challenging question I've been pondering is this: practise Anglicans know how to pray for the salvation of non-believers?
He contrasts the general focus of much Anglican prayer with the very straight focus of many Pentecostal churches on revival and the conversion to religion of individuals. But when it comes to praying for evangelism, where is the focus in the New Testament?
The most obvious identify to get-go is, of course, the Lord'due south Prayer, with its three-fold invocation 'may your name be hallowed, may your kingdom come, may your will be done' on world equally information technology is in heaven. This is, though, quite a general asking, and falls short of either invoking revival or the conversion of individuals. Iii other vignettes from the gospels, Acts and Paul have an even more than interesting focus.
In Matthew 9.37 and Luke 10.2, Jesus says to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to ship out laborers into his harvest.' In Matthew, it is his response to seeing the crowds 'harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd'; in Luke, information technology is to the 70 equally he prepares to send them out. In both cases, there so follows instructions for the job of mission. (The saying is also found in the Gospel of Thomas 73, where is it followed by some characteristically obscure non-canonical sayings.) At that place are two hit features of this invitation. Commencement, the harvest appears to be fix for harvesting. This idea is perhaps expanded on in Jesus' parallel didactics in John 4.35, 'the fields are white for harvest' (that is, the green wheat or barley has now ripened to its straw colour). In other words, the trouble is less about whether people are open up and responsive; the problem is more the shortage of God'south people who are ready for this. Secondly, we are praying to 'the Lord of the harvest'. The whole procedure belongs to God and he is the 1 who is responsible for the terminal consequence.
The 2d vignette comes in Acts 4.23–31. The leaders of this Jesus movement have been threatened by the regime and allowable to cease their preaching. In response, the people assemble and pray 'with i mind'. Over again, the object of their prayers is non that God would do anything to or with the people who present the challenge—but is for themselves and their ministry building:
At present, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the proper noun of your holy retainer Jesus.
And information technology was this prayer which led to the 'place where they were meeting existence shaken; they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.'
The third example comes in Paul'due south alphabetic character to the Christians in Ephesus. (Encounter Ben Witherington's fantabulous commentary for a plausible defense of Pauline authorship based on observations about Asian rhetoric.) Immediately after Paul's description of 'spiritual warfare' in Eph 6.ten–17, he leads immediately onto the question of sharing the good news—but again, asks for prayer forhimself and not for those who are hearing.
Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may exist given me so that I will fearlessly brand known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
All these examples announced to contradict the oft-quoted mantra that God is at work outside the church and all nosotros demand to do is discern where that is and join in. The New Testament appears to remember that God's master style of working (at least in spreading expert news) is through his people, and if we want to join in God's mission we need to get up out of our seats. In Luke 10, Jesus sent the 70 to 'all the places he wanted to go' and it appears he still does the same today.
That made me very glad to see focus for prayer in Evangelism Task Group initiative for Pentecost.
The focus for our prayer during this time volition be:
- for all Christians to deepen their relationship with Jesus, so that
- we may have confidence to share our faith,
- that all may reply to the call of Jesus Christ to follow Him.
As an enthusiastic immature evangelical in my teens and 20s, having been taught that I 'ought' to share my faith, I think I was often cracking to make people see sense, and if they didn't, then they clearly needed more than effort and force per unit area to do so. I am not certain it was ever very productive! A more fruitful approach since then has been for me to grow in confident and in wonder about the good news of what God has done in Jesus, and to focus on connecting with and listening to people and see where this practiced news might speak to them. We need to let the Lord of the harvest practise whatever he wants. I volition sow and water; God alone will bring the growth.
1 terminal observation comes from a heading and a footnote in the ETG report. Paul Bayes, the Bishop of Liverpool, headed his introduction 'Jesus said, "I am the shepherd, the beautiful one…" and includes a footnote to John 10.11. This explains that the word use is nonagathos significant 'morally proficient, worthy' as we might wait, merelykalos meaning fine, handsome or attractive. Elsewhere in the NT it is used of the 'fine' pearls the merchant sought (Matt 13.45), the 'beautiful' affair washed to Jesus by the woman who all-powerful him (Matt 26.10), and the 'Off-white Havens', that Tolkein-esque sounding port on the south coast of Crete (Acts 27.8). The epithetkalos kai agathoswas the epithet of the ideal warrior in ancient Hellenic republic (you can find it inscribed under busts in the British Museum), and the NT invites us similarly not but to commend Jesus' moral goodness, but as well to bear witness his sheer attractiveness in the mod world. Nosotros cannot promise that others will be captivated if we have not been first captivated ourselves.
(I was encouraged to write a mail on this by my bishop, Paul Williams, and then if you don't like information technology—blame him!)
Follow me on Twitter @psephizo
Much of my piece of work is done on a freelance basis. If you have valued this post, would you considerdonating £1.twenty a month to back up the production of this blog?
If y'all enjoyed this, do share it on social media (Facebook or Twitter) using the buttons on the left. Follow me on Twitter @psephizo. Similar my page on Facebook.
Much of my work is done on a freelance ground. If you accept valued this post, you tin can make a unmarried or repeat donation through PayPal:
Comments policy: Good comments that engage with the content of the mail, and share in respectful debate, can add real value. Seek first to understand, so to be understood. Make the most charitable construal of the views of others and seek to learn from their perspectives. Don't view argue equally a conflict to win; address the argument rather than tackling the person.
Source: https://www.psephizo.com/life-ministry/how-should-we-pray-for-evangelism/
Postar um comentário for "How should we pray for evangelism?"