The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have published a letter in which they ask all Christians in every worshipping community to join them in prayer as part of Thy Kingdom Come, a global wave of prayer held annually between Ascension and Pentecost (Thursday 30 May – Sunday 9 June 2019)
Archbishop Justin Welby and Archbishop John Sentamu write: "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."
Resources have been produced to help individuals, prayer groups, and churches to join in. They are available to download from the Thy Kingdom Come website.
A series of events are planned in the Diocese of Chester and more information will be released over the coming weeks and months.