![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.anglicannews.org\/ImageGen.ashx?image=\/media\/1938439\/scenes-during-the-opening-service-at-canterbury-cathedral_lambeth-conference_220731_acns-richard-washbrooke_700x467.png\")
Scenes during the service as Bishops, their spouses and invited guests attend the Opening Service at Canterbury Cathedral during the 2022 Lambeth in the United Kingdom.Photo Credit: Richard Washbrooke for The Lambeth Conference<\/strong>Related Categories: Abp Justin Welby<\/a>, Abp Samy Shehata<\/a>, Archbishop Angaelos<\/a>, Archbishop of Canterbury<\/a>, Bishop Vicentia Kgabe<\/a>, Bishops<\/a>, Canterbury<\/a>, Canterbury Cathedral<\/a>, Lambeth Conference<\/a>, prayer<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Languages from every corner of the world reverberated around Canterbury Cathedral today as bishops from across the Anglican Communion joined their voices together in prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bishops representing around 165 countries, joined in the Lord\u2019s Prayer in their own language during a moving service formally opening the 15th Lambeth Conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Music, prayers and readings were also heard in Maori, Bengali, Zulu, Cantonese and Shona as well as French, Spanish and English in a service live-streamed to a global audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bishop of Lesotho, The Right Revd Dr Vicentia Kgabe, delivering the sermon, spoke of how the Anglican Communion is \u201ccalled to practice hospitality and to serve\u201d in a world experiencing \u201cserious pain and strife.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said: \u201cSo how do we as the church \u2013 the Anglican church, demonstrate hospitality in a world that is going through and experiencing some serious pain and strife?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe do this by following the model that has been set for us by our saviour, and this model is not self-centered nor inward-looking. It calls us not to be navel-gazing but it calls us to first seek God\u2019s kingdom and God\u2019s righteousness, and all the things that we wish for, that we yearn for, that we call for that we hope for will be given to us, but first we seek the Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs the Anglican communion we can and we have it in us to heal and serve the world, we do this by sharing what we have freely without the fear that we will run empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause our God is a God who provides and assures us that \u2018those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed; they will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow faint\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur jar will not be emptied, neither our jug fail. We serve a God who provides.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the service, a new primatial cross was presented by the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Archbishop of Alexandria and Bishop of Egypt, the Most Revd Samy Shehata, in the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, one of the ecumenical guests at the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Episcopal \/ Anglican Province of Alexandria was inaugurated as the 41st Province of the Anglican Communion during 2020. Covid protections prevented international travel to Egypt at the time, precluding the traditional presentation of the primatial cross to Archbishop Samy by the Archbishop of Canterbury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Archbishop of Canterbury, prayed at the start of the service that the Lambeth Conference would bring the bishops into deeper understanding of one another and deeper love for the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said: \u201cLet us pray earnestly for God\u2019s blessing upon those who are gathered here, that through our discussion and our walking together we may grow into deeper understanding of one another and deeper love for the world Jesus Christ came to save.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking before the distribution of the Eucharist at the service, he said: \u201cAs we come to Communion, we are all aware that some who are here will not feel able to receive Communion, there are some by the rules of their own Church among our beloved and valued ecumenical guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd there are others among us because of our own divisions. In this moment, let us as we take communion remain in silence when we are sitting in our place and pray for the healing of God\u2019s Church, not only the Anglican Communion but of the Church catholic and universal, that we may find by God\u2019s power the moment when we can come together throughout the world as one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is the full text of the sermon by Dr Kgabe<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our heart be acceptable in your sight Lord my rock and my Redeemer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we gather in this 15th Lambeth Conference, we carry in our hearts and pressed on our minds, matters and situations that challenge and\/or trouble our respective homes, countries, regions, dioceses and provinces. We also gather to celebrate the diversity and the gifts that have been generously given to us for the mission and ministry in God\u2019s church for God\u2019s world. As author of 1 Peter put it \u201clike good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The readings set for today\u2019s eucharistic service have reoccurring keywords that can be summed up into two themes, namely servant leadership and hospitality. To be a servant-leader is to show hospitality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let me remind you of your consecration day the charge was read and the following words were said by the chief consecrator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey said: the Church is the Body of Christ, the people of God and the dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit. In baptism, the whole Church is summoned to witness to God\u2019s redeeming love who reveals Godself to God\u2019s people through the normal, the physical, the temporal, and the mundane things of this life and thus to work for the coming of God\u2019s Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To serve this royal priesthood, God has given particular ministries. Bishops are ordained to be Shepherds of Christ\u2019s flock and guardians of the faith, to proclaim God\u2019s word and leading God\u2019s people in mission. Obedient to the call of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, Bishops are called to gather God\u2019s people and celebrate with them the sacraments of the new covenant. Thus, formed into a single communion of faith and love, the Church in each place and time is united with the Church in every place and time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this part of the Charge (Ordination of Bishops), there\u2019s a reminder and also an invitation to serve God\u2019s people and practise hospitality wherever we have been planted, sent and placed and we are to do this in season and out of season. And there\u2019s no limitation on how much you can be hospitable or how much you can serve God\u2019s people, it is on going and continuous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the church, we are called to practise hospitality and we are called to serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hospitality, in the Oxford dictionary, is defined as \u201cthe friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.\u201d This was not enough for an African girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I look into my context what it means to be hospitable. In the African context, hospitality is defined as \u201cthe extension of generosity, giving freely without strings attached. It can also be seen as unconditional readiness to share.\u201d It is also the willingness to give, help, assist, love, and carry one another\u2019s burdens without necessarily putting profit or rewards as the driving force. This is what we call ubuntu \u2013 a person is a person through other persons\u2013 Umntu ngumtu nga bantu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This hospitality is demonstrated in our old testament reading by the widow who welcomed and fed a stranger with her remaining diminutive food supplies. This act of hers could have resulted in death by starvation, as the text states \u201cshe told Elijah that she is gathering sticks so that she may go home and prepare a meal for herself and her son, that they may eat and die\u201d (1 Kings 17: 12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In our second reading the author of 1 Peter urges us to be hospitable, as he writes \u201cbe hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God; serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received\u201d. And in John\u2019s gospel, Jesus is quoted as saying; \u201cSo if I your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another\u2019s feet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hospitality can be a powerful and also a vulnerable thing to do. Powerful because you allow people into your space and share what you have with them. In most cases, the host is in control. Vulnerable, because in most cases, as a host, you allow strangers or stranger and friends into your space, into your domain. To welcome a guest into your home also involves being open to that person\u2019s presence by showing interest in what that person has to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a host you don\u2019t relax until the last guest has left without breaking your china.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our readings today remind us that serving and service or servant-leadership and hospitality go together; the widow hosted Elijah and served him food. And through Elijah God promised her that \u201cthe jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that God sends rain on earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus Christ demonstrates this also in our gospel reading, we read that during the meal with friends and disciples he moved away from the table. And took a basin with water, demonstrates a new way of serving \u2013 by washing their feet, and directs that they should do that for each other. This is both an act of hospitality and service and love is central to this act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So how do we as the church \u2013 the Anglican church, demonstrate hospitality in a world that is going through and experiencing some serious pain and strife? We do this by following the model that has been set for us by our saviour, and this model is not self-centred nor inward-looking. It calls us not to be navel gazing but it calls us to first seek God\u2019s kingdom and God\u2019s righteousness, and all the things that we wish for, that we yearn for, that we call for that we hope for will be given to us, but first we seek the Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the Anglican communion we can and we have it in us to heal and serve the world, we do this by sharing what we have freely without the fear that we will run empty. Because our God is a God who provides and assures us that \u201cthose who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow faint\u201d. Our jar will not be emptied, neither our jug fail. We serve a God who provides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How do we as the church demonstrate hospitality to each other? For many, the church has been a place of pain and hurt. We can and have it in us to serve God\u2019s children, to love all God\u2019s children, not only those who look like us, speak the same language as us or are of the same socio-economic or political class as us \u2013 all God\u2019s children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This Lambeth conference, this church of ours has the power and is capable of healing the world and healing the church, and as we do this 1 Peter reminds us \u201cto maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I conclude, my prayer is that during our time together and beyond<\/p>\n\n\n\n May God\u2019s name be hallowed and not ours!<\/p>\n\n\n\n May God\u2019s will be done and not ours!<\/p>\n\n\n\n May God\u2019s kingdom come and not ours!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amen\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n SEE OUR PROVINCIAL BISHOPS PICS HERE<\/p>\n\n\n\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n\n\n\n NEWS ITEM FROM: ACNS News Service Posted on: July 31, 2022 Scenes during the service as Bishops, their spouses and invited guests attend the Opening Service at Canterbury Cathedral during the 2022 Lambeth in the United Kingdom.Photo Credit: Richard Washbrooke for The Lambeth ConferenceRelated Categories: Abp Justin Welby, Abp Samy Shehata, Archbishop Angaelos, Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishop Vicentia Kgabe, Bishops, Canterbury, Canterbury Cathedral, Lambeth Conference, prayer Languages from every corner of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":610,"featured_media":27167,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27165","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anglican-communion-updates","ctfw-has-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/610"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27165"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27182,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27165\/revisions\/27182"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}SEE ALL LAMBETH PICS HERE<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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