23 March 2007

From the Kenyan Anglican Holy Communion


Almighty God,
you bring to light
things hidden in darkness,
and know the shadows of our hearts:
by your Spirit,
cleanse us, revive us and renew us,
that we may walk in the light,
and glorify your name,
through Jesus Christ,
the light of the world. Amen

This very beautiful prayer shows the Kenyan genius for taking the Anglican tradition, drawing from the treasures of the Holy Scriptures, and bearing witness to what the Holy Spirit has done among them in Kenya. This striking collect takes the traditional Anglican Collect for Purity (originally a Sarum Use vesting prayer), casts it as a prayer to be said by all, and brings to it the hermeneutic and experience of the East African Revival -- to respond to Jesus Christ who calls us out of darkness to live in His marvellous light by living and walking in the Light of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.