Please pray with us

 

Wave of Prayer for Thursday, May 17, 2012

News about the deal on behalf of the Palestinian political prisoners, 2,000 of whom were on hunger strike, is spreading across the country and world today.  We are grateful that a deal was reached that includes improvements in prison conditions. We rejoice that the hunger strike has ended and the lives of the Palestinian political prisoners (some of whose lives were hanging in the balance) are saved.  Lord in your mercy...

This week the Palestinians are commemorating the Nakba, the catastrophe that happened 64 years ago, when approximately 750,000 of them were forcibly driven out or fled their homes and villages.  The Nakba created an enormous refugee problem, sustained personal and political trauma, and catalyzed a process of generational dispossession for Palestinians. We lift up all affected by the Nakba, and we pray for justice-based on international law-and peace so that there will be healing.  Lord in your mercy...

The youth of Sabeel Jerusalem will travel to Nazareth and surrounding areas to clean a church in Ma'loul, a village that was depopulated in 1948. Then they will worship with local Christians in nearby Al-Mjaidel. We pray that this time of remembrance and service will strengthen their faith and commitment to the re-edification of Palestine.  Lord in your mercy...

We pray for all involved in the effort to produce and print Sabeel's newest Cornerstone Newsletter.  This edition is about the laws being passed by the Israeli Knesset that systematically disadvantage Israeli Arabs and Palestinians. We are grateful that it can serve as a resource for those interested in the way that occupation functions to benefit one group at the expense of another group's human and political rights, all under the guise of legality.  Lord in your mercy...

With the World Council of Churches, we specifically pray for the churches and populations of Kenya and Tanzania.  Lord in your mercy...

We have also written a litany for Gaza that we use during our communion services and days of fasting.  Please consider joining your voices to ours by praying this litany with us from time to time during your own services.

 Each Thursday at noon in Jerusalem, Sabeel holds a Communion service that is open to the community. It is a time to join together to celebrate the Eucharist, to discuss how the scriptures apply to our lives today, and to pray for the specific needs of this region. Following the 2006 Sabeel International Conference, the Friends of Sabeel coordinators met and discussed the idea of "Waves of Prayer." The premise is that in their respective time zones, individuals and groups around the world will pray together at 12:00 on Thursdays, in solidarity with Sabeel in Jerusalem and with "Friends of Sabeel" worldwide. Starting in Australia, passing through Palestine, and on around the world we will pray for Peace with Justice and focus on specific issues each week.