Thursday, September 18, 2008

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

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.

Wave of Prayer for Thursday, September 18, 2008

We pray for all the communities hit by Hurricane Ike. We pray for national governments, relief organizations and churches, that they are able to respond quickly to the sufferings and needs of all.

We pray for the physical safety of Palestinians living in areas near Israeli settlements, especially in Hebron and the surrounding areas. As settler behavior against Palestinians is becoming more and more violent on the weekends and during the upcoming olive harvest, we pray for the restoration of the rule of law and for the Israeli government to take appropriate actions to stop settler violence.

We pray for the annual Sabeel clergy trip that this year will go to Qumran and Jericho. We pray their time together as an ecumenical group will have opportunities for educational and spiritual growth.
We pray that it will also be a time to share the needs of local churches and communities, and find solidarity in each others work.

We continue to pray for the IFOS chapters around the world who are working to send representatives to the Sabeel International Conference on the Nakba in November.

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