Friday, October 17, 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, October 16, 2008

We pray for the war victims suffering from the Philippine government's decades long confrontation with Muslim separatists in Mindanao. We pray for the safety of peace actors working in Mindanao and for an enduring peace settlement among warring parties.

In light of riots and violence that broke out in the northern city of Akko during the Jewish holidays, we pray that tensions between Israeli Palestinian and Jewish residents subsides. We pray for all victims whose homes were torched, and whose family members were arrested and injured.

We pray for the Sabeel clergy retreat that will be held in the West Bank from October 19th to the 21st. We pray for all clergy members and spouses participating in this retreat, so that it may be a useful time for reflection, sharing, and prayer for local churches.

We pray for the preparations for the Sabeel international conference on the Nakba that will be held in less than one month. We pray for all international and local participants attending the conference so that they will be encouraged to work for justice and peace in this land.

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