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, April 30, 2009
This month marked four years of nonviolent protests in the Palestinian town of Bilin against the Separation Wall. We pray for continuing strength and a commitment to nonviolence on the part of the protestors. Recently, the Israeli military has employed increasingly brutal tactics-including the murder of a protestor two weeks ago. We pray that God will bring justice to this situation.
As preparations continue for the Sabeel International Young Adult Conference to be held in July, we pray for wisdom for the conference coordinators in Nazareth and Jerusalem. May their work be fruitful and may the conference inspire and inform many participants from around the world.
On Saturday, Sabeel is planning a community event for Palestinian Christians from Jerusalem and Jaffa. As May is the month of Nakba Remembrance and the Celebration of the Virgin Mary in the Roman Catholic tradition, the day will be spent hearing testimonies from Nakba survivors from Jaffa and in worship with the local Christian community. We pray that this event will promote strong ties between different faith communities and will nurture the faith of all participants.
We pray that the upcoming changes in Israeli permit restrictions will swiftly be discontinued. Beginning on the first of May, all Palestinians with permits to visit Jerusalem must punch in and out at Israeli checkpoints to ensure that they have returned to the West Bank within the hours specified by the permit. It is our hopeful prayer that the day will soon come when permits and unjust borders are things of the past.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Sabeel Wave of Prayer
Each week at 12:00 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. Our hope is that in our 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 continuing on around the world we pray for Peace with Justice and focus on specific issues each week.
Wave of Prayer, Thursday, 23th of April, 2009
We thank God for a Holy Week in Jerusalem that was marked by relatively good relations across denominations. We are grateful for the cooperation of the churches. But we are also saddened by the increased Israeli military presence within Jerusalem during the Eastern Orthodox Holy Week. We pray that next year will witness fewer checkpoints so that Palestinian Christians can join pilgrims in praying at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
As the world marks the Holocaust and Armenian Genocide this week, we pray that genocide will never happen again.
We thank God for the apparent commitment by American officials to a Palestinian state. Recent talks have highlighted this as a primary goal of the United States’ Middle East policy. We pray that this can swiftly and peacefully become a reality.
This week has already witnessed several home demolitions in East Jerusalem. We pray that the world will take note of this unjust and illegal Israeli practice. May we not allow the frequency of such injustice to cause us to become numb. We are grateful for the solidarity of international figures like Mairead Maguire who spoke in Silwan this week.
Wave of Prayer for Thursday, April 9, 2009
Currently, Jerusalem is filled with pilgrims from around the world participating in Holy Week activities. We pray that they will find their faith renewed and emboldened through these experiences. May they return home with a new appreciation for Christ's radical message and for the hope that we find in the Resurrection.
Many Palestinian Christians living in the West Bank applied for permits to participate in Holy Week activities in Jerusalem. Last week it was announced that a small but significant number of permits were approved. Unfortunately, this week it was announced that a closure of the entire West Bank is in effect until April 18, the end of the Jewish Passover. We pray that the Christians of the West Bank will have a blessed Easter season in spite of this injustice. We also pray that all Palestinians will soon regain their freedom of movement and their access to Jerusalem.
We pray for the Hanoun and Al-Ghawi families of Sheikh Jarrah who continue to struggle with the Israeli High Court over their right to remain in their homes. In spite of original land deeds dating to the Ottoman Empire that establish their ownership, the Court threatens to evict the families and turn their homes over to settlers. We pray for comfort and strength for the Hanouns, the Al-Ghawis, and the hundreds of other families in East Jerusalem whose homes are slated for eviction or demolition.
This month, Sabeel's longtime partner, the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) welcomes its 31st team of accompaniers to the region. Since its founding by the World Council of Churches in 2002, EAPPI has sent approximately 550 people from many countries to serve 3-month terms as human rights observers and to support local non-violent resistance to the Occupation. We thank God for this program and the important connections that it creates between this region and communities around the globe.
Don't forget to join Christian Aid's Lenten Pilgrimage as it focuses on Jerusalem this week. And don't miss Rev. Naim Ateek's Easter prayer, this Sunday at http://lentpilgrimage.christianaid.org.uk/
Wave of Prayer, Thursday, 23th of April, 2009
We thank God for a Holy Week in Jerusalem that was marked by relatively good relations across denominations. We are grateful for the cooperation of the churches. But we are also saddened by the increased Israeli military presence within Jerusalem during the Eastern Orthodox Holy Week. We pray that next year will witness fewer checkpoints so that Palestinian Christians can join pilgrims in praying at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
As the world marks the Holocaust and Armenian Genocide this week, we pray that genocide will never happen again.
We thank God for the apparent commitment by American officials to a Palestinian state. Recent talks have highlighted this as a primary goal of the United States’ Middle East policy. We pray that this can swiftly and peacefully become a reality.
This week has already witnessed several home demolitions in East Jerusalem. We pray that the world will take note of this unjust and illegal Israeli practice. May we not allow the frequency of such injustice to cause us to become numb. We are grateful for the solidarity of international figures like Mairead Maguire who spoke in Silwan this week.
Wave of Prayer for Thursday, April 9, 2009
Currently, Jerusalem is filled with pilgrims from around the world participating in Holy Week activities. We pray that they will find their faith renewed and emboldened through these experiences. May they return home with a new appreciation for Christ's radical message and for the hope that we find in the Resurrection.
Many Palestinian Christians living in the West Bank applied for permits to participate in Holy Week activities in Jerusalem. Last week it was announced that a small but significant number of permits were approved. Unfortunately, this week it was announced that a closure of the entire West Bank is in effect until April 18, the end of the Jewish Passover. We pray that the Christians of the West Bank will have a blessed Easter season in spite of this injustice. We also pray that all Palestinians will soon regain their freedom of movement and their access to Jerusalem.
We pray for the Hanoun and Al-Ghawi families of Sheikh Jarrah who continue to struggle with the Israeli High Court over their right to remain in their homes. In spite of original land deeds dating to the Ottoman Empire that establish their ownership, the Court threatens to evict the families and turn their homes over to settlers. We pray for comfort and strength for the Hanouns, the Al-Ghawis, and the hundreds of other families in East Jerusalem whose homes are slated for eviction or demolition.
This month, Sabeel's longtime partner, the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) welcomes its 31st team of accompaniers to the region. Since its founding by the World Council of Churches in 2002, EAPPI has sent approximately 550 people from many countries to serve 3-month terms as human rights observers and to support local non-violent resistance to the Occupation. We thank God for this program and the important connections that it creates between this region and communities around the globe.
Don't forget to join Christian Aid's Lenten Pilgrimage as it focuses on Jerusalem this week. And don't miss Rev. Naim Ateek's Easter prayer, this Sunday at http://lentpilgrimage.christianaid.org.uk/
Thursday, April 02, 2009
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, April 2, 2009
As Jerusalem readies itself for Holy Week activities, we pray for cooperation and goodwill among the region's various denominations. We hope that Easter can be a time of unity for Christians in Jerusalem and around the world. We pray that the risen Christ's message of peace will inspire us all this Easter season.
We pray for an end to clashes in Gaza. Israeli military forces and Hamas fighters continue to exchange fire along the Gaza Strip's border with Israel. Additionally, Israel continues to deny adequate shipments of medical, food and building supplies into Gaza and stops nearly all exports out of Gaza. We pray that current negotiations will result in a peace based on justice and mutual respect instead of attempting to impose quiet through intimidation.
Israel's new government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, will take power this week. We pray that Israel's new leaders will take this opportunity to freeze settlement expansion, halt military incursions, and engage in productive dialogue with Palestinian leaders. We also pray that other nations will see this as a chance to implement new and effective policies in this region.
This Friday, Sabeel is organizing a "Contemporary Way of the Cross" journey along the traditional Via Dolorosa for Palestinian Christians. This Holy Week activity is designed as an act of worship rooted in the land where Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again, linking the original events of Good Friday with the continuing suffering of the occupied people who live in this land today. We pray that the event will be conducted in a spirit of ecumenism and hope in the ever transformative power of the Resurrection.
Rev. Naim Ateek has written a prayer for Easter Sunday in Christian Aid's Lenten Pilgrimage.
Keep reading http://lentpilgrimage.christianaid.org.uk/http://lentpilgrimage.christianaid.org.uk/ to see the prayer.
Wave of Prayer for Thursday, March 19, 2009
We pray for healing and comfort for Tristan Anderson, an American shot in the head by the Israeli military with a tear gas canister while participating in a nonviolent protest against the Separation Wall in Ni'lin. This tragedy reminds us of the many nonviolent protests happening regularly in the West Bank. We pray for strength and safety for people participating in demonstrations in Jayyous, Budrus, Bil'in, Ni'lin and Umm Salamonah. May God use this terrible event to prick the consciences of people around the world.
Even as this prayer is being written, the Herbawi home in Beit Safafa-a neighborhood of Jerusalem-is being demolished. We pray that the world will not stand by and ignore the ongoing campaign against Palestinian communities within Jerusalem.
We pray for Sabeel's four-part Lenten community programs. Each week of Lent, Sabeel has been organizing events designed to expand upon the theme of 2 Peter 3:13: "But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells." The events are designed to find practical ways to promote righteousness in our daily lives and current situation.
Rev. Naim Ateek travels to Lund, Sweden next week to attend the yearly "Jerusalem Day" event organized by the Church of Sweden. This year's theme is "Jerusalem: A Shared/Divided City." We pray that the commitment of the Swedish community seeking a just peace in Palestine and Israel will help result in a Jerusalem that is shared by all peoples and faiths of this region.
Wave of Prayer for Thursday, April 2, 2009
As Jerusalem readies itself for Holy Week activities, we pray for cooperation and goodwill among the region's various denominations. We hope that Easter can be a time of unity for Christians in Jerusalem and around the world. We pray that the risen Christ's message of peace will inspire us all this Easter season.
We pray for an end to clashes in Gaza. Israeli military forces and Hamas fighters continue to exchange fire along the Gaza Strip's border with Israel. Additionally, Israel continues to deny adequate shipments of medical, food and building supplies into Gaza and stops nearly all exports out of Gaza. We pray that current negotiations will result in a peace based on justice and mutual respect instead of attempting to impose quiet through intimidation.
Israel's new government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, will take power this week. We pray that Israel's new leaders will take this opportunity to freeze settlement expansion, halt military incursions, and engage in productive dialogue with Palestinian leaders. We also pray that other nations will see this as a chance to implement new and effective policies in this region.
This Friday, Sabeel is organizing a "Contemporary Way of the Cross" journey along the traditional Via Dolorosa for Palestinian Christians. This Holy Week activity is designed as an act of worship rooted in the land where Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again, linking the original events of Good Friday with the continuing suffering of the occupied people who live in this land today. We pray that the event will be conducted in a spirit of ecumenism and hope in the ever transformative power of the Resurrection.
Rev. Naim Ateek has written a prayer for Easter Sunday in Christian Aid's Lenten Pilgrimage.
Keep reading http://lentpilgrimage.christianaid.org.uk/http://lentpilgrimage.christianaid.org.uk/ to see the prayer.
Wave of Prayer for Thursday, March 19, 2009
We pray for healing and comfort for Tristan Anderson, an American shot in the head by the Israeli military with a tear gas canister while participating in a nonviolent protest against the Separation Wall in Ni'lin. This tragedy reminds us of the many nonviolent protests happening regularly in the West Bank. We pray for strength and safety for people participating in demonstrations in Jayyous, Budrus, Bil'in, Ni'lin and Umm Salamonah. May God use this terrible event to prick the consciences of people around the world.
Even as this prayer is being written, the Herbawi home in Beit Safafa-a neighborhood of Jerusalem-is being demolished. We pray that the world will not stand by and ignore the ongoing campaign against Palestinian communities within Jerusalem.
We pray for Sabeel's four-part Lenten community programs. Each week of Lent, Sabeel has been organizing events designed to expand upon the theme of 2 Peter 3:13: "But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells." The events are designed to find practical ways to promote righteousness in our daily lives and current situation.
Rev. Naim Ateek travels to Lund, Sweden next week to attend the yearly "Jerusalem Day" event organized by the Church of Sweden. This year's theme is "Jerusalem: A Shared/Divided City." We pray that the commitment of the Swedish community seeking a just peace in Palestine and Israel will help result in a Jerusalem that is shared by all peoples and faiths of this region.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)