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.
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