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 10, 2009
Earlier this week, Israel approved the construction of 450 new settlement housing units in defiance of international pressure to freeze all settlement expansion. We pray for strong action from the international community.
This week, Greek Orthodox Bishop Atallah Hanna addressed Sabeel's weekly young adult Bible study group on the topic of the transfiguration. Bishop Atallah engaged in conversation with the participants and discussed everyday interfaith encounters. We praise God for church leaders like Bishop Atallah who take interest in the spiritual formation of young people and in speaking candidly about realities facing Christians in Palestine.
On Thursday, eight Israeli human rights and peace organizations from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are joining together in a public demonstration against settlement activity in East Jerusalem. We pray that the gathering at Jaffa Gate will draw helpful attention to the injustices being committed in Jerusalem by the Israeli government.
Nightly raids by the Israeli military continue in the West Bank town of Bil'in, one center of the Palestinian nonviolent resistance movement. In recent months, the military has undertaken regular early morning incursions and has targeted leaders of the nonviolent resistance organized against the route of the Separation Wall that cuts the villagers off from their fields. We pray that leaders and participants in the nonviolent resistance to the Occupation will find strength and resilience to continue in their struggle.
This week we join with the World Council of Churches in praying for:
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/prayer-cycle.html
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