SABEEL CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2009

The Message of the Manger

This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors!'
Luke 2:12-14

In the Christmas story, the sign for finding the Christ-child was this: He would be wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. There are three important messages that emanate from the manger:

1.God in Christ has become accessible. Jesus Christ was born in a manger making God approachable, reachable, and available to all people. This is the great sign of God's love.

2.The manger stands for a different kind of a Messiah. The seemingly contradictory sign that the Christ is lying in a manger does not bode well for the birth of a great leader who was supposed to come from the line and lineage of his great ancestor David. The manger is the way of meekness and humility, the way of sacrificial love, the way of nonviolence.

3.The Christ of the manger brings peace through justice and not through violence. Luke takes the titles that people attributed to Caesar - liberator, savior, lord, and god - and gives them to Jesus Christ. The contrast between the two figures, in the eyes of the world, was huge. For the early Christian community, and for us, Jesus Christ is the authentic Savior and Lord. Caesar brought peace through military means that were tremendously costly in terms of human life and property, and such peace is always shaky. Christ can bring peace through justice and love that, when applied and practiced, is more stable and permanent. This is what Christ teaches and that is why, from Christ to this day, we dare to defy the Caesars.

Reading the Christmas story through Palestinian eyes, and in light of our daily experience, is revealing. We live in the shadow of empire, of which the modern state of Israel is part. It is easy for Palestinians to contrast their oppressive situation under the Israeli occupation with people of Jesus' day who lived under the brutal occupation of the Romans with its daily oppression and humiliation.

Empire always talks about peace but its peace is false and temporary. Its peace is imposed and, therefore, an extension of its oppressive military power. It can never last because it is built on injustice. Israel's peace rhetoric is a mirage that quickly disappears and people are hit with the glaring reality of injustice, violence, and humiliation. Such peace cannot be trusted.

Christ's peace is built on justice and is acquired through nonviolence and love. It can be trusted. Therefore, the unjust and illegal Israeli occupation must come to an end. Doing justice to the Palestinians ensures the achievement of peace through justice. At this Christmas season we need to re-commit ourselves to the liberation that Christ brings; and to continue to walk the way of peace through justice and nonviolence.

Sabeel wishes all its friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
May the message of the manger inspire our activities throughout the coming year!

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, December 17, 2009


December 27 marks the one year anniversary of the start of Israel’s massive campaign against Gaza that resulted in over 1400 deaths and the destruction of much of Gaza’s infrastructure. Today, Gaza remains under siege. It is our prayer that this inhumane captivity will be brought to an end. May we see increased nonviolent resistance to this oppression.


Last Friday, settlers set fire to the mosque in Yasuf, near Nablus. This, and other attacks, demonstrate the strong backlash among settlers to Israel’s discussions of enforcing a settlement freeze. We pray that all the people of Israel realize that a halt to settlement construction is a step forward toward a just peace.


We give thanks for this past weekend’s launch of the Kairos, “Moment of Truth”, document in Bethlehem in which Palestinian Christians called on Christians around the globe to join them in working to end the Israeli occupation. Respondents from worldwide churches, as well as Jews and Muslims, expressed their support for the document. May this timely document move people of all faiths to work for justice and peace in Palestine and Israel and in their own countries as well.


For more information on the Kairos document, visit: www.kairospalestine.ps


Sabeel is hosting its annual Christmas dinner in Jerusalem this Sunday. The event will bring various Christian communities together to celebrate Christ’s message of love. We pray that this will be a blessed time of fellowship and recommitment to our witness for a just peace.


This week we join with the World Council of Churches in praying for:

Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo

CMEP Fourth Week of Advent: Forefeast of the Nativity of Jesus Christ

A record of the genealogy of
Jesus Christ the son of David,
the son of Abraham: Abraham
was the father of Isaac, Isaac
the father of Jacob, Jacob the
father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah the father of Perez and
Zerah, whose mother was
Tamar, Perez the father of
Hezron, Hezron the father of
Ram, Ram the father of
Amminadab, Amminadab the
father of Nahshon, Nahshon the
father of Salmon,Salmon the
father of Boaz, whose mother
was Rahab, Boaz the father of
Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse, and
Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of
Solomon, whose mother had
been Uriah's wife, Solomon the
father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam
the father of Abijah, Abijah the
father of Asa, Asa the father of
Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the
father of Jehoram, Jehoram the
father of Uzziah, Uzziah the
father of Jotham, Jotham the
father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father
of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father
of Manasseh, Manasseh the
father of Amon, Amon the father
of Josiah, and Josiah the father
of Jeconiah and his brothers at
the time of the exile to Babylon.
After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of
Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of
Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the
father of Abiud, Abiud the father
of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of
Azor, Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim, Akim
the father of Eliud, Eliud the
father of Eleazar, Eleazar the
father of Matthan, Matthan the
father of Jacob, and Jacob the
father of Joseph, the husband of
Mary, of whom was born Jesus,
who is called Christ.
-Matthew 1:1-16 (NIV)

In this scripture reading describing Christ’s birth, Matthew first gives Christ’s genealogy. This listing of names reminds us of the importance of connections, especially the deep connections we have with both the Jewish people and the Christians who live in the Holy Land today.

Abraham was the father of the Hebrews, and David was Israel’s greatest king. Christ was descended from them through his mother Mary. Today Christians in the Holy Land live among the Jewish people in Israel and in the West Bank under the Israeli occupation. These verses remind us of the original connection between our two faiths and the importance of maintaining that bond from both religious and practical standpoints. Our Christian heritage includes Jewish people, and the fate of Christianity in the Holy Land greatly depends on their government. Our prayer for peace should include healing the frayed connection between our two peoples.

We must also pray for the strength and patience of the Christians in the Holy Land today who represent our connection to the land where Christ was born and are the living witness of our faith there. Because of the difficulties caused by living under occupation, many Christians are leaving. We pray for peace so that they may stay in their homes and jobs and continue to be the living stones in the land of Christ’s birth.

-Marilyn Rouvelas, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Prayer
Holy God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ever faithful to your promises and ever close to your Church: the earth rejoices in hope of the Savior’s coming and looks forward with longing to his return at the end of time. Prepare our hearts and remove the sin that hinders us from feeling the joy and hope that his presence will bestow. May we rediscover Your image within our hearts and live in its peace for all days. Unto to You be all honor and glory now and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

-Greek Orthodox Prayer of Preparation for the Nativity

For Meditation
Am I praying for healing in the hearts of all the people in this conflict? Does that prayer include asking that all parties will be able to forgive as Christ asked us to do? Do I understand and respect the common, positive religious connections the Abrahamic religions share?

Advent Reflections are reprinted with permission from Churches for Middle East Peace

Third Sunday of Advent: Something to Be Joyful For

Rejoice in the Lord always.
I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be
evident to all. The Lord is
near. Do not be anxious
about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to
God. And the peace of God,
which transcends all
understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

The news I hear always seems to be bad …job losses, increasing hunger, more settlements in Palestine, flooding. I could fill this entire page with the weight of sorrows and lists of reasons that do not justify rejoicing.

Many times I turn to a prayer of Julian of Norwich, which in part is “All shall be well and shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.” This brings me comfort and becomes an active reminder that I am a servant of Christ.

It is through the sincere acknowledgement of the sorrow and pain I see in our world that I more fully recognize the truly great gifts God gives. The love I have for my neighbors both close and far, the ministry that God has given to do good, do no harm and to deepen our relationship with God, and the awareness of God’s love present and active in our lives…these are reasons to rejoice in the Lord.

In the letter to the Philippians, and in many places in Scripture, we are told to rejoice, but not in just anything, rejoice in the Lord. As we count the days until Christmas some people may feel the pressures of holiday expectations, but at the core of these days is the anticipation of salvation. Like a race car preparing for the start of a race the engine roars as we look for a sign that God is with us always and we are ready to go, to act on God’s call. These are reasons to rejoice in the Lord.

And regardless of the success or failure of our efforts, we can act with the calm and gentleness of the Spirit and rejoice for Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. These are reasons to rejoice in the Lord.

-Rev. Doris E. Warrell, Deacon, Dumbarton United Methodist Church

Prayer
When I am tired of doing what
God has called me to do,
When my efforts seem in
vain,
When I feel I am the only one
trying,
I will have a glad heart and
rejoice in the Lord.
For You, oh God,
have called me by name,
given me the gift of thought
and action, and
have blessed me with a
community, the Church, that
is the body of Christ.
Indeed, You are great and
wonderful, and I will rejoice!
Amen.

For Meditation
How do you cultivate the peace of God so that it “guards your hearts and
your minds in Jesus Christ?” Daily reading of Scripture? Writing a gratitude
journal? Using prayer beads? Fasting? How can this practice be deepened
so that when the sorrows of the world, especially those coming from the
Israeli/Palestinian conflict are felt, you can rejoice through the peace of God?
Does it need to be done more regularly? Is something new or additional needed?

Advent Reflections are reprinted with permission from Churches for Middle East Peace.

Second Week of Advent: Prepare the Way

In the fifteenth year of the
reign of Tiberius Caesar—
when Pontius Pilate was
governor of Judea, Herod
tetrarch of Galilee, his brother
Philip tetrarch of Iturea and
Traconitis, and Lysanias
tetrarch of Abilene— during
the high priesthood of Annas
and Caiaphas, the word of
God came to John son of
Zechariah in the desert. He
went into all the country
around the Jordan, preaching
a baptism of repentance for
the forgiveness of sins. As is
written in the book of the
words of Isaiah the prophet:
"A voice of one calling in
the desert, 'Prepare the way
for the Lord, make straight
paths for him. Every valley
shall be filled in, every
mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall
become straight, the rough
ways smooth. And all
mankind will see God's
salvation."
-Luke 3:1-6 (NIV)

Only when John, the son of Zechariah, filled with the Word of God, began to preach the Word of God was he noticed, and heard by some. He preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The people in the desert heard him; Jesus heard him. The powerful, the leaders of Empire, high priests of the Temple did not heed the Word being proclaimed. One of the leaders did hear and killed the messenger.

The same Word of God calling for repentance is being proclaimed by the poor and oppressed of our world. The imprisoned, ignored and oppressed people of Gaza, of Darfur, are speaking in the desert of powerlessness and hopelessness. The leaders of empire continue to assert their power, or to ignore and support other leaders in their ignorance and arrogance.

Advent is a time when believers in the Jesus announced by John are reminded that the Word of God is calling them to proclaim the same baptism of repentance. Clergy and laity alike will indeed be noticed when Empire is criticized, nonviolence proclaimed, and military solutions to conflict challenged. The hope of repentance by our leaders will grow in response to our own repentance.

We prepare the way of the Lord and make straight his paths when we take the time and make the effort to seek the truth of conflicts rather than repeat the sound bites of media entertainers.

We fill in the valleys and level the mountains when we call our Congress people to accountability for their ideology-driven decisions and support them in their justice and peace initiatives.

The crooked roads shall become straight and rough ways smooth when we serve and speak for the powerless, the immigrant, the jobless, the homeless, the abandoned and impoverished women and children of our own country, and our world.

Then we will be heard, noticed and criticized for being too political, less patriotic, unrealistic in the ways of the world and just plain naïve.

Then all men and women including ourselves, will see God’s salvation; then we will celebrate Advent.

-John Sullivan, MM, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Prayer
Oh God,
My voice is yours,
Give me the courage to use it.
Oh God,
My will is yours.
Help me to bend it to your call.
And be with me when I fail to do either.
Amen.

For Meditation
What are the circumstances that cause you to silence your own voice when you have the opportunities to speak to people in power? Remember a time when you did speak, and name what gave you the will to not only to want to speak, but actually do it.

Advent Reflections are reprinted with permission from Churches for Middle East Peace.

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, December 10, 2009


The Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum of the World Council of Churches will hold its meetings in Bethlehem this weekend. In conjunction, on Friday Palestinian Christians will launch a document entitled "Moment of Truth" prepared by theologians and laypeople. The document clearly articulates the local Palestinians', the international community's, and the churches' responsibilities to act in cooperation to end the unjust Israeli occupation.

This Tuesday, European Union foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss a proposal to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state and of Israel. We are thankful for the EU's recognition that the current situation in Jerusalem must change. We pray that a lasting peace built on justice will come to this city.

On Saturday, Sabeel young adults will visit the pediatric ward of Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mt. of Olives to spend time with children from throughout Palestine who are fighting cancer and undergoing dialysis. This holiday season, we offer special thanks for the people and organizations that cross borders and deal with complex permit restrictions in order to offer comfort and healing to the sick.

Last week, Muslim Jerusalemites held special Friday prayers in Sheikh Jarrah to demonstrate their solidarity with the people of Sheikh Jarrah who are being forced from their homes by Israeli courts, the Jerusalem municipality, and Jewish settlers. Following prayers, Israeli peace activists held a march in front of the settlements. We pray that momentum for nonviolent resistance to the occupation will continue to grow, both in Palestine and Israel and around the world.


This week we join with the World Council of Churches in praying for:

Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal

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, December 3, 2009


Young adults from across Holland have joined together to form the new Young Friends of Sabeel-Netherlands. The group seeks to connect young people interested in justice issues in Palestine and Israel by publishing a monthly newsletter. We give thanks for this initiative and pray for continued engagement of Dutch Christians and churches.

In recent months, the Israeli Ministry of the Interior has drastically tightened restrictions for internationals wishing to volunteer or work in Palestine and Israel. Many organizations (including Sabeel) feel the effects of this policy through higher staff turnover and additional resources spent dealing with the added bureaucracy. We give thanks for all who offer their time and talents in service and pray for an end to the hostility shown to them. God, in your grace, transform our world.

On Tuesday morning, a group of Israeli settlers, accompanied by armed military and police forces, occupied the home of Rifka al-Kurd in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. The settlers reportedly produced a court order giving them consent for the takeover. In compliance with another court order that prohibited their presence in the house, the al-Kurd family was not at home when the settlers arrived. May this injustice not go unnoticed.

Conflicts within Israel seem to be escalating. Tensions between the ultra-orthodox and secular Jews, standoffs between the military and settlers, and a soaring crime rate indicate a very frustrated and fractured society. We pray that voices of moderation and justice can prevail and that Israel will recognize "the things that make for peace."


This week we join with the World Council of Churches in praying for:

Liberia, Sierra Leone

First Sunday of Advent: The Peace of Jerusalem

The days are coming,'
declares the LORD, 'when I
will fulfill the gracious
promise I made to the
house of Israel and to the
house of Judah.
In those days and at that
time I will make a righteous
Branch sprout from David's
line; he will do what is just
and right in the land.
In those days Judah will
be saved and Jerusalem will
live in safety. This is the
name by which it will be
called:
The LORD Our
Righteousness.'
-Jeremiah 33:14-16 (NIV)

At the risk of his life, Jeremiah prophesied that Jerusalem would be overrun by the Babylonians. Yet God did not leave the people without hope. Jeremiah foresaw the coming of a ruler in the line of David – a “righteous Branch” – who would bring peace to a rebuilt and glorious Jerusalem. Jeremiah’s prophesy helped form the developing belief in the coming of the Messiah.

Christians believe that this Messiah is Jesus. The promise of a renewed Jerusalem becomes the hope of a perfected people of God, described as “the Holy City, the new Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from God.” (Revelations 21:2). And God’s chosen community is expanded to encompass “a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelations 7:9).

But what, then, is in store for temporal Jerusalem? Is it also promised peace?

The great work of the Messiah is to remove the barriers between humankind and God and among people. It is a work of reconciliation and of the righting of relationships which we call justice.

In Jerusalem, Israel, and the Palestinian territories today, we find three faith communities – Jews, Muslims and Christians – and two nationalities – Israelis and Palestinians. Tragically, they are not at peace and they are not in right relationship with each other.

The Messiah is at work to bring these diverse, divided and often hostile peoples together – in peace, justice and security. When we allow ourselves to be instruments in God’s hands to advance this work of reconciliation and justice, we are participating in the fulfillment of “the gracious promise” of God to Israel, Judah, the Palestinian people and all the peoples of the earth.

-Martin Shupack, Church World Service


Prayer
Show me the way God,
for at times the path is full of
barriers and challenges.
Show me the way Jesus,
for this was also your road
that you prepare me to travel.
Show me the way Spirit,
because with a true heart I
want to call all people
Children of God.
Amen.

For Meditation
What are the fruits of right relationships? Where can they be found? What do
people do to have such wonderful rewards? Seeing and knowing this how
can we individually and together incorporate one more action, attitude or
learning into our lives that will bear such fruit?

Advent Reflections are reprinted with permission from Churches for Middle East Peace:

Advent is a time of waiting, not sitting back waiting, but a time of anticipating and preparing for what is coming. This season we are all like Mary, waiting for the fulfillment of hope, the coming of God incarnate. And like Mary and Joseph we are sitting idly by, we have things to do.

We hope that these selections of Scripture, reflections by members of CMEP's Board of Directors and staff, prayers and questions for meditation will help you not only center on the promise and hope of Christ's birth, but also on our shared work and hope for peace in the Middle East. With the connection between our faith and this part of God's creation so intertwined it is important that we acknowledge and celebrate our call to this work for peace that is rooted in our faith.