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, November 18, 2010

We pray for political leaders in the United States, Israel, and Palestine as a 90 day construction "freeze" of settlements in the West Bank that are already illegal under international law goes to vote in the Israeli cabinet. In exchange for this short-term freeze that excludes East Jerusalem, the U.S. is offering massive concessions to Israel including no future settlement freezes, a commitment not to support any United Nations resolution recognizing Palestinian sovereignty, and an additional $3 billion in military aid. We lament that the U.S. appears blinded by short-term goals in making such an offer and pray that the peace process can move forward in a way that is just for the people of both sides.

This week we remember the children in Dbayeh, a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon with a large Christian population, as they struggle to obtain a good education and break the cycle of poverty. We pray for Palestinian refugees all over the world, especially those who still struggle to build a life in refugee camps for over sixty years, and for a just solution. (http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1004629.htm)

Yabous Productions recently won the prestigious 2010 Yasser Arafat Award for its work in reviving Palestinian popular culture in Jerusalem. We pray for artists all over Palestine who creatively and nonviolently resist the occupation through culture, and especially for Yabous as it strives "to give Jerusalem the ambience that reflects its historical, religious, political and cultural importance." (http://www.yabous.org/)

We hold the staff at Sabeel in prayer during this time of transition as several people in key roles end their time here. We pray for flexibility and guidance in filling these gaps as we continue the ministry of Sabeel.


With the Prayer Cycle of the World Council of Churches, we pray for:
Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea

(http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/prayer-cycle.html)

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, November 11, 2010

Last Friday hundreds gathered in Bethlehem and Ramallah for worship services in memory of the Christians killed in Iraq, followed by candlelight vigils calling for reconciliation and peace. We pray for strength, encouragement, and security for Iraq's Christian community, which has decreased by 60% since 2003 as members have fled abroad or been killed in the insecurity following the US invasion. We also pray for the world-wide Church as it responds to the ongoing violence in Iraq, that it will push for a just peace in Iraq with security for all.

We remember our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world in prayer this Tuesday as they celebrate Eid al-Adha, which commemorates Abraham's obedience to God, and for those returning from the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.

We thank God for the resilience of the Palestinian spirit as shown in the cultural and performing arts that continue to thrive in Palestine. We pray especially for the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in their mission "to strengthen Palestinian cultural identity through music and to enhance children's artistic, intellectual and psychological development by making music a part of their lives."

We pray for Assis Naim Ateek as he travels to Germany for the launch next week of the German translation of his book, A Palestinian Christian Cry for Reconciliation. We give thanks that his son, Sari Ateek, will be installed as a pastor of St. John's Episcopal Church in Maryland on Sunday, and pray for him, his family, and the ministry of St. John's.


With the Prayer Cycle of the World Council of Churches, we pray for:



Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe
(http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/prayer-cycle.html)