We pray for the churches of
Jerusalem, as they celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. May their
prayers be turned into concrete ecumenical endeavors that draw Christians from
all denominations closer together, for the glory of God and the strengthening
of Christian witness in the land. Lord, in your mercy…
We pray for Hana Abu Heikel and
her family as she continues her hunger strike in Hebron/Al-Khalil. The elderly Hana and her family have been
victims of consistent settler attacks since 1984. They have had their olive trees destroyed,
stones thrown at their house, and eight cars burned by settlers. Though over
500 formal complaints have been filed by the Abu Heikel family, the perpetrators
have never been prosecuted. We pray that Hana’s brave act will raise the
consciousness of locals and internationals, so that justice may be done, and so
that Palestinians in Hebron/Al-Khalil can live with dignity and security. Lord,
in your mercy…
We give thanks for the success of
recent Sabeel youth gatherings. We pray
for their next event on Friday, January 27th, in Ramallah. There they will learn about contextual iconography,
which will assist the youth in deepening their understanding of the Biblical text
and this church tradition, in a way that leads to liberation. Lord, in your mercy…
We pray for Don Wagner, the new Program
Director of Friends of Sabeel North America. We thank God for Don’s faithful
and dedicated work for justice and peace in Palestine, and we ask God’s
blessing on him as he assumes this important responsibility. We give thanks for the work FOSNA and its
Steering Committee, and all of our friends around the world. Lord, in your
mercy…
With the World Council of
Churches we pray for the churches and populations of Algeria, Libya, Morocco,
Tunisia, and Western Sahara. Lord, in
your mercy…