12/9/13 - English

God of Mercy, we continue to lift the Syrian people up to you. The capture of the Christian village of Maaloula is of particular concern as we fear the loss of an ancient community of believers. Lord, give strength, courage, and peace to your people and allow the people of Maaloula to be a witness of your great power and love. We also pray for wisdom for world leaders and courage for citizens around the world to stand against violence and military action. Lord in your mercy…

Lord, we wish to remember the people of Iraq who have been experiencing increasing levels of violence in the past months, culminating in several car bombs in Baghdad and the murder of sixteen members of the same family last week. Merciful God, we see the deep fractures in this society and the intense pain caused when neighbor rises up against neighbor. We pray that your love and peace would prevail, that your presence would unite the people of Iraq in mutual understanding, and that the bloodshed would come to an end. Lord in your mercy…

Lord, we cannot ignore the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, especially as Egypt has recently worked to destroy tunnels used to bring necessary supplies into the Strip. With the Rafah crossing only open a few hours a day, Egypt building a “buffer zone” on the border, and the cessation of fuel imports from Egypt, the people of Gaza are certainly experiencing the most isolating and desperate situation since the blockade began in 2007. Lord, hear your people’s cries for freedom and let your justice roll down like a mighty river. Please give the people of Gaza some measure of practical comfort, though we ultimately continue to pray for freedom from oppression and occupation. Lord in your mercy…

Lord, we offer congratulations to our Jewish neighbors during their holidays. We wish to pray, however, that our Jewish friends become aware of the suffering of the Palestinian people at the bidding of the Israeli government, and that they work toward changing those policies. Lord in your mercy…

Lord, we pray alongside the World Council of Churches for the countries of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. Lord in your mercy…