Merciful God, we
lament and decry the continued dispossession of the people of Palestine, and
particularly remember the residents of BeitJala and those who live or work near
the Cremisan Monastery. At the time of this writing, we await a decision on the
final appeal against the proposed route of the separation wall which would
separate people from land, Christians from their place of worship, and
represent nothing more than an annexation of Palestinian land to Israel. Lord,
grant us strength for the difficulties of the future and healing for the wrongs
of the past. Lord in your mercy…
Since a close
election in October, the Arab city of Nazareth has faced divisions within the
Palestinian community. Combined with new Israeli policies which categorize Arab
citizens as either Christian or Muslim and a campaign to require Christians to enlist in the military, the Palestinian community in
Israel has endured many threats to its unity. Lord, we pray that this animosity
ceases and that all people are empowered to stand for justice and nonviolent
resistance. Lord in your mercy…
Lord, we
continue to pray for the success of the Geneva II peace talks. We pray that
this is a chance for true peace to develop and that both the leaders and the
people endeavor to protect the rights and freedoms of all Syrians. Lord in your
mercy…
Gracious God,
please be with Sabeel’s programs for this week, including a women’s program on
Friday, Sabeel Nazareth’s committee meeting to plan programs for the year, and
a youth program in Nazareth. We also pray for your continued blessing in this
period of transition as Sabeel begins the process of finding a new director. Lord
in your mercy…
Lord, we pray
alongsidethe World Council of Churches for the countries ofDenmark, Finland,
Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Lord in your mercy…