Sabeel Wave of Prayer
July 13th, 2017
Ranan, a member of our Sabeel family who works at the office in
Jerusalem, got married last Friday. Her wedding was a wonderful celebration
with lots of friends and family members. She and her husband, Alex, will be
leaving for their honeymoon in Sri Lanka next week.
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Lord, we thank you for Ranan and Alex. Please bless
and guide them as they begin their married life together, and give them safe
travels on their honeymoon. We thank you also for this occasion to celebrate.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer…
Eighteen-month-old
Abdul Rahman Barghouti died last Friday after being hospitalized for almost two
months as a result of tear gas inhalation. The IDF shot tear gas into several
Palestinian homes in the village of Aboud, near Ramallah, during mid-May
protests related to the prisoners’ hunger strike. The IDF also blocked
ambulances from reaching the Barghouti house, forcing medics to carry Abdul
Rahman on foot to reach medical care.
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God, we mourn for Abdul Rahman Barghouti, and we
grieve the systems of oppression which devalue and end the lives of Palestinian
children. We pray for a world in which children are not gassed in their homes
and emergency medical care is not delayed. Lord, be with Abdul Rahman’s family
and community as they continue to struggle forward through the depths of
despair.
Lord, in your mercy…
UNESCO
recently declared the Old City of Hebron/Al-Khalil a Palestinian cultural world
heritage site. It was also placed on the list of endangered sites due to the
Israeli occupation of Hebron. The government of Israel has protested this
decision, calling it anti-Semitic, even though the Palestinian Authority
explicitly stated that the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/Cave of the Patriarchs is sacred
to all three Abrahamic religions.
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Lord, we thank you for organizations like UNESCO which
seek to preserve cultural heritage for all people. We are grateful for UNESCO’s
recognition that Hebron is occupied Palestinian territory.
Lord, in your mercy…
Since
the beginning of July, three church bodies have passed resolutions in support
of peace and justice for Palestinians. Mennonite Church USA passed a resolution
to divest from companies profiting from the illegal occupation of Palestine and
continue to support Palestinians and Israelis who are working for peace. The World
Communion of Reformed Churches passed a resolution to start discerning ways to
work for peace in Palestine and Israel, connect with Palestinian churches, and
reject theologies which are used to justify the oppression of Palestinians. The
United Church of Christ passed a resolution to advocate for the rights of
children in Israeli military detention.
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Lord, thank you for churches around the world who are
standing in solidarity with Palestinians and working for an end to the
occupation and other human rights abuses. Help them to be faithful in this
work, and let them be an example for other churches.
Lord, in your mercy…
The
Friends of Sabeel and Kairos Palestine in the United Kingdom have been working
for over a year on a motion calling for investment practices consistent with
biblical and moral principles to ensure that churches will not profit from the
occupation of Palestine. They have been bringing the resolution to denomination
leaders in the UK, and it has made substantial progress in the Church of England
in the last week.
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Lord, thank you for the
diligent work of our friends in the UK who are encouraging church institutions
to live out biblical imperatives by resisting illegal occupation and
settlements. We pray that you will enlighten the hearts and minds of those in
positions of influence and strengthen the resolve of people working for this
resolution. We pray also that church leaders will not abandon this resolution
through fear of accusations of anti-Semitism.
Lord, in your mercy…
We
join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries of Eritrea and
Ethiopia.
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Lord, in your mercy…
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