20th December 2018
Our prayers will be
expressed through the Gospel words about the birth of Jesus, our Saviour.
• The
angel Gabriel came to Mary and said, ‘And behold, you will conceive in your
womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and
will be called the Son of the Most High.’(Luke 1:31)
The historic renovation
of the Church of the Nativity is lifting spirits in the town of Bethlehem, the
birthplace of our Lord Jesus. In 2012 the church was declared a World Heritage
Site. In 2013, renovation work with Italian experts began on the fabric of the
building and the wall and floor mosaics. It is expected to be completed by the
end of next year.
·
Mary said,” Behold, I am the servant of
the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Lord, as we
remember the birth of our Saviour in Bethlehem we think of the many Palestinian
children born in the refugee camps in the occupied territories. We pray for
hope and a future for them through a just and equitable peace with Israel.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.
During the Great March
of Return protests at least 60 Palestinians were injured by live fire from the
Israeli military on the eastern borders of the Gaza Strip on Friday, the 14th
of December.
• And
when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry,
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke
1:41-42)Lord, we pray for the mothers of Gaza, who see their children injured
and crushed by the oppressive conditions of the occupation. We pray that the
lands and livelihoods may be restored to the Gazans. Lord, in your mercy…hear
our prayers.
There has been a spate
of deadly incidents across the occupied West Bank this week which has left a
number of Palestinians and Israeli soldiers dead. Within a twenty-four-hour
period from Thursday until pre-dawn on Friday, the 14th of December, Israeli
forces detained over 100 Palestinians.
• And
Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my
Saviour, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.” (Luke1:46-48)Lord,
we are humbled by Mary’s obedience and joy in her worship. Help us to keep our
hearts free from anger and bitterness and to be merciful to others. Lord, in
your mercy...hear our prayers.
In Silwan neighborhood,
occupied East Jerusalem, the Palestinian Hashimeh family are now homeless. On
Saturday, the 8th of December they were obliged to demolish the building, home
to fourteen family members. If they had not demolished the property themselves,
they would have been required to pay the municipality for demolition costs.
• Zechariah
prophesied, saying, “..the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to
those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into
the way of peace.” (Luke1:78-79) Lord Jesus, you are our Saviour and Redeemer.
Your light brings us hope where
there
is no hope. Help us, Lord, to continue to work for peace and justice where we
see inequity. Lord, in your mercy...hear our prayers.
During a period of
several weeks from November 4th to the 27th Christian Peacemaker Teams
documented the escalation in violence conducted by the Israeli military against
Palestinian schools and pupils in a portion of the H2 area in al-Khalil/
Hebron. This has included the firing of tear gas and sound grenades directly
targeting Palestinian children, school compounds and civilians.
• All
this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the
virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,
(which means, God with us). (Matthew1:22-23/Isaiah7:14)Lord Jesus, we are
thankful for the Christian Peacemaker Teams and their work to monitor abuse,
particularly the abuse of young children. We pray that they will be strengthened
by your presence. Lord, in your mercy...hear our prayers.
On Saturday, the 15th
of December, Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister of Australia,
announced that his
country would formally recognize West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. However,
he stated that he would not move the Australian Embassy to Jerusalem until
there was a peace settlement between Israel and Palestine.
• “And
she brought forth her firstborn Son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and
laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”(Luke
2:7)Lord Jesus, there was only a stable for you when you were born and, as a
child you knew what it was like to live as a refugee. Lord, we pray for the
people of Palestine that they will be released from the occupation to live
peaceful lives. Lord, in your mercy...hear our prayers
This week the Kumi Now
non-violent initiative looks at the treatment of children in the Israeli
military court system. Military Court Watch is a non-profit organization which
monitors the abuse and denial of rights to children caught up in this system,
focusing particularly on the first 24 hours of arrest when most allegations of
abuses take place.
• “And
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as
of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John1:14) Lord, we
pray for all those who work for justice and to protect the young and
defenseless. Lord, in your mercy...hear our prayers.
• We
join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of
China, Hong Kong and Macau. Lord, in your mercy...hear our prayers.
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