Sabeel Wave of Prayer
31st of March 2022
While Christians continue to observe
Lent, Muslims will begin fasting for Ramadan next week. Local residents and
visitors will be taking part in religious ceremonies in the sacred city of
Jerusalem during the coming month, with Easter celebrations for Christians,
Ramadan for Muslims and Passover for Jews.
•
Lord, we pray that Jerusalem will remain a city of peace
through this significant time. We pray that worshippers will be granted access
to their places of worship without fear of unprovoked attacks. Lord, in your
mercy…
On Tuesday, the 29th of March, the
Sabeel Women’s Group took part in a special journey to Jericho. During their
visit they shared in a Lenten Bible study and discussed religious and social
issues together.
•
Lord, we give thanks for the way the Sabeel Women’s
programme is helping Palestinian Christian women to gain a deeper insight and
understanding of their faith and of ways they can support each other. Lord, in
your mercy…
In a number of larger Palestinian
cities voting for municipal elections took place on Saturday, the 26th of
March. While the level of participation in voting for mayoral candidates is
often high in Arab localities in Israel, levels are much lower in the West
Bank.
•
Lord, we pray for young and dynamic leaders to emerge from
the Palestinian community with a passion to defend human rights and to support
democratic values. Lord, in your mercy..
Sabeel has again invited people to
join their healthcare initiative. They open for enrolment every three months.
Sabeel has brought together churches, non-profit organizations, lay people and
businesses to develop a Health Insurance Plan which is available to the whole
community.
•
Lord, we are so encouraged that many Palestinian groups and
individuals are signing up to the Sabeel Health Insurance Initiative to give
support to those in greatest need in their communities. Lord, in your mercy…
A new non-fiction book for young
adults has recently been published which aims to tell the story of young
Palestinians living in Silwan, near the Old City of Jerusalem, through their
own voices. ‘Determined to Stay: Palestinian Youth Fight for Their Village’ by
Jody Sokolower tackles the issues faced by Palestinians living under Israeli
occupation in bite sized chapters relating to life for youngsters in Silwan.
•
Lord, we pray that this new resource will help young people
around the world to gain some understanding of the pressures and traumas faced
by Palestinians living under the Israeli occupation. Lord, in your mercy…
Four people were killed on Tuesday,
the 22nd of March, in a stabbing and car ramming attack in Beersheba in
southern Israel. The assailant, Mohammed Abu Qian, a Palestinian citizen of
Israel from the town of Hura, was shot by a bus driver at the scene.
•
Lord, we pray for a speedy recovery for the wounded in this
incident and for the grieving relatives of those who died. We pray that
tensions in al Naqab region may ease and that the Bedouin will not be forced
from their land by the Israeli authorities. Lord, in your mercy…
On Monday, the 21st of March,
religious leaders came together in the heart of Jerusalem to pray for peace in
the Ukraine. Christian, Druze, Jewish and Muslim leaders met in Moscow Square
and stood by the Russian Orthodox Church. They prayed beside a letter posted on
the wall. It was written to the Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and asked him to
bring his influence to bear on President Putin to take immediate steps to
de-escalate the conflict.
•
Lord, we join with the faith leaders in Jerusalem and
around the world in their prayers for an end to the hostilities taking place in
Ukraine. We pray for the millions of refugees and for all those who are trying
to support them. Lord, in your mercy…
•
We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers
for the countries of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Lord, in your
mercy…
No comments:
Post a Comment