March 22, 2018
Last Friday, Sabeel hosted a community Easter egg hunt in Bethlehem for children living in orphanages with over ninety children taking part in the event.
- God, we thank you for this opportunity to share joy with children whose lives have been blighted with sadness. We give thanks for the presence of your Holy Spirit for those who came on Friday and that they were able to find release from political cares and concerns to experience the fullness of joy in the good news Easter brings. Lord, in your mercy…Hear our Prayers
Sabeel is organizing their annual walk along the Contemporary Way of the Cross, in readiness for the holy season of Easter. This walk joins together the sufferings of Christ with the present-day sufferings of the Palestinians and connects the Stations of the Cross with contemporary issues of injustice in Israel and Palestine.
- God, we ask that you be with those attending this year’s walk. Send your Holy Spirit to guide them as they remember the sufferings Christ experienced as he was being led to the cross, and as they draw links to the present sufferings of the Palestinian people. Remind them that the joy of Easter Sunday follows the pain of Good Friday, and that all injustice in the world will end, for our Lord has the final victory. Lord, in your mercy…
Israeli forces detained over 1,000 Palestinians, including 274 children, during the months of January and February.
- Lord, the writer of Hebrews asks us to remember those in prison as if we were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if we are the ones suffering(Hebrews 13:3). We pray for an end to the Israeli Occupation that continues to hold our Palestinian community captive. Lord in your mercy…
This Sunday, Sabeel concluded a ten day educational visit for nine student activists from the African American and Native American indigenous communities. The visit included meetings with the local peace activists, exposure trips, meetings with Palestinian students and the Palestinian African community. The trip was jointly hosted with Diaspora Dialogue.
- Lord, we give thanks for the new friendships which developed during this trip. We pray for the safe return journeys of the participants. May our friends go home feeling inspired and encouraged to continue their work for peace and justice for their communities, as well as sharing their witness for our troubled land. Lord in your mercy…
With Palm Sunday this weekend, many Palestinian Christians living in the West Bank are still waiting to hear if they will obtain permits from the Israeli military to go to Jerusalem for the Palm Sunday procession, for celebrations and worship.
- Lord, we pray that all Palestinians will have access to their places of worship in Jerusalem without the need for permits, and that the Holy City will be open to all faiths. Lord in your mercy…
Last Thursday, Sabeel co-hosted a workshop for over thirty Palestinian teachers to discuss the new Palestinian education curriculum which has already been introduced into schools this year. The workshop is the first step in a thorough review of the curriculum to ensure it conforms to the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence aspired to in every healthy community.
- Lord, we pray for our Palestinian schools, teachers and students.
May your Spirit help those working in our school system to raise children who are kind to one another, faithful to their humanity, and committed to the cause of freedom. Lord in your mercy…
Wednesday, March 21st is Mother’s Day, in Palestine and the Arab World.
- We praise God for all the mothers, especially for Palestinian mothers who live under occupation; Lord you know they endure more than their fair share of trouble, often without recognition of their consistent efforts for the survival of their families and communities. We give thanks for all people who nurture one another toward greater understanding, strength, and love of life. Lord in your mercy…
- We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Lord in your mercy…