Especially now, join in prayer with Sabeel's Waves of Prayer

Join in prayer with the community of Sabeel, the ecumenical liberation theology center in Jerusalem - http://www.sabeel.org/etemplate.php?id=58

Each Thursday at noon Sabeel holds a Communion service that is open to the community. It is a time to join together to celebrate the Eucharist, to discuss how the scriptures apply to our lives today, and to pray for the specific needs of this region. Wherever you are, join the Friends of Sabeel in prayer for peace with justice, focusing on specific issues each week.

This week's petitions are particularly stirring:

+ On Tuesday morning, settlers and armed guards entered the Rivka al-Kurd home in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem and removed the family and their belongings by force. Israeli police stood by and did not take action to stop the crime. This is the third family to be evicted by settlers in Sheikh Jarrah since August. Almighty God, in our pain we plead for mercy and justice.

+ Rev. Naim Ateek addressed a gathering of Muslim leaders from Nablus and Bethlehem on Sunday on the topic of Christian Zionism. Rev. Ateek's comments were intended to clear up confusion between the theology of Christian Zionism and the beliefs of Palestinian Christians about the state of Israel. The sheikhs and imams who attended expressed much appreciation for the conference and have already begun planning future dialogues with the local Christian community. We give thanks for this and other opportunities to address misunderstandings and to grow closer ties between different communities.

+ Early Sunday morning, an armed Israeli man was caught attempting to enter al-Aqsa Mosque. Guards fear he intended to commit a massacre during morning prayers. We give thanks that this disaster was averted and pray that Jerusalem will not descend into violence at the hands of extremists.

+ November 5 marks the end of Sabeel's Witness Visit. We pray that the participants will return to their communities as informed and inspired advocates of a just peace in Palestine and Israel. May the words and actions of these ambassadors fall upon the minds and hearts of those who can guide decision-makers into ending injustice and the suffering of the oppressed.

Find out more about the ministry of Sabeel - http://www.sabeel.org/index.php

And Friends of Sabeel - North America - http://www.fosna.org/

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To receive regular bulletins from Ann Hafften, go the the blog: A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Peace, www.blogspot.voicesforpeace.com