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PRAYER FOR PEACE O God, we come to you with open hands and open hearts. We pray for peace and for all those that suffer violence and injustice in the midst of war and conflict. We pray for the innocent, combatants, peacemakers, and religious and political leaders. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem, the holy city of God and spiritual home to all the children of Abraham. O God of mercy and compassion, Embrace our Israeli and Palestinian brothers and sisters. They have endured profound loss and sorrow. They are fatigued by fear and anger. Mend their broken hearts and failing spirits. Ignite in them sparks of hope. Comfort them and guide them onto the road of peace. O God of peace and reconciliation, Lift up the international leaders who search for peace. They have talked before without success. They face a difficult road and many obstacles. Inspire them to move from words to actions that fulfill a greater vision of peace. Arouse in them a passion for righteousness. Bless them and their work for peace. O God of all creation, Your people cry for peace. May your promise of justice and enduring love Breathe renewed Life Into our commitment to a sustainable peace, When two states - Israel and Palestine - are a reality, Living side-by-side in security, harmony and peace. Amen
For more on Churches for Middle East Peace, see www.cmep.org
November 23, 2007
In
the midst of all the skepticism and cynicism over Annapolis, I believe we
are called to embody hope and act with courage. In a world where too many
leaders see the cup as half empty, we are called to be a people of hope and
choose not only to see the cup as half full but to commit ourselves to
whatever it takes to make the cup overflow.
Leaders of Annapolis, I implore you to make this more than a glorified photo opportunity with smiles and handshakes. Time is not on our side. Every step toward just peace delayed is a step toward the entrenchment of extremism in the Middle East. This we cannot afford. For the full letter click here.
November 12, 2007
From the ELCA News
Service - The Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), met in person with former U.S. President
Jimmy Carter in Atlanta Nov. 12 to discuss the situation in the Middle East
between Israelis and Palestinians. Younan was also invited by Carter that
evening to speak about peace and justice to an audience of about 250 people
who had been invited to the Carter Center to view the new film about
Carter's life, "Jimmy Carter Man from Plains."
Younan, who returned to Jerusalem Nov. 13, had been in the United States for several days with a group of Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders from Israel and the Palestinian territories. They came to the United States as the Council of Religious Institutions in the Holy Land, and met with several members of Congress and religious leaders in Washington, D.C. Younan continued on to Atlanta, more
Click here for a link to a video of the evening. (Scroll down and click on the link)
November 5-8, 2007
Top religious leaders from Jerusalem - Muslims, Christians and Jews - were invited
to Washington to discuss their peace initiative together called the Council for
Religious Institutions in the Holy Land. The group has been working
together for more than a year to work together to protect all holy sites,
scriptures and symbols. They released a statement this week:
We, believers from three religions, have been placed in this land, Jews, Christians and Muslims. It is our responsibility to find the right way to live together in peace rather than to fight and kill one other. Palestinians yearn for the end to occupation and for what they see as their inalienable rights. Israelis long for the day when they can live in personal and national security. Together we must find ways of reaching these goals.ges and Holy Communion. For the full statement, click here.
During the course of the week, members of the council met with members of Congress and the Bush administration to discuss support for their peace initiatives. The group met Nov. 6 with Sen. Joseph Liebermann (I-CT), Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), and Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), with more than a dozen House members on Nov. 7 and are scheduled to meet Nov. 8 with David Welch, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs. Younan is also scheduled to meet Nov. 8 with Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN), Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ).