Ø                 Today, Jerusalem NGOs and Members of the Civil Society will launch The International Campaign against Revoking the Residency Rights of Palestinians from Jerusalem.  We hope that this campaign will bring further awareness about the threatening conditions in Jerusalem, and they will urge global decision-makers to dare speak out and rectify the injustices committed against the Palestinians.

Ø                 The Third Sabeel Local Women’s Conference that will be held in Bethlehem on August 26, 27 and 28, 2010 will gather hundreds of participants from Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Galilee, who, together in this “Moment of Truth”, will bravely meet the challenges facing them, and strategize to actively bring transformation and change in their communities. Let us constantly pray for the participants, speakers and organizers to find ways of bridging the spiritual, social and political gaps as they learn to live in tolerance and love.

Ø                  The election of Palestinian Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan as President of   the Lutheran World Federation for the coming seven years heralds positive signs of commitment for peace, at least among the 145 member churches in 79 countries around the world. We pray that Bishop Younan, with the support of all who strive for a just peace, will be able to contribute to building peace in the Middle East.

Ø                 Echoing Bishop Munib Younan’s prayers that “ Palestinian Christians may not lose faith and leave the country”,  Sabeel Clergy and spouses from the Galilee and Jerusalem visited their brethren in Jenin, Birqin and other small hamlets in the West Bank in a gesture of solidarity and support. We pray that the deeply rooted “forgotten faithful”, empowered by the spiritual encouragement of the visitors, will continue to witness and stand steadfast amidst the increasing difficult conditions that can dehumanize people. 

This week we join in the Prayer Cycle of the World Council of Churches in praying for:

The Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago