The Call of the Intifada
Opening Worship
Wednesday, 21 February 2001
9:00a – 10:45a

Words of Welcome
Ms. Jean Zaru and Abuna Elias Chacour, Vice-Presidents of Sabeel

*indicates: if you wish, please stand.

Centering Our Hearts and Lives

A Call to Prayer in Two Voices
"Our Story" – al Nakba to Intifada II
Presentation and Video
*Opening Affirmation
Read by Ms. Cedar Duaybis and Ms. Hilary Rantisi

Voice 1: Out of past and present pain and suffering,
People: We come to worship God,
Voice 2: Who is with all those who suffer oppression.
Voice 1: With all that this experience evokes within us,
People: We come to worship God,
Voice 2: Whose Spirit groans within us in prayers too deep for words.
Voice 1: From all our journeys of time and space and spirit,
People: We come to worship God,
Voice 2: Who has led us into our present and who beckons us into our future.
Voice 1: To speak and hear the truth, and to commit ourselves to seek justice,
People: We come to worship God,
Voice 2: Whose truth sets us free, and who calls for justice to flow down like water.
Voice 1: Let us join now in the prayer that Jesus gave to us, praying in our own languages, saying "Our Father..."

*The Lord’s Prayer (in our own languages)
*Hymn: God of Justice, God of Mercy
Words by Jane Parker Huber
*Invocation (unison)

O God,
Open our eyes that we may see the needs of others;
Open our ears that we may hear their cries;
Open our hearts that we may feel their anguish and their joy.
Let us not be afraid to defend the oppressed, the poor, the powerless, because of the anger and might of the powerful.
Show us where love and hope and faith are needed, and use us to bring them to those places.
Open our ears and eyes, our hearts and lives, that we may in these coming days be able to do some work of justice and peace for you. Amen.

An Alternative Assembly: "Speaking Truth, Seeking Justice"
Archimandrite Dr. Theodosios Atallah Hanna

Sounds of the Intifada

For How Long
Words and Music by Ms. Rima Nasir Tarazi
Sung by Ms. Tania Nasir

For how long must our children be killed, for how long?
For how long must our sons be imprisoned, for how long?
Why should you, my son, whom I brought up with faith,
be denied security?
Why should my daughter, whom I brought up with love,
be denied peace?
Should death and the prison cells be the reward
of the dispossessed and the oppressed?
For how long?
From the warm embrace of his father, Mohammad calls:
Protect me, dear father, from the violence of the enemy!
A shower of bullets responded to his appeal,
As Mohammad soared on the glorious wings of redemption.
Mohammad! Your muted call resounds in our ears.
Your spilt blood is a blot of shame in the history of humanity.
Your young friends call for justice and forge a new dawn.
Mohammad! Your young friends call for justice.
They forge a new dawn and embrace the sun.

In Memorium

A Word of Grace
A Prayer of Faith
Kyrie (sung as solo, Greek Catholic)
The Naming
In silence we pray for all those who have died since the beginning of the second Intifada - Palestinian and Israeli.
In silence, we pray for all those who are left to grieve, particularly for parents left without their children and children left without their parents.
In silence we pray for ourselves that we might work in order that no others will die and no others will grieve.
Lighting the Candles of Memory
Prayer of Commendation
Kyrie (sung together, Greek Catholic)

*Scripture Lesson: Luke 19:37-40

As [Jesus] was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."

Voices of the Intifada

Listen! The people are not silent.
Listen! They do not leave the story to the stones.
Listen! The people cry and shout and sing and dance the story of a longing for peace.
Listen! It is not a cry for just any peace – not a peace that destroys dignity, humanity, and freedom.
Listen! They cry for a peace built as a sign and symbol of the Reign of God on earth, a peace built on justice, truth, mercy and compassion for all God’s people.
Listen! The people are not silent.

Testimony of Odeh Al-Zalmout
Beit Fourik – near Nablus

Voice 1: For all those who have fallen victim to hatred and inhumanity, for those loved ones who are left behind to mourn, for the souls of those whose hearts are cold,
People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Testimony of Amina Balout
Rantis - Near Birzeit

Voice 2: For the children who are being born into this world of conflict and violence, for women and mothers who suffer needlessly,
People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Testimony of Nawal
Beit Jala

Voice 3: For all those who have been forced into unemployment, who long to return to work, for all those who struggle to support their families,
People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Testimony of Eyal Rosenberg
Haifa

Voice 4: For the soldiers who are misguided in thinking that their bullets will bring about peace, for those who feel called to conscientiously object to military orders,
People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Testimony of George Kidawi
Bethlehem

Voice 5: For the children who cry in their beds at night and wonder 'what have I done?', for the mothers and fathers who must try to explain the unexplainable,
People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Testimony of Ula Ahmed
10 years old, El Sawiya - near Nablus

Voice 6: For all the children who have died before their time, for the soldiers who allow their uniform to strip them of their humanity, for the healers who are denied the opportunity to use their gifts,
People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Testimony of Desmond Tutu
South Africa

Voice 7: For the redemption of souls of both victim and perpetrator, for those who commit themselves to the forgiveness of sins,
People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Listen! Do you hear the people?
Listen! Will you join their song?
Listen! Do you hear God’s cry?
Listen! Will you ease God’s pain?
Listen! Do you hear the call of justice?
Listen! Will you speak a word of truth?

Challenges of the Intifada
Bishop Allen Bartlett

Benediction

*Hymn: Live into Hope
Words by Jane Parker Huber