Faith communities pray for Holy land to become a reality
-23/08/06
While nations parse
Faith communities pray for Holy land to become a reality
-23/08/06
While nations parse words and actions around a Middle East cease-fire, people of many faiths have been drawing on a new resource to focus prayer on a genuine “holy land” equal to that which birthed three major world religions.
As the region was wracked with senseless violence and bloodshed, people of faith quickly turned to www.seasonofprayer.org as part of their agenda for waging peace ñ writes Daniel Webster.
The website www.seasonofprayer.org has seen more than 88,000 hits since it was launched two weeks ago. The project is a ministry of the National Council of Churches USA’s Interfaith Relations programme and Religions for Peace-USA. The site’s homepage contains an invitation to prayer from several faith leaders including the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Rev Bob Edgar, general secretary of the NCCUSA.
“One of the points in our 14 July 2006 statement calling for an immediate cease-fire was calling on our member churches and people the world over to pray for those caught up in the horrible violence that had just broken out in Lebanon and Israel,” said the Rev Dr Shanta Premawardhana, NCCUSA’s associate general secretary for Interfaith Relations.
More than 125 prayers were submitted by contributors from around the world. The site became a place for people of many faiths to add their favorite prayers for peace.
“Clergy and prayer leaders also found the site a valuable resource for prayer services, especially interfaith gatherings,” said Dr Premawardhana.
One prayer submitted by Rabbi Arthur Waskow of the Shalom Center, Philadelphia, concludes, “You who make harmony in the ultimate reaches of the universe, teach us to make harmony within ourselves, among ourselves – and peace for the Godwrestling folk, the people Israel; for our cousins the children of Ishmael; and for all who dwell upon this planet.”
Dr Sayyid M. Syeed, secretary general, Islamic Society of North America, posted an Islamic Prayer for Peace which says in part, “O our Sustainer! Grant us the life of true peace and enter us into the abode of Peace.”
Prayers have also been posted from Christian, Baha’i, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Zoroastrian, and non-sectarian religious traditions. The site continues to be visited daily as prayerful people turn their energies and hopes for a lasting truce and a long term peaceful solution for the Mideast.
The region is far from being stable and prayers for justice and nonviolence are in the hearts and minds of many.
[Also on Ekklesia: Unite for Middle East peace, say US Sikhs, Christians, Muslims and Jews;
Sentamu to launch week-long York fast against violence; Churches meets with UN secretary general to discuss Middle East; Church appeals continue as violence shadows Lebanon ceasefire; No way to security through fighting, says Holy Land bishop; Archbishop of Canterbury urges prayer for reconciliation and peace; Norman Kember urges the churches to embrace non-violence; Iraqi archbishop: Press, prayers for peace and Pope brought hope; Christian Zionism: Road Map to Armageddon? by Stephen Sizer (book)]
Faith communities pray for Holy land to become a reality
-23/08/06
While nations parse words and actions around a Middle East cease-fire, people of many faiths have been drawing on a new resource to focus prayer on a genuine “holy land” equal to that which birthed three major world religions.
As the region was wracked with senseless violence and bloodshed, people of faith quickly turned to www.seasonofprayer.org as part of their agenda for waging peace ñ writes Daniel Webster.
The website www.seasonofprayer.org has seen more than 88,000 hits since it was launched two weeks ago. The project is a ministry of the National Council of Churches USA’s Interfaith Relations programme and Religions for Peace-USA. The site’s homepage contains an invitation to prayer from several faith leaders including the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Rev Bob Edgar, general secretary of the NCCUSA.
“One of the points in our 14 July 2006 statement calling for an immediate cease-fire was calling on our member churches and people the world over to pray for those caught up in the horrible violence that had just broken out in Lebanon and Israel,” said the Rev Dr Shanta Premawardhana, NCCUSA’s associate general secretary for Interfaith Relations.
More than 125 prayers were submitted by contributors from around the world. The site became a place for people of many faiths to add their favorite prayers for peace.
“Clergy and prayer leaders also found the site a valuable resource for prayer services, especially interfaith gatherings,” said Dr Premawardhana.
One prayer submitted by Rabbi Arthur Waskow of the Shalom Center, Philadelphia, concludes, “You who make harmony in the ultimate reaches of the universe, teach us to make harmony within ourselves, among ourselves – and peace for the Godwrestling folk, the people Israel; for our cousins the children of Ishmael; and for all who dwell upon this planet.”
Dr Sayyid M. Syeed, secretary general, Islamic Society of North America, posted an Islamic Prayer for Peace which says in part, “O our Sustainer! Grant us the life of true peace and enter us into the abode of Peace.”
Prayers have also been posted from Christian, Baha’i, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Zoroastrian, and non-sectarian religious traditions. The site continues to be visited daily as prayerful people turn their energies and hopes for a lasting truce and a long term peaceful solution for the Mideast.
The region is far from being stable and prayers for justice and nonviolence are in the hearts and minds of many.
[Also on Ekklesia: Unite for Middle East peace, say US Sikhs, Christians, Muslims and Jews;
Sentamu to launch week-long York fast against violence; Churches meets with UN secretary general to discuss Middle East; Church appeals continue as violence shadows Lebanon ceasefire; No way to security through fighting, says Holy Land bishop; Archbishop of Canterbury urges prayer for reconciliation and peace; Norman Kember urges the churches to embrace non-violence; Iraqi archbishop: Press, prayers for peace and Pope brought hope; Christian Zionism: Road Map to Armageddon? by Stephen Sizer (book)]