CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) proposed that the church engage in a continuous prayer vigil for all people suffering from the continuing violence in the Middle East. The Rev. H. George Anderson said the prayer vigil would begin with the first Sunday of Advent, Dec. 3, and "continue until the violence ends and we can celebrate a just and lasting negotiated resolution to the conflict."
Anderson's proposal -- which included suggested dates for prayer -- was in a Nov. 14 letter to bishops of the ELCA's 65 synods. The ELCA is organized into 65 synods, each headed by a bishop. The church consists of 5.15-million members across the United States and Caribbean.
Anderson's letter suggested many ways each synod could implement the vigil. For example, he said synod staffs could pray together on designated dates; synods could invite pastors and congregations to join in the vigil on designated dates; synods located in the same state could pray together; synods could share ideas for implementation with other bishops; and synods could promote ELCA participation in the vigil at local ecumenical prayer services.
"In addition, staff in Washington, D.C., tell me that a number of other denominations such as The Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are likely to join us in this vigil and that participation will grow over the coming months," he said.
Anderson's request for the prayer vigil is a result of a letter to him from the Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan (ELCJ). Younan is the head of a 2,000-member Lutheran church in Palestine, with congregations in Amman, Jordan; Beit Jala; Beir Sahour; Bethlehem; East Jerusalem; and Ramallah. This month, Younan was a keynote speaker at the ELCA's Multicultural Mission Institute in Los Angeles and spoke to the ELCA Church Council meeting here.
Younan's letter explained the seriousness of the situation for ELCJ congregations and the area as a whole, Anderson said.
"Movement is restricted, certain foodstuffs are becoming difficult to find, transport of industrial and agricultural products is not allowed, farmers can't get in their fields to pick olives, most Palestinian hotels are closed, hospitals lack supplies and equipment, unemployment is high, and ELCJ schools are facing shortages of operating funds," Anderson said. "Bishop Younan reports that the Israeli army has attacked residential areas using tanks and helicopters, particularly in the area around Bethlehem. The attacks are having a traumatic impact on Palestinian children and others who are under siege."
Younan's letter called on the ELCA, and other churches of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), "to intensively pray for the Christian churches in Jerusalem and their prophetic role for a lasting, comprehensive, just peace and reconciliation in our area." The LWF is a global communion of 131 member churches in 72 countries, representing 59.5 million of the world's 63 million Lutherans.
In response, the ELCA Church Council, which met here Nov. 10-13, adopted a resolution encouraging members of the ELCA to "support through prayer and material assistance" the people in the Middle East affected by the "civil strife." It requested staff of the ELCA churchwide office here to explore possibilities for increasing financial support in coordination with the church's International Disaster Response, housed in the ELCA Division for Global Mission (DGM); coordinate "days of prayer and fasting for an end to the violence in Israel and Palestine"; and encourage all congregations of the ELCA to "better understand" the issues in the Middle East.
Middle East resources are available from DGM, including a Palestine packet mailed to congregations in September, Anderson's letter said. Prayers for congregational use can be found on DGM's Web site, he said. In addition, information is available from the Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs (LOGA), the ELCA's federal public policy office in Washington, D.C., Anderson added.
Each month, congregations are asked to pray on a particular day for Middle East peace. The schedule recommended by Anderson is: Alabama and New York, 3rd day of the month; Alaska and North Carolina, 4; Arizona and North Dakota, 5; Arkansas and Ohio, 6; California and Oklahoma, 7; Colorado and Oregon, 8; Connecticut and Pennsylvania, 9; Delaware and Rhode Island, 10; Florida and South Carolina, 11; Georgia and South Dakota, 12; Hawaii and Tennessee, 13; Idaho and Texas, 14; Illinois and Utah, 15; Indiana and Vermont, 16; Iowa and Virginia, 17; Kansas and Washington, 18; Kentucky and West Virginia, 19; Louisiana and Wisconsin, 20; Maine and Wyoming, 21; Maryland and District of Columbia, 22; Massachusetts and Puerto Rico, 23; Michigan and U.S. Virgin Islands, 24; Minnesota, 25; Mississippi, 26; Missouri, 27; Montana, 28; Nebraska, 29; Nevada, 30; New Hampshire, 31; New Jersey, 1; New Mexico, 2. ---
Details on the prayer vigil for Middle East peace and related information is at http://www.loga.org on the LOGA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
