Pray for Syria on Sunday, March 1, 2009

Pray for Syria on Sunday, March 1, 2009

Lectionary Text and Prayers for Syria: Mark 1:9-15

God, we pray for your church in Syria. We thank you for her commitment to announcing the coming of your reign in the world. We ask that you might give her strength and courage as she reaches out to Iraqi refugees who are displaced from war. (2 million Iraqi refugees have fled to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.) We also thank you for the generous efforts of the Syrian government in their relief efforts for this displaced population of your children. Continue to help us encourage these efforts and advocate for policies that will make this part of your world a place of peace and justice. Amen

For more information and resources, click here: http://globalministries.org/mee/from-war-to-peace/

(Prayer by Bob Shebeck)

Global Ministries International Partners in Syria:

  • Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East: The country of Syria, located in Southwest Asia, was a French mandate before it gained independence in 1946. Its history can be traced back, however, to the fourth millennium BC. Damascus, the capital of Syria, houses the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, which represents not only Syrian Greek Orthodox Christians (who make up 50-55 percent of Syria’s Christian population), but also those in the republic of Lebanon, the Arabian Peninsula, parts of Turkey, and communities in North and Latin America, Australia, and Europe.
  • Middle East Council of Churches: At its first General Assembly in Nicosia, Cyprus (May, 1974), the Middle East Council of Churches was formed at the conclusion of a series of successful discussions between the Orthodox churches in the Middle East (both Eastern and Oriental) and the Protestant and Episcopal members of the Near East Council of Churches. The MECC is unique among regional ecumenical councils. It represents the advancement of ecumenism in a way not found anywhere else. At the Fifth General Assembly of 1990, the seven Catholic churches of the Middle East joined the council as its fourth family. This symbolically completed the square of wholeness and made the council a fully inclusive body. The Middle East Council of Churches is a fellowship of 27 member churches gathered in four families–Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Evangelical, and Catholic. Spanning the Middle East and North Africa from Algeria to Iran, 12 to 15 million Christians are thus represented in this all-inclusive Council. The Council has several units and programs, including the Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees, and the Inter-Church Network for Development & Relief in Lebanon (ICNDR).

Global Ministries Missionary in Syria:

None at the present time.