Pray with Egypt, October 31, 2021
Lectionary Selection: Ruth 1:1-18
Prayers for Egypt
God, help us to act as Ruth: stalwart and supportive of those who have proven themselves our family in Christ – be they our blood kin, our adoptive kin, or otherwise. We persevere through droughted and dreadful seasons due to your favor, God; we fall in with new family and rise to new heights with your support, holy one. God, let us aspire to be righteous like Ruth: let us glorify those who do not even know how important they are to us, those who provide for us in ways they may never recognize. God, let the people of Egypt hold one another close, and like kin: let the Ruths and Naomis of this world speak plainly and righteously, claiming one another and trudging ever-onward through the harsh shudders of daily life and loss. As co-workers in God’s mission, let our international kin – like Naomi – graciously accept and direct the help we offer, if that help is offered in love and fair partnership. Where one Muslim goes in Egypt, let a Christian go with them: may Egypt’s ‘one people’ include both Christian and Muslim, so that they can rise together.
Mission Stewardship Moment from Egypt
Last week, I was able to spend some time speaking with congregants from the First Christian Church of La Grande, Oregon – a world away from my home in Rhode Island, as it is a world away from my former mission placement in Cairo, Egypt. I have come to truly enjoy engaging with the widely-dispersed congregations of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): they are welcoming and curious, eager to feed and be fed from the field of mission.
It was a small group that assembled, but a spirited one: we conversed about the role of modern mission, the highs and the lows of engaging in international work, and the times during which God felt most present during my time in mission. I am so thankful for the time spent with my kin in Christ: they offer perspectives to which I had never turned and ideas that I never could have come up with on my own. For the first time, I discussed some of the hardest moments I faced while in Cairo – parts of engagement that, even though they were difficult, helped put another plank in the bridge that links us to our international partners. In some way, I’d like to think I’m building that bridge not just with those folks in Egypt, but the people with whom I spoke from La Grande, too: we are all learning about one another so that we can more effectively act in kinship with one another. Reader: I’m honored to be in kinship with you, too.
Prayer and Mission Moment by Sean Amato
Mission Partners in Egypt
- Bishopric for Public, Ecumenical, and Social Services
- Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services
- Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East
Global Ministries Mission Co-worker in Egypt:
Sean Amato serves with the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS), Egypt. His appointment is made possible by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund, Our Church’s Wider Mission, and your special gifts.