Prayers for Turkey: Mark 12:28-34

Dear Creator God, God of All Peoples and of All Times

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are drawn together with the common commandments of love for God and love of neighbor at the very heart of their faith traditions. In today's reading from Mark, Jesus praises the scribe who grasped the essence of this message. Muslims have invited Christians to come together with them in an open letter entitled "A Common Word". We thank God for the success this initiative has achieved among both Muslim leaders and Christian leaders in stimulating dialogue. We pray that this continued dialogue could be one of the factors to leads to a more peaceful world

Today we pray especially for guidance for the leaders and people of Turkey and Armenia as they begin a long process of working together as neighbors toward a future. We pray for those who wish to stop this process due to their not truly understanding that the pain of the past cannot be addressed when there is an absence of dialogue and a void of mutual sensitivity, honesty and compassion.

We pray for strength and security for those visionaries and writers who see what could be, but who are paralyzed to freely express themselves. We pray for those who are so full of fear and distrust that they cannot move forward in an atmosphere where others can peacefully express their viewpoints.

In all of our thoughts and actions, may we love the Lord our God with all of our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength. May we truly learn the Middle Eastern concept of hospitality and love our neighbors as we would love ourselves.

We ask your grace and blessing for:

·  The refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in Turkey who try to make their way in an often unwelcoming world;

·  Students and teachers in our schools;

·  Doctors, nurses and health care professionals who care for the ill in our hospital;

·  For those who work with the Health and Education Foundation as they struggle to make good decisions for the future of the institutions they manage;

·  Women and minorities who often need to struggle to just be counted as an equal;

·  Those who have lost so much due to the recent floods in Turkey;

·  The political situation in Turkey so that factions who mistrust and despise one another can learn to work together for the sake of the people whom they work for;

·  Muslims, Christians and Jews who strive for a deeper understanding and respect for one another in a region that perhaps has too much history and too much misunderstanding.

May our walk with others of the world in such places and times as these be a blessing and honor your prime commandments of love.  Amen

(Prayer by Alison Stendahl)

Global Ministries International Partners in Turkey:

• Istanbul Interparish Migrant Program: Predecessors of the current Common Global Ministries Board personnel in Istanbul organized local parishes to serve the influx of refugees to that city during the First Gulf War in 1991. Hearing the continuing call to minister to the needs of economic migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees stranded in Turkey – they number close to 100,000 today – the parishes over the years have sustained and further developed this ecumenical program of Christian mission. The focus is on the most marginalized group of migrants, namely women with children. Services include food, clothing, health care, counseling, voluntary repatriation, adult education and emergency shelter subsidies. IIMP is a critical presence in the lives of those they help. Its work overlaps with NGOs that advocate for the rights of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. CGMB personnel are officers on the IIMP Board.

• Health and Education Foundation: The Health and Education Foundation, a Turkish secular philanthropy, began in 1968 to protect and renew the educational and medical institutions of the American Board, which represents the founder of these institutions more than a century ago. The Health and Education Foundation consists of volunteers who are the graduates of the American Board schools. There are three high schools in Turkey (Tarsus, Istanbul, Izmir), a hospital in Gaziantep (SEV American Hospital) and a printing press (SEV-YAY), founded by the American Board but now managed by the Health and Education Foundation, which has full responsibility and authority for them. The institutions exemplify the positive possibilities for bridging cultural divides and building trustful relationships that are needed in today's pluralistic world. Global Ministries follows with hope and interest the progress of these historical institutions through its office in Turkey, the American Board.

Global Ministries Personnel in Turkey:

Ken & Betty Frank serve with the American Board in Istanbul, Turkey.  They share the job of General Secretary of the American Board.  They also serve on the board of the Istanbul Interparish Migrant Program (IIMP) and work in its programs.

Alison Stendahl serves as Academic Dean of and a math teacher at Uskudar American Academy in Istanbul, Turkey. She also represents, along with Peter Makari, Global Ministries on the Near East School of Theology (NEST) Board in Beirut, Lebanon.