Prayer for Jordan on Sunday, October 11, 2015
Lectionary Selection: Mark 10:17-31
Prayers for Jordan:
For those wandering the desert, let us open our doors and offer a glass of water. Let us make a bed and share a meal. Let us reach deep into our pockets and honor our guests.
For those lost at sea, let us wade in the water meet them on the beaches. Let us comfort the children as they find their way far from home. Let us comfort the parents when they put their children into boats as the water becomes safer than land.
For those lost in the city, let us prepare spaces of light and warmth, so that those who have had their dignity turn to shreds have an opportunity to stitch it back together.
Oh God we pray this day for those who live with hunger, and for those that will not share their bread. We pray for those who are misunderstood, and those who misunderstand. We pray for those with lots to give and for those with little. We pray for those with heavy burdens and for those who help to carry it.
We pray for the hopeless, and for those for whom hope is all there is.
Mission Stewardship Moment from Jordan:
This summer has shed a light to the world some of the challenges that Jordan has been facing for the past years. As refugees and migrants move towards Europe, they are met with a variety of greetings. Some arrive to closed borders; some arrive to open arms. International attention has been captured as the spotlight has turned towards the masses coming by boat, train, bus, and land. We hope that this attention is not fleeting and can be nurtured into a positive and collective response to meet the needs of the suffering in new and creative ways.
Jordan is no stranger to hosting neighbors, and has been doing just that since Biblical times. Today, with the crises in Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Yemen, they have been faced with hosting more than ever. Although it is weighing on all aspects of the society and country, they continue to provide. The people of Jordan reach deep in to their pockets to provide to those who have nothing, with security, aid, and hospitality, little things that can return a sense of home and raise dignity.
As wars continue, there is little more that us working in Jordan can do than to carry on day by day, seeking to bring small glimpses of relief and dignity to those being impacted by wars and violence. This is little in comparison to the scale of the turmoil seen around the world. We find solace and faith when we see the small receipts: the smiles, the gratitude, the laugher, and the hope. The last piece, the hope, has power here. And as long as there is hope, and we see and feel hope around us, we know that peace and justice is a realistic possibility.
(Prayer and Mission Moment by Nate Bailey)
Mission Partners in Jordan:
Partners
Projects
Relief for Displaced Syrians
School and Community Center for Syrian Refugees in Jordan
More information on Jordan:
http://www.globalministries.org/jordan
Global Ministries presence in Jordan:
Nate Bailey serves as a Global Mission Intern with the Orthodox Initiative in Amman, Jordan. His appointment is made possible by your gifts to Week of Compassion.