Pray for Philippines on Sunday, October 2, 2016

Lectionary Selection: Luke 17:5-10

Prayers for the Philippines:
God of life, we come before you to express our laments and struggles. The forces of death are relentless in their assault against your people and the whole of creation. Death and its various manifestations have engulfed the land. Many continue to live in abject poverty while the few wallow in affluence often at the expense of the hard working poor. Greed and corruption, human trafficking, dangerous drug trade, extra-judicial killings, kidnap for ransom and terrorism, especially by the Abu Sayyaf group on the island of Mindanao, continue to wreak social havoc.

Meanwhile extractive industries, such as mining companies, continue to ravage the ecosystem and displace the indigenous peoples of the Philippines from their ancestral domains.

We are not bereft of intelligent and well-educated people. Yet, why does it seem that we do not know our way out of our social mess? The darkness around us is deep.

So we pray, O God,

send your Spirit to lighten our paths because the darkness around us is deep.
Illumine our hearts and minds that we may see and embrace your light.
Unleash the power of your Spirit to dwell in every nook and cranny of our lives so that our flickering light will shine brightly and burn mightily.
Guide us to the way that brings justice, healing, reconciliation, and well-being for all.
Empower us to not only know what to do, but also to do what we know.

This is our prayer.

Amen

Save

Mission Stewardship Moment from the Philippines:

We are deeply grateful for the multiple ways you have supported partners institutions (Dansalan College Foundation, Northern Christian College, Silliman University, Southern Christian College, Union Theological Seminary, and United Church of Christ in the Philippines) and programs in the Philippines through solidarity and prayers, advocacy, mission volunteers, immersion programs, development projects, financial gifts, etc. These various institutions have carried out faithfully and creatively the mission of the church in their respective contexts.

Union Theological Seminary, in particular, expresses its gratitude to Global Ministries for the Cirilo del Carmen fund for the lectureship on Pastoral Care and Counseling. Moreover, UTS deeply appreciates scholarship funds for our seminary students who belong to the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.

(Prayer and Mission Moment by Eleazar Fernandez)

Mission Partners in the Philippines:

More information on the Philippines: http://www.globalministries.org/philippines

Global Ministries Missionary in the Philippines:
Eleazar Fernandez serves as a long-term volunteer with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. His appointment is made possible by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund, Our Churches Wider Mission, and your special gifts.