Preface

“Like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.” (1 Peter 2:5)

It is common for the Christian community in Palestine, Israel, and other parts of the Middle East to refer to themselves as “the living stones.” This phrase is meant to convey the fact that these communities trace themselves all the way back to the earliest churches and very first disciples of Jesus in the land in which he lived, and died, and rose again.

The foundation of this spiritual house, which has stood so long in the land of the Holy One, is solid because its stones are built upon Christ, the chief cornerstone. Yet, with the recent conflict in Gaza, Israel, and the whole of occupied Palestine, the ground underneath it has once again been shaken. For many Christians who live elsewhere in the world it is difficult to even imagine the challenges of bearing witness to the hope of the Gospel in the midst of so much devastation and sorrow.

Yet, St. Paul teaches us that the Church is an interconnected and interdependent body. “When one part suffers, every part suffers.” The living stones, therefore, must know and feel that they are not being shaken alone. The Body of Christ sees and feels their pain, sadness, fear, frustration, and loss, and is moved together to compassion, solidarity, and prayer. In prayer, we are joined together across all distances and cry out together to the God who hears and answers.

This cycle of prayer is produced jointly by the Churches Beyond Borders Communion (CBB), which brings together The Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC),

the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and The Episcopal Church (TEC). It features prayers for each day throughout the season of Advent for specific congregations, ministries, and outreach initiatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (EDJ). On the four Sundays of Advent, the prayers are those written personally by the Presiding/ National/Primatial bishops of the four churches, focusing on themes of truth, justice, peace, and hope.

This Advent, as we prepare to welcome Christ anew into the ever-present brokenness of our fragile world, we encourage members of our churches to devote themselves, in a special way, to upholding our siblings in faith in this time of trial; the living stones who may be shaken now, but, in Christ, whose faith will not be moved.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry (TEC)
Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton (ELCA)
National Bishop Susan Johnson (ELCIC)
Archbishop Linda Nicholls (ACC)

See the download file attachment below for the complete ELCA page with Prayers

An Advent Cycle of Prayer for Churches in the Holy Land and the Middle East - 2023

The above photo depicts the painting "HOPE" by Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour.
The white building it portrays is the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem

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