Uniting Church President calls the UCA to prayer for the Middle East
The Uniting Church in Australia will mark a national Week of Prayer for the Middle East from 29 September - 6 October as bombings kill hundreds in Lebanon
September 24, 2024
President of the Uniting Church in Australia Rev Charissa Suli has called the national Uniting Church to a Week of Prayer for Peace in the Middle East from 29 September - 5 October.
The call comes after hundreds of airstrikes hit southern and eastern Lebanon yesterday, in an eruption of what have been simmering cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. The strikes killed at least 492 people including 35 children. More than 1,600 others have been injured and tens of thousands have fled their homes.
In a pastoral statement released today, the President lamented the escalation of violence in the region and urged the Uniting Church to stand in prayer and solidarity with the people of the Middle East and with diaspora communities.
"This ongoing conflict continues to cause immense suffering and loss on all sides," she writes.
"As we grapple with this news, we are reminded of the deep connections we have within our Uniting Church family."
"In the past 24 hours I have heard from people in our community grieving for their family, friends, and loved ones back in Lebanon. We hold them in our prayers, standing in solidarity as they process pain and uncertainty."
"In these troubled times, we turn to the Word of God for peace and hope. This peace, a gift from Christ, transcends the fear and violence that so often consumes our world. Let us hold fast to this promise, even in the darkest moments."
The pastoral statement and call to prayer will be sent to congregations, communities, councils and agencies of the Uniting Church.
"I invite every congregation, agency, faith community, school, family, and member within the Uniting Church to join in a Week of Prayer for Peace in the Middle East from 29 September to 5 October 2024"
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.
The statement offers a theme and a short prayer for each day of the week, written by the President, which communities can use to guide and shape their own prayer. Social media tiles for sharing the daily prayers are now available.
You might like to also use the prayer on this page, written last week by the President for the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel.
The letter also invites leaders of other faiths, Christian churches and ecumenical bodies to join in praying for peace. Uniting Church communities are encouraged to consider how they might pray together with other churches local to them.
In March, the Assembly Standing Committee called upon members of the Uniting Church to pray for, listen to, and promote the voices of those who are suffering in the region, to participate in events and actions in support of a just peace, and to consider donating where possible. Your community might like to explore one of these in support of this Week.
President Rev Charissa Suli will close the Week of Prayer, live on the Assembly's Facebook page, on Saturday 5 October at a time to be determined.
Below you will find:
- The Pastoral Statement for download
- Social media tiles for download and use on your own platforms
- Relevant links to Uniting Church statements and reputable news sites
Week of Prayer Launch: 29 September
The President launched the Week of Prayer on 29 September, streaming live from Indonesia where she is visiting the Gereja Masehi Injili di Minahasa (Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa), to celebrate its 90th anniversary. GMIM is one of the Uniting Church's partners in Indonesia. Watch the recording on Facebook.
Daily social media tiles
You might like to use these daily images on your social media, worship PowerPoint, newsletter or in other ways.
Download the Zip files below.
Other reading and resources
- Live rolling news updates - Al Jazeera
- What to know about the growing conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah - AP World News
- Statement and Prayer from the President for the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel (16 September)
- Uniting Church Assembly Standing Committee resolution and all Assembly Statements on the Holy Land
Read more Assembly news
From where will liturgical renewal come?
From where will liturgical renewal come? By Matthew Julius, Liturgical Renewal Project Lead I recently attended the Australian Academy of Liturgy (AAL) conference, Liturgy Under the Southern Cross. AAL brings together liturgical scholars from different churches across Australia to reflect on Christian worship and its connections to the “public work” of the church (which…
President's pastoral message following Helen Haines attack
President’s pastoral message following attack In the aftermath of the attack on Helen Haines MP, Rev Charissa Suli has released this message and prayerAs we continue to hold Dr Helen Haines MP, her husband Phil, and their family and the Wangaratta community in our prayers, we recognise the profound suffering caused by this devastating attack…
Receiving the Gift of the Spirit
Receiving the Gift of the SpiritReflections on two years as General SecretaryBy Andrew JohnsonTwo years ago, I stood before the 17th Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia and accepted the call to serve as General Secretary. I spoke of the commitments I hoped would shape my leadership: our Covenant with First Peoples, our calling…
Prayers for Helen Haines MP
Prayers for Dr Helen Haines, MP A prayer from the National President, Rev Charissa Suli.I invite the Uniting Church across Australia to pray for Helen Haines, the independent Federal Member for Indi, following a serious incident outside her electorate office in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon. We hold Helen, her family, friends,…
Celebrating 60 Years Since the Ordination of Dr D'Arcy Wood
Celebrating 60 Years Since the Ordination of Dr D’Arcy Wood A Lifetime of Service: Celebrating 60 Years Since the Ordination of Dr D’Arcy Wood This year marks the 60th anniversary of the ordination of Rev. Dr Harold D’Arcy Wood, one of the most respected theologians, church leaders and ecumenists in the…
Stewards of God’s Creation
Stewards of God’s Creation Mount Eliza congregation takes practical steps towards net zero At The Village Church Mount Eliza caring for God’s creation is part of everyday church life. Located on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, the congregation has embraced the Uniting Church’s call to climate action by taking practical steps to…
Eight Years On: Marking the National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
Eight Years On: Remembering the National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse A liturgy and statement from President Rev Charissa Suli to mark the Anniversary of the historic statement.Eight years after the National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, the Uniting Church in Australia joins communities across the…
President's Pastoral Prayer for Pope Leo XIV
President’s Pastoral Prayer for Pope Leo XIV By President Rev Charissa SuliAs we hold Pope Leo XIV in our prayers during this time of illness and recovery, we join with our Catholic siblings in Christ or Catholic Community around the world expressing our ecumenical solidarity and care. As part of the wider Christian Church, we share…