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"

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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

read the pastoral statement

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.