A prayer for the Holy Land from the Archbishop of Canterbury, shared in October 2023A prayer for the people of the Holy LandGod of compassion and justice,We cry out to you for all who suffer in the Holy Land today. For your precious children, Israelis and Palestinians, traumatised and in fear for their lives; Lord, have mercy.For the families of the bereaved, for those who have seen images they will never forget, For those anxiously waiting for news, despairing with each passing day; Lord, have mercy.For young men and women, heading into combat, bearing the burden of what others have done and what they will be asked to do; Lord, have mercy.For civilians in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, that they would be protected, that every life would count, and be cherished and remembered; Lord, have mercy.For the wounded, and those facing a lifetime of scars, for those desperately seeking medical treatment where is none; Lord, have mercy.For medical and emergency personnel, risking their own lives to save those of others; Lord, have mercy.For those who cannot see anything but rage and violence, that you would surprise them with mercy, and turn their hearts towards kindness for their fellow human beings; Lord, have mercy.For people of peace, whose imagination is large enough to conceive of a different way, that they may speak, and act, and be heard; Lord, have mercy.Mighty and caring God, you promised that one day swords will be beaten into ploughshares, meet us in our distress, and bring peace upon this troubled land.Amen Prayer shared by the Archbishop of Canterbury, October 2023
The statement, reproduced in full below, deplores all violence against innocent civilians and urges us to pray for all involved, offering a copy of the prayer of Archbishop Naoum of Jerusalem. It can be viewed online via this linkWe have watched with horror the appalling violence that has taken place over the past days in Israel and Gaza as we have seen families devastated, communities shattered with countless lives lost.There is no justification for the intentional killing and hostage taking of innocent people. We join in the call for an immediate opening of a humanitarian corridor into Gaza to allow the safe delivery of food, water and medicine to those in dire need. We are all called to live side by side in peace and harmony, we pray with all of our hearts for those grieving the loss of loved ones, those who are living in terror, the many people whose lives are being torn apart, the injured and those without food and shelter.We encourage you to pray for peace and reconciliation, and for the de-escalation of the war in Israel and Gaza.We ask you to join in this prayer offered by Archbishop Naoum of Jerusalem:"O God of all justice and peace we cry out to you in the midst of the pain and trauma of violence and fear which prevails in the Holy Land. Be with those who need you in these days of suffering: we pray for people of all faiths – Jews, Muslims and Christians and for all people of the land. While we pray to you, O Lord, for an end to violence and the establishment of peace, we also call for you to bring justice and equity to the peoples. Guide us into your kingdom where all people are treated with dignity and honour as your children, to all of us, you are our Heavenly Father. In Jesus' name we pray.Amen +Helen-Ann Newcastle+Mark Berwick
Five life lessons from Mother Teresahttps://www.wordonthestreets.net/Articles/667234/5_life_lessons.aspx)1. Never Quit. She persevered through all the adversities that she knew in her life. 2. Embrace the Power of Prayer. She said that if you're too busy to pray, you're too busy. For her, it all began with prayer. 3. Age with dignity: She delighted in old age. She knew that she had come from God and she was going home to God and that was the secret to how she aged with dignity. 4. Find Joy in Serving Others: She said that a life not lived for others was not worth living. She lived for others and derived great joy from her relationships. 5. We Need Each Other: She knew that we were made to love and to be loved, and this was our primary need. She lived it out, loving others and allowing them to love her, particularly as she aged and became more dependent on those who cared for her.With acknowledgements to Word on the Streets, https://www.wordonthestreets.net, from whose recent email this piece was sourced
Until the arrival of Bishop Helen-Ann in 2023, Newcastle Diocese had a set of three one-word values that appeared on many diocesan publications: Open, Generous, Engaged. Since then our new bishop has introduced a new set of three words that aim to take each of these a step forward: SEEKING through being Open to God’s transforming love; SHARING through being Generous with God’s transforming gifts; SENDING through being Engaged in God’s transforming work in the world. As she explained to the Diocesan Synod, we are being called by God to Turn outwards in mission and grow younger and more diverse. We are to be youthful in scope, mindful of the realities of our diverse contexts, and think of audiences beyond the ones we see now. This may well mean significant changes. It will be uncomfortable for some, while at the same time making us more diverse in age and background. This will require us to - Build confidence in belonging and believing, lifting morale; - Be realistic and hopeful about finances;- All - clergy and members young and old, whatever our background - to be open and willing to change and be changed.Compiled locally, from reports received from the Diocese, of Bishop Helen-Ann's address to the Diocesan Synod in May 2023, in the absence of any definitive publications on the subject from the Diocese. We apologise for any inaccuracies or misinterpretation, and would appreciate any official publication on the subject.
