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Friends United
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Weekly Devotional and Prayer requests from FUM
August 22-28, 2008
A Wartime Mediation:
The world seems so full of war and killing. Rich countries bomb poor countries and innocent people die. Poor people tie explosives to their children and convince them to walk into crowded places and innocent people die.
What does it mean to be faithful in times like these? How do I witness? Do I join others standing in front of the post office? Or do I join a Christian peace-keeping team? Or do I find other ways of declaring the peace in my heart?
For generation after generation Friends have worked hard to alleviate suffering on all sides of conflicts even though sometimes they are seen as the enemy. How do I reach out there? How do I reach out here? I want to live a life of peace share that peace with those around me.
In my day-to-day life I fall so short of being a peacemaker. I feel anger and resentment. When someone cuts me off in traffic, when a person is rude I am apt to respond in an inconsiderate way. I feel superior to some of the people around me. I sometimes even think I deserve my life of comfort and forget that this life is truly an occasion of war.
How do I in this culture and at this time live to remove the occasion of war from my life? The road ahead is a shrouded in fog. Disheartened, I wake in the morning and see that there is more bombing and more death. But then I remember your assurance: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you… Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (John 14:27) The peaceful life lies in a life close to God. And with that, the fog lifts and the road is clearer. — cdw
- Hold the Ramallah Friends School community of staff, teachers, students and parents in prayer as they begin another school year-a year full of excitement and accomplishment while counting on better economic times and praying that calm and peace will soon prevail for the people of Palestine.
- Pray for all the children at Lady Lawley Cottage, especially AJ. Lady Lawely Cottage is a respite care facility for children with specialized needs in Western Australia.
- Pray for the yearly meetings holding their sessions this
week and in the weeks to come that their gatherings might experience
abundantly the fruits of the Spirit:
- North Carolina Yearly Meeting August 29-Sept. 1
- East Africa Yearly Meetings — many in August
- The Friends Church Peace Team requests your prayers for the softening of hearts and for forgiveness so all communities may be reunited in peace in Kenya.
- Please keep Friends Education Council, Jamaica Yearly Meeting and especially the students of the Swift-Purscell Boys Home in your thoughts and prayers for healing during the investigation of 30 counts of indecent assault by thee director. In his place, the pastor of Cascade Friends Meeting, a trained counselor, has taken charge of the school.