South Korea

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, August 15, 2019

There is a Love that is deeper than love,
that fills the world,
that fuels the world.

O, give thanks and sing.

From Genesis 18:16-23 (Paraphrased):

The Lord, having heard much outcry about the sins of the two cities, was prepared to destroy them, and all the people in them. But Abraham challenged the Lord: ‘Suppose there are 50 righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the 50 righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked…Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?’ And the Lord said, ‘If I find 50 righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.’ Abraham answered, ‘Suppose five of the 50 righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?’ And he said, ‘I will not destroy it if I find 45 there.’ “What if there are 40?” asked Abraham. “Or 30? Or 20?” And each time, the Lord conceded. Then Abraham said, ‘Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose 10 are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of 10 I will not destroy it.’

Holy one, can we – dare we – become like you, willing to be swayed when we want to wipe out an entire group of people?

In today’s world, where Saudi Arabia just declared that all atheists are terrorists,
and two charity-operated boats full of rescued migrants remain off the coast of Italy,
overcrowded and in unsanitary conditions, unable to disembark because of feuding between Italian leaders,
while Kashmiris are once again caught between the territorial claims of India and Pakistan,
and North Korea again refuses peace talks with South Korea…

Holy one, can we – dare we – welcome those who speak with the bravery of Abraham, calling even those who seem as powerful as gods to rediscover their better natures?

We watch as 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg of Sweden sets sail across the Atlantic on a hyper-efficient yacht, to draw attention to climate change. We read of the court in Belgium that is investigating an orphanage for alleged abduction and trafficking of children from the Democratic Republic of Congo, taking young children from their parents in the guise of giving them a holiday and instead illegally sending them out of the country for adoption. We hear calls for Google to better police the ads they accept, as studies show that Google Maps is overrun with as many as 11 million false business addresses and ads per day.

Holy one, can we – dare we – love like you, forgiving all if there are even a few righteous among them?

When the Israeli Women’s Under-19 Lacrosse team noticed that their opponents from Kenya were slipping all over the field because they didn’t have shoes with cleats, they didn’t have them removed from the game (even though playing without cleats is against the rules). Instead, they purchased shoes for every single member of the Kenyan team, and delivered them with hugs and friendship.

A group of Palestinian Authority young men wrote a moving message to the family of a 19-year-old Israeli student, after he was killed in a stabbing attack by Hamas-linked terrorists earlier this week.

A man with no family lost his wife in the El Paso, Texas, U.S., shooting two weeks ago, so he invited the public to her funeral – and more than 1000 have said they will attend in support.

Holy one, how can we ever doubt that there are righteous among those near and far to us, among both our friends and foes?

There is a Love that transcends the deepest love,
that fills the world,
that is ready to heal the world.

O, give thanks and sing.

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, May 31, 2018

Jesus asked “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

Lord Almighty, Son and Spirit, you who live in community know that we are always separate from one another but invite us into your family. You give us a way to live together for our mutual comfort and support.

We give thanks for those, who understanding our need for mutuality, find ways to live in greater support:

We give thanks for the Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service, celebrating 90 years since its inception/inauguration. We pray for all those who work for the service and those who need it.
We give thanks for all air ambulances, their staff and supporters, especially the volunteer workers. We pray for those in trauma who need these ambulances. We name those in floods in English Midlands and South East and Western North Carolina in the USA.
We give thanks for all diplomats and ambassadors who, by their work, seek to bring people into closer understanding. We pray for all who need their help as our world “shrinks” and we find more ways to get into trouble while abroad. We name Korea and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her family.
We give thanks for those who, understanding the need for each person and country to have their own land, seek to promote peaceful interdependence not violence, especially where land is unfairly owned, where mineral rights are grabbed and water becomes a commercial weapon. We name South Africa; Rwanda; Mozambique; all countries along the course of the river Nile.
We give thanks for those who have studied our living, moving, changing earth especially those who study storms and volcanoes, giving rise to the production of power from wind, wave and geothermal sources. We pray for those who live with the fact that our earth is too big to control. We name Hawaii; Iceland; India.
We give thanks for those prepared to stand against separation and abuse. We pray for those suffering all kinds of discrimination, abuse and exclusion – such as the Windrush Generation in the UK and media programs which take action.

Who are my mother, brother, sister? All those whom God has created.
May it be so.

World News This Week in Prayer- Thursday, May 24, 2018

“God hears ‘amen’ wherever we are.” –Radney M. Foster

We come to you, O Lord, from many places, joining our voices to praise you and to ask for your intercession.

We know You hear us regardless of where we are physically.

• In places where we hope peace is possible: between North and South Korea, between Israel and Palestine, and between the major political parties in many countrys.
• In places torn by war, violence, and all manner of human atrocities: Syria, Nigeria, and Afghanistan.
• In places of political unrest: Venezuela, Italy, and China.
• In places preparing for the Atlantic Hurricane season: the Caribbean islands, Mexico, Bermuda, and the United States, especially Puerto Rico.
• In homeless shelters, in refugee camps, in houses of worship, in cities, on farms, and in all those places we call home.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We know You hear us regardless of where we are emotionally:
those grieving and those celebrating,
those marrying and those divorcing,
the baptized and the buried,
those caring for children and for the elderly,
those laboring and those unemployed,
all people at a beginning or an end.

Lord, grant us thy peace.

We know You hear us regardless of where we are spiritually:
during Ramadan, during morning mass, during the Sabbath;
at the beginning of a yoga practice, a labyrinth, a pilgrimage;
at the end of our lullabies;
and in the midst of our doubts.

In a great universal exhale, we say together,
Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thurs., May 17, 2018

“Let us hear of joy and gladness,
that the body you have broken may rejoice”
-Psalm 51:8, adapted

We are your body, O God. Wonderfully made, and full of promise. We are your body, O God, broken, yet full of promise.

We are too often broken in our relationships with one another. Quick to believe the worst of others, quick to spread suspicion and allegations, quick to be manipulated into anger, fear, distrust.

This week, USA Today released the first analysis of the 3517 Facebook ads placed in the U.S. by a Russian organization leading up to the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. The overwhelming majority were designed to inflame race-related tensions, stir up distrust of immigrants and Muslims, or deepen religious divisions. These and similar efforts – they succeeded.

Spirit of compassion,
forgive.
Spirit of wisdom,
make us whole.

We are often too quick to break the covenants – spoken and unspoken – between nations.

Only a few days after agreeing to talks between North and South Korea, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reneged on the deal, claiming that drills between the South Korean and U.S. air forces are a rehearsal for an invasion of the North.

Spirit of compassion,
forgive.
Spirit of wisdom,
make us whole.

Our ability to understand is too often broken by our allegiances, our preconceptions, our maneuvering for power. Wounds get passed on, taken for granted, for generation after generation. Injustices overlaid with religious overtones and political interests keep compounding.

This week, just one day before Ramadan (the Muslim holy period of fasting, praying and helping others in need) began, the U.S. embassy in Israel officially relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. On the same day, Israeli forces shot and killed 60 Palestinian protesters along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, injuring hundreds more. The Israeli government alleges terrorists wanted to use the protests as cover to cross into its territory and carry out attacks, and that the use of force was justified and unavoidable. Palestinians are crying foul, saying that Israel is attacking civilians. Many Western governments are accusing Israel of human rights violations. Some evangelical Christian groups are triumphantly proclaiming that relocating the embassy to Jerusalem is a sign that Christ is about to return. Anti-Semitism is increasing in many countries; anti-Muslim sentiment is also growing.

Meanwhile, in both Israel and Palestine, thousands and thousands are living in fear. Hundreds on both sides are mourning loved ones they have lost.

Even so, You, O God, know that we are wonderfully made, and full of promise.

Spirit of compassion,
forgive.
Spirit of wisdom,
make us whole.

“Let us hear of joy and gladness,
that the body you have broken may rejoice”

In all times and all ways, let us hear of joy and gladness, O God. Remind us of the joy with which you created us. Remind us of the love in which you hold us. Remind us of the path on which you lead us. Teach us that there is a way out of these abysses. Remind us that all our brokennesses will be made whole.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, January 11, 2018

“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” – Heb. 4:12

Lord you provide for our needs and equip us to help, provide for the needs of others and for our world environment. Even as we see the contrasts of peoples lives and the events happening around them you provide the belt of truth which help us to name them.

We see the contrast of record-breaking cold and snow across the Midwestern & Eastern USA and recording-breaking heat across Australia; a devastating wild fire followed by torrential rain, floods, and mudslides in California and the possibly better air quality in Beijing. May we fasten the belt which enables us to truthfully name our part in the global climate change and devastation.

We lock our shields of faith together, in testudo formation, ready shod to deliver the gospel of peace in politics, to those in authority from governments and international companies to global organizations. We remember, especially, the Rohingya and Karen people of Myanmar; the people of Syria; the people of Korea both North and South; and in our own countries.

We think of those who have no voice and for whom we must proclaim, sharply as with the sword of the word, the possibility of education for all; freedom from sexual harassment; and safety from armed conflict. Remembering, especially, the women and female children of Pakistan, all children of the Middle East and those who seek education for themselves and their country.

When we see doctors, dentists, trained craftspeople poached from one country to another we call for the Word, living and active, able to judge our thoughts and intentions. We think of doctors from India being searched to work in England; of the skilled craftspeople asked to take their training to benefit firms who will not provide training in their local area.

Lord, in this world of contrasts give us the breastplate of righteousness to protect us from self-righteousness so that, shod with the things which make us ready to proclaim the gospel, we can walk through your world in integrity. Amen.

World News in Prayer Thursday, November 23, 2017

“…for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to
drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me
clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” ~ Matthew 25:42-43

God of the poor and hungry, God of the lonely and homeless, God of the imprisoned and victims of injustice, at this time of giving thanks we turn to you with heads bowed in both shame and awareness of the ways in which we fall short of your call to love. As we look, often with tear-filled eyes, around this world of your creation, we grieve for the governmental instability which threatens peace and security in so many places: Zimbabwe, Lebanon, Germany, Syria. Breathe your wisdom into the leaders of the nations and breathe your peace into the countless peoples who live in fear.

God of grace and glory, hear our prayer.

God of the downtrodden and forgotten, God of the insecure and uncertain, God of the refugee and the immigrant, even as we sit at our tables of abundance within our safe and warm and secure homes, turn our minds and hearts to those who live in fear and uncertainty each day: the Rohingya of Myanmar; the Haitians in the United States who face deportation in 18 months; the nearly 700,000 illegal immigrant children allowed to remain in the US under the Obama Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program whose future has yet to be decided. We remember too the refugees throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australasia and elsewhere fleeing violence and war yet struggling to find a safe haven. Breathe your strength into all for whom tomorrow’s path is unclear and shine the light of your inclusive love into every darkened corner.

God of grace and glory, hear our prayer.

God of the fear-filled and angry, God of the rich and the poor, God of the sick and the abused, even as people in the US attempt to celebrate their holiday of Thanksgiving, our gaze is clouded by the miasma of scandalous sexual behavior of well-known men which daily fills the news in the United States, India, both North and South Korea, the UK, Europe and too many countries to list. Fear and concern soar due to the far-reaching potential effects of the proposed US tax bill upon those already stretched to the breaking point financially. This too is echoed in other countries where those with limited means or lack of job opportunities are being squeezed, taxed and marginalised at the expense of so many large multinational corporations. Darkness and despair threatens with the seeming never endless cycle of countless mass shootings in the United States, terrorist attacks reported and unreported across the globe including in Nigeria. Breathe your empowerment on women everywhere as they attempt to be all you have created them to be and fill those in positions of power with an awareness of how to exercise that power with responsibility, respect, and justice.

God of grace and glory, hear our prayer.

God of hope and wonder, God of joy and sorrow, God of earth and sky and sea, as we seek for the “Good News”, open our eyes to see and rejoice in the work of US Vietnam veteran, Michael Reagan, who has made it his life’s work to create portraits of fallen soldiers as gifts for their families; for the Giant Panda sanctuaries which have been established in the Sichuan Province, China, for the protection of these beautiful beings; for the meeting between the US Rev. William Barber of “Repairing the Breach” and Pope Francis, two men of deep faith, on Thanksgiving Day at the Vatican, Italy. Breathe love for your creation and all of its creatures into all of us and into those who make decisions which have far-reaching effects.

God of grace and glory, hear our prayer.

God of many names and many faces, God who looks like me and like you, God whose voice and presence fills this world, help us to see you in every person we meet, and to recognize that each place we stand, each encounter we have, is Holy Ground…today and every day. Amen

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, May 11, 2017

[Jesus said to the disciples,] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:1-6, ESV

God of solace and peace, through Your Son, You spoke to us a word of comfort: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” And yet we look around the world and we find many reasons to be troubled. We see suffering and broken relationships that we know are the result of our sin, and we confess these sins to You. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

We have allowed this beautiful planet in which You lovingly prepared a place for us to suffer from our neglect and abuse. Officials in Nepal have announced the highly polluted state of air in the sacred site of Lumbini, the historic birthplace of Buddha. The future of the Paris, France climate agreement, which has already been ratified by 140 countries, is uncertain in light of comments made by the president of the US that he wants to pull out of the deal. We strip the earth of natural resources with little concern for its impact on our world or for the safety of those who do the work; this week, at least 42 people have died in an explosion at a coal mine near Azadshahr, Iran. We confess our tendency to turn our focus inward, overusing and abusing the earth for our own purposes. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

We skew the good news, turning “I am the way, the truth, and the life” from an invitation into a threat. We forget Your message of love and inclusion of all, announcing that there is no room in our communities for people who look different from us or act differently than us. We turn a blind eye to the suffering of children in war-torn areas, like those suffering from a cholera outbreak in Yemen due to a breakdown in infrastructure. Even as 250 more refugees have drowned this week in shipwrecks off the coast of Libya, we continue to ignore the desperation of refugees who risk everything to escape the fear and pain of life in their home countries. We confess our tendency to turn our focus inward, denying the humanity of people we see as different. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

We ignore the path You’ve left for us to follow, choosing to put our trust in our own power or in the power of earth’s corruptible and fallible human rulers. Political anger and unrest grow around the world, with two more polarizing elections leading to the victories of Moon Jae-in in South Korea and Emmanuel Macron in France. Nearly 20 government officials have been convicted and sentenced for negligence and abuse of power in Shenzhen, China after their part in a landfill landslide which resulted in the deaths of 73 people in 2015. Many of Your children suffer at the hands of those in power, like the hundreds of innocent people who were affected by tear gas used on protesters when the gas seeped into homes, schools, and a hospital in Caracas, Venezuela. We confess our tendency to turn our focus inward, placing our hope in earthly powers that can only disappoint us. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

Even as many countries around the world celebrate Mother’s Day, we silently watch as families experience estrangement, abandonment, and every form of abuse. We turn away from the pain of those who have lost their parents or for whom experiences of parenthood have been difficult. We ignore the isolation felt by people who cannot or choose not to have children. We confess our tendency to turn our focus inward, neglecting to see and respond to the needs of those around us. Change our hearts, O God,

And have mercy on us.

Despite all of the pain in the world, You direct us: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” For, in the words of Your Son, “In my Father’s house are many rooms.” Remind us, O God of welcome, that, unlike the overcrowded inns of Bethlehem on the night of Jesus’ birth, there is plenty of room for everyone in Your kingdom. And unlike the spaces of our world, where people of different colors, shapes, opinions, languages, and abilities are rejected or at best begrudgingly tolerated, in Your kingdom everyone truly belongs. Fill our hearts with gratitude for this good news, O Lord, and embolden us to be Your hands and voices in the world, that we might build an image of Your all-encompassing house of love and reconciliation here on earth, for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, January 19, 2017

At first I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of the extremist. … But as I continue to think about the matter I gradually gained a bit of satisfaction from being considered an extremist. Was not Jesus an extremist in love – “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.” Was not Amos an extremist for justice – “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ – “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Was not Martin Luther an extremist – “here I stand; I can do none other so help me God.” Was not John Bunyan an extremist – “I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.” Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist – “This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.” Was not Thomas Jefferson an extremist – “We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal.” So the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice – or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?

– Martin Luther King Jr, “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” (1963)

God of honor and power, mercy and grace, we give You thanks for the witness of Martin Luther King, Jr., who worked all his life to bring true justice and love to our world. He reminded us that You know our hearts, O Creator, and You know our love of extremes. We have filled this world You love with extremes and extremism: Extremism in religion, extremism in the language we use to describe and categorize Your children, and extremism in political and social positions. Yet Dr. King reminds us that we are all extremists, that we all have passions and perspectives to defend and express. Help us to be aware of our extremisms, Lord, and fill our hearts with the right kinds of extremism.

Make us extremists for love, O God. Give us the capacity for the radical kind of love displayed by Your Son and his true followers. Make our hearts overflow with love for all of Your children, and equip us to work for those who most need to see and feel Your love.

Renew our compassion for the refugees who risk their lives to cross the dangerous Mediterranean Sea in hope of a better life. As we hear news of another set of capsized boats off the coast of Libya that have left over 180 people dead or missing, may we push beyond the calluses of repetition and feel Your holy anger at the loss of these beloved mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters.
Increase our dedication to bringing peace to war-torn places around the world. Inspire us to use our time, our talents, and our treasures to transform the lives of people who live in fear and insecurity every day. As we hear news of an error by the Nigerian Air Force that resulted in the deaths of 100 people in a refugee camp, may we be filled with resolve to work for real and meaningful change to the circumstances of Your suffering children.
Rekindle our commitment to remembering the humanity and value of every life. As we hear news that the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 has been suspended may we pause to remember Your call to love the unloved, to remember the forgotten, and to serve the least and lost.
Stir our hearts toward peace and reconciliation. As many churches around the world observe a week of Prayer for Christian Unity, may we seek ways to overcome cultural and theological barriers that prevent us from seeing the humanity of our neighbors. As we hear news of dozens of bomb threats against Jewish Community Centers in the US and England, may we be strengthened in our commitment to fight prejudice of all kinds, so that all people might live in peace and safety.

Make us extremists for justice, O God. Give us eyes to see beyond our own comfort and our own commitments. Shatter our illusions that what we are accustomed to is what ought to be, and make us Your hands, feet, and voice in the world as we work, march, and speak out on behalf of the oppressed.

Deepen our reliance on Your just and righteous rule for our lives. As the US faces the inauguration of a new president who has promised to turn his policies inward, and as the UK continues to feel the political and economic consequences of its Brexit decision, may we recall the fleeting and imperfect nature of the princes of this world, and may we put our trust in Your everlasting and righteous rule over our lives and our world.
Focus our minds on the work for justice to which You call each of us. As news of scandal and corruption plague the leaders of this world in places like the US, South Korea, The Gambia, and Russia, may we commit ourselves fully to meaningful action in our own contexts.
Give us patience and wisdom as we tackle the complicated and messy conflicts of our world. As the two-state solution in Israel-Palestine comes under increasing scrutiny and as skepticism increases, may we find the strength and tenacity to lean into difficult situations and resist the temptation to over-simplify. May we be extremists for peace as we work toward true reconciliation that can only come from You.
Reawaken our dedication to justice for those who are marginalized. As we hear news of a school shooting/suicide in Monterrey, Mexico, by a 15-year-old student suffering from depression, may we commit ourselves anew to advocating for programs and funding to help those with mental illness.

Make us extremists for the good news of Your Son, O God. Remind us that this news is only good when we shed our extremism for hate and reject our extremism for the preservation of injustice. Make us Your messengers of extreme love and extreme justice in the world. Give us strength to support each other as we live Your call to action through prayer and protest, marching and meditation, and in aiding the distressed and oppressed. May our hearts, overflowing with the love You give us and committed to the justice You bring, shine Your light into all the world, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

World News in Prayer – Thursday, 12th January 2017

“I waited patiently for the Lord. He lifted me out of the mud and mire, he set my feet upon a rock. He put a new song in my mouth.” (Psalm 40:1-3)

God, awaken us to a new year. Awaken us also to a new spirit, a new will, even a new way.

As we tear away the calendar of the old year and look hopefully at the clean page of the New Year, we remember that You are the God of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. You are the God who forgives our yesterdays, who walks with us today, and guides us toward tomorrow. This is why we dare to be hopeful.

God, You promise newness in so many ways: a new song in our mouth, renewed strength, a new self, a renewed mind (Romans 12:2), a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), a new name (Revelation 2:17), even a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-2).

God, like You, we can spin the globe in our mind and find our finger touching upon this place, or that: The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Syria; Turkey; the United States; North Korea and South Korea. We see forces at work, good and bad, among people yearning for all Your newness. We thank You, God, for the Bishops of the Congo, united to begin a new season of democracy after so much sorrow. We thank You, God, for the talks in Geneva, Switzerland as the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey aim to bring peace to the island of Cyprus. We thank You, God, for the freedom of discourse as South Korea discerns its leadership.

We thank You, God, for the rescue of twenty-six North Koreans by Japan from a sinking cargo ship off the coast of Japan. We thank You, God, for the slightest glimmers of peace in Syria, the slightest evidence of unity among Muslims and Christians and Jews against the terror wrought by terrorists, the oppression by oppressors or the intolerance by bigots.

Across teeming cities and rural villages we give thanks, God, for each new birth, for every new opportunity, for new ideas, new starts, and new faith.

Amen.

World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, December 1, 2016

O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

Psalm 63:1-4, NRSV

In this season of Advent, we wait with expectation for the arrival of our Lord, lifting up our hands in search of relief for our parched lives that only God can give.