In line with the world celebrations of the Week of Prayer for Unity, MECC and churches in the Middle East celebrated the 100th anniversary of the ecumenical prayer under the theme: ³pray without ceasing². In Lebanon, several activities were carried by MECC to mark this occasion: lectures, vespers, ecumenical prayers in different churches, youth gathering for prayer, and choir concerts. In Syria, churches prayed on the 25th of Januar y in ecumenical celebrations and in different regions of the country: Damascus, Aleppo, Hassake and Homs. In Egypt, MECC organized ecumenical gatherings for prayer in different churches in Cairo in which hymns, prayer s and spiritual speeches were delivered by Heads of Churches. MECC Faith & Unity director encouraged churches in his opening speech to pray for the Holy Spirit so that peace may prevail in this region. Every time, he said, ³we seek war instead of peace, search for false victory instead of repentance, fight against each other instead of true dialogue; therefore we are refusing to receive the Holy Spirit². He added saying: ³we are born in this land and we are called to remain truthful to?.we pray to God so that He may transform our prayers to ecumenical commitment in reconciliatory process². For further information contact: meccfu@cyberia.net.lb
Middle East Council of Churches Office of International Ecumenical Relations P.O. Box 5376, Beirut, Lebanon
Guirgis Ibrahim Saleh, General Secretary
mecc@cyberia.net.lb or guirgissaleh@cyberia.net.lb
+961-1-353-938 http://www.mec-churches.org/