Kairos Training Day at Balsall Heath, Birmingham

Hazel and Brian Berry and Ken and Tracy Perrett travelled to Birmingham on Saturday 21st June to attend a national Kairos Training Day. It was very well attended with about 60 people and was most informative and encouraging. We had sessions on Kairos Theology, organising ethical visits to the Holy Land, Kairos Communities and Political Engagement. After a marvellous lunch in a small Lebanese restaurant, we attended several workshops on Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions(BDS), Kairos Communities and Political engagement.

We also had the opportunity to meet Charlotte Marshall, who has been appointed as the national advocacy worker for Kairos Britain, and hope to work with her in the future.

Day of prayer and reflection

Day of prayer and reflection: 7th June 10am - 1pm

Opening Worship

Leader: 

It's time for Palestine.
It's time for Palestinians and Israelis to share a just peace.
It's time to respect human lives in the land called holy.
It's time for healing to begin in wounded souls.
It's time to end more than 60 years of conflict,
oppression and fear.
It's time for freedom from occupation.

All who are able to speak truth to power must speak it.
All who would break the silence surrounding injustice must break it.
All who have something to give for peace must give it.
For Palestine, for Israel and for a troubled world,
It's time for peace.
From Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum

Silence

Reading: Psalm 122:6-9
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
 “May those who love you be secure.
 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." For the sake of my family and friends,
 I will say, “Peace be within you.”
 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
 I will seek your prosperity.

Silence

Reading: Luke 4:18-19

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
 because he has anointed me
 to proclaim good news to the poor.
 He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
 and recovery of sight for the blind, 
to set the oppressed free,
 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.

Silence

Prayers

Leader: God full of compassion, who heals the broken- hearted and binds up their wounds, we ask you to show all your children the way of love and compassion, so that hatred ceases to scar their lives.  Jesus Lord of love,

Response: In your mercy hear us

Leader: Source of Life, we call upon you to send your abundant blessings into every home, Israeli and Palestinian, so that new hope may overcome old fears. Jesus Lord of life,

Response: In your mercy hear us

Leader: Righteous One, who exhorts us to pursue Justice, we fervently pray that a spirit of righteousness may prevail, so that both peoples find the courage to reach a just settlement of their differences. Jesus Lord of righteousness

Response: In your mercy hear us

Leader: Maker of Peace, who teaches us to be seekers of peace, we entreat you now to spread your tabernacle of shalom over all the inhabitants of your land, and to support the peacemakers among both peoples in their efforts to walk the path of reconciliation, so that a just peace may reign supreme at last speedily in our own day. Jesus Lord of peace

Response: In your mercy hear us

Adapted from Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue prayers for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Leader: Let us listen to the Lord's Prayer Aramaic (the language Jesus spoke) and then join together to say the Lord's Prayer in English

Reader 1: May God bless you with discomfort …
at easy answers, hard hearts,
half-truths, and superficial relationships.
May God bless you so that you may live
from deep within your heart
where God’s Spirit dwells.

Reader 2: May God bless you with anger …
at injustice, oppression,
and exploitation of people.
May God bless you so that you may
work for justice,
freedom and peace.

Reader 3: May God bless you with tears …
to shed for those who suffer from pain,
rejection, starvation and war.
May God bless you so that you
comfort them and turn
their pain into joy.

Reader 1: And may God bless you with
enough foolishness to believe
that you can make a difference
in this world and in your neighbourhood,
so that you will courageously try
what you don’t think you can do,
but, in Jesus Christ you’ll have
the strength necessary to do.

Reader 2: May God bless you to fearlessly
speak out against injustice,
unjust laws, corrupt politicians,
unjust and cruel treatment of prisoners,
senseless wars, genocides, starvation,
and poverty that is so pervasive.

Reader 3 May God bless you that you remember
we are all called
to continue God’s redemptive work
of love and healing
in God’s place, in and through God’s name,
in God’s Spirit, continually creating
and breathing new life and grace
into everything and everyone we touch.

Franciscan Blessing for Justice and Peace

Leader: Let us share the Peace

Prayer stations

These are the prayer stations we used for our day of prayer and reflection on Kairos.

Prayer station 1: Using water to discriminate

1: Water to discriminate 

· Israeli per capita consumption of water is four to five times higher than that of the Palestinian population of the Occupied Palestinian Territories
· In the West Bank, Settlers consume 6 times the amount of water used by the Palestinians.
· In the Jordan Valley, Settlers consume vast amounts of water for crops while the Palestinians’ water supply has been disconnected.
· Water is not scarce in the region, but..
· Israel uses water to discriminate between Israelis and Palestinians and to force the Palestinians off the land.

Fill five containers of water from the font.
Place them in front of you, one on your left and four on your right.
Look at the single container of water, and imagine that you are a Palestinian, with not enough water for your family, your animals and your crops.
Look at the four containers of water, and imagine that you are an Israeli living in the Occupied West Bank, with as much water as you ever need.
Perhaps you would like to pray for justice and equality for all in Israel and Palestine.
Please pour the water back into the font afterwards.

2: Colouring sheets

Sit quietly and as you colour, allow yourself to pray for the situation in Israel/Palestine and that justice and peace will come to the Holy Land.

3: Light a candle

Light a candle and place it in the sand tray. Spend some time in silent prayer before the candle thinking of all those who are suffering in the Holy Land at this time, but also of all those who are working for peace, justice and reconciliation. Meditate on the words from St John’s Gospel “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it”.

4: Post a prayer

Write a prayer for Israel and Palestine and stick it onto the map of Israel and Palestine. Spend a few minutes reading your own prayer and any others which have been placed on the map.

5: The Separation Wall

Information about the wall

· The barrier is over 700km long.
· Around 90% is a fence, with vehicle-barrier trenches and a 60 metre exclusion zone.
· Around 10% is an 8-metre high concrete wall.
· 85% of the wall is inside the West Bank, rather than in Israel
· The barrier separates many Palestinians from their land.
· Palestinians require a permit to leave the West Bank
· Workers queue from 4am in the morning to get through the checkpoints at the map and images of the separation barrier

The wall has been the subject of nearly 1000 graffiti images. You can even order graffiti on line and get it drawn locally!

What emotions does the wall generate in you? What message would you like to convey to the Israelis and Palestinians.

Take a blank image of the wall and draw your own message or picture, aimed at either the Israeli or Palestinian side of the wall.

Pray for the people who live on each side of the wall, that they may one day be able to live in peace with one another.

6: Take a brick from the wall

Take a brick out of the Wall and lay it on the Cross template. As you do it pray that the Wall will come down so that families and communities can be reunited and there will be proper access to work, medical resources and education.

7: Jigsaw Puzzle

Assemble the pieces of the puzzle and as you do, pray for all young people living in Israel/Palestine that though education, cultural and sporting activities they may learn to trust one another and live side by side in peace and harmony.

What is Kairos

Kairos Palestine

Kairos Palestine was issued in 2009 by the heads of all 13 Churches in Jerusalem. It is a call to Israeli and Palestinian leaders, to the International Community and to the World Churches to accelerate the achievement of justice, peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land.

Kairos Britain

Time for Action, the British response to Kairos Palestine, was launched in August 2013. It calls on British Christians to:-

· Be aware of the situation in Israel and Palestine,

· To reflect prayerfully on it, and

· To respond faithfully and courageously.

St John’s Kairos Action Plan

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St John the Baptist Parish Church, Crowthorne, approved our Kairos Action Plan in October 2013.

Since then we have been learning about the situation in Israel and Palestine.

Today is our opportunity to reflect prayfully on all we have learned.

Becoming a Kairos Congregation

On 9th July, our PCC will consider whether we should become a “Kairos Congregation”.

Please take some time this morning to help our PCC by providing your own thoughts on this issue.

If we decide to become a Kairos Congregation, we would be joining other Christians in the UK in actively seeking justice and peace for Israel and Palestine.

We would need to work out the details of how we would take this forward, but it might include some of the things listed on the sheets on the table.

Please take a sheet and tick the things which you think our Church might consider and also whether these are things that you might consider supporting personally.

Prayer Meeting for Peace at the Vatican

The Pope has invited the presidents of Israel, Shimon Peres, and Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, to join him for a Prayer Meeting for Peace. This will take place in the Vatican on the afternoon of Sunday 8 June. Please pray for then as they meet.

Kairos Day of Prayer and Reflection - Sat 7th June

At St John the Baptist Parish Church, Crowthorne, we have been spending some time learning more about the situation in Israel and Palestine as part of our Kairos Action Plan.

The second step in our plan is to reflect prayerfully on this situation. There will be an opportunity to do this on Saturday 7th June.

We will start at 10am with a short act of worship in the Church. There will then be various prayer stations around the Church for people to use to reflect and pray about the situation. There will be refreshments and further information in the hall, including some short videos and a chance to ask questions. People will then have the opportunity to express your views and to provide some input to the PCC discussion on 9th July on the third step of the plan, which is to respond faithfully and courageously. The PCC will consider whether the Church should become a Kairos Congregation. All are welcome, even if you have not taken part in earlier activities.

Click here if you would like to know more about this event.

Details of St John the Baptist Church

Destruction of the orchards at the Tent of Nations

While I was in Israel during February and March, I visited the Tent of Nations several times. I found it to be a wonderful witness in how to live peacefully under occupation. Today I heard that Israeli bulldozers moved onto the land on Tuesday morning (20th May) to demolish 1500 apricot and apple trees and vines. This action is illegal and heartless. It has no security justification - the Nasser has documentation proving ownership back to the Ottoman Empire. Israel wants the land and will do anything to steal it.

The Amos Trust has issued an appeal for action and we would urge readers to respond to that.

Ken Perrett

Kairos Training Day

Four of us are going to the Kairos Training Day on 21st June to learn more.

Talking about Israel/Palestine

Around 40 people gathered at St John's in Crowthorne to see the film "The stones cry out" and to hear about Ken Perrett's stay in Bethlehem. It was a lively evening and there were many questions.

Ken's stay in Bethlehem

As part of the Kairos Action Plan, Ken Perrett spent 8 weeks staying in the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem. You can read Ken's blog at kenperrett.blogspot.com. 

Kairos Crowthorne blog goes live

Kairos Crowthorne is a group of people living in Crowthorne, Berkshire who are interested in working for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine.

Kairos Palestine - a moment of truth was published by all the Churches in Jerusalem in 2009.

It called upon the Israeli and Palestinian Leaders, the International Community and the World Churches, to accelerate the achievement of justice, peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land. Kairos Britain - a time for action was published in 2013 and calls upon British Christians to be aware of the present situation in Israel and Palestine, to reflect prayerfully on it, and to respond, faithfully and courageously.

St John the Baptist Parish Church in Crowthorne has responded to these challenges by approving a "Kairos Action Plan". The plan follows the guidance in the Kairos Britain documents and has three stages. They are:-

1. to be aware of the present situation in Israel and Palestine

2. to reflect prayfully on it, and
3. to respond faithfully and courageously. 

The Church expects to take a decision on whether to formally become a Kairos Congregation on 9th July 2014.

Palestinian evening

St John's hosted a showing of the film "Bethlehem - Hidden from view", after which Ken Perrett talked about his plans to stay in Bethlehem for 8 weeks. We also enjoyed some traditional Palestinian food.

Su McClellan from Embrace the Middle East comes to talk

Su McClennan from Embrace the Middle East gave a very inspiring talk on Israel and Palestine - Su has been invited to return to preach on 23rd November 2014 for Christ the King. The evening was well attended with lots of questions.

Talk to the Mothers' Union on Israel/Palestine

Ken gave a talk to the Mothers' Union on the Pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine which four people from St John's had attended in Feb/Mar 2013. This was led by the Bishop of Oxford, and included the Bishops of Reading and Dorchester.

St John's approves the Kairos Action Plan

On 23rd October, the PCC of St John the Baptist Parish Church approved the Kairos Action Plan.

St John's decides to prepare a Kairos Action Plan

On 11th September 2013, the Parochial Church Council of St John the Baptist Church, Crowthorne, Berkshire, decided to set up a Kairos Group and charged them with preparing a draft Kairos Plan, in response to the Kairos Britain document, "A time for Action".

Kairos Britain is launched

The Kairos Britain document was launched at Greenbelt in August 2013.