anglican focus

The news site of the Anglican Church Southern Queensland: nourishing and connecting our faith community

Israel

Video Video

Christian Palestinian Imad praying in Arabic during an inter-faith vigil for Gaza and all Palestinians on the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in 2024

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen. Almighty God, You are the source of justice and peace, the protector of the vulnerable, and the hope of all who trust in You. As we gather tonight, we come with hearts filled with purpose, seeking to honour the dignity of every life and to act as instruments of Your justice. In Gaza, Palestinian families are enduring suffering beyond words. Children are left orphaned, the sick lack healthcare, and countless lives are being displaced by the bombing. May Your mercy be their refuge, Your justice their shield, and Your peace their hope. Strengthen those who suffer and guide those who work tirelessly to provide relief and restore dignity. Lord Jesus Christ, You showed us how to serve with courage and compassion. You stood with the oppressed, brought healing to the broken, and proclaimed truth even in the face of persecution. Teach us to follow in Your footsteps, to speak truth boldly, no matter the cost, and to labour with love for justice and peace in Palestine and Lebanon. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and always and forever and ever. Amen,” prays Christian Palestinian Imad

Imad
International International

Women in Lebanon: “Stop the Madness of War, Lebanon deserves to live!”

In the midst of the devastating war sweeping Lebanon, killing and displacing its people, the Women’s Pastoral Office of the Maronite Church in Bkerki, Lebanon has launched a cry and  issued a statement entitled “Stop the Madness of War, Lebanon deserves to live!” Abboud Mzawak, coordinator of the office, took time to reflect on the motivation behind the statement, some of the daily realities women are facing, and how women across the world can help

Australian emergency medicine physician Mohammed Mustafa on a medical mission to Gaza in June 2024
Reflections

“I try to put God at the centre of my life”: says Australian emergency medicine physician who recently volunteered in Gaza

“I sought God’s blessing and dealt with the ‘What if?’ scenarios through prayer. I knew that I needed to accept that death was very possible in Gaza. I wrote my will, cleaned my rented unit and gave a friend my car keys before I left — just in case. Because I wasn’t scared of death, I think I was more effective and focussed on my work in Gaza,” says British-Australian emergency medicine physician Mohammed Mustafa

Homilies & Addresses

“Israel’s genocidal campaign and occupation of Gaza must end”

“Because Israel is blocking medicines and medical supplies from entering Gaza, surgeons are performing amputations on children and caesareans on women without any anaesthetics or pain killers. Because Israel is blocking medicines and medical supplies from entering Gaza, Palestinian people are dying from treatable illnesses, both chronic and acute…As a pharmacist and as a Christian, I say not in my name,” said ACSQ Justice Unit Coordinator and pharmacist Peter Branjerdporn at a recent healthcare workers vigil