[HT Prayer] Pastoral letter from The Rt Rev Sebastian Bakare, Anglican Bishop of Harare

[Jocelyn Chappell]

Today's news from Zimbabwe shows the increase in the scale of terror
and horror that has become usual since the elections many weeks ago.
Still there are brave voices in Zimbabwe who say he cannot kill all
the voters. Two pieces of information that follow summarise the
current state of affairs.

1) Opposition party gives advice to avoid isolated places where
abductions are easy. This advice is to their own workers and also to a
wide range of organisations, human rights activists, lawyers,
journalists, health workers, civic societies, etc.

2) This letter from the Anglican Bishop of Harare may also inform your prayers.

HARARE - 28 May 2008

Zimbabwe: Anglican bishop writes to diocese as government shuts down churches

The Rt Rev Sebastian Bakare, Anglican Bishop of Harare has issued the
following pastoral letter to his diocese.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

We are shocked and dismayed by the continuous police interference with
Sunday services and by the increased brutality causing casualties.
Many of you have been assaulted and beaten, and several parishioners
of St Monica's Church, Chitungwiza, were brutally assaulted on 18 May
and had to be admitted to hospital.

Our struggle to worship without harassment continues. The Supreme
Court Order issued by the Hon. Chief Justice on 12 May was totally
disregarded by the police, as previous orders have been. Needless to
say where there is law and order such defiance would result in the
arrest of those in contempt of court. Today in Zimbabwe the rule of
law does not exist. That leaves us with no recourse to ensure that our
members can freely and peacefully exercise their constitutional right
for example, for everyone to worship without harassment. We are
however not deterred by this lawlessness and will continue to seek
justice through the courts.

Once again we appeal to the law enforcement agents, and especially the
police, to let sanity prevail and refrain from harassing and
brutalising Anglican Christians in Harare Diocese even if it may fall
on deaf ears. Let it be said for the record.

As a Diocese we will look for alternative worship places to ensure
that members of our congregations remain united as we struggle for
freedom of worship. We will never cease to worship. We also believe,
whether the police like it or not, that God will intervene, may be not
today or tomorrow but in His own time. We will rejoice when this
happens.

As Christians we encourage you all to take solace in reading the Bible
and be guided by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are reminded of
Jesus' promise to his disciples:

"I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be
with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him,
because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he
lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I
will come to you" (John 14:16-18).

Our lives as Christians will always have security in Christ and not in
the powers of this world. May we take this inspiring message into our
hearts.

In the book of Revelation chapter 13 we are reminded of the image of
the beast whose agenda is to destroy the followers of Christ (Rev
13:5-10). Rest assured that the principalities and powers of this
world come and go, but the God who is Alpha and Omega remains to
achieve His purpose to save humanity in spite of the challenges put
before us by the beast.

We encourage those of you who do not belong to a house group, to join
one, as this is a way in which you can support one another in prayer
and otherwise Bernard Mizeki celebrations will be on 13-15 June. May
God bless you all!

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, we talk glibly about your suffering but rarely stop to
think what it involves. It was not so easy to imagine the physical,
mental and spiritual suffering you had to bear on our behalf. You
underwent all this in the company of your Father, although at a time
you felt abandoned but not forsaken (Psalm 22). The physical, mental
and spiritual anguish we are going through in our Diocese, meted by
non-God fearing police officers and their superiors is not hidden from
you. We believe that we are with you here on earth as in heaven. We
believe that those who believe in you are never forsaken. Send your
Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us as we go through the challenge
of being denied to meet together in your name. Your Kingdom come.
Amen.

+ Sebastian Harare
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Harare CPCA

Source: Anglican Information - A voice for the voiceless'

(c) Independent Catholic News 2008

Jocelyn
-- 
Jocelyn E. Chappell
ICT Co-ordinator
Pebble Brook School, Aylesbury, HP21 8LZ

[w] +44 (0) 1296 415761/2 ext 225
[f] +44 (0) 1296 434442
[m] +44 (0) 7599 819 443

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jocelyn_Chappell/649858102
http://htaylesbury.org/
http://aylesburylife.org/
http://www.twitter.com/htjoshua
http://www.diigo.com/profile/htjoshua