Sunday 17th December
from BBC News
A suicide bomb and gun attack on a Methodist church in Pakistan has killed at least five people, reports say.
The attack happened in the city of Quetta, some 65km (40 miles) from the border with Afghanistan.
More than a dozen people were also wounded after gunmen wearing explosive vests tried to enter the building.
17 December 2017
Attack at Methodist Church in Quetta, Pakistan
Our thoughts and prayers are with our Methodist brothers and sisters in Pakistan today as we hear reports of a suicide bomb and gun attack on a Methodist church in the city of Quetta.
The following statement has been made by the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, the Revd Loraine N Mellor and Jill Baker.
Christians in Pakistan live in a climate of suspicion and discrimination and we salute the courage of the hundreds of worshippers who were inside the church at the time, and also the fast responses of those who prevented the attack from having a much higher death toll. Bishop Humphrey Peters of Pakistan is a gracious and wise leader and a good friend to the Methodist Church in Britain , having attended our Conference in recent years. We hold him and the whole Methodist family of Pakistan before God.
Compassionate God,
you see the tears and fears of all your people world-wide,
your heart grieves when your children are injured, killed and bereaved.
Hear our prayers this day for the people of Pakistan;
comfort those who mourn,
bring healing to those injured
and give courage and grace to those who have been traumatised.
In this season of Advent,
we long for the time when peace and mercy will flow
in all places of conflict and intolerance.
We pray in the name of the Incarnate God-with-us,
Amen.
