Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Jan 13 - Academy Ends


Today was the last day of the Bishop's Academy, the annual "continuing education event" for the bishops. Many of us are continuing on a two day extension into Galilee, including Anita and me, before returning home. This evening a closing service was held at Reformation Lutheran Church in Beit Jala, a community adjacent to Bethlehem. I cannot overemphasize the hospitality of the Palestinian Christians throughout this trip. They have been so very thankful for our visit, especially in these days of conflict and sorrow. So we rejoice that we have shared in their journey, and more importantly in the fellowship of faith, in the breaking of bread and prayer. Christ has been with us and we have all been strengthened in faith, hope, and love.


Both today and yesterday we visited the schools of the ELCJHL, in Ramallah, Beit Jala, Beit Sehour, and Bethlehem. These 4 Lutheran schools have a wholistic approach to education and are beacons of life, energy and hope in a culture of death. With an enrollment of nearly 1800 between them, these schools provide educational ministries of excellence as 90% of all students go on to college and university study. They are also some of the very few co-educational schools in Palestine. One of the goals of the ELCJHL and their educational system is to address women's issues. The schools have the look of quality in their facilities, in the faculty, students and programs.
Religiously, they are 6% Lutheran, 44% Orthodox Christian, 40% Muslim, and 10% other affiliation. And as we talk to these young people, they are all brothers and sisters. In the United States, we often are suspicious of those of different religions, not knowing them nor how we ought to relate to them. In the Middle East, with a long history of Christianity as a minority in Muslim dominated populations, people have learned to respect one another's beliefs and to rejoice in their life together. As a young adult said in the bus this afternoon, I believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior, my Hope, but all these students are my brothers and sisters. They have learned to live together in peace and and friendship with understanding, much the way we have learned to overcome denominational or ethnic differences.
The picture above is of the Al Raja Dance Troupe from Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ramallah. Their performance for bishops and spouses was filled with energy, life and enthusiasm like only young people can do. When we visited with small groups of them afterwards, we heard their honest conversation about their fears, hopes, anger, frustration as young people living in a land controlled by others, when they and their parents are not free to travel and experience and participate in society as others. None of these young people in Ramallah have contact with Israeli youth, and, nor do the Israelis know them. A young Palestinian has no opportunity to get to know an Israeli youth, nor an Israeli youth a Palestinian!
Pastor Mitri Raheb of Christmas Lutheran Church says the possibility of a two state solution may have passed already, and it may be time to begin talking about apartheid in an Israeli dominated land, naming what is in actuality going on. The Israelis control everything, from where they travel, to what water they may have, to the revenue used in their municipality, to building permits and settlements, to the borders, the air and the minerals. The Separating Wall, as I learned today, is not about security but control, who goes where and who has control. The Wall is not finished and one can still walk from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, though in a very long, round about way.
The young adult was quick to say he loves all people-Jews, Christians, and Muslims. His quarrel is not with those of Jewish faith, but with Israelis who control his life and prohibit him from travel, who keep him and his people from jobs and housing and sound government and healthy democracy.
Today we were taken on a tour of East Jerusalem by a representative of the Israeli Committee Against Housing Demolition (ICAHD). Little by little I began to understand why a map of where Palestinians live looks like Swiss cheese, how control is exerted over housing issues and building permits, and the way to peace becomes more and more complex. We toured the illegal Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem and saw homes and shopping malls and irrigated lawns that rival the finest of our suburban areas back home. Across the valley in Palestinian areas, there are no sewer systems, water only a few days a week, and the ongoing threat of home demolition.
It is early morning here on the Wednesday, Jan 14. We are leaving Bethlehem and traveling to Tiberias on the southern edge of the Sea of Galilee. It is the land where Jesus walked with disciples, performed miracles, proclaimed the Kingdom of God, and gave oppressed people hope. We have heard Jesus' Word of hope in this trip, often hidden in the suffering of the Palestinian Christians. We have seen the despair on their faces, the stories of suffering and courage; we have shared hope in prayer and song, bread and wine. We pray God to sustain us all in hope and grant freedom and justice in the everyday lives of these people, and grant peace to all.
Bp Jerry



Sunday, January 11, 2009

Jan 11 - Sunday in Bethlehem


Today bishops and spouses attended 5 different Lutheran churches from Bethlehem in the south to Ramallah in the north. Anita and I worshipped at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hope in Ramallah, where Canadian Bishop Susan Johnson preached. We'll be visiting Hope again on Monday to learn about the ministry of their Lutheran school. Once again, we found the Palestinian Christians exceedingly warm and hospital. One woman with her daughter interpreting to Anita wanted us to know that her family had become refugees from Tel Aviv in 1948 as the State of Israel was created and were resettled in Ramallah. Her family has grown through difficult times and the congregation once numbered nearly 1,000 members. At one time Ramallah was nearly 100% Christian but today Christians are about 2% of the 600,000 population. Yet the singing at Hope was vibrant with joy and peace and our luncheon with the Church Council was filled with the sharing of stories and laughter and hope.


For us to travel from Bethlehem to Ramallah, both Palestinian territories, our bus had to travel through 2 checkpoints. While we had no trouble getting through, being Americans in a tourist bus, we did see at least one car stopped and people in a heated exchange over some issue. A Palestinian needs an Israeli permit to enter Jerusalem, and a woman in the congregation said, though she lives within a few miles of Jerusalem, she is not able to go into the city. Another woman has not seen her sister living in San Francisco in 30 years because she is unable to get a visa. A young man spoke with me about his inability to get a visa. He would like to immigrate to the United States, but this skilled young man also was unable to get a visa. The issue at the center of this conflict is the Israeli control of and occupation of the Palestinian territory. Yet these Christians live in hope, patience, endurance and the strength and joy of the Lord.


This evening we were treated to light refreshments and conversation at the Shepherd's Hotel in Bethlehem with the Palestinian Minister of Tourism. She was accompanied by the Mayor of Bethlehem, Dr. Victor Batarseh, as well as the Mayor of Beit Sahour. The picture above is one of Anita and I with the Mayor of Bethlehem. About 1.5 million people visited cities in the West Bank in 2007, continuing the annual steady increase from the low of 10,000 in 2002, the year Bethlehem was besieged by Israeli forces. But Palestine today receives only 5% of revenues generated by Holy Land tourism, in part because people stay in the Israeli section of Jerusalem, drive to Bethlehem for an hour or two and return to their hotel area. The Palestinian economy once thrived on tourism and the Minister of Tourism is working hard with religious and comunity leaders to invite people to stay in Bethlehem and other Palestinian cities, as are we bishops and spouses!


The Mayor of Bethlehem made an impassioned speech this evening recalling how the First Baby uttered its first cry right here in this Holy City. The cry of this baby was the cry of the Prince of Peace. But today babies cry in Gaza and parents wail at their dead offspring. The Mayor pleaded for the United States and other world leaders to intervene, to stop sending shipments of military supply, and quicken humanitarian aid. I thanked the Mayor for his speech and assured him of our advocacy for peace and political intervention. As I read the CNN Headlines late this Sunday evening, I am encouraged to learn that President-Elect Obama is making the Middle East Peace Process a top priority.


We are not the only groups traveling in Bethlehem at this time. Three of the ELCA seminaries have groups here for a J-term study. And this afternoon I met a young man from Topeka; he is part of a group of students from Bethel and Tabor Colleges in Kansas.


This Bishop's Academy remains a deeply spiritual trip, singing songs of praise in the land where Jesus walked. But it's not a trip that simply looks at the stones of history, in the land and buildings of antiquity; it is a journey in which we join hands with the living stones of faith today and hear their witness to the joy and hope and life of the Risen Christ, the Prince of Peace, and the power of his Spirit today.


God's peace to all.


Bp Jerry






Saturday, January 10, 2009

Jan 10 - Bethlehem & Hebron


So much has happened since I last wrote I hardly know where to begin. There is so much I could share with you: our bus being stopped and our needing to walk individually through the police checkpoint; celebrating Holy Communion in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre--a moving experience, made possible by the hospitality of the Franciscans; meeting with the Chief Rabbinate of Jerusalem; attending a Shabbat service on Friday evening in Jerusalem; visiting Augusta Victoria Hospital (www.avh.org/english.html); being hosted by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As you can see by our visits, we have tried to structure this trip to reach out to both Israelis and Palestinians, to Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
We are now staying in Bethlehem and therefore walled off from Israeli territory. Here is an ELCA website with a video clip about the wall that you might find helpful and informative: http://archive.elca.org/peacenotwalls/educate/2008video.html. To illustrate the times, we saw a nativity set today with a wall erected so the Wise Men were unable to visit the Child in the Manger. But our time today did not focus upon the imposing, humiliating, despair inducing Separation Wall. Our time was spent hearing the testimonies of Bishop Younan and Pastor Mitri Raheb, both of whom are proclaimers of hope born of God.

Pastor Raheb serves Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem and has brought a passion for ministry grounded in the Gospel of Jesus. He said the congregation in the early 1990's was dying, that if things didn't change this Lutheran congregation, started by Germans in 1860, would soon close. In a context of despair, where Pr. Raheb says the culture is a liturgy of death because of the daily violence and oppression, Christmas Lutheran Church today is an oasis of hope. Christians are a minority in Bethlehem, perhaps 2% in this predominantly Muslim city. But Christmas Lutheran today, because of vision born of prayer and trust in the Promise of God, is a place bustling with energy and life, serving the community as peacemakers and reconcilers of all. Their ministry is to bring abundant life to all people, but they focus especially upon children, youth and the elderly. This is a congregation that feared it would lose its life by focusing its energy on the community, something I often hear from congregations in the synod; but just the opposite has happened. In 1995 this tiny congregation in Bethlehem began Dar Annadwa, or International Center of Bethlehem, a ministry that seeks to serve the whole Palestinian community. They offer programs in art and music, a school for children, a health and wellness center, and most recently have opened Dar al-Kalima College. They are Lutheran based but ecumenically oriented and their mission is that all might have life and have it abundantly. A Muslim on their staff said this mission statement is why she likes these ministries so much; in the face of death they offer life and hope. Visit the websites at: www.annadwa.org/en/ and www.brightstarsbethlehem.org/ and www.diyar-consortium.org/.

We are doing so much in the Central States Synod to put mission at the center of our congregations and the whole of the synod. As I listened to Pastor Raheb I heard lessons for in the witness of Christmas Lutheran Church. We must seek to be what God would have us to be about. We must know who we are as followers of Jesus and in prayer seek to know how God would have us participate in his mission. We must be courageous and risk, trusting in God to provide as we venture forth.

In 2002 Israeli forces entered Bethlehem and held the city hostage. Pastor Raheb has written about this in Bethlehem Besieged (2004); he is also the author of an earlier work, I Am A Palestinian Christian (1995). In both books as well as in his testimony today Pr Rabeb gives witness to what God can do when a Christian community centers its life and work in the grace, mercy, and hope of God in Jesus Christ.

This afternoon we traveled to Hebron for a visit to the Haram al-Ibrahimi or Mosque of Abraham. Next to the Western Wall this is the most revered site in Israel, important to Jews, Christians and Muslims, and, according to tradition is the burial site of Abraham and Sarah, Issac and Rebecca. For more information: www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/hebron-tombs-of-the-patriarchs.htm. Hebron was a site of demonstrations yesterday, protesting the continuing attacks in Gaza. It is a city of where Israeli settlers live in close proximity to Palestinians and often taunt the Palestinians in their places of work and as their children walk to school. We entered the town with a police escort and with local Ecumenical Accompaniment Partners (http://www.eappi-us.org/) guiding us along safe paths. We were shocked at the conditions under which Palestinians must live, conditions made visible by the signs we saw. The picture above was along the path to the mosque. We were greeted with hospitality by the Islamic hosts and given a tour of the mosque, the site where a Jewish settler murdered 27 Muslims in 1994.

Earlier today Bp Younan said: The sin of Israeli occupation is feeding Palestinian terror. Everything we have seen and heard confirms the truth of that statement. And that is why the Christian witness is so vitally important. We come as servants of the Prince of Peace. We know there are pleace loving people in all faiths: Jews, Christians and Muslims. We also know, as Bp Younan said: violence is the means of the incompetent. We are here to accompany our brothers and sisters in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land and encourage them in their mission of peacemaking. And we pray God to raise up competent leaders for peace in the world today.

Finally, it was a special joy this evening to return to the International Center of Bethlehem for dinner and find a group of faculty and students from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago also at the Center. They are here on J-term and had just gotten into town from Galilee. And three of the students are from the Central States Synod!!

God's peace to all.


Bp Jerry

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Jan 7 - A Story of Hope


Today began with powerful preaching by Pastor Susan Briehl with a sermon based on the John 2 text. Her focus was upon what we do when the wine runs out, when it seems we have nothing left to offer. As people of God we live in hope of God coming to us to change us and all the world in the most unexpected and surprising of ways. The service of Holy Communion was held at Redeemer Lutheran Church in the Old City. The church was built in 1893 by Kaiser Wilhelm II when he ordered a new sanctuary to be built over the foundations of the former St. Mary Latine Minor Church, part of an early 12th century pilgrim hostel and convent. Redeemer is the host of three congregations, Arabic, German and English speaking as well as the headquarters for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.


And then the day ended with a powerful evening of hope as we heard the testimonies of Rami Elchanan and Mazen Faraj, the one Jewish Israeli, the other Palestinian. What they have in common is the deep pain of having lost family members to the senseless violence that goes on and on in the Middle East. Rami lost his 14 year old daughter to a suicide bomber in 1997, Mazen's father was killed by Israeli soldiers as he travled to his home. They spoke to us about the deep pain in their lives and how they have come to find hope and healing in hearing the stories of others, particularly those of their enemies. They are among a number of Palestinians and Israelis who are part of The Parents Circle (http://www.theparentscircle.org/), people wounded deeply by bombings and guns and occupation and injustice. As they tell their stories to one another, and take the risk of sharing their own and seeing the humanity of the other, they find healing for their own lives and offer hope to others.


Rami and Mazen have traveled in the United States to share their stories and they have developed a love and trust for one another. The pain of their lives remain, but they are channeling their grief into courageous energy that transforms others. They have also endured ridicule and resentment for consorting with the enemy.


Rami described his transformation this way: You live your life within a story, within a narrative, where you are enculturated with certain beliefs and attitudes about yourself and others. In Israel it means never seeing Palestinians as human beings. Never understanding their side of the story and the loss of their homeland. Every effort is made to hide from one another. Before The Wall was erected, there was the wall of hatred in the heart. But the work of The Parents Circle tears down the walls that divide and brings new understandings.


Combatants for Peace is another organization in which Israelis and Palestinian activists are working together to overcome the cycle of violence. Rami is very proud his son is following in his footsteps and now head of that organization.


After his daughter was killed by a suicide bomber, and not knowing what to do with his immense pain and anguish, Rami began asking himself, "what causes a person to be so angry to blow himself up?" At the invitation of another, he attended a meeting of the Parents Circle, and the rest is history. As he began to listen to the immense pain in others, especially in the stories of Palestinians, he saw a new story, a new narrative opening up before him. He saw the humanity in someone he did not know before.


Likewise Mazen, married and father of two daughters, has devoted his life to helping people find a new way of understanding their lives and ending the cycle of violence.


These days I am always asking the missional questions: what is God up to and how can I help? Tonight I saw God at work in breaking down walls of hatred and empowering two people for good in their lives.


Jesus changed water into wine, an epiphany of God in our midst, and a story that is more than magic. It is the story of what God can do in the hearts and lives of people, even and especially in the midst of their great sorrow and loss.


Bp Jerry





Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Jan 6 - Epiphany


It is the Feast of the Epiphany and we are in Jerusalem staying at the Notre Dame Center (http://www.notredamecenter.org/). This evening I was asked to read the Lesson during Evening Prayer, the Epiphany reading of Matthew 2:1-12, the Wise Men in search of the Christ Child. As soon as I read the first verse, In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men came from the East came to Jerusalem..., I felt a wave of emotion come over me as I realized here I was in the heart of Jerusalem. And in a less than an hour I will board a bus to join Orthodox Christians in Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas in a midnight service.

Our stay in Jordan has set the tone for this Bishop's Academy. This shall be a time together grounded in worship as journey with Arab Christians in Jordan, Jerusalem and Palestine. Earlier this day we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany with a service at the Jordan River. We celebrated the presence of Christ in the Holy Communion at the river where Jesus himself was baptized. And we remembered his baptism not simply as an historical event but in a way that reminded us that he is one with us in our baptism in him.

Members of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church joined us at an area along the Jordan River on the Jordanian side of the river designated the baptism site (http://www.baptismsite.com/). Here there are many Orthodox and Roman Catholic sites celebrating the baptism of Jesus. King Abdullah has given a piece of land to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land for the purpose of establishing a Lutheran Center. Today we dedicated that site and plans are being developed for a Lutheran Center along the Jordan River that would be a place of spiritual retreat, centered in baptism, for people around the world. The picture includes Bishop Susan Johnson (ELCIC), Bishop Mark Hanson (ELCA), Bishop Munib Younan (ELCJHL), and Pastor Samer Azar, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Amman.

Today Bp Hanson, Bp Johnson, and Bp Younan had a private meeting with King Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. They were all so very pleased with this new young ruler, with his focus upon finding practical solutions to problems in his country and throughout the Middle East. And, again, as we reflected today, we in the Jordanian delegation saw how much we can learn from Christians in Jordan in their work and dialog with theologians and leaders in Islam, work that means peace and understanding in the world today.

As we arrived at the Notre Dame Center late this afternoon we were shocked at the death of 50 children in a school in Gaza. For other Middle East coverage on this war I encourage your reading other news headlines, such as the Jordan Times (http://www.jordantimes.com/) or the Jerusalem Post (http://www.jpost.com/). Just noticing the different pictures displayed says much about the coverage. I do not believe the bombings and death inflicted in Gaza are in any way proportionate to the number of deaths or threats from Hamas. But the bottom line is that the only way out of this cycle of violence is for ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the creation of a state for Palestine.
Today the rest of the bishops arrived from the United States and have joined us for the duration of our time in the Holy Land.

It is time for me to end and travel to Bethlehem on this Day of Epiphany (Western Church) or Christmas Feast (Eastern Church). Either way, I go to Bethlehem to once again see this thing that has taken place, to worship the Child who is the Prince of Peace.

God's Peace from Jerusalem,

Bp Jerry

Monday, January 5, 2009

Jan 5 - Coexistence

It is 10:00 p.m. in Amman as I write this blog and another rich day it has been. So much has happened already that it seems like perhaps it's time to head home. But we've only just begun!

I chose the word Coexistence for today's blog title because much of today revolved around the witness of the Church in an interfaith world. We have much to learn from Christians in the Middle East who have learned over 14 centuries to live within the Muslim world. They bring a unique and desparately needed perspective on Christian/Muslim relations in the conflcted world today.

Anita traveled with a group to Mt Nebo, the mountain on which, according to tradition, Moses ascended to view the Promised Land before he died (Deuteronomy 34). And I traveled with a group of bishops to Parliament for a meeting with His Excellency Abd al Fayeh Saleh, Minister of Islamic Affairs in Jordan.

Perhaps Anita's trip to Mt Nebo is a metaphor for our peering into a new and promised future where people of different faiths--Christian, Muslim, Jew--live in harmony with one another. It is more than simply co-existing within sight of one another but being committed to right relationships and the pursuit of justice and peace, all without compromising the teachings of our respective faiths. Fr. Haddad put it this way, we Christians as a minority religion here are called to be salt in the predominantly Muslim world.

Meeting in a room at the Jordanian Parliament, His Excellency Saleh was a most gracious host who welcomed us with kindness and spoke of the need for religious freedom and unity in a diverse country. The visit was an affirmation of the presence and witness of the Lutheran Church in Jordan and their valuable contribution to the Interfaith work. Once again Fr. Nabil D. Haddad, Ex. Director for the Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence Research Center, accompanied us in our visit and then welcomed us to the Center where we met with other Islamic leaders.

Reference was made repeatedly today to two important documents from the Muslim world: the Amman Message of 2004 in which King Abdullah sought to send a message to the world about what Islam is and what Islam is not, (http://www.ammanmessage.com/) and A Common Word, a response by Islamic scholars and authorities to Pope Benedict's address in 2006 (http://www.acommonword.com/) Both are important documents for our local interfaith work.

I have been so greatly impressed with Bishop Younan's leadership and presence in this community. He brings humor and joy as well as a strong prophetic voice. He is politically astute, trusted in ecumenical and inter-religious circles and abounds in energy. The love of Jesus and the power of his Spirit flows so spontaneously.

Today is our last day in Amman. We travel first thing in the morning to the Jordan River, where on Epiphany we will bless the site where the ELCJHL plans to build a Lutheran Retreat Center in the desert. We will visit an Anglican ministry for the disabled nearby and then head through the West Bank and into Jerusalem. God willing, some of us will celebrate Christmas with the Orthodox (Jan 6) in Bethlehem.

Quote of the Day: The Voice of the Manger is stronger than the bombs and guns of warfare. --Bishop Munib Younan.

God's peace to all.

Bp Jerry

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Jan 5 - Confirmation in Amman


It is 6:00 a.m. Monday morning in Amman, and we are safe and secure. As I st here in the lobby beautiful Christmas carols play over the speaker. We had a long but very good Sunday yesterday, one that culminated in evening worship at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, the only Lutheran congregation in this city. "Ahlan Wa-sahlan" or welcome, were the words we heard from Pastor Samer Azar, Bishop Younan and the many friendly faces of the congregation.

Sunday evening worship?, you may be wondering. Christianity is a minority religion in Jordan and Sunday is a work day. His Majesty King Abudallah bin-al-Hussein is the 43rd direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammed. So Sunday was a work day and Christians, Lutherans at least, worship on Sunday evening.

We had come a day earlier than the official start up to the trip so that our flights would arrve in time for worship. Some who came on Sunday arrived too late or too exhausted for worship, so we were thankful we had tagged on an extra day.

Because we were here earlier, our hosts, which include Pastors Mark and Marcia Holman, ELCA pastors at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem, arranged a trip for us to Petra, the most important famous attraction of Jordan. I wish we had had a week to see this archaeological find that takes one back to the time of the Nabataeans, but 4 hours had to suffice. For more information and a vitual tour go to: http://www.raingod.com/angus/Gallery/Photos/MiddleEast/Jordan/Petra/index.html

But the highlight of the day was worship at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, a Christmas service and the Confirmation of 5 young people. Bp Younan preached in Arabic and Bp Hanson brought greetings. The 125 plus worshippers rejoiced in the birth of Jesus Christ and gave thanks for the life of Christ being born and growing in these five young people.

Afterwards a parishoner said to one of the bishops, "you are among the 1% of Americans who understand the Palestinians." It was a jarring comment but one that holds much truth. I don't know about the percentage but I do know that I came to a much different understanding of Middle Eastern issues on my visit in 2005. And my readings in preparation for this trip and the experiences again on this trip confirm this new understanding. There is an Israeli narrative, one we regularly hear in the United States news; but there is also the Palestinian narrative of how we have come to this day in the Middle East. One only hears and understands by listening, not to one side alone, but to both. In the United States we hear the one narrative. Our relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land (www.elcjhl.org) and our walking together helps us to hear and understand the Palestinian story. Bp Younan last evening told us accompaniment means walking together not only in days of tranquility but also in times of conflict. So we are glad Christ has brought us together for this day.

Also at the service last evening was Father Nabil D. Haddad, Executive Director for the Jordanian Interfath Coexistence Research Center. We will be meeting with him later today. But some who read this blog will also know that in 2005 a highlight was our visit with Fr Elias Chacour, also a priest in the Melkite Catholic Church, and now the Melkite archbishop of Galilee. For more: http://lluker.faculty.ltss.edu/Elias_Chacour.htm

As I sat in worship at Good Shepherd last night and listened to the music and the reading from Luke 2:41-52 and look upon the Christmas tree and outline of the nativity creche imposed upon the cross behind the altar, I thought of the words of the Christmas story, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill to all." And I know of the bloodshed and death, the conflict and sorrow in Gaza, and I prayed, Lord, have mercy, and grant leaders wisdom and courage, to find your way to peace.