Monday, March 24, 2008
Easter Monday 2008
I wrote what follows for the online ELCA "Journal of Lutheran Ethics" at the request of the Rev. Kaari M. Reierson, the Associate Director for Studies in the ELCA Church in Society Program Unit and editor of this journal. The ELCA's Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality is online at www.elca.org/faithfuljourney/ .
--------------------------------------
A preliminary, quick review of the ELCA’s Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality
March 13, 2008, the public release date of the ELCA’s Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality, was not a date I had noted on my calendar. I confess that I was not paying much attention to the release of this draft, at least until two weeks ago when I was asked to be one of a number of folks who responded to it.
That “void” from my life is a bit surprising considering my life until coming to this call. I served for nearly 14 years as ELCA churchwide communication director, spanning the years of 1992 – 2006. During those years the issue of the ELCA’s conversations about sexuality and, especially, homosexuality, were a big part of my calendar and life. I first “lived through” the release of a possible first draft of a proposed social statement on human sexuality in 1993. That time is the topic for another essay, but “lived through” is about the best term I can think of for those tough days. Then, I helped lead the process of communicating the ELCA’s various attempts at making statements on sexuality and, especially, homosexuality, culminating in the work of the ELCA sexuality task force for the 2005 ELCA churchwide assembly.
However, this “void” is more than a change in call and even more than being senior pastor of a large ELCA congregation. It is, more importantly, because the controversial issues surrounding sexuality in the ELCA are no longer part of my everyday life. They just are not on the agenda of many of the members of this congregation.
Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale, Pennsylvania is the largest Lutheran congregation east of the Mississippi River and the largest “Reconciling in Christ” congregation in North America. But, before you assume that we are a large, eastern “liberal” place, I should add that Montgomery County, where Lansdale is located, is a long time Republican area. I assume that most of Trinity’s members voted for President Bush in 2004.
But, I also believe that most of Trinity’s members would not vote again for President Bush and that most would feel that Bush has led us in the wrong direction in many areas, including the War in Iraq, the economy and homosexual rights. Don’t get me wrong, I suspect that, faced with a vote to legalize gay marriage, many Trinity members would not vote for such a change. However, for the majority of folks here this is not a “front burner” issue. I believe that they think that the President has missed more important issues. When asked about homosexual relationships and even gay marriage, I believe most of Trinity’s members would say that this is an individual choice and issue, something about which the government should not to be too concerned.
That all said, I welcomed the chance to read and review this first draft.
I remember Phil Harris, the ELCA’s attorney, sharing an old joke that goes something like this - Question: “What do you call 1000 dead lawyers on the ocean floor? Answer: A good start.” (You can replace “lawyers” with your favorite group to dump on!)
In all seriousness, this statement IS a good start. It grounds our discussion of sexuality in the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions. I really liked the introductory statement that “This social statement addresses the question: What does it mean for us as sexual creatures to love our neighbors as ourselves and thus fulfill God’s law of love in this time and society?” I believe the draft addresses that question well. I also liked the early admission that this statement, and I would add, any statement “does not offer once-and-for-all answers for all contemporary questions.” Again, the draft lives up to that affirmation, offering more questions than answers in true Lutheran form!
I like what is said about Scripture – “Scripture cannot be used in isolation as the norm for Christian life and the source of knowledge for the exercise of moral judgment.” This, of course, applies to much more than just our conversations about sexuality. I also like the emphasis on family and the attempt to redefine family in terms of the 21st century when families come in all shapes and sizes.
Living in a congregation where protection of our children has been more than an item of casual discussion, I applaud the draft’s work on “Protecting children and youth in and for trusting relationships.” I have found this to be a very important and potent issue in this congregation, as I suspect it is in many others.
The draft is very Lutheran when it takes a middle road, so to speak, on the issues around homosexuality and the church. I think its writers are correct to say that the ELCA “does not have consensus regarding loving and committed same-gender relationships.” While I agree with this as a churchwide statement, I do need to point out again that this is not an issue in the congregation I serve. Here, it appears to me, people are ready to affirm any “loving and committed relationship.” In this young congregation (average age is 35) many folks are waiting for the ELCA to catch up to the 21st century reality of widespread acceptance of homosexuality.
Of course, I have a few concerns about the draft:
* It is too long, way too long.
* It reads like it was written by a theologian working with a committee. It desperately needs an editor.
* Some of the language is more than awkward. For example, the term “this church” is used throughout when I believe other words like “the ELCA” would read more easily.
* I always ask the audience question and, I believe, that is a fair question to ask about this draft: Who is the audience for this statement? If it is to be congregation members for youth and adult study, that should guide the use of language throughout.
* I found the criticism of sexuality in the media a bit much. Not that it is an incorrect criticism, but it is a narrow one. It is easy to criticize the media, especially television and film, about sexual content. But, our record supporting programming and film that takes a different view is spotty at best. There is a lot of inappropriate sexual content in the media because people watch and read it! If we want something different, we need to support programming that affirms more appropriate content. I hope the next draft might reflect a call to our members to support programming with a more positive view of sexuality.
* While I certainly agree with the draft’s statement “This church does not favor or give approval to cohabitation outside of marriage,” I also need to share what was obvious in my first call in 1976 and continues to be obvious today: Many, if not most, of the couples who came to me in 1976 and come to me today for marriage in the church were and are already living together! That is a reality that, I believe, no ELCA statement is going to change or even affect. My past congregation experience tells me that this is not a new problem. I guess what I am trying to say is that, for society, this has been a non-issue for many years and we must face that reality.
I hope these preliminary comments are helpful to the task force in its continued discussion and subsequent drafts. Thank you for the opportunity to share them.
One additional comment: Many of my key younger members and leaders are waiting for the ELCA to change its policies on ordination to allow homosexual persons in committed relationships to be on “this church’s” roster. These folks were disappointed that the 2007 ELCA churchwide assembly did not make this change. They love the ELCA and our congregation, but they also have waited a long time for this change. They are not threatening to leave the ELCA over this issue, but I know that they hope and pray for a change soon in these standards. I know this was not part of this draft, but it is a related issue that obviously continues to be before us. We anxiously await the task force’s supplementary recommendations on that issue that will come to the 2009 ELCA churchwide assembly!
The Rev. Eric C. Shafer
Senior Pastor
Trinity Lutheran Church
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Easter Monday, 2008
--------------------------------------
A preliminary, quick review of the ELCA’s Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality
March 13, 2008, the public release date of the ELCA’s Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality, was not a date I had noted on my calendar. I confess that I was not paying much attention to the release of this draft, at least until two weeks ago when I was asked to be one of a number of folks who responded to it.
That “void” from my life is a bit surprising considering my life until coming to this call. I served for nearly 14 years as ELCA churchwide communication director, spanning the years of 1992 – 2006. During those years the issue of the ELCA’s conversations about sexuality and, especially, homosexuality, were a big part of my calendar and life. I first “lived through” the release of a possible first draft of a proposed social statement on human sexuality in 1993. That time is the topic for another essay, but “lived through” is about the best term I can think of for those tough days. Then, I helped lead the process of communicating the ELCA’s various attempts at making statements on sexuality and, especially, homosexuality, culminating in the work of the ELCA sexuality task force for the 2005 ELCA churchwide assembly.
However, this “void” is more than a change in call and even more than being senior pastor of a large ELCA congregation. It is, more importantly, because the controversial issues surrounding sexuality in the ELCA are no longer part of my everyday life. They just are not on the agenda of many of the members of this congregation.
Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale, Pennsylvania is the largest Lutheran congregation east of the Mississippi River and the largest “Reconciling in Christ” congregation in North America. But, before you assume that we are a large, eastern “liberal” place, I should add that Montgomery County, where Lansdale is located, is a long time Republican area. I assume that most of Trinity’s members voted for President Bush in 2004.
But, I also believe that most of Trinity’s members would not vote again for President Bush and that most would feel that Bush has led us in the wrong direction in many areas, including the War in Iraq, the economy and homosexual rights. Don’t get me wrong, I suspect that, faced with a vote to legalize gay marriage, many Trinity members would not vote for such a change. However, for the majority of folks here this is not a “front burner” issue. I believe that they think that the President has missed more important issues. When asked about homosexual relationships and even gay marriage, I believe most of Trinity’s members would say that this is an individual choice and issue, something about which the government should not to be too concerned.
That all said, I welcomed the chance to read and review this first draft.
I remember Phil Harris, the ELCA’s attorney, sharing an old joke that goes something like this - Question: “What do you call 1000 dead lawyers on the ocean floor? Answer: A good start.” (You can replace “lawyers” with your favorite group to dump on!)
In all seriousness, this statement IS a good start. It grounds our discussion of sexuality in the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions. I really liked the introductory statement that “This social statement addresses the question: What does it mean for us as sexual creatures to love our neighbors as ourselves and thus fulfill God’s law of love in this time and society?” I believe the draft addresses that question well. I also liked the early admission that this statement, and I would add, any statement “does not offer once-and-for-all answers for all contemporary questions.” Again, the draft lives up to that affirmation, offering more questions than answers in true Lutheran form!
I like what is said about Scripture – “Scripture cannot be used in isolation as the norm for Christian life and the source of knowledge for the exercise of moral judgment.” This, of course, applies to much more than just our conversations about sexuality. I also like the emphasis on family and the attempt to redefine family in terms of the 21st century when families come in all shapes and sizes.
Living in a congregation where protection of our children has been more than an item of casual discussion, I applaud the draft’s work on “Protecting children and youth in and for trusting relationships.” I have found this to be a very important and potent issue in this congregation, as I suspect it is in many others.
The draft is very Lutheran when it takes a middle road, so to speak, on the issues around homosexuality and the church. I think its writers are correct to say that the ELCA “does not have consensus regarding loving and committed same-gender relationships.” While I agree with this as a churchwide statement, I do need to point out again that this is not an issue in the congregation I serve. Here, it appears to me, people are ready to affirm any “loving and committed relationship.” In this young congregation (average age is 35) many folks are waiting for the ELCA to catch up to the 21st century reality of widespread acceptance of homosexuality.
Of course, I have a few concerns about the draft:
* It is too long, way too long.
* It reads like it was written by a theologian working with a committee. It desperately needs an editor.
* Some of the language is more than awkward. For example, the term “this church” is used throughout when I believe other words like “the ELCA” would read more easily.
* I always ask the audience question and, I believe, that is a fair question to ask about this draft: Who is the audience for this statement? If it is to be congregation members for youth and adult study, that should guide the use of language throughout.
* I found the criticism of sexuality in the media a bit much. Not that it is an incorrect criticism, but it is a narrow one. It is easy to criticize the media, especially television and film, about sexual content. But, our record supporting programming and film that takes a different view is spotty at best. There is a lot of inappropriate sexual content in the media because people watch and read it! If we want something different, we need to support programming that affirms more appropriate content. I hope the next draft might reflect a call to our members to support programming with a more positive view of sexuality.
* While I certainly agree with the draft’s statement “This church does not favor or give approval to cohabitation outside of marriage,” I also need to share what was obvious in my first call in 1976 and continues to be obvious today: Many, if not most, of the couples who came to me in 1976 and come to me today for marriage in the church were and are already living together! That is a reality that, I believe, no ELCA statement is going to change or even affect. My past congregation experience tells me that this is not a new problem. I guess what I am trying to say is that, for society, this has been a non-issue for many years and we must face that reality.
I hope these preliminary comments are helpful to the task force in its continued discussion and subsequent drafts. Thank you for the opportunity to share them.
One additional comment: Many of my key younger members and leaders are waiting for the ELCA to change its policies on ordination to allow homosexual persons in committed relationships to be on “this church’s” roster. These folks were disappointed that the 2007 ELCA churchwide assembly did not make this change. They love the ELCA and our congregation, but they also have waited a long time for this change. They are not threatening to leave the ELCA over this issue, but I know that they hope and pray for a change soon in these standards. I know this was not part of this draft, but it is a related issue that obviously continues to be before us. We anxiously await the task force’s supplementary recommendations on that issue that will come to the 2009 ELCA churchwide assembly!
The Rev. Eric C. Shafer
Senior Pastor
Trinity Lutheran Church
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Easter Monday, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Maundy Thursday 2008
Maundy Thursday, March 20, was quite a day here at Trinity, Lansdale! Earlier this week, two young boys (about age 10, not members) came into our gym and took two Easter baskets that were on a table ready for distribution to our shut-ins next Monday. Someone saw them leave the church building with these baskets and called the police. The police were waiting for the boys when they opened the baskets and were (probably) surprised to find that they were not filled with candy but with items that shut-ins adults might find useful! (tooth paste, tooth brushes, etc.) Our Buildings and Grounds manager made it clear to the police that we did NOT want to press charges against these boys but the police DID want to press charges and took the boys away.
We thought that was all to this unfortunate incident, but, apparently, several news organizations saw the police blotter with "Easter baskets stolen from church" and thought that was a story! So, as we were worshipping at noon on Maundy Thursday, news crews arrived from two Philadelphia TV stations. My colleague, Pastor Dayle Malloy, spoke with the NBC crew and I spoke with the ABC crew. We both emphasized that these boys were welcome to have a good Easter basket, that the "theft" would not deprive any shut-in of an Easter basket and that this week is about God's forgiveness and love for humankind.
The irony, of course, is that we have been trying, without success, to break into the Philadelphia news media and let them know that our large congregation sits out here in Lansdale.
We ended up with news coverage of this "theft" in at least four places:
KYW News Radio 1060AM -
www.kyw1060.com/pages/1865143.php?contentType=4&contentId=1758032
The "Morning Call" (Allentown) newspaper -
www.mcall.com/news/local/police/all-2easter.6324365mar21,0,4019630.story
The Lansdale "Reporter" newspaper carried the same short item that was in the "Morning Call." It is online at www.thereporteronline.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Daily?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.pgpath=%2FTRO%2FHome&r21.content=%2FTRO%2FHome%2FFeaturedArticle_Story_1775162
NBC TV Channel 10 - www.nbc10.com/news/15652276/detail.html .
This last piece (NBC 10) is the text of what they broadcast during their 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. newscasts. I'm told they used other tape from their time at Trinity 2 or 3 times before 6:00 p.m. and showed the noon service and footwashing and more and did not even mention the Easter Baskets! Their crew spent most of the afternoon out front of our church and introduced their afternoon and 6:00 p.m. pieces live from out front.
ABC TV Channel 6 also spent time here during the luncheon following the noon service. I was interviewed as were a number of our members who were eating lunch. The reporter, David Henry, told me that he did not think this was really a story (and, of course, he was correct!) so he was not sure it would be used. And, it appears that he was correct and it was not used.
We had a record attendance here for Maundy Thursday: 692 at 7:30 p.m. after 106 at noon for a day total of 798! This is probably the best attendance for a Maundy Thursday in Trinity's 126 year history! Thank you to everyone who helped make this day a wonderful experience for Trinity members and their guests!
Holy week blessings to all,
Eric
We thought that was all to this unfortunate incident, but, apparently, several news organizations saw the police blotter with "Easter baskets stolen from church" and thought that was a story! So, as we were worshipping at noon on Maundy Thursday, news crews arrived from two Philadelphia TV stations. My colleague, Pastor Dayle Malloy, spoke with the NBC crew and I spoke with the ABC crew. We both emphasized that these boys were welcome to have a good Easter basket, that the "theft" would not deprive any shut-in of an Easter basket and that this week is about God's forgiveness and love for humankind.
The irony, of course, is that we have been trying, without success, to break into the Philadelphia news media and let them know that our large congregation sits out here in Lansdale.
We ended up with news coverage of this "theft" in at least four places:
KYW News Radio 1060AM -
www.kyw1060.com/pages/1865143.php?contentType=4&contentId=1758032
The "Morning Call" (Allentown) newspaper -
www.mcall.com/news/local/police/all-2easter.6324365mar21,0,4019630.story
The Lansdale "Reporter" newspaper carried the same short item that was in the "Morning Call." It is online at www.thereporteronline.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Daily?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.pgpath=%2FTRO%2FHome&r21.content=%2FTRO%2FHome%2FFeaturedArticle_Story_1775162
NBC TV Channel 10 - www.nbc10.com/news/15652276/detail.html .
This last piece (NBC 10) is the text of what they broadcast during their 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. newscasts. I'm told they used other tape from their time at Trinity 2 or 3 times before 6:00 p.m. and showed the noon service and footwashing and more and did not even mention the Easter Baskets! Their crew spent most of the afternoon out front of our church and introduced their afternoon and 6:00 p.m. pieces live from out front.
ABC TV Channel 6 also spent time here during the luncheon following the noon service. I was interviewed as were a number of our members who were eating lunch. The reporter, David Henry, told me that he did not think this was really a story (and, of course, he was correct!) so he was not sure it would be used. And, it appears that he was correct and it was not used.
We had a record attendance here for Maundy Thursday: 692 at 7:30 p.m. after 106 at noon for a day total of 798! This is probably the best attendance for a Maundy Thursday in Trinity's 126 year history! Thank you to everyone who helped make this day a wonderful experience for Trinity members and their guests!
Holy week blessings to all,
Eric
Monday, February 11, 2008
From Jerusalem - Ash Wednesday sermon, February 6, 2008
Here is the text of my Ash Wednesday sermon, recorded on video in Jerusalem and broadcast to three Ash Wednesday worship services at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale, Pennsylvania USA:
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Jesus Christ Brings Peace, Sermon for Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008, video cast to Trinity, Lansdale from Jerusalem
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I bring you greetings this Ash Wednesday from Jerusalem:
* Greetings from the Rev. Claire S. Burkat, Bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, who is traveling with my wife, Kris, and I these days in the Holy Land,
* Greetings from the Rev. Munib Younan, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and
* Greetings from our newest Trinity sponsored ELCA missionaries, the Rev. and Mrs. Mark and Marcia Holman.
Kris and I are staying with the Holmans while we are here this week. Bishop Younan remembers his visit to Trinity last January so fondly and asked me to give you his special greetings.
I am preaching to you today fro the Mount of Olives and over my shoulder you can see the Lutheran Church of the Ascension, one of the possible sites for Jesus’ ascension into heaven. The Lutheran Church of the Ascension is part of the complex of the Augusta Victoria Hospital which has been serving Palestinians for nearly seventy years here in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and all of Gaza. It is the only hospital for the more than seven million Palestinians in the areas of oncology, cancer care, and kidney care, renal problems.
This is the Garden of Gethsemane. What a rare privilege it is for me to be able to preach to you from here on this holiest of days, Ash Wednesday, a day on which we begin our pilgrimage to Easter, following Jesus as he heads here to Jerusalem willingly for what will be his trial, crucifixion, death and resurrection. This week in our travel group we are walking where Jesus walked and following Jesus from his triumphal entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, here to the Garden of Gethsemane on Maundy Thursday, through his crucifixion on Good Friday and finally to his resurrection on Easter.
Lent is an Anglo-Saxon word that comes from the same route as “length,” since it occurs when winter days are lengthening into spring. In other languages, Lent is called “pascha” or Passiontide, from Christ’s passion, that is, Christ’s suffering.
Between Ash Wednesday and Easter there are 46 days. Usually, we speak of the 40 days of Lent. Since Jesus rose from the tomb on a Sunday, Sundays are festival days and not considered part of Lent, although they are part of the Lenten season. Thus, we end up with the 40 days of Lent. That is also why some people fast during Lent on every day but Sunday.
Why are there 40 days in Lent? No one knows for certain, but 40 has always been a special and holy number. In the early Christian church people fasted for the 40 hours from the time of Jesus’ death on Good Friday until the hour when they believed Jesus had risen early on Easter Sunday morning. We also remember the number 40 from other times in the Bible: The 40 days of rain from Noah’s time, the children of Israel wondering for 40 years in the wilderness, Moses spending 40 days and nights atop Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, Jonah waiting 40 days before prophesying at Nineveh. Jesus’ temptation comes after 40 days of fasting and there are 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.
Lent has not always been 40 days. Early Christians marked it in many time periods: 3, 6 or 7 weeks were common. In the 4th century the Christian Church here in Jerusalem fasted for 40 days before Easter and that become the norm for Christians by the 6th century.
Ash Wednesday falls on a different date each year because the timing of Easter Sunday moves each year. Unlike a state holiday with a set date, Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon in spring. This practice dates from centuries ago so that pilgrims coming here to the Holy Land could have moonlight to guide them on their nighttime journeys. This year Ash Wednesday and Easter are nearly as early as they can fall.
Ash Wednesday gets its name from the use of the mark of the ash on a person’s forehead, an Ash Wednesday custom from the ancient Christian church, now common in Roman Catholic and most Lutheran and Episcopal congregations, among many others. This custom traces its roots to devout Jews in Old Testament times who used ashes on their foreheads as a sign of grief and mourning. The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are traditionally the ashes of last year’s palms from Palm Sunday. Pastor Eisenhart recently burned those palms to make the ashes you used in today’s service. This links one Lenten and Easter season to another. The words used with the placement of the ashes on one’s forehead are traditional, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
We are now in the Old City on the Via Dolorosa. This is Kris’ and my third visit to the Holy Land. Each time we have been struck by both the beauty and barrenness of this place – We love the sights and the smells and, especially the people of Israel and Palestine. Each time we have been received with great hospitality and grace by our Palestinian Lutheran brothers and sisters.
And, each of our visits has also been marked for us with a “taste,” so to speak, of the difficult nature of life for Palestinian Christians here. Palestinian Christians, now just 2 or 3% of the population, often are put in a double bind – hated by some Israelis because they are Palestinian and mistrusted by some Palestinian Muslims because they are Christians. Their Christian faith gets them no breaks for life here. They are subject to all the other indignities that come with life for Palestinians in an occupied land – regular military interventions, internal checkpoints, difficulty in finding and keeping employment.
And now we are here in Bethlehem and here we cannot ignore the “separation barrier” built by the Israelis between Palestinian and Israeli territory. This barrier has reduced the incidents of suicide bombings in Israel, but it has often been built within Palestinian territory on land on which the Israelis did not have the legal right to build it. The separation barrier has divided Palestinian lands and cut off Palestinians from lands some of which have been in their families since the time of Christ. It has further isolated and even divided Palestinian villages. And, it has made day to day life for Palestinians, never easy since the occupation by Israel following the 1967 war, even more difficult.
But, even in the face of all of this, Jesus Christ who we now follow to Jerusalem as Lent begins; this Jesus Christ has the courage, the audacity, to promise us that he will bring peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”
And, that is still the hope of Lent for us and for Palestinians and Israelis in 2008. Despite recent and what may seem to be continual setbacks, there is always hope for peace.
Our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has made it clear that we stand with everyone who stands for peace here in the Holy Land. We stand for safety and security for all Israelis and Palestinians and a negotiated peace agreement that includes a shared Jerusalem as capital of two independent states, Israel and Palestine.
And that, I believe, is where Jesus Christ would also stand.
In the Gospels, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”
Jesus Christ can and will bring peace. Let me say that again, - Jesus Christ can and will bring peace. Such a peace is not easy as the continual conflict here in the Holy Land has well shown. But, it is, it must be, the hope and prayer for all of us, not only for us visiting here in this holiest of seasons and for all Christian people.
Jesus Christ brings peace for you and me in our daily lives and even for all the people of Israel and Palestine in 2008.
Shalom, salaam, peace.
Amen.
----------------
Eric
-------------------------------
Jesus Christ Brings Peace, Sermon for Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008, video cast to Trinity, Lansdale from Jerusalem
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I bring you greetings this Ash Wednesday from Jerusalem:
* Greetings from the Rev. Claire S. Burkat, Bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, who is traveling with my wife, Kris, and I these days in the Holy Land,
* Greetings from the Rev. Munib Younan, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and
* Greetings from our newest Trinity sponsored ELCA missionaries, the Rev. and Mrs. Mark and Marcia Holman.
Kris and I are staying with the Holmans while we are here this week. Bishop Younan remembers his visit to Trinity last January so fondly and asked me to give you his special greetings.
I am preaching to you today fro the Mount of Olives and over my shoulder you can see the Lutheran Church of the Ascension, one of the possible sites for Jesus’ ascension into heaven. The Lutheran Church of the Ascension is part of the complex of the Augusta Victoria Hospital which has been serving Palestinians for nearly seventy years here in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and all of Gaza. It is the only hospital for the more than seven million Palestinians in the areas of oncology, cancer care, and kidney care, renal problems.
This is the Garden of Gethsemane. What a rare privilege it is for me to be able to preach to you from here on this holiest of days, Ash Wednesday, a day on which we begin our pilgrimage to Easter, following Jesus as he heads here to Jerusalem willingly for what will be his trial, crucifixion, death and resurrection. This week in our travel group we are walking where Jesus walked and following Jesus from his triumphal entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, here to the Garden of Gethsemane on Maundy Thursday, through his crucifixion on Good Friday and finally to his resurrection on Easter.
Lent is an Anglo-Saxon word that comes from the same route as “length,” since it occurs when winter days are lengthening into spring. In other languages, Lent is called “pascha” or Passiontide, from Christ’s passion, that is, Christ’s suffering.
Between Ash Wednesday and Easter there are 46 days. Usually, we speak of the 40 days of Lent. Since Jesus rose from the tomb on a Sunday, Sundays are festival days and not considered part of Lent, although they are part of the Lenten season. Thus, we end up with the 40 days of Lent. That is also why some people fast during Lent on every day but Sunday.
Why are there 40 days in Lent? No one knows for certain, but 40 has always been a special and holy number. In the early Christian church people fasted for the 40 hours from the time of Jesus’ death on Good Friday until the hour when they believed Jesus had risen early on Easter Sunday morning. We also remember the number 40 from other times in the Bible: The 40 days of rain from Noah’s time, the children of Israel wondering for 40 years in the wilderness, Moses spending 40 days and nights atop Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, Jonah waiting 40 days before prophesying at Nineveh. Jesus’ temptation comes after 40 days of fasting and there are 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.
Lent has not always been 40 days. Early Christians marked it in many time periods: 3, 6 or 7 weeks were common. In the 4th century the Christian Church here in Jerusalem fasted for 40 days before Easter and that become the norm for Christians by the 6th century.
Ash Wednesday falls on a different date each year because the timing of Easter Sunday moves each year. Unlike a state holiday with a set date, Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon in spring. This practice dates from centuries ago so that pilgrims coming here to the Holy Land could have moonlight to guide them on their nighttime journeys. This year Ash Wednesday and Easter are nearly as early as they can fall.
Ash Wednesday gets its name from the use of the mark of the ash on a person’s forehead, an Ash Wednesday custom from the ancient Christian church, now common in Roman Catholic and most Lutheran and Episcopal congregations, among many others. This custom traces its roots to devout Jews in Old Testament times who used ashes on their foreheads as a sign of grief and mourning. The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are traditionally the ashes of last year’s palms from Palm Sunday. Pastor Eisenhart recently burned those palms to make the ashes you used in today’s service. This links one Lenten and Easter season to another. The words used with the placement of the ashes on one’s forehead are traditional, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
We are now in the Old City on the Via Dolorosa. This is Kris’ and my third visit to the Holy Land. Each time we have been struck by both the beauty and barrenness of this place – We love the sights and the smells and, especially the people of Israel and Palestine. Each time we have been received with great hospitality and grace by our Palestinian Lutheran brothers and sisters.
And, each of our visits has also been marked for us with a “taste,” so to speak, of the difficult nature of life for Palestinian Christians here. Palestinian Christians, now just 2 or 3% of the population, often are put in a double bind – hated by some Israelis because they are Palestinian and mistrusted by some Palestinian Muslims because they are Christians. Their Christian faith gets them no breaks for life here. They are subject to all the other indignities that come with life for Palestinians in an occupied land – regular military interventions, internal checkpoints, difficulty in finding and keeping employment.
And now we are here in Bethlehem and here we cannot ignore the “separation barrier” built by the Israelis between Palestinian and Israeli territory. This barrier has reduced the incidents of suicide bombings in Israel, but it has often been built within Palestinian territory on land on which the Israelis did not have the legal right to build it. The separation barrier has divided Palestinian lands and cut off Palestinians from lands some of which have been in their families since the time of Christ. It has further isolated and even divided Palestinian villages. And, it has made day to day life for Palestinians, never easy since the occupation by Israel following the 1967 war, even more difficult.
But, even in the face of all of this, Jesus Christ who we now follow to Jerusalem as Lent begins; this Jesus Christ has the courage, the audacity, to promise us that he will bring peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”
And, that is still the hope of Lent for us and for Palestinians and Israelis in 2008. Despite recent and what may seem to be continual setbacks, there is always hope for peace.
Our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has made it clear that we stand with everyone who stands for peace here in the Holy Land. We stand for safety and security for all Israelis and Palestinians and a negotiated peace agreement that includes a shared Jerusalem as capital of two independent states, Israel and Palestine.
And that, I believe, is where Jesus Christ would also stand.
In the Gospels, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”
Jesus Christ can and will bring peace. Let me say that again, - Jesus Christ can and will bring peace. Such a peace is not easy as the continual conflict here in the Holy Land has well shown. But, it is, it must be, the hope and prayer for all of us, not only for us visiting here in this holiest of seasons and for all Christian people.
Jesus Christ brings peace for you and me in our daily lives and even for all the people of Israel and Palestine in 2008.
Shalom, salaam, peace.
Amen.
----------------
Eric
Sunday, February 10, 2008
From Jerusalem, January 31 - February 8, 2008 - Media summary
One of the many reasons for this trip to Jerusalem was to preach my sermon at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale on Ash Wednesday from Jerusalem. If you want to view this sermon, you can find it on our web site, www.trinitylansdale.com - follow the link from the center of the home page. The text of this sermon is online also - look for the "Sermons" button on the left hand column. The sermon video is also online on Tim Frakes' website at http://frakesproductions.blogspot.com:80/2008/02/rev-eric-shafer-ash-wednesday-sermon.html .
Another reason for this trip was to attract positive publicity around my Ash Wednesday sermon for Trinity and, by implication, for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL - www.elcjhl.org). Here is a summary of the media coverage that I know of:
1) The February issue of "The Lutheran" magazine included a mention of my sermon it its "Churchscan" column on page #43. You may be able to read it online at www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=6971 .
2) The Lansdale "Reporter" newspaper had two stories:
A) The first was a front page story on January 30, "One faith, an ocean apart," which included a color photo of Kris and me from our first Holy Land visit in 1998. It is still online at www.thereporteronline.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Daily?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.content=/TRO/_RSSFeed/TopStories/TopStoryList_Story_1508901&r21.pgpath=/TRO/News .
B) The second was a B1 ("Lifestyle") story on February 5, "Sacred Sermon: Ash Wednesday in the Holy Land." This story included a color photo of ELCA missionaries the Rev. Mark & Mrs. Marcia Holman with Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land Bishop, the Rev. Munig Younan. I cannot find this one online.
3) The Allentown "Morning Call" newspaper ran an "Op Ed" (Opinion) piece that I wrote, "In the Middle East, God is on the side of peace" on Ash Wednesday, February 6. You can read it online at www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-right_col.6259471feb06,0,7678242.story . If you find it online you will also see many comments that followed its online posting. I just found it shared again on this website - http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=10172&pst=884866&archival=&posts=3 .
4) Sarah Larson's Doylestown "Intelligencer" front page article on Ash Wednesday, February 6 "Pastor to speak to faithful from the Holy Land," is also online at www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-02062008-1483216.html . This article included a color photo of me pulled from my Trinity video Ash Wednesday sermon from the Garden of Gethsemane. Larson's article was also used in the Bucks County "Courier Times" newspaper with this headline - "Lutheran leaders deliver Holy Land sermons," online at www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-02062008-1483351.html . This same article , with the first headline, was then picked up by MSNBC and distributed nationally - see www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23027030/ . That MSNBC posting was picked up by a number of global news websites. I found it on World News (www.wn.com) and Channel Afrika (www.channelafrika.com).
5) The Reading "Eagle/Times" newspaper ran a brief item, with my photo, in their newspaper on Saturday, February 2. It is under their summary, "Lenten season to get underway." One of this article's subtitles is 'Wyomissing native to preach near Jerusalem." You'll find it online at www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=78745 .
All in all, very fine newspaper and web coverage.
Eric
Another reason for this trip was to attract positive publicity around my Ash Wednesday sermon for Trinity and, by implication, for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL - www.elcjhl.org). Here is a summary of the media coverage that I know of:
1) The February issue of "The Lutheran" magazine included a mention of my sermon it its "Churchscan" column on page #43. You may be able to read it online at www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=6971 .
2) The Lansdale "Reporter" newspaper had two stories:
A) The first was a front page story on January 30, "One faith, an ocean apart," which included a color photo of Kris and me from our first Holy Land visit in 1998. It is still online at www.thereporteronline.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Daily?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.content=/TRO/_RSSFeed/TopStories/TopStoryList_Story_1508901&r21.pgpath=/TRO/News .
B) The second was a B1 ("Lifestyle") story on February 5, "Sacred Sermon: Ash Wednesday in the Holy Land." This story included a color photo of ELCA missionaries the Rev. Mark & Mrs. Marcia Holman with Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land Bishop, the Rev. Munig Younan. I cannot find this one online.
3) The Allentown "Morning Call" newspaper ran an "Op Ed" (Opinion) piece that I wrote, "In the Middle East, God is on the side of peace" on Ash Wednesday, February 6. You can read it online at www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-right_col.6259471feb06,0,7678242.story . If you find it online you will also see many comments that followed its online posting. I just found it shared again on this website - http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=10172&pst=884866&archival=&posts=3 .
4) Sarah Larson's Doylestown "Intelligencer" front page article on Ash Wednesday, February 6 "Pastor to speak to faithful from the Holy Land," is also online at www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-02062008-1483216.html . This article included a color photo of me pulled from my Trinity video Ash Wednesday sermon from the Garden of Gethsemane. Larson's article was also used in the Bucks County "Courier Times" newspaper with this headline - "Lutheran leaders deliver Holy Land sermons," online at www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-02062008-1483351.html . This same article , with the first headline, was then picked up by MSNBC and distributed nationally - see www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23027030/ . That MSNBC posting was picked up by a number of global news websites. I found it on World News (www.wn.com) and Channel Afrika (www.channelafrika.com).
5) The Reading "Eagle/Times" newspaper ran a brief item, with my photo, in their newspaper on Saturday, February 2. It is under their summary, "Lenten season to get underway." One of this article's subtitles is 'Wyomissing native to preach near Jerusalem." You'll find it online at www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=78745 .
All in all, very fine newspaper and web coverage.
Eric
From Jerusalem - Friday, February 8, 2008
The alarm rang on Friday just after midnight at 12:30 a.m., after just two hours of sleep, so that we could leave our hotel at 1:30 a.m. for the bus ride to Tel Aviv airport. The very strict security at this airport requires at least a three hour arrival in advance of one's flight. Since our flight left at 5:30 a.m., we wanted to be there around 2:00 a.m.
We arrived in good time and began the security screening process. Once the screeners found that we had spent our time with Palestinians and were carrying home gifts from Palestinians (Kris and I had a ceramic tray from Bishop Younan) we were singled out for intense inspection. Our luggage was completely emptied and searched. The screeners were always polite and professional. This process took around an hour which meant we were still ready for our flight early.
Our flight from Tel Aviv to Frankfurt and then the flight from Frankfurt home to Philadelphia were both uneventful. US Customs at Philadelphia was slow (not enough staff) but that meant that our luggage was waiting for us by the time we cleared customs. After dropping Bishop Burkat at her home, we were home in Lansdale before 7:00 p.m.
Eric
We arrived in good time and began the security screening process. Once the screeners found that we had spent our time with Palestinians and were carrying home gifts from Palestinians (Kris and I had a ceramic tray from Bishop Younan) we were singled out for intense inspection. Our luggage was completely emptied and searched. The screeners were always polite and professional. This process took around an hour which meant we were still ready for our flight early.
Our flight from Tel Aviv to Frankfurt and then the flight from Frankfurt home to Philadelphia were both uneventful. US Customs at Philadelphia was slow (not enough staff) but that meant that our luggage was waiting for us by the time we cleared customs. After dropping Bishop Burkat at her home, we were home in Lansdale before 7:00 p.m.
Eric
From Jerusalem - Thursday, February 7, 2008
For our final day in the Holy Land we boarded our bus early to take a tour of Jesus sites in Galilee, about two hours or more north of Jerusalem. We travelled to Galilee with a quick stop in Jericho and then headed north through Samaria. Many sites from Jesus' ministry years are located just north of the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee.
Our first stop was the Mount of the Beatitudes, a possible site for the Sermon on the Mount. Our guide pointed out that good Biblical scholarship doubts that what is written in Matthew 5 ("Blessed ar the poor in spirit..." etc.) was preached in this or any one place. The beatitudes are more likely a compiling of a number of sermons preached at the number of places. No matter, this a beautiful spot on a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee as likely as any place for Jesus to have gone when he "saw the crowds...went up the mountain...and taught them..." (Matthew 5: 1&2)
We stopped for a late lunch (most folks had "St. Peter's fish" which is talapia) and then headed to Tabgha, the probable site of the feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14: 13 - 21). This is one of Kris' and my favorite spots - the church here is quite beautiful and grounds lovely. The floor of the restored church includes a mosaic of a loaf of bread and two fishes, an image you see on many souvenir items here. Under the church altar is a rock that is said to be the actual traditional site of this miracle.
Right next to this site is the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, a stone church built along the Sea of Galilee shoreline. In it is said to be the rock on which Jesus said, of Peter, "on this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). More interesting to me is the tradition that on the very rocky beach of the Sea of Galilee next to this church is the site of Jesus' post-resurrection breakfast "fish fry" (appearance to his discples) in John 21, the spot where Jesus also told Peter and some other disciples, who had all returned to fishing after Jesus' death, to go back out again to fish "and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish" (John 21: 6). We shared Holy Communion in an outdoor chapel on the church grounds.
Our next stop was Capharnaum (Capernaum), the town where Jesus lived as an adult and also the home of St. Peter. A lovely modern church is built on the ruins of St. Peter's birth home. There are also ruins of an early synagogue where Jesus may have taught. The town itself is basically an archiological site and is most interesting.
From Capernaum we headed southwest to Nazareth, home of Mary and Joseph and the place where Jesus grew up. This is the site of the Annunication, when an angel tells Mary that she will bear a son, Jesus (Luke 1: 26 - 38). It was nearly dark when we arrived in Nazareth and hurried to the Basilica of the Annunciation, a beautiful modern church built over a possible site of the home of Mary and Joseph and Jesus. This is an amazing church building, a wonderful combination of modern and traditional.
It was now quite late and we had a long drive to Tel Aviv where we were to stay overnight in a hotel so that we would be close to the airport for our early Friday morning flight. We arrived at the Merkur Hotel in Tel Aviv after 8:30 p.m. and had a late dinner together there after 9:00 p.m.
Eric
Our first stop was the Mount of the Beatitudes, a possible site for the Sermon on the Mount. Our guide pointed out that good Biblical scholarship doubts that what is written in Matthew 5 ("Blessed ar the poor in spirit..." etc.) was preached in this or any one place. The beatitudes are more likely a compiling of a number of sermons preached at the number of places. No matter, this a beautiful spot on a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee as likely as any place for Jesus to have gone when he "saw the crowds...went up the mountain...and taught them..." (Matthew 5: 1&2)
We stopped for a late lunch (most folks had "St. Peter's fish" which is talapia) and then headed to Tabgha, the probable site of the feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14: 13 - 21). This is one of Kris' and my favorite spots - the church here is quite beautiful and grounds lovely. The floor of the restored church includes a mosaic of a loaf of bread and two fishes, an image you see on many souvenir items here. Under the church altar is a rock that is said to be the actual traditional site of this miracle.
Right next to this site is the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, a stone church built along the Sea of Galilee shoreline. In it is said to be the rock on which Jesus said, of Peter, "on this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). More interesting to me is the tradition that on the very rocky beach of the Sea of Galilee next to this church is the site of Jesus' post-resurrection breakfast "fish fry" (appearance to his discples) in John 21, the spot where Jesus also told Peter and some other disciples, who had all returned to fishing after Jesus' death, to go back out again to fish "and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish" (John 21: 6). We shared Holy Communion in an outdoor chapel on the church grounds.
Our next stop was Capharnaum (Capernaum), the town where Jesus lived as an adult and also the home of St. Peter. A lovely modern church is built on the ruins of St. Peter's birth home. There are also ruins of an early synagogue where Jesus may have taught. The town itself is basically an archiological site and is most interesting.
From Capernaum we headed southwest to Nazareth, home of Mary and Joseph and the place where Jesus grew up. This is the site of the Annunication, when an angel tells Mary that she will bear a son, Jesus (Luke 1: 26 - 38). It was nearly dark when we arrived in Nazareth and hurried to the Basilica of the Annunciation, a beautiful modern church built over a possible site of the home of Mary and Joseph and Jesus. This is an amazing church building, a wonderful combination of modern and traditional.
It was now quite late and we had a long drive to Tel Aviv where we were to stay overnight in a hotel so that we would be close to the airport for our early Friday morning flight. We arrived at the Merkur Hotel in Tel Aviv after 8:30 p.m. and had a late dinner together there after 9:00 p.m.
Eric
Saturday, February 09, 2008
From Jerusalem - Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Ash Wednesday was a day of incredible contrasts for our group. In the morning we walked where Jesus walked along the Via Dolorosa. In the afternoon we travelled to Hebron, site of recent tensions between Muslims and Jews.
We began with a walking tour of parts of the Old City of Jerusalem associated with Jesus Christ. First we walked to the Church of St. Anne, certainly of the most beautiful churches in the Old City. According to tradition, this church is built on the site of the birthplace of Jesus' mother, Mary. Tradition says that her parents' names were Joachim and Anne, hence the name of the church. It is a very beautful church, simple by Jerusalem standards. One is able to walk down underneath the church to a crypt, the traditional site of Mary's birth.
Outside of St. Anne's Church is the Pool of Bethesda, site of Jesus' healing of the man "who had been ill for thirty-eight years." (John 5: 1 - 18). Many people come to this place to pray for healing. The ruins of the pool are extensive and one can see where the two baths and five porches (porticos) once stood. I said prayers for those from Trinity who are hospitalized this week and others in need of healing.
We next made a quick stop at the Church (Chapel) of the Flagellation, the traditional place where Jesus was tortured. This small church is very dramatic with amazing stained glass windows and a stained glass crown of thorns in the ceiling above the altar (must be quite a place to preside at communion and preach!) This is also the probable site of Jesus' trail before Pilate, although there is another very possible site in front of Pilate's residence outside of the city.
On our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) we went inside of an unnamed church to see ruins of a very old city gate. The gate was large enough for a loaded camel to enter. Next to that larger gate was a very small gate, one that could be opened at night when the larger gate was closed for the night, but only for the entry by a person, not a camel or other animal. The smaller gate is called the "Eye of the Needle!"
We then hurried to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection). This large church covers BOTH the likely site of Jesus' crucifxion (Golgatha) and ressurection, his tomb. That is surprising to most first time visitors, that these two sites may have been so very close together, but good historical/Biblical study has supported these as the actual locations for both. Kris and I had been here twice before. This time the church seemed brighter and cleaner than our previous visits.
We grabbed lunch to eat on the bus and headed to Hebron, both a holy site (the traditional site of the tomb of Abraham and Sarah) and a modern conflict site (location of many Jewish/Muslim confrontations). This large Palestinian city (nearly 200,000 residents) includes around 500 Jewish settlers protected by more than 1,000 Israeli soldiers. The city is divided into two sections, H2 (Israeli contolled) and H1 (Palestinian controlled) and there are internal checkpoints between them. We were accompanied by four volunteers from the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment program. These (mostly) young adults from Europe and the USA escort Palestinian school children to the Cordobal school which is located near one of the Jewish settlements. We visited the Cordobal school and spoke with its principal, Reem Shareef, who was working despite a Palestinian strike this week. We then walkedd down Al-Shuhada Street where many Palestinian shops have been closed because of the local tensions - there was netting over the street, full of garage thrown down by hostile settlers. We tried to visit Ibrahimi Mosque but it was not open to non-Muslims during the prayer time when we arrived. We did visit the Cave of the Machpela Synagogue (both are part of a large combined but separated building built on the traditional site of Abraham's and Sarah's graves and, thus, a very important holy site for these two religions) The mosque was also the site of a massacre in the 1990's so both the mosque and the synagogue are heavily guarded by Isralie defense soldiers. Our guide in the synagogue also claimed that this is the site of Adam's and Eve's graves (news to me!)
Here is one example of the tensions here - We were told of a recent incident when a pregnant Palestinian woman was denied passage at one of the internal checkpoints between the H1 and H2 . Not able to get to the hospital (through the checkpoint) in time, she delivered her baby at the checkpoint!
We then travelled by bus to the Al-Arroub refugee camp outside of Hebron. There around 10,000 Palestinian refugees have lived since they were removed from their homes in 1948 in more than 35 now-Israeli villages. We met with leaders of the camp's women's cooperative, started as a needlework guild and now extended to many health and education activities. The women we were meeting with today all shared a similar story - their young sons (mostly around age 15) had been arrested by Israeli solders and held without trial. The charge was always similar (and denied by these mothers) - throwing rocks at soldiers. Each was taken at night in a raid in their homes. Most of the time, they were released after five months in jail (no trial). But, these five months were often precided by a long wait so that their "official" sentence would begin after they turned age 17. When asked, they added that some young girls have also been arrested. One young boy showed us the scar on his back from an Israeli soldier's shooting - he hadn't thrown any rocks, just had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Tensions in this camp are very high. We were welcomed by the women we met with, but certainly looked at suspiciously by others in this community. Another place filled with much tension and pain. (And, I'm certain there are similar tensions and pains in the Jewish settler areas).
We were glad to get back on our bus and head back to Jersualem where Bishop Younan hosted us for a goodbye dinner at the Christmas Hotel in east Jerusalem. It was a very fine, late dinner.
We returned to the Holmans home. Earlier that evening they had hosted nearly 40 members of Redeemer Church for an Ash Wednesday mean and service in their home. Our Ash Wednesday did not include the literal imposition of ashes but it certainly included many marks of the suffering of God's people.
Eric
We began with a walking tour of parts of the Old City of Jerusalem associated with Jesus Christ. First we walked to the Church of St. Anne, certainly of the most beautiful churches in the Old City. According to tradition, this church is built on the site of the birthplace of Jesus' mother, Mary. Tradition says that her parents' names were Joachim and Anne, hence the name of the church. It is a very beautful church, simple by Jerusalem standards. One is able to walk down underneath the church to a crypt, the traditional site of Mary's birth.
Outside of St. Anne's Church is the Pool of Bethesda, site of Jesus' healing of the man "who had been ill for thirty-eight years." (John 5: 1 - 18). Many people come to this place to pray for healing. The ruins of the pool are extensive and one can see where the two baths and five porches (porticos) once stood. I said prayers for those from Trinity who are hospitalized this week and others in need of healing.
We next made a quick stop at the Church (Chapel) of the Flagellation, the traditional place where Jesus was tortured. This small church is very dramatic with amazing stained glass windows and a stained glass crown of thorns in the ceiling above the altar (must be quite a place to preside at communion and preach!) This is also the probable site of Jesus' trail before Pilate, although there is another very possible site in front of Pilate's residence outside of the city.
On our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection) we went inside of an unnamed church to see ruins of a very old city gate. The gate was large enough for a loaded camel to enter. Next to that larger gate was a very small gate, one that could be opened at night when the larger gate was closed for the night, but only for the entry by a person, not a camel or other animal. The smaller gate is called the "Eye of the Needle!"
We then hurried to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection). This large church covers BOTH the likely site of Jesus' crucifxion (Golgatha) and ressurection, his tomb. That is surprising to most first time visitors, that these two sites may have been so very close together, but good historical/Biblical study has supported these as the actual locations for both. Kris and I had been here twice before. This time the church seemed brighter and cleaner than our previous visits.
We grabbed lunch to eat on the bus and headed to Hebron, both a holy site (the traditional site of the tomb of Abraham and Sarah) and a modern conflict site (location of many Jewish/Muslim confrontations). This large Palestinian city (nearly 200,000 residents) includes around 500 Jewish settlers protected by more than 1,000 Israeli soldiers. The city is divided into two sections, H2 (Israeli contolled) and H1 (Palestinian controlled) and there are internal checkpoints between them. We were accompanied by four volunteers from the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment program. These (mostly) young adults from Europe and the USA escort Palestinian school children to the Cordobal school which is located near one of the Jewish settlements. We visited the Cordobal school and spoke with its principal, Reem Shareef, who was working despite a Palestinian strike this week. We then walkedd down Al-Shuhada Street where many Palestinian shops have been closed because of the local tensions - there was netting over the street, full of garage thrown down by hostile settlers. We tried to visit Ibrahimi Mosque but it was not open to non-Muslims during the prayer time when we arrived. We did visit the Cave of the Machpela Synagogue (both are part of a large combined but separated building built on the traditional site of Abraham's and Sarah's graves and, thus, a very important holy site for these two religions) The mosque was also the site of a massacre in the 1990's so both the mosque and the synagogue are heavily guarded by Isralie defense soldiers. Our guide in the synagogue also claimed that this is the site of Adam's and Eve's graves (news to me!)
Here is one example of the tensions here - We were told of a recent incident when a pregnant Palestinian woman was denied passage at one of the internal checkpoints between the H1 and H2 . Not able to get to the hospital (through the checkpoint) in time, she delivered her baby at the checkpoint!
We then travelled by bus to the Al-Arroub refugee camp outside of Hebron. There around 10,000 Palestinian refugees have lived since they were removed from their homes in 1948 in more than 35 now-Israeli villages. We met with leaders of the camp's women's cooperative, started as a needlework guild and now extended to many health and education activities. The women we were meeting with today all shared a similar story - their young sons (mostly around age 15) had been arrested by Israeli solders and held without trial. The charge was always similar (and denied by these mothers) - throwing rocks at soldiers. Each was taken at night in a raid in their homes. Most of the time, they were released after five months in jail (no trial). But, these five months were often precided by a long wait so that their "official" sentence would begin after they turned age 17. When asked, they added that some young girls have also been arrested. One young boy showed us the scar on his back from an Israeli soldier's shooting - he hadn't thrown any rocks, just had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Tensions in this camp are very high. We were welcomed by the women we met with, but certainly looked at suspiciously by others in this community. Another place filled with much tension and pain. (And, I'm certain there are similar tensions and pains in the Jewish settler areas).
We were glad to get back on our bus and head back to Jersualem where Bishop Younan hosted us for a goodbye dinner at the Christmas Hotel in east Jerusalem. It was a very fine, late dinner.
We returned to the Holmans home. Earlier that evening they had hosted nearly 40 members of Redeemer Church for an Ash Wednesday mean and service in their home. Our Ash Wednesday did not include the literal imposition of ashes but it certainly included many marks of the suffering of God's people.
Eric
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
From Jerusalem - Ash Wednesday, February 6, 2008
We spent Ash Wednesday experiencing two sides of suffering, one Jesus' Biblical suffering and one current the current suffering of the Israeli and Palestinian people. In the morning, we toured more in the Old City and in the afternoon we visited the Biblical city of Hebron. I cannot do justice to these two powerful halves of our day without some more time for reflection which will need to wait for our return to the USA. I will write and reflect on this more soon.
Our Ash Wednesday ended with a dinner at the Christmas Hotel in east Jerusalem hosted by ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan.
On Thursday we have a day of visiting New Testament sites in Galilee and will head from there directly to a hotel near the Tel Aviv airport where we will have a couple of hours of sleep before rising around midnight Thursday/Friday to get to the airport for our 5:30 a.m. first flight home on Friday. The extensive Tel Aviv airport pre-flight security screening process (probably made more extensive since we spent much of our time here with Palestinians) requires us to be at the airport by 2:00 a.m. or so on Friday!
My "Morning Call" newspaper opinion piece was published today. You can read it online at www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-right_col.6259471feb06,0,7678242.story . If this link doesn't work, just go to www.mcall.com and click on "opinion" on the left hand menu and then look for "In the Middle East...." I have already heard from several people who disagree with what I wrote. More on that in a later posting.
I am not sure if I will have computer access or time for further reflections before we arrive home in Lansdale on Friday evening. There is much more to write and pray about from this journey.
God's blessings on your Lenten journey,
Eric
Our Ash Wednesday ended with a dinner at the Christmas Hotel in east Jerusalem hosted by ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan.
On Thursday we have a day of visiting New Testament sites in Galilee and will head from there directly to a hotel near the Tel Aviv airport where we will have a couple of hours of sleep before rising around midnight Thursday/Friday to get to the airport for our 5:30 a.m. first flight home on Friday. The extensive Tel Aviv airport pre-flight security screening process (probably made more extensive since we spent much of our time here with Palestinians) requires us to be at the airport by 2:00 a.m. or so on Friday!
My "Morning Call" newspaper opinion piece was published today. You can read it online at www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-right_col.6259471feb06,0,7678242.story . If this link doesn't work, just go to www.mcall.com and click on "opinion" on the left hand menu and then look for "In the Middle East...." I have already heard from several people who disagree with what I wrote. More on that in a later posting.
I am not sure if I will have computer access or time for further reflections before we arrive home in Lansdale on Friday evening. There is much more to write and pray about from this journey.
God's blessings on your Lenten journey,
Eric
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
From Jerusalem - Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Kris and I took a day off from the group's agenda today. All of the group's visits today duplicated ones we've had on both of our previous Holy Land trips. This gave me the opportunity to update my blog for Saturday (rewrite) and Sunday and Monday as you can now see. It was a very good day of writing, praying and reflection.
Some news coverage of this trip thus far:
1) The Doylestown "Intelligencer" newspaper has a good article on our trip, with a link to my Ash Wednesday sermon online, in their paper on Ash Wednesday, February 6. You can read it online at www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-02052008-1483043.html.
2) My opinion piece is also scheduled to run in the Allentown "Morning Call" on Ash Wednesday. I don't see it posted on their web site yet (it is already Ash Wednesday here as I write this, but not yet Ash Wednesday in Allentown!) You should be able to find it by going to www.mcall.com and then to "Opinion" and then to my piece about peace in the Middle East.
3) The Reading "Eagle/Times" newspaper had a short piece in their article, "Lenten season to get under way" with the subtitle "Wyomissing native to preach near Jerusalem," last Saturday, February 2. They also included a photo. You can read it online at www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=78745 .
4) The first article was a front page story with color photo in the Lansdale "Reporter" last Thursday, January 31. That URL is too long to repeat here.
Eric
Some news coverage of this trip thus far:
1) The Doylestown "Intelligencer" newspaper has a good article on our trip, with a link to my Ash Wednesday sermon online, in their paper on Ash Wednesday, February 6. You can read it online at www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-02052008-1483043.html.
2) My opinion piece is also scheduled to run in the Allentown "Morning Call" on Ash Wednesday. I don't see it posted on their web site yet (it is already Ash Wednesday here as I write this, but not yet Ash Wednesday in Allentown!) You should be able to find it by going to www.mcall.com and then to "Opinion" and then to my piece about peace in the Middle East.
3) The Reading "Eagle/Times" newspaper had a short piece in their article, "Lenten season to get under way" with the subtitle "Wyomissing native to preach near Jerusalem," last Saturday, February 2. They also included a photo. You can read it online at www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=78745 .
4) The first article was a front page story with color photo in the Lansdale "Reporter" last Thursday, January 31. That URL is too long to repeat here.
Eric
From Jerusalem - Monday, February 4, 2008
Our Monday began at the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) in Jerusalem where we saw a power point presentation by UN staff. The Palestinian Authority gets the highest per capita percentage of UN humanitarian aid in the world. Poverty in Palestine is very high - 57% (79% in Gaza) with 34% of the population without adequate food, 1.3 million people are not sure where their next meal is coming from! There are 2.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank area plus 250,000 in east Jerusalem. 450,000 Israeli settlers now live in 150 settlements on West Bank territory. All of these settlements are illegal by international law (Geneva, 1947). There are also an additional 150 outposts on West Bank land and these are even illegal under Israeli law. This UN office monitors the internal blocks that Israel has put on Palestinian (West Bank) territory. There are now 561 of these - checkpoints, partial checkpoints, road gates, road blocks, earth mounds, trenches, road barriers and earth walls. These are the main reason for Palestinian economic problems and humanitarian issues and have increased since 2005 with no indication of any removals coming. The route of the new separation barrier is 80% on Palestinian land and is contrary to international law (International Court of Justice, 2004).
We then travelled by bus to Ramallah and the Lutheran School of Hope (a school which has received financial support from our congregation). The senior high students first danced for us - wonderful dancing by both boys and girls and then we broke up into small groups to talk (in English - every student here studies English) with students.
The students had a lot to say! Here are some quotes:
"We will never give up hope - we are the school of hope"
"Please tell people in the US that we are not terrorists"
"Life here is hard, we study hard"
"Some people have hope, some do not"
"The Israelis have many weapons but appear to be afraid of our rocks and stones, our thoughts and dreams"
"We live here in one big prison"
"We just want peace - we are tired"
In 2003 Kris and I had also toured the School of Hope and spoke with students. I was surprised to hear how "present" the 2002 incursion by Israeli soldiers into Ramallah (and this school), which we had heard of in our 2003 visit, still was for these students still in 2008. One student told how the soldiers took over their home for several days after which they left. They found nothing suspicious but still took away his father and brother to prison where they were not charged and were soon released - their arrest appeared to be just to have some excuse for invading his family's home.
The Lutheran School of Hope has 455 students, 35% Christian and 65% Muslim. 22 of the students are Lutheran. There are 32 faculty plus staff. Tuition is $1,000 per school year but no student is turned away because of inability to pay. The building is overcrowded and the ELCJHL hopes to build a new school soon - land and plans are already made, funding is the main issue delaying construction.
We next stopped at the Lutheran World Federation's (LWF's) Vocational Training Program in Ramallah. The LWF began vocational training in east Jerusalem in 1949. The Ramallah center was opened in 2004 so that Palestinian who have great difficulty coming to Jerusalem could have classes close to home. The need for this training is great - high unemployment and poverty here. Most students work 3 days and attend class for 2 days each week. There are three programs: 2 year, 1 year (apprentice) and test preparation. Classes are available in auto mechanics, telecommunication, carpentry, and metal work. Both men and women attend, but women are only in the telecommunication classes, not the others. They work with 155 area small businesses for apprenticeship and placement and 15 local non-government agencies (NGO's). We then visited one area business, a BMW repair shop, which has employed graduates and is a place for auto mechanics apprenticeships.
We also visited the tomb of Yasser Arafat in Ramallah near his former Ramallah residence and office. When Kris and I were last here in 2003, Arafat was under virtual house arrest by Israeli troops which had surrounded his compound and destroyed most of the buildings. In 2003 when we visited in the rain this area was a mud hole. Now it is a beautiful memorial to this important Palestinian leader.
After a very late lunch at a Ramallah restaurant, we headed back to the Lutheran School of Hope to wait for Bishop Younan to join us. Bishop Younan then joined us to plan for our 6:00 p.m. meeting with Palestinian Authority officials.
We then returned to the Palestinian Authority headquarters (next to Arafat's tomb) for our meeting with Dr. Rafiq El-Huseini, Chief of Staff for the Palestinian Authority President Abbas. Joining us for this meeting also was Issa Kassisieh from the President's Office for Christian Relations.
Kassisieh shared his story with us - He is a Christian and an east Jerusalem resident. He married a Bethlehem Christian woman in 2002. They are not allowed to live together in east Jerusalem and cannot register their children in schools there. Kassisieh noted that his example, far too common for Christians here, also shows how this may be "the first time in history when Jerusalem and Bethlehem are kept separate." A major concern is the emigration of Christians from Palestine. For example, the Armenian section of the Old City of Jerusalem had 5,000 Armenian Christian residents 7 years ago. Now there are only 400. "Occupation is the reason Christians leave Palestine."
Dr. El-Huseini began by noting that he was born at the Augusta Victoria Hospital and wanted to share his support for the Augusta Victoria Hospital and urge us Lutherans to do everything we can to keep it open. El-Huseini said that AVH is an important link between the West Bank and east Jerusalem and performs a very important community service.
Israel's strategy, El-Huseini stated, for 60 years has been "to get Palestinian territory and resources without Palestinians!" The current West Bank and Gaza represents only 22% of historic Palestine (1948 Israel is the rest). The current Palestinian Authority controls only 18% of the West Bank and Gaza. "Israel wants Palestinian land without the Palestinian people."
El-Huseini noted that 2008 is a very important year since President Bush has indicated that he would like to see a Palestinian/Israel peace treaty by the end of this year, just 11 months away! He noted that Palestinian society has always been very tolerant of all religions but is in danger of becoming less tolerant because of "Islamic and Jewish radicalization." "We are not creating an Islamic state - Palestine is open to all people. Our equality is not based on religion."
El-Huseini stated that while the short term situation is bleak that, in the long term, Israel (and Palestine) have no choice but peace, no choice but the two state solution. Israel can shape Palestinian public opinion negatively and can radicalize Palestinians by their occupation policies. But that will only bring war. So, the only solution is a negotiated peace. El-Huseini said that Hamas won the Palestinian elections because of the lack of progress in the peace process and that they "will not win another election." With a good peace agreement, "Hamas will pass away." He noted that Hamas violence towards Israel only works against peace and only plays into the hands of radical Israelis. "We (the Palestinians) will never win by military means. This is chess, not boxing."
When asked about the US Presidential election, El-Huseini said that he has "no hopes, only fears" because American Presidents have recently not addressed the Israel/Palestine issue until their second terms (Bush, Clinton) and, thus, he fears that it will take 6 years for the next US President to involve him/herself in this situation.
After this session we headed by bus back into Jerusalem for dinner at the Notre Dame center. It was a very fine, late dinner. We returned very late to the Holmans' home.
Eric
We then travelled by bus to Ramallah and the Lutheran School of Hope (a school which has received financial support from our congregation). The senior high students first danced for us - wonderful dancing by both boys and girls and then we broke up into small groups to talk (in English - every student here studies English) with students.
The students had a lot to say! Here are some quotes:
"We will never give up hope - we are the school of hope"
"Please tell people in the US that we are not terrorists"
"Life here is hard, we study hard"
"Some people have hope, some do not"
"The Israelis have many weapons but appear to be afraid of our rocks and stones, our thoughts and dreams"
"We live here in one big prison"
"We just want peace - we are tired"
In 2003 Kris and I had also toured the School of Hope and spoke with students. I was surprised to hear how "present" the 2002 incursion by Israeli soldiers into Ramallah (and this school), which we had heard of in our 2003 visit, still was for these students still in 2008. One student told how the soldiers took over their home for several days after which they left. They found nothing suspicious but still took away his father and brother to prison where they were not charged and were soon released - their arrest appeared to be just to have some excuse for invading his family's home.
The Lutheran School of Hope has 455 students, 35% Christian and 65% Muslim. 22 of the students are Lutheran. There are 32 faculty plus staff. Tuition is $1,000 per school year but no student is turned away because of inability to pay. The building is overcrowded and the ELCJHL hopes to build a new school soon - land and plans are already made, funding is the main issue delaying construction.
We next stopped at the Lutheran World Federation's (LWF's) Vocational Training Program in Ramallah. The LWF began vocational training in east Jerusalem in 1949. The Ramallah center was opened in 2004 so that Palestinian who have great difficulty coming to Jerusalem could have classes close to home. The need for this training is great - high unemployment and poverty here. Most students work 3 days and attend class for 2 days each week. There are three programs: 2 year, 1 year (apprentice) and test preparation. Classes are available in auto mechanics, telecommunication, carpentry, and metal work. Both men and women attend, but women are only in the telecommunication classes, not the others. They work with 155 area small businesses for apprenticeship and placement and 15 local non-government agencies (NGO's). We then visited one area business, a BMW repair shop, which has employed graduates and is a place for auto mechanics apprenticeships.
We also visited the tomb of Yasser Arafat in Ramallah near his former Ramallah residence and office. When Kris and I were last here in 2003, Arafat was under virtual house arrest by Israeli troops which had surrounded his compound and destroyed most of the buildings. In 2003 when we visited in the rain this area was a mud hole. Now it is a beautiful memorial to this important Palestinian leader.
After a very late lunch at a Ramallah restaurant, we headed back to the Lutheran School of Hope to wait for Bishop Younan to join us. Bishop Younan then joined us to plan for our 6:00 p.m. meeting with Palestinian Authority officials.
We then returned to the Palestinian Authority headquarters (next to Arafat's tomb) for our meeting with Dr. Rafiq El-Huseini, Chief of Staff for the Palestinian Authority President Abbas. Joining us for this meeting also was Issa Kassisieh from the President's Office for Christian Relations.
Kassisieh shared his story with us - He is a Christian and an east Jerusalem resident. He married a Bethlehem Christian woman in 2002. They are not allowed to live together in east Jerusalem and cannot register their children in schools there. Kassisieh noted that his example, far too common for Christians here, also shows how this may be "the first time in history when Jerusalem and Bethlehem are kept separate." A major concern is the emigration of Christians from Palestine. For example, the Armenian section of the Old City of Jerusalem had 5,000 Armenian Christian residents 7 years ago. Now there are only 400. "Occupation is the reason Christians leave Palestine."
Dr. El-Huseini began by noting that he was born at the Augusta Victoria Hospital and wanted to share his support for the Augusta Victoria Hospital and urge us Lutherans to do everything we can to keep it open. El-Huseini said that AVH is an important link between the West Bank and east Jerusalem and performs a very important community service.
Israel's strategy, El-Huseini stated, for 60 years has been "to get Palestinian territory and resources without Palestinians!" The current West Bank and Gaza represents only 22% of historic Palestine (1948 Israel is the rest). The current Palestinian Authority controls only 18% of the West Bank and Gaza. "Israel wants Palestinian land without the Palestinian people."
El-Huseini noted that 2008 is a very important year since President Bush has indicated that he would like to see a Palestinian/Israel peace treaty by the end of this year, just 11 months away! He noted that Palestinian society has always been very tolerant of all religions but is in danger of becoming less tolerant because of "Islamic and Jewish radicalization." "We are not creating an Islamic state - Palestine is open to all people. Our equality is not based on religion."
El-Huseini stated that while the short term situation is bleak that, in the long term, Israel (and Palestine) have no choice but peace, no choice but the two state solution. Israel can shape Palestinian public opinion negatively and can radicalize Palestinians by their occupation policies. But that will only bring war. So, the only solution is a negotiated peace. El-Huseini said that Hamas won the Palestinian elections because of the lack of progress in the peace process and that they "will not win another election." With a good peace agreement, "Hamas will pass away." He noted that Hamas violence towards Israel only works against peace and only plays into the hands of radical Israelis. "We (the Palestinians) will never win by military means. This is chess, not boxing."
When asked about the US Presidential election, El-Huseini said that he has "no hopes, only fears" because American Presidents have recently not addressed the Israel/Palestine issue until their second terms (Bush, Clinton) and, thus, he fears that it will take 6 years for the next US President to involve him/herself in this situation.
After this session we headed by bus back into Jerusalem for dinner at the Notre Dame center. It was a very fine, late dinner. We returned very late to the Holmans' home.
Eric
From Jerusalem - Sunday, February 3, 2008
Early Sunday morning Kris and I hurried into the Old City to help the Holmans prepare for 9:00 a.m. worship at Redeemer Lutheran Church there. Before worship we helped carry hymnals (LBW's) from the chapel to the main church where worship was held today. I also did some sermon videotaping with Tim Frakes outside of Redeemer on the Via Dolorosa.
Today the English and Arab language congregations at Redeemer (there are also German and Danish language congregations) worshiped together in the main sanctuary at 9:00 a.m. Bishop Munib Younan of the ELCJHL preached and Pastor Mark Holman presided. Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod Bishop Claire S. Burkat greeted the congregation and also assisted with communion.
Bishop Younan preached on Isaiah 58, first in Arabic and then in English. In his sermon, Bishop Younan spoke of Isaiah's link between fasting and social justice - "there is no benefit to fasting if it doesn't benefit the world." He noted that "Isaiah calls us to help loose the bonds of injustice," "let the oppressed free," and "break every yoke." "It is not about my own spirituality," said Younan, "but the world." Bishop Younan then quickly made the connection to the current situation here in Jerusalem - "our spirituality must not allow injustice to triumph .... we must stand for security (for Israel and Palestine) and for an end of the occupation (of Palestine by Israel). "Our fasting must be to help the world."
Bishop Burkat greeted the congregation on behalf of those "pilgrims from southeastern Pennsylvania" who were worshipping at Redeemer this day. She presented gifts from our group to Bishop Younan and Pastor Holman. In addition to Kris and me and Bishop Burkat, Phil & Rene Krey also worshiped at Redeemer. Others from our group worshiped in Beit Jala, Bethlehem, and Beit Sahour at the Lutheran congregations there.
After worship we joined Redeemer members for tea and then headed with the Holmans and Tim Frakes to Bethlehem for lunch. Following lunch, Tim and I taped the final section of my Trinity Ash Wednesday sermon in front the the Israeli separation barrier in Bethlehem. We then returned to Jerusalem. Kris went back to the Holmans home to help them get ready to host dinner for our group at their home that evening. Tim and I met up with Bishop Burkat to help her tape two videotapes, a Lenten greeting for the SE PA synod web site and an introduction for her report to the coming synod assembly. We taped in front of Redeemer Church and also at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We then returned to the Lutheran Guest House where I reviewed Tim's work on my Ash Wednesday sermon videotape and we made final edits. I then waited until the others returned to the Guest House to travel with them by cab to the Holmans' home for dinner and our evening program.
My Ash Wednesday sermon can now be viewed online at one of two links:
www.video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9167213918243112006&hl=en or
www.frakesproductions.blogspot.com/2008/02/rev-eric-shafer-ash-wednesday-sermon.html .
It is nine minutes long.
Sunday evening our group had a wonderful dinner at the Holmans' home (where Kris and I are staying) in east Jerusalem. Following dinner we heard a very moving presentation by members of The Parents' Circle - Families Forum. This group is made up of Israeli and Palestinian people whose family members have been killed by the violence of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and, instead of more violence and revenge, have banded together to tell their stories and call for an end to this conflict and violence. About 500 families are now part of their group. Their web site is www.theparentscircle.org .
Our presenters were Rami Elchanan and Aziz Sarah.
Rami began by noting that he is a 7th generation Israeli Jew but, most importantly, "I am a human being." His is a "story of price and pain." Rami served as an Israeli soldier in the 1972 Yom Kippor war and "lost many friends." He came out of that experience "angry and detached." Ten years ago, 9/4/1997, his beloved 14 year old daughter was killed by a suicide bomber. Following such an experience, Rami noted, one has a choice - to get even or try to determine "why?" He chose to ask "what can I do to help prevent this from happening to others" and to direct his life to the simple truth that "we are not doomed," that "we can break the cycle of revenge," that "dialogue is the way and that we must "listen to each other's pain." Rami says that his calling (my word) now is to make "cracks of hope in the wall of fear." Whether victims of Isreali or Palestinian violence, Rami said, "our blood is the same" and "our tears are just as bitter."
Aziz, a Palestinian, told of how when he was nine years old Israeli soldiers came into his home and took his 18 year old brother away. His brother was imprisoned and released one year later. He died in the hospital shortly after his release from prison. At first, "peace and reconciliation seemed like a stupid idea" and he was filled with angry against the Israelis. But, finally, "I realized we all have a common humanity" and that there "must be a way out of this other than more violence." "You can choose." "Peace and reconciliation are possible."
The Parents Circle operates a telephone line, "Hello Peace" for victims and violence and their families and friends. This line has received more than 1,000,000 calls since 2002! They also do anti-violence school programs, first through blogs and then face to face meetings between Israelis and Palestinians. There is a radio program, "All for Peace" and much more. More than 5,000 have died in the current Israeli/Palestinian conflict. "It is less painful to donate blood than to spill it." We must find a way to help "these two crazy nations - Palestine and Israel, from killing each other." "People are dying every day." What must we in the USA do? "Not sit aside - defend the poor, help the oppressed, not support one side only" (in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict).
There is much more on their web site, www.theparentscircle.org including (under "Personal Stories") both Rami's ("Replacing Pain with Hope") and Aziz's ("A Conflict Close to Home") stories. Their own words online tell their stories much better than I have. This moving evening ended a long and full Sunday in Jerusalem.
Eric
Today the English and Arab language congregations at Redeemer (there are also German and Danish language congregations) worshiped together in the main sanctuary at 9:00 a.m. Bishop Munib Younan of the ELCJHL preached and Pastor Mark Holman presided. Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod Bishop Claire S. Burkat greeted the congregation and also assisted with communion.
Bishop Younan preached on Isaiah 58, first in Arabic and then in English. In his sermon, Bishop Younan spoke of Isaiah's link between fasting and social justice - "there is no benefit to fasting if it doesn't benefit the world." He noted that "Isaiah calls us to help loose the bonds of injustice," "let the oppressed free," and "break every yoke." "It is not about my own spirituality," said Younan, "but the world." Bishop Younan then quickly made the connection to the current situation here in Jerusalem - "our spirituality must not allow injustice to triumph .... we must stand for security (for Israel and Palestine) and for an end of the occupation (of Palestine by Israel). "Our fasting must be to help the world."
Bishop Burkat greeted the congregation on behalf of those "pilgrims from southeastern Pennsylvania" who were worshipping at Redeemer this day. She presented gifts from our group to Bishop Younan and Pastor Holman. In addition to Kris and me and Bishop Burkat, Phil & Rene Krey also worshiped at Redeemer. Others from our group worshiped in Beit Jala, Bethlehem, and Beit Sahour at the Lutheran congregations there.
After worship we joined Redeemer members for tea and then headed with the Holmans and Tim Frakes to Bethlehem for lunch. Following lunch, Tim and I taped the final section of my Trinity Ash Wednesday sermon in front the the Israeli separation barrier in Bethlehem. We then returned to Jerusalem. Kris went back to the Holmans home to help them get ready to host dinner for our group at their home that evening. Tim and I met up with Bishop Burkat to help her tape two videotapes, a Lenten greeting for the SE PA synod web site and an introduction for her report to the coming synod assembly. We taped in front of Redeemer Church and also at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We then returned to the Lutheran Guest House where I reviewed Tim's work on my Ash Wednesday sermon videotape and we made final edits. I then waited until the others returned to the Guest House to travel with them by cab to the Holmans' home for dinner and our evening program.
My Ash Wednesday sermon can now be viewed online at one of two links:
www.video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9167213918243112006&hl=en or
www.frakesproductions.blogspot.com/2008/02/rev-eric-shafer-ash-wednesday-sermon.html .
It is nine minutes long.
Sunday evening our group had a wonderful dinner at the Holmans' home (where Kris and I are staying) in east Jerusalem. Following dinner we heard a very moving presentation by members of The Parents' Circle - Families Forum. This group is made up of Israeli and Palestinian people whose family members have been killed by the violence of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and, instead of more violence and revenge, have banded together to tell their stories and call for an end to this conflict and violence. About 500 families are now part of their group. Their web site is www.theparentscircle.org .
Our presenters were Rami Elchanan and Aziz Sarah.
Rami began by noting that he is a 7th generation Israeli Jew but, most importantly, "I am a human being." His is a "story of price and pain." Rami served as an Israeli soldier in the 1972 Yom Kippor war and "lost many friends." He came out of that experience "angry and detached." Ten years ago, 9/4/1997, his beloved 14 year old daughter was killed by a suicide bomber. Following such an experience, Rami noted, one has a choice - to get even or try to determine "why?" He chose to ask "what can I do to help prevent this from happening to others" and to direct his life to the simple truth that "we are not doomed," that "we can break the cycle of revenge," that "dialogue is the way and that we must "listen to each other's pain." Rami says that his calling (my word) now is to make "cracks of hope in the wall of fear." Whether victims of Isreali or Palestinian violence, Rami said, "our blood is the same" and "our tears are just as bitter."
Aziz, a Palestinian, told of how when he was nine years old Israeli soldiers came into his home and took his 18 year old brother away. His brother was imprisoned and released one year later. He died in the hospital shortly after his release from prison. At first, "peace and reconciliation seemed like a stupid idea" and he was filled with angry against the Israelis. But, finally, "I realized we all have a common humanity" and that there "must be a way out of this other than more violence." "You can choose." "Peace and reconciliation are possible."
The Parents Circle operates a telephone line, "Hello Peace" for victims and violence and their families and friends. This line has received more than 1,000,000 calls since 2002! They also do anti-violence school programs, first through blogs and then face to face meetings between Israelis and Palestinians. There is a radio program, "All for Peace" and much more. More than 5,000 have died in the current Israeli/Palestinian conflict. "It is less painful to donate blood than to spill it." We must find a way to help "these two crazy nations - Palestine and Israel, from killing each other." "People are dying every day." What must we in the USA do? "Not sit aside - defend the poor, help the oppressed, not support one side only" (in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict).
There is much more on their web site, www.theparentscircle.org including (under "Personal Stories") both Rami's ("Replacing Pain with Hope") and Aziz's ("A Conflict Close to Home") stories. Their own words online tell their stories much better than I have. This moving evening ended a long and full Sunday in Jerusalem.
Eric
