The text below is directly from this ELCA news story:

CHICAGO (ELCA) – The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), joined leaders of Christian churches and church-related organizations from the United States and the Holy Land in Atlanta April 19-20 for “Pursuing Peace and Strengthening Presence: The Atlanta Summit of American and Palestinian Churches.”

This first-ever gathering of American and Palestinian Christians in the United States focused on exploring the role of Christian churches in peacemaking in Israel-Palestine and helping strengthen the Christian presence in the Holy Land.

“It was significant that a broad spectrum of Christian churches – Evangelicals to Orthodox, historic black denominations as well as mainline denominations – participated,” said Eaton. “This diverse coalition has more credibility than the usual alliances. The freedom of Palestine, the security of the state of Israel and the preservation of Arab Christianity in the Holy Land are not political issues for a few but a faith issue for many.”

Other representatives from the ELCA included the Rev. Rafael Malpica-Padilla, executive director, ELCA Global Mission; the Rev. Jeffrey Thiemann, CEO, Portico Benefits Services; and the Rev. Cindy Halmarson, area program director for Europe and the Middle East, ELCA Global Mission. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Munib Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, attended along with patriarchs and other heads of churches in Jerusalem.

The event, held at the Carter Center, brought together about 100 leaders from diverse Christian denominations and organizations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, mainline Protestant and historic African American and Latino churches. Former President Jimmy Carter delivered the keynote speech during the final session.

“Bishop Younan and other leaders are calling for U.S. churches to strengthen the Christian presence in Palestine,” said Halmarson. “I hope this conference is the beginning of a broader and deeper coalition of U.S. church support to accompany Palestinians in pursuit of peace and strengthening Christian presence in the Holy Land.”

The ELCA, through its Peace Not Walls campaign, is working for peace and justice in the region through accompaniment, advocacy and awareness-building. Among other objectives, the effort connects ELCA members with Palestinian Lutheran companion churches in the region to promote healing and reconciliation.

The goals of the Atlanta summit included drafting a summit document that articulates a comprehensive vision for the future of the Holy Land and its Christians, writing a letter to President Barack Obama that communicates this vision, and adopting a strategy for common witness by American and Palestinian churches.

The summit document states: “We have come together for two days of prayer and open dialogue in a spirit of theological and ethical urgency for a just peace, and to express our ecumenical unity in action towards the end of occupation and a lasting political situation in the Holy Land. We honor the land that witnessed to the life and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ affirming his call to justice, peacemaking and to the ministry of justice and reconciliation.”

The document outlines issues that merit special attention in order to effectively promote peace with justice and advance the two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. The points include:

• Develop more effective advocacy in the United States.
• Educate members of congregations on the merits and necessity of a peace process that fulfills the rights of all people and nations in the region to live in security and peace.
• Recognize, affirm and support the solidarity that is being demonstrated among some Christians, Jews and Muslims in addressing humanitarian needs, fighting poverty and fostering peace.
• Designate a common day of prayer and reflections across churches in the U.S. and the Holy Land.

Following the Atlanta summit, Eaton and Younan joined Fouad Twal, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem; Suheil Dawani, archbishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem; and several other members of the Palestinian delegation in Washington, D.C., April 21-22. At the White House, the group delivered the letter addressed to Obama and a copy of the summit document. Meeting with Dr. Colin Kahl, assistant to the president and national security adviser to the vice president, and Yael Lempert, special assistant to the president and senior director for the Levant, Israel and Egypt at the National Security Council, the delegation highlighted the importance of education in the Holy Land, the need to fight extremism and radicalism, and Jerusalem’s centrality to the peace process.

The group also met with U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, congressional staff members and representatives of the State Department to discuss the outcomes of the summit.

“The Atlanta Summit was very significant in many respects but especially for its reaffirmation of the Palestinian Christian presence in the Holy Land and its call to revitalize advocacy efforts in the U.S. towards a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” said Dennis Frado, director, Lutheran Office for World Community, ELCA Global Mission. “The delegation’s follow-up visit to Washington was important to convey those messages to U.S. policy makers.”

The Atlanta Summit document is available at http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Atlanta_Church_Summit_Document.pdf?_ga=1.122276939.1503715930.1461873236.
More information about Peace Not Walls is available at ELCA.org/Our-Work/Publicly-Engaged-Church/Peace-Not-Walls.

Summary of meetings held in Washington, DC, April 21-22, 2016

On Thursday, April 21, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton joined ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan, (Latin) Patriarch Twal, (Anglican) Archbishop Dawani and several others of the Palestinian delegation who came to Washington after the Pursuing Peace and Strengthening Presence: The Atlanta Summit of Churches in the USA and the Holy Land meeting.

The first meeting was in the Longworth House Office Building where the group met with Rep. Chris Stewart (R-2^nd-UT) and Mr. Drew Bowling, Communications and Policy Advisor to Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-1^st-NE).  The delegation orally presented the outcome of the Atlanta Summit and then discussed the general situation of the churches and Christians in the Holy Land and the wider Middle East.

A lunch for the delegation was hosted by Churches for Middle East Peace, at which a number of the members of the CMEP Leadership Council and other guests were present.  James Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute, was accompanied by Mr. Omar Shehabi of Palestine Works which recently prepared a report on religious freedom in Israel and the Occupied Territories for the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

In the late afternoon the delegation visited the White House and met with Dr. Colin Kahl, Deputy Asst. to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice-President, and Ms. Yael Lempert, Special Asst. to the President and Senior Director for the Levant, Israel and Egypt at the National Security Council.

The delegation gave them a letter to the president and a copy of the Atlanta Summit Document.  The delegation members highlighted the importance of education; the need to fight extremism and radicalism; the centrality of Jerusalem to peace; and the work of their educational, health and other diaconal work.

Bishop Younan noted the mediation role church leaders had played during Secy. of State Colin Powell’s tenure and that it could be done again. He expressed thanks for Secy. Kerry’s negotiating effort. He asked the Administration to support the May 30 French-organized Middle East peace conference. He urged the US to refrain from using its veto.  He asked that the U.S. make reunification of families a priority.  He also expressed thanks for the support from USAID for the East Jerusalem hospitals.

On Friday morning the delegation met at the State Department with Dr. Shaun Casey, Special Representative for Religion and Global Affairs (Office of the Secretary of State), his deputy, Ms. Rachel Leslie, Advisor for Public Diplomacy and Outreach, Office of Religion and Global Affairs, Stephen Butler, Depty. Director of the office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs, and Dr. Michael D. Yaffe, Senior Advisor in the office of the special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations.  The delegation shared a copy of the letter to the President and the final Atlanta document.

Patriarch Twal expressed concern that the “status quo” will mean more violence and therefore there is a need to create a new status quo.  Bishop Younan expressed appreciation for the interaction with Dr. Casey in recent years.  He said the churches’ relationships with the US Consul General in Jerusalem and Amb. Shapiro in Tel Aviv are good and “very meaningful”.  He said that the Summit, of course, was remarkable and outstanding, especially since both mainline and evangelical US churches attended.  He hopes for a more unified strategy among Palestinian and US churches concerning the conflict.

Bishop Younan reiterated his wish that the US give priority to consulting with the Palestinian church leaders.  He would like the US to strengthen the voice of the moderates (these churches) as well as similar Muslim and Jewish voices.  He expressed frustration that the Israel-Palestine issue appears to be “on the back burner”, whereas, if it were solved, it could help solve some of the other issues such as those in Syria and Iraq.  He also expressed thanks for the support from USAID in the health sector but asked that they help with education as well since the churches’ aim is to uphold human dignity for all.

 

When Palestinian Bishop Munib Younan talks about the thirst, he links it with a quest for justice in both Palestine and Israel.

“The water crisis in Palestine cannot be solved until there is justice. Water and justice issues are intertwined in my community,” says Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.

The Seven Weeks for Water campaign in 2016 has special significance for him, as this year it focused on a pilgrimage of water justice in the Middle East, with specific reference to Palestine.

Bishop Younan notes that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is a cause of injustice, because Israeli and Palestinian communities have vastly differing access to water.

The core to solving the water crisis in Palestine is ending the Israeli occupation and implementing a two-state solution, in which the two peoples of the land live side-by-side in justice, peace, and reconciliation.

You can read the full World Council of Churches article here.

Check out this Living Lutheran article about former Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) who volunteered in Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) schools and have now returned to the region to work with various organizations.

“Working near Jerusalem in the West Bank community of Beit Sahour, Marta Erling Spangler started to see the world through the eyes of the Palestinian Christians and Muslims around her.

One of the first participants in the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) service program when it opened sites in the Holy Land in 2008, Erling Spangler had plenty to see.

While she could visit Jerusalem whenever she wanted, her students at the Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Sahour needed permits to enter. Few could secure them. She took her access to higher education for granted. Checkpoints and conflict stood between her students and university degrees.

Erling Spangler’s growing awareness of her own privilege drew her to focus on social justice after her year of service ended.

Some years later, after volunteering with AmeriCorps in Pittsburgh; earning a master’s degree in ethics, peace and global affairs; and working for the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Geneva, she is in Jerusalem again, serving as resource development and board liaison officer with Augusta Victoria Hospital. Operated by the LWF on the Mount of Olives, the hospital offers health-care services otherwise unavailable to the Palestinian community.”

Read the full article here.

 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

2016 Easter Message

From Bishop Dr. Munib Younan

Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land

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1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.

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Salaam and grace to you from Jerusalem, in the name of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Today Christians across the world rejoice in the Good News we have received, on which we stand, and through which we have been saved: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.

Jesus is raised from the tomb! Alleluia!

Light is stronger than darkness! Alleluia!

Life is stronger than death! Alleluia!

This is the center of our Christian faith and the source of our hope. For this reason, we celebrate Easter with joy and love.

For this reason, we sing along with Ephraem this beautiful hymn from the 4^th century:

Glory to you, friend of all!

Glory to you, O merciful Lord!

Glory to you, longsuffering God!

Glory to you, who takes away all sins!

Glory to you, who came to save us!

Glory to you, who became flesh in the womb of the virgin!

Glory to you, bound in cords!

Glory to you, whipped and scourged!

Glory to you, mocked and derided!

Glory to you, nailed to the cross!

Glory to you, buried and risen!

Glory to you, proclaimed to all humankind, who believe in you! Amen.

 

This Easter Good News has come to the world again at just the right time.

At this time, the world desperately needs the message of the empty tomb. We need the light and life of Easter morning. In just the first three months of this year, we in the Middle East have been witnessing an alarming wave of violence. Recent days have seen tragedies unfold in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, the Ivory Coast, Pakistan, Nigeria, and many other nations. Even this week, which we call Holy, began with a terror attack in Brussels. It’s difficult to comprehend the amount of death and destruction which has plagued our world, in just the few short months since the world’s Christians gathered to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace.

All across the world today we see that a culture of death and fear is heavily promoted to the people – by extremists, by the media, even by some politicians. The message they plant in us is that we should be afraid of losing our freedoms, or afraid of giving away too much power. They tell us we should be afraid of the evil which lurks beyond our borders, or the evil which lurks even next door. This culture of death and fear instills in us a certain envy, in which the only way for us to have life is to deny the life of the other—whether the enemy, or the neighbor of a different religion, or the refugee.

This culture of death is what Jesus experienced on his Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross.

Jesus experienced a culture of deception and betrayal when one of his disciples joined him for the Last Supper, but then sold him for thirty pieces of silver.

Jesus experienced a culture of denial and abandonment when Peter emphatically denied him, not once but three times.

Jesus experienced a culture of power over others when Herod and Pilate reconciled out of their common desire to humiliate him.

Jesus knew well the culture of death, and where it ultimately leads.

Today we are haunted and even obsessed by this same culture of death, but this culture is exactly what the resurrection of Jesus destroys. The resurrection of Jesus means we must not accept such a culture. We will not give in to despair, to hopelessness, to violence, or to complacency. We need not stay in the tomb, for by the power of Jesus’ resurrection, we have been raised to new life with him.

The resurrection reveals how the justice of God is wholly different from the justice of the world. Where the world insists that death and fear and jealousy and mistrust and deceiving are unavoidable facts of existence, a culture we must accept and work within, necessary evils which ensure our own personal happiness, the resurrection proclaims exactly the opposite. By rising from the tomb, Jesus shows us a new path forward. The Risen Lord has given us a Culture of Life.

And what is this life? It is a life of freedom, a life of joy, a life of equal dignity. The resurrected life is one of acceptance and love and protection of the other. The resurrected life is one which honors every gender, every race, every ability, every nationality, every faith. This new life, our Easter life, is the culture Christians everywhere share, in spite of differences in language or tradition or geographic location. Together, in every corner of the world, followers of Jesus share and proclaim and testify to this Culture of Life.

Perhaps over the years, we have allowed the world’s culture of death and fear to influence us. Perhaps we have opened the door to jealousy, to mistrust of the other, even to an acceptance of violence. Perhaps we have forgotten how Easter morning was a new day – the first day of the week, the first day of Jesus’ resurrected life, but also the first day of the church’s unique Culture of Life.

How could anyone forget such Good News? How could we forget we have been raised? How could we forget who we are?

When the church stands by as refugee families drown seeking freedom, we have forgotten.

When the church honors bell towers and organs over bread for the hungry, we have forgotten.

When the church stays silent in the face of injustice, oppression, and occupation, we have forgotten.

When the church’s message begins to reflect fear of the world outside, we have forgotten.

When we, who have already been raised to life, begin to feel comfortable inside the tomb, we have forgotten who we are. We have forgotten that we are children of the resurrection, children of abundant life.

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, if we have forgotten, then the Day of Resurrection is the day we remember. On that resurrection morning, the women stood at the empty tomb and could not believe their eyes. But then, the two men in dazzling clothes appeared and said to them: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”

And then, the women remembered! They remembered, and they ran to tell the Good News to all who would listen.

On this Day of the Resurrection, we also remember! We remember that the stone was already rolled back. We remember that that tomb was empty. We remember how God used the cross, an instrument of humiliation and death, to give us life. For this reason, the Orthodox liturgy sings: “Jesus is risen from the dead. He has overcome death with death and given life to all who are in tombs.”

By his rising, Jesus has freed us from the culture of death and fear. With him, and with all believers around the world, we now share one common Culture of Life.

On this Easter morning, I pray that Christians everywhere will remember who they are: People of life. People of joy and of freedom. People of mercy and forgiveness. People of love and of liberation.

Above all, remember that we are a people empowered by the resurrection of Jesus Christ to be ambassadors of our unique culture—a culture of life and life abundant. Therefore, in every church, in every community, in every nation, in every context, in every situation, let our testimony be as one:

The tomb is empty!

Life is stronger than death!

Alleluia, Christ is risen!

Il-Masih Kam! Hakkan kam!

Text from here

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) President Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan, has warned while on a visit to France that globalized conflict is increasing Islamophobia and anti-Semitism and threatening civil liberties in Europe and North America.

“If we are seeing a self-fulfilling prophecy of clashing civilizations, extremisms of all sorts are strengthened as identities become more polarized,” said Younan, a Palestinian who heads the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.

He spoke on 4 March at the Paris headquarters of the Protestant Federation of France (FPF), during a meeting the FPF organized in association with the Friends of Sabeel France, which supports the Sabeel ecumenical liberation theology center in Jerusalem.

He called for a new, concerted effort to renew global commitment to confront the destructive cultural impulses of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, which “are two sides of the same coin.”

The Holy Land bishop said he was convinced that faith institutions, including churches, have a responsibility to strengthen political and religious moderates throughout the world, as the clearest way to diminish the appeal of extremism. “This is not a wishy-washy moderation; it is instead a robust moderation that claims the mandate of faith and defends the wellbeing of all people, not only Christians.”

Text and photo from LWF news release. Click here for full text.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) has new videos available online about the life and ministry of the church. You can find those videos here (we’d recommend that you save the link as more videos will be uploaded).  We are thankful for the work of videographer, Tim Frakes and the Rev. Eric Shafer for making these videos.

A couple videos that we’d like to highlight:

Video 1: The Rev. Dr. Munib A. Younan, Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, extends an invitation for pilgrims from around the world to visit the Holy Land to see the living stones. (1:30)

Video 2: The Environmental Education Center of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) introduces Palestinian youth to their own natural heritage. The center helps Palestinian youth see themselves as future stewards and caretakers of the environment through conservation and environmentally-conscious lifestyles. (2:59)

Video 3: The Rev. Dr. Munib A. Younan, Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and President, the Lutheran World Federation join in the celebration of the Armenian Orthodox Christmas and Epiphany at the Armenian Patriarch St. James Church in Jerusalem. (3:01)

Video 4: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Each year Christians from around the world reflect on Jesus prayer in John 17 “that they may be one, so that the world may believe.” This January, Jerusalem, the birthplace of Christianity, saw Christians from many countries and faith traditions gather at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer next to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to pray for Christian unity. (2:45)

The Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL,) and Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy were named co-winners of the 2015 Olof Palme Prize this January for their “courageous and indefatigable fight against occupation and violence.”

Bishop Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) sent a letter of congratulations to Pastor Raheb on January 14, 2016. In her letter to Raheb, Bishop Eaton writes:  “At a time when Jerusalem and the West Bank are experiencing a sustained period of heightened tensions, and when Bethlehem and Beit Jala are sites of random attacks and violence, you and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) have been singled out for your constant call for hope against fear and for peace with justice for all who live in the land we call Holy.”

Bishop Eaton concludes, “This award gives honor to you for your scholarship and activism and to the ELCJHL for its deep commitment to advocating for an independent Palestine and secure Israel co-existing with peace and equality for all. We in the ELCA are honored to be a close companion to the ELCJHL, working and praying with you for peace in your homeland in our time.”

Pastor Raheb and Levy will receive the award in Sweden on January 29.

Click here to see the full letter of congratulations from the ELCA.

“The message of Christmas challenges us to seek justice, to bring hope to the hopeless,”

Read here the Lutheran World Federation Christmas 2015 message from Bishop Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, President of the Lutheran World Federation.

Photo caption: This Christmas, LWF President Bishop Younan draws attention to the plight of millions of refugees across the world, who like baby Amera and her mother in northern Iraq, are seeking refuge from persecution. Photo: LWF/Seivan Salim

 

An ELCA action alert today urged constituents to contact President Obama and Members of Congress to condemn the use of chemical weapons and to urge restraint and encourage non-violent means to resolve the 2-year-old civil war in Syria that has claimed 100,000 lives.  The US has recently threatened the Assad regime with military strikes in retaliation for alleged chemical weapons attacks, the most recent of which killed over 1400 people.  Early this week, ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson sent a letter to President Obama asking him to continue diplomatic efforts rather than pursuing military action in Syria.  According to the statement:

The use of chemical weapons in Syria is heinous and inexcusable. These atrocities are an assault on human dignity, and violate international standards and law. However, the people of Syria, along with many others in the Middle East who are living through this time of profound instability, deserve our concern, compassion and accompaniment, not the escalation of an already horrendous war.

Write to President Obama  |  Write to Members of Congress

Middle East Christians Speak out Against Military Action Against Syria:

According to Middle East expert Professor Juan Cole:

…these Eastern Christians are solidly against an American missile strike on Syria. Many US congressional representatives discussing the possibility of military action against that country invoked God and prayer in their remarks, lending the discussion a Christian ambiance. But they didn’t refer to any statements on the crisis by actual Syrian or Lebanese Christians (the two are closely linked). 

Read full story which references statements by the Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, the Bishopric of Damascus and the Maronite Catholic Patriarch of Lebanon that warn military intervention will increase the suffering of the Syrian people.

Earlier this week, the General Secretary of the National Evangelical Synod in Syria and Lebanon sent an urgent letter to its partner church, the Presbyterian Church USA, advocating a non-violent response to chemical weapons attacks in Syria:

We urge the international powers to refrain from the use of power against Syria as any strike from the USA or any other power will only multiply the suffering and human destruction.  We appeal to all who are able, by the name of the God of love, to help bring violence to an end.  Stop financing, arming and sending foreign groups to fight in Syria – help the Syrians to come together to build a new Syria.
Rev. Fadi Dagher, General Secretary of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon

ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan, also President of the Lutheran World Federation, issued a similar call to the world community:

While the use of chemical weapons is wrong, the forms of intervention being predicted thus far can do little to bring a positive outcome…  Such military intervention threatens to bring even greater suffering and instability to communities throughout Syria and the region as a whole … The situation in Syria will be solved not with bombs but with diplomatic efforts and true dialogue among Syrians of goodwill … To choose the path of diplomacy brings the Middle East closer to the goal of peace. Such a choice is not weakness, but the sign of peace and security.

Kairos Palestine also released a statement:

The people of Syria deserve better, safer and more just lives based on more respect for their human rights – but these must be brought about, by Syrians themselves, within their own context. External intervention will cause further destruction and push the Syrian people further into relentless civil war.

Kairos Palestine condemns the calls for war, and we urge countries around the world – whether Western states or regional ones – to help Syria maintain itself, broker peace among all Syrian parties involved, and stop supporting any armed groups entering from outside the country.

Similar statements have come from:

The Lutheran World Federation
The World Council of Churches
The World Council of Reformed Churches
The National Council of Churches
The Presbyterian Church (USA)

Read religious leaders commenting on whether an attack on Syria would be considered a “just war.”

Please keep the people in Syria in your prayers, advocate for peace with justice with your faith, political and community leaders and ask that God strengthen and inspire the people who can bring justice, peace and reconciliation out of the chaos and brokenness.