The official announcement of Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb as recipient of the 2011 prestigious international award “Deutscher Medienpreis” was made in Germany on Friday, January 13, 2012. Launched in 1992, the award was mainly granted to Heads of States, including the German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2009), the Dali Lama (2008), King Juan Carlos of Spain (2006), Kofi Anan (2003), Queen Rania of Jordan (2002), , Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (2000), Bill Clinton (1999),

Nelson Mandela (1998), King Hussein of Jordan (1997), Boris Yeltsin (1996), President Arafat (1995), Yitshak Rabin (1995), Francois Mitterrand (1994), Chancellor Helmut Cole (1993), in addition to few and selected personalities such as Sir Richard Branson (2010), Steffi Graf (2007), Bono (2005) and Rudolph Giuliani (2002).

Aside from Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, the award is given to the Russian Stanislaw Petrow, who prevented a potential third world nuclear war in 1983; the Afghani Dr. Sakena Yacoobi who worked diligently on empowering women in Afghanistan; and to Dr. Denis Mukwege from Congo, who assisted thousands of rape victims in the Congo war.

The decision of the jury to give the award to Rev. Dr. Raheb was based on his tireless work in creating room for hope for his people, who are living under Israeli Occupation, through founding and building institutions of excellence in education, culture and health. He was also recognized due to his strong position and stance on the Culture of Life and Dialogue.

The official ceremony will be held in the city of Baden-Baden in Germany on February 24, 2012. The keynote speaker during the celebration will be the former German President Professor Roman Herzog.

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb expressed his delight to receive this prestigious award, since it is indicative of the international appreciation and recognition of his efforts that are made on the local, regional and international levels.

For more information, go to: www.deutscher-medienpreis.de

These words are taken from the Christmas Eve sermon from Pastor Fred Strickert, the ELCA missionary who serves at the English-speaking Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jerusalem.  On Christmas Eve, the Arabic, German and English-speaking congregations join together at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem (below) for an international service.  Pastor Fred preached this year’s sermon: 

‘And so the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’  (John 1:14)  Among us in our world filled with refugees and immigrants.

The child of a refugee family finding hospitality and welcome in Bethlehem, just as the church today accepts the challenge of welcoming the stranger today.  Fred Otieno, from the Church in Nairobi, recently said reflecting on his 18 hour a day, seven day a week position as camp coordinator at the Dadaab Refugee Camp, ‘God has a purpose for us being here to make a difference in the lives of these people, so we must try and help them enjoy their stay, because at the end of the day we all need one another.’ 

This is the message that goes out from the Bethlehem manger, “At the end of the day we all need one another.”

• Christmas is not about how much we can accumulate and horde, but about how much we can give away, sharing ith those in need. 
• Christmas is not about walls that divide, security that ntimates, and policies that humiliate, but about an attitude toward life in a spirit which loves the other as our self.
• Christmas is not even about safe, romantic, idyllic tales of long ago, but it is about Christ coming into our midst, now, in the present moment.
• Christmas is about welcoming Jesus into our midst, as we welcome the least among us, as we show hospitality to the stranger, for then we may discover that we have been entertaining angels unawares, or even God’s own son. 

 

      

                

Read full sermon

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Lutheran Church and the Internationl Center of Bethlehem joined together with the Washington National Cathedral for the 5th annual Christmas service simulcast on Saturday, Dec. 17.  Watch video of the service.

 

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The Rt. Rev. Munib Younan, LWF President and Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, released his Christmas message for 2011, lifting up the waiting that Anna and Simeon had to do in their lifetime:

Imagine having to wait for all those years.

Yet Anna and Simeon were able to wait in hope in spite of their difficult circumstances, in spite of their challenging times. Their faith, their steadfastness, their edifying and uplifting spirituality, their community support, and their prophetic message equipped them and enabled them in their long years of waiting.

In the same way today, in our difficult circumstances and in our challenging times, we can learn from them as we wait in hope, not in resignation.

This Christmas, may we be blessed with the words of Simeon:

“Lord, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples.”

Simeon and Anna must have thought that it could never happen in their lifetimes. They must have had doubts and second thoughts. They must have questioned the promises. Yet they continued to live in faith with a hope that was unshaken. They remained steadfast in Jerusalem, finding support in community. They did not hesitate to speak forth a prophetic word. And through their patient waiting their eyes saw the salvation prepared for them and the whole world. Christ was born in a manger—good news for all people.

I pray that this model of hopeful waiting of Anna and Simeon may now exhibit itself in the people of the Middle East.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year in 2012! 

 

Download full message here.

At least two mainstream American Jewish organizations have issued statements critical of the ‘Bethlehem Call’ and the decision of some mainline denominations in the United States, including the ELCA, to draw attention to the document. Neither the ELCA Peace Not Walls campaign nor other elements of ELCA leadership have offered comment on the content of the ‘Bethlehem Call.’

B’nai B’rith: “The Bethlehem Call” Document Promotes Division, Not Peace
This piece from B’nai B’rith offers a critique of the document itself. Read more here.

AJC Disheartened by UCC, Disciples of Christ and ELCA Embrace of Palestinian Document Delegitimizing Israel
Although critical of  the document itself, this press release from AJC is focused primarily on the apparent promotion of the statement by mainline denominations. Read more here.

 Join worshipers in Bethlehem and at the Washington Cathedral for the fifth annual joint simulcast Christmas service on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 9 am Central Standard Time. Prayers, readings, and hymns alternate between Washington, D.C., and Palestine via the Internet, bringing together people of different lands, languages, and ethnic backgrounds in celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace.   The service is webcast live from the Cathedral’s home page.

 In Bethlehem, participants include the Rt. Rev. Suheil Dawani, bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem; the Rt. Rev. Munib Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land; and the Rev Dr. Mitri Raheb from Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. Participants in Washington include the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington; the Rt. Rev. Richard H. Graham, bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod; the Rev, Canon Jan Naylor Cope, vicar of the Cathedral; and the Rev. Canon John L. Peterson.

Click here to watch last year’s service.

From the World Council of Churches:

Churches in Egypt are praying and helping migrants, who flee home due to political turmoil, violence and uncertain future. There is a great need to develop stable democratic societies if the “Arab spring” is to bear fruits. Or else it might turn into an “Arab winter” with religious minorities at the risk of persecution.

David Victor R. Youssef expressed this concern at the World Council of Churches (WCC) Global Ecumenical Network on Migration meeting taking place in Beirut, Lebanon from 5-7 December, organized by the WCC office for Just and Inclusive Communities and hosted by the Middle East Council of Churches.

Youssef works for the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services and was interviewed by Naveen Qayyum, the WCC staff writer. Read full interview.

A Message from Bethlehem: Voices of Hope

A Statement from an Ecumenical Delegation of Women Bishops

“We came to the land of Jesus to stand in solidarity with women working for peace.  We heard their voices, listened to their stories and came away disturbed yet hopeful,” said Bishop Deborah L. Kiesey, head of a delegation of 10 ecumenical women bishops who recently traveled to Israel and Palestine.

The pilgrimage of peace and solidarity on November 12-21, 2011 was sponsored by the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church and The United Methodist Church Council of Bishops. Episcopal leaders from four denominations participated in the pilgrimage: United Methodist, Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal and Christian Methodist Episcopal. We met with Christians, Jews and Muslims, listened to stories of despair and hope and witnessed the realities of life experienced by the people in the land.

Highlights of the pilgrimage were meeting with women throughout Israel and Palestine who are working to empower women, building bridges to new relationships and nurturing and caring for children.  In Galilee we met with Arab women and Jewish women working together to empower women and build a better future in a community called Sindyanna of Galilee which teaches women how to weave baskets, make soaps and create other Fair Trade products for sale, all the while building relationships and friendships with one another.

In Nazareth we met with a Jewish rabbi who seeks through her ministry and her life to nurture diverse relationships and provide a role model for her community and her children. In the Negev, we met with Bedouin women who are building libraries including a mobile library for children in the outlying villages. They are also providing educational opportunities for women and teaching women how to do embroidery, a skill that brings them income and builds on a traditional form of art. In Jericho, we met with women at the YWCA who are offering child care and parenting support in one of the refugee camps, as well as teaching women commercial cooking skills and hairdressing. They also offer English language classes and computer courses.

All of the women we met sought to empower other women within their communities by building on their strengths, enabling them to name and address the needs of their context and making a difference in the world. These women, by their stories, challenge and inspire us as women to find ways to work for a better future for women, children and men everywhere.

Ironically, in the land where the words for peace: peace, shalom and salaam are spoken as greetings and/or farewells, this land is certainly not at peace.  Bishop Sarah F. Davis, Episcopal leader in the African Methodist Episcopal denomination writes:

“If peace is to be realized anywhere, we, the people of God, can no longer be satisfied with listening to our own stories and believing only in our interpretation of the issues. Our passion for peace at home and abroad must be born out of our conviction to live as people, who, created in the image of God, understand the need to listen to the stories of others and admit there may be viewpoints on issues we have not yet seriously considered. We must pray for peace to become a universal priority of the church.”

“The beauty of the historic Holy Land remains as it must have been in biblical days – olive groves and fruit trees prolific amidst the rocky desert terrain.  The realities of this land are similar, a land of promise and hope for some, and a rough and oppressive place for others,” writes Bishop Teresa Snorton with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. 

“The Holy Land that is to embody the peace of faith and religion is also the place of almost constant war.  It is hard to describe the pain, despair and oppression that is apparent in this modern Israel, which in reality is an occupied land, its ownership still in dispute.”

“The tragedy is that everyone suffers in this environment. The Palestinian people face daily indignities, injustices and experience oppression familiar to the Jim Crow South of the United Statesand apartheid ofSouth Africa. The Jewish people, in their quest to assure their covenant promise of the land, live in a constant state of fear and with the impact of an economy driven by a prevailing military presence and readiness for combat.  The Church must speak to these injustices in more direct ways in the ensuing days if there is to be any possibility for an end to this conundrum that subverts rather than promotes peace for all the people for whom this is the ‘Holy’ land.”

 A Pledge for Action

In addition to listening to stories, we pledged to gather facts that would equip the delegation as educators and advocates for peace upon our return to theUnited States.  We recognize, as Episcopal leaders, we have the ability and responsibility to teach and preach about the critical issues of the day.  Therefore, we pledge to take the following actions in our respective Episcopal areas:

• Maintain a continual discipline of prayer for the peoples of Israel and Palestine by setting aside specific day or days for prayers by our churches (a suggested time: first Wednesday of each month). During Holy Week 2012, we will urge people in our Episcopal areas to pray for the people of Israel and Palestine.  Prayers will be written by our team for Holy Week and shared with the churches.
• Stand in solidarity with women in Israel and Palestine and in our communities who are working for peace.
• Identify ways our churches and country are complicit with oppression in the region.
• Organize a pilgrimage of young adults, ages 20-30, to the region in 2013 so they may anticipate similar experiences to our own. We will work with the young adults to develop a mission statement and projected outcomes.
• Implement a ministry of education by sharing our leadership and insight with our constituents.
• Speak truth to power through advocacy on justice issue related to Israel and Palestine by taking the following steps:

(A)  We will invite our Council of Bishops/House of Bishops to prepare letters to President Barack Obama and respective Members of Congress regarding our observations and findings such as:

• the need to encourage political leaders to listen to and involve more women in the peace process;
• a two-state solution is essential for peace and would benefit both Israelis and Palestinians; such a solution must include:

1. A sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian state along the 1967 borders
2. Universal recognition for the state ofIsraeland protection of her security
3. The sharing of the eternal city of Jerusalem as the undivided capital of two sovereign states, with universal access to the holy sites for people of all faiths;
4. An end to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
5. A fair solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees.
6. Agreements for the equitable sharing of water resources; and
7. The protection of minority rights both within the state of Israel and a future Palestinian state.

(B)   Engage our respective church constituencies in dialogue and work so as to reach common ground on issues related to Israel and Palestine.

“We came to the Holy Landwhere one finds holy sites and we met living stones.  We heard their stories and now want to share their stories with others in hopes of seeing all people in Israel and Palestine experience abundant life.” (Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, United Methodist Church)

A Gift to the Church

We found ourselves in Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth—all places where Jesus walked.  Because we were in the Holy Landjust prior to Advent, we offer the litany below as a gift to the Church for use in local congregations during this Advent season.  (Preferably this can be used on the Third Sunday in Advent, when Luke 1:46-55 is an appointed text—or any other time in Advent as desired)

The Gospel of Luke describes Mary as overshadowed by the power of God.  For God, nothing is impossible!  Mary responds to God, “I am your servant; let it be to me according to your word.”

It is Advent, and we wait and hope for peace and love.

WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO BETHLEHEM, WHERE JESUS WILL BE BORN.

Mary, overshadowed by God, says, “I am your servant; let it be to me according to your word.”

WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO BETHLEHEM, WHERE JESUS WILL BE BORN.

Mary and Joseph travel and arrive weary and unwelcomed.

WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO BETHLEHEM, WHERE JESUS WILL BE BORN

Bethlehem this Advent is weary and anxious in the shadow of the high dividing wall.

WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO BETHLEHEM, WHERE JESUS WILL BE BORN.

We in the world have lost our way.  We need a Savior and Shepherd and Healer.

OVERSHADOW THIS WORLD, O GOD, WITH YOUR POWER AND LOVE.

Come, Lord Jesus, and bring peace in Israel and Palestine, and in every broken place.

WE PRAY FOR YOUR BIRTHPLACE AS WE MAKE OUR WAY TO BETHLEHEM.

Shatter darkness with your light as you come to gather, heal and save us.

COME, LORD JESUS, PRINCE OF PEACE.

(Litany written by Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, The United Methodist Church)

Members of the Delegation:

Bishop Laura Ahrens (The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut)

Bishop Sarah Davis (African Methodist Episcopal Church)

Bishop Violet Fisher (United Methodist Church)

Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry (African Methodist Church)

Bishop Deborah Lieder Kiesey, Chair (United Methodist Church)

Bishop Vashti McKenzie (African Methodist Episcopal Church)

Bishop Jane Middleton (United Methodist Church)

Bishop Teresa E. Snorton (Christian Methodist Episcopal Church)

Bishop Mary Ann Swenson (United Methodist Church)

Bishop Hope Morgan Ward (United Methodist Church)

30 experts on religious rights from 23 different countries are attending “Freedom of Religion and Rights of Religious Minorities,” a conference sponsored by The World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on International Affairs and hosted by the Ecumenical Patriarch.  The conference will end Dec 2. 

In a presentation to the gathering, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I said there must be respect for the “inherent rights of all human beings and their aspiration and rights of religious freedom should be important components to sustain tolerance among all God’s creation.”

“We are called to promote dialogue among all communities and peoples to create peace, harmony and tolerance in a world that is faced with violence, conflicts and religious hatred”, the Patriarch said.

Read more about the WCC”s activities in:

• Accompanying churches in situations of conflict
• Advocacy for human rights

 

 

 

 

In March 2012, a unique Christian International Conference will take place in Bethlehem, Palestine, titled: Christ at the Checkpoint – Hope in the Midst of Conflict. The conference is organized by Bethlehem Bible College in Palestine, an evangelical Christian institution, and it is the second time the College has hosted such a conference.  It will be one of the biggest gatherings of evangelical Christians in the Middle East ever to take place.

Among the confirmed speakers for 2012 are John Ortberg, Lynne Hybels (Willow Creek), Shane Clainbore (Simple Way), Tony Campolo, Ron Sider (Evangelicals for Social Action), Samuel Rodriguez (National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference), Chris Wright (Langham Partnership International), Chris Seiple (Institute for Global Engagement), Ken Sande (Peacemaker Ministries), Sang Bok David Kim (chairman of the Asia Evangelical Alliance and the World Evangelical Alliance), and many more.

In addition to the international speakers, local Palestinian and Messianic Jewish leaders will share their own experiences and offer diverse perspectives. Participants will meet Palestinian Christians, and be able to listen and see first-hand the realities on the ground, as seen through the eyes of the people.

The first conference generated much interest and debate and called for evangelicals to work towards peace and justice in Palestine and Israel. It also challenged the traditional stereotypical lens through which Western Christians have looked at the Middle East in general.  According to the report from the conference, there was

a Biblical critique of dispensational theology and repudiation of an exclusive theology of the land that marginalizes and disenfranchises the indigenous people. The conference affirmed the strategic role of the Palestinian Evangelical Church in justice, peacemaking and reconciliation. The conference speakers repudiated both Christian Zionism and Anti-Semitism. 

As Carl Medearis put it,

If your end-times theology trumps the clear commands in Scripture to love neighbours and enemies, then it is time to rethink your theology.

Read more about the conference or register here.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, and other ecumenical faith leaders met with White House officials to express urgency and encourage action on the situation in Israel and Palestine.   According to Hanson, continued meetings with the Obama administration are “a priority because of our commitment to our companions in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. It is also carried out in the commitment we have made in the ELCA’s Churchwide Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine.

“As we began our conversation with Mr. Ross, I expressed disappointment. We hear our Christian partners in the region question the United States’ commitment. They wonder why the U.S. has not been more vocal about the increased settlement construction. I told Mr. Ross that we repeatedly hear Palestinian churches say they see this as a moment of abdication by the U.S. administration.”

Hanson said afterwards that, “More progress must be made toward the goal of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. Since our meeting a year ago, the prospects for peace seem to have diminished with the expansion of settlements and the absence of face-to-face negotiations.”

According to a Nov. 10 news release from Churches for Middle East Peace, the church leaders who attended the Nov. 8 meeting said they are disappointed with developments since their 2010 meeting at the White House. 

“The position of the Palestinian Christian community is precarious,” stated the release. “There are constant problems of obtaining visas for clergy who must travel outside Jerusalem and the West Bank. Restriction on movement between Bethlehem and Jerusalem is a problem that undermines Christian life. Church leaders are humiliated at check points.”

Ecumenical leaders at this year’s White House meeting included Hanson; Katharine Jefferts Shori, presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church; Denis James Madden, auxiliary bishop of Baltimore and chairman-elect of the Committee for Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Neil Irons, executive secretary of the Methodist Council of Bishops; and Sara Lisherness, director of compassion, peace and justice for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A).
The meeting was arranged by Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of 24 national church denominations and organizations working to encourage U.S. government policies that promote a just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Read full ELCA story