TAKING THE BUS TO WORSHIP

I had my first experience taking the Arab bus this morning. There are several bus stops near Tantur with the possibility of them taking you to most any destination you can imagine. The Arab bus fare 3.5 NIS (about 90 cents) is lower than the Israeli city bus fare ($1.30). Another advantage is that you can flag the bus down anywhere and ask to be dropped off anywhere and not just at designated bus stops.

St. Andrew's Scots Memorial Church (Presbyterian) was my morning's destination. I had a fair walk uphill to reach the church because I did not recognize where to ask the bus driver to let me off. I won't make that mistake again. St. Andrew's is located just outside the old city walls of Jerusalem. It is perched on an outcropping of rock overlooking the Hinnom Valley. Once there I met the minister, the Rev. Clarence Musgrave, a retired man with great energy. He and a lay reader led us in a simple service of worship in which he explored the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. It had startling significance for me to picture this happening just down Route #1 and turning left at Jericho not all that far from where I was seated. A flautist provided the only music for the worship. The small congregation of about 25 persons, mostly visitors from as far away as Alaska and Great Britain retired for coffee and tea and goodies to the church's coffee shop operated at street level. The congregation also operates a guest house of 18 rooms as well as a shop where you can purchase goods made largely by local Palestinians providing them with a much needed market.

Rev. Musgrave and his wife, Joanne drove me back to Tantur and as I walked along the footpath to the top of the hill the Muslims were being called to prayer from the mosque towers in Bethlehem. I quietly spoke my own prayer of thanksgiving for having found such warm hospitality on a cool and rainy Sunday morning. So far away from home.... I was made to feel at home.