Easter in Jerusalem - April 16, 2006

At 10:00 a.m. I joined the congregation of St. Andrew’s Church of Scotland for Easter worship and Holy Communion. The church was nearly full with a compliment of individuals and families from many countries around the world, even a fellow United Church of Canada minister. Rev. Clarence offered an inspiring message of hope in the midst of hardship and disappointment. It was uplifting. Each one present received a coloured Easter egg to take home.

Afterward I said my goodbyes to Clarence and his wife Joan who are both wonderfully warm, compassionate persons. I mingled with others I have come to see and greet each week. I was presented with a lithograph of the church building. While the ministry here is vastly different from that of Riverside’s, having had a local church family while in Jerusalem has been most helpful for me.

Meanwhile, back at Tantur the Easter Bunny was hard at work and had visited each of our rooms while we were out being good little pious Christians. Apparently God rewards with chocolate in the Holy Land too!

Our chef, Abed, prepared a special breakfast of hot crepes and havah bread with a coloured egg baked in the middle for each person.

Below you will see some Easter images from this morning:

























Our chef, Abed, prepared a wonderful roast lamb to celebrate Easter along with a table full of goodies.

Easter Sunrise in Jerusalem - April 16, 2006

This is one of my favourite services each year. I enjoy so well the excitement everyone brings as they gather early in the morning. The very fact that we gather at such an early hour reminds us that it is an absolutely spectacular event that brings us out.

This morning I gathered at 5:30 a.m. on the Mount of Olives with about a hundred and fifty others to welcome the risen Lord with an enthusiastic singing of “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today.” The morning was cool and breezy with low clouds obscuring the horizon. In the distance the first shimmering reflections of the Dead Sea waters could be seen.

The rising sun did not disappoint us as it rose above the low clouds and greeted us with its ever vigilant message that the One of Light is indeed risen and alive, and that the entire universe is in God’s compassionate keeping.

At the end of the service we ajourned to an outdoor breakfast and a warm bonfire.

A few photos follow:

Easter Eve in Jerusalem - April 15, 2006

This evening I attended an "Easter Fire Vigil." The two-hour worship began at 9:00 p.m. with everyone gathered around a fire on the roof of Eccae Homo Church overlooking the city of Jerusalem. The fire was blessed as was the new Paschal (Christ) Candle. Everyone lit individual candles from the fire and processed from the roof into the church where we continued special prayers and scripture readings that are read only on Easter Eve. We shared in the renewal of our Baptismal Vows and in Holy Communion, then we departed to wait for the light of a new day and a new Kingdom.

Good Friday in Jerusalem - April 14, 2006

My Good Friday began by catching the bus at 6:00 a.m. to join with others who were meeting at the First Station of the Cross inside the old city. This morning the Anglican Cathedral, Redeemer Lutheran , and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian churches walked the fourteen stations of the cross together. At each station we read the scripture story of the events at that location and we prayed in thanksgiving for God’s marvellous act to save humanity and we prayed for contemporary issues and for people around the world. We sang Good Friday hymns as we walked to each Station of the Cross.

Rather than observe the last five Stations of the Cross in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which is incredibly busy this weekend and inside of which it is politically very difficult for Protestants to conduct worship we observed stations 10 through 14 nearby. The worship concluded inside Redeemer Lutheran Church with a short service called the “Veneration of the Cross.”

My Good Friday continued in the evening with a two hour service at the Malekite Church (Greek Catholic). This special service in the Malekite tradition is a funeral service for Jesus. At the front of the church sat a small casket representing the deceased Christ. It was processed around the church with lots of incense. Everyone present was well purified with incense and generously sprinkled with rose-water. I must say the sanctuary was aromatic. Throughout the worship the choir sang psalms and the priests sang prayers continuously. I received a red carnation symbolizing both the "blood" of Christ shed this day and the "hope" of eternal and new life.

A few photos from the morning stations of the cross follow:

Maundy Thursday in Jerusalem - April 13, 2006

The morning began with a drive to Abu Ghosh where there exists a Benedictine Monastery. Abu Ghosh is one of the traditional sites of the Emmaus story in which the risen Jesus meets two of his followers and is recognized when he broke bread with them. This mornings 7:00 a.m. worship was a “tennebrae” service. Tennebrae means shadows and the extinguishing of candles throughout the worship is the main structure of this service of worship, hence the shadows grow deeper and darker as the service progresses.

This monastery is noted for its excellent use of vocal music and of chant. The Maundy Thursday worship focussed upon Psalms that speak of lament, sinfulness, and remorse ending with Psalms that affirmed God’s sovereignty and ultimate victory over all things evil. All present were anointed with holy oil and the kiss of peace was exchanged between everyone. It was a powerful, yet quiet way to begin the final days of Holy Week. A special blessing was offered to each of us by the Latin (Roman Catholic) Cardinal who was present for the worship.

Maundy Thursday celebrations continued for me at 4:30 p.m. when I joined the Redeemer Lutheran congregation located in the old city for its international service held in Arabic, German, and English. This was a service of confession and Holy Communion, including stripping the altar of all vestments and colour. Then followed a processional from the old city to the Garden of Gethsemane where the service concluded with a candle light worship including the scripture stories of Jesus in Gethsemane with his disciples, hymn singing, and prayers.

After lingering at Gethsemane I met friends who were walking to St. Peter in Galicantu, the site of Jesus’ imprisonment as he awaited trial. At this site are original steps that Jesus used as he walked from the Last Supper to Gethsemane in order to pray. Once arrested he retraced those footsteps under guard to the prison that was his last home before being crucified the next day. The steps were lined with candles glowing red in the night as if to invite all our thoughts to follow Jesus into the dark night and even darker day that followed.

You can see photos below.

Palm Sunday in Jerusalem - April 9, 2006

Never have I been in such a procession of Christians! Palm Sunday was a remarkable experience in Jerusalem. From around the city and the outlying areas Christians gathered in the village of Bethphage which is located in east Jerusalem beyond the Mount of Olives. Bethphage was the starting point for Jesus' ride into Jerusalem. From this small village Jesus sent his discples to fetch a donkey (colt) for him to make the ride to the Mount of Olives, down into the Kidron Valley and across to the city of Jerusalem via the Lion's Gate.

I gathered with the congregation of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church for morning worship followed by lunch. Then together we made the trek to Bethphage. The day was hot and the sun was harsh. At lunch I met David, born a Jew in Jerusalem to Jewish parents from Iraq and Afghanistan. This was David's first Palm Sunday processional.... a little unusual for a Jewish person to be in this procession for certain. But David is curious about the Christian faith and as we walked he had many questions about Palm Sunday and Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter. So we talked as we walked. Telling David the stories of Jesus made this walk all the more amazing for me. I felt the spirit of Christ to be close, deep and rich.

Below you we see some of the images from the Palm Sunday procession from Bethphage to Jerusalem. It was never really solemn. People were joyful and it became a real lively and upbeat gathering as we reached our destination.

This is Vivi, our House Matron. Actually Vivi has been like a "den mother" for all of us during our sabbatical. She is warm and welcoming and manages to think of everything. If you want to know something.... ask Vivi. She tells a wonderful love story about travelling from her home in Denmark to Israel at the age of eighteen, meeting and falling in love with the tour bus driver, a Palestinian, whom she married six months later. Sadly, he died of cancer three years ago. A more generous-hearted person I have not met.  

Jesus In His Cultural Milieu - Part V

With Fr. Michael McGarry - April 3, 2006

Jesus and the Church

Did Jesus intend to found the Church? Some would say “no.” Jesus preached the coming of the Kingdom of God, what came was the church. But “yes” in the sense that the disciples later understood that this was what in fact Jesus had done with them; there was only one way to continue the “Jesus movement” and that was through this new community called the Church.

There were four characteristics listed in the book of Acts that applied to all followers: a) the Teaching of the Apostles: still Jewish, but interpreted from the centre and fulfillment of God’s whole salvation work... Jesus Christ, b) Fellowship: everything was held in common and it was saturated and carried by the Holy Spirit, c) the Breaking of Bread: the gathering to break bread together was deeply related to what Jesus did and linked the followers to the Crucified and Resurrected Lord and Messiah, present in their midst, and d) Prayer: of course still Jewish but in the name of Jesus Christ, thus having access to God the Father (Abba) through the Son.

Was the Church at first a Jewish Sect?

The first Christians did not see themselves as anything else than Jews, did not stop participating in the temple sacrifices and synagogue services, circumcising their sons, celebrating Sabbath, reading the Jewish scriptures and observe its commandments. Even Paul always considered himself an Israelite, even though he could refrain from being Jewish when need be.

What Distinguished the Early Christians from Other Jews?

1. An Intensive Mission to all the world, rapid spreading to and including of people from very different backgrounds.

2. Their sacraments: Baptism in the name of Jesus and the Lord’s Supper.

3. Worship of the ONLY God, Father of Jesus Christ; so of course monotheism, but one in which Jesus and the Spirit were central in communing with God.

4. A strong ethical code, similar to Judaism, but included things such as .... no divorce, strong sense of community and a belonging defined by the sacrament of Baptism.

5. No animal sacrifices.

6. Prepared to suffer and willing to die rather than deny their faith in, and allegiance to, Jesus the Christ.

Also, Christians did not attach religious significance to the Land, they did highly re-interpret the Torah (Old Testament) in light of Jesus Christ, and they did not revere the Temple.

Was the Parting of the Ways Inevitable?

Likely, yes! Jesus’ claims about himself were so stupendous and ground shaking that they could not be contained within a Judaism not deeply transformed by accepting them. The Easter experience of the early Christians meant three things: 1) Jesus was alive, vindicated by the God of Israel, 2) an experience of personal forgiveness for persons who had been faithless in various ways, and 3) a gradual realization, that all this had come about without any mediation of the Torah. God somehow bypassed his own instrument of covenant salvation. The Holy Law, in accomplishing this new thing in the life and death and raising of his Son.

Islam - Part VI - Factors Hampering Development in Palestinian Society

With Dr. Laila Nazzal - April 4, 2006

Economic

Ninety percent of all land in the middle east region is uncultivatable, leaving just ten percent of all land as fertile. These lands are mainly along major rivers such as the Nile in Egypt. A full sixty-five percent of the people are peasants. Yet, development has shifted to the cities following a worldwide trend toward urbanization. Capital cities are being financed while rural villages are being left undeveloped. Many have no reliable source of electricity, water, education. Many of the villages that do have educational facilities extend only to the sixth Grade.

Chronic unemployment continues to be an increasing problem bringing with it an increase in crimes and the drug trade. As well, rebellion grows. Non-Governmental Organizations have created work programs have been introduced for unskilled workers paying 50 shekels ($10 US) per day for 8 hours of labour. Creative “pedlar” stalls have been introduced to allow peasant merchants to resell cheap imported goods.

Recent Israeli laws have excluded Palestinians from traditional labouring jobs amounting to the loss of 120,000 daily labourers who used to freely cross into Israel and who now are banned. It is estimated that another 50,000-60,000 black market labourers used to cross into Israel for daily employment. Current law states that any Israeli individual, family or business that employs a Palestinian will be fined. As a result, Israel now imports labourers from the Philippines and Africa, to replace lost Palestinian workers.

Western countries rather than invest positively in the middle eastern societies has sought to exploit resources such as oil, cheap labour, consumer markets and land. It is common practice for American drug firms to dump expired medicines into the middle east markets. Products such as the “Delcon Shield” that are banned in the US are flooding third world markets. Expensive baby formula are promoted that mothers cannot afford and then dilute the formula in order to stretch it out and make it last which results in malnourishment.

Family
The Palestinian society still largely depends on the clan and family as its chief economic unit as well as the main social unit. Individuals are part of a collective. They think in terms of family and not self. They do not view individuality nor independence as a positive value. Individualism as it is expressed in western society is not understood. In Arab culture the individual is understood only in terms of its membership within the family and clan or tribe. There is no reward for individualistic endeavour or achievement apar5t from the respect the family may gain. Individual progress as understood in western society is not therefore pursued.

World View
All world view is coloured by the belief in pre-destination. In other words one’s entire life has been mapped out since birth by Allah (God). There is total reliance on Allah therefore many people tend to negate cause-effect relationships. The majority of Arabs (2/3) are illiterate (2/3 of these are woman). The idea that one shapes one’s own future or can have an effect on one’s own life is not a welcome notion.

The CROSS as a JOURNEY

Following this blog post you will find fourteen more. Each one is a Station of the Cross. Before I invite you to visit these fourteen posts, first let me say a bit more about what the "Stations of the Cross" is.

The Stations of the Cross has two related meanings. In one sense, the Stations of the Cross refers to the liturgical practice of using various events in the final hours of Jesus’ life as a structure for prayer and meditation (also called the Way of the Cross). These events encompass Jesus’ journey carrying his cross from the Hall of Pilate (the ancient Antonio Fortress) where he was condemned to death to the site of his execution on Golgotha (Calvary)which is located in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

As part of their acts of devotion, early Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem retraced the route of Jesus as he carried his cross to his death. Early pilgrimages varied considerably with different starting places and different routes. As the practice developed in the medieval period, the starting point for this journey through the streets of Jerusalem began in the ruins of the Fortress of Antonia that originally housed Pilate’s Judgment Hall, now incorporated into the Ecce Homo Convent. It concluded at the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher that marks the traditional site of Golgotha and the tomb of Jesus. By the sixteenth century, the route this pilgrimage took through Jerusalem came to be called the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Sorrow. Along the Way, certain points on the journey (stations) were associated with specific events recounted (or implied) in the Gospel stories.

The Via Dolorosa and the Stations of the Cross are still a popular pilgrimage destination in Jerusalem. Each year during Lent and especially on Good Friday, thousands of Christians retrace the route of Jesus through the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem, many carrying small or large wooden crosses.

In another sense, the Stations of the Cross refers to a series of depictions, usually either paintings or sculpture, that coincide with the Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem. Since many people could not make the arduous pilgrimage to Jerusalem, in the medieval period there developed the practice of using depictions of these Stations in local cathedrals to allow worshippers to make the same devotional journey.

The journey of our Faith as modern Christians is not only a journey through history that can be marked by events in the past. It is also a journey of our own personal commitment to God, of our own growth as a community of Faith and as individuals maturing from self-centered children into faithful servants. It is a journey that we need to remember just as deeply and profoundly as we remember the journey of God's people across 3,000 of human history, or the journey of Jesus from Pilate’s Hall to Golgotha.

I followed this route in the old city of Jerusalem last Friday just to beat the rush of pilgrims, although I will walk it again on Good Friday. I found it to be moving and prayerful. Perhaps you will as well as you visit the following posts on my blog where I included a photo of my walk as well as an artist's picture of the event being commemorated. I invite you to take a journey....

First Station of the Cross - Jesus is condemned to death

In the courtyard of a school where the Antonio Fortress occupied by Pilate once stood, we begin with the first of fourteen stations of the cross. Here at the first station Pilate presided over the trial and condemnation to death of Jesus.

Second Station of the Cross - Jesus takes up the cross

Read John 19:1,5,16 and Mark 15:17 Outside the Chapels of the Condemnation and the Flagellation which stand over the ancient Roman street of Jesus' day, we find the second station of the cross. This is where Jesus was condemned to death, whipped and beaten, crowned with thorns, and presented to the crowd by Pilate who said, "Behold the man!"

Third Station of the Cross - Jesus falls under the cross for the first time

At a street corner is this sculpture marking the location where Jesus fell for the first time under the heavy burden of the cross. An artist's interpretation too.

Fourth Station of the Cross - Jesus meets his mother

At the side of the street a sculpture over a doorway marks the location where Mary, the mother of Jesus, stood in order to meet her son.

Fifth Station of the Cross - Simon the Cyrenian is forced to carry the cross

Read Mark 15:21 At the side of the street where we begin a steep climb to the place of Golgatha is a doorway to a small chapel that commemorates the assistance given by Simon of Cyrene to help Jesus carry the cross.

Sixth Station of the Cross - Veronica wipes the sweat from Jesus' face

The doorway you see in this photo leads to the traditional site of Veronica's house. Veronica wiped the blood and sweat from Jesus' face as he struggled through the streets with the load of the cross.

Seventh Station of the Cross - Jesus falls for the second time

On the left of the first photo you see a window and a door through which you find a Roman column which marks the place where Jesus fell for a second time while carrying his cross.

Eighth Station of the Cross - Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem

Read Luke 23:28 In the first photo you see a small round iron disk on the wall which marks the place where Jesus consoled the women of Jerusalem telling them not to weep for him.

Ninth Station of the Cross - Jesus falls for the third time

In the left of the first photo there is a Roman column which stands at the place where Jesus fell with his cross for the third time.

Tenth Station of the Cross - Jesus is stripped of his garments

The 10th and remaining Stations of the Cross are all found inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (first photo). Just to the right of the main doors to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre are stairs leading upward to a small chapel where the tenth and eleventh stations of the cross are commemorated. At the Tenth Station Jesus is readied for the cross as he is first stripped of his clothes. Here you see the inside of teh small chapel and and artist's view of that event.