Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, June 2000, page 64

Christianity and the Middle East

Jubilee Year Provides Christian Encounter in the Holy Land

By Fred Strickert

Record numbers of visitors to the Holy Land during the Jubilee Year 2000 have been predicted from the beginning. More importantly, this year has provided renewed attention to the role of the Palestinian church and offered opportunities for encounters between Western Christians with their Middle Eastern brothers and sisters.

The highlight thus far has been the dramatic papal visit to coincide with the Feast of the Annunciation in March. Other focal points have been the traditional celebrations of Christmas in Bethlehem and Easter in Jerusalem, where hotels have been booked to the limit and pilgrims have crowded the busy streets to encounter living stones of faith along with the ancient stones of history.

The hustle and bustle continue as church leaders provide further opportunities throughout the rest of the year.

Pentecost 2000

With an unusually late Easter this year, the Feast of Pentecost falls on June 11. This is traditionally considered the birthday of the Christian Church in Jerusalem when the first disciples were empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit. According to the account in Acts 2, numerous pilgrims had gathered in Jerusalem from every corner of the earth resulting in a miraculous scene of intercultural communication.

It is thus appropriate that Jerusalem Christians are hosting a Pentecost 2000 gathering under the theme “One in the Spirit, Diverse in Culture.” The dates for the event are June 8-11. with sessions taking place in both Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Bishop Munib A. Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Holy Land states that his hopes are for “an active witness to the presence of the Gospel in the Holy Land” and a call “to search for and celebrate new incarnations of the Spirit for the third millennium.”

Bible Study leaders include the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb of Bethlehem, Rev. Dr. Barbara Rossing, USA, and Rev. Dr. Peter Hirschberg, Jerusalem. The gathering will offer visits to a refugee camp, hospitals and schools. It will display Palestinian culture through dance and visual art, and will take participants on a desert walk to visit historic monasteries.

For more information contact ELCJ, P.O. Box 14076, Muristan Road, Jerusalem 91140. Telephone: 011-972-2-6276111; fax: 011-972-2-6276222. e-mail: <ga_elcj@
netvision.net.il>.

Alameh

The Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem will be hosting the annual conference of Alameh from July 4 to 11. Alameh is an organization of Arab Lutherans of Middle East Heritage living in the United States. See the June 1999 Washington Report, pp. 85-86.

For more information contact: Rev. Mitri Raheb in Bethlehem < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it > or Rev. Khader el-Yateem in New York, phone: (718) 748-4024.

Summer Celebrations

Among other celebrations to take place in the Holy Land during the summer months are:

• Ascension Day Pontifical Mass at the Church of the Ascension, Mount of Olives on June 1.

• The first International Gathering of the Syrian Orthodox Societies on June 5-15. Contact the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate, phone: 011-972-2-6283304.

• Bethlehem International Choral Festival on June 14-18.

• Premiere: The Gospel musical “The Child of Promise” in Manger Square, Bethlehem on June 16.

• Corpus Christi: Pontifical Mass by the Latin Patriarch at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on June 22.

• Mar Elias Day, including a procession from Bethlehem to the Mar Elias Monastery, with popular fair and picnic on monastery grounds on Aug. 1-2 (phone 011-972-2-627-1657).

• The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Orthodox Churches on Aug. 28, with a sunrise procession from Bethlehem to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem. In the afternoon a procession in the old city of Bethlehem.

While the summer months are a busy time for tourists to visit the Holy Land there are numerous opportunities for encounters with the Christian community. Further information can be obtained from the Christian Information Center in Jerusalem (phone: 011-972-2-627-2692; fax: 011-972-2-628-6417).

Dr. Fred Strickert is professor of religion at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.