Christmas Eve in Bethlehem

December 26

On Christmas Eve day our team set out by taxi and bus to go to Bethlehem where we spent Christmas Eve.  After checking in to the Bethlehem Inn,

we set out to find  The Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem so we could attend the Christmas Eve service.  Since we didn’t know exactly where the church was located, we started out early walking along the streets of Bethlehem. 

 It was fortunate we were there early because we were able to listen to a pipe organ concert prior to the service.

Early Birds Get a Seat

The service was a multilingual Christmas Eve service.  Bethlehem has been honored as a special place since the days of the early Christian church.  And Christmas has been celebrated here since the days of Pentecost.  The Christian Church in Palestine is comprised of Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant families.  A choir and instrumentalists (trombone, violin and clarinet) were up in front accompanying the singing. 



We felt fortunate to have found it early as we were able to get very good seats.  The trombone player is a Lutheran pastor working with Lutheran World Federation in Jerusalem, Mark Brown.  Mark is a friend of Rolf Svanoe who is a colleague with my husband Obed at Peace Lutheran in Sioux Falls.



Third Row is Perfect !

Palestinian Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan, who succeeded Bishop Mark Hanson (ELCA) as the president of the Lutheran World Federation,  preached the sermon. 

 

Bishop Younan Preaches



We sang  “Lo, How a Rose”  in Arabic, German and English.  Prayers of intercession were given in Burmese, Swedish, German, Danish, German, French, Finnish, Papue New Guinea, Arabic and English.

Christmas Lutheran Church stands as part of the ongoing witness and proclamation of theChristian faith.  It is the oldest Lutheran Church in Palestine, started in 1854 by German missionaries.  Today, it is one of the 6 Lutheran Churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.

The pipe organ in the church was manufactured in Berlin, Germany in 1890.  It was rebuilt for the 2000 Millennium celebration through a fundraising campaign led by their partner church, the Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

The church has beautiful architecture with stain glass windows throughout as well as a beautiful dome.

We processed out to the courtyard after lighting our candles while singing “Silent Night”  in whatever language we knew it best.  It was truly an extraordinary experience to celebrate with Christians around the world this holy night.  I am still pinching myself to make sure I was not dreaming.

After a meal with the EAPPI team we met some local Christians   I decided  that I did not want to go to Manger Square where thousands gather and celebrate.  It was pretty much a loud extravaganza for tourists.  Here is a picture taken from our hotel window on Christmas morning.

I will share some thoughts and pictures I took in Bethlehem that have to do with the Separation Barrier and its effect on the Christian community of Bethlehem.  But it will have to wait.

I am attaching a url that gives you access to a Christmas sermon released by Bishop Younan.  It has a wonderful message which is based on the announcement to the shepherds of "FEAR NOT".  It is a message of hope from a place in our world which is ridden with fear.

http://www.elcjhl.org/Admin/Bishop/2010.12_BishopYounan_ChristmasMessage2010.asp

I understand that in 2008 there was a simulcast of the Christmas Eve service in the National Cathedral Washington, DC and Christmas Lutheran in Bethlehem. If you would like to experience the Bethlehem sanctuary you can click on the url below.

http://www.nationalcathedral.org/exec/cathedral/mediaPlayer?MediaID=MED-3VUGK-O8001M&EventID=CAL-3V2P2-MT000O

Blessings to you all.     Susanne