ELCA NEWS SERVICE
January 7, 2009
Lutherans Worship at Jesus' Baptism Site, Leaders Meet King
09-005-JB
AMMAN, Jordan ELCA) -- About 60 people, including about 10
bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), worshipped at
the site of Jesus' Baptism on the banks of the Jordan River on
the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6. Joining the bishops were
members of Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church, Amman, a
congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the
Holy Land (ELCJHL).
Epiphany is a Christian commemoration of the visit by the
three wise men or magi to the infant Jesus.
His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan gave land at the site
to the ELCJHL, which plans to build a chapel and retreat center,
said the Rev. Munib A. Younan, ELCJHL bishop.
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop and president
of the Lutheran World Federation, said the baptismal site "will
be a site of renewal of our Christian faith and our baptismal
vocation to establish peace with justice first here in the Holy
Land." He said the site reminds Christians to be peacemakers,
especially while the conflict in Gaza continues.
Worshipping at the historic site on Epiphany is a reminder
"of the gifts of forgiveness and salvation we receive through our
Baptisms," said the Rev. Susan C. Johnson, ELCIC national bishop.
"We thank our Lord and Savior for the gift of peace that we are
asked to share, especially during time of conflict in Gaza. May
this site and the remembrance of our Lord's Baptism continue to
help strengthen us to be peacemakers in our world."
In remarks to media before the service, Younan thanked the
king for the gift.
"We are a church that wants to serve justice," Younan said. "We
want all violence in Gaza to end. We want the occupation to end.
We want to live in peace and justice in a two-state solution."
Jerusalem should be a shared city for all people, he said.
Hanson, Johnson and Younan also shared a 20-minute private
audience in Amman with His Majesty King Abdullah II. They
discussed the future of Jerusalem as a shared city with universal
access to Holy sites; the king's commitment to the continued
presence of Arab Christians in the Middle East; improved
relationships between Christians and Muslims; and the urgent need
to end the conflict in Gaza and respond to the humanitarian
crisis, Hanson said. The king suggested continuing the
conversation when he visits the United States in February to meet
the new U.S. president, Barack Obama, the ELCA presiding bishop
added.
The North American Lutheran bishops, spouses and staff left
Jordan and traveled into Israel to Jerusalem, where they joined
several other bishops from both churches. Forty-five bishops are
in Israel Jan. 6-13 for their annual academy, a time for
theological study and reflection. The bishops have planned a
series of meetings with religious, political and community
leaders in Israel and the West Bank. Some ELCA bishops canceled
plans to join the academy because of the fighting in Gaza.
In opening remarks Jan. 6, the Rev. Dean Nelson, bishop,
ELCA Southwest California Synod, Glendale, said the bishops'
visit has three purposes: to support and encourage the ELCJHL, to
learn what living in the region is like for Israelis and
Palestinians, and to advocate for peace for all people. Later the
same evening, some bishops, spouses and staff attended an
Orthodox Christmas celebration in Bethlehem.
The North American Lutheran bishops' visit has gained
greater visibility because of fighting in Gaza between Israel and
Hamas, compounded by rapidly declining living conditions for
local residents. Since the fighting began right after Christmas,
nearly 600 people have died, many of whom are Palestinian
civilians.
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Information about the 2009 Bishops' Academy is at
http://blogs.ELCA.org/09cobacademy/ on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
