Dear Peace members and friends,
At the end of this e-note, I send along a letter of appreciation from Bishop, Sani-Ibrahim Azar, the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL). After all that has happened in Israel/Palestine this week, I hope you’ll take a moment to read his words of faith and gratitude.
“Teacher, is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” “Should we or shouldn’t we, Jesus? Yes or no?” Jesus has been teaching about the kingdom of God for three years. He’s just ridden into Jerusalem to a Messiah’s welcome. He’s just pitched a Temple tantrum and driven out the money changers. The only thing left for Jesus is to declare an uprising and throw out those who had been oppressing the people. So his questioners want to know whether he wants a revolt or not. That’s the real question. “Come down off the fence, Jesus. Which side are you on, Jesus?”
It’s a trap. If he says, “No” to the government’s taxes, it will mean his death. If he says, “Yes,” it will mean the end of the Kingdom he is bringing. And then Jesus asks for the coin (notice, he had to ask for one). And then Jesus answers their question.
This Sunday we continue our sermon series, “The Hard Sayings of Jesus” with Jesus’ answer. Pastor Joe’s message is entitled, “Giving to Caesar, Giving to God.” The Peace Choir will make their offering, we’ll come together to the altar in Holy Communion. Bruce Hudson returns to bless us with music. I’m looking forward to worship!
This week in Adult Education (10:45am), we’ll continue our series on the life and witness of the 20th century German pastor, martyr, prophet, and spy, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. We had a terrific video presentation by a recent Bonhoeffer biographer, Eric Metaxas, and thoughtful conversation following; so much so that we will extend this topic into the next weeks. I encourage everyone to join in!
Another reminder: the annual Halloween activity, “Trunk or Treat,” is fast-approaching. On Saturday, October 28th from 3:30-4:30pm. All kids are invited to attend and adults of all ages are invited to decorate their car trunks and give out candy, pencils, or stickers. Sign-up and further information is also at the bottom of this e-note.
Last of all, I pass along a note of appreciation for the prayers and support given by us and all the churches of the ELCA. Again, it comes from Sani-Ibrahim Azar, the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL):
| “Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege. In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.” Psalm 31:21-22 |
To all those who have been reaching out to the ELCJHL with words of empathy, concern, and prayer, thank you. We are devastated by the difficult realities that we, and our neighbors, are encountering; and your words of support and comfort mean so much. This is an unprecedented time for us; and we are leaning on our faith in Jesus Christ to remain hopeful for a future of peace. Still, even as we trust in God for the future, we remain extremely worried about further escalation and deterioration in the present situation.
We are also grateful that so many of you have already asked how you can help. As Christians, we take seriously our calling to be healers and peacemakers; and we plan to do what we can as a church to deescalate the situation and assist the victims of this conflict. We are currently assessing the situation and evaluating how we can intervene. We will be in touch with our partners soon to explore how we can work together, and what support we will need.
In the meantime, we invite your continued prayers for justice and peace, as we strive to follow the wisdom of our scriptures: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
Yours in Christ, (signed) Bishop Sani-Ibrahim Azar
People of Peace, I am grateful for all of you.
See you Sunday,
Mark