Ordination Pictures

An Easter Poem

An Easter Poem

Deep in the earth

After a long winter of silence

The tomb of death

Becomes the warm womb of possibilities

And there it is and there we are—

Everything and everyone—

Waiting to emerge

Our hearts burning within us

Waiting to be born again

To return to the light

To awake from dreaming

To transcend the bonds of death

To rise to new life

Rising above the fray into the beauty of Creation

Praising God for the sunlight and the rain

And the light of the risen Son

A Son shining in our hearts and minds

Leading us on His path way of peace and reconciliation

A path that seeks to restore an everlasting bond

A bond begun at the beginning between all of creation and its Creator 

A bond that will again last beyond

Beyond the end of time

(Adapted from Spiritual Reading for the Liturgical Christian)

Our Little Dancers at the Baltimore Museum of Art

Emily was a beautiful flower from the Cylburn Arboretum
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Project Flyer

seek peace, and pursue it

                                                                                         Psalm 34:14

Seeking and pursuing peace among the children of Abraham

A quest to create an appreciation and equality for all of God’s Children

Where:

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

1609 Kurtz Avenue

Lutherville, Maryland 21093

410.252.3768

Calling ourselves children of Abraham, we need to be aware, and concerned, about the continually growing contentions between the Israelis and Palestinians. How can blood brothers and sisters who have been at odds for more than 60 years find a way to live in peace? Come join the conversation on Wednesday nights beginning April 14th as we explore ways to seek and pursue a just peace in the “Holy Land” with guest speakers who have lived in and worked for peace and reconciliation between Israel & Palestine through non-violent means.

April 14th - 7p.m. – The Rev. Susan P. Wilder:

The Representative for Middle East Public Policy for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a member of the Advisory Council of the Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace, (WIAMEP). She has served in ecumenical and interfaith networks as a grassroots organizer, speaker and educator, working to raise awareness about the Israeli/Palestinian situation and to further advocacy for a just peace. She is ordained in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.

April 21st - 7p.m. - Mai Abdul Rahman:

A Palestinian American living in Washington D.C. she is an organizer, activist and journalist. She is an active member of WIAMEP. Mai founded the American Palestinian Women's Association and has organized humanitarian relief programs to aid Palestinians. As a United Nations consultant, she assisted in developing short and long term strategies for Birzeit University in the occupied West Bank.

April 28th - 7p.m.- Shelley Fudge:

Coordinator of the DC-MD-VA Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. She serves as member on the Steering Committee of the WIAMEP, and is active in Marylanders for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine, which focuses on Congressional advocacy. Shelley has family in Israel and has traveled throughout Israel and parts of the West Bank recently visiting Gaza and Israel in May – June 2009.

May 5th - 7p.m. - Dr. Philip Farah:

A Palestinian-American born and raised in Jerusalem, he attended and earned his BA from the American University of Beirut and a Ph. D. from the University of New Mexico. He has taught at educational institutions in Palestine, including the Lutheran School of Hope and Birzeit University. He is active in Arab-American organizations and a member of WIAMEP’s Steering Committee. He has addressed audiences around the U.S. on Middle East peace issues.

Join the conversation…get involved…be a part of the solution!

Newsletter Article for April

seek peace, and pursue it Psalm 34:14




Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As a part of my vicarage at St. Paul’s, the seminary places on me certain requirements that I must complete. One of these requirements is the completion of a project that is not a program already in place or something that is ongoing within the life of the local church and one that benefits the congregation being served. As most of you know, Dee and I had a wonderful faith building experience on our trip to the Holy Land in January. In preparation for that trip the seminary professor who lead our group encouraged us to do some reading. He suggested we read the following books in preparation for the trip: O Jerusalem!, L. Collins and D. Lapierre (history of the Israeli war for independence); Blood Brothers, Elias Chacour (a Palestinian priest tells his personal story); The Land and the Book, Charles Page and Carl Volz (essential traveling companion), and Justice and Only Justice: A Palestinian Theology of Liberation, Naim Stifan Ateek. In addition to these I have read two more books by Elias Chacour – Faith Beyond Despair and We Belong to the Land. On our trip we meet Dr. Mitri Raheb, a Palestinian Lutheran Pastor at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. Since meeting him I have read his book, Bethlehem Besieged, and have started another one of his books, I am a Palestinian Christian. I thought I would have had a break from all the reading at seminary!

With all that being said my project during my vicarage here at St. Paul’s stems from my reading and meeting with Dr. Elias Chacour, Archbishop of Galilee of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and Dr. Mitri Raheb in Israel/Palestine. These readings and meeting with people involved in finding a peaceful solution to the Israeli crisis have stirred my interest in the peace process between Israel/Palestine. Upon our return from the trip I contacted Dr. Raheb and asked him if he would provide me with contact information for representatives in the United States who could speak to the issue of seeking and pursuing peace in the land where our faith was born. The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has been an ongoing problem for over 60 years since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.

Calling ourselves children of Abraham, we need to be aware, and concerned, about the continually growing contentions between the Israelis and Palestinians. How can blood brothers and sisters who have been at odds for centuries find a way to live in peace? Come join the conversation on Wednesday nights beginning April 14th as we explore ways to seek and pursue a just peace in the “Holy Land” with guest speakers who have lived and worked for peace and reconciliation in Israel & Palestine through non-violent means.

I hope and pray you that you will consider supporting me in this project by attending any or all of the programs that are going to be presented at St. Paul’s. If anyone is interested in doing some reading beforehand, I would recommend Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour, Justice and Only Justice by Naim Stifan Ateek and Bethlehem Besieged by Mitri Raheb. If you have any question please feel free to contact me.



Blessings,

Vicar Paul

Non Sibi Sed Patriae

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The Snow Queen and her Princesses

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Fun in the Snow

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Lutherville winter wonderland 23" and still falling expecting 30" or more!!
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Good Bye Granny & Aunt Amy

Today was a sad day we had to say good bye to Granny and Aunt Amy. We already had to say good bye to Aunt Susan who came with Granny and had to leave a couple of weeks ago. Without the help of these dear loved ones this trip would not have been possible. Thanks to the members of St. Paul's who helped along the way too!
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Big & Little E&E Reunited

Little E&E have been reunited with their counterparts Big E&E. It was good to finally sleep in our own bed again last night. These past days and weeks were a great opportunity to reflect on the history and context of where our Christian faith began. It will take a few days to process all people and places we have encountered. This journey would not have possible with out the help and support from Mom and Dad and my sisters Susan and Amy.
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Last day in Israel

At Caesarea Maritime our last stop, a fortress built by Herod the Great on the Mediterranean Sea, we saw the theater, the arena, fortress and waterworks. Herod constructed 17 miles of aqueduct which carried water to the fortress from Mount Carmel. It was beautiful.
See you stateside!!!
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