Seventy seven years ago a seventeen year old young woman was waiting off stage at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. It was amateur night and she was next on stage with a dance routine. But the duo before were also dancing and when they were done she was so imtimidated that she could not dance.
She decided to sing instead. She had never sung in public before. She wasn’t sure that she had any singing talent. But she sang anyway. Her name was Ella Fitzgerald.
It makes you wonder what would happen if we risked a new routine.
Peter
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Of One Mind?
Last week at the Kairos Bethlehem encounter, the whole gathering seemed to be of one mind. But of course that is never the case and over the week some differences became more apparent.
In one presentation from a European country, there was a challenge to the patriarchal attitudes inherent in the document.
This was vigourously opposed by some of the local Palestinian authors including women. They felt that this was just one more imposition from the outside telling them what to do. Local voices said , “At this point we are just trying to survive. Allow us to tackle these issues in our own way, at our own speed.”
However the representatives of Christian social justice groups and churches were all agreed on the the Kairos document’s call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against the Israeli settlements. We were convinced that the relentless increase in settlements, roads and barriers has placed the Palestinian community in an impossible situation
Where else in the world is a whole people barred from using the main highways because of their race? is this not technically an apartheid?
The Kairos document asks the Christian community to act before it is too late. I wonder if Canadian churches will do so. I wonder if we here at Emmanuel will be able to see the world through Palestinian eyes.
Peter
In one presentation from a European country, there was a challenge to the patriarchal attitudes inherent in the document.
This was vigourously opposed by some of the local Palestinian authors including women. They felt that this was just one more imposition from the outside telling them what to do. Local voices said , “At this point we are just trying to survive. Allow us to tackle these issues in our own way, at our own speed.”
However the representatives of Christian social justice groups and churches were all agreed on the the Kairos document’s call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against the Israeli settlements. We were convinced that the relentless increase in settlements, roads and barriers has placed the Palestinian community in an impossible situation
Where else in the world is a whole people barred from using the main highways because of their race? is this not technically an apartheid?
The Kairos document asks the Christian community to act before it is too late. I wonder if Canadian churches will do so. I wonder if we here at Emmanuel will be able to see the world through Palestinian eyes.
Peter
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Wall Of Separation - Posts From Bethlehem
We met at dusk for a worship service at the Wall. This outdoor service needed a little light. During the opening words, the presider invited the security guard in the tower that loomed over us to turn his searchlight on us so we could see the words on our bulletin. When that did not happen we resorted to candle light.
I joined two ministers, Lisa serving the Lutheran church in Sweden and another from the church of Scotland in reading alternate words to O little Town of Bethlehem. Mine were:
While morning stars and evening stars
Shine out in your dark sky,
Despair now stalks your troubled streets
Where innocents still die.
And Jesus, Child of Mary,
Whose love will never cease,
Feels even now your pain and fear,
Longs with you for your peace.
After scripture, hymns and a choir from the Bethlehem Bible College, a sermon, and an exchange fo olive branches and candles, we walked out to “We are walking in the Light of God” to plant an olive tree on behalf of Kairos. Our midweek evening Advent services are around the theme of light, so I felt you were all with me as we worshipped here this night, holding up our candles of faith hope and love in front of the Wall of separation.
Peter
I joined two ministers, Lisa serving the Lutheran church in Sweden and another from the church of Scotland in reading alternate words to O little Town of Bethlehem. Mine were:
While morning stars and evening stars
Shine out in your dark sky,
Despair now stalks your troubled streets
Where innocents still die.
And Jesus, Child of Mary,
Whose love will never cease,
Feels even now your pain and fear,
Longs with you for your peace.
After scripture, hymns and a choir from the Bethlehem Bible College, a sermon, and an exchange fo olive branches and candles, we walked out to “We are walking in the Light of God” to plant an olive tree on behalf of Kairos. Our midweek evening Advent services are around the theme of light, so I felt you were all with me as we worshipped here this night, holding up our candles of faith hope and love in front of the Wall of separation.
Peter
Sunday, December 4, 2011
We Are Pilgrims - Posts From Bethlehem
How often does one get to spend the second Sunday in Advent in Bethlehem? I am staying for the week in the Bethlehem Hotel, a half hour walk from the ancient Church of the Nativity. This morning Barbara Lloyd, the other United Church representative, and I got to the Church before the tour bus onslaught.
I had to bend in half to squeeze in the tiny door of the church. Here was a reminder at the door to humble oneself when entering. This for me is one of those "thin places" in this land. That's what the Celts called these places where the threshold to the holy was more translucent than usual.
We had arrived at the end of what may have been an Armenian service of worship. Sun streamed in the upper windows casting the pillars in lovely tones of light and shade. The atmosphere was thick with incense and radiant with large chandeliers and freshly placed prayer candles.
We took a seat just emptied as the worshippers had gone forward for communion. They streamed by us with pieces of bread in hand. For what purpose? To share with family members who could not attend? To take to relatives in hospital? We felt a bit disconnected to what was taking place in a language that we did not understand. We were visitors but we were not just tourists. We were pilgrims, as we told the Security officers when we entered the country yesterday.
A woman walked by us with her two children. She turned and with a smile offered a piece of bread. Her son did the same.At that moment we felt part of that Bethlehem Advent service.
These Christians in the Holy Land have gone from 10% of the population to less than 2% but they are still here and they have a story they want to tell. That's why we are here this week.
Peter
I had to bend in half to squeeze in the tiny door of the church. Here was a reminder at the door to humble oneself when entering. This for me is one of those "thin places" in this land. That's what the Celts called these places where the threshold to the holy was more translucent than usual.
We had arrived at the end of what may have been an Armenian service of worship. Sun streamed in the upper windows casting the pillars in lovely tones of light and shade. The atmosphere was thick with incense and radiant with large chandeliers and freshly placed prayer candles.
We took a seat just emptied as the worshippers had gone forward for communion. They streamed by us with pieces of bread in hand. For what purpose? To share with family members who could not attend? To take to relatives in hospital? We felt a bit disconnected to what was taking place in a language that we did not understand. We were visitors but we were not just tourists. We were pilgrims, as we told the Security officers when we entered the country yesterday.
A woman walked by us with her two children. She turned and with a smile offered a piece of bread. Her son did the same.At that moment we felt part of that Bethlehem Advent service.
These Christians in the Holy Land have gone from 10% of the population to less than 2% but they are still here and they have a story they want to tell. That's why we are here this week.
Peter
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