Thank you to all who contributed clothing and stuffed toys at Christmas, which St. JOhn’s Church in Beverly Farms is transporting to Syria. Their parish has invited churches throughout the diocese to support Nuday refugee camps in Syria for those who have been displaced by the civil war there.
A fourth cargo container will be shipped to Syria, and the following donations are welcome:
-Book Bags for children
-School supplies, such as pencils, markers, and notebooks
-Yarn, Fabric and Art Supplies: the women in the camp have expressed interest in making clothes, sweaters, and art projects with children
We will have a basket at church to collect supplies each Sunday throughout Lent. Consider these donations a “giving of alms” during Lent.
Bishop Alan M. Gates and Bishop Gayle E. Harris of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, together with Bishop Douglas J. Fisher of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, have signed a joint letter from 17 church leaders, issued by the Massachusetts Council of Churches, opposing the White House executive action suspending refugee resettlement.
You can find the statement here, along with a message from Bishop Gates addressed to all of us in the diocese.
A Sermon for St. John’s Episcopal Church
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Preached on January 29, 2017, The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
by the Rev. Thomas N. Mousin
Matthew 5:1-12
Today, we are invited to climb a mountain. Last week, we listened as Jesus called his first disciples, and then were told how “he went through the region of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom, and curing every every disease and every sickness among the people.”
So his fame spread, Matthew tells us, and great crowds followed him. “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.”
His disciples came to him, and so do we.
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Iyad Qumri, presenting pilgrims with an overview of Jerusalem
Dear Friends,
Many of you know that I recently returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Traveling through Israel and Palestine, we saw places both ancient and modern, visiting sites associated with the stories of the Bible, all the while seeing and experiencing how this region is deeply divided.
Our guide for the tour was Iyad Qumri. Iyad describes himself as a Palestinian, an Arab, and a Christian. He is accustomed to people being surprised that he is both Arab and Christian. Our preconceptions and stereotypes are often broken apart when we travel, and that is one of the great benefits of a pilgrimage such as this.
The challenges faced by Christian communities in the Middle East has caused many Christians to leave. Many Palestinian Christians live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and opportunities for work and freedom to travel, which we take for granted, are limited. Bethlehem, which in 1947 had a population that was 85% Christian, is now only 15% Christian.
What so impresses me about Iyad, his family, and others we met who are living under such challenging circumstances is their deep faith and resilience. Christians in the Holy Land are sometimes referred to as “the living stones.” Their faith is indeed alive, and a witness to us.
I look around us and see the divisions within our own country. I wonder if we can overcome them. And then I remember Iyad, and the way he faces even greater challenges, faithfully bringing the Gospel alive for pilgrims with patience, confidence, and even laughter. And I am given hope.
Faithfully,
Tom
