St. Paul's Church, et cetera

St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Shefa-Amre, Israel.
PHOTO: The Reverend Noah H. Evans

A leisurely morning of it. We didn't leave the convent until 9:15. We walked a few blocks uphill to a Greek Orthodox Church built over a spring, the well where Mary the Mother of our Lord drew water. Their tradition--the Orthodox--is that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary there, at the well. The church was packed for their weekly liturgy, and in typical Greek Orthodox style it was exotic (to us, at least), chaotic, and exquisite. I told the Epiphanyites to "get ready for next Sunday!" They smiled, sort of. We traipsed through to the back of the well, hung around for a bit, and then made our way to the bus.

Our destination, north and west of Nazareth, was the town of  Shefa-Amre, in Israel proper, on the outskirts of Haifa, to St. Paul's Episcopal Church. The rector, Fuad Dagher, greeted us outside the church, and warmly welcomed us to Shefa-Amre and to St. Paul's.

He's quite the one-man band: delightful, passionate, entrepreneurial, and gifted. The liturgy was exceedingly familiar--adapted from their cathedral's customary, and the hymns--all well-known chestnuts--were accompanied on the Allen organ by Father Dagher himself. Presider, organist, and eucharistic minister! Bishop Harris preached, and Father Dagher translated it into Arabic for the several members of his parish.

After the liturgy we were welcomed again during the coffee hour. A young boy was having his birthday, and there was singing and, of course, cake. In typical Palestinian fashion the hospitality was lavish and unending.

Behind the parish hall is a newly restored 200 year old house which is used for the entire community (not just their parish) for concerts, art exhibits, and assemblies. It's absolutely gorgeous, and could (should!) win an award for historic preservation. With thanks to the Diocese of Los Angeles, who gave them the money to buy the property, and with the sweat equity of the whole town (Christians and Muslims and Jews worked together to rebuild it) the community has a place to gather, and something for which they're all very proud.

We didn't need any more food, but there it was...a feast at a local restaurant, the best in the town, which opened on this Sunday just to serve us. As Bishop Harris said, "when Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a banquet, THIS is what he meant."

A happy and holy Sunday to you all.