Sunday, April 29 ~ Sally Hart

O little town of Bethlehem, how still??

Saturday:  Actually, our skillful driver maneuvered to our delightful hotel down a hilly, narrow, donkey-planned street through heavy traffic including a car spinning to celebrate a wedding.

Christmas Lutheran Church, Bethlehem

Sunday – Music as bridge and music as resistance:

Attending Christmas Lutheran Church was really special, in spite of its being in Arabic. Music and bits of English from the pastor and in the bulletin served as a bridge between congregants and visitors.  We sang two familiar hymns and two wonderful contemporary songs in Arabic with phonetic transcriptions in our alphabet. We could sing along, and being allowed to play the organ (and pressed into service for the prelude and processional!) became a bridge between their very new self-taught organist and me. But the pastor’s message said music can be resistance, Like Paul and Silas singing in prison. Living our Christian life joyfully can be a counter to oppression.

Sally and Rita played postlude with the new church organist gratefully watching

Christmas Lutheran windows

Sally at the organ

Four organists!