Easter in Jerusalem!

Walking the Via Dolorosa

I have been incredibly blessed in so many ways to be here in the Holy Land this year, and having the opportunity to celebrate Easter in Jerusalem was no exception! The epic weekend started bright and early on Friday morning when members the Lutheran church in the Holy Land gathered to walk and pray along the Via Dolorosa together. This is the route that Jesus is believed to have walked on his way from being sentenced to being crucified marking the stations of the cross. We stopped at each station, read from scripture and had a short prayer. The church leaders took turns carrying our distinctive red cross the entire way.

After the Via Dolorosa some of the YAGM and I walked to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to see what we could see. It turned out that we couldn't see much as the entire church was closed with police barriers and police themselves guarding the entrance. Probably best to keep the church safe, but also a bit of a dissapointment.

On Saturday we cleaned up the sunrise service location on the LWF Augusta Victoria campus and enjoyed an Easter Egg hunt with the children of the English Speaking congregation. Adorable!

Sunrise service with the Wall as background.

Sunday morning began bright and early with sunrise service on the Mount of Olives. The sun rose over the course of the service, coming up over the horizon just as we took communion. I could not help but notice that the backdrop to the morning's service was the West Bank including the Wall. As I have said before, the conflict is omnipresent here.

YAGM's after the sunrise service. So blessed by this community!

After the sunrise service, the participants shared a delicious breakfast, complete with BACON and good fellowship. Then we scurried down into the Old City for the 9am service there. It was a trilingual service with German, Arabic and English pastors, including the Bishop of the ELCJHL presiding.

In the evening we celebrated again with a delicious ham and scalloped potato dinner, chocolate cake for dessert and an intense game of 10pm volleyball with the Mount of Olives community. I was reminded throughout the weekend how important it is to have a community where you live. I missed my parents and our family traditions for Easter and I feel very blessed to have a community here with whom to celebrate this holiday. Happy Easter!