Bishop Munib Younan Preached in Our Church
On the 2nd Sunday of Advent, Dec.10, 2017, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and former President of the Lutheran World Federation, Bishop Munib Younan visited our church and preached from Revelation 21:1-4. The subject was: Jerusalem, the New Heaven and the New Earth. Bishop Younan addressed the issue of building the Kingdom of God, the New heaven and earth. In this "new earth" there will be no fear, no sorrow, no occupation, no injustice, no political plots, no repression, and no wall, rather all people live in freedom, justice and equality. This is not a dream that we wait for it in the future, rather it could be realized right now, and we have to work for it. In this sense God dwells with his people, for God's Kingdom is in our midst.
Installing a Pipe Organ at Schneller School
On Dec. 3, 2017 at 5 PM the inauguration ceremony of the new pipe organ was conducted at Johann Ludwig Schneller School in the Beqaa, Lebanon. The German organist Klaus Schulten played several pieces and accompanied the audience as they sang Christmas carols. Rev. Habib Badr welcomed the audience and prayed. Rev. George Haddad explained the history of the organ and how it ended up in Schneller.
The pipe organ was a donation from the Church of the Incarnation in Tombae, Scotland. It was dismantled by Gerhard Walcker-Mayer, an organ building company from Germany, and rebuilt again in our school’s chapel, St Michael at Schneller School.
We praise the Lord for the love of Tombae's parish and for their gift.
1517 The Reformation and Its Impact
On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Reformation Dar Ophir publisher (Amman) in cooperation with Dar Al Manhal publisher (Beirut) launched a new book in Arabic: "1517, Reformation and Its Impact on Aspects of Life" by Rev. Suheil Saoud الإصلاح الانجيلي وتأثيره في نواحي الحياة at the Lebanese American University (LAU) on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017.
Rev. Habib Badr presented the book during the ceremony and greeted Rev. Saoud for his passion and nobility to write this book to honor his daughter Grace who is suffering from cancer. Rev. Saoud mentioned in the introduction that the illness of his daughter took his soul to the abyss, but through her thankful heart and gratefulness to God, she lifted him to heaven.
Then, Rev. Badr mentioned the relation between the East and the West that resulted in the Protestant churches in this region, and how it was rooted and adopted by the people in the East. Rev. Badr called the attendees attention to the impact of Reformation on the political, economic and social life that changed the people in Europe and later in the ME. It has also been explained that the author’s intention has not been writing a "history" of Reformation but explaining its great effects. Therefore, he pointed to 9 domains, where the influence of Reformation in people's life were clear, such as education, social justice, freedom principle, sciences and other domains.
Rev. Saoud, said Rev. Badr, courageously approached this matter subjectively mentioning the positive and negative sides of Reformation, and mainly the three reformers: Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli.
The Sunday School and Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving and joy, the Sunday School children celebrated on Sunday by getting creative, playing games and sharing food to remember and affirm their thankfulness to all God's gifts. The children also set up a tree at the church entrance with "Thank You" cards on it.
Thank the Lord with all your hearts and souls and minds!
Dr. Ayoub Tabet
The “Helping Hand Society” held its monthly meeting on Friday, Nov. 24, at the Charles Saad Hall. Mrs. Badr began the meeting with a word of prayer then she introduced the guest, the author/poet/journalist Joseph Abi Daher who spoke about the Lebanese Protestant politician Dr. Ayoub Tabet. Dr. Tabet was the president of Lebanon in 1943 and served as a cabinet minister several times. He was also the secretary of the "Beirut Reform Movement" that sought independence from Ottoman rule. Abi Daher talked also about Tabet's poetical “Zajal” writings, his impeccable moral reputation and his faithfulness to a strict work ethic.
Mr. Abi Daher emphasized the importance of Dr. Tabet's unusual personal qualities as a politician, his writings, reputation and dedication to work. He was born in a humble house in Bhamdoun, Lebanon in 1875. His father Gerges was a butcher, but in spite of that he received a good education. He had 11 brothers and sisters, but non of them lived except Elisabeth, Rachel and Ayoub himself. He came to Beirut at the age of 10. He lived there and studied at the Syrian Protestant College. Then he traveled to Texas where he founded Syria-Mount Lebanon League of Liberation with Jebran Khalil Jebran and Michael Naimeh. Later he returned back to Beirut with MD degree, but he shifted to political writings to lead a political reformation in Lebanon when the Ottoman authority where chasing and hanging many of people from that Movement.
Rev. Badr had earlier been asked to explain the main principles of the Reformation, particularly the idea of the "priesthood of all believers." Coffee, tea and cakes were served at the end of the meeting...presented by Rev. and Mrs. Badr in celebration of the birth of their granddaughter.
