The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God,
and the Communion of the Holy Spirit, One God, be with you all.
“When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses,
Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then God said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
Exodus 3:4-5
Feast of the Epiphany, Feast of the Baptism of Jesus
January 6, 2014
Sermon by Bishop Dr. Munib Younan, ELCJHL
For the Dedication of
The Evangelical Lutheran Church at Bethany beyond the Jordan
Your Majesty, King Abdullah II Ibn Hussein,
Your Royal Highness, Prince Ghazi Ibn Mohammed,
Guest Princes,
Your Eminences, Excellencies, Graces,
Dear Dignified Guests:
It is a great pleasure for me on this blessed day to welcome you as we celebrate the Feast of
Epiphany which also marks the Feast of Baptism and I bless your presence for the dedication of
this, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bethany beyond the Jordan. Today, I am full of
excitement for we are dedicating a church on the Feast of Epiphany where what was once a
dream has become a reality, the likes of which we had not conceived in our minds some years
ago. This dream would have not come to fruition without God’s Providence and the support of
His Majesty, King Abdullah II Ibn Hussein and without the advice and support of his Royal
Highness, Prince Ghazi. I am also grateful for the cooperation of the Baptismal Commission and
the Government of Jordan, including the Ministry of Tourism. I also am grateful for the passion
and conviction of many of you who are present from far and near who shared this vision.
We have implemented this dream of a new church with the support of the local and international
church scene and of the Order of OSMTH to which I belong. We are grateful for the gifts of
Lutheran Churches everywhere, especially to the ELCA Mission Investment Fund. We give
thanks for the contributions of local private contributors, especially the Jordan Potassium
Company that gave much to in the way of furnishings for this church. Thank you for all that you
have given and done. Thank you in advance for what you will give in the future. I am also swept
by emotions that we have built a church in the place where Elijah went to heaven in a fiery
chariot and at Bethany beyond the Jordan where John, the cousin of Jesus, was baptizing. It was
from here that we heard his voice saying, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world. For this reason, I find myself in this place hearing again the voice of the Lord saying,
“Take off your shoes, for you are standing on Holy Ground.”
In 2008, I sent a letter along with Bishop Mark Hanson, who was then the President of the
Lutheran World Federation, requesting a piece of land from Prince Ghazi. We wrote “Indeed, in
our Christian tradition, this holy site is linked to a most essential moment in the life of Jesus of
Nazareth: his baptism marking the beginning of his public ministry.” We also wrote:
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“Generations of Christians in our Lutheran tradition, when participating in the Sacrament of
Holy Baptism, have prayed recalling that Jesus himself was baptized in the waters of the River
Jordan and anointed with the Holy Spirit.”
In this baptismal life we have the privilege and calling from God to be holy people, living holy
lives in God’s Creation, striving for the holiness of justice and peace on all the earth, especially
in the Middle East and Palestine.
And today, I stand here with a grateful heart that the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and
the Holy Land could dedicate two churches in twenty-five years. We should be proud of this
achievement-- dedicating a new church is something that should not be taken for granted,
especially in the Middle East. All too often, we see on television that churches are destroyed and
atrocities are committed against houses of worship. By contrast, it is such a blessing to see that
here in Jordan, churches are built and being dedicated by the royal Hashemite family. We see
how the King of Jordan with his Government, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and
hospitable citizens of this nation are encouraging us to build churches and give all that is needful
in order for this to be accomplished.
These gracious acts of hospitality are emblematic of the freedom of religion that we enjoy in
Jordan, the incarnation of equal citizenship and how the Message of Amman is being
implemented in the peaceful coexistence between the citizens of this country, Muslims and
Christians alike. This blessed pluralism is God’s call to Jordan and to the whole Arab world. This
blessed pluralism is what makes Jordan what it is today.
Today we dedicate not just a Lutheran church, but a church for all Christians. We heartily invite
all Christians to make pilgrimage and experience God’s power in their life. Christian pilgrimage
is a revival of the faith for all who come and visit and for all who are living around the holy
places. And by the faith of those pilgrims contacting the local church, they will go back to their
homes and communities, revived with the faith of Christ. Not only that, they can know in their
hearts that they are supporting the Arab Christian presence and the just cause of the Middle East.
For this reason, let this church be the center of your pilgrimage from this day forward.
When the artist Håkon Gullvåg created the altar painting, he expressed the events that took place
here at the baptism site. When one enters the church and sees this painting, you are inspired to
pray and delve into its spiritual meaning. For me, this painting has two implications of which we
should all be mindful. First, the artist Gullvåg comes from Trondheim. This is a center of
pilgrimage in Norway. And his work is part of the beautiful Cathedral of St. Olaf in Trondheim,
just as it is today in the church of Bethany beyond the Jordan. And thus the artist has connected
the pilgrimage of Trondheim to the pilgrimage here at the baptism site. We are building a
strategic partnership between this site, Trondheim, and other churches and countries. We warmly
invite all seventeen countries represented in this celebration to build a similar partnership with
their churches and Bethany beyond the Jordan.
Second, with this painting, Gullvåg has connected the baptism site with Jerusalem and
Bethlehem. And as Bishop Mark Hanson and I wrote in 2008, “the site of the baptism of Jesus of
Nazareth must be considered one of the three principal holy sites of Christianity in the world,
together with Bethlehem and Jerusalem which saw the beginning and culmination of Jesus
earthly ministry, respectively.”
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This is the reason I call today from this holy place to pilgrims from all over the world including
Arab Christians to make the roadmap for pilgrimage from the Baptism Site to Bethlehem and
then Jerusalem. Those who follow this pilgrimage route will find their faith and the faith of their
brother and sister Arab and Middle East Christians revived. And from this pulpit, I call on all of
you to pray with intercession that God may bless this church, this country, and every pilgrim
who has come to this service of dedication.
As St. Paul says in Romans 10:15, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
May the peace of God that passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus our Lord. Amen.
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