While at the home, participants played games and sang songs with the residents, accompanied by several Franciscan Monks. Afterwards, the group met with Nabil Masou, a teacher of Religious Studies, for a Lenten Bible study and reflection.

Charles Eugène de Foucauld was a French Catholic priest who lived for many years among the communities of the Middle East. During the years 1898 and 1901 he lived in the city of Nazareth among the Palestinian people. Nazareth was a place that moved him deeply. The whole life of Charles de Foucauld was shaped by his experience of Nazareth. On March 13th Sabeel invited Patriarch Michel Sabbah to present the story of Charles de Foucauld with over 360 participants in the event.  Nazareth continues to inspire harmony and coexistence.

The Sabeel Nazareth office organized an educational trip to the villages of Hurfeish & Buqei’a. Both villages are unique due to the religious diversity among their inhabitants. Druze, Muslims, Jews and Christians live and coexist peacefully in the villages. In the midst of rising religious extremism tensions in the Middle -East we find it important to shed light on places of hope.

On Tuesday, March 15, Sabeel held its annual Way of the Cross. This is a walk through the Old City in Jerusalem along the Stations of the Cross, connecting each station with a current struggle or point of suffering for Palestinians.

There were 52 people in attendance, including an ecumenical representation of three priests from three different denominations, and one bishop. Local Palestinians and internationals joined the procession, though a group of Christians from Nazareth were unable to come due to the current political situation. Hymns were sung while walking from station to station, and it was a spiritually moving pilgrimage for all involved.

On Tuesday, March 8, a women’s Lenten program was held in Bethlehem. Because this day was also International Women’s Day, the program had a special focus on women in the bible. A young female theologian, Nadine Bitar, gave a lecture discussing the role of women in the Old and New Testament, emphasizing that Jesus raised the status of women back to being equal with men, even speaking first to a woman after his resurrection from the dead.

There was an interactive session among the women participants after the lecture, and a dinner following to celebrate International Women’s Day. There were 32 women in attendance, from various denominations.

Sabeel hosted our second session to train facilitators for bible studies. It was held in Ramallah, and participants came from both Jerusalem and the West Bank in order to learn how to better lead local bible studies.
Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to continue training leaders within the community who will be able to reach out to others through their faith. Send your spirit to watch over those attending this training session, and help them to hear the message you would like them to hear.

Sabeel organized a two-day training for Bible study facilitators on March 3-4. Both Palestinian and Israeli Christians were in attendance, coming from Zababdh, Beit Jalla, Beit Sahour, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the Galilee. Local theologians led the training, coming from various denominations and backgrounds. Women’s voices were also represented, and about 27 individuals were trained.

Different Bible study models were presented, and participants learned about ways to lead studies by using workshops, interactive methods, and through the incorporation of Liberation Theology so as to better relate scripture to people’s daily lives. A second training session will occur in April to follow-up with the newly trained facilitators, and to focus more on how to spread Liberation Theology within their communities.

 Luke 15 / 11-32 

…“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him”…

As part of the Sabeel Nazareth women`s contextual bible study group a meeting was held to reflect on the parable of the prodigal son. The women`s group reflected through Palestinian eyes on the actions of both sons and the great mercy of the father.

 

On Wednesday, February 16, a women’s Lenten program was held in Jericho. This was both a spiritual retreat, and an opportunity to learn about, and reflect on, the Year of Mercy that Pope Francis had declared. The women shared personal stories about mercy from their own lives after the discussion, and grew closer as a community as they asked one another for advice and support.

Sabeel shared the action plan for both this year and the future, and the women were very willing to commit to a monthly Bible study. There were 35 women in attendance, from various denominational backgrounds. They were inspired after the study to arrange a time and date to visit the Old Age Home to tangibly show mercy and love to individuals living there.

A Clergy Training session was held in Tiberias on January 20-21, jointly hosted by Sabeel and Kairos Palestine. This was an ecumenical conference, with a focus on Palestinian Liberation Theology. Clergy participated in discussions of how to make their sermons contextual to Palestine, and how to preach theology that would make sense locally.

This conference also allowed for fellowship between clergy of differing denominations, strengthening the ecumenical spirit of Christian churches within Israel and Palestine.