Posing with Pastor Ajaj & his wifeSeveral weeks ago I preached a message from 1 Peter 4:9 on Christian hospitality. Two key points in the message were 1) hospitality is the practical application of Christ-like love (Peter writes in the verse 8, “above all, love each other deeply…”). And 2) Christian hospitality is focused on strangers. Today we had the most incredible experience of genuine Christian hospitality you can imagine. After visiting the Church of Annunciation we went to a very different kind of church, Nazareth Baptist Church. There was no grotto, no 1st century excavation, no mosaics, and no stained glass. There was a real live pastor leading a vibrant congregation in worship. The entire church welcomed us with open hearts and open arms. The worship service began and for the first time on this trip I felt home-sick… because their worship was so much like our worship at PCC. We raised our voices, theirs in Arabic and ours in English, and praised God together. A guest speaker from their own congregation, Hanna Katanacho, preached the sermon. Hanna, who is a Palestinian Christian from Jerusalem, recently completed a PHD at Trinity Seminary in Chicago. He spoke in Arabic and our group listened to an interpreter through headphones. He spoke with passion from John 6, “I am the bread of life…” I was moved by his entire message, but especially his closing prayer when he prayed, “Make us hungry and thirsty for you. We put this church in your hands.”
After the service the “meet and greet” time lasted about 30 minutes. Everyone was eager to meet us and welcome us to Nazareth. Then came the true hospitality. These people opened not only their hearts, but their homes as well. Our group, all 14 of us, were divided into smaller groups and taken home for lunch with different church members. Sandy and I, with a few others, were taken home by the pastor and his wife. Pastor Azar Ajaj, his wife Ibtisam, and their 3 sons were wonderful hosts. He is from Nazareth, she is from Bethlehem, and their first son was born in Jerusalem. Pastor Azar told me, "We have all the holy places covered." We had a delicious lunch and enjoyed the entire afternoon in relaxed fellowship. I was able to ask every question in my mind about the political situation Palestinian Christians face in this land, about his congregation, and about the state of Evangelical Christianity in the Holy Land. The time flew by. We prayed with their family and headed back to the hotel having made new friends in Christ. We have seen many unforgettable sites in this land, including many ancient and beautiful churches built with limestone rock. Peter refers to believers as “living stones” in 1 Peter 2:4. I want you to know there are beautiful “living stones” here in Nazareth who are precious to God and our brothers and sisters. They are proclaiming Christ, producing disciples, and praising God together. I know I keep repeating this phrase, but I can’t help it… this trip just keeps getting better and better! In the morning we start the last leg of the journey... we're going to Jerusalem.
After the service the “meet and greet” time lasted about 30 minutes. Everyone was eager to meet us and welcome us to Nazareth. Then came the true hospitality. These people opened not only their hearts, but their homes as well. Our group, all 14 of us, were divided into smaller groups and taken home for lunch with different church members. Sandy and I, with a few others, were taken home by the pastor and his wife. Pastor Azar Ajaj, his wife Ibtisam, and their 3 sons were wonderful hosts. He is from Nazareth, she is from Bethlehem, and their first son was born in Jerusalem. Pastor Azar told me, "We have all the holy places covered." We had a delicious lunch and enjoyed the entire afternoon in relaxed fellowship. I was able to ask every question in my mind about the political situation Palestinian Christians face in this land, about his congregation, and about the state of Evangelical Christianity in the Holy Land. The time flew by. We prayed with their family and headed back to the hotel having made new friends in Christ. We have seen many unforgettable sites in this land, including many ancient and beautiful churches built with limestone rock. Peter refers to believers as “living stones” in 1 Peter 2:4. I want you to know there are beautiful “living stones” here in Nazareth who are precious to God and our brothers and sisters. They are proclaiming Christ, producing disciples, and praising God together. I know I keep repeating this phrase, but I can’t help it… this trip just keeps getting better and better! In the morning we start the last leg of the journey... we're going to Jerusalem.
The view of Nazareth from Pastor Ajaj's house
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