Dear Friends in Christ,

“So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near;
for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,
but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God;” (Ephesians 2:17-19).

Sunday morning I gathered for worship with my traveling colleagues at the Lutheran Church of Hope in Ramallah. The liturgy, hymns, readings and homily were conducted in Arabic and English. Pastor Imad Haddad and the congregation he serves welcomed us with generous hospitality and grace. A great reminder that we are all members of the household of God.