Entries by Brigitte Parenteau

Town Hall Forum: Barbara Brown Taylor

April 12, 2019 in /by

Finding God in the Faith of Others Join Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest, teacher and bestselling author, in a conversation about other faith traditions. She’ll speak at the next Town Hall Forum on Tuesday, April 30 at noon.

Responding to the Cyclone in Southern Africa

March 25, 2019 in /by

The countries of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi have been ravaged by Cyclone Idai and the heavy rainfall that followed. The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is partnering with ACT Alliance to assess and respond to the needs of those who have been displaced by the cyclone and flooding. Learn more.

Day Twelve: Nazareth

February 7, 2019 in /by

Our first stop was Sephorris, a vast site best known for its mosaics (the “Mona Lisa” of mosaics) and the large Roman city that was there in Jesus’ time. Scholars assume Jesus and his father labored at Sepphoris.

Day Eleven: Magdala

February 6, 2019 in /by

For our morning devotions, we walked toward the water to the Church of St. Andrew, a lovely Scottish Presbyterian chapel. The minister, Kate MacDonald, met us and joined us in prayer. She spoke about her work, which is as much with dozens of partners in Israel and Palestine working for peace and justice, as it is with pastoral leadership in the congregation.

Day Ten: Jerusalem

February 5, 2019 in /by

We walked across the vast square that spreads out between Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome on the Rock. Actually, we were also walking across where Jews believe the First and Second Temples stood. For both religious traditions, this is holy ground. For Muslims it is the third holiest of their pilgrimage sites, after Mecca and Medina.

Day Nine: Bethlehem

February 4, 2019 in /by

Helena, mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, had the first Church of the Nativity built in this place around the year 333, to commemorate what was believed to be the cave where Jesus was born. It has gone through multiple renovations and restorations in the centuries since, including when the Crusaders controlled the region, beginning in 1099.

Day Eight: Christmas Lutheran Church

February 3, 2019 in /by

On the Palestinian side, the wall has become a billboard, an art exhibition, an outlet for anger and frustration, and an opportunity for creative protest in humor. For many, the most moving part of what is displayed there are printed out, large posters offering details in the first person of the impact of the wall and the Israeli occupation.