The Peace Light from Bethlehem arrived at St. John's United Methodist Church in Davenport on December 16th.
Every year, Austrian Boy and Girl Scouts send representatives to Bethlehem to light six lanterns from the light that has burned at the site of the Nativity for over 1000 years. Three of these lighted lanterns are flown across the Atlantic Ocean to New York and volunteers "spread the light" across North America. It arrived at the Iowa Religious Media Center in Des Moines on December 15, and they sent out an email blast to constituent churches that the light could be brought to their community. St. John's responded, and on December 16, we lit our lantern from the living flame of the Light from the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem. We will keep it lit through our Sunday and Christmas Eve services.
Our plan is to place the Peace Light on our altar for worship and to use the Bethlehem Peace Light to light our Christ Candle on Christmas Eve. The Peace Light is meant to be shared. If you are interested in having the Bethlehem Peace Light in your church, we would like to help make this possible. Our Peace Light Lantern will be available to the community churches from 12-2 p.m. on Sunday, December 21. The address is 109 East 14th Street in Davenport. All you need to bring is a lantern and a long-burning candle. We are blessed that the Bethlehem Peace Light has come to the Quad-Cities!
Blessings!
Rev. Anne Lippincott
Senior Pastor, St. John's United Methodist Church
563-324-5278
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