Obama: Holy Land Visit Before Easter 'Brings Scripture to Life'

By Laura Taylor 5 Apr, 2013 12:27 EDT

President Barack Obama speaks during an Easter Prayer Breakfast in the East Room of the White House in Washington, April 5, 2013. AP

President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden hosted Friday morning around 150 Christian leaders from across the country at a White House prayer breakfast. Obama shared his reflection on his recent trip to the Holy Land.

The White House calls the meeting "a time of prayer [and] reflection." Obama has hosted it since 2010, and has used it and a separate larger National Prayer Breakfast held annually to reflect on the importance for him of religious faith and humility in grappling with the nation's problems, according to Voice of America.

“In these sacred days, those of us as Christians remember the tremendous sacrifice Jesus made for each of us; how, in all His humility and His grace, He took on the sins of the world and extended the gift of salvation," said the President.

This year was particularly special for him because he had a chance to feel the Easter spirit while visiting Jerusalem, where "Jesus healed the sick, and cured the blind, and embraced the least of these."

"There are few experiences more powerful or more humbling than visiting that sacred earth. It brings scripture to life. It brings us closer to Christ.

At the church of Nativity in Bethlehem, he prayed and reflected on "Christ’s birth, and His life, His sacrifice, His Resurrection."

"I thought about all the faithful pilgrims who for two thousand years have done the same thing, giving thanks for the fact that, as the book of Romans tells us, ‘Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.’

“I thought of the poor and the sick who seek comfort, and the marginalized and the forsaken who seek solace, and the grateful who merely seek to offer thanks for the simple blessings of this life and the awesome glory of the next.”

Obama closed his speech with a prayer, asking the faith leaders to pray for the country and the blessings bestowed upon the nation by God.

“Let’s pray that we’re worthy of His many blessings, that this nation is worthy of His many blessings,” he said. “Let us promise to keep in our hearts, in our souls, in our minds, on this day and on every day, the life and lessons of Christ, our Lord.”

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

In order an effort to promote traditional Chinese culture, the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, in collaboration with Macao YMCA, Guangzhou Suigang'ao Teenagers Institute, and the Teacher Chang Foundation of Taiwan, has conducted a survey on teens measuring their cultural awareness. They found that Hong Kong youths generally identify with and support the values of traditional Chinese culture.
Global Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day, ‘trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time’.
Yesterday, October 31, was Reformation Day, and Lutherans around the world held various events in commemoration. In Singapore, the Lutheran Church advocated for Christian communion, while the German Lutheran Church encouraged believers to face the challenge of “trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time.”
Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues
American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.
2.1M Korean Christians estimated at joint worship service to affirm family, oppose gay marriage, pray for nation
In the afternoon of Reformation Sunday, Oct. 27, some 2.1 million Christians gathered for a joint worship service from 2pm to 5pm in Seoul, Korea to “unite for repentance, revival, and restoration of holiness in our society.” According to organizers, an estimated 1.1 million joined onsite despite the bad weather with another 1 million joining online. The unprecedented joint worship service brought together Korean churches across denominations as they affirmed traditional marriage and family and
Willow Creek Community Church invites believers to write prayer cards for the next president
This past Sunday, Willow Creek Community Church based in Illinois invited believers to “pray for the next president” during the service. The church not only expressed its concern for the upcoming election but also emphasized the role believers should play in the process and the importance of offering prayers for the nation's leaders.

Obama: Holy Land Visit Before Easter 'Brings Scripture to Life'

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

Global Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day, ‘trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time’.

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues

2.1M Korean Christians estimated at joint worship service to affirm family, oppose gay marriage, pray for nation

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues
American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.