Show I I The Herald Journal Logan Utah Thursday August ©Mstiamitiy’s holiest RBoosIShbd® gooairaB JERUSALEM (AP) — Wajeeh Nuseibeh a Muslim says someone from his family has opened and closed the massive wooden doors of Christianity's holiest shrine pretty much every day for more than a millennium Christian sects squabbling over stewardship of the place have never trusted one another with the task In the shadow of Mideast violence the Church of the Holy Sepulcher appears to be a place of profound peace Visitors are awed by its ancient stone walls ornate icons and the solemn echo of singing monks But the many denominations who must share the' massive church have competed for power and quarreled over different rituals and theological points of view for generations Built on the site of Golgotha — revered as the spot where Jesus was crucified — the current structure was built by European Crusaders in 1099 It replaced an earlier structure built by the Roman Emperor Constantine' in the 4th century Squabbles over the care of such a holy site — down to mundane tasks such as dusting stones and tending candles — are a long tradition That’s why a Muslim must open and close the door each day ‘To be honest sometimes there is animosity with one another- therefore there can’t be agreement on who should take the key” said Father Armando Pierucci 67 a Franciscan from Italy who plays the pipe organ Tensions still run raw Coptic and Ethiopian monks who share control of the roof hurled stones and threw punches July 28 because a Coptic priest shifted out of the hot sun into the shade His move was considered a challenge to the Ethiopians’ sovereignty over a courtyard they’ve held since 1808 In 17S7 the church was divided into Greek Orthodox Armenian and Roman Catholic areas under an agreement that also assigned times each group could hold services Nuseibeh whose business card says he is the “Custodian and Doorkeeper of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher" admits his family has taken on an unusual job But the former electronics repairman and tour guide believes his role is vital “We are here as a people of peace in the church" he said Nuseibeh SO took over the task - the end near? Just Is By George R Plegenz Newspaper Enterprise Assoc sky” In the dashboards of their cars telling passengers what to do if the driver of the car should suddenly be whisked from behind the steering wheel and transported to heaven The passengers who find themselves in a driverless vehicle are told “Do not panic Shut off the ignition and steer the car to die side of the road" Many of those who take these precautions serious- sus- pense thriller airline simply vanish in mid-a- ir leaving their clothes and bewildered companions behind while chaos breaksout worldwide The novel by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins is pure fiction but is based on the Bible' St Paul describes the “rapture" in one of his letters The word “rapture” conies from ly are people who have read die runaway best-sell“Left Behind” which purports to be account of a true-to-li-fe er from his father 2S years ago He still has documents declar- ' ing that his family is in control of the doors Another Muslim family the iron key Joudehs guards the The arrangement has made for a quirky ritual Each morning a Joudeh hands the key to a Nuseibeh! A priest passes a wooden ladder through a latched window in the door and the Nuseibeh climbs to unlock the spring-loade- d iron lock 400-year-o- ld 10-in- ch — C3 sDbcddo® During the last two years of Mideast fighting Nuseiheh has sent someone else to heave open the heavy wooden doors at 4 am because he fears walking through the city in darkness But he still makes daily trips to the church In 638 an agreement between the conquering Muslim Caliph Omar Ibn and the Greek patriarch put the church’s key in the hands of Nuseibeh’s ancestors The Nuscibehs remained the sole gatekeepers until the Crusades when aniiies of European knights massa- cred thousands of people in the Holy Land The Nuseihehs fled to Nablus and lived there until the next Muslim conquest of Jerusalem he said The Joudeh family took control of the key during Ottoman rule which began in 1517 Nuseibeh says sometimes Christian visitors wonder why Muslims are in chaige of the entrance to the shrine “Some people are nervous when they hear that Muslims are the door keepers” he said “I tell them this is the reality of this place We are pro- tecling Christianity to give them their freedom to pray” case be ready to take the wheel in the Latin word meaning to seize or carry off In the words of St Paul “the Lord shall descend from heaven and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we ' shall be who are alive caught up together vyith them in the clouds and meet the Lord in the air” In other words when the end of the world comes the believers shall be snatched away to safety wherever they are Christianity has always taught that the days of this world are numbered The Bible points to the signs that will accompany the “end ' times” as they are called With these Bible signs as their guide prophets through the ages have warned that the cur-tain was about to fall on human history ' Earth’s last days when believ- -' ers will be snatched away from whatever they are doing and taken to “meet the Lord in the It’s called the “rapture” and there are Christians who take this Bible prophecy literally Some believers have even pasted instructions on the Wajeeh Nuseibeh is seen at the door to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem Nuseibeh a Muslim says someone from his family has opened the massive wooden doors of Christianity's holiest shrine every day for 1 364 years 152002 So far they have all been wrong Even Billy Graham misread the signs In 1950 the evangelist told an audience “We may have another year maybe two years Then I believe it's going to be all Time magazine this summer ran a cover story titled “The Bible and the Apocalypse — Why More Americans are Reading and Talking About the End of the World” The article spid that 17 percent of Americans believe the end of the world will happen in their lifetime While the number of those who look for the end to come soon is growing skeptics still outnumber believers Many Bible schojars believe that when the prophets predicted coming events they were referring to happenings which would take place in the near future These scholars say the book of Revelation where many of the Bible prophecies appear over” Among the biblical signs pointing to the last days of the world as we know it Graham mentioned the “perplexity and distress in the world the breakdown in morals and more devastating and more frequent wars” The end did not come and Graham no longer predicts whien the world will end “God alone knows” he says But more Christians than ever ' appear to believe that the “end time” is approaching You was written to be a steadying influence on Christians suffering persecution in the first century Such expressions as “what soon must take place” or “for the time is near" must stand as warnings against applying the book of Revelation to later centuries they : maintain ' Meanwhile we may want to take comfort in something a conference of world scientists said recently They predicted that the universe can look for-- ward to about five million more yctirs We should be able to settle our differences by then George R Plagenz writes a weekly religion column lor the Newspaper Enterprise Association are invited to join an outstanding BOOK OF MORMON TOUR! ' A Star Vatfai lancets StfiSbmuaf Saturday Aug 17 At the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in Afton Trucks CimwitiMr Stmt Bring them Motorcades Entry Fee $20 tal honl ’55 Mufvu to Plant imek Cm tat Cutloin "Motonyrir Stmt Choin livid thiu "5 Rail Hire 1937 IVopIt'i Best European Dud ifal-lf- 1 first-han- - 'SO Mini's FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 4 tat Original Undo Cbnuiuaion a MkImi a (M7)MMM9 ar Ckl lmr U MMM n jnr mjma mi mm H tal hiliiMiilaiMtaWBi-"talini4Automotive Vendors Welcome! Qnwllni sen-ice- flighls-wilhi- Cruiia 44‘i tat - M “Archaeology and the Book of Mormon” Richard Rerrett Hyrum Civic Center 83 W Main Hyrum Utah bbkofciWstoursem - DR RICHARD It Phone:(435)753-6011- jJ07)MMm w r s Special Presentation! CONTACT BOOK OF MORMON TOURS 2S9N I(XK) Hast Orem Utah K4W7 Phone Toll-n- x: — cattail English-speakin- g p All! Miorir Cx Anujua - Nov An exceptional opportunity to expiate stimeojihe most interesting and beautiful phnvs in the world the "Lands the Boot d the geography history and xflex that correlate ttf Mormon" ttf southern Mexico and Vuatemala litu will experience with the Batik itf Mormtni Ibis study tmir allows you to hi- taught hr an outstanding teacher and the best round-niairfarcrom Salt lake City deluxe hotels deluxe aircondi guides Thc'lintr price includes almost eivrything! r turned buses two all tips fitr gymtp two meulx ter day and all the amenities ttl'u deluxe hmr The plaivs ytm will visit intitule: (iualemala City Tikal Antigua hike Alitldn I'alenqiw Lake Calemaio Ilill Hgia nilahcrmosu La Venla Teracruz TeotihuacaH Mexico City and mote! Show n' Shine 12 Noon - 3pm Awards 3:30pm Dash Plaques to First 50 Entrants CM tal tal ' lr Snff VV Oct-1- Registration 9am - 12pm Can Exciting days in Mexico and Guatemala! 2 £002 S3495 (per person double occupancy) TOUR DIRECTOR: RICHARD HBERRETT 16 VVY Wednesday Aug 21 - 7:00 PM 8 rbcrretthotmailconi ' Company Auditions ‘ will be held Saturday August 24 2002 Whittier Community Center 290 Nolrth 400 East Logan Gjrls and Boys ages 10 -- 14 10:00-11:- 00 Women and fyfen ages 15 and up 11:0- 0- 12:30 No America has a brand hew v- : County is celebrating in a BIQ way! IPs a musical celebration V : If accepted companyfees of $ 195 00 are required ($3000 is for insurance coverage) A company i ' f ' contract will be signed andcompany fees must be completed or arrangements made prior' to participation in performances t r i - lY ‘ ' xofsthe erican ! is required 1 : Cache' Dinner 0 7:00 PM Tickets $3600tax 0 Lee’s Herald Journal & (1SG Ticket Office e Three productionswill )e cast for the season Dracula Nutcracker and iCinderella ' i holiday and ispiritl audition-fe- : Please arrive 30 minutes prior to audition times v Be prepared to provide information' regarding dance experience and performance participations V v Additional information about CVCB is found at wwwcvcballetorg or wwwcvcballetcbm f ' 4 vs" r ‘mm' ' ' ' a a 'I |