Barn Boards and Baling Wire

John Sumwalt For Agri-View
Jun 29, 2025
Jun 29, 2025

Gospel translation — This is the earliest translation of the gospels into Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic. Portions of the Old Testament were written in Aramaic and there are Aramaic phrases in the New Testament. John Sumwalt officiated at a wedding between a Syrian Orthodox man and a United Methodist woman in which the scriptures were read in both Arabic and English. He says, ‘It gave me chills to think that it was likely the first time that something close to the language of Jesus had been heard in our little suburban church in New Berlin, Wisconsin.’
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John Sumwalt For Agri-View

It was a most remarkable wedding. Vanessa grew up in our United Methodist congregation. Marwan was a native of Damascus and a Syrian Orthodox Christian. The Syrian Orthodox Church traces its origin to the first Christian churches in Antioch. Its liturgy, the oldest in Christendom, is based on the Syriac language – a dialect of Aramaic that was spoken by Jesus.

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John Sumwalt new mug 2024 — John Sumwalt

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John Sumwalt is a retired pastor and the son of dairy farmers. He is the author of “Shining Moments: Visions of the Holy in Ordinary Lives.” Email johnsumwalt@gmail.com or call 414-339-0676 to reach him.