A Holy Moment, A Great Day, A Walk On The City Walls (that's right, on the city walls)

Holy Land Trip, Day Five, January 25, 2011

I'm home as of last Friday (1/28), and it's Monday morning now.  I'd intended to try and finish out the days of the trip yesterday afternoon, but following church and a trip to the grocery store that quickly devolved into a long sleep-a-thon.  You may not be able to catch up on sleep, but it does not keep you from making the attempt.

Now, somewhat rested, and with events still relatively fresh - working from my journal notes - I want to try and get the rest of the days into the record...

This was my favorite moment of this trip, because it was planned, but not in the way it turned out which was wonderful.  Our second night in Jerusalem, I wanted to get up at 4:45 a.m. so that I could be at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher around 5:00 a.m. when the doors were supposed to be open.  This would give me time to do my morning prayers and be back in plenty of time for breakfast and to be on the bus at 8:00 a.m.  I woke up and looked at my iPhone which said 5:15 a.m.  I was a little put out with myself for not waking up when I intended, but thought I could still make it with plenty of time.  I got up, got ready and was out the door.  Went  to the Damascus Gate and into the Old City.  

Virtually no one on the streets, I thought it would be light, but not that empty.  I remembered which way to go when the road forks, but went a bit past where I was supposed to turn to get to the church and ended up at the Jaffa Gate.  I turned back and passed two men who helped me find my way the last little bit.  Walked over to the Tomb of Christ where there was a worship service going on and marvelous chant style singing.  I went over to the steps that lead down from Calvary and did my morning prayer right there.  No foot traffic to speak of, so no one's way to be in at that section of the church.  I figured this was because the folks were all over at th worship service at the tomb.  

I finished and walked briskly back to the hotel when it began to become clear to me that something was amiss in my calculations.  That moon way up in the sky should have been a clue.  Turns out my iPhone had the right time...in the United States.  I had made my little trip to the Church at 1:00 a.m. rather than at 6:00 a.m. like I had thought.  I am still not certain why the door of the Church was open at that hour or what the nature of the worship service was that was going on, but it was a wonderful walk under the Jerusalem moonlight.  Okay, back to bed for four hours and then up to meet the day.

The day was one of those days that I heard described as "drinking from a fire hose" - way too much to take in, but awesome.  Our first stop was at the Temple Mount.  This is the area above the Western Wall where Solomon's Temple and Herod's Temple once likely stood and which now is where the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa Mosque now stand.  We were allowed up on the Temple Mount in 2000, but not in 2001.  Thanks to Julie asking the guide about it we started our day at 7:30 a.m. rather than 8:00 a.m. and got to go and walk around on this amazing site.  

We came down from the Temple Mount over by the Lions Gate to the Old City where we visited the Pool of Bethsaida (where Jesus healed the man who had been able to walk for more than thirty years and had nearly given up hope of being healed as a result of his being unable to get to the pool while the waters were moving).

(The Lion's Gate)

(The Pool of Bethsaida excavation site)

Near to the Pool is the Church of St. Anne.  The acoustics in this Church, which is named for Mary, the mother of Christ's, mother, are remarkable.  There was a group ahead of us, singing in a language I could not pinpoint, that was breathtaking.  A young woman from our group sang and it sent chills through the body and brought tears to the eyes.  Remarkable.  

We visited the Antonia Fortress site, behind the Temple Mount, the beginning of the Via Delarosa, as it is the location where Jesus stood trial before Pilate.  We then walked the Via Delarosa, the Stations of the Cross through the Old City.  Again, this is a place where many pilgrims seem unhappy with the experience.  They would prefer it quiet and reverent - instead it is a walk through streets that are alive with shops and people on their way here and there and shopkeepers inviting you to stop and view their wares.  I love it.  And I think the experience is much closer to what Jesus would have endured as he carried his cross.  I don't suspect they shut the place down and all grew quiet.  I think he walked through a living city that was going about its business - not unlike what we walked through.

(mural in the basement of the Antonia Fortress site at the beginning of the Via Delarosa)

We then visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the church of my 1:00 a.m. morning prayer and the spot selected by Helena to build on as the traditional site of the crucifixion and the tomb of Christ.  Local tradition when Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, was visiting the Holy Land some 1600 plus years ago indicated that this was the location held as the spot by early Christians.  Further there had been a Temple to Jupiter built on the spot around 200 C.E. which argues that someone was trying to erase the meaning of the location by building a Temple to a different god on what was revered as a holy spot.  I can't say enough about the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  The feel, the smell, the touch, the weight of the veneration that has been offered in this place.  Celtic spirituality talks about thin places; for me their is not thinner place than the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

(lines of pilgrims waiting to visit the Tomb of Christ, best news - he's not in it)

We had lunch at a cafe near the Church in the Old City.  Best lunch of the trip - great falafel sandwich.

From there we went on to the Western Wall, the Wailing Wall, the outside retaining wall of Herod's Temple.  For Jews this is the holiest site.  I had been entrusted with prayers from Peggy French's church in Okolona (she was going to make the trip but ended up with a bad shoulder that has postponed her trip) and was also carrying prayers from members of Hebron.  A great moment of connection of the past as I stood at the Wall and the present as I prayed the prayers of the folks from Hebron and placed them in the wall along with the prayers of the folks from Okolona.

(the Western Wall, a retaining Wall of Herod's Temple)

(our prayers placed in the Western Wall)

We ended our touring for the day with a look at the archaeological site at the teaching steps of the Temple.  We had a nice devotional by Karen Stigall who reminded us that what we were experiencing was great, but would really find it's purpose if we carried it home with us and let it inform our faith and energize our congregations on oru return.  These steps may be the very place where Rabbi's gathered round there students and taught them about their faith and about the Scriptures.  Perhaps it was on these steps that the twelve year old Jesus stayed behind when his family went to Jerusalem for Passover and where his parents found him when they returned looking for him.

(a very happy pilgrim on the Teaching Steps)

A day that began with a highlight wound up with another highlight.  Rula, our guide, let those who wanted to do this, out at the Jaffa gate where we purchased tickets that allowed us to climb steps and literally walk on the ramparts of the walls of the Old City.  I had known this was possible since I had been there in 2000, but hadn't been able to figure out how I was going to be able to fit it in logistically.  Rula got us through our formal day by 3:00 p.m. which allowed us to do the walking on the walls.  

(view from the City Walls, standing on the New Gate looking towards the Damascus Gate)

Really magificient.  Words fail.  I'll conclude the day with a few shots of daily life in the market in the Old City.

(lots of citrus in Israel, lots of citrus groves)

(hard to tell from this distance, but the man in the middle of the picture is pushing a handcart - what's in the cart? - a 50 inch plasma screen television - old meets new indeed)

(street just inside the Old City, leading to the Damascus Gate)

All in all a great, great day.

Breakfast, Bethlehem, Shepherds, Trial, Denial, A Sacramental Room and Home

Holy Land Trip Day Four, January 24, 2011

Breakfast at the Olive Tree in Jerusalem was great.  Have loved the somewhat exotic and unfamiliar flavors at the meals, but French Toast was welcome this morning.
Our first stop today was at the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives.  The Mount of Olives is one busy place.  Tucked in amongst all manner of businesses is this Chapel.  It's small, simple and a little bit quirky  No furniture at all, just a box on the ground with what appears to be a footprint in it.  You make the call.

Next stop, the Seven Arches Hotel with a fine view of the Old City, a bountiful supply of peddlers and the requisite camel rides.  Still, that view.  Jerusalem of Gold indeed.

On to the traditional Palm Sunday route, starting on the Mount of Olives and working into the Kidron Valley, alongside of the massive Jewish cemetery, some graves more than 2000 years old.  With the stones placed as remembrances on the graves, Jesus words on Palm Sunday to the Pharisees demanding his followers be quiet are ripe with meaning - "If they keep quiet, even the stones will cry out."  We stop at the Dominus Flevit Chapel which marks the spot where Jesus wept over Jerusalem   This is a lovely small chapel which manages to evoke a strong emotional reponaw when one steps inside and views the Temple Mount through it's window.  On down the hill more peddlers, L love it when these "holy" experiences are intruded upon by distractions andthings that challenge our focus.  Worship mirrors life at that point.  The Church of All Nations is located at the site of the Garden of Gethsemane.  A delight to hear worshipers in a variety of languages, this faith thing is bigger than whatever boundaries we can impose on God's creation.  Amen?

(Garden of Gethsemane next to Church of All Nations)

Back on the bus, to the checkpoint at the seperation wall which is new since I was here last and clearly is a painful thing for our guide to countenance.  She is a Christian who lives in Jerusalem and grew up within the walls of the Old City.  We pass through the checkpoint and drive into Bethlehem.  To be clear,  Jerusalem very nearly runs into Bethlehem.  In our time there is no five miles between the two.  We visit the Church of the Nativity, a massive ancient structure with it's "Humility Door" that requires bending down as you enter and which serves to keep enemies on horseback from riding into your sanctuary.

  After going under the altar to view the traditional spot of Christ's birth and emerging on the other side a nice moment looking back across the  worship space at the front of the Church.

We stopped outside of Bethlehem at the Sheperds's field.  A very appropriate devotional and divine singing by a minister father (spoken word) and talented daughter (beautiful voice).  The angels who sang to the shepherds would have approved.

Two more stops. First at St. Peter Ingallicantu (Galli - Rooster, Cantu - Chants), a church built over the spot where Caiphas house was.  Jesus was tried here after his arrest in the Garden.  It was in the courts outside of this house that Peter denied Jesus three times.

And Jesus perhaps likely walked these very steps on his way back down through the Kidron Valley after the Last supper and then on his way back after being arrested at the Garden of Gethsemane.

A long, full, day is a wrap with a stop at the site of the Upper Room.

A great day ends and we head back to the hotel to rest before another day of our pilgrimage inside the walls of the Old City.  Goodnight Jerusalem.

Jerusalem!

Holy Land Trip, Day Three, January 23, 2011

Up in the Lobby of the hotel for morning prayer at 5:30 a.m.  Breakfast then off to the days sites which would culminate with our arrival in the Holy City - Jerusalem.  Our first stop was at the Church of the Nativity in Nazareth.  The Church of the Nativity is perhaps the most impressive Church in the Holy Land from a contemporary aesthetic.  It is one of the most recently constructed and is built over the top of previous churches and over the traditional site of the Annunciation.

 Julie did the devotional for the group and was great helping us not only to think about Mary, but also to think about what we can learn from Mary's "pondering" God's plans in her heart.

From Nazereth we drove to Har Megiddo (Armeggedon).  This is an archaeological Tel which has excavated down to the time of the Canaanite, to King Solomon, to the time of King Ahab, one society building over the top of another.  I have been reading James Michener's The Source to get ready for the trip and that helped immensely in understanding what I was looking at here.  One of the chief eye openers at Har Meggido is the tunnel that goes down to the water source which allowed the people who lived there to hold on to the town longer when invaders were laying siege to their city.
From there we drove to Caeserea Maritima (Caeserea Maritima) and visited Herod's impressive excavated Harbor City.  Also drove a bit north to see the Roman aqueducts.  Amazingly impressive work.

Arrived in Jerusalem as the sun was setting and checked into the Olive Tree - had a wonderful dinner and then took a walk down to the Damascus Gate of the Old City.  Stopped at a Bakery near the Damascus Gate and picked up a treat to end the day.

Watchiing The Sun Rise Sort Of

Day 2 of Holy Land Trip, January 22, 2011

The day began with my alarm going off at 4:45 a.m.  Intentionally.  My goal was to beat the sunrise and get down to the shore of the Sea of Galilee before the sun came up.  Got there at 5:20 am. and no sun yet so mission accomplished.  Spent the time taking pictures, enjoying the view and gathering shells.  Daylight came but the sun never did quite make an appearance - at least not by 6:15 a.m. when it was time to head back up for breakfast and get ready for the bus.

We stopped at the baptismal site where the Jordan River emerges from the Sea of Galilee at the southern end.  This is not the site where John baptized Jesus - that's closer to Jericho and is actually at a spot where the Jordan River is in the country Jordan.  It was a great way to begin the day and Julie led the group in a service of renewal of baptism.

We visited the ruins of the Roman city of Beit Shean.  I climbed the Tel there and had a great view of the surrounding countryside.

Next stop was the Kibbutz Nof Ginnosaur where we viewed the Jesus boat, an ancient boat from the time of Christ that was discovered buried in the mud by two members of the Kibbutz.

We stopped at the Chapel of the Primacy of Peter next.  This Chapel commemorates the location where Jesus made a post-resurrection appearance to his disciples, sharing breakfast with them after they had been out fishing for the night.  It is at this breakfast that Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him, Peter responding each time that he does and each time undoubtedly remembering the three times he deniied Jesus in the courtyard outside of Jesus' trial.  There is a breathtaking statue at this Chapel of Jesus and Peter.

The last stop of the day was a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.  The weather has been beyond beautiful so far and this was surely true during our boat ride.

Had a nice run in the late afternoon and then Julie and I went walking with another couple from our bus.  Then dinner and off to pack bags - leaving Tiberias in the morning

Luke 1, 2, 3.

January 23, 2011

Luke 1, 2, 3

Overview:  Luke's account of the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of Jesus.  Also, Jesus goes to the Temple with his family when he's twelve and stays longer than they do.  Grown up John prepares the way for Jesus in the wilderness and Jesus begins his public ministry at thirty years old.

"I too decided, after investigating carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Throphilus."(1:2)   Luke makes this observation after noting that many have already undertaken to lay out an orderly account.  I find it telling that Luke intentionally states that he intends to write an orderly acount.    An orderly account seems to be exactly what he has written.  Details are everywhere.  Small details.    The explanation of how Zechariah's section of priests happened to be on duty and how he was chosen by lot to serve that particular day.  The specifics of context in Luke 2:1 and 3:1.  The reason behind Mary and Joseph's return trip to the Temple and the stories of Simeon and Anna.  The genealogy of Joseph at the end of Luke 3.
What I am getting to is the details make a difference to me.  They make a story that could easily have sounded like a fairy tale instead sound compelling, convincing and authentic.  Luke sets out to write an orderly account, I believe, so that there can be no doubt of his seriousness and no doubt about the authenticity of what he is sharing.  The Incarnation is not a "once upon a time" sort of story.  The Incarnation is a story of the very specific, very real, particularity of God in our midst.

Drinking Grapefruit Juice At 11:30 p.m. With The Sea of Galilee Right There

Still on pace with the reading and getting caught up on the accompanying blogging.  In the meantime, I plan to throw in a few stand alone pieces on my happening as we speak Holy Land trip.  This is the third time I've been able to travel here, but the first time with this sort of ability to blog about it.
Today was our first full day and it was full.  We were off at 8:00 a.m. following a breakfast buffet with many things that I did not recognize.  Some were good.  I'll try to find them tomorrow.  We stopped along the Sea of Galilee at the Mount of Beatitudes.  Beautiful place.

We drove to the base of Mt. Hermon to Banias, one of the three sources of water to the Jordan River.  Got to give the devotional there for our bus which was a thrill.

It's amazing to have an opportunity to do something like that on a spot (or in the vicinity of a spot) where some important biblical event unfolded.  Banias is also known as Caeserea Phillipi which is the place where Jesus asked the disciples who they thought he was and Peter said, "You are the Messiah."  At the foot of a huge stone cliff there Jesus responded to Peter by saying "On this rock (Peter) I will build my church."  The human rock - Peter - not the giant awesome rock wall right behind him with the altars to the God Pan carved into them.

We drove as far north, just about, as we could go - had lunch in a Druze village - great chicken sandwich - and then drove to a spot overlooking a UN Post on the border between Israel and Lebanon.  The guide pointed us towards the capital city of Syria, Damascus, some forty miles away.  Very close geographically, but you can't get there from here.  The border between Israel and Syria has been and is, closed.
We drove back down to the Sea of Galilee and visited the ruins of the town of Capernaum, the headquarters of Jesus' ministry years in the Galilee.  Awesome to stand in the remains of a Synagogue which dated back close to the time of Christ and which was built over top of the Synagogue that would have been the Synagogue at the time when Jesus was there.  The mind has trouble taking it in.

We also stopped at Tabgha which is on the spot where Jesus fed the 5,000.  Great mosaic of loaves and fishes on the floor there.  Spectacular views of the Sea of Galilee, which I think I could never grow tired of seeing.  Which is why at 11:33 p.m. I'm sitting in sweater and long sleeves on the hotel patio, drinking Jump Grapefruit, blogging and still watching the Sea in the darkness.  Looking forward to tomorrow.

View from Mount of Beatitudes

Mark 15, 16

January 20, 2011

Mark 15, 16

Overview:  Trial wraps up.  The story of the crucifixion and briefly of the resurrection.

Mark is the briefest of the gospels and he is true to form here.  Mark 15 and 16 are concise and to the point and do not waste words.  Particularly in Mark 16 where we have the shorter ending of Mark and the longer ending of Mark which still really isn't all that long.  Mark is in a hurry to tell his story.  He is judicious with his words and adds nothing that does not move the story along.
Some ancient authorities, my Bible's notes tell me, have Mark 16:8 as the end of Mark's gospel.  What a way to end the story.  "So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, but they were afraid."  The End.
Stop there and the story just spills off the page.  Jesus is risen, he's on the loose and it's awesome and it's a little scary.  And maybe that's about as close to how we should feel about the state of things as one could get. Nothing has really changed here on the ground.  We live in a world where Jesus has risen and is alive and at work.  It's awesome and if we think about it and take it seriously it's also a little scary.  Mark's challenge to us is to take the story seriously.  Be awed by God who came to us as Christ, but be just a little amazed bordering on a little scared about just how such a thing can happen.  God is all around us.  The living God.  The God made known in Jesus.

Mark 13, 14

January 19, 2011

Mark 13, 14

Not really Peter's finest hour, but not his worst either.
Jesus shares the Passover with his disciples and then tells them that they will all desert him.  Peter is quick to disagree, vowing that even if the rest of the disciples cut and run, he, Peter, will remain strong.  Then he falls asleep, literally.  Jesus takes Peter, James and John (which would probably be the winning answer in Family Feud if the question was "Disciples of Jesus Christ, top three answers on the board...") off to Gethesemane.  Jesus is "distressed and agitated".  He tells them to keep vigil with him then goes off to pray.  And they fall asleep.  The keep repeating this cycle until Judas comes to help with Jesus' arrest.  Ouch.  Skip to later and Peter is denying Jesus, just like Jesus said he would.
In Peter's defense, he did have the courage to put himself in the position to deny Jesus in the first place.  The other eleven were all long gone by the time it got to the courtyard outside of where the trial was going on.  We focus on the denial, but overlook the fact that Peter showed uncommon courage to follow Jesus that closely that far along.  It's not perfect, but it's worth considering, in part because perfection wasn't something Peter was going to accomplish and it's not something we are going to accomplish.  We can so easily dwell on our sins and failures that we begin to imagine that there is nothing we can get right.  That's not so.  God had big plans for Peter and God has important work for us to do as well.

Arriving In Israel On My Birthday

I'm on track with my reading - finished Mark's gospel this morning on the airplane from JFK in New York to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.  Lack of internet access has me two days off in the corresponding blogging.  So Mark 13, 14 and Mark 15, 16 are forthcoming.  However, wanted to throw in this personal bit to share what a great day it's been.  Left Louisville yesterday (1/19) at 11:00 a.m.  Went to Detroit and then to JFK and then left New York at around 9:30.

We arrived here in Israel at 2:57 p.m. with the time change.

Got on a bus that brought us to the Royal Plaza hotel in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee.  The moon is full and I am sitting here on the patio of the hotel, outdoors, blogging and taking in the wonder of the Galilee at night.

Looking forward to getting started on our tour tomorrow and to having the opportunity to lead the devotional at Caeserea Phillipi.  Missing Cameron and Eliza on my birthday, but very thankful for Jane Bond who is staying with them while we are gone.  Here it's snowing back home and computer says school let out early.  I guess it's especially good to be here.