Well, I finally made it back home! I am back in the office today. We got back Monday evening after something like 48 hours of being awake! Boy, it sure does take it out of you.
Many thanks to everyone who followed the blog and I hope you enjoyed it. If you live in town, I am going to set up a day when I am going to show photos and talk about the trip. Probably a Sunday afternoon, so watch for it.
Again, thanks to everyone, especially Austin Seminary and the Cousins Foundation for sponsoring the trip for all us old-fogey pastors!
Cheers!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Sunday in Jerusalem
Today I did something that I have not done in years: I didn’t go to church on a Sunday morning. Well, technically, that isn’t true. Actually, I went to several churches and did not get finished until after noon. I decided for worship this morning that I wanted to walk, read, and pray my way down the Via Dolorosa.
I got a devotional book at the hotel gift shop that has extensive thoughts and quotes from Pope John Paul II when he was here in 2000. I used that, my Bible, and a brochure that has a map and explains all 14 Stations of the Cross. If you are not familiar with that tradition, it traces the steps of Jesus from his condemnation at Pilate’s house to the tomb, following the winding path through the streets of Jerusalem marking where he fell, where he was beaten, where he was stripped of his clothes, put on the cross and laid in the tomb. Curiously the last four stations he travels after he is dead.
I began at Pilate’s house where Jesus was displayed in the courtyard and condemned to death. Then on to the Chapel of Flagellation where Jesus was beaten and saw the place in the stone pavement where the Roman guards had scratched a game board for which they gambled for his clothing. I saw the first place he fell, there is a chapel there. I saw the place where they made Simon the Cyrene carry his cross, and the chapel where they laid it down and nailed him to it. This last is the first station inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is a large and complex structure that has chapels and buildings added on to buildings, some owned by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Coptic churches. As you can imagine it is a zoo in there. Between the tourists (I had to stop several times along the way and let one group or another pass, like letting a golfer play through, but it was OK, because I often stopped at a coffee shop and read or wrote in my journal while they passed) and the morning services, the place was quite hectic. What is normally a 30 minute walk took me over 4 hours.
But I was rewarded by a visit to the Holy Sepulcher itself, the tomb where Jesus was supposedly buried. This is me stepping out of the grave!
And a lovely lunch of schwarma afterwards at a sidewalk café.
Well, now its off to pack, then dinner, and we leave at 1:30 in the morning for the USA. Tomorrow will be a long day, as we fly backwards over 8 time zones, so I will be in August 17th for 32 hours! Hopefully I will have a few notes to wrap this thing up in a day or two. See you all soon!
I got a devotional book at the hotel gift shop that has extensive thoughts and quotes from Pope John Paul II when he was here in 2000. I used that, my Bible, and a brochure that has a map and explains all 14 Stations of the Cross. If you are not familiar with that tradition, it traces the steps of Jesus from his condemnation at Pilate’s house to the tomb, following the winding path through the streets of Jerusalem marking where he fell, where he was beaten, where he was stripped of his clothes, put on the cross and laid in the tomb. Curiously the last four stations he travels after he is dead.
I began at Pilate’s house where Jesus was displayed in the courtyard and condemned to death. Then on to the Chapel of Flagellation where Jesus was beaten and saw the place in the stone pavement where the Roman guards had scratched a game board for which they gambled for his clothing. I saw the first place he fell, there is a chapel there. I saw the place where they made Simon the Cyrene carry his cross, and the chapel where they laid it down and nailed him to it. This last is the first station inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is a large and complex structure that has chapels and buildings added on to buildings, some owned by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Coptic churches. As you can imagine it is a zoo in there. Between the tourists (I had to stop several times along the way and let one group or another pass, like letting a golfer play through, but it was OK, because I often stopped at a coffee shop and read or wrote in my journal while they passed) and the morning services, the place was quite hectic. What is normally a 30 minute walk took me over 4 hours.
But I was rewarded by a visit to the Holy Sepulcher itself, the tomb where Jesus was supposedly buried. This is me stepping out of the grave!
And a lovely lunch of schwarma afterwards at a sidewalk café.
Well, now its off to pack, then dinner, and we leave at 1:30 in the morning for the USA. Tomorrow will be a long day, as we fly backwards over 8 time zones, so I will be in August 17th for 32 hours! Hopefully I will have a few notes to wrap this thing up in a day or two. See you all soon!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Dead Sea
Today we went deep into the wilderness. I think many of us saw for the first time just how barren this land can be, especially during the dry season of summer.
Our first stop was Masada, the ancient site of a brave last stand of Jewish freedom fighters against Rome. Masada is for Israel like the Alamo is for Texas. It is a fortress way up on top of a hill/cliff that is almost impossible to get to. But the Romans did, and when they breached the wall, the Jews committed suicide rather than be arrested or killed by the Romans. It is an incredible place.
If you look carefully at this photo taken from the top of Masada, you can still see the square outlines of the ancient Roman army encampments - there are eight of them surrounding Masada. You can also see the remains of a wall that the Romans built so that the Jews could not escape.
Then we went to Qumran, the site of an ancient settlement of Essenes, and the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in a cave by Bedouins. Some people think that John the Baptist may have been part of their community, and maybe even Jesus, but that is just speculation. The scrolls found there have advanced biblical studies exponentially.
We ended our day with a dip in the Dead Sea. Believe me, that’s about all you can do. You can’t swim, because if you get the water in your eyes, it burns. If you even splash, you can’t wipe it because you have it on your fingers. You have to get out and wash with fresh water. I speak from experience! But it is fun to float. The salty mineral rich water is so buoyant that you can float effortlessly. It really is amazing.
Tomorrow is our last day here. It is Sunday, the Christian Sabbath, so I will attend what church I can, not many of them are in English, and the ones that are are hard to get to. It hardly seems like it is time to go home. There is so much else left to see, and some things I would like to go back and see again!
Our first stop was Masada, the ancient site of a brave last stand of Jewish freedom fighters against Rome. Masada is for Israel like the Alamo is for Texas. It is a fortress way up on top of a hill/cliff that is almost impossible to get to. But the Romans did, and when they breached the wall, the Jews committed suicide rather than be arrested or killed by the Romans. It is an incredible place.
If you look carefully at this photo taken from the top of Masada, you can still see the square outlines of the ancient Roman army encampments - there are eight of them surrounding Masada. You can also see the remains of a wall that the Romans built so that the Jews could not escape.
Then we went to Qumran, the site of an ancient settlement of Essenes, and the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in a cave by Bedouins. Some people think that John the Baptist may have been part of their community, and maybe even Jesus, but that is just speculation. The scrolls found there have advanced biblical studies exponentially.
We ended our day with a dip in the Dead Sea. Believe me, that’s about all you can do. You can’t swim, because if you get the water in your eyes, it burns. If you even splash, you can’t wipe it because you have it on your fingers. You have to get out and wash with fresh water. I speak from experience! But it is fun to float. The salty mineral rich water is so buoyant that you can float effortlessly. It really is amazing.
Tomorrow is our last day here. It is Sunday, the Christian Sabbath, so I will attend what church I can, not many of them are in English, and the ones that are are hard to get to. It hardly seems like it is time to go home. There is so much else left to see, and some things I would like to go back and see again!
Friday, August 14, 2009
A Day in Bethlehem
Curiously enough, this has probably been our most political day so far. For the most part, we try to avoid all the political junk that surrounds and infuses the Holy Land, but you can only ignore it for so long before it rears its ugly head.
Our agenda today was to go to Bethlehem, the City of David, where our Savior was born. This morning Father Kelly came by at breakfast and wished us all a “Happy Christmas!” So we proceeded the 10 miles or so from our Hotel to the City of Bethlehem.
Getting in to Bethlehem is somewhat problematic as there are checkpoints and soldiers with guns. We were all told to bring our passports and to keep them handy. Gus, our guide, is a Palestinian Christian and he did not know whether he would be allowed into the occupied area of the West Bank. Sometimes he is not. But today he was, and our first stop was the Church on the hillside where the angels told the shepherds to go and see the miracle God had wrought. It is very pretty and designed to look like a Bedouin tent that the shepherds might have used.
From there we went to the Church of the Nativity which is built over the cave where Mary and Joseph spent the night when Jesus was born. Much like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, this church is divided territory with each tradition having its piece of the holy pie. The priests were arrogant and rude towards us and towards those of the other traditions. It was very sad.
We had lunch at a Lutheran outreach center that ministers to Palestinians in the West Bank. There is one heckuva wall they are building between here and Israel that rivals anything Berlin ever saw. Solid concrete with razor wire, guard towers and armed soldiers. But in spite of that, we did not feel threatened. The Lutheran center has a medical clinic, a school, and a cultural center for the arts. It is an amazing place and they are doing some great things with and for the people of Bethlehem. Some time ago when the violence broke out and Israeli troops trashed the place, the center sustained some damage, but the head decided to use it as an opportunity for good. They collected all the broken glass and made stained glass angels, like you would hang on a Christmas tree, and they sold them both to make money and as a symbol of the hope they wish to embody. Our guide was named Angie, and she is the Communications Director for the center. She told us, “Hope is not what you say, it is what you do. Here the children know the names of all the weapons and the missels, but we want to teach them about hope and art and music.” It was a pretty neat place.
After dinner, Rev. Mark Brown, the director of the Lutheran World Alliance efforts here in Israel, spoke to us about what is going on with their work and with the people of Israel and Jerusalem. His presentation was very interesting because he has been in Israel off and on for 30 years. He is an American, so he is something of an outsider and can look at things with some objectivity. He, too, told stories of abuses and violations of basic human rights and encouraged us to not only pray for peace but to work for it when we return home. As Gus might say, “We need peace doers, not peace talkers.”
As I said, it was a big day, but so is tomorrow. We go to Qumran, Masada, and the Dead Sea. Since the Dead sea is so low, far below sea level, it will be very hot there, over 100 degrees. I should feel right at home!
Good night all, and God bless!
Our agenda today was to go to Bethlehem, the City of David, where our Savior was born. This morning Father Kelly came by at breakfast and wished us all a “Happy Christmas!” So we proceeded the 10 miles or so from our Hotel to the City of Bethlehem.
Getting in to Bethlehem is somewhat problematic as there are checkpoints and soldiers with guns. We were all told to bring our passports and to keep them handy. Gus, our guide, is a Palestinian Christian and he did not know whether he would be allowed into the occupied area of the West Bank. Sometimes he is not. But today he was, and our first stop was the Church on the hillside where the angels told the shepherds to go and see the miracle God had wrought. It is very pretty and designed to look like a Bedouin tent that the shepherds might have used.
From there we went to the Church of the Nativity which is built over the cave where Mary and Joseph spent the night when Jesus was born. Much like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, this church is divided territory with each tradition having its piece of the holy pie. The priests were arrogant and rude towards us and towards those of the other traditions. It was very sad.
We had lunch at a Lutheran outreach center that ministers to Palestinians in the West Bank. There is one heckuva wall they are building between here and Israel that rivals anything Berlin ever saw. Solid concrete with razor wire, guard towers and armed soldiers. But in spite of that, we did not feel threatened. The Lutheran center has a medical clinic, a school, and a cultural center for the arts. It is an amazing place and they are doing some great things with and for the people of Bethlehem. Some time ago when the violence broke out and Israeli troops trashed the place, the center sustained some damage, but the head decided to use it as an opportunity for good. They collected all the broken glass and made stained glass angels, like you would hang on a Christmas tree, and they sold them both to make money and as a symbol of the hope they wish to embody. Our guide was named Angie, and she is the Communications Director for the center. She told us, “Hope is not what you say, it is what you do. Here the children know the names of all the weapons and the missels, but we want to teach them about hope and art and music.” It was a pretty neat place.
After dinner, Rev. Mark Brown, the director of the Lutheran World Alliance efforts here in Israel, spoke to us about what is going on with their work and with the people of Israel and Jerusalem. His presentation was very interesting because he has been in Israel off and on for 30 years. He is an American, so he is something of an outsider and can look at things with some objectivity. He, too, told stories of abuses and violations of basic human rights and encouraged us to not only pray for peace but to work for it when we return home. As Gus might say, “We need peace doers, not peace talkers.”
As I said, it was a big day, but so is tomorrow. We go to Qumran, Masada, and the Dead Sea. Since the Dead sea is so low, far below sea level, it will be very hot there, over 100 degrees. I should feel right at home!
Good night all, and God bless!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
World Religions 101
Today we saw some of the holiest sites of three of the five great world religions.
The day began with a trip to the Temple mount, on which the El-Aksa mosque and the Dome of the Rock are located. The golden Dome of the Rock is one of the most recognizable sights in Jerusalem, but the Al-Aksa mosque is actually older. Al-Aksa means “furthest” and for Muslims it is the furthest holy site from Mecca.
Then we went to the Western Wall of the Temple mount, where hundreds of Jews come and pray every day. In order to gain admittance to either of these sites, you have to go through a metal detector like the ones at the airport. My roommate said it was the first time he had to pass through security in order to pray. The Western wall was a beehive of activity with several Bar-Mitzvahs going on and all the attendant pageantry and photographers. It was actually hard to pray, but I did get a chance to go up and pray at the wall, and it was truly a blessing!
After that we went to the alternative site for the tomb of Jesus, which was very peaceful in contrast to the Holy Sepulcher, and I enjoyed that very much. Our group had a brief worship service there with communion.
Me, coming out of the tomb!
Then we went to the church built over Caiaphas’ house, where Peter denied Jesus in the courtyard, and to the upper room site where Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Last Supper.
We ended the day with a powerful presentation by Father Kelly on the Shroud of Turin. They have a replica and quite a display here at Notre Dame in the Museum. This evening, I have a bit of a headache, so I think I’ll turn in.
God bless you all!
The day began with a trip to the Temple mount, on which the El-Aksa mosque and the Dome of the Rock are located. The golden Dome of the Rock is one of the most recognizable sights in Jerusalem, but the Al-Aksa mosque is actually older. Al-Aksa means “furthest” and for Muslims it is the furthest holy site from Mecca.
Then we went to the Western Wall of the Temple mount, where hundreds of Jews come and pray every day. In order to gain admittance to either of these sites, you have to go through a metal detector like the ones at the airport. My roommate said it was the first time he had to pass through security in order to pray. The Western wall was a beehive of activity with several Bar-Mitzvahs going on and all the attendant pageantry and photographers. It was actually hard to pray, but I did get a chance to go up and pray at the wall, and it was truly a blessing!
After that we went to the alternative site for the tomb of Jesus, which was very peaceful in contrast to the Holy Sepulcher, and I enjoyed that very much. Our group had a brief worship service there with communion.
Me, coming out of the tomb!
Then we went to the church built over Caiaphas’ house, where Peter denied Jesus in the courtyard, and to the upper room site where Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Last Supper.
We ended the day with a powerful presentation by Father Kelly on the Shroud of Turin. They have a replica and quite a display here at Notre Dame in the Museum. This evening, I have a bit of a headache, so I think I’ll turn in.
God bless you all!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Jerusalem Overload
Well, I didn’t think it could happen, but I feel “maxed out” on Jesus, and not necessarily in a good way! Today was incredibly busy. We started the day on the Mount of Olives, and the view was gorgeous!
Then we hiked down the side of the mountain, following the route of Palm Sunday, and went to the Church of the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. What a beautiful church! The guide said that they have done core samples and some of the olive trees in the garden are 2,000 years old. Maybe Jesus sat under that very one! The church is built with the altar over the rock upon which Jesus is supposed to have sweated blood. It has a very interesting architecture, with blue windows so it is always gloomy, like the night Jesus spent in the garden, and the iron fence around the altar is shaped like the crown of thorns.
Then we walked back up the hill to the Lion Gate, also called the Sheep Gate which leads to the Muslim Quarter and just inside the gate is the Church of St. Anne, who was Mary’s mother, Jesus’ grandmother. It is built right by the pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the crippled man. It also is the beginning of the Via Dolorosa, or the Stations of the Cross, which is the path Jesus took from his trial, bearing the cross, to Golgotha where he was crucified. Every day pilgrims just like us follow (literally) in his footsteps.
The path ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is where Jesus died and was buried. There was a long line to get into the tomb, so we didn’t go in. The place is full of chapels and altars over special spots like the place where the cross was supposed to have been put in the ground. You can stand in line and put your hand in the hole. There is a place where you can touch the stone upon which Jesus’ body was supposedly laid out for burial. I did go and touch that. Plus a dozen other chapels and churches all under one roof. Whew! After lunch, a few of us took a little time off and went souvenir shopping.
In our reflection time, some of the folks felt like I did; that we were not so much pilgrims to see the holy sites as we were a sort of religious tourist, checking everything out and taking a jillion photos. So we kind of wondered out loud what the difference is, exactly. I don’t know that we solved any great issues, but for me the difference is personal involvement. A tourist (religious or otherwise) is someone who goes to see, not to do; a pilgrim is a person who goes to a church and doesn’t just take pictures, but sits a while to worship, to experience the God whose relics we have come to see. Maybe I didn’t do it perfectly, but I did feel that at least a few times I managed to worship, but it was tough with all the hubbub.
One thing many of us felt as we walked through the city, and that is that we were perfectly safe. Thanks to all who are praying for us! So far we really have seen nothing to be alarmed about, and that’s a good thing. Tomorrow we go to the Temple, the Wailing Wall, and the Garden Tomb. Another busy day!
Grace and peace to you all!
Then we hiked down the side of the mountain, following the route of Palm Sunday, and went to the Church of the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. What a beautiful church! The guide said that they have done core samples and some of the olive trees in the garden are 2,000 years old. Maybe Jesus sat under that very one! The church is built with the altar over the rock upon which Jesus is supposed to have sweated blood. It has a very interesting architecture, with blue windows so it is always gloomy, like the night Jesus spent in the garden, and the iron fence around the altar is shaped like the crown of thorns.
Then we walked back up the hill to the Lion Gate, also called the Sheep Gate which leads to the Muslim Quarter and just inside the gate is the Church of St. Anne, who was Mary’s mother, Jesus’ grandmother. It is built right by the pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the crippled man. It also is the beginning of the Via Dolorosa, or the Stations of the Cross, which is the path Jesus took from his trial, bearing the cross, to Golgotha where he was crucified. Every day pilgrims just like us follow (literally) in his footsteps.
The path ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is where Jesus died and was buried. There was a long line to get into the tomb, so we didn’t go in. The place is full of chapels and altars over special spots like the place where the cross was supposed to have been put in the ground. You can stand in line and put your hand in the hole. There is a place where you can touch the stone upon which Jesus’ body was supposedly laid out for burial. I did go and touch that. Plus a dozen other chapels and churches all under one roof. Whew! After lunch, a few of us took a little time off and went souvenir shopping.
In our reflection time, some of the folks felt like I did; that we were not so much pilgrims to see the holy sites as we were a sort of religious tourist, checking everything out and taking a jillion photos. So we kind of wondered out loud what the difference is, exactly. I don’t know that we solved any great issues, but for me the difference is personal involvement. A tourist (religious or otherwise) is someone who goes to see, not to do; a pilgrim is a person who goes to a church and doesn’t just take pictures, but sits a while to worship, to experience the God whose relics we have come to see. Maybe I didn’t do it perfectly, but I did feel that at least a few times I managed to worship, but it was tough with all the hubbub.
One thing many of us felt as we walked through the city, and that is that we were perfectly safe. Thanks to all who are praying for us! So far we really have seen nothing to be alarmed about, and that’s a good thing. Tomorrow we go to the Temple, the Wailing Wall, and the Garden Tomb. Another busy day!
Grace and peace to you all!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Holy City
It has been quite a day! We left Tiberias this morning around 8:30 and went to Meggido, which is on a hilltop and the site of some fascinating ancient ruins. There have been people living there for thousands of years, until about 500 years before Christ. It is at a strategic crossroads and we saw them excavating the stables of King Ahab, who had a military base there with over 450 horses.
Then we went to Cesarea Maritima, Herod’s grand harbor on the Mediterranean Sea. Again, we saw some neat ancient ruins, and got to put our toes in the sea!
This is a Roman aqueduct that was used to carry fresh water from the mountains to Herod's city.
After a long day driving and visiting ancient digs, we finally made it into the city of Jerusalem. It was pretty amazing to top over the mountain and drop down to the city. The hills are so steep here, the best I can compare it to is when we went to West Virginia, only there are very few trees. There are buildings, old and new up and down every hillside. It is densely packed together.
We are staying at the Notre Dame Institute, which is a Catholic retreat center just outside the New Gate. We had the opportunity to go up on to the roof of the hotel this evening for a panoramic view of the city at night with Father Kelly, a good Irish preist from County Cork. He was an absolute delight! He pointed out all the highlights of the city that you can see from here, which are quite a few. He pointed out the Temple mount, several significant churches and sites like the Mount of Olives and Mount Zion, which is not where the Temple is.
Tomorrow we begin our time seeing all we can. We begin on the Mount of Olives, then go down the Kidron Valley and into the city on the Via Delorosa, and finish our day at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It’s a big day, with a lot to take in.
Grace and peace to all!
Then we went to Cesarea Maritima, Herod’s grand harbor on the Mediterranean Sea. Again, we saw some neat ancient ruins, and got to put our toes in the sea!
This is a Roman aqueduct that was used to carry fresh water from the mountains to Herod's city.
After a long day driving and visiting ancient digs, we finally made it into the city of Jerusalem. It was pretty amazing to top over the mountain and drop down to the city. The hills are so steep here, the best I can compare it to is when we went to West Virginia, only there are very few trees. There are buildings, old and new up and down every hillside. It is densely packed together.
We are staying at the Notre Dame Institute, which is a Catholic retreat center just outside the New Gate. We had the opportunity to go up on to the roof of the hotel this evening for a panoramic view of the city at night with Father Kelly, a good Irish preist from County Cork. He was an absolute delight! He pointed out all the highlights of the city that you can see from here, which are quite a few. He pointed out the Temple mount, several significant churches and sites like the Mount of Olives and Mount Zion, which is not where the Temple is.
Tomorrow we begin our time seeing all we can. We begin on the Mount of Olives, then go down the Kidron Valley and into the city on the Via Delorosa, and finish our day at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It’s a big day, with a lot to take in.
Grace and peace to all!
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