Today, we travelled for about 90 minutes to Massada.  Massada is near the dead sea (more about that later).  This is a wonderful palace that King Herod built on the top of a huge, (and I mean HUGE) mountain in the middle of the desert wilderness.  There was an intricate level of water cisterns and storage; such that 1000 people could be supplied for 2 years with what they had stockpiled.  Herod built this so that he was insulated from any attacker that may come his way.  It was nearly impossible to get up walking.  It would take over 2 hours, and when we were there at 10 am the temp was over 100 degrees already.  We rode cable cars up and back down.  I guess we are wimpy.  J  It was here that during the Jewish revolt and subsequent Roman crackdown of 70 a.d. that the last Jews fled for safety.  The Roman soldiers followed them and methodically created camps and ramps to lead up to this palace/fortress.  Instead of being taken as Roman slaves, the Jews committed suicide, thus ending this era in history.

After this, we went to the Dead Sea at En Gede.  One of our fellow pilgrims, JW, went for a swim (float).  It is 30 percent salt, and you can’t sink.  Nothing lives in this water, including bacteria (thus the name, the DEAD SEA).  It was at this location that two kings (one current and one future) of Israel reconciled with each other, after one of them proved he could have killed the other one while he was sleeping. These two people had a running battle for years (primarily over jealousy), and one of the kings sons intervened frequently in this on going battle.  QUESTION FOR YOUTH:  WHO WERE THESE TWO KINGS OF ISRAEL?

Swimming in the dead sea

We then proceeded to the ancient settlement of QUMRAN, also on the dead sea.  It was here that in 1947 a shepherd boy was tending his sheep and threw a rock to get the sheeps attention and discovered a cave with some treasure (meaning gold) inside.  He brought people to see the treasure, and they found something even more valuable—2000+ year old Biblical scrolls, including the book of Isaiah.

 

Cave #4 where the Isaiah Scrolls were found

Good morning to all.  Today was another busy day, with a lot of walking. 

We started out at the Garden Tomb.  This is another possibility (besides the church of the Holy Sepluchre) where it is said that it is possible that Jesus was crucified and buried.  This spot has only been around 130 years (as opposed to 1800 years or so for the church of the Holy Sepluchre).  It just reiterated to me that none of this is exact; there are only possibilities. What is important for us to remember is not where things actually happened, but the fact that these things did actually happen to secure our salvation.  I was able to lead worship in the Garden tomb.  There is a tomb carved into a rock, which archeologically speaking seems to have some significant characteristics of what is reported in Scripture. 

Western (Wailing) Wall

We moved from there to the Western (wailing) wall in the Old City.  This wall is the original built by Herod that surrounded the

Men's side, Western Wall

temple mount (currently held by the Muslims).  This was the site of the first and second temples.  This is the holiest place in Judaism.  The Jews go here to pray, and the put little pieces of paper in the cracks of the wall with their prayers written on them.  They believe that these prayers get to God faster this way, and thus this is why they do it.  It is known as the wailing wall because the Jewish people would come hear and cry over their loss of the temple.  Jewish people currently have synagogues in which to worship, but no temple.  The temple belongs in Jeursalem.

Here, I put into the wall a slip of paper with the names of each of our teens and adults who attend Monday a.m. prayer, witha  specific brief request for each.

Prayers stuffed into the cracks of the Western Wall

When the wall gets full of prayers, they come and clean out these slips of paper and bury them together on Mount Zion.

We also got to see several Bar Mitzvah’s happening at the Western Wall.  AWESOME!  There is such joy and celebration happening.  They apparantly hold these on Mondays and Wednesdays, and we were priveleged to see several happening.  It was a truly inspiring moment.

the special boy on dad's shoulders

The special lad with the musicians. They really do this up!

We then went to a church built upon the place where it is believed that Pilate condemned Jesus to death.  Underneath the church are dungeons where it is believed that Jesus was probably held while awaiting trial by pilate.  In the dungeons are marks in the wall where hand chains would have been held, and where prisoners would have been attached to be whipped and tortued.

At this location was where Peter denied Jesus three times.  QUESTION FOR YOUTH:  Who were the three people that asked Peter if he knew Jesus?

 

Following this, we went to a traditional site of the Last Supper (The upper room).  A little further down the road, we went to the location where it is believed that King David (the answer to yesterday’s youth question!) is buried.

Tomorrow-the dead sea.

Today, we began our travels at “Shepherds Field” in Bethlehem.  This is the vacinity where tradition holds that the angels appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus.  One of the most utterly amazing things I learned at Shepherds field was about the pictures that we see Jesus carrying a lamb on his shoulders.  It makes sense.  Follow me here:  sheep are dumb, and they are independent.  They like to wander off.  What a shepherd will do (and this seems mean, but its not) to a wayward lamb is he will break its legs so it can’t walk and wander off.  Then, the shepherd will carry it on its shoulders for 6 weeks.  During that 6 week period, the shepherd and the lamb will become very close to each other.  Thus the saying “the sheep know the shepherds voice”.  It also reminds us that as we as children of God are disciplined, it may hurt us, and may cripple us for a while, but Jesus never abandons us.  It is during these times of discipline that we become very close to Jesus as our shepherd, our protector.  Further, we are reminded that carrying the sheep was a heavy load for the shepherd.  Jesus carrying us is a heavey load, but he is glad to do it–for our sake.  God is good!

After, we traveled to a Lutheran church in the West Bank (still Bethlehem), and worshipped at a Lutheran Church.  We had a bulletin in English, but everything was spoken in Arabic.  I sat there through the service, and even though I was able to follow along with the words to everything but the sermon in English, I was moved by the rhythm and cadence of their words and their songs (which were hymns with words and tunes I was rather familiar with).  I kept thinking that one day, when we all get to heaven, we will worship Jesus with one voice…all of us being able to understand every word that is being said, because we will be in that perfect place. We will join with people from every nation, every tribe, every country, every race, to praise the Creator of heaven and earth with one voice, one language, one body, and one Spirit.  God is good!  Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

It was also here that I discovered that, in spite of leaving the battery in the charger all night, my camera battery failed to charge.  I guess I should have looked at the indicator light on the charger.  Alas, no pictures today.  However, I am having one of my travel mates give me his pictures before we leave, so i shall have a complete presentation to give everyone on Monday when I return.

After this, we went to Nativity Square, where we visited the traditional birthplace of Jesus.  It is a Greek Orthodox Church.  Lots of icons and lanterns.  It is interesting that there is no visible altar in a greek orthodox church; they hold to the Old Testament concept of the altar being hidden from public, and only the priests are permitted where the altar is.  Interesting. 

We also learned that this is the oldest functioning church in the world.  In 600 BC when the Turks (Ottomans) came in and destroyed every church, they let this one alone.  That is because there was a fresco (a tile picture) imbedded on one wall of the sanctuary that depicted the three magi, who were dressed in garb similar to the Turks anscestors so they left it alone. Thus, when every other church in the Jerusalem area was leveled, this one was spared. 

I was able to touch the Bethlehem star over the place where tradition holds that Jesus was born.  It reminded me of Jesus Incarnate–coming to dwell with us.  I was reminded tonight in our worship that john Peterson (author of THE MESSAGE) translates it this wasy:  ”Jesus moved into the neighborhood”.  God is good!

QUESTION FOR YOUTH:  What other famous Biblical Old Testament person was born in Bethlehem?  He is VERY famous and wrote many passages in the Bible.

Then, we went to one of the Palestinian refugee camps.  A brief history here.  Throughout the centuries, Israel has been in constant conflict and states of war.  In 1947, the Palestinians occupied much of the land of Israel (I would guess 95 percent plus).  There was a war where Jewish people came and took over, pushing the Arab population out of most of Israel.  In the 6 day war of ‘68, they gained even more territory.  The United Nations said that the Palestinians (Arab population) needed some land as their own, and ordered Israel to comply.  It has been a war ever since.  Israel continues to build “settlements” in Arab territories, and there have been several refugee camps set up for those who were displaced from their homes by these wars.

The refugee camp that we visited had 10,000 people living in it.  These are owned and run by the United Nations, so there is adequate food, shelter and clothing, but little else.  THere is nothing for these people to do.  There are a lot of little children running around, that have no hope.  There is 60 percent unemployment.  This particular settlement was trying to set up an art program for children (and has had some significant success in doing so). There are no playgrounds for children.  They feel oppressed continualously by the Israeli government.

My heart is heavey for the state of affairs that this area continually remains.  The birthplace of the “King of Peace” is anything but peaceful.  What is my limited role in bringing peace to the world?  My nation?  My city?  My home?  Jesus came into this world full of sin to be it’s Redeemer.  How do I partner with Jesus in bringing his message of peace to fruition?

Until tomorrow (Mount Zion, Western Wall)

Today, we spent all day in Jerusalem.  My senses are overwhelmed.  Remember that “retreat” day I said I didn’t like?  Well, I need one now just to process what we saw today.

We started out at the top of Mount olives.  Graves of Jewish people line the entire mountain.  It is believed that when the Messiah comes, he will come down the Mount of Olives, to the valley of Kidron (where judgment will occur) and then through the Eastern Gate.  Note the picture of the Eastern Gate—it is sealed up, anticipating that the Messiah will conquer the gate.  The walk down the mountain was inspirational; it really stirred the emotions.

When you come down the Mount of Olives, you see the city of Old Jerusalem, just as Jesus would have seen it (well, a little built up).  Here I am half way up the mount.  Behind me is the “Dome of the Rock” where Christians and Jews believe that Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac before God provided a lamb, where there is sure and certain proof that the 2^nd Temple (built by Herod) was built before being destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.  The Muslims believe that this is where Mohammed ascended into heaven.  In 600 BC, the Muslims gained control of this section, and to this day there remains a mosque over the rock that is sacred to 3 religions.  Only Muslims can go inside the mosque, so this is not an area where I will get to visit (except we will be going to the temple mount itself, just not inside the mosque).  I am reminded that when Jesus got to Bethany (a short walk from the Mount of Olives), that he asked for a Donkey to ride.  In Zechariah 9:9, God told his people that their king would come riding on a donkey.  Up to this point, Jesus had gone to great lengths to keep his identity as the Messiah hidden from the masses.  This was an intentional move on his part to announce that he was, indeed, the Messiah.  It is all down hill—Jesus didn’t need a donkey for his personal comfort.  He used the

Overlooking Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

donkey to announce himself as the Messiah.  In the Gospel accounts of the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, people were complaining about the crowds praising Jesus.  Jesus responded:  “If these people stop praising me, the rocks will cry out”.  Looking at this scene; seeing the rocks covering graves, I cannot help but think that perhaps Jesus was referring to the rocks of the graves springing open and the dead rising in praise of the Messiah.  That is what the Jewish people expect to this day; perhaps that is what Jesus was referring to. 

Graves on the Mount of OlivesJerusalem from top of Mount of Olives

Halfway down the mount is a Franciscan church, known as the church of tears.  It is here that Jesus wept over Jerusalem.  QUESTIION FOR YOUTH:  Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem? 

 

Garden of Gethsemene

At the bottom of the mount, we entered the garden of Gethsemane (which means Olive Press).  Here, we saw olive trees that do date back 2000 years.  There is a church built over the rock where Jesus is said to have prayed in agony.  We were able to touch that rock and spend a few seconds in prayer while touching the rock.

From there, we headed into Old Jerusalem, through the Lion’s gate.  Four religions share control over Old Jerusalem.  The city is divided into quarters.  There are quarters for Christians, Jews, Muslims and Armenians.  This was the Sabbath, so we no Jewish shops were open.  There is an AMAZING mall throughout this whole Old Jerusalem.  The city measures .6 square miles, and most of it is shops and churches.  The whole of Jerusalem is inhabited by 750 thousand people, but Old Jerusalem has residence for about 70,000 people.

 

We entered Jerusalem through the “Lions Gate” aka “St. Stephens Gate” (it is believed that St. Stephen, who was martyred, is bruied

Lions Gate entrance into Old Jerusalem

near by)  We followed the way of the Via Delarosa.  There are 14 “stations of the cross” which we followed.  The Bible mentions some of them; others are made up for the religious faithful (for example, Scripture never says that Jesus fell 3 times, but 3 of the stations commemorate Jesus falling).  We followed this path through to the Church of the Sepulcher   Inside, there is the “traditional” site of Christ’s crucifixion, his tomb, as well as a stone upon which it is believed that his body was prepared with perfume and wrapped.  This place was VERY crowded, so I will go back some morning before we leave about 6 a.m. and get a better look and pictures.  There really wasn’t any opportunity to get pictures because of how many people were crowding around.  The church itself is controlled by several Christian sects, as they can’t seem to agree any more than the religions can.  It is controlled by Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian Church factions.  It is interesting to watch when it is closing time; all three have representatives to open and close the church; no one seems to trust each other.

After this, we went back to the hotel for a little nap.  After the nap, I joined about 5 of my colleagues, and we travelled through the bazaar, where I was able to get a great price on gifts for all the Jr. and Sr. Highs that attend Monday morning prayer each school Monday at 7 a.m.  They deserve it.  I hope they like and appreciate it!

Tomorrow—Bethlehem.

Today we left Galillee and traveled to Jerusalem, with a couple of stops in between.  I got up early and took a picture of the sunrise over the Sea of Gallllee.

Sunrise over Sea of Galillee

On our way to Jerusalem, we stopped first at Meddigo.  Meddigo is the site mentioned in Revelation as the place where the final battle between God and Satan—between good and evil—will take place.  Here’s a picture.

Valley of Armageddon

It is interesting to note that when Jesus walked this earth, Meddigo no longer existed.  By this time, it lay in a state of ruin having been conquered/razed/rebuilt many, many times.

One of the guys on the bus (Scott) put it this way:  Meddigo is like a jawbreaker with 26 layers.  You have to uncover each layer to get to the next, until you finally get to the core center.  That is what Meddigo is.  It has been conquered, destroyed and rebuilt 25 times.  Each time a city was conquered, it was razed and a new city was built over the old city.  That is why archeologists can unveil so many treasures from the past. Mediggo  dates back 4000 years, and we could see ruins from that long ago.  Here is a 3000+ year old stone altar used by the Caananites to worship pagan gods.

 

Altar used by Caananites to worship pagan gods

This site was mentioned quite frequently in the Old Testament, and was ruled by King Ahab, King Tut, King Solomon and King David to name a few.

Another interesting site at Meddigo was the horse stables (Scripture states that King Ahab had over 400 horses at Meddigo).  There were “mangers” or feeding troughs.  They were cement.  Amazing, that we picture Jesus laid in a nice wood manger when in reality it was probably a cement manger.  Here is a picture (the pillar next to the manger was for tying horses to)

 

"Manger" in the time of Jesus

 

After Meddigo, we travelled to Caesarea by the Mediteranian sea.  This was created by Herod to showcase his power, might and creativity.  This was the first evidence that people learned how to mix cement under water.  They built a harbor for boats and trade.  Here we saw 2000+ year old Roman aquaducts (here is a picture of me standing near one and the ocean!)

 

2000+ year old Roman aquaducts

Here, Herod build Roman baths, a palace, a hippodome (where horses race), and a theatre.  It was here that Pontious Pilate (the one that tried and condemned Jesus) lived year round.  Pilate would travel to Jerusalem during festival times to be with and manage his subjects.

It was here, also, that the first NON JEWISH converts occurred. Caesarea was a pagan city, and Jesus did not visit here.  However, Paul was imprisoned here for 2 years while he appealed (as a Roman citizen) for a trial in rome before Caesar.   FOR YOUTH:  Who was the first Non-Jewish convert baptized here?  (Hint:  Paul was NOT the one who did the baptizing)

 

We arrived in Jerusalem late afternoon, had a good dinner, and are ready to see Jerusalem tomorrow.  We are staying at the Notre dam hotel, and right outside my window is the wall surrounding old Jerusalem, and the gate to the Christian quarter (more about all that tomorrow).

Good morning all.  It is 6:30 a.m. here at the sea of Galillee.  I got up early and went to watch the sunrise over the sea.  Stunning.

This morning, we are headed to Jerusalem with a couple of stops in between.  The excitement is palpable.

I can’t help but imagine the last time Jesus was headed to Jerusalem.  His anticipation was huge–but for very different reasons than ours.  He knew what he had to fulfill.  In the garden he prayed “If it be possible, let this cup be taken from me”.  I will have the privelege of leading our worship in the garden on Monday.  The emotions are already swirling around.

On a lighter note, this is a new week for the YOUTH.  Everyone is now eligible for another gift card, so check back often!
Grace and peace to all.

Today was a retreat day…we didn’t see any sights, but had a day off with absolutely nothing planned.
I didn’t like it.

I realize that I am on the go all the time.  I don’t ever stop.  I found it absolutely amazing that when we arrived last Friday, the roads were almost totally empty.  You see, in Israel, every one takes a Sabbath.  The day is spent with family or, if you a religious, you spend some time in the temple.  Everyone observes the Sabbath here.  It is a way of life.

Not so in our culture, or in my life.  It sort of reminds me of how long I lived a “normal” life with diabetis for so many years.  I felt ok even with my sugar so high because it became “normal” for me.  When my sugar would drop to what other people would consider normal levels, I didn’t feel good–because it was out of the norm for me.  Now, my sugar is under control, and if it spikes, I feel really bad–my body can’t take it. As a result of my getting my diabetis under control, my feet heal faster, I have more energy, and I am losing weight.  So now, the new normal is the way my body was intended to function.

I find the correlation here in that if I find a way to take a regular sabbath, it will become normal–the way God intended–and I will function more in line with His calling in my life.  I will learn to like and love the sabbath, and I will feel “odd” without it.  QUESTION FOR YOUTH:  Jesus said “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”  Who was he speaking to? What do you think he meant by this saying?

Tomorrow, it’s off to Jerusalem early in the morning.  I think life will be much faster pace there, as we are in the middle of the city as opposed to staying on a mountain top with no public transportation and nothing within walking distance.  We have another Sabbath scheduled next Wednesday.  We’ll see what I do with it.

Today, we traveled through Galilee to the Golan Heights.  This is the site of many Jewish settlements in the former country of Syria.  This was also the site of the capture 2 summers ago of 2 Israeli soldiers by the Hezbolah which started many months of fighting between Israel and Lebanon.  Throughout the journey, we saw many destroyed villages (both from the 6 day war, and much damage from the recent confrontation).  I am struck that for 2000 years, this area of the world has been in constant turmoil.  It is the stie of many wars and conflicts; many of them religious.  Tomorrow is an retreat day, so no stops scheduled; only a time of reflection.  On Friday we will travel to Jerusalem and stop at the site of the final battle identified in Revelation–the Armageddon.  Conflict in this region will apparantly not end until Jesus comes again.

We stopped in Caesarea Phillipi, a Roman City in the time of Jesus.  After feeding the 4000, Jesus traveled to Bethsaida (Question for youth:  What happened here?  I would LOVE to have that happen to me!!!) and then on to Caesarea Philippi.  This was a city built by Herod for his son.  We saw a huge great rock wall, with cutouts where pagan temples of worship had been built.  I was thoroughly struck that in our day things haven’t changed much.  In Jesus’ day, they were worshipping the pagan God’s at this site, out in the open.  In our day, we are a little more discreet about the god’s we worship, and I had to ask myself what gods I worship.

Anyway, it is an awe-inspiring site, especially when you consider what happened here as Jesus was talking with his disciples and watching this whole pagan god worship thing.  Here is what transpired:

¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ,^[b] the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter,^[c] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades^[d] will not overcome it.^{[e] 19}I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be^[f] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[g] loosed in heaven.” ²⁰Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

Looking up at this big rock, after Jesus confessed that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus told Peter that he was the rock upon which the church of Jesus Christ will be built.  This was Peter–who had denied Jesus at his trial–the one upon whom Jesus chose to champion the church.  If Jesus can forgive and use Peter for great things; He can use me.  Praise be to God!

Today we took a boat ride on the Sea of Galillee, and saw the lay of the land as Jesus and others would have seen it from a fishing boat.  It was quite amazing to see how the topography was laid out, and it is easy to see how Jesus would have drawn crowds that kept multiplying.  You can see fairly clearly from one side of the sea to the other (it is only 13×9 miles).

We saw the “traditional” site of Jesus casting out the demons.  I say “traditional” because there is no concrete proof that this event really happened here.  They have said it is possible/probable because of what they do know that Scripture has said about the place this event happened, and the topography of the area (for example, this area has caves and is near the water, so by process of elimination this is the most likely place for this event to have occurred).  QUESTION FOR YOUTH:  When Jesus cast out these demons from the two men, they went into some other live “being”.  What other live “being” was it, and what happened to those live “beings” after the demons possessed them?  (Hint:  “being” is a live thing)  BONUS BONUS-for a special gift from Israel:  What common saying do people now say in everyday conversation as a result of this biblical story?

The "traditional" site of casting out demons. Notice the caves, the hill and the water

We also went to a museum where they recently found a 1^st century fishing boat like Jesus and Peter would have used.  Smaller than I would have expected.

We then went to the “traditional” site of the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes (feeding of the 5000).  Just to be reminded of the miracles that Jesus performed was very inspiring.  We drove by the “traditional” site of the feeding of the 4000. 

inside the church on top of the "traditional" site of feeding of the 5000

Our pace here is quite slow, which allows a lot of time for reflection and relaxation.  We journey around the area for 4-6 hours a day, and then have the rest of the day to journal, nap, fellowship, etc.  This is what I needed!

Today we went to Cypres and Nazareth.

At cypress, we saw an amazing 1st centruy synagogue with amazing frescos on the floor.  The internet is not allowing me to upload pictures at the moment, so those will have to wait.  In this town, where we saw significant arechological digs of the Roman occupation, we got a very good idea of what it was like to live in the 1st century under Roman rule.  The Romans were very organized and efficient.

After Cypress, we went to Nazareth.  This is a city of about 75 thousand people; about 30 percent of whom are Christian.  (in the entire country of Israel, only 2 percent of the population is Christian.  As our guide explained, this country is run primarily by religious groups, with a civil court for backup.  There is almost no cross-marriages (A Christian marrying a Jew, for example) because religious laws control every part of life.  You cannot be a Jew unless you were born a Jew by birth (by both Jewish parents).  You need a certificate from the rabi in order to marry, and a rabi would never give you one to marry a Christian.  Conversion to Christianity is unheard of.  It is illegal for a pastor to baptize a Jewish person without the rabis consent, and of course, a rabi will never grant it.

Still, 2000 years later, Christianity still has no foot hold in the land in which Jesus preached and taught.

In Israel, it is a bustling city, although a little dirtier than I expected.  We went first to the Bassilica of the Annunciation.  I never pictured Mary and Joseph living quite the way that they do.  I always pictured a house, although rustic.  It wasn’t a house at all, but rather a cave.  They would put a door on the cave (covered with Palm branches), and thus the term “house”.  There would be a living room, a kitchen and maybe one other room.  The animals were their source of income and the only “money” they had to barter with, so the animals were kept inside the house with the family so as to avoid being stolen or attacked by other animals.  At night, mats would be rolled out onto the floor, and the whole family would sleep in the same room together.  Not much room here for a family and it’s animals.

At the door to the church (an absolutely beautiful house of worship–currently used for worship by an active congregation), we read the story of the Annunciation.  Hearing this story read in the place that it happened was truly amazing.  A stirring in my spirit occured that is heard to capture into words.  With God, all things ARE possible.

QUESTION FOR YOUTH: Who (be specific) announced to Mary that she was going to have a child, and what was Mary’s initial response?

Tomorrow, we shall take a boat ride on the Sea of Galillee.