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Dennis
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Username: Dennis
Post Number: 1524
Registered: 4-2000
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 4:56 pm: |     |
Sylvia and I are enjoying your journals, Colleen. What an awesome experience to retrace the steps of Jesus!
Dennis Fischer |
Jrt
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Username: Jrt
Post Number: 22
Registered: 10-2008
| | Posted on Friday, November 07, 2008 - 6:06 pm: | |
God's "No" only requires a resurrection to make it a "Yes" . . . profound . . . and moving . . . I love that you sing in these places of the past . . .
Thank you for letting us share in your experience . . .
JRT |
Asurprise
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Username: Asurprise
Post Number: 520
Registered: 7-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, November 08, 2008 - 8:00 pm: | |
I really have been enjoying your posts too, Colleen. I could easily imagine being there too, feeling sadness for those poor lost people - both Muslims and Jews. I'm so glad that the Lord has been reaching out to people all over the world gathering them to Himself! |
Colleentinker
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Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 8968
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, November 08, 2008 - 8:34 pm: | |
Shabbat (Sabbath) is over in Jerusalem for another week. As I write those words, I realize how NEW, how amazing it is that we literally live in unending Sabbath rest now. That week-to-week seeking after something “special” is so exhausting and discouraging. Wow--to be free of the never-successful attempts to honor God on the Sabbath--to be free of that special-remnant-tie that bound us together because we didn’t quite fit anywhere else, nor did non-Adventists fit with us is such a relief!
Today began with our 6:10 AM walk back to the Western Wall. The sun was just rising, and the streets that had been full of noise and merchants and smells and running people were quiet. I discovered I’d been wrong in part of my explanation of the Muslim sector last night. Cars DO go down those old stone-paved streets—but we didn’t actually encounter any last night because the streets were too full of people. This morning, however, we moved aside for a few vehicles that were bringing in supplies for the day’s marketing. For sure, however, only one car at a time can move down the street at any one spot—and we didn’t meet many.
Another detail I’d missed was that parts of the market place were not under roofs. The narrow streets run between tall, multi-storied buildings in many places with narrow aisles of sky above the worn stones. In the daylight the portions open to the sky are far more visible than at night. To be sure, however, much of the marketplace is under vaulted ceilings over which there are apartments or businesses.
At the West Wall, despite the early hour, many people were praying—not as many as the night before--but a large number. This morning a large percentage of the men were wearing prayer shawls, something missing from last night. Perhaps that’s a morning prayer characteristic…?
Our first official stop this morning was at the Museum of Jewish History. It exists inside an old Crusader fortress built on top of a Byzantine fortress built on top of a portion of Herod the Great’s palace. While the exact location is debated, Gary says many scholars are quite sure (he falls into this camp) that Pilate’s inquisition of Jesus likely happened at this place. Here we walked through a history of the Jews including the various political occupations of the land, and I finally began to formulate a mental “picture” explaining why there are so many Byzantine churches and Crusader fortresses and Ottoman buildings in the layers under the visible city.
Indeed, since AD 70 until 1948 the land had not been under any Jewish control. The Jews’ dispersion after rejecting the Messiah had been complete. Yet even in the existence of a secular Jewish state, we see God’s faithfulness at work as He continues to fulfill His promises to Israel in His own time and way.
Via Dolorosa
After our tour through the Jewish History Museum we went to the gate into the Old City known as the Lion’s Gate. Here we experienced in daylight the crush of Muslim markets, the night before. In the daytime, however, the crowds were even worse. Not only were there Muslims operating their tiny shops which spilled out the fronts of their cubicles, but thousands of visitors also plied the streets, straining to walk the traditional walk thought to be the way Jesus went on His way to the cross.
I have never experienced such masses of people. Richard has been in charge of helping a lady who is not from our congregation who is on this trip. She is quite disabled with arthritis, and she has had to make her way on this trip with a walker and a wheelchair. Yesterday’s walk up the Via Dolorosa had to be done in a wheelchair; it was much too far and too difficult for her to make it on her own. Fortunately there were several men who assisted as they came to the many steps along the way, lifting the front end of the chair as Richard pushed from behind.
The atmosphere was as far from “church” or “worship” as could be imagined. Rather, it seemed more like a giant carnival or a great fair. We’ve learned that Americans’ sense of personal “space” is different from that of people from the middle East. They think nothing of pushing, standing close, and speaking if they want something. We walked through the crowds, progressing slowly, our senses over-stimulated by unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells.
Between an hour-and-a-half and two hours after commencing our trek, we stopped for lunch in the Christian sector. There a restaurant was expecting us, and they served falafels to all 66 of us. After a break during which our group ate and browsed through shops in the area, we continued the remainder of the walk, finally reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
This church was worth seeing, but it was horrifying at the same time. It has been internally divided between the Orthodox, Catholic, Coptic, Ethiopian, and Armenian churches with each claiming certain chapels and relics as their “own”. The issue with claiming “space”, however, is that whoever claims to “own” the space is responsible for maintaining that space. The crowds inside that church were nearly as un-navigable as was the Via Dolorosa.
We were given a short period to see inside before meeting in the outer courtyard. Just as we were making our way to the door, the great outer door was shut, and the Armenian priests began queuing up for a processional. We looked for an alternate way out but could find none. We were “trapped” in the Church of the sepulcher!
Richard found a man dressed as a priest from one of the represented churches and asked him about a way out. He told Richard that the procession would last an hour, and he said the only way out was to simply push against the people and gradually work our way toward the front door.
By this time the procession was moving, the priests passed in black robes with black pointed hoods over their heads as they chanted. We and the others from our group also “trapped” began pushing toward the door, and we finally found that it had been opened after the procession had moved away from it.
While it is likely that Jesus’ crucifixion and entombment happened near that church, the church itself was actually rather horrifying. It was all about icons and grasping for “territory”. It felt commercial and dark, and I realized after we left that it had felt very pagan to me. The innumerable people who had been lined up for the chance to complete their pilgrimages by kissing the spots or the supposed relics represented by each chapel seemed deceived and blinded as people who pay homage to man-made gods. It was actually sad—these people all claimed to be Christians, yet they were mostly not rejoicing in a risen Savior whose work is done but were hoping to gain grace by honoring the relics of His suffering.
Pool of Bethesda
The next site we visited was St Anne’s church built beside the excavation of the pool of Bethesda. The pools were astonishing. Excavation is continuing, but in some places it has gone to a depth where the stones date from the third to the seventh centuries BC. The pools are very large compared to my mental image of them, and they had been built to accommodate large numbers of people.
This is the place where, on the Sabbath, Jesus encountered the crippled man who was not able to get into the water. Apparently an ancient tradition said that there were curative properties in the water and that an angel would periodically stir up the waters during which time bathers would be healed of their diseases. Jesus, however, simply asked this one man if he wanted to be well.
When the man said he did, Jesus told him to pick up his bed and walk. This is one of His Sabbath miracles by which He demonstrated that He was the Messiah, not only causing the lame to walk, but by breaking the Sabbath by healing and by commanding the man to break the Sabbath by carrying His bed.
Further, Jesus encountered this same man a bit later in the temple (where the man was lawfully required to go to offer thanks for God’s intervention). In spite of Jesus’ warnings to this man not to tell who He was, the man’s healing was obvious, and he was not afraid to identify Jesus to the priests when they asked who had healed him. The priests were outraged, and they confronted Jesus. Yet he replied that His Father was working, and He also was working.
His use of “Father” was unprecedented in Palestinian Judaism. Jews called God “God”, even using “code” words so as not to pronounce His holy name. Yet Jesus was claiming identity with God, and the priests anger was intensified because not only was He breaking the Sabbath with His miracles, but He was calling Himself God by identifying Himself as His Son.
Shrine of the Book
We ended the day at the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea scrolls are housed. Outside is a huge replica of Jerusalem showing its gates from the time of the second temple to the time of Herod’s temple. This model has been built on the basis of years of detailed excavation and research. As we looked at the model of the temple (which dominated the entire city), Gary reminded us that the ENTIRE temple spoke of God’s holiness and grandeur.
When Jesus died, the veil tore. That veil had represented holiness and separation from the glory of God. The tearing represented access to God, and the veil itself represented Christ’s body.
Inside the museum we were able to see on display many of the fragments of the scrolls found in 1947 by that Bedouin boy who accidentally broke a clay pot with a rock. I am amazed how God has preserved His word, kept His promises, and has, in His own time, confirmed Himself and His faithfulness. No matter how sophisticated the scholars, they have not been able to disprove or deny the reality of God’s sovereign care, protection, and faithfulness to Himself, His word, and His people—of whom we are a part!
We ended the day with an optional trip to a program of Jewish and Arab folk dances and songs held at the local YMCA. The dance troupe was a group of young adults who were very good, and the evening’s hostess was a young woman with a lovely voice who sang Israeli folk songs. It was a well-done program, but many among us were so tired they slept through part of it.
Today we go to the temple mount and the Garden Tomb. I will update you later…it’s hard to believe we’ve seen all we’ve seen and that our trip is nearly over.
We continue to pray for you all!
Love,
Colleen and Richard |
Colleentinker
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Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 8969
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2008 - 12:47 pm: | |
The Temple Mount
Our day today began with a scheduled visit to The Temple Mount. This visit was “iffy”—sometimes our guides (who are really intrepid women and seem to have connections with people and are not shy about insisting on what’s possible) are not able to get their groups inside. People waiting in line to go in sometimes have to wait an hour-and-a-half before entering. We got there early today, though, and we got in relatively quickly—probably within a half-hour.
The temple mount is huge. I had not imagined it to be so spacious. According to the large model of Jerusalem that we saw yesterday at the museum, however, the temple and the outer courtyard surrounded by Solomon’s colonnade dominated the city. When we entered through the surrounding gates, I saw why.
Of course, the temple mount does not display the temple. Instead, the gold-domed Dome Of the Rock dominates the spot where the Holy of Holies used to rest. Opposite the Dome of the Rock but still within the precincts of the temple mount is the Al Aqsa Mosque where Muslims meet to pray. Underneath the Dome is, many scholars believe, the stone where Abraham offered Isaac. That deeply symbolic event prefigured God giving His own Son, and the substitute ram prefigured Jesus’ substitutionary death for our sin. Also, the Ark of the Covenant used to sit inside the Holy of Holies right on top of that same rock: Mt. Moriah.
We walked to the Eastern Gate, the gate through which the prophecies say the Messiah will come into the city. The Muslims, who dominate the Temple Mount, centuries ago filled in the entire gate area with cement. They reasoned that by closing off the gate prophesied to be the entrance site of the coming Messiah, they could prevent any potential “messiah” from staging an entrance into the city.
Interestingly, in all the years our guides have led tours onto the Temple Mount, neither of them had ever been allowed to walk to the Eastern Gate. Guards had always prevented them from approaching the area. Today, however, we were not stopped from walking right up to the wall surrounding the gates, from walking around them, and even from taking pictures of each other with the gates behind us.
The temple mount is a beautiful area, but it is deeply upsetting to see that Muslim shrine perched on the place where God systematically revealed Himself through the centuries. God, however, will accomplish His own purposes in His own time. The Bible prophesies that the Lord Jesus will return, and no shrines or cemented gates will prevent His appearing at exactly the hour He has preordained.
After our time on the Temple Mount, we visited the Burned House Museum. This museum is in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a moving movie presentation of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 from the perspective of a Levitical family whose burned house had been excavated from that very spot.
Interestingly, whenever buildings in the Jewish Quarter or other areas of the city where the Jews have ownership are burned or destroyed, they excavate and do research before rebuilding. Over the past several decades, archeologists have found enough to give them a very accurate view of the development of the city through the eras of occupation it has seen.
Bell Caves and the Valley of Elah
After lunch, our group split into two groups. One group was comprised of those who elected to visit the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem. The other group consisted of those who chose to visit another area of Israel that we would otherwise not see.
Richard and I were in the Valley of Elah group. (We decided that since we have access to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, we would visit the area we could not see at home.) The Valley of Elah is where young David killed Goliath. It is halfway between Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip—and the area is absolutely lovely. There is more vegetation—lots of pines and other drought-tolerant trees. The landscape is blanketed with crops dominant among which are vineyards.
Before we reached Elah we visited a national park where there are amazing bell-shaped caves in the chalkstone which are believed to have been Byzantine quarries. The caves are beautiful; various shades of red and brown wash their walls which adjoin each other through wide “doorways” leading from cave to cave. It is suspected that an early Byzantine church met in them since there are carvings of crosses and rosettes over and near some of the “rooms”. The walls of the caves arched into roofs as high as cathedrals. Before we left we sang “How Great Is Our God” and “How Great Thou Art”. The reverberation was several seconds—as good as any perfectly designed cathedral!
The Valley of Elah was a gem—and one that people usually miss. (Our guide told us that tours seldom request a trip to Elah.) It is completely unspoiled; no church or fence marks it or limits access. It has not been made into a shrine; it is just “there”, natural and pristine and beautiful. This is without any doubt the site of David’s confrontation with Goliath. The Philistines and Israelites gathered on opposing hills on the sides of the wide, flat Elah Valley. The brook that runs through the valley was dry today—it is a seasonal stream—but the creek bed was clearly visible. Like David, we walked along the creek and selected our own smooth stones. For us, the stones are souvenirs for us, for our children, and for our grandchildren. For David, they were ammunition.
We were at the valley about an hour before sundown. The sun was low and golden; the valley very green. Along the creek bed were pungent wild anise plants, and the people in our group were relaxed and carefree, kicking back and relaxing during this reprieve from our wonderful but tiring schedule of sightseeing. Several in our group including our pastor Gary gave some impressive demonstrations with a couple of slingshots someone had brought.
Jerusalem
At last we re-boarded the bus for our return to our hotel. As we approached Jerusalem and began what our guide called our “last ascent into Jerusalem”, she had the driver play the song “The Holy City” from a CD of Israeli music she had brought. The sun was setting, and the warm pink light colored the countless limestone buildings that comprise Jerusalem—old buildings and modern buildings that define this ancient but contemporary city that has seen so much glory and bloodshed, this city that David dedicated to God, this city from where the Bible says a king in the line of David will rule the nations.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
Lift up your gates and sing
Hosanna, in the highest,
Hosanna to your King.
The music filled the bus, and my eyes filled with tears as I gazed at this amazing place that God has allowed me to visit—a visit that for us was impossible, but with God, the impossible became real.
But that is the story of God’s faithfulness. The promises He made to Abraham are unconditional and eternal, and Abraham believed God and was counted righteous. Abraham “is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were” (Romans 4:17b).
And here we are—grafted in Gentiles who are God’s adopted sons and daughters. Jerusalem represents our hope just as it has always represented Israel’s hope. It is the place where Jesus fulfilled the law and became sin for us, dying, rising, and bringing reconciliation between us and God.
Tomorrow is our last day; in the morning we will visit the City of David and walk through Hezekiah’s tunnel, and after lunch Gary will lead us in celebrating communion at the Garden Tomb. If our schedule allows, I will journal tomorrow night once more before we return home.
Love and continuing prayers for you all,
Colleen and Richard |
Raven
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Username: Raven
Post Number: 955
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2008 - 2:17 pm: | |
Colleen, It looks like the procession at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher that you wrote about might have made CNN news:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/11/09/israel.brawling.monks/index.html
It looks like the right timing and description. |
Helovesme2
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Username: Helovesme2
Post Number: 1709
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2008 - 3:00 pm: | |
Again, thanks so much for keeping us posted. It's been good to be with you - at least in spirit - on your trip.
Blessings,
Mary |
Mommamayi
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Username: Mommamayi
Post Number: 661
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2008 - 6:16 pm: | |
I too, love how you are singing everywhere. Do you know the song "I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked"? 
You do such a great job of describing the light, the sounds, smells, tastes, etc. Your journal really is a gift to us Colleen, and something you will be able to treasure for years to come. You have crammed so many amazing experiences into such a short time, that I bet writing it all down will help you retain the details more vividly.
Good for you crazy Americans and your insistence on floating IN the actual Dead Sea, rather than a pool of piped in water!
I love it that you have your own little smooth stone like Davids. I can just imagine you placing that on your kitchen window ledge back at home, next to a potted anise plant, since those herbs were growing along the creek bed.
Can't wait to see some pictures on your facebook account, but I'm sure you'll have some sleep to catch up on first!
Love, Diana |
Jeremiah
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Username: Jeremiah
Post Number: 411
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2008 - 7:24 pm: | |
Thank you Colleen for the trip updates. I have found it very interesting to hear an Evangelical Christian perspective on the various historic sights and sounds. It certainly sounds like the trip of a lifetime!
The people venerating relics does have Biblical precedent, so I wouldn't judge it as paganism. It certainly is different than what is normally found in Evangelical churches. There is Joseph's bones being taken from Egypt, the dead man raised when he is laid on Elijah's bones, the woman healed by touching Jesus' garment, the people healed by touching the Apostles' handkerchief or being in their shadow. Polycarp and Ignatius' bones were taken back to their respective churches after their martyrdom, at great risk. It's just how things are.
Angry monks do make the news. Part of it is that Eastern people just are more in-your-face than we are used to. I don't think that justifies fistfights in church. It does remind me of St Nicholas hitting Arius in the face. You're kind of looking at real live history there in Jerusalem.
Jeremiah |
Joyfulheart
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Username: Joyfulheart
Post Number: 344
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2008 - 8:35 pm: | |
Colleen, Thank you so much for sharing all of this. It was a gift to all of us. I am just in awe of all God has done in your lives during this trip. I don't think you'll ever read those passages in the Bible the same way again after having been there.
This trip just seems like a huge miracle from start to finish. From the opportunity to go, to Richard's back being healed, to the Holy Spirit's quickening everything to your spirits. God has been at work! Praise Him!
...soooo where you goin' next? |
Agapetos
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Username: Agapetos
Post Number: 1636
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2008 - 11:42 pm: | |
Colleen, thanks for journaling all this and describing all the things you've seen!
Your description of the pagan feeling of things in the sepulcher church reminds me a lot of what I see when I visit Buddhist temples here in Japan. The similarity in iconography (positions, expressions, etc.) is also eerie. The way that people rush for relics, blessings, to priests, etc., is just like things over here when Buddhist and Shinto festivals get under way. It reminds me of how the golden serpent that God used to point to His Son later became an idol. The things He's blessed and been "on" in the past are markers of where He's been, but He is living and is waiting for us to turn to Him instead of images of Him or where He's been! It reminds me of a word a lady gave on the internet once about how Peter wanted to set up tents on the mount of transfiguration -- that's human instinct, to make a monument or memorial where something great happens, to enshrine it or "set up camp" there. But Christ calls us to Him Himself and to follow Him wherever He goes.
Blessings in Jesus to you & Richard & everyone on the remainder of your journey and on your flights!
In Jesus,
Ramone |
Colleentinker
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Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 8970
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, November 10, 2008 - 12:00 pm: | |
Thanks, everyone, for your encouraging comments through this saga. I haven’t had time to respond to everything, but knowing that you were enjoying the journal was very encouraging.
When we get home, one of our first projects, before we forget what’s what and where the pictures were taken, is to edit this journal and fix some egregious errors (you have no idea how deeply tired I was when I wrote some of those! Sometimes I’d find myself waking up just as I began to lean so far to the side that I’d be almost ready to fall out of the chair! But I’ve about recovered from the jet lag now—just in time to go home and do it again!). Richard is going to make a website for this trip journal and our pictures, so hopefully we’ll get everything in one place!
Raven, that incident in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher happened the day after we were there, but it apparently involved the same church’s priests. And Jeremiah, I understand what you are saying—yet there is a real difference, as Ramone expressed, between honoring a relic and honoring the Lord Jesus. Even in the cases where people touched handkerchiefs or hems and were healed, it was not because those things transmitted power. It was because the person believed God, and the reaching out to touch was an act of obedient faithfulness. The incident of the people coming to life after touching Elijah’s bones I cannot explain except to say that God was confirming His own power which He had given to Elijah and which was likely easy for people to doubt in a pagan environment. Joyfulheart, the next place we’re going—is HOME!
City of David
Today was an awesome final day of this tour. Our first appointment was at the City of David. I did not know before this trip that the City of David was not the Jerusalem of Jesus’ day. Tbe City of David, to be sure, was the embryonic Jerusalem, but it was a tiny tongue of land that actually lay outside the city gates on the east side. The Kidron Valley runs right in front of it, and the Mount of Olives rises immediately on the other side of the Kidron Valley.
David’s men actually captured the early Jerusalem from the Jebusites. His general Joab led men through a tunnel that was part of the Jebusite’s water system and crawled under the city gates, entering the city through the mouth of the tunnel. The City of David, early Jerusalem, was by a water source that still, 3,000 years later, produces water: the Gihon Spring.
Within the past very few years (five or less), an archeologist who has had a special interest in finding some of the more obscure, more doubted places, has excavated the foundations of a building situated at the highest spot in the City of David which is believed to be the foundation of David’s palace. There are no ruins under this foundation; it sits on bedrock, and it dates back to 1,000 BC. Close by is another excavation—not yet complete but revealing a cross-section of building layers that, at the bottom, dates back to 1,000 BC. In the pile of stones there was an ancient stone with a hole in it: a toilet seat. (For real!)
From the excavation of David;s palace we commenced an amazing adventure: we descended a very deep shaft to Hezekiah’s tunnel. Hezekiah, about 800 BC, decided that he wanted the city’s water supply to be protected from the enemy. Jerusalem was still using the Gihon Spring for water, but the spring was outside the city. People (uh—read that the women) of Jerusalem had to go to the spring via a tunnel that went under the city wall and carry it back. This arrangement left the spring vulnerable to enemies, and Hezekiah decided to divert the water supply via a tunnel so the spring water would flow directly under the city walls into Jerusalem and thus be unavailable to anyone outside.
Hezekiah’s tunnel is longer than a football field and is deep under ground. Water still runs through it, and there is absolutely no light. But it is big enough for people to walk through—and we did! It was an amazing and exciting adventure. Right after we entered the tunnel, the flow of the water and the direction of the tunnel created an area where the water was mid-thigh, but as we kept walking, the water leveled out and came a bit over the ankles. The tunnel was narrow; we could only walk single file.
The height varied; I was able to walk upright through most of it, but the men had to duck quite often. At the far end, the tunnel walls suddenly soared overhead like towering cliffs. We carried flashlights, and we could see water seeping through the ceiling and the walls of the limestone. It was an unforgettable experience to walk through that tunnel and to realize that it was about 2,800 years old, that Hezekiah’s men had carved out that passageway, and we were now able to touch the rocks and to walk in the water from a spring that has been producing water for thousands of years. Totally awesome!!
The tunnel exited into the Pool of Siloam. The Pool of Siloam is remembered for Jesus’ Sabbath miracle, recorded in John 9, in which he put mud on the eyes of a man born blind. His disciples had asked Him whose sin had caused this disability, and Jesus responded, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” Jesus then placed mud on the man’s eyes and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam.
The Pharisees were enraged and said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” Others disagreed, saying a sinner could not do such miracles. But the man himself—believed and refused to denounce Jesus.
The Garden Tomb
Our next stop was at the Garden Tomb which commemorates Jesus’ resurrection. It is likely not Jesus’ actual tomb, but it IS a real tomb which excavations have shown to have belonged to a wealthy family in a location very near a well-known crucifixion spot. Even if it is not the real tomb, it is an excellent memorial site. It is located in a beautiful garden—flowers and trees of various kinds create a shady, lovely meditative spot.
After a tour of the garden and the tomb, we gathered in a shady spot and celebrated communion together. We opened by singing “Wonderful, Merciful Savior”, and before we finished, the amplified blare of the midday Muslim call to prayer filled the air. We finished the song, and over the disturbing noise of the Muslim chanting Gary said (in essence), “Part of our reality is competing with the noise of the world. As Christ-followers we become islands of truth in the darkness. This is the reality of our calling; we have to proclaim the truth without being intimidated by the noise around us.”
The by-the-clock call to prayer ended, and Gary read the resurrection story from the book of John. One insight that especially impacted me was Gary’s comment about the underlying meaning of the word “saw” in John 20:8, where John and Peter went to the empty tomb. They found the grave clothes “lying there” (the Greek here suggests they were undisturbed, that Jesus had left them without unwrapping them). John, verse 8 tells us, “saw and believed”. The word “saw” is a word which suggests an “a-ha”—a flash of insight in which John “got it” and KNEW Jesus had risen from the dead in an impacting way.
Michael Hicks sang “In Christ Alone”, and then we shared communion together, drinking the wine out of olive wood communion cups which we were able to keep when we were done. Several people shared what was impacting them about what Jesus has done, and then Gary turned to Romans 4 and said one of the great truths in Scripture is the substitution of Jesus. He took God’s wrath so it won’t fall on us. He said the resurrection has two significant impacts:
1. It is God’s vindication of Jesus—it is God’s “Amen” to Jesus’ “It is finished.”
2. It is the basis of our vindication before God.
The garden communion was deeply moving—a wonderful culmination of the past two weeks of reflecting on Jesus’ ministry and mission of dying for sin and defeating the power of death.
The Tunnels
After a couple of hours for lunch and shopping, we went to the Western Wall as a group. After experiencing the Jews’ prayers that seem to go on perpetually there, we walked through a recently excavated tunnel that parallels the entire length of the Western Wall.
The Western Wall of the temple mount is the most sacred place in Israel to the Jews. It is the surviving part of the temple complex that stood closest to the Holy of Holies, and Jews believe the Spirit of God dwells at the Western Wall in a particular way because of its proximity to the destroyed Holy of Holies that stood on the temple mount. Only a small portion of the wall is accessible today, however.
Most of the Western Wall has been hidden from view for centuries by the Muslim Quarters which were built against it. In 1967 the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs launched a project to expose the full length of the Western Wall. They accomplished this project by engineering a tunnel that ran under the Muslim Quarter and paralleling the entire length of the Western Wall. We walked through this tunnel, seeing the original Herodian building stones that formed the foundation of the wall. The lower stones are enormous; one of the larger ones measures about 44 feet in length and is estimated to weigh over 160 tons.
The lowest level of the wall was constructed out of the natural bedrock, not from individually shaped stones. The bedrock, however, was carved to match the stones above it. The tunnel turns at the end of the wall and continues through an ancient aqueduct used during the Hasmonean period to provide water to the temple mount.
The day ended with a banquet for our tour group including our guides and bus drivers. All of us feel tired but happy, changed in significant ways because of this time seeing the Bible from the perspective of the land. Most of our group are already on their way to the airport. Eighteen of us, however, leave tomorrow morning at 7:15 to catch our flight home.
This has been an amazing, wonderful, perspective-changing two weeks. I pray God will continue to teach me truth and to root me in reality, helping me to see as He sees, know as He knows, and love as He loves.
I’ve gotta go pack…see you online in a couple of days or so!
Love,
Colleen and Richard |
Esther
Registered user
Username: Esther
Post Number: 447
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Monday, November 10, 2008 - 3:02 pm: | |
Wow! I just want to say that I've waited anxiously each day for your post Colleen. It has been so much fun to "see" the Holy Land through your eyes and experiences. I have loved the details you've shared and thank you so much for taking the time to do that...even in your exhaustion.
Praying for a safe flight home! |
Blessed
Registered user
Username: Blessed
Post Number: 230
Registered: 1-2007
| | Posted on Monday, November 10, 2008 - 5:57 pm: | |
Richard & Colleen - It has truly been amazing to read and try to envision what you have experienced. You have truly awakened a desire in me to see the places that you have been to and written about. I have copied and pasted your entire journal into word so that I have it to refer to at a later date. I can hardly wait to talk to you and share further about this trip. I expect that this will also be included in some way in our FAF weekend. Praying for a safe trip home. |
Lifeanew
Registered user
Username: Lifeanew
Post Number: 160
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Monday, November 10, 2008 - 8:50 pm: | |
Colleen and Richard,
What a blessing it was to read about your journey. Thank you so much for taking the time to share. Have a safe trip home.
Blessings,
Jan n Bob |
Dennis
Registered user
Username: Dennis
Post Number: 1525
Registered: 4-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 11:28 am: | |
A family friend, visiting Israel about two years ago, brought Sylvia a small bottle of water, filled with his own hand for authenticity, from the Jordan River where she was baptized during one of her two visits to the Holy Land. It is nice to have some "holy water" in the house (smile). Also, another friend who visited Israel with his son, Jordan, baptized him in the Jordan.
Dennis Fischer |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 8971
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 5:24 pm: | |
Hi, all-- We're back! We got home last night about 2:00 AM. Counting the almost-three-hour layover in Newark, NJ, our trip took about 22 hours. The flight from Israel to Newark was about 12 hours; the trip from Newark to Los Angeles was about five. Whew!
We're trying to recover and do laundry and catch up on email (no small project in itself!) and get our sleep back on schedule. Plus--have you ever had a 21 year old guy house sit? Our younger son stayed here while we were gone. The house is great...but we had to go get real food back in the refrigerator!
I'll start checking in on the forum again...I've missed you all!
It's so good to be home!
Colleen |
Helovesme2
Registered user
Username: Helovesme2
Post Number: 1713
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 5:28 pm: | |
Welcome back! It's good to hear from you. |
Asurprise
Registered user
Username: Asurprise
Post Number: 526
Registered: 7-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 6:23 pm: | |
Yes, welcome back! That would be wonderful to go and see all those places! I was able to picture myself there though, through your posts. |
Jrt
Registered user
Username: Jrt
Post Number: 25
Registered: 10-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 8:13 pm: | |
Colleen and Richard,
Welcome back!! I'm just amazed at God's goodness to you . . . I remember you posting your request for Richard's back awhile back . . . and now we've read and experienced the journey with you . . . and the time flew and now you have returned. . .What a God! huh.
Now we can pray that you and Richard will have a quick recovery from jet lag again and that you won't be too overwhelmed with the items that inevitably stack up when one leaves on vacation.
Again, thank you for your graciousness to us to write/journal what you were seeing after a long day of touring (or early morning before going) - even when you were fighting jet lag . . . truly a God gift to the rest of us who have never been to the Holy Land.
JRT |
Grace_alone
Registered user
Username: Grace_alone
Post Number: 1289
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 9:38 pm: | |
Glad you're home safe Colleen and I'm so happy that you and Richard were able to make the trip in the first place. Thanks so much for sharing your trip w/ us. It really felt like we were there with you!
Hope you'll post some pictures somewhere ~
Leigh Anne |
Agapetos
Registered user
Username: Agapetos
Post Number: 1648
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 11:21 pm: | |
Welcome back! Can't wait to see the page you put up with pictures and your notes!! |
Jeremy
Registered user
Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 2520
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, November 13, 2008 - 12:38 pm: | |
Welcome back, Colleen and Richard! I'm glad you were able to take the trip and thank you for journaling about it for us!
Jeremy |
Mommamayi
Registered user
Username: Mommamayi
Post Number: 663
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2008 - 3:30 pm: | |
Glad to know you're home safe and sound. I'm a few days late in catching up to the end of the journal. Enjoyed it SO much! |
Richardtinker
Board Administrator
Username: Richardtinker
Post Number: 113
Registered: 4-1999
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 - 10:11 pm: | |
You may now read the Israel trip journal along with pictures here:
http://formeradventist.com/israel/
-Richard |
Helovesme2
Registered user
Username: Helovesme2
Post Number: 1719
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - 6:08 am: | |
Thanks for the link! I've gotten part way through and the photos are great. I especially love the ones that show the 'holy land' is not all brown and dry. |
Snowboardingmom
Registered user
Username: Snowboardingmom
Post Number: 510
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - 1:43 pm: | |
I love the pictures! I'm slowly working myself through the blog again (with the pictures) so I can have a better visual of all the experiences! Thanks for sharing!
Grace |
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