Chris Howlett

A Pilgrim’s Progress in the Holy Land, II

Friday, April 13, 2018 – Day Three

We opened the morning on the bus with a devotional which I led based on Genesis 12:1-2 which relates the story of God calling Abram to leave his homeland to go to a land that God will show him, Canaan, what we today call Israel or the Holy Land, the Land of Promise. God made a covenant with Abram to bless him and to bless all the families of the earth through him. The Land was a key component of this plan. As we travel this land, we’re reminded of the physicality of God’s blessing. God is Creator and he sends himself on a mission to undo the curse of the Fall which has corrupted his good creation. The blessing of Abram and his wife, Sarai in this particular land is the means by which he will carry out this mission. As we spend time here, we see pilgrims from all over the world, speaking many different languages. Indeed, all the families of the earth are being blessed. We want to be a part of blessing others.

Beit She’an, the only one of the ten cities of the Decapolis located on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Huge archaeological site and National Park that helps us understand the urban life of the Roman culture. Because it was destroyed by an earthquake and subsequently abandoned, the ruins, which have been partially restored by archaeologists, give insight into daily life in a city. There’s a huge theatre, colonnaded streets, bath houses, and amazing mosaics. The site is significant from a Biblical standpoint because it is the place that King Saul’s body was displayed, along with the body of his son, Jonathan, following their defeat to the Philistines.

Megiddo is a large tel. A tel is a hill that’s been built up over centuries, even millennia, of city after city being built and destroyed, built and destroyed, again and again. The remains of the past city become the new ground upon which the new city is built. This city was important because it overlooks a strategic choke point on the Via Maris, the connecting road between Africa and Asia Minor. Because of it’s key location, battles have been fought repeatedly by successive world powers to ensure control of this important trade route. A place that has witnessed many bloody battles makes a great background for a writer of an apocalyptic account of the Final Battle that will be the battle to end all battles and usher in God’s ultimate reign. You’ve heard of this place before. Har Megiddo is Hebrew for Mount of Megiddo. When transliterated into Greek, it becomes Armageddon. Megiddo is a rich archaeological site with a commanding view of the Jezreel Valley and Mount Tabor.

Today, Megiddo is an Israeli national park and we enjoyed a lunch of falafel pita bread sandwiches with various Mediterranean salads before heading to Nazareth.

In Nazareth, the village where Jesus grew up, we first stopped at the Mount of Precipice, where the events of Luke 4 took place after Jesus read from the Isaiah Scroll in the synagogue and claimed that the prophecy was being fulfilled in his ministry. The people thought Jesus was getting too big for his britches and tried to throw him off this precipice. He slipped through the crowd and headed off to Capernaum, by the Sea of Galilee, never to return to his hometown.

We made our way to the Church of the Annunciation, where the angel, Gabriel, announced to Mary that she would miraculously give birth to the Messiah, Jesus.

 

Saturday, April 14, 2018 – Day Four

Beginning the day with a wonderful breakfast at the Royal Plaza Hotel in Tiberias, we then departed the Galilee region and rode to the Judean Wilderness. Pastor Bob Kaylor led us in a devotional and we traveled to a spot very near the Dead Sea, to visit a site that wasn’t discovered until 1947. Qumran is the settlement scholars believe was inhabited by a Jewish sect named the Essenes before and during Jesus’ time on earth. They are important for a couple of reasons. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in eleven different caves in the immediate vicinity of the settlement ruins. These scrolls contain Old Testament texts, commentaries on the Old Testament, and various theological and practical documents dealing with the community’s life and hopes. It is a critical site for the study of the Old Testament because the texts found there dating back to the second century B.C. confirm the accuracy of the previously oldest manuscripts available to us that dated to the eighth century A.D. The sectarian documents also shed light on how Jewish sects operated and understood themselves at the time of Jesus.

After Qumran, we visited Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world, dating to 9,000 B.C. It was the first Canaanite city to be conquered by the Israelites after they crossed the Jordan to enter the Promised Land. There’s not a ton to see, as the Tel, or hill, that is the ancient part of the city looks to the untrained eye like a big pile of dirt and rocks. So, we enjoyed a very pleasant lunch of chicken and lamb with various Mediterranean salads and shopped at a nice shop where I picked up a package of dates. Yum!

Then it was up and out of the Judean wilderness (otherwise known as desert) to climb out of the valley and up to Jerusalem, the eternal city. 

Our first stop was the Mount of Olives. This is the place Jesus began his triumphal entry into the city on Palm Sunday. At the base of the Mount of Olives is the Garden of Gethsemane. We took our group photo from the top of the Mount because it offers a commanding view of the city. The Garden of Gethsemane is home to the Roman Catholic Church of All Nations, which we visited. We also spent time in a private courtyard of the monastery for a time of worship and reflection led by Pastor Bob Kaylor.

After boarding the bus, Hana, our guide, asked if we wanted to head to the hotel or were ready for another stop. We opted for the latter and visited the traditional site of the Upper Room, which is just outside the Old City. In Jesus’ day, the Upper Room was inside the city walls, but the current city walls were built in the 16th century and don’t perfectly trace the walls as they existed in the first century. At the Upper Room we witnessed one of the amazing things about this land and that is the presence of pilgrims from all over the world. There was an Orthodox group from Eastern Europe, us, and a group from Asia. The command of Jesus to make disciples of all nations is being fulfilled.

After a long day we traveled the short distance to the Olive Tree Hotel, our home in Jerusalem for the next several days.

A Pilgrim's Progress in the Holy Land

Day One & Two

We arrived at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport a little after 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 11. The flight over was a bit of a challenge, even though it was comfortable, a Boeing 777-200, the flight time made it difficult to sleep. So most of us were fuzzy-brained at the first stop along this wonderful pilgrimage journey, Caesarea Maritime.

Caesarea Maritime, or Caesarea by the Sea, was a port city along the coast of the Mediterranean, envisioned and built by Herod the Great between 22 and 10 B.C., to serve as a deep harbor for commercial traffic, connecting the Mediterranean world with the Via Maris (the Road of the Sea), a major trading route connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe, running through the coastal plain of Israel.

Caesarea was a very “Roman” city, complete with baths, a theater, and a hippodrome. It served as the home of Pontius Pilate and other Roman officials. It was also the home of one Cornelius, a Roman military officer and a “God-fearer.” God-fearers were Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel, but didn’t fully convert, as that would entail circumcision.

Peter was in Joppa, in 37 A.D., when God gave him a dream concerning what was clean and unclean to eat. God told him to not call anything he made unclean. At the same time God gave Cornelius a dream to send a messenger to bring Peter to Caesarea.  Cornelius invited Peter into his house as his guest and Peter shared with Cornelius and his household the Good News about Jesus. As he was speaking the Holy Spirit filled Cornelius and members of his household. The professed allegiance to Jesus and Peter baptized them. This is all recorded in Acts 10. This pivotal incident served as the genesis of the Gentile mission, the beginning of the fulfillment of Jesus’ command to his followers to make disciples of all nations, all ethnic groups, seeking to bring all of God’s lost children back into the family of God.

 

Day Two

The first stop this morning was at a church that’s been built in the traditional location of Jesus’ breakfast with the disciples following the resurrection along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It’s called the Church of the Primacy of Peter. From there we visited Capernaum, the town that became the home base of Jesus’ ministry on the shore of Galilee. It was also Peter’s adopted hometown. In the ruins of the town, scholars have located what they believe to be Peter’s mother-in-law’s house, where Jesus is believed to have stayed in Capernaum (or Kafr Naum, the Hebrew name). Also in this town are the ruins of a rather large synogogue that was built in the third century A.D. on top of the remains of the first century synagogue where Jesus attended and taught. It’s truly amazing to be in this place, this land where Jesus first proclaimed the Good News about the Kingdom of God.

The Church of the Multiplication was built on the site traditionally associated with the Sermon on the Mount. The modern church was built on top of the remains of a church that dates to Fourth Century. Pilgrims had been visiting this site since the earliest times. On the floor of the Fourth Century church was a beautiful mosaic, much of which is still intact. I have a chalice and paten from this church decorated with the beautiful pattern that sits on the floor beneath the altar depicting two fish and loaves of bread in a basket.

At each site one of our fellow pilgrims read the Scripture associated with the events which took place there, then Pastor Bob or I share a brief devotional. Our guide, Hana Kessler, also shares from her wealth of knowledge concerning the biblical events that we have learned from history and archaeology. It makes for both a learning and spiritually enriching experience.

In 1986 an amateur Israeli archaeologists discovered a boat submerged in the mud in the Sea of Galilee. It was excavated, preserved, and is now on display in a special museum on the shoreline. The boat dates to the time of Jesus. It’s not hard to imagine that Jesus at the very least, saw this boat with his own eyes while he was proclaiming the Kingdom of God around the Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is not particularly large, and the area in which the boat was discovered is an area Jesus frequented. Who knows? The boat may have belonged to Simon Peter or one of the other fisherman who left their nets to become fishers of men and women, boys and girls.

Our group then hopped aboard a modern boat for a cruise along the Sea of Galilee. We paused out on the lake as they captain shut down the motor. The calm out on the water was amazing. We read the story of Jesus calming the storm and remembered that the Lord is here in the midst of the storms of our lives to bring peace and rest.

After the boat ride we enjoyed a lunch of fried whole St. Peter’s Fish. Yummy!

Off on the bus again to take the short ride to Magdala. Magdala was a wealthy town on the Western shore of the Sea of Galilee which was destroyed in the Jewish War with Rome in the late first century and was never rebuilt. Thus the ruins, which were only discovered twelve years ago, are the actual ruins of the hometown of Mary Magdalene (Mary of Magdala). Jesus was here after he made his way down to the Sea when he left his hometown of Nazareth.

The Jordan River was our last destination of the day. We participated in a Baptismal Remembrance service and I was privileged to baptize my cousin, Jessica Ellenwood, who is a fellow pilgrim on our journey. What a joy to participate in this wonderful occasion. God is good!

 

 

Do You Need a Vacation?

“Vacations are necessities, not luxuries.” – Linda Bloom

Bernard Lagat knows a lot about long-distance running. He is a four-time Olympian. He owns seven American records, ranging from the 1,500 to the 5,000 meters. In the 2012 London Olympics he finished fourth in the 5,000 meters.

Even in the midst of his rigorous training schedule, every fall Lagat does something completely foreign to most elite runners: he takes a five-week break. He tosses his running shoes in the closet and eats pretty much anything he wants. He also coaches his son's soccer team. Peter Thompson, a longtime track and field official and coach, claims that Lagat's approach is unique. Thompson said, "In the U.S., runners are very obsessive about not letting go of training." But Lagat stands by his need for sustained rest. Lagat said that every athlete is different, but his schedule has been very effective. "My runs are very hard," he said. "Everything I do is hard …. [But] the body is tired. You're not a machine. Rest is a good thing."

Indeed, rest is a good thing. It’s summertime and many of us are gearing up for vacations. Some will travel far and see great sights. Some will take a staycation. All of us need a break from the routine and real rest. God designed us to rest. The first full day of humanity’s existence was a day of rest. Rest helps the body and mind repair itself and enables us to work with renewed energy and focus. When we rest we can reconnect with God and rediscover what’s most important about life. This summer, if you take a vacation, I hope you’ll remember not to take a vacation from God and enjoy resting in his grace. Rest is a good thing.

Holiday Road

“A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it.” – Robert Orben

How does your family take vacations? If you’re a dad, are you one of the dads who tells the kids, “We’re starting with empty bladders and a full tank of gas and we’re not stopping until we have an empty gas tank and full bladders!”? Do you attack the vacation? Do you have everything planned out to the last minute, making sure you squeeze all the value out of your time away as possible?

Or, are you a laid-back vacationer, taking it one day at a time, one moment at a time? Do you not bother to pack until the day before or even the morning you plan to leave? Are you likely to stop along the way to check out the world’s largest ball of twine? Are you happy to simply sit in the shade or on the beach and enjoy reading your newest novel?

You likely fit more into one of the above two patterns. Whatever you’re planning for vacation this year, be sure to be thankful for the rest. God created us for work and rest. He designed life to function this way. The first full day of human existence was a Sabbath, a day of rest. There is a pattern of rest and then work built into how God made us and if we don’t take time to rest, our work suffers.

Resting with our families is a great opportunity to relax and spend time together. Vacations can be opportunities to make lasting memories. Whether you’re taking a staycation or traveling around the world this summer, make the most of it and enjoy the wonderful life God has given us.

 

Shhhhhh!

"I have often repented of having spoken, but never of having remained silent.” Abba Arsenius

I had the opportunity and pleasure of spending two weeks in the desert. The desert is a sparsely populated place. There isn’t much water in the desert, so there aren’t many people there. Where they do congregate, they generally cause a lot of problems because the desert wasn’t intended to support a very large number of people.

Alone time is one of the benefits (or curses, depending on your perspective) of going to the desert. One of the places I visited was just north of Benson, Arizona, a place called Cascabel. There, an environmental group has built a couple of hermitages so folks like me can go and spend a few days alone. Up in Hookers Hot Springs Canyon, I spent about forty-eight hours isolated from any other human beings.

Years ago I read a book by Henri Nouwen titled, “The Way of the Heart.” He says that solitude, silence, and prayer are important contributors to spiritual maturity. In the hustle and bustle and noise of everyday life, it can be challenging to connect with God. God himself says, “Be still and know that I am God.” So, I went to the desert, disconnected from family, friends, phones, and the internet and spent some concentrated time listening for and to God.

What did I learn? Well, it’s not so much about learning as it is about being formed. There’s no doubt that God communicates to us through silence. The desert experience is helpful in training oneself to listen to God. However, it’s not only in the literal desert that we can find solitude, silence, and prayer. Turn off the TV and radio. Shut the laptop. Set aside the phone. Spend some time alone and listen. God is always there. He’s always wanting to speak. Sometimes, we need to shut down other voices so we can hear him.

 

Jerusalem, Day One

Lyda on the Camel!

We started even earlier this morning with all of us on the bus at 7:15 a.m. The payoff was that we were among the first pilgrims out and about. It was a short bus ride to the Mount of Olives where we heard a reading from Psalm 122 and Hannah spoke about pilgrims coming into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. From our elevated perspective she was able to point out many of the places in the old city that are important in the Gospels, many of which we eventually visited or will visit tomorrow. This overlook, just below the famous Seven Arches Hotel, sits uphill from the Jewish cemetery. Jews, Muslims, and Christians placed cemeteries either on the Mount of Olives or the hill rising to the Temple Mount because all three faiths believe there will be a resurrection of the dead that will be centered on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.when Messiah comes, or as Christians believe. Proximity to the Temple Mount is a good thing when the resurrection occurs.

I read Matthew 21:12 and commented on the Triumphal Entry and how Jesus's actions were provocative, announcing his Kingdom by actions, reinforcing his words. Yet, his Kingdom comes not by violence, but through suffering, servanthood, and sacrifice. After our prayer we walked right back up to the road (we had been on a lower observation area) and the camel wrangler was waiting. As you see in the picture, Lydia bravely rode the camel! A couple of others rode it, also, including Peggy Kessler.

Part way down the hillside sits the Dominus Flevit Church (Dominus Flevit is Latin for "The Lord wept). On the grounds of the church we examined an ancient burial cave which contains several ossuaries in which the bones of the dead were gathered a year after burial and placed in these boxes. In front of the church is a gathering area where Bob read from Luke 19 and Matthew 23, two perspectives of Jesus' lament over the city of Jerusalem. The church there was designed by Antonio Barluzzi, the same Italian architect who designed the church in the Shepherds' Fields. The small church is notable for the four sculptures of tear drop bottles on the corners of the roof.

We made our way further down the Mount of Olives until we arrived at the church grounds dedicated to the memory of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. We were ushered into a private garden and were able to enjoy our Sunday worship service. Hannah spoke briefly about the meaning of "Gethsemane." It refers to the place where oil is pressed. She shared that the production of olive oil is accomplished by applying pressure on baskets containing olives, the oil is used for lamps that produce light. Similarly, Jesus was placed under great pressure in the Garden and the result is Light for the world. Bob then read from Luke 22:39-53 and shared a homily on the suffering and trials of Jesus. Because Jesus has suffered, we know that in our trials and sufferings we are never alone and we can, like Jesus, lean on the love of our Heavenly Father. We took time to each spend some meditative time spread out in this quiet and peaceful place away from the hustle and bustle of the traffic and crowds of fellow pilgrims.

All of this travel, by the way, was made by foot. We walked across the narrow street to the main Gethsemane grounds and entered the Church of the Agony, also known as the Church of All Nations. This church was designed by... you got it! Antonio Barluzzi! The modern church was erected on top of the site of an earlier church that encompassed the stone it is believed Jesus prayed on the night he was betrayed. A gathering of Roman Catholic pilgrims was celebrating the Mass when we arrived. Some of our group quietly sat in the pews, others walked around and observed the beautiful mosaics. At the end of the Mass several of our group made their way up to the stone.

We traveled to Herodium Park, a recently opened national park containing the remains of a large complex including a fortified palace. It was built by Herod the Great, the Jewish puppet king of the Roman empire in power at the time of the birth of Jesus. He was responsible for the murder of the Innocents in Bethlehem. Herodium was just one of Herod's building projects, but it is perhaps the most ambitious. After it was built, he decided to place his burial site there, and he built that on top of some other features of the complex, including the Roman-style theater. We toured the site, including the theater, bath house, and the cisterns used for collecting rainwater. Herodium had a life after Herod as a fortification for Jewish rebels against Rome during the Bar Kochba Revolt, much like the Jews who retreated to Masada. Also on the site are the ruins of a Byzantine Christian monastery and chapel in use from the 4th to 7th centuries. Hannah did a wonderful job of explaining what we were seeing and Bob gave some background on the history of Herod. After his death, his kingdom was split between his three sons. One was deposed by the Romans and replaced by a Roman governor with whom we are very familiar: Pontius Pilate. Without the unfortunate and reckless actions of Herod and his son's, Pilate would never have been appointed governor and Jesus most likely would have been executed by Jewish rulers. In that case, he would not have been crucified and the cross would never have become the symbol of salvation. It's amazing what Providence has brought about.

Lydia and me on the Teaching Steps

We ate lunch at a restaurant/store in Jerusalem and then headed to the Old City. Ismael, our driver, dropped us off near the Dung Gate and we entered the Davidson Center, part of The Jerusalem Archaeological Park. Since my last visit in 2000, much work has been done. Archaeologists fully excavated down to the first century street level on the southern end of the western wall of the Temple Mount and also the southern wall. Previously, on the western side, were piles of stones the Romans threw off the Temple mount during the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. We viewed many of the remains with Hannah providing informative and entertaining commentary along the way. At the "teaching steps" on the south side of the Mount, which were steps into the main entrance for pilgrims, we sat and Nancy Fritzshe read from the Psalm 24. Bob then read Acts 2 because this is where scholars believe thousands of new converts were baptized in the ritual cleansing baths on the day of Pentecost. This is a very special place because it is one of the places we can say with certainty that Jesus walked right here 2,000 years ago.

At the Western Wall

We ended our day at the Western Wall. This lower wall of the Temple Mount is the most holy place for Jews. Because the site is controlled by Orthodox Jews, men and women visit the wall separately. Many of us walked down to the wall and prayed, then we made our way back out the Dung Gate for the short ride back to our hotel. Another end to another beautiful day in the Land of the Bible.

 

 

From Tiberias to Jerusalem

We packed our bags-and loaded up the bus and were out and about bright and early. On the bus Bob shared a devotional based on Romans 12. Hannah offered some incredible perspective concerning the historical and cultural context which helps us understand the pilgrimage sites from a more wholistic point-of-view. Pilgrimage includes prayer, Bible Study, and singing, but it also includes a lot of gift shops and merchants pushing their wares, centuries of building and rebuilding, and experiences with which we are unfamiliar. Hannah has enabled us to see past a lot of the touristy accruement and grasp the beauty and significance of the Holy Land.

Peggy and Ellen Kessler at Beit Shean

Our first stop was the ruins of the ancient city of Beit Shean. 1 Samuel 31 reports the story of the corpses of King Saul and his son Jonathan hung on the city walls by the Philistines, the enemies of ancient Israel. At the time of Jesus, Beit Shean was the most important city in the Decapolis (The Ten Cities), a region Jesus visited. The Romans significantly improved the city and it continued into the Byzantine period, but was completely destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. 749. The site was rediscovered in the 1970s and and was extensively excavated. The National Parks is not custodian of this rich site which serves an amazing example of a Roman city, with shopping sections, theater, amphitheater, a large bath house complex, and wide streets. In the theater, our own Barbara Lanham regaled us with her beautiful singing voice, demonstrating the excellent acoustic qualities of the Roman theater. We spent a significant amount of time there, with much of the group making the trek up the tel (a hill formed over centuries of building and rebuilding). We viewed the remains of an Egyptian governor's house and a building built by Kings David and Solomon after they conquered the city.

We rode by and waved at Jericho, which was defeated by the Israelites as they moved in to inherit the Land. We took the twenty mile road up and out of the Jordan Valley into and through Jerusalem. This is the same basic path pilgrims have traveled for millennia to go to Jerusalem and pray. This represents a rise in elevation of over 3,500 feet. Pilgrim, in Hebrew, means "to ascend" or "to go up." Well, on the desert road from Jericho to Jerusalem we were definitely going up.

This journey to Jerusalem was short, as we were only traveling through in order to arrive at Bethlehem. In Jerusalem, we dropped off our guide, Hannah, as we were going to be entering the territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority. Because of the dangers specific to Israeli Jews, they are not permitted to enter this territory. When crossed the border we picked up a Greek Orthodox Christian guide, Ramzi. He did an excellent job and exhibited a great sense of humor. Most importantly, he understood his history and was remarkably informative and helpful.

(I'm in the lobby of the Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem, sitting writing this and I'm looking around. It's a large lobby with lots of couches and tables for hanging out. Many other pilgrims here in the lobby are traveling with Educational Opportunities, but their guides must not wear them out the way our guides do, because there is not a single person out of the forty-one traveling with us here. They're all worn out!)

The first place Ramzi took us in Bethlehem was the famous Nissan Brothers Restaurant for lunch. Afterward we visited the Nissan Brothers Olive Wood Carving Factory and Store. John, one of the sons of the original brother and co-owner, gave us a quick tour of the factory. Then, we perused the shop and I noticed quite a few of us carrying shopping bags to the bus

Roman Catholic Church at the Sheperd's Fields

We then visited the Shepherd's Fields. At first I thought it must have been an "alternative" site, but it was the same place I'd been twice before. I don't remember it being in the middle of such an urban environment. It serves as a calm and pleasant respite from city traffic. A modern church designed by the famed Italian architect, Antonio Barluzzi is on the site. It sits next to a cave which has served as a place of pilgrimage dating from very early. On the other side of the cave are the ruins of a 4th-6th century church and monastery. Inside the church we sang "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." We then went to the cave below which also serves as a Roman Catholic chapel where Bob read from Luke 2. We were then free to explore the ruins of the old church and monastery. It looks like an archaeology site, consisting of several low walls, crumbling mosaic floors, and some caves. One of the caves was illuminated with artificial lights and several of us made our way down. Inside is a crude chapel. Another cave was not lit, but Lydia and I dared the darkness with flashlights on our phones. There were some Christian engravings on the wall, but the lowest level floor was wet and it didn't smell particularly good. I determined that it was the holy sewer for the ancient monastery.

Interior of the Grotto at the Church of the Nativity

The main pilgrimage site in Bethlehem is the Church of the Nativity. This, I believe, is the oldest continuously used Christian Church in the world. The church was spared from the Persian destruction in the 6th century because of a mosaic of the Magi, who were most likely from Persia and are depicted on a mosaic in the church as wearing Persian clothing. The original church was funded by the Roman Emperor Constantine. Mosaics from that church are preserved. The current structure was built by Emperor Justinian in 565. The main church is under the auspices of the Greek Orthodox Church and is thus filled with icons covered in the soot of years and years of burning incense and candles. It is currently undergoing a major renovation and is not as intriguing as it normally would be. However, we were still able to visit and descend into the grotto which has been venerated since the earliest Christian centuries as the site of Jesus' birth.

Bob Kaylor and me in Jerusalem

This was a long day. When we picked up Hannah, back in Jerusalem, we thought we were headed back to the hotel, but she had one more stop in mind. On a hill overlooking the city is a park with an amazing view. She had arranged for a welcoming toast for our arrival in Jerusalem. It was a place I had never visited and I am so happy we shared that time together. We sang a song and toasted our arrival, took a few pictures and headed to the hotel.

Tomorrow, we start early, again, what I'm sure will be another long and rewarding day in the land of the Bible.

 

 

More Korea Videos

I was talking to someone in my small group who mentioned that from reading my blog he thought I must still be in Korea because of my lack of blogging! So, here are some catch-ups.

I did return from Korea, and what an amazing trip it was. I feel so blessed to be a part of the Beeson Program! Not only do I get to continue my education and strengthen my skills as a pastor, but I also am blessed to participate in beyond-the-classroom learning like this trip to Korea.

So, here are some more videos, basically following the order in which they were shot.

This video was taken in the chapel at the Girls School. These girls are high school age and were at school early to get ready for the upcoming school session. They sang a couple of songs in Korean, which were beautiful, then broke out in this song. It was a truly moving experience to think of the time spent rehearsing so that for this brief moment they could be a blessing to us.

I believe I speak for everyone in our group, that we were all kind of blown away by this. First, the music is loud... loud. The girls are dressed up in traditional clothes playing traditional Korean instruments. It was a pretty cool way for them to say good-bye. We experienced so many amazing expressions of hospitality! The visit to the school was one of the highlights of our journey.

This reminds me, not sure if I wrote about it in an earlier blog or not, but this school is the most technologically advanced school I have ever visited. It is a type of vocational school, though privately run. Girls graduating from this school command jobs right out of high school that pay as well or better than jobs offered to college graduates. We saw pictures of students receiving their Microsoft Certifications. I don't know much about this, but I do know it is a very demanding program and that it is very marketable. Anyway, really neat Christian school!

On Sunday morning we attended Kwanglim Methodist Church. After being split up into groups of two, we were escorted to the children's ministry. Bob Kaylor and I ended up in the third and fourth grade children's church. These children's parents were in the main worship service in the sanctuary. This was one of those places where shoes come off, which is kind of funny to do when one is wearing a suit. But Bob and I had a great time. Following the worship service, which the above video is of, we attended a brief Sunday School type session with a teacher and four kids out of this service. I have no idea what the lesson was about, but the kids were engaged and happy. It was fun. They definitely got a kick out of having Bob and me there.

The above video is of music that was being played after the main worship service at 11 am. I don't know if they do this every week or after every service, but it was amazing. An orchestra with a professional-level vocalist belting out a beautiful song. We were encouraged not to take pictures during the worship service, so I was an obedient guest, and didn't. We sat in reserved seats on the main floor in the front right side of the sanctuary and were introduced by Dr. Kim during the service. It was obvious that the people were happy to welcome us and we were thankful for their warm greeting. They gave us little ear pieces so we could listen to an interpreter over the radio. That was cool. How many churches do anything like that? I found out later that Yoido Full Gospel Church does. Left my camera on the bus accidentally and so I don't have any footage of that church, but it was amazing.

The video above was taken at the lunch immediately following the 11 am worship service at Kwanglim. What a meal! I think they had it catered, or it might have been prepared by a group of people who work for the church. Whichever, it was the best meal we had in Korea. The quality of the food was excellent. The video is of Dr. Kim (the Sr. Pastor of Kwanglim) welcoming Dr. Tumblin (the Beeson Center Dean) and Dr. Russell West (the soon to be named Associate Dean of the Beeson Center [that announcement has now been made, but we didn't know at the time]). Dr. Kim is introducing them to someone, and I'm not sure who that is (can't remember). Anyway, short video, but another example of the hospitality we were shown. Koreans know their hospitality!!