Mark 15:22–16:8 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/mark/15.html)
Sing: In the Garden The Garden Tomb (also known as Gordon’s Calvary) is thought by some to be the site of the tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea, and therefore the site of the resurrection of Jesus. The Garden Tomb is at least a more viscerally pleasing alternative to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Garden is a beautiful place in which you can discover several things that were all present the day Jesus died and which match the accounts in the four Gospels. The Garden Tomb is a quiet place preserved for worship and reflection, with many places to sit and enjoy the surroundings and listen to groups from all over the world worship in their native tongue. At the back of the Garden Tomb property there is a rock face, the remains of an ancient rock quarry, with several large and small formations shaped like a skull. Jesus was crucified at the “Place of a Skull,” Golgotha in Hebrew, and Calvary in Latin. It was also written that the place was where people were passing by, suggesting that it was near a major road, which was a way the Romans liked to advertise their form of justice. Today, the rock face at the Garden Tomb stands above a transportation center for a Jerusalem bus company. The rock-cut tomb is near the street, but we had entered in such a way that we did not see the tomb until our guide led us there. It is a lovely, garden setting and it is easy to imagine the stories of Good Friday and Easter morning happening in this place. We quietly took turns entering the tomb to see the place where he was laid. But the tomb is empty – he is not here! We gathered at a site overlooking the entire garden. We sang and prayed together. We heard the Scriptures read. We shared together in Holy Communion. We have shared more than a trip with each other – we have been united in pilgrimage! We are saying goodbye to some good, new friends tonight. Bon voyage!
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Read: Isaiah 56:1-8 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/isaiah/56.html)
Sing: We Shall Overcome Yad Vashem (translation: everlasting name) is Israel’s official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust, and is dedicated to documenting the story of the six million victims and conveying their legacy to future generations. It is located on a hillside of Mount Herzl, Jerusalem’s Mount of Remembrance. Tree-lined walkways lead visitors through a complex combination of museums, outdoor monuments, exhibition halls, an archive, a library, and other resource centers extending over forty-five acres. The Holocaust History Museum The first thing you notice is the top of this museum’s long central gallery, a triangular skylight which keeps this connecting center filled with light. Ten underground galleries arranged on alternating sides of the central gallery tell the story of the Shoah (Holocaust) from the point of view of individual Jews. The chronological and thematic narrative is punctuated by a look into the worlds of Jews who lived – and died – under the Nazis and their collaborators. The exhibits incorporate a wide variety of original artifacts, testimonies, photographs, documentation, art, multimedia, and video art. After being immersed in the darkness of the human depravity in each gallery the alternating return to the light of the central gallery reminds us that, despite the inhuman cruelty that continues to live in our world, faith, hope, and love abide. The Children’s Memorial; Sing: Jesus Loves Me This unique memorial, hollowed out from an underground cavern, is a tribute to the approximately 1.5 million Jewish children who perished during the Holocaust. Walking through the memorial, we heard the names of murdered children, their ages and countries of origin in the background. Before, behind, and above us we beheld a million and a half points of light moving as we moved reminding us of what we have lost. This stirring memorial was designed by architect Moshe Safdie. Any trip to Israel must include at least a half-day visit to Yad Vashem. Read: Luke 1:5-25 & 39-80 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/luke/1.html)
Sing: Blessed Be the God of Israel, UMH 209 Christian tradition places the birth of John the Baptist— who proclaimed the coming of Jesus, his cousin — in the picturesque village of Ein Karem, four miles west-south-west of old Jerusalem. Ein Karem is still a tranquil place of trees and vineyards, but the municipality of Jerusalem has spread to incorporate the former Arab village. It is now a town of Jewish artisans and craftspeople, but Christian churches and convents abound. The Catholic Church of the Nativity of Saint John, identifiable by its tall tower topped by a round spire is also called “Saint John in the Mountains”, a reference to the “hill country” of the Scriptures. The church combines remnants of many periods. An early church on this site was used by Muslim villagers for their livestock before the Franciscans recovered it in the 17th century. The Franciscans built the present church with the help of the Spanish monarchy a major remodeling was completed in 1939. Inside the church, the high altar is dedicated to Saint John. To the right is Elizabeth’s altar. To the left are steps leading down to a natural grotto— identified as John’s birthplace and believed to be part of his parents’ home. A chapel beneath the porch contains two tombs. An inscription in a mosaic panel reads, in Greek, “Hail martyrs of God”. Whom it refers to is unknown. Ein Kerem is a pleasant place of sidewalk cafes and shop-lined streets. After we entered the church compound some of our group enjoyed a coffee from the gift shop and others read the plaques engraved with the Canticle of Zechariah in many different languages while we waited our turn to enter the church. The church is a quiet place of tranquil beauty and prayer. Our visit here was a good preparation for our next stop. Read: Luke 13:1-9 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/luke/13.html)
Sing: This Is My Father’s World, UMH 144 The Church of the Redeemer is the newest church in the Old City of Jerusalem, but its site has a history going back to Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, in the 9th century. The plain-looking neo-Romanesque building — with a tall bell-tower dominating the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre nearby — is the headquarters of the Lutheran Church in the Holy Land. It is the home to congregations that worship in Arabic, German, Danish and English. The bell-tower and its birds-eye view of The Old City was the main attraction for Josh and Chris in our early morning adventure. I knew nothing about this tower before they told me that this was where we were going. The church and the tower did not open until 10am so we spent some time in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – which was almost completely empty when we arrived. It was much better to visit the church without the crowds. We had time to spend at each of the Stations of the Cross without feeling rushed by long lines behind us or a docent keeping time on us. This was a much more meaningful visit for each of us. We also had time to get coffee and a coke at an outdoor café in the nearby Muristan section of the city. We found a good spot in the morning sunshine, sat down to talk, and enjoyed our drinks. At about 9:35am we went back to the Church of the Redeemer and waited in their lobby. At 9:50am a docent came and took us to the tower. It was quite a climb for me (178 steps). The spiral staircase was just wide enough for my shoulders and I don’t know what I would have done if I met someone coming the other way – one of us would have to back up. There were two floors we could stop on and I took full advantage of both of them. The view from the top was worth the climb. The morning was clear and bright and I think we all got some great photos. We stayed at the top for about ten minutes and then headed back to our hotel. It has been a great day and its only 10:15am! Read: Ezra 6:13-18 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/ezra/6.html)
Sing: Near to the Heart of God, UMH 472 Jerusalem’s iconic symbol is the gleaming Dome of the Rock, whose golden-roof has dominated the Temple Mount for centuries. This Islamic holy place stands on a site that is sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. To Muslims the Dome covers the sacred rock where Muhammad prayed and went to paradise during his Night Journey. The Dome of the Rock was the first major sanctuary built by Islam. Although it is sometimes erroneously called a mosque it is actually not a mosque but an adjunct to the nearby Al-Aqsa Mosque. It was commissioned by Caliph Abd al-Malik and completed in 691 AD. Its rich ornamentation was the work of Syrian Christian artists. The roof is covered with gold-plated anodized aluminum. During our visit there was a worker with a ladder doing something around the bottom of the dome. Inside, the sacred rock is protected by a 12th-century cedar wood screen. Crosses on some of the columns show that they were taken from churches. A high reliquary beside the rock is believed to contain a hair of Muhammad’s beard. On the southern side of the rock, steps lead down to an ancient cave, known as the Well of Souls, to which many Jewish and Islamic legends are attached. The Crusaders used the cave as a confessional. By building the Dome of the Rock, Caliph Abd al-Malik symbolized the transformation of Jerusalem – once a Jewish city, then a Christian city – into a Muslim city. Today, of course, the city is both culturally and religiously diverse. The Al-Aqsa Mosque The Al-Aqsa Mosque, originally constructed about twenty years after the nearby Dome of the Rock, early in the 8th century, is Jerusalem’s largest mosque. Its spacious interior, divided by columns into seven aisles, allows room for more than 4,000 Muslim men to stand or prostrate themselves on the carpeted floor during worship. The name Al-Aqsa translates to “the farthest” mosque, a description relating to Muhammad’s Night Journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and back on the winged horse Barak. The mosque has been reconstructed many times for various reasons. It is particularly susceptible to earthquake damage due to the fact that it is built on fill material and is not anchored in bedrock as is the Dome of the Rock. As we entered the Temple Mount platform we could hear two women calling loudly, “Allahu-akbar!” which means, “God is great!” It took us a bit to see exactly who was hollering because they were standing near one of the pillars at the front of the mosque. The women are not allowed in the main mosque but there is a large women’s mosque next door. We were told that we would not be allowed to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque so we did not approach the doors. Read: 2 Samuel 24:18-25 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/2-samuel/24.html)
Sing: Lord, Speak to Me, UMH 463 The Temple Mount is a massive masonry platform occupying the southeast corner of Jerusalem’s Old City and has sacred connections for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. All three of these Abrahamic faiths regard it as the location of Mount Moriah, where Abraham prepared to offer his son Isaac (or Ishmael in the Muslim tradition) to God. For Jews, this is where their Temple once stood. For Christians, this is where Jesus once taught and prayed. For Muslims, this is al Haram al Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary), Islam’s third holiest site. Israel’s King Solomon built the first Temple around 950 BC on the traditional site of Mount Moriah. His father, King David, had purchased a Jebusite threshing floor and “then he built an altar for the Lord” some forty years earlier. Solomon built the Holy of Holies on the high point of Mount Moriah and raised a platform, 861 feet square, around that point to provide room for the temple’s outer rooms and courtyards around the temple. Solomon’s Temple stood for about 360 years until invading Babylonians destroyed it and took most of the Jews into exile. Fifty years later the Jews were allowed to return from Babylon. They rebuilt the Temple, completing it in 515 BC. The Temple Jesus knew was remodeled by Herod (the Great) in a project he began around 20 BC. Although the Temple had already been rebuilt once, Herod’s Temple is still known in Jewish tradition as the Second Temple. Herod began his grandiose project by extending the Temple Mount on the north, south, and west to create a vast platform supported by a retaining wall of huge limestone blocks. The expansion, which nearly doubled the previous area to approximately 37 acres, involved burying several structures, including Solomon’s palace. Herod’s Temple (and everything else built on top of the temple platform) was totally destroyed when the Roman army took Jerusalem in 70 AD as part of the First Jewish-Roman War (66-73 AD). After the Third Jewish-Roman War (also called the Bar Kokhba Revolt, 132-136 AD) the Jews were expelled from Jerusalem and the city was rebuilt as a Roman colony and the Temple Mount became a wasteland. Arab Muslims conquered Jerusalem in the 7th century and converted the Temple Mount into an Islamic sanctuary. They cleared the rubbish and erected the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Muslims consider the entire Temple Mount to be a mosque and a holy place behind only Mecca and Medina in reverence. This is another place that I had long wanted to visit – the Temple Mount of Jerusalem! Early morning was the perfect time to be here – so few people and so peaceful. It is too bad that we could not go into these two places of worship. Read: Isaiah 22:8-11 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/Isaiah/22.html)
Sing: ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, UMH 462 This particular morning we have some free time – our tour buses will be leaving our hotel at about 11:00 am. I think EO does this because this is the last day of our Israel tour and everyone who is not going on an extension tour will be flying out of Israel tonight. This free time allows those who are leaving time to get organized and packed and it allows those of us who are staying to sleep late or do a little exploring on our own. During our tour of the Israel Museum last night I got to meet a couple of young pastors from Tennessee. They were planning to use their free time to go into The Old City and see some things I wanted to see. So we got up and left the hotel at about 7:30 am. As we entered the Jewish Quarter we came across an excavation site that exposes the Broad Wall. This wall was built during Hezekiah’s expansion of the city. Jews from the northern tribes of Israel, who had been overrun by the Assyrians in 721 BC, fled down to Judah and the city of Jerusalem for protection. They settled outside the city walls on the Western Hill. To protect them and their homes Hezekiah fortified the western part of this newly expanded city around 721 BC with a wall. The uncovered remains of this wall are 23 feet wide and 213 feet long. This portion of the wall ran west from the Temple Mount over the Tyropoeon Valley toward the western corner of the southwestern hill (which is where the Citadel is today). Evidence uncovered during excavation seems to indicate that Hezekiah had to destroy some homes in order to build the wall. This portion that we could see was uncovered in 1970 during the excavations that took place in The Old City after the Six-Day War won by Israel in 1967. The book of Nehemiah (12:38) places the Broad Wall near the Temple Mount wall when, during the dedication of the new wall (around 440 BC), one group of priests walked in procession on the new wall, past the remains of this Broad Wall. Read: 2 Timothy 3:10-17 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/2-timothy/3.html)
Sing: This Little Light of Mine, UMH 585 Shrine of the Book The building’s white-tiled dome is shaped like the lid of the first jar in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were found at Qumran. In contrast nearby stands a black basalt wall. The black-white imagery symbolizes the theme of one of the scrolls – The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness. The rest of the structure, two-thirds of it below ground level, recalls the caves in which the scrolls were found. The Shrine of the Book holds all seven of the scrolls found in what is called Cave 1 at Qumran. A facsimile of the scroll of Isaiah, arranged around a huge elevated spindle, provides a dramatic centerpiece in the exhibition hall under the dome. Also in the collection is the Temple Scroll, the best preserved of the Qumran scrolls. At more than 26 feet long, it is the longest of the Qumran manuscripts. The Community Rule is the rule book for the group that wrote or copied the library of scrolls – believed to be a group of Essenes, a strict Jewish sect, who lived an austere lifestyle in their remote desert surroundings. The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Archeology Wing The museum’s permanent exhibition of archeology is devoted to the ancient land of Israel – home to peoples of different cultures and faiths for thousands of years. Presenting some 6,000 finds, mainly from archeological excavations in Israel, the Bronfman Archeology Wing tells a unique story arranged in seven chronological chapters, shedding light on momentous historical events, cultural achievements, and technological advances, while revealing the everyday lives of the peoples of the region from the Stone Age through the Ottoman Period. This was a really wonderful display of ancient artifacts that we did not have enough time to enjoy. We had to move quickly from one highlight to another. Perhaps I can visit again when I have more time to muse. Read: Nehemiah 6:15–7:3 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/nehemiah/6.html)
Sing: Shalom to You, UMH 666 The Israel Museum is the largest cultural institution in the State of Israel and is ranked among the world’s leading art and archeology museums. Founded in 1965, the Museum houses encyclopedic collections, including works dating from prehistory to the present day, in its Archeology, Fine Arts, and Jewish Art and Life Wings. The museum also features the most extensive holdings of biblical and Holy Land archeology in the world. Model of 1st Century Jerusalem Construction of the Model of Ancient Jerusalem was undertaken in the 1960s by Hans Kroch, owner of the Holyland Hotel, in memory of his son Jacob, who was killed in Israel’s War of Independence. Originally in the grounds of the hotel, it was transported in 1,000 pieces to its present site at the Israel Museum, three miles away, in 2006. The model covers about 43,000 square feet, using a scale of 1:50. A human figure on this scale would be about one and a third inches high. The time is 66 AD, the fateful year the Great Revolt of the Jews against the Romans erupted, resulting in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. This is also the time when Christianity was in its formative stages and the Dead Sea Scrolls were being created. The crucifixion of Jesus was only 36 years before, and the mound of Calvary can be seen just outside the Second Wall but well inside the new north wall begun by Herod Agrippa I. The ancient city was then at its largest, spreading over 440 acres – more than twice the size of the present Old City. Read: Ezekiel 47:1-12 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/ezekiel/47.html)
Sing: For the Beauty of the Earth, UMH 92 We had our lunch at Qumran National Park and then headed down to the shore of the Dead Sea. About half of our group wanted to float in the sea. Nader (our guide) told us not to think of it as swimming because he said we did not want to dive into the water or get our heads under the water. He did not explain why except to say that the extra buoyancy of the water, that is ten times as salty as ocean water, makes it very hard to stay under. I waded in and remained in a standing position as I paddled out to where I could not touch the bottom. I was floating without any effort with my armpits out of the water! The real reason for not diving into the water or putting your head underwater is that the water tastes terrible! Take my word for it – you do not want to get even a little bit of this water in your mouth or on your lips. I did get some in my mouth accidentally and it was horrible (it did not taste salty at all). I do not like the taste of alcohol but since one of my bus mates had a beer I asked if I could take a swig to get that horrible taste out of my mouth. I took a swig of beer and swished it around in my mouth and then rubbed some of the beer on my lips to get the taste off them as well – wonderful relief! The Dead Sea is quickly approaching the 1,400 feet below sea level mark. The water level is dropping an average of about three feet per year due to the diversion of fresh water from the Jordan River Valley into Israel and Jordan. This diversion of the inflow of fresh water also means the minerals in the Dead Sea (minerals like magnesium chloride and potassium in the form of potash which is harvested from evaporation pans at the southern end of the sea) become more concentrated – and make the water taste worse. There are no fish in the Dead Sea and very few boats operate here. The low humidity, high air pressure, therapeutic water, and soothing black mud still attract many visitors today as it did Herod the Great and Cleopatra in the 1st century BC. Some of our group used this time to treat themselves to a mud bath. Dead Sea skin products are popular in Israel and around the world. But the continued drop in water level is making it hard for the seaside spas to survive. One day this will all be healed. |
AuthorIn matters of faith, we at First United Methodist Church, Sealy put primary reliance on the Bible. In scripture, we understand that we are all God’s children; therefore, we will be a church that cares for the needs of our church and local community through prayer, deeds, inspiration, and love in the spirit of Christ. Archives
July 2020
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