Monday, June 9, 2008
Great day Saturday and Sunday. Sunday, we got to see the stations of the cross. They are much better presented in any of the many Catholic churches and monestaries I've attended. It was surprising how close the stations were, how close everything is!
The markets which surround some of the stations are amazing. We have a farmer's market in Hartville, Ohio. It is like 10 times the stuff in 1/2 of the space. And the merchants are the 3-d version of email spam, constantly after you to see their store, to take their card, to have a free gift. I wonder if these guys to mass emails.
We were also at the western wall with the orthodox Jews during their Sabbath. It was overwhelming to see the mass of religious folks praying alone together at the wall. There are chairs and small stands to read from. A scroll or three were present, I believe readers take turns reading from it continiously. There isn't any pictures, because it is a holy time. Writing is also forbidden (it is work I'm guessing)
Men and women are separated by a partition, men fill about 3/4 of the space and the women have the remainer. A young girl came over and nudged her brother(?) in the men's side. He was not ready to stop reading aloud and gave her the universal dismissal of an older sibling to a younger. Some things transcend language and religion.
Yesterday (Sunday) we went early to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre the Crusaders name for the church of the resurrection, containing the traditional tomb of Jesus and the rock of Golgatha. If memroy serves, we started with the Ethiopian service (those guys can sing and chant!) , and went to the Coptic (Egyptian), Syrian, Armenian, and Greek Orthodox. We also went to the local Greek Orthodox. All of these meet in small chapels and go on about the same time. (The Greek Orthodox have a large room, at is the exception.) We couldn't understand the words, but we recognized the faith. Incense, candles, song, chants, readings, and procession (with accompany bells from the tower) were all included.
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Wednesday, June 4, 2008
As part of my preparation for my trip to Israel, I wrote a spiritual autobiography. Over the next weeks, I would like to share parts of it with you.
After a wild and active camp-out, I woke the next morning to find a hole where one of the lenses of my glasses used to be. I had been running all over the campground the previous night and despaired of finding the clear lens on a large field, yet I looked. I retraced my steps along common paths, my tent, the restrooms, the fire circle, and the ball field looking without hope. I don't know why, but more in resignation than faith, I stopped looking, bowed my head, folded my hands, closed my eyes and prayed that I would find my lens: giving the impossible task to God. I felt better, because I had done everything I could; even prayed! I gave up, gave it up to God.
I opened my eyes and with head still bowed and hands still clasped; saw a circular glint in the grass right were my downcast eyes were focused. Dew caught in a spider's web? A trick made by the early morning light? Trembling, I reached down to pick at the mirage and picked up my lens. I almost rather not to have found it for I was unprepared for the overwhelming feelings from this immediate and complete answer to prayer.
I admit I would not believe this story and would search for some rational explanation if it had not happened to me. A hurried, quick, selfish prayer for a material desire instantly granted as soon as I opened my eyes. (It's embarrassing!) Yet this experience gave me a respect for prayer request bordering on fear (watch what you pray for, God can answer quick!) and a sense of God's constant, immediate and personal presence.
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Monday, June 2, 2008
Shalom! We been to the river Jordan, the cave where the angel announced the birth of Jesus to Mary, view the Mountain of the transfiguration, the church of the Primacy of Peter and the Beautitudes. All these sites have histories going back into the first century. A more complete record is on the group blog revstoholyland2008.blogspot.com
You can see pictures there and on my flickr site at
www.flickr.com/photos/christyramsey
I didn't get a migraine today! (It is good, I've take 3 of my 11 pills to combat them) I believe migraines hate jet lag.
We wake up at 6:30, devotions at 7:10, breakfast at 7:30, bus at 8:30. We see two to four sites, have lunch and return to the hotel. After a few hour break we meet to discuss and reflect at 5:30 with worship at 6:30 and dinner at 7 pm. We are all pastors from 10 denominations (half Presbyterian PC(USA)) from several different states. It is helpful to hear and talk to folks and their reflections from different faith traditions and personal histories. There is a sense of sharing a common joy and challenge of being a pastor that binds us together across theological and denominational lines.
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