travel – Apprentice 2 Jesus

Pilgrimage

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. (Psalm 84:5) I had asked the Lord before we left for Israel to help me think of pilgrimage. My heart needed to be set on him so when I walked almost literally where he walked I could get a sense of his presenceContinue reading “Pilgrimage”

Idolatry isn’t always about competing gods

One site we visited in Israel was the place where Jeroboam set up the second calf for the northern tribes to worship in the far north of Israel. The footprint of the altar area is huge and the upper part is outlined by a metal frame.

A well designed sanctuary

This space was easily the most impressive worship space I visited in Israel. It is a Catholic Church in Magdala. The altar is in the shape of a fishing boat and the view through the window behind makes it look like it is floating on Galilee.

Israel… it’s complicated

The trip to Israel was important to me to connect with the time of Christ and other biblical eras. The trip also could not avoid modern Israel and its current conflicts. While we were in Israel there was some activity between Palestinians and Israeli settlers that flared up. We weren’t near any action, but itContinue reading “Israel… it’s complicated”

The geography of Israel

One of the striking realities of Israel is its very limited geographical footprint. The stories become more real as I read them when I realize how the distances are not that great. Yes, they traveled by foot and that made the journeys longer in time, but to travel Israel today helps shorten up the spaceContinue reading “The geography of Israel”

Time traveling

In the past few years when I have visited historic sites, I have had a sense of “time traveling.” A few years ago I visited a traveling exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls. When I looked at the tiny piece of parchment through thick security glass, I had a sense of time travel. Thousands ofContinue reading “Time traveling”