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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 presence in a different way.
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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.
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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.
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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 it was certainly a concern.
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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 space in the biblical accounts.
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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 of years no longer separated me…
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The visit without pictures
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. We are finishing a trip to Israel and I limited myself to a phone and typing with thumbs isn’t my thing. But I wanted to make one note before I get back to working on posts about the Israel trip.
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The release we need in repentance
Lent is a season of contrition. It is sensing the sin against God and dealing with the ugliness. We have fallen short of the glory of God and there is a feeling in that, not just a forensic fact to have presented in court.
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The purpose of Lent
“Lent is a season of repentance and preparation. In many churches, it is a time when those who will be baptized prepare for their new life with God. It is a time when those who have been estranged from the church can be reconciled to the body of believers. It is also a time for all of us to think…
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Transfiguration Sunday
Exodus 24:12-19Psalm 99Philippians 3:7-14Matthew 17:1-9 The power of these passages set up against the approach of Ash Wednesday and Lent is incredible. The more I walk in the Anglican tradition and the flow of the Church calendar, the more I am in awe of the journey with Christ.
