After getting all of out stuff packed up, we headed off to St. Anne's. We entered through the Lion's Gate, aka Sheep Gate or Mary's gate. St Anne's was built by the Crusaders to celebrate Anne, the mother of Mary. It is built next to the pools of Siloam. Jerusalem is 12 feet higher now than it was in Jesus' time, but the pools have been excavated all the way down. St. Anne's has awesome acoustic's. We sang Amazing Grace and Swing Low. We sounded light an angelic chorus - really. The sound reverberated off the walls and the spirit of the Lord was definitely in that place!
Today is friday and we heard the call to prayer. We saw more soldiers in Jerusalem today, as everyone was heading to the mosque to worship.
Bethany is in the West Bank so while it was a couple of miles away, we had to go miles out of the way to get around the way and into Bethany. Bethany means house of the poor. Bethany is a very poor town. We saw chickens waiting to be slaughtered, skinned goats with the tails attached hanging on a meet hook, and an emaciated horse. The eyes of the people were distrustful as we passed by.
Four Homes of Mercy helps those with severe mental retardation or brain injuries. They take care of them. People on the tour donated clothing to them and we got to hear more about their work on the West Bank.
The church in Bethany was pretty, but our visit was overshadowed by the local iman broadcasting his sermon. While I was listening to him, there was so much anger in his voice that it saddened me. We heard Anne sing and then the story of mary and martha. Bethany was Jesus' stopping over place between Jericho and Jerusalem. I thought my shopping was done and all packed away. In a little store next to the church, they had clergy stoles with the Jerusalem cross on it. I couldn't resist. Call it a faith purchase, as I can't wear it until ordination, which is years away.
We had a picnic lunch at Hebrew University. one side of the mountain is the Judean desert. On the other side is Jerusalem. That brought geography into focus some!
Next it was on to En Karem, the childhood home of John the Baptist. It was a pretty church and we listened to Tracy tell the story of the angel Gabriel telling Zechariah that he was going to be a father, and Mary that she was going to be a mother. Someone pointed out that Mary's pregnancy brought her disgrace, but Elizabeth's pregnancy brought her grace. Cool thought.
On the way back to the bus we found out that Karen accidentally flashed a sniper while she was standing at her hotel window this morning. She just doesn't seem the type :)
When I tried blowing the shofar, the smell of the shofar reminded me of the smell of a cows hoof that Maggie had chewed up. Joanne cracked me up when she said "Well it is a natural product!"
Communion at the Garden Tomb was awesome. Peg and Rogerlene, being ordained clergy led the service which had most of us near tears. Sue played the recorder as we sang and communed, while Roxanne sang. We had little communion cups made of olive wood holding the juice. I will always look at that cup and remember not only the Spirit of Christ in Jerusalem, but also the sisterhood that was formed there. Awesome, awesome, awesome. For those in Wendell, our time at the Garden Tomb was as cold as last Easter's Sunrise Service in the town square.
We're off to dinner and then the airport, so this will be the last installment about my Holy Land trip. Thanks to all who prayed for me and my travels. Shalom y'all.
Ellen
Friday, January 11, 2008
January 10th,2008 part 3
This afternoon was spent in the desert by the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is 32% salt and full of rich minerals. Nothing can live in it. The main source of water is the Jordan River and flash floods. There is a dam upstream that keeps good water from running into the Dead Sea, so the level of the Dead Sea is dropping by 5ft a year. It is 50miles long and 11 miles wide, with Jordan being on the other side from Israel. Sodom and Gommorah are south of the Dead Sea.
Massada was built by King Herod who had a bit of a paranoia problem. He was hated by Cleopatra, who kept asking Marc Anthony for Herod's land as presents. Massada was one of Herod's palaces built on top of a mountain overlooking the Dead Sea.
In 66 AD the Jewish revolt happened. They took Massada from the Romans. In 72 AD a legion of Roman soldiers went to take Massada back. There were 967 men with their families there and the Roman siege lasted 7 months. The Romans started building a ramp up to the fortress, and the Jews started rolling big boulders down the ramp killing the Romans. Think 10 pin bowling and you have the idea. So the Romans brought Jewish slaves from Jerusalem to finish building the ramp, knowing that the Jews on Massada would not kill their brothers. It became obvious that the Jews were going to lose eventually. So each man killed his family and then drew lots on who would kill each other, with the last man killing himself. This was all recorded by Josephus and archaeologists used Josephus' writings to guide them in their work.
Today, Israeli soldiers take the oath of duty with a bible in one hand and a rifle in the other on top of Massada. Just like we say "Remember the Alamo" the jews say "Massada will never fall again."
Daylight was fading and we still hadn't made it into the Dead Sea. It is winter here, so I just went wading. The water is supposed to be good for your skin.
We listen to a speaker from Women in Black last night. They are Israeli and Palestine women working for peace. It was impressive, and we were all exhausted. We cannot go to the Temple mount tomorrow because it is a Muslim Holy day. I guess that will have to wait until next time.
Shalom,
Ellen
Massada was built by King Herod who had a bit of a paranoia problem. He was hated by Cleopatra, who kept asking Marc Anthony for Herod's land as presents. Massada was one of Herod's palaces built on top of a mountain overlooking the Dead Sea.
In 66 AD the Jewish revolt happened. They took Massada from the Romans. In 72 AD a legion of Roman soldiers went to take Massada back. There were 967 men with their families there and the Roman siege lasted 7 months. The Romans started building a ramp up to the fortress, and the Jews started rolling big boulders down the ramp killing the Romans. Think 10 pin bowling and you have the idea. So the Romans brought Jewish slaves from Jerusalem to finish building the ramp, knowing that the Jews on Massada would not kill their brothers. It became obvious that the Jews were going to lose eventually. So each man killed his family and then drew lots on who would kill each other, with the last man killing himself. This was all recorded by Josephus and archaeologists used Josephus' writings to guide them in their work.
Today, Israeli soldiers take the oath of duty with a bible in one hand and a rifle in the other on top of Massada. Just like we say "Remember the Alamo" the jews say "Massada will never fall again."
Daylight was fading and we still hadn't made it into the Dead Sea. It is winter here, so I just went wading. The water is supposed to be good for your skin.
We listen to a speaker from Women in Black last night. They are Israeli and Palestine women working for peace. It was impressive, and we were all exhausted. We cannot go to the Temple mount tomorrow because it is a Muslim Holy day. I guess that will have to wait until next time.
Shalom,
Ellen
January 10th, 2008 part 2
Traffic to Bethany was nuts. Everything was closed off for the Presidential motorcade. We also heard that all passes from the Palestian territories to Jerusalem had been revoked for security reasons. That means that a log of people will be missing their jobs today. We never made it to Bethany because of the traffic.
We passed by the second wailing wall today -- the IRS building ! On another note, we heard that President Bish asked to speak to the Kisnet (kind of like our Congress) but was refused. They said the last time a bush spoke to them, they ended up wandered in the desert for 40years. Such are the jokes of a tour guide. I did hear a new song -- it was the Lord's Prayer sung to Olde Aung syne (apologies for spelling). It was done by Cliff Richard and I am going to be hunting for it. The first part would be cool for a contemporary worship service.
Shalom,
Ellen
We passed by the second wailing wall today -- the IRS building ! On another note, we heard that President Bish asked to speak to the Kisnet (kind of like our Congress) but was refused. They said the last time a bush spoke to them, they ended up wandered in the desert for 40years. Such are the jokes of a tour guide. I did hear a new song -- it was the Lord's Prayer sung to Olde Aung syne (apologies for spelling). It was done by Cliff Richard and I am going to be hunting for it. The first part would be cool for a contemporary worship service.
Shalom,
Ellen
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
January 10th, 2008 part 1
Just a couple of additions from last night. The orthodox Jews here are paid to be professional Jews by the nation of Israel. They must keep 613 laws every day. It is a difficult life.
Yesterday we had an interesting experience. The shop keeper in Bethlehem was a christian and he came on the bus to pray the Lord's Prayer -- in Aramaic (the language of Jesus). He is a member of the Syrian church, which still speaks Aramaic. It was awesome, sobering, and praise worthy. Since they live in Bethlehem, they are not allowed in Israel.
There is a lot of politics going on today with President Bush here. A group of us walked to an Irish pub last night. All the sidewalks were full of cops. Probably the safest time in the world to be walking on the streets of Jerusalem. There are sharp shooters on the roofs around us. Yet, the police were nice and friendly.
Today we are going to Bethany, the Dead Sea, and Massada. It is rainy, cold, and foggy in Jerusalem. The desert will be better!
Shalom,
Ellen
Yesterday we had an interesting experience. The shop keeper in Bethlehem was a christian and he came on the bus to pray the Lord's Prayer -- in Aramaic (the language of Jesus). He is a member of the Syrian church, which still speaks Aramaic. It was awesome, sobering, and praise worthy. Since they live in Bethlehem, they are not allowed in Israel.
There is a lot of politics going on today with President Bush here. A group of us walked to an Irish pub last night. All the sidewalks were full of cops. Probably the safest time in the world to be walking on the streets of Jerusalem. There are sharp shooters on the roofs around us. Yet, the police were nice and friendly.
Today we are going to Bethany, the Dead Sea, and Massada. It is rainy, cold, and foggy in Jerusalem. The desert will be better!
Shalom,
Ellen
January 9, 2008 -- part 2
Today we started at the Mount of Olives. The rain from yesterday stopped and we walked the Palm Sunday road together. It is steep, but the view of Jerusalem is incredible. I heard a new version of what happened during Jesus' time during Yom Kippur that sheds some light on my understanding of Jesus' last words. Our guide told us that when one goat is sacrificed in the Temple, the scape goat is not only driven into the wilderness, it is taken to the desert and driven until the goat drops dead. People are following the goat into the desert and when the goat dies, they waved flags to couriers who waved flags until the signal eventually got back to Jerusalem. At this point a rope is tied around the high priest (to pull him out of the Holy of Holies-just in case something severe happened in there) and when the high priest came out of the Holy of Holies, he would lift his hands and shout "It is finished." The people's sins were forgiven. The part about the goat being driven until it died and the flag waving were all new to me.
It was easy to understand how Jesus wept over Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. He had a perfect view of Jerusalem and the Temple from that spot. I did go for a short camel ride here, and unfortunately, there may be pictures to prove it. The camel was a bit testy, but nicer than the last one I rode at the state fair. That isn't saying much :) Bev is one of the more animated people in our group and the last to ride the camel. She wanted to kick him some so he would go faster, and went to whisper to the owner about it. He whispered back to her, please zip your fly! Her ride was just as slow as the rest of us, but I still tear up with laughter at the thought.
We stopped at the Jewish cemetery on the way down the Palm Sunday route. This is an expensive cemetery. The Messiah is supposed to arrive at the Mt of Olives and the dead there rise first. So people are buying graves in order to be the first ones raised from the dead. Many if the tombs had stones on them. Instead of buying flowers and leaving them, people leave stones which last forever. Often they buy "tear" bottles as well. Those who are grieving collect their tears in a bottle and bury their grief so to speak.
The Eastern Gate is clearly visible from the Mt of Olives. The Messiah is supposed to return through the Eastern Gate. We heard a story about how Salaman the Magnificent (not sure of the spelling) arranged a great festival and procession in honor of himself to go through the gate. The night before. The big event he had a dream in which God told him not to do it. The dream scared him so much that he not only cancelled the event, he permanently shut the gate. The archaeologist James Fleming bribed someone to let him get close (there is a Muslim cemetery outside of this gate now) to take some pictures. He was standing on a tomb taking pictures of the current gate (also closed permanently) when the tomb collapsed and he fell in. OK, that ranks up with snakes as being one of life's worst moments. Anyway, he pulled out his flashlight and looked around, and discovered the Eastern Gate built by Solomon, and got pictures of it. They are the only pictures in existence, since archaeological expeditions of cemeteries is strictly forbidden. War would definitely break out! Apparently Dr. Fleming speaks at Lake Junaluska every spring and Fall. I want to go out and hear him talk.
As we worshiped along the path, we should Hosanna as if it were Palm Sunday. That was definitely nicer than shouting crucify him as we did the day before. It became my prayer that my life would be filled with many, many, many more Hosannas than crucify him! One funny thing happened when Debby got stuck in the bathroom at the Tear Drop church. The door became jammed. That's the kind of luck that I normally get.
The Sanctuary of Gethsemane is beautiful. Gethsemane means "olive press" and this mountain has always been filled with olive trees. In Jesus' time, they would bring the olives to the base of the mountain where they would be pressed and the oil taken into the city through the Eastern Gate. There are 3 trees there over 2000 yrs old. The Vatican harvests the oil each year and has it sent to Rome.
Inside the church (Sanctuary of Gethsemane or "Church of all nations") the windows are intentionally dark to give the illusion of evening in the garden. The altar area is really cool, in that the altar is built with a large olive wood cup as it's base. You will have to see it to believe it. The cup of course reminds us of Jesus praying that God would take the cup from him, but that Jesus wanted God's will, not his own. There is a large rock on the floor in front of the altar to remind us of Jesus' agony as he prayed in the garden. While the church is beautiful, it is hard to imagine a joyous Easter in that setting. I got to see Dr. Warden again today walking the Palm Sunday route. He is a blessing. I got to pray today where Jesus prayed, and walk today where Jesus walked. My prayer was simple -- that I will always be willing to accept the cup that God hands me.
I haven't mentioned much about the retail opportunities. There are many, but no time to take advantage of them. This is pure agony for some. When we got back to the bus from Gethsemane, there were so local peddlers there with boxes of pashima's. It was like a feeding frenzy. Shopping with our group is a contact sport. I found out today that Patty found her prayer list for the Wailing wall on her shopping bag. Apparently she stuck her shopping list into the wall. No wonder we had so many vendors and beggars following us today.
I forgot to mention yesterday that I finally found love. Seriously, I had to come to the Holy Land to have a fella fall in love with me. The more merchandise I bought, the greater the love he professed. It was public and profound, however short lived, as others soon out spent me. Deep sigh :(
Off we went to Bethlehem, which is in Palestinian territory. Israel is in the process of building a huge wall around the country to stop the homicide bombers. People can no longer freely move into Jerusalem. Unemployment is high (50%) and 70% live below the poverty line in Bethlehem. This is not just Muslims, but Christians as well. I have found the majority of people in Jerusalem as well as Bethlehem to be friendly and seeking peace. I pray that it will happen.
Bethlehem is a very busy, car exhaust filled city. The church of the Nativity is beautiful. In hearing the story again, interspersed with different verses of "O little town of Bethlehem" I felt like I was celebrating Christmas. It was very moving. Then we talked about how Mary and Joseph must have felt when they heard that Herod wanted to worship Jesus. Herod killed many of his children and his favorite wife out of jealousy. Mary and Joseph must have skipped town for Egypt right after they had Jesus dedicated in the Temple.
Well, it is past my bed time and my thumbs are tired of typing. Tomorrow is the Dead Sea and Massada.
Grace and Peace,
Ellen
It was easy to understand how Jesus wept over Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. He had a perfect view of Jerusalem and the Temple from that spot. I did go for a short camel ride here, and unfortunately, there may be pictures to prove it. The camel was a bit testy, but nicer than the last one I rode at the state fair. That isn't saying much :) Bev is one of the more animated people in our group and the last to ride the camel. She wanted to kick him some so he would go faster, and went to whisper to the owner about it. He whispered back to her, please zip your fly! Her ride was just as slow as the rest of us, but I still tear up with laughter at the thought.
We stopped at the Jewish cemetery on the way down the Palm Sunday route. This is an expensive cemetery. The Messiah is supposed to arrive at the Mt of Olives and the dead there rise first. So people are buying graves in order to be the first ones raised from the dead. Many if the tombs had stones on them. Instead of buying flowers and leaving them, people leave stones which last forever. Often they buy "tear" bottles as well. Those who are grieving collect their tears in a bottle and bury their grief so to speak.
The Eastern Gate is clearly visible from the Mt of Olives. The Messiah is supposed to return through the Eastern Gate. We heard a story about how Salaman the Magnificent (not sure of the spelling) arranged a great festival and procession in honor of himself to go through the gate. The night before. The big event he had a dream in which God told him not to do it. The dream scared him so much that he not only cancelled the event, he permanently shut the gate. The archaeologist James Fleming bribed someone to let him get close (there is a Muslim cemetery outside of this gate now) to take some pictures. He was standing on a tomb taking pictures of the current gate (also closed permanently) when the tomb collapsed and he fell in. OK, that ranks up with snakes as being one of life's worst moments. Anyway, he pulled out his flashlight and looked around, and discovered the Eastern Gate built by Solomon, and got pictures of it. They are the only pictures in existence, since archaeological expeditions of cemeteries is strictly forbidden. War would definitely break out! Apparently Dr. Fleming speaks at Lake Junaluska every spring and Fall. I want to go out and hear him talk.
As we worshiped along the path, we should Hosanna as if it were Palm Sunday. That was definitely nicer than shouting crucify him as we did the day before. It became my prayer that my life would be filled with many, many, many more Hosannas than crucify him! One funny thing happened when Debby got stuck in the bathroom at the Tear Drop church. The door became jammed. That's the kind of luck that I normally get.
The Sanctuary of Gethsemane is beautiful. Gethsemane means "olive press" and this mountain has always been filled with olive trees. In Jesus' time, they would bring the olives to the base of the mountain where they would be pressed and the oil taken into the city through the Eastern Gate. There are 3 trees there over 2000 yrs old. The Vatican harvests the oil each year and has it sent to Rome.
Inside the church (Sanctuary of Gethsemane or "Church of all nations") the windows are intentionally dark to give the illusion of evening in the garden. The altar area is really cool, in that the altar is built with a large olive wood cup as it's base. You will have to see it to believe it. The cup of course reminds us of Jesus praying that God would take the cup from him, but that Jesus wanted God's will, not his own. There is a large rock on the floor in front of the altar to remind us of Jesus' agony as he prayed in the garden. While the church is beautiful, it is hard to imagine a joyous Easter in that setting. I got to see Dr. Warden again today walking the Palm Sunday route. He is a blessing. I got to pray today where Jesus prayed, and walk today where Jesus walked. My prayer was simple -- that I will always be willing to accept the cup that God hands me.
I haven't mentioned much about the retail opportunities. There are many, but no time to take advantage of them. This is pure agony for some. When we got back to the bus from Gethsemane, there were so local peddlers there with boxes of pashima's. It was like a feeding frenzy. Shopping with our group is a contact sport. I found out today that Patty found her prayer list for the Wailing wall on her shopping bag. Apparently she stuck her shopping list into the wall. No wonder we had so many vendors and beggars following us today.
I forgot to mention yesterday that I finally found love. Seriously, I had to come to the Holy Land to have a fella fall in love with me. The more merchandise I bought, the greater the love he professed. It was public and profound, however short lived, as others soon out spent me. Deep sigh :(
Off we went to Bethlehem, which is in Palestinian territory. Israel is in the process of building a huge wall around the country to stop the homicide bombers. People can no longer freely move into Jerusalem. Unemployment is high (50%) and 70% live below the poverty line in Bethlehem. This is not just Muslims, but Christians as well. I have found the majority of people in Jerusalem as well as Bethlehem to be friendly and seeking peace. I pray that it will happen.
Bethlehem is a very busy, car exhaust filled city. The church of the Nativity is beautiful. In hearing the story again, interspersed with different verses of "O little town of Bethlehem" I felt like I was celebrating Christmas. It was very moving. Then we talked about how Mary and Joseph must have felt when they heard that Herod wanted to worship Jesus. Herod killed many of his children and his favorite wife out of jealousy. Mary and Joseph must have skipped town for Egypt right after they had Jesus dedicated in the Temple.
Well, it is past my bed time and my thumbs are tired of typing. Tomorrow is the Dead Sea and Massada.
Grace and Peace,
Ellen
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
January 9, 2008 - morning
It has been suggested that my sunburned face is the result of an encounter with God at the Wailing Wall. However, no clouds were reported around my head or voices from heaven. This has been an amazing trip so far. We head out in a few minutes, hopefully in a direction opposite of the Presidential motorcade. This land is amazing, and deserves peace and justice for all. I hope our President can make that his legacy.
Shalom,
Ellen
PS - for those who have been trying to call me, the cell phone is usually off between 8AM and 8PM my time (yes, I really can turn the thing off and enjoy the vacation). That's between 1am and 1pm eastern standard time.
Shalom,
Ellen
PS - for those who have been trying to call me, the cell phone is usually off between 8AM and 8PM my time (yes, I really can turn the thing off and enjoy the vacation). That's between 1am and 1pm eastern standard time.
January 8 2008
It looks like this post failed so I will try it again. Sorry if it appears twice!
This post will probably be shorter than the rest, if for no other reason than I am tired. We were walking in the rain in Old Jerusalem from 8am to 4pm today. The walking and weather were not conducive to journalling. We were up earlier than usual to beat the crowds to enter through the Jaffa gate and to walk the stations of the cross. The stations of the cross were developed in Europe after the Muslims took over Jerusalem and pilgrims could no longer come to visit the Holy City. Now that the city is a little more open, the same stations commemorating Jesus' suffering and death were created here to help pilgrims understand what was going on. We started at a church built on the supposed site where Jesus was condemned. Notice I said supposed because we are dealing with legends. Other than the Temple and the High Priest's house, there is a lot of room for speculation on the other sites. Most were established in the time of Constantine, then destroyed by various invaders, and then reestablished later. The church we started at early this morning was in the Muslim quarter. Our story telling there was powerful, as the group joined in with shouting "Crucify Him" with the storyteller. The sound bounced off the walls around us, and I couldn't join the shouting. It sent chills down my spine. I know, in some metaphorical way, we crucify Christ again and again in our disobedience, but I sure don't want to shout about it! At the end of our chapel time, Ann sang Via Delorosa acapella. It was incredible. I was not the only one choked up.
The stations of the cross ended at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. According to tradition this is where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. Another tradition says that the burial was at another location. Getting there through the narrow, winding, stone streets of Jerusalem is like walking a lambrinyth in the middle of a busy city. There are 5 (I think) different groups of Christians operating out of this church which can cause a lot of confusion. As a matter of fact, ownership of the church caused enough confusion that in the 1800's, the keys of the church were given to a local Muslim family who is paid to come open the church each day! Literally, the keys have been handed down from generation to generation. There were pilgrims there from all over the world. Some knelt on the marble and sang Kyrie while holding lit candles. Others kissed the tomb. I did a lot of people watching, because frankly, this wasn't what I was expecting. Not that I knew what to expect, but this wasn't it. I think today we got the Eastern Orthodox experience and may see the western experience on another day.
One thing I should mention is that Jerusalem is slippery when wet. I mean real, real slippery. The limestone streets are polished smooth and it is a broken hip waiting to happen. Surprisingly, I wasn't the one who fell, and so far no broken bones. We were concerned about a concussion for one woman who fell down the stairs to the dungeon. Like I said, Jerusalem is slippery when wet, and the lighting isn't that great in most of the places we are climbing around.
After the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, we moved on towards the Temple Mount and the Wailing Wall. I have been looking forward to this for a long time. Unfortunately the Temple Mount was closed at the last minute but the Wall was packed! Women pray on one side and men on the other (there is a divider up with the men being allocated a whole lot more space than the women. The women's side was packed. The men's side was not. Go figure. I prayed the Wendell Circle of Concerns and the prayer list from Genesis at the wall, and left a few of my burdens there as well. Despite the cold, penetrating rain, I did not want to leave. I could have prayed there all day I think. It was easy to imagine Jesus skipping down the street there as a child on his way to the Temple. The site of the Temple was cool to look at, although we weren't allowed to climb around it like the other sites. The outer courtyard of the Gentiles and. The women's courtyard were visible. I could imagine Jesus turning over the tables of the money changers there. As I turned back from the courtyard, I looked up at the ancient wall of Jerusalem. Standing there was a soldier with a machine gun. Some things never change -- there are always soldiers on the walls!
The Dome of the Rock was beautiful, with the gold dome visible throughout Jerusalem.
How do you get sun burned in the rain? I don't know, but I managed to do it! I ran into Dr. Warden from Louisville Seminary today. He has retired from teaching (he taught some courses at Asbury) but is still supervising Doctoral students. He is greatly distressed at what has happened at Asbury with the leadership "transition" and yet confident (as I am) that all will work out ok. Before we left, he laid hands on me and prayed for my future ministry. It was a humbling and reassuring moment in a tiny store in the Hebrew quarter.
After the Wall, we went to the Upper Room, or at least a spot that might have been the Upper Room. In actuality, it is highly unlikely, but it was on top of King David's tomb so that makes it very convenient for tourists! King David's tomb on the other hand is a high probability of actually being the tomb since David is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims (who see David as a prophet). Once again the women were separated from the men to see and pray at the tomb. I don't see a lot of value in praying at a tomb, but then again, I have been brought up with a mind set of an empty tomb and the resurrection of the body!
We finally got to do a little bit of shopping. Prices are high and suitcase space is limited. This is a real dilemma, but I digress.
After the Wailing Wall, we went to Caiaphas' house. There is a church and a convent there. From there we could see Potter's field, and much of the modern city. Under the church were the cells that prisoners were kept on overnight, and probably were Jesus was held the night before the crucifixion. It was a real dungeon and you had to wonder why Jesus didn't die there in that damp, cold cave before he even got to the cross.
That's about it for today. I am learning how powerful story telling based on the scripture can be to our understanding of the scripture. This is a fun, caring group of diverse women. We have a judge, pathologist, pastors, choir director, and seminary professor to name a few. We have people from Texas to North Carolina to Baltimore (yes - Mt Vernon place UMC). And everyone gets along well.
Shalom,
Ellen
This post will probably be shorter than the rest, if for no other reason than I am tired. We were walking in the rain in Old Jerusalem from 8am to 4pm today. The walking and weather were not conducive to journalling. We were up earlier than usual to beat the crowds to enter through the Jaffa gate and to walk the stations of the cross. The stations of the cross were developed in Europe after the Muslims took over Jerusalem and pilgrims could no longer come to visit the Holy City. Now that the city is a little more open, the same stations commemorating Jesus' suffering and death were created here to help pilgrims understand what was going on. We started at a church built on the supposed site where Jesus was condemned. Notice I said supposed because we are dealing with legends. Other than the Temple and the High Priest's house, there is a lot of room for speculation on the other sites. Most were established in the time of Constantine, then destroyed by various invaders, and then reestablished later. The church we started at early this morning was in the Muslim quarter. Our story telling there was powerful, as the group joined in with shouting "Crucify Him" with the storyteller. The sound bounced off the walls around us, and I couldn't join the shouting. It sent chills down my spine. I know, in some metaphorical way, we crucify Christ again and again in our disobedience, but I sure don't want to shout about it! At the end of our chapel time, Ann sang Via Delorosa acapella. It was incredible. I was not the only one choked up.
The stations of the cross ended at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. According to tradition this is where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. Another tradition says that the burial was at another location. Getting there through the narrow, winding, stone streets of Jerusalem is like walking a lambrinyth in the middle of a busy city. There are 5 (I think) different groups of Christians operating out of this church which can cause a lot of confusion. As a matter of fact, ownership of the church caused enough confusion that in the 1800's, the keys of the church were given to a local Muslim family who is paid to come open the church each day! Literally, the keys have been handed down from generation to generation. There were pilgrims there from all over the world. Some knelt on the marble and sang Kyrie while holding lit candles. Others kissed the tomb. I did a lot of people watching, because frankly, this wasn't what I was expecting. Not that I knew what to expect, but this wasn't it. I think today we got the Eastern Orthodox experience and may see the western experience on another day.
One thing I should mention is that Jerusalem is slippery when wet. I mean real, real slippery. The limestone streets are polished smooth and it is a broken hip waiting to happen. Surprisingly, I wasn't the one who fell, and so far no broken bones. We were concerned about a concussion for one woman who fell down the stairs to the dungeon. Like I said, Jerusalem is slippery when wet, and the lighting isn't that great in most of the places we are climbing around.
After the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, we moved on towards the Temple Mount and the Wailing Wall. I have been looking forward to this for a long time. Unfortunately the Temple Mount was closed at the last minute but the Wall was packed! Women pray on one side and men on the other (there is a divider up with the men being allocated a whole lot more space than the women. The women's side was packed. The men's side was not. Go figure. I prayed the Wendell Circle of Concerns and the prayer list from Genesis at the wall, and left a few of my burdens there as well. Despite the cold, penetrating rain, I did not want to leave. I could have prayed there all day I think. It was easy to imagine Jesus skipping down the street there as a child on his way to the Temple. The site of the Temple was cool to look at, although we weren't allowed to climb around it like the other sites. The outer courtyard of the Gentiles and. The women's courtyard were visible. I could imagine Jesus turning over the tables of the money changers there. As I turned back from the courtyard, I looked up at the ancient wall of Jerusalem. Standing there was a soldier with a machine gun. Some things never change -- there are always soldiers on the walls!
The Dome of the Rock was beautiful, with the gold dome visible throughout Jerusalem.
How do you get sun burned in the rain? I don't know, but I managed to do it! I ran into Dr. Warden from Louisville Seminary today. He has retired from teaching (he taught some courses at Asbury) but is still supervising Doctoral students. He is greatly distressed at what has happened at Asbury with the leadership "transition" and yet confident (as I am) that all will work out ok. Before we left, he laid hands on me and prayed for my future ministry. It was a humbling and reassuring moment in a tiny store in the Hebrew quarter.
After the Wall, we went to the Upper Room, or at least a spot that might have been the Upper Room. In actuality, it is highly unlikely, but it was on top of King David's tomb so that makes it very convenient for tourists! King David's tomb on the other hand is a high probability of actually being the tomb since David is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims (who see David as a prophet). Once again the women were separated from the men to see and pray at the tomb. I don't see a lot of value in praying at a tomb, but then again, I have been brought up with a mind set of an empty tomb and the resurrection of the body!
We finally got to do a little bit of shopping. Prices are high and suitcase space is limited. This is a real dilemma, but I digress.
After the Wailing Wall, we went to Caiaphas' house. There is a church and a convent there. From there we could see Potter's field, and much of the modern city. Under the church were the cells that prisoners were kept on overnight, and probably were Jesus was held the night before the crucifixion. It was a real dungeon and you had to wonder why Jesus didn't die there in that damp, cold cave before he even got to the cross.
That's about it for today. I am learning how powerful story telling based on the scripture can be to our understanding of the scripture. This is a fun, caring group of diverse women. We have a judge, pathologist, pastors, choir director, and seminary professor to name a few. We have people from Texas to North Carolina to Baltimore (yes - Mt Vernon place UMC). And everyone gets along well.
Shalom,
Ellen
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