Jim & Annette

Thank you for the gift we will cherish forever. There are few gifts that can truly be called “life changing.” This one was. I don’t know if it will make me a better preacher or pastor, I hope so, but I know this journey was a genuine pilgrimage that has deepened my faith and increased my love for the Lord and his people here in the Holy Land and at home. In describing the ministry his church is doing in Bethlehem Pastor Mitri Raheb said, “We are giving a fore-taste of the kingdom of God here and now.” In some small way that is what you’ve given Sandy and me. Thank you.

Jim & Annette were with us the entire trip: here they are on the tram going up to Masada

Jeff Braucher

Jeff "Indiana" Braucher at Caesarea
Jeff is the man in the Indiana Jones hat. He’s the man who makes all the contacts, does all the planning, and makes these trips to the Holy Land happen for seminary students and pastors. He’s the guy who keeps our spirits up when we get weary or frustrated. He’s the guy who patiently stayed with us on our snail’s pace up Sinai when the others rushed to the top. He’s the guy buying a thousands post cards he doesn’t need and dozens of trinkets from poor street venders just because he loves these people and wants to “help them out”. He’s the guy who lends you a few bucks when you leave your wallet in the bus. He’s the guy who gets off the bus in a traffic jam in downtown Bethlehem in a snow storm and directs traffic like a cop so our bus can get through the narrow streets. He’s the guy whose smile is never bigger than when he sees us having a wonderful time. He’s the guy who rescues me from the vender who took my $20 we’d agreed on for his merchandise, but then demanded $3 more before giving me the item. He’s the guy who sets up incredible worship experiences with Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem, because he knows the Palestinian Believers will be blessed and the Americans will be inspired. He’s the man who talks with such tenderness about his granddaughter and his wife. Simply put, he’s the man. He wears the hat well. Thank you Jeff.

Best Moments

Pastor Azar cooking for us

Several times over the last day or so people have asked me, “What was your favorite thing on the trip?” There are so many it is difficult to pick just one or three or even a half-dozen. The land is beautiful, the holy sites and cities are inspiring, but in the end it’s the people that I’ll remember most. I’ll never forget Max our Egyptian guide who was moved to tears as he described the centuries of oppression his Coptic Christian community has endured and yet remained faithful to the Gospel. I’ll remember our Jordanian guide’s explanation that his name Fadi means “redeemer”, and how proud he was that his name was identified with Christ. I’ll remember how moved I was at the great ministry of bringing hope to the hopeless of Pastor Mitri Raheb and Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. I’ll always cherish the feeling of Christian brotherhood I shared with Pastor Azar of the church in Nazareth. Sandy will never let me forget our Israeli guide Jaries, who is a Marionette Christian from Nazareth. Yesterday, in a “senior moment” I left our backpack with Sandy’s camera and our jackets and other odds and ends at the kibbutz in Jerusalem where we ate lunch. It wasn’t until we were at the next location on the itinerary, the Holocaust Museum, did I realize my error. When I told Jarius he immediately called a friend, also a tour guide, whom he’d seen at the kibbutz (Jarius has more friends than anyone I’ve ever met). His friend located the backpack and brought it to the museum, which happened to be the next stop on his itinerary as well. There is no way I can repay Jarius for rescuing not only the camera, but the hundreds of photos on the film rolls in the bag. So the best part for me was the people. I never imagined meeting so many people here who love God, serve Christ, and understand true hospitality. Every time news comes on my television about Israel, Palestine, Jordan, or Egypt their faces will come to my mind. It is for these brothers and their families that I will pray for. These brothers, who follow the same Jesus I follow, have changed the way I think about this majestic land.

Jeries at Masada telling us about "beautiful mosaaaics"

Our Last Day in Israel

Masada from a distance

Exploring Masada
It seems like we’ve been here in the Holy Land for a very long time, and it seems like the time has flown by. Our last day before the flight home is almost over. We’re driving back to the hotel in Jerusalem after taking the tram to the top of Masada, seeing the waterfall at En Gedi, visiting Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, having lunch in Jericho, and floating in the Dead Sea. It was a full day.

Masada is a fortress/palace built by Herod the Great in the first century BC on top of a mountain by the Dead Sea. It is an incredible site to behold from miles away. The shear cliffs on all 4 sides of the mountain with a flat table-top made this fortress practically impregnable to an invading army. Impregnable that is until the Romans arrived in 72AD snuff out the last remaining Jewish rebels holding out on Masada. The Romans constructed a huge ramp of dirt to get their battering ram to the fortress walls. The night before they breached the wall the Jewish defenders committed mass suicide rather than surrender. That’s the story according the Jewish historian Josephus at any rate. What we saw on top of Masada was a striking view of the Dead Sea, the remains of beautiful mosaics that decorated Herod’s palace, solid balls of rock the size of bowling balls used to propel over the walls on an attacking army, and a mail system capable of staying in communication with Jerusalem. The mail system consisted of pigeon stalls used to house the birds that would carry messages to Jerusalem. This is one of the top tourist attractions in Israel. It’s kind of like the ancient Israeli version of the Alamo, only no victory at San Jacinto followed Masada.

I think my favorite part was Qumran. It was in the caves overlooking the Dead Sea that the greatest archeological discovery of our time occurred. The scrolls of the Old Testament books found there pre-dated the earliest OT manuscripts at that time by 1000 years. And the great significance of these scrolls is that they confirm the incredible accuracy of the transmission of the Bible down through the centuries. God’s Word, what we read every Sunday in church, is reliable and authoritative.

In front of Cave #4 at Qumran
Floating in the Dead Sea had zero spiritual significance; it was simply a fun way to end the journey. The beach was nothing to get too excited about… little sand, lots of mud. In fact, these people think the mud of the Dead Sea is so special they sell it! Facials with Dead Sea mud is a hot item in Jericho. I don’t care how ugly I am I’m not slapping mud from anyplace on my face. Swimming, if you could call it that, was hilarious. The salt content of the Dead Sea is so high that it is impossible to go under water. When I waded out and laid back and kind of bobbed like a fishing bobber, I laughed hysterically. It felt so odd, like there was a layer of jello just under the surface holding you up. Then I got saltwater in my eyes and the stinging sensation was intense and didn’t let up for the 20 minutes it took me to paddle to shore and get to a fresh water faucet. A little Arab boy about 9 or 10 years old I’d guess heard me say, “I got the saltwater in my eyes!” He looked at me and said in his halting English, “You got the water in your ass?”
“Not my ass! My eyes!!!” I said pointing to my eyes.
The Dead Sea was a mixed bag, but even with burning eyes I’m glad for the experience.

Floating in the Dead Sea

Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum

After lunch at a Kibbutz we went to the Holocaust museum. It is impossible to have any understanding of the Jewish people without immersing yourself in the tragedy of the Holocaust. The sites, sounds, and testimonies of many who survived the Holocaust overwhelms the mind and heart with the deepest sadness. I walked out of the museum with a sense of guilt and remorse, because the entire world, all of mankind contributed to this horrifying tragedy. If the world had not stood idly by it could not have happened.

Via Dolorosa

We had a 6:00am wake-up call in order to beat the crowds walking the Via Dolorosa, the path Jesus walked to Golgotha. The early start worked. The typically crowded narrow streets were deserted except for the children on the way to school and a few early vendors opening shops.

There are 14 stations on the Via Dolorosa. We snaked our way through the old city streets stopping at each station. Sandy brought along short readings and a prayer written for each station of the cross. The 14 people in our group took turns reading the passage and the prayer at each station. It was perhaps the most spiritual experience of our journey. I felt like a pilgrim seeking God through following the way of Jesus and his way is the way of the cross. If you remember the Mel Gibson film “The Passion of the Christ” you can get a sense of the experience of walking the Via Dolorosa. The film follows the 14 stations of the Cross. I loved walking the narrow streets Jesus walked. There were shop keepers and street vendors hawking their goods. There were children playing on the way to school. There was garbage in the streets in places. There were old men smoking. There were women talking. There were armed Israeli soldiers posted at key intersections with hard faces. None of these things distracted me; these were things going on when Jesus walked these streets with a cross on his shoulder. We practice our faith in the world’s marketplace, not in a monastery.

Denver doing a reading

Women cleaning the stone slab from the tomb of Jesus

Children on the way to school on the Via Dolorosa

No Pics

Sorry, Blogspot.com would not let me post pics last night or this morning. Hopefully I'll be able to go back and add pics tonight.

Mount of Olives

View from Mt of Olives

We had a good night sleep in Jerusalem at a 5 star hotel. We’re back on the bus headed to the Mount of Olives. We’ve been warned about the street vendors. We call them RPGs, for “Random Pushy Guys”. The ones at the pyramids in Cairo made used car salesmen look wimpy. Hopefully we can fight our way through them and enjoy this special place where Jesus prayed with the disciples. Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains on all sides except the north. Our tour guide said, “You did not have to be a prophet to predict invasion would come from the north.” The top of the Mt of Olives is a Palestinian area.

It’s 9:00pm and we’re back at the hotel. This day had far too many amazing sites to cover before I fall asleep. The Mt of Olives houses several churches. A church is built on the “traditional site” of practically every event in the Gospels that takes place on this large hill overlooking the temple mount. In fact, one of my favorite moments of the day was that first view of the Dome of the Rock and the old city of Jerusalem. We snapped photos from a railed walkway at the top of the Mt of Olives. Once again I just couldn’t believe I was really here looking at Jerusalem. We could see the Golden Gate, the one tradition says Jesus carried his cross through. It was a moving beginning to an unforgettable day.

I loved the Pater Noster Church built on the site Jesus taught the disciples the Lord’s Prayer. This beautiful Catholic Church has a wonderful visual of Christian unity. Throughout the church are large tiles with the Lord’s Prayer printed on them. Each tile, about 70, has the prayer in a different language. Every language from Hebrew to Cherokee Indian was represented.

Pater Noster Church

The biggest surprise for me was the house of Caiaphas, the high priest who presided over the trial of Jesus. What is not recorded in the Gospels is what happens to Jesus from the moment of his arrest to his early morning trial. Typically prisoners would be held in a dungeon under the house of Caiaphas. Early Christian tradition affirms that is what happened to Jesus as well. We descended into a small cavern to a small square room about 10x10. It was a sobering experience to think we were standing in the place where Jesus was cast after being scourged. I read Psalm 88 to the rest of the group, but it is impossible to grasp even the smallest hint of what Jesus actually went through and felt when he was in that dark place.

In contrast to the house of Caiaphas was the visit to the Garden Tomb of Jesus. Our guide at the Garden Tomb was a retired gentleman from England named Bert. He did a wonderful job of telling the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection while weaving in is own personal testimony of faith. We waited our turn at the open tomb and went inside to see the place where Jesus was laid. Was this the actual tomb of Jesus? No one really knows, but it really is a first century tomb, and it is empty. Our group shared in the Lord’s Supper together beside the tomb. Mike read John 20 and asked us to identify ourselves with either Mary Magdalene or Thomas or one of the other disciples in the story. Taking Communion standing before the empty tomb was a powerful moment. He’s alive! He really is, and that changed everything then, and changes everything today for those of us who believe and receive Him by faith. Tomorrow we’ll be walking the Via Dolorosa.

Part of our group in the dungeon

Joppa

Sandy in Tel Aviv
Joppa is about 30 miles northeast of Jerusalem on the Mediterranean. It’s harbor naturally made it the port of Jerusalem. It was to Joppa that Hiram floated down from Tyre the fir trees of Lebanon (2 Chron. 2:16). Here Jonah embarked for Tarshish (Jonah 1:3). In Joppa Peter raised a little girl from the dead (Acts 9:36), resided for quite a time with Simon the tanner (Acts 9:43), saw the vision of the great sheet let down from heaven (Acts 10:8-16), and received the summons from Cornelius (Acts 10). This was the first step in opening up the church to the Gentiles.

Modern-day Joppa is within the city of Tel Aviv. And there is house on the shore of the Mediterranean that is identified as Simon Tanner’s house, with a Catholic Church built next door. I was hoping for a vision from God while we were here, but alas, I wasn’t allowed to go up on the roof of Simon’s house to take a nap. Next stop Jerusalem.

Caesarea

Sandy on the beach at Caesarea

We’re on the coast of the Mediterranean at Caesarea. The ruins of the Roman city are extensive. We saw the theater, the hippodrome, the palace of Herod, and the 7 mile aqueduct. This city had the largest port on the coast in 1st century Palestine. This was the city built by Herod the Great and became the capital of the Roman province where Pilate ruled. Caesarea was the city where Cornelius lived (Acts 10). This is the city where Herod Aggipa I died suddenly when the people declared him a god (Acts 12). This is the city where Paul was imprisoned for two year, where he made his defense of the Gospel before Festus and Aggripa II. Today we walked on stone streets that Paul walked on almost 2000 years ago. We had a ball walking on the beach and looking at the sites.

Standing at the Aquaduct

Megiddo

View of Armaegeddon from Mt Carmel
We are headed back down Mt Carmel where Elijah had the famous showdown with the prophets of Baal. On top of the mountain (fortunately we could drive the bus all the way to the top) Mike Moore read the passage from 1 Kings 18. We could see the entire valley of Armageddon from the lookout point on Mt Carmel. We could see farm land, the surrounding mountains (including the one traditionally thought to be the Mt of Ascension), and the Israeli air base. Next stop Haifa on the Mediterranean Sea.

Living Stones

Posing with Pastor Ajaj & his wife

Several weeks ago I preached a message from 1 Peter 4:9 on Christian hospitality. Two key points in the message were 1) hospitality is the practical application of Christ-like love (Peter writes in the verse 8, “above all, love each other deeply…”). And 2) Christian hospitality is focused on strangers. Today we had the most incredible experience of genuine Christian hospitality you can imagine. After visiting the Church of Annunciation we went to a very different kind of church, Nazareth Baptist Church. There was no grotto, no 1st century excavation, no mosaics, and no stained glass. There was a real live pastor leading a vibrant congregation in worship. The entire church welcomed us with open hearts and open arms. The worship service began and for the first time on this trip I felt home-sick… because their worship was so much like our worship at PCC. We raised our voices, theirs in Arabic and ours in English, and praised God together. A guest speaker from their own congregation, Hanna Katanacho, preached the sermon. Hanna, who is a Palestinian Christian from Jerusalem, recently completed a PHD at Trinity Seminary in Chicago. He spoke in Arabic and our group listened to an interpreter through headphones. He spoke with passion from John 6, “I am the bread of life…” I was moved by his entire message, but especially his closing prayer when he prayed, “Make us hungry and thirsty for you. We put this church in your hands.”

After the service the “meet and greet” time lasted about 30 minutes. Everyone was eager to meet us and welcome us to Nazareth. Then came the true hospitality. These people opened not only their hearts, but their homes as well. Our group, all 14 of us, were divided into smaller groups and taken home for lunch with different church members. Sandy and I, with a few others, were taken home by the pastor and his wife. Pastor Azar Ajaj, his wife Ibtisam, and their 3 sons were wonderful hosts. He is from Nazareth, she is from Bethlehem, and their first son was born in Jerusalem. Pastor Azar told me, "We have all the holy places covered." We had a delicious lunch and enjoyed the entire afternoon in relaxed fellowship. I was able to ask every question in my mind about the political situation Palestinian Christians face in this land, about his congregation, and about the state of Evangelical Christianity in the Holy Land. The time flew by. We prayed with their family and headed back to the hotel having made new friends in Christ. We have seen many unforgettable sites in this land, including many ancient and beautiful churches built with limestone rock. Peter refers to believers as “living stones” in 1 Peter 2:4. I want you to know there are beautiful “living stones” here in Nazareth who are precious to God and our brothers and sisters. They are proclaiming Christ, producing disciples, and praising God together. I know I keep repeating this phrase, but I can’t help it… this trip just keeps getting better and better! In the morning we start the last leg of the journey... we're going to Jerusalem.

The view of Nazareth from Pastor Ajaj's house

Church of Annunciation

A short walk from the Church of Mary’s Well is the largest church in Galilee, The Church of Annunciation. Built over the site tradition identified as the home of Mary, this Catholic Church is filled with beautiful stained glass windows and art. In fact, every nation in the world has donated an art piece to the church representing the angel’s annunciation to Mary. There were two worship services in progress as we visited, a large service in the main sanctuary of the church, and a small service in the lower level in front of the grotto believed to have been the home of Mary. I am always moved when I see people engaged in worshipping the Savior.

Mary's Well

Sunday, March 18
There is a small Greek Orthodox Church in Nazareth built over a spring that tradition says is the well where Mary drew water. The tradition goes on to say that it was at the well that the angel first appeared to her. You may be wondering how such sites are identified and how certain we can be that they are what they claim. Basically the older the church, and the number of churches on the site, the better the evidence that it is a reliable tradition. In some sites 4 or more churches have been erected, one after the other on a particular site claimed to be holy. We know that the first church built on the site of Mary’s well dates to the 2nd century. That is strong evidence that this really is the well where Mary drew water. Pictured below is a picture of the actual spring still alive under the church.

Getting Along with Mike

For those of you in Phoenix reading my blog to follow the trip, I must say that I’ve come to genuinely love and appreciate your pastor. He is a man who knows the Word of God and has a tremendous knowledge of the biblical languages. He has a great sense of humor is just plain fun. But far-and-away the most impressive thing about Mike Moore is his love for people. He treats every seminary student on this trip like his own son or daughter. He treats the other pastor on the trip and myself like brothers and partners in serving the Lord. He treats my wife like a sister. And he truly loves the people of this land we are visiting. Lincoln Heights Christian Church and the entire city of Phoenix is blessed to have such a pastor. Of course, as you can see from the photo below Mike & I have had our differences, but he yielded to my forceful arguments in the end.

Nazareth

View from our hotel room window

I’m looking out my 9th floor hotel window as I type this at 7:00pm (noon Saturday in Pflugerville). The entire city of Nazareth is lit up below. We had a full day visiting Cana, Sepphoris, and Nazareth Village. At Cana the leader of our group surprised us by asking Sandy and I to renew our vows in the small church. It was a great moment, although I was a bit disappointed that Jesus didn’t show up to turn the water into wine.

Renewing our Vows in Cana
Sepphoris is not mentioned in the NT, which is odd since it is a 40 minute walk from Nazareth and was the capital of the province. It was a much larger city than Nazareth when Jesus lived here and most likely employed most of the men of Nazareth in the extensive building projects. Joseph probably relocated to Nazareth to work as a carpenter in Sepphoris.
Mozaic in Sepphors
After Sepphoris we visited Nazareth Village, a recreation of a portion of Nazareth as it was 2000 years ago. It was very well done. Every thing from the synagogue to the threshing floor were authentic in the way they were created. The young Arab Christian who was our guide through the village was a deeply committed Christian who told the story of Jesus as he explained each part of the village. We had lunch there, and the pastor of a local Baptist church joined us. The most inspiring part of the day was hearing him talk about what God is doing in this place 2000 years after Jesus lived here. Tomorrow we are worshipping at his church and then each one in our group is going home with a church member for to have lunch. I can’t wait!

Reading the scroll in the synagogue of Nazareth

Lunch by the Sea

Our group at Lunch

Lunch: St. Peter's Fish, tilapia

We had St. Peter’s fish at a restaurant by the Sea of Galilee. It was cool. The tilapia was yummy. I ate mine and finished the woman's who sat across from me. Just wanted you to know.

Sea of Galilee

Raising the Flag

On the Sea of Galilee

Sandy, looking back at Tiberias

Jesus did so much of his ministry around the Sea of Galilee. We took a boat ride across that same sea yesterday. Our boat took us from Tiberias to Capernaum (Mk. 2:1 & Lk 4:31). The area around this huge lake is the kind of beauty you see on a post card. The visual experience alone is inspiring, but when you consider all the wonderful events that happened on this body of water it is truly a spiritual experience. The Israeli boat captain had a few surprises for us. Before leaving the dock he raised the American flag and played a recording of the “Star Spangled Banner”. We all stood, crossed our hearts and sang. When we got out on the sea he played Christian worship music. At one point I thought I saw a ghost hovering over the water, but it was only wishful thinking. Our guide pointed out that of all the sites in Israel considered holy by Christians this is the one and only one that we can be 100% sure Jesus really was here in this exact spot. We saw modern village of Magdala, the home of Mary Magdalene. We saw the place where most scholars think Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. As our boat glided across the lake I thought about Peter stepping out on the water, Jesus quieting the storm, and the great catch of fish. All of us went back and forth from being giddy with excitement to speechless with awe. Yes, Jesus was really here, and yes we really believe He is the Christ the Son of God.

The Manger

Snowy Traffic Jam

Church of the Nativity

At the place of Jesus' birth

After a rather harrowing bus ride through traffic jammed narrow streets in a snow storm we arrived at the Church of the Nativity. Needless to say, this is the main attraction of the city. There has been a church on this site since the Roman Emperor Constantine’s mother Helena traveled to Bethlehem in the early 4th century to find the birthplace of her Savior. Local tradition among the Christians in Bethlehem at that time pointed her to small cave that became the site of a church Helena financed. Today the enlarged church is shared by the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, and the Armenian Church. Yes, it is way, way too ornamental for my simple Protestant non-denominational taste, but when we entered the small cave below the church and saw the place identified as the birthplace of Christ we were humbled. Like on Sinai, part of me wanted some quiet alone time to reflect and pray in this place, but the press of the crowd streaming through made that impossible. Once again, a huge group of Nigerian Christians were there with us as well as people from all over the world. A child born, not in the glittering church above, but in a simple cave among the poor is called Lord and Savior by millions. Tomorrow we travel to the Sea of Galilee and take a boat ride. This trip just keeps getting better and better!

Lunch in Bethlehem

Brett & Richard with the owner of Christmas Tree Cafe

The food on the entire trip has been excellent. Of course, we’ve been staying in very nice hotels that provide buffets for breakfast and dinner. Today we stopped at the Christmas Tree Café for lunch in Bethlehem. We ordered two pita-bread sandwiches. One was turkey meat, or maybe chicken, or perhaps lamb with chili seasoning. Yummy! The other was a falafal sandwich made from chick-peas crushed and deep fried jammed into a pita pocket. Double yummy!! They were sort of like hush puppies with more flavor. I couldn’t get enough. Walking from the bus the 4 or 5 blocks to Lutheran Christmas Church I stopped in a local street bakery and bought something that looks like donut holes. Instead of sugar these small round pastries burst with honey when you bite down on them. Triple yummy!!! So if you’re wondering, no, I do not miss American fast-food.

Lutheran Christmas Church

We are staying two nights at the Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. It is a wonderful facility that houses not only a church, but a school (K-12) with 280 students, a health & wellness Center, and a college. The pastor, Mitri Raheb, is also the author of the book Bethlehem Under Siege, a book I read on the flight from Phoenix to London to Cairo. Mitri gently takes issue with those who are surprised that he is a Palestinian Christian. He told us, “I was born across the street from the Church of the Nativity. One of my great, great, great etc… grandmothers babysat Jesus.” Mitri spoke to our group for an hour and a half. He told us, “Here, you are going to see ministry in action.” And we did indeed! We visited the school and heard the inspiring vision of the principal. The school does not apologize for teaching Christian values and yet 60% of the students are from Moslem families. When asked about the possibility of Moslems converting to Christianity, Dr. Raheb responded, “It is forbidden to make Muslims Christian, but if Muslim students discover what Christ is really like, you never know what these children will become...” The vision of this ministry in one sentence is based on John 10:10, “that we might have life abundantly”. Dr Raheb said, “Military occupation and unemployment tells us we cannot have abundant life. We want to continue the mission of Christ in this place.”

The health and wellness center is reaching about 10,000 people a year. Dr. Raheb told us, “You cannot imagine how many people are traumatized in this city.” You see, to get to a hospital in nearby Jerusalem a Palestinian must be granted a permit from the Israeli government. Permits are extremely difficult to get. Many people suffer and many die simply because they live in Bethlehem and have no access to health care. The health center at Lutheran Christmas Church has 185 elderly people attending the weekly wellness program. The coordinator is Baptist and is basically a perish nurse. The center focuses on general preventative medicine, community health awareness and psychological health issues.

Dr. Raheb said, “The most important thing we do here is provide hope in a land of despair.” Make no mistake about it; Christians are making a difference in this land.

It's Snowing!!!

Snowing in Bethlehem

We woke up this morning to a shocking surprise. It is snowing in Bethlehem. I’m not talking about a light flurry, but a storm! Snow in Bethlehem is about as common as snow in Pflugerville, and extremely rare in March. Our group was amazed and giddy until we realized none of us brought winter clothing. Before we left for the trek to explore the city Sandy literally put on every piece of clothing in her suitcase.

The Wall

Sandy and David at the Presbyterian Church

The Wall

As we neared Bethlehem our excitement was severely tempered by the site of an ugly 17 foot wall with razor-wire on top. A menacing guard tower with guns protruding made the wall extremely intimidating. No we were not passing by a prison; we were entering the Palestinian West-bank city of Bethlehem. The Israeli government erected the wall around the entire city in response to acts of violence committed against Israeli people by Palestinians. Bethlehem has become a prison for the people who live here. Can you imagine the police arresting your entire extended family for the crime of one your cousins? It seems to me to be a gross over-reaction by the Israelis destined to make a bad situation worse. It appears to be a terrible miscarriage of justice to punish an entire city for the crimes of a few. 40% of the Palestinians in Bethlehem are Christians, yet they are punished for the violent acts of a few radical Muslims. I wonder what Jesus thinks of the prison wall around his city of his birth? Actually, I think I know.

Worshipping with the locals
We were tired from the day’s travels and site-seeing, but the first thing we did upon entering Bethlehem was attend a Wednesday evening worship service at the small Presbyterian Church.

The Promised Land

Jerusalem

Going through customs at the Jordan/Israel border was somewhat tense, but when we finally got into the next bus you could feel the excitement from our group as we headed for Jerusalem. The Bible describes this land as hill country, but the landscape is not like the hill country we think of that is west of Austin. These hills are steep with sharp inclines and sudden deep ravines. The land would remind my mom and dad of Baldknob, Kentucky. The Bedouins still live out of tents in Israel, just like in Jordan. Seeing them with their sheep and goat herds on the hills made me think, “Now that’s what the Luke 2 shepherds must have really looked like.”

Rounding a hill just outside Jerusalem we suddenly could see The Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall. Everyone on the bus let out an “oooo” or “aaaa” at the site of this most holy place for Jews, Moslems, and of course Christians. Our bus didn’t slow down as we were bound for Bethlehem.

Jordan Baptism

Church of John the Baptist

At the Jordan River

Brett's Baptism

We arrived at the Jordan River just north of the Dead Sea, still on the Jordanian side of the border at about noon. The first thing we could see was the Church of John the Baptist with its shining gold pinnacle. It is a small Greek Orthodox Church built on the site of 5 previous churches dating back to the 4th century. The church marks the place on the river where Christian pilgrims believed John the Baptist preached and baptized. The river is much smaller today than it was centuries ago, so the exact place in the river identified as the place John baptized Jesus is dry. We saw the excavation site of the first church built here and the original stone steps that went down into the river.

The Jordan River itself is not such an impressive site, but contemplating the events that happened at or very near the exact spot where we were standing was moving. At this place the Israelites crossed the Jordan and entered the Promised Land. This is the place where John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus the Christ and baptized him. One of the young guys in our group, Brett, was baptized in the Jordan. It was a great moment. The water was muddy and cold so Sandy and I opted for the “sprinkling” baptism experience.

Mount Nebo

View from Mt Nebo


The bus took us all the way to the top of Mount Nebo. We got off the bus and were immediately slammed by a cold driving wind. We walked around the Franciscan Monastery to the look-out point. Even though it was a hazy day you could see very far into the “Promised Land”. We could see the Dead Sea and Jericho. Fadi told us that on a clear day you could see the Mount of Olives on the edge of Jerusalem. Read Deuteronomy 33 & 34 for the story of Moses’ last moments on Mt Nebo.

We were allowed to go inside the monastery which dates back to 6th century. A Korean group of about 30 people were having a worship service in the chapel. I couldn’t understand a word the Korean preacher was saying, but when they started singing a hymn I was once again deeply moved by the sense of unity in Christ we share with all believers of every nationality.

Our group held a brief Communion service at the front of the chapel. Our leader gave a message from Deuteronomy, Richard, another pastor with us prayed over the bread, and I prayed over the wine. We shared the Lord’s Supper together at the top of Mt Nebo. We sang a couple of hymns and then headed to the Jordan River at the baptism site.

Fadi

Jordan, Wednesday, March 14

Sandy and Fadi at the Jordan River



We’re leaving Petra this morning. Wake-up call was 5:30am. We must make it to the Israeli border by 2:30 this afternoon because that’s when the border closes. Each time we cross a border we also get a new tour guide. Our Jordanian guide is Fadi. He is a Christian Arab, one of the 4½ of the population that is Christian. He is an outstanding guide who with a tremendous knowledge of the history and archeological sites of Jordan. He is talking to us now about the Crusader castle built by the Crusaders in the 12th century. He is also telling us about “The King’s Highway”, a road through Jordan that dates back to before 800BC. We are in biblical Edom, the land of the people descended from Jacob’s brother Esau. Ruth is the most famous Edomite in the Bible. We are headed for Mount Nebo, the place where Moses died. From Nebo we travel to the Jordan River to the place where John the Baptist was baptizing, where Jesus was baptized. Tonight we stay in Bethlehem.

While walking through Petra yesterday Fadi told me more about his family. His name, “Fadi”, means “Redeemer”. Arabs in his church refer to Christ as “El Fadi” meaning “The Redeemer”. It was clear that he was proud of having a name associated with Christ. I cannot remember the name of his 12 year old daughter, but it means “gift” and his son’s name means “Lion”. Fadi’s family history can be traced back to the 5th century. He told me that the Christian population of Jordan is shrinking. Christians are immigrating to other countries. Fadi told me, “Even my brother immigrated to America and my sister to Australia,” and then he added, “because they fear the future… which is in the hands of God.” There was an unmistakable hint of sadness in his voice, but also a clear expression of faith as well. Our trip planners only use Christian tour guides from each country we visit. And the two Christians who have been our guides have faith that is passionate and inspiring. If you are wondering why such a small percentage of Arabs remain Christians it is largely the result of a policy of Mohammad when he gained control of an area Christians were given 3 choices: 1) Convert to Islam, 2) Pay a tax to remain Christian, or 3) Be executed. The people here who continue to hold fast to their faith in Christ down through the centuries deserve our deepest respect, our prayers, and our assistance.

We are traveling north parallel to the Dead Sea through the desert, but too far east to actually see the Dead Sea. We have seen a number of Bedouin people living in tents in the desert herding their sheep or cattle. Fadi pointed out the “Japanese Camels” used by many of the Bedouins… 4x4 Nisan trucks. We also saw a living example of something I mentioned in a sermon March 4. Fadi pointed out a shepherd walking in front of his flock, leading them, not driving them. Elders in 1 Peter 5:1-4 are instructed to “shepherd” the people.

Indiana Jone Rides Again

Petra, Jordon, Monday 10:30pm
Have you seen the film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”? Today we got to pretend we were Indiana Jones riding into the great ancient city of Petra. Ok, Sandy rode a horse and I rode a donkey, but like the camels at Sinai my little donkey climbed a long and steep mountain path while Sandy’s horse just trotted along a short flat path. Petra is the most stunning ancient site I’ve ever seen. It is currently one of 20 sites in the world being considered for the new version of the “7 Wonders of the World”. Just like in the movie which was filmed here at Petra, we walked a path for about a mile through a literal crack in the mountain left by an earthquake. At the end of the path we came into a valley in front of an unbelievable first century BC monument literally carved out of the limestone mountain. The monument is actually a building called “The Treasury” and was built, or actually chiseled, in honor of a deceased king. My words and my photos will never do justice to the shocking beauty of this place. “The Treasury” structure gets all the publicity, but it is only the tip of the iceberg here. We spent the day exploring an entire city hewn from stone. At one point our group gathered in a cave-like room about the size of PCC’s student center and sang the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy”. Petra is not of great importance in the Bible, but there are a couple of interesting connections. Many scholars believe that the Magi who visited the Christ-child originated from Petra. It was the world’s greatest market for frankincense in the first century and was known as “Arabia” even though it is in modern Jordan rather than Saudi Arabia. It is also the likely destination of the Apostle Paul when he reveals in Galatians 1:17 that he spent time in “Arabia”.

The government of Jordan allows only the local Bedouin people to sell to the tourists at Petra. A couple of thousand Bedouins lived in the cave-rooms of Petra until about 20 years ago when the government moved them out and into government housing next to the archeological site. The Bedouin people sell various trinkets and souvenirs along with taxi rides via horses, donkeys, and yes my favorite… wookies… I mean camels. I chose to spend my money on the donkey because I didn’t want to walk the 1000 steps up to the monastery carved from stone at the top of mountain opposite the entrance to Petra. While it was comforting to be a lot closer to the ground on the donkey compared to the camel, it was actually more challenging to stay aboard for the trip up the steep trail that once again consisted mostly of literal steps carved into the mountain. Brett, a young guy in our party who is 20-something lost his balance in the first 5 minutes of the ride and went sprawling head-first to the ground. I was relieved to see him get up laughing and climb back on board his little donkey. Sorry, I didn’t have my camera ready for the moment. Falling off at that point wasn’t so bad, falling off when we were going up the mountain would have been a serious problem. Back to the Bedouns… it was evident that entire families survived through sales to tourists. It was common to see women selling at a little table beside the path while caring for an infant. Small children were trained to play up the “cute factor” as they sold small polished stones. I rented a donkey from Aaron who was a determined salesman, but also delightful 23 year old. By the end of the 2-hour journey up to the monastery and back we had established something of a relationship. With little formal education Aaron had learned English and Spanish and little bit of several other languages from tourists. It continues to be as much fun to meet the people as it is seeing the sites. I think you’ll enjoy the pics of Petra below. Tomorrow we visit Mt Nebo, where Moses looked over into the Promised Land before he died and the Jordan River among other places in Jordan before crossing into Israel.

Standing in the "crack in the mountain" about to enter Petra

The first fantastic glimpse

"The Treasury" at Petra

Two of the oddest Bedouin at Petra

Sitting on Aaron's "taxi"

Bedouin child at work