Unexpected Joys

I made a promise to myself just before I left on this trip; that I would try the unexpected. On the first part of the trip the unexpected were water related…swimming in the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea…unexpected joys and great fun! In the culinary department, I ate the Peter Fish when while we were at the Sea of Galilee. It’s the whole fish…head, tail, fins and all! Truly the picture is worth a thousand words. In case you are wondering, the story of the Peter fish can be found at Matthew 17: 24-27.

But my favorite culinary delight has been discovering the pomegranate. I have almost embarrassed myself rushing to the salad bar so that I can be the first in line to put on my plate the salad that has pomegranate seed in it. When you bite into the seed, they burst in your mouth with juice that tastes amazingly like Kool-Aid. Only I’m told that they are filled with anti-oxidants. Bonus! Beverage of choice today at lunch…pomegranate juice!

We started the day at the Israeli museum to view the Dead Sea scrolls. Also, now at the museum is a huge replica of ancient Israel during the time of the first Temple. It was fascinating to see what the temple area would have looked like at the time of Jesus.

From there we traveled back into the old city to the remains of the Pool of Bethesda. It is the place where those who were ill – blind, lame or paralyzed laid beside, hoping to be made well.

At my last visit to Israel 2 ½ years ago, I had trouble visualizing what the pool would have originally looked like. Today, at the museum, the replica of Jerusalem and the Temple that had been made, allowed me to see what this pool and its porticoes might have looked like. Another unexpected joy.

Next, we walked the Via Dolarosa (the Way of Sorrows) the path of Jesus from his trial to his crucifixion, death and resurrection. There are 14 stations to visit on this journey. The last four stations are within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

After leaving the place of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we headed for Bethlehem, the place of his birth. While clearly our order was upside, the Church of the Nativity was one of the most amazing unexpected joys of the journey. As with the church of the Holy Sepulcre, crowds of people were present to visit and experience this most holy of sites in the Christian tradition. To enter the grotto of the nativity, you must walk down very steep steps, packed with people. Once there, the room is very small, many push (not us, of course!) to try to see this place where Christ was born. We gathered at the back of the room, to read the scripture from Luke’s gospel. When we were finished, we began singing, Silent Night. Now, while our singing has only rated about a B- on this trip, this time we were joined by others, who sang this song in their native tongue. Christmas in September, truly the most unexpected of joys.

May I be the first to wish you... Merry Christmas!
Suzy

P.S. Hapyy Birthday, Kirk - it's October 1st in Jerusalem!!!

Shana Tova from Jerusalem!

Shana Tova, or "a good year" to you. At sundown today, Rosh Hashana begins, the Jewish New Year. Our hotel is filled with generations of families as they have come to this holy city to celebrate together. Elevators are filled before they make it to the lobby, and yes, there is one elevator that is under "shabbot control" which means once you're on, you stop on every floor - even if you're the only one on the elevator.

We began our day by walking into the old city of Jerusalem through the Zion Gate. located on the south side of the city. We walked through the winding streets in the early morning to the Upper Room. While often there are many other large groups at the sites we are visiting, this morning, for a few minutes, we were alone in this room. We listened to the scripture in John's gospel of how Jesus washed the feet of his disicples and gave them a new commandment, "to love one another as I have loved you."

After we left this room, we gathered just down the street at a quiet spot and broke bread together - fresh, right out of the oven bagels!

Next we walked through the Jewish Quarter and visited the ancient ruins of the "Cardo Maximus" or the main road of Jerusalem in the Roman and Byzantine Periods. In ancient times, stores lined the streets and this was one of the main centers of activity. The same is true today, and I must say, we did our share of shopping in the modern market that is there now.

The Western Wall is always a special part of any trip to the Holy Land and this was no exception for our group. Each of us had written prayers to be taken and placed into the small cracks of the wall. There were hundreds of people praying at the wall today, it was a holy priviledge to be there with others from Jerusalem and literally across the world as we each prayed our individual prayers for ourselves, our families and the world.

Caiaphas' House, now the site of the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, was our last stop. Gallicantu means "cock-crow" in Latin and this is the place of Peter's triple denial of Christ. In the courtyard, we listened again to the scripture of Peter's denial. In the quiet of this courtyard and as the wind blew quietly around us, my thoughts turned to those times in which, I too, have denied my Lord. As with Peter, each of us, through God's grace, is offered opportunities to begin anew. Thanks be to God!

Shana Tova!

Suzy

Walking the road

Greetings from the Red Storm group in Jerusalem! Red Storm? That’s right, it’s our new group name, what do you think? Last night, when we went down for dinner, we were told that our tables would have our group name on them. Everyone began looking, but no luck. Finally I spotted three tables with Red Storm on the place cards. Red Storm…Reedstrom, now you get it! The group laughed and laughed and then asked, “How’d you get that so quickly?” Telephone solicitations is the short answer.

The Mount of Olives overlooks the city of Jerusalem. It is a place of beginnings and contemplation that ultimately leads to decision. It is here that Jesus began his entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey with crowds of people surrounding him and shouting "Hosannas" as they waved palm branches. We walked this road today.

We spent time in the Garden of Gethsemane (Gethsemane is literally translated as "olive press"). Many of the trees have huge, gnarled barks, some having to be supported with mounds of stones. And yet, these trees continue to sprout shoots that bring forth new life. The olive trees in this garden may possibly be between 1100 to 1800 years old. It is in this garden that Jesus beseeched his disciples to stay awake with him, it is here that he prayed fervently to God. As we closed our time in the garden, Carol led us in the Lord's prayer using both words and sign language. With Jesus, we prayed, "thy will be done."

Our final destination of the day, the Holocaust museum showed us, in very real and powerful ways how we, as humans, can inflict destruction, death and desecration upon one another when we do not center ourselves in God's will. However, our faith tells us sorrow and death give rise to hope for God is with us, we are not alone.

"Hear this, O elders, give ear, all inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your ancestors? Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation." (Joel 1:2-3)

Pray for shalom,

Suzy

Our face is set towards Jerusalem...

We headed up to Jerusalem today, up to the Holy City...but first, we made some stops along the way. It was a day of laughter and delight as we realized, in our own unique way, we had had a "spa" day. Yes, that's what I meant, a spa day. First we experienced our own version of micro-abrasion thanks to a very strong west wind and hard blowing sand; they say it's great for the face...but I don't know. Gritty would be the way I would describe it. Then we had a mud bath and revitalized our skin in the Dead Sea. Did you know that the Dead Sea is comprised of 32% salt while other bodies of salt water contain only 3% ? The high level of salt concentration and other minerals makes this sea incredibly bouyant and apparently good for you skin (or so says a plethera of skin products). Floating in the Dead Sea is a little like being on a float in the wate without actually having to have the float! Truly a once in a life time experience.

We toured Massada in the blowing wind and sand. King Herod the Great built a safe haven for himself between 31 and 37 B.C.E. on this high plateau overlooking the Dead Sea that we know as Massada. This safe refuge included a casemate wall around the plateau, storehouses, large cisterns ingeniously filled with rainwater, barracks, palaces and even a steam bath. (What can I say, spa, seems to be the theme of the day!) However, Massada is more widely known as the place where a group of Jewish rebels known as "Zealots" sought safety after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. The Roman Tenth Legion marched against those at Massada and were able to breach the stronghold. Not willing to fall into the hands of their enemies, this group of Zealots choose insted to commit mass suicide. Two women and five children survived to tell the story.

As the day ended, we drove into Jerusalem. and on a hill high above the city, observed the spectacular view of his ancient and holy city that Jesus loved so much. I leave you with these verses from Psalm 122.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you,
Peace be within your walls,
And security within your towers.”
For the sake of my relatives and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

Shalom,

Suzy

Greetings from the Sea of Galilee

Yes, it's me, waving from the Sea of Galilee. I couldn't resist jumping in the water today, no walking for me...just swimming! It was actually refreshing and a very peaceful experience. Today was filled with Galilean moments, all of the sites that we visited were "by the sea."

A boat ride was the first order of the day, a truly delightful experience. We remembered as we traveled on the sea the many times Jesus and his disciples were on a boat crossing the sea, sometimes in storms, sometimes to get away from the crowds and sometimes for Jesus to teach because the crowds were so large on the shore.

The "ancient boat" was next, a boat discovered in about 1985 that archeologists believe was from the time of Jesus. It is amazing to see this boat, that is truly not very large and realize that it was actually from Jesus' time. For all you Aggies out there, a team from Texas A & M actually helped to bring the boat out of the water and preserve it! Gig 'em as my Dad would say.

The excavated sites at Capernaum are amazing, we were able to see the original foundation of a house from the 1st century BCE and the ruins from an ancient synagogue. Much of Jesus' early ministry is centered around Capernaum. It is here that Jesus stays at Simon Peter's house and heals his mother-in-law who is ill, it is here that he teaches at the local synagogue, it is here, beside the sea that he calls his disciples.

Our final to destinations took us to the places that tradition holds were the sites of the Sermon on the Mount and the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes. Both sites allowed for times of personal reflection. Inside the Church of the Beatitudes a mass was being said. As I sat just outside the church under the opened windows, I gazed out at the hillside and listened to beautiful singing coming from within the church - a sacred moment.

As we entered the Church of the Loaves and the fishes there was a hushed expectancy. No crowds, just our group. Against the backdrop of the semi-darkened room lit only by candles and the setting sun, we listened to the scripture and remembered that it was just this time of day, late in the day, the sun setting when Jesus took 2 fish and 5 loaves, blessed and broke them and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. Everyone ate and all were filled. Abundance. Indeed, it is the gift of abundant living that we have in Christ. As the day ended, we too were filled...and grateful!

By Water and the Spirit

What a day it has been. Historical, archeological sites were the order of day. However, we started in song and thanksgiving. Mischi, our guide, says most Methodist groups only rate about a c+ in the singing department; we tried to improve his impression this morning with a rousing rendition of "This is the Day" but I'm afraid it was to no avail.

Zippori, a city which served as the capital of the Galilee district was first on our list this morning. Close to Nazareth, some believe that Jesus may have visited this city during his boyhood years. Stonecutters would have found much work in this growing city during Jesus' time and this fact suggests that Joseph might have found work here. Today, archeologists have uncovered a Jewish residential quaters, a synagoge and beautiful mosiac floors from these ancient times.

The discoveries in Beth Shean, one the oldest cities in the Holy Land, include a theater, amphitheater, an enormous bath-house that is indescribable and wide streets that are adorned with beautifully detailed mosiac sidewalks. We howled with laughter when we discovered that the marble seats sticking out from the side of a wall were where one would sit (half on one seat and half on the other) when, well you know, when being in a bath house was what you needed to do. We also walked down the corridor maximus which was flanked by mosaic sidewalks lavishly decorated with larger than life depictions of zebras and other exotic animals. Fascinating to discover that thousands of years ago life was not too terrible different from today...shopping, theater, even banking!

Our visit to the river Jordan, was truly the most special moment of the day. We gathered together by the banks of the Jordan to remember and reflect as we took part in a baptismal renewal service. Water and Spirit are an integral part of our faith and our hope. God continues to bring life giving water to nourish our parched lives and promises us the gift of the Holy Spirit to renew our souls. Water and the spirit were given to each of us this day...and we are thankful!

A thousand years is like one day...

Today spanned thousands of years in history from the site where Elijah battled the prophets of Baal to the place of Paul’s house arrest at Caesarea by the Sea. We began at Caesarea by the Sea where we strolled through a hippodrome and a royal palace built by King Herod the Great in the first century BCE. The palace grounds included gardens and a swimming pool! It is here that Paul was under house arrest for two years and where Simon Peter shared the gospel with Cornelius, a Roman centurion who became the first Gentile convert. (Acts 10:44-48).
From Caesarea we drove to Mt. Carmel where our choir members were particularly thrilled to see the site where Elijah battled the prophets of Baal. We were in hope that they might break out in song, to commemorate the event, but sadly they refrained!
In Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus, we visited what is known as Mary’s Well, a spring that still flows today and where tradition has it that Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel.
Culinary treats also provided entertainment and delight today. We ate our first falafel, for the uninitiated this is a pita bread filled with fried chick peas and then stuffed with a variety of salad type condiments. We stopped in Cana of Galilee. While no water was miraculously turned into wine, we did have one of the most delicious pieces of baklava ever eaten!
Our day ended on the Sea of Galilee as we gathered on the garden patio and reflected on the amazing sites, experiences and “God moments” that we had encountered this day.

Cold to touch
warm to my soul
I stroll along the sea – places where
people have walked for thousands of years.
Echoes of the past surround me
Whispers of the future call to me
a moment in time
a brief second
intermingled, now with all time.
A speck and yet a life surround by
the rhythm of the cosmos
waves crashing and returning
stars shining
a mist hanging over the world
Water separated from water
in the beginning…
and still, it is good.
for this rhythm sings of God’s
on going creation
the mist covering everything reminding
me of all who have come before
and all who are yet to come.
God’s presence real and tangible in a
place as ancient as time.

We're Here!

Out my patio door, the waves are crashing, the breeze is blowing. We are here, in Israel, spending the night beside the Mediterranean Sea. The twelve hour flight was not too bad. The plane was not full so many of us had empty seats beside us. When I awoke sometime in the middle of the night Houston time and sunrise Israel time there were men standing, holding prayer books, wrapped in prayer shawls… praying, Giving thanks to God for the day that was about to begin. It was a beautiful sight, sitting in that dark plane, watching in hushed silence, praying silently with them and the world. Hours later, we landed, and again a surprise, the plan erupted in applause. It was the Israelies, they applaud when the plane wheels touch down on the land that they call home. A way of thanking God to be back in the land that holds with it the deep memory of covenantal promise.

Leaving on Monday!

No power for 8 days has me ready in spirit to head to Israel and completely unprepared in the everyday realities of preparing for a trip. Clothes are not washed, bags are not packed but ready or not I'll be on a plane Monday morning. No power has been similar to a self-imposed silent retreat for me. Chuck (my husband) left for Dallas on Monday morning so for 5 days, I picked up branches, racked and bagged leaves, cleaned house and emptied a very smelly refrigerator and freezer all in silence. No TV to keep me company, no battery powered radio to keep me updated on PODs or availability of ice. I drank luke-warm bottled water and ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The silence has nurtured my soul. And when I was in need of the company of others, I walked out my front door and visited with neighbors as we consoled ourselves over downed trees and no power. But we also renewed relationships, laughed over our silliness of still walking into rooms and flipping light switches that had no effect and offered one another hope that tomorrow we would see a Center Point Energy truck. The truth is, this has been an experience that not only has reminded me of the joy of those in my life, but it has also reminded me of the need for silence in the hectic and chaotic world in which we live. So, as I head for Israel, into the land of our ancestors, I will hold the silence that has surrounded me this week close to my heart, remembering the sanctity of all of life as I once again prepare to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

inJoy,

Suzy