We also had a lecture today by Rivkah Fishman, professor at Hebrew University, about Abraham from the Jewish perspective along with a short introduction to the Shabbat. Then we put our feet in the direction of the old city to the Western Wall where we joined Jews from all over the world for the beginning of Shabbat prayers. The men prayed separately from the women. I found a Jewish prayer book with English and Hebrew and prayed the prayers. There were young people everywhere joyfully singing and dancing. Instructions for the prayers included words: "The Divine Presence never moves from the Western Wall." It was an experience of Divine Presence that ended this day as we shared the Shabbat time. Even the soldiers were coming down for prayers without their weapons. Mighty prayers for the peace of Jerusalem this night.
There's a legend about Lot that is connected to Abraham. Following the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah there's a story in Genesis 19:30-38 of Lot's daughters seducing him. The daughters got Lot drunk and slept with him in order to have descendants. After the terrible act Lot was filled with remorse and sought God's forgiveness and Abraham's counsel. The three angels that visited Abraham and Sarah had left their staffs with Abraham. Abraham gave the three staffs to Lot to plant outside Jerusalem with instructions that they be watered from the River Jordan. If the staffs blossomed, it would mean that God forgave Lot's sins. If not Lot would not be forgiven. The devil tempted Lot not to water the staffs but that didn't work. In time the staffs blossomed into a single tree of pine, cypress, and cedar. The wood from the tree was to be a beam in the Temple but was rejected. The Legend reveals that the rejected wood from this tree was used for Christ's crucifixion. Today we visited the site of where this tree may have grown--the Monastery of the Holy Cross which contains many icons and frescos including Lot watering the tree, Abraham's binding of Isaac. I learned this legend today. Who knows the truth? We also had a lecture today by Rivkah Fishman, professor at Hebrew University, about Abraham from the Jewish perspective along with a short introduction to the Shabbat. Then we put our feet in the direction of the old city to the Western Wall where we joined Jews from all over the world for the beginning of Shabbat prayers. The men prayed separately from the women. I found a Jewish prayer book with English and Hebrew and prayed the prayers. There were young people everywhere joyfully singing and dancing. Instructions for the prayers included words: "The Divine Presence never moves from the Western Wall." It was an experience of Divine Presence that ended this day as we shared the Shabbat time. Even the soldiers were coming down for prayers without their weapons. Mighty prayers for the peace of Jerusalem this night. Icon of Lot watering his tree. The Western Wall at Shabbat time with the Dome of the Rock in the background.
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The day began with Holy Eucharist at St George's Cathedral, breakfast, and then a journey to the West Bank. All along the way were barrier walls separating the Palestinian land from Israeli land--walls and fences. Our first stop was Shechem, the place where Abraham entered the land after being called by God to go. Tel Balata is the Biblical site of Shechem, a city settled in the Bronze Age. There we read the passages from Deuteronomy 27 and Joshua 24. From there we headed for the Church of Jacob's Well where we were led to the lower level by an elderly Greek Orthodox priest who writes icons. The lower level, just as the rest of the church, was filled with icons and this is where Jacob's Well is located--one of the most authentic Holy Land sites. We each took a turn at drawing up the water from the well and each had a taste of the cool, clear water. We were there just at noon and coincidentally the time Jesus would have talked with the Samaritan woman and sipped of this water while telling her about living water. An amazing treat was our lunch which was a Palestinian traditional meal with delightful hospitality and delicious food. Next stop was Mt Gerizim where we visited the Samaritan Museum and heard all about the Samaritans from a young Muslim woman with a young Samaritan woman adding occasional verification. The priest talked to us asking "who was the Good Samaritan?" "I am," he replied, "as I want all religions to know about us and who we are." I learned a lot about this community that still lives together today and practices their faith just as their ancestors did. We then went to the top of Mt Gerizim where we found the site Samaritans believe Abraham took Isaac and bound him for sacrifice. It's also the site they believe the 12 stones were taken by Joshua from the Jordan to mark the place where he entered the land. On the same site were the ruins of the Church of the Theotokos. Directly across from this Samaritan Holy space is a Jewish settlement! This was a full day of Palestinian culture, pondering the land and space, new learnings, and bonding in our own community. It was an experience of place and listening and walking on holy ground. A good night's rest is in store after this gift of a holy day. At Jacob's Well in Nablus, bringing up fresh water. Our group at Mt Gerizim's Samaritan Museum with the Samaritan priest and scroll. Today was our first full day of study and travel. It began at 7 am with Holy Eucharist at St George's Cathedral and the Most Rev. Suheil Dawani, Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, as celebrant. We gathered at the college for our morning session of course overview and review of the Genesis passages relating to Abraham, our first focus being on his call. Questions we'll ponder: Where did the binding of Isaac take place? Why was Abraham chosen? What was Abraham's mission? What did Abraham believe? These among many other questions will be considered not only from the scripture text but also from our own experience of call.
After lunch we boarded a bus for our first journey into Jerusalem with our first stop being the House of Abraham monastery – a place that has a magnificent view of the old city and a spot for our leader to point out all sorts of hills and valleys. Then we walked the Palm Sunday way stopping at the Dominus Flevit Church where Jesus is believed to have wept over Jerusalem and her peoples. Then we walked further down passing the large Jewish Cemetery and stopping at the Church of All Nations and then Mary's tomb--all important Christian sites and connected to Abraham. There are 12 of us all together--3 from Australia (lay, clergy & Sister of Mercy), 1 seminary student from Canada, 1 priest from New Zealand, 1 priest from American Samoa, an Episcopal Deacon from Indiana, 2 lay people from Colorado, our leader who is an American Methodist clergy and course director, St George's College Dean who is an American Episcopal priest and our course chaplain, and me. We're 12 pilgrims studying together, reflecting on what we see and hear, praying together, and walking this Holy Land. It's a remarkable group and a blessed time. After dinner 6 of us walked to and into the old city. The breeze at night is divine--a gift after hot days! We arrived safely in Tel Aviv around 1 pm. The flight was long and filled with all sorts of prayers--my own included. The Orthodox Jewish men said their evening prayers in the airport, with their tefillin affixed. The commandment to love God with all your heart and soul and might is physically remembered by Jewish men as they pray recalling the words of Deuteronomy 6:8: "Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write hem on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." They prayed after we got onto the plane and with prayer shawls and tefillin this morning. There was the calming sense that we were all lifted by their prayers.
I sat next to a little Orthodox Jewish girl who spoke only Hebrew. She was at first not keen on being without her mom and yet we managed to communicate. At one point I woke up and her head had fallen in my lap as she slept! On the flight also were 60 or so Orthodox girls who had just graduated from high schools all around the country. They were now headed to the old city of Jerusalem to attend a seminary to study Judaism. They were taking a break of 9 months to one year to study their faith before entering college. They were so excited to be heading here and filled the air with laughter and great joy. They will live in dormitories also in the old city. Another blessing to witness young people excited about their faith. It's a Jewish tradition on El Al to clap when the plane safely lands, and clap we did! After a bus ride to Jerusalem and getting settled in my room, our class gathered for Holy Eucharist at 6 pm. Our lessons included Abraham's call in Genesis and Psalm 122 "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may they prosper who love you..." A quick trip to the college's rooftop revealed a beautiful view of St George's Cathedral and a hint of the old city. This is a city with it's own precious character and blessing for so many. |
The Rev.
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