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 last walk on the boardwalk is always bittersweet. Friday was another magnificent day, and there were lots of folks out by the time I finished my walk. The dolphins didn't rear their heads, and the morning was just perfect for going to the beach early or doing anything outside. Many were staking their spots close to the ocean's beauty. The beach was beginning to unveil it's array of colorful umbrellas. The journey home began around 10 a.m. and my trip was uneventful. This year we were all leaving at different times. Three have already left and three more will leave tomorrow.
My route home normally includes coming across the George Washington Bridge on the upper level. The view of New York City is breathtaking, and I continue to be like a child seeing the city for the first time. I argue with my GPS that wants to route me another way. Even with heavy traffic it's too precious a sight to miss. The absence of the world trade towers always brings sadness in the midst of great joy in seeing the skyline. Saturday morning brought a walk in Collinsville along the river. There was such a stark difference in the river's quiet water and the ocean's roar. I loved being back in Collinsville and thought about the beautiful beach I had just left. The contrast in water was a reminder of the importance of listening in the quiet times and in the times of crashing chaos. There are words in the silence just as there are in chaos. The beach was a precious gift of time with good friends for which I am grateful. Today was our much awaited kayak trip on the bayside of Rehoboth. The day was spectacular. There were all sorts of birds--white and black egrets and many ospreys in their nests. Our guide showed us how horseshoe crabs eat and survive for up to 40 years. We saw turtle nests and some swimming along as we paddled. Kayaking is a favorite activity at home as well as in this beautiful beach town. It always gives me a way to slow down and pay attention to the wonder of God's creation and to remember the vital role we have in caring for all that's around us.
We met two other families who were in our group--one with young children who were awed by what they saw. Another family had middle school aged children who enjoyed this time of two hours paddling. One of the children had special needs and I will remember her, for we shared lots of conversation. It was a great day and Friday I'll head home to get ready for Israel. I continue to go through each day with a grateful heart. On most mornings I walk along the boardwalk encountering folks of all ages and all sorts of things. I pass by Rehoboth landmark Dolles a number of times. I've been looking for the dolphins (and sometimes whales) that I have seen regularly in years past on my early morning walk or run. This year I have missed them and I look for them each day. Today I finally saw the dolphins playfully swimming parallel to shore and jumping high. They are such a beautiful sight and bring smiles to all who notice them. I wanted to stop folks who weren't seeing them to point them out, as they are such fun to watch.
There are also an abundance of little bunnies looking for food and seeming to be very skinny. I still see them most every morning. We have a bunny couple around the yard where we are staying. This morning I encountered a good sized cicada on his/her back with legs moving furiously to turn over. With a tap of my shoe I flipped it over and all was right with it's world. For the past several days the surf has been very rough. Even though challenging for swimming, a group of swimmers decked out in wet suits has faithfully done laps parallel to shore. The waves have been huge and easily knock you down. At one point lifeguards were limiting people to only going in the water up to knee level! The beach is still awesome and to watch the power of the ocean's water reaching land is amazing. Just looking at the water brings peace to my soul. Being around it and all other parts of God's creation here nourish and fill me with wonder. What a precious gift this beach time is. Very soon I will see some different waters far away and am excited that one week from today I head for Israel--a precious gift of study and learning. The Rehoboth Farmer's Market has become a tradition for us on Tuesdays. Delaware farmers and local food vendors gather at a small park on Rehoboth Avenue to sell their specialties. It's a great place for lunch and a chance for us to get lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. The growing season is ahead of CT, so we found luscious tomatoes, huge local peaches, great vegetables, even spun yarn from a sheep farm. We're here for another Tuesday, so we'll be back next week.
There's nothing better than locally grown vegetables. It's delightful to talk to the farmers and to know more about what they do to produce. I often take for granted the availability of grocery store produce and those items coming from farms. Farmers work so hard to get the fruits of their labor to us and onto our tables. I am so thankful for their care of the soil and their tender produce. It feels like an act of love. Today is the first full day in Rehoboth Beach. I walked to church and along the way I spotted this first sign at the Roman Catholic Church. I thought how wonderful it would be to have need of a sign like this. I wonder how many churches would encounter this need and how many would dream to have it be so! The Episcopal Church was a number of blocks on the other side of Rehoboth Avenue. There are parking meters on Olive Street where All Saints' Episcopal Church is located. The church has a small parking lot that has the other sign you see here: "Thou shalt not steal our parking spaces". An interesting juxtaposition of meaning...
Signs tell us much about what is to come or of consequences or of warnings or of good news. All Saints' has a sign at the front door that calls it a house of welcome and inclusion for everyone. Today's sermon was given by Martin Smith who was formerly a monk at the Society of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE) and is now priest in Washington, DC. He spoke passionately and powerfully about prayer. It was a surprise to see Martin, as he has led clergy retreats in CT. All Saints' is my home away from home and I'll plan to be back there again next Sunday. It was a full church including someone with a therapy dog and lots of out of state visitors. They serve breakfast every Sunday between the 8 and 10 am services as an amazing sign of hospitality. I walked back along the boardwalk to our house with a crystal blue sky above and a sea of folks on the beach--fed in many ways with the wonder of this day and a community of love. Signs are everywhere and catch our eyes in surprising ways. "My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning (Psalm 130). I wonder what tomorrow will bring. Today a group of women gathered at the Pond House in Hartford to celebrate the 41st anniversary of women's ordination. It was a delicious luncheon at the invitation of Bishop Laura Ahrens, and some 25+ of us were there. One year ago there was a huge celebration with a day of activities, Holy Eucharist at the Cathedral, a panel discussion with a group of women at varying stages of ministry. It was the 40th anniversary and there were celebrations all around the country including Philadelphia where the first women were ordained those many years ago. Also at last year's celebration was the first woman ordained in CT who has since died.
There are so many women who paved the way for those of us who continue to serve. Ministry then took great courage and thick skin and endurance and faith beyond understanding. These early women were mistreated, held back, rarely considered for parish calls, not seen as equal partners in ministry. Some of their lives were threatened. It was a hard time and yet they bravely made a way for us. Today is a day we remember them and give thanks for all that they did--those who have gone onto greater glory and those who still forge ahead. I put on my collar today and joined this group. It was well worth coming off sabbatical for a short time. The longest ordained among us led us in prayer, and it was a delightful time to just be together. It was a time of thanksgiving and remembering. It was a privilege to be with this group. I was so starkly reminded of what an enormous privilege the gift of ordination is--what it was for these early women and what it is for me each day. |
The Rev.
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