TRAVELING THE GALILEE
We’ve spent the past few days traveling The Galilee. I grew up thinking that Galilee was a city or town like Nazareth or Jerusalem. It wasn’t until my first trip to Israel that I learned that The Galilee was a region in northern Israel. The people here further differentiate between The Upper Galilee (north of Magdala/ Capernaum) and The Lower Galilee, the area we are staying in and around Tiberius, Nazareth, Mount Tabor [Transfiguration]
We visited the town of Nazareth where Mary the mother of Jesus was first approached by the angel Gabriel to learn she would be the mother of One to be called Emmanuel. It’s likely that Jesus spent the first 20 years of this life there. While in Magdala (Mary Magdalene’s hometown) we saw the boat that was excavated in 1986 and has been dated as a fishing boat of the 1st century. We sailed in a replica boat to the middle of the Sea where we heard scripture read, prayed the Lord ’s Prayer together and were led in singing “Amazing Grace” by Barbara Rumberger.
Another stop was the top of Mount Tabor – getting there is a miracle in itself with its switchbacks zigzagging us up the mountain. I don’t know about your recollection of the story in the Gospel, but I’m fairly sure that when Peter, James and John wanted to construct “booths” in the place they saw Jesus transfigured and where Elijah and Moses appeared next to him, Jesus said “no.” Yet today there is a rather large church on that place with... yes, you guessed it, three separate places to worship Moses, Elijah and Jesus.
After Mount Tabor, I stood in the headwaters of the Jordan River and after a short common liturgy, renewed the baptismal covenant of most of our travelers. Once again we claimed faith in Jesus Christ, once again we renounced Satan and the powers of evil in the world. It was a lovely expression of faith in a lovely setting on a lovely morning in northern Israel.
Tonight at sundown Shabbat begins, the Jewish Sabbath. What I see in this country as an observance of their Sabbath gives me pause. In anticipation of the Sabbath, stores have all closed. Families have gathered for leisure activities together (the kids aren’t at the mall, while the parents are somewhere else). I’m not so naïve as not to understand that some of these practices are cultural and not religious…but it challenges me to reconsider my practice of Sabbath as a day set apart.
While much of what we are seeing buoy’s our faith, some challenges what we learned in Sunday School. I know God has something specific to teach each of us as we continue to walk this faithful path. Being here convinces me that God has specific hopes and dreams for each one of us; that our faith is not one size fits most. What specific thing is God teaching you in this season of your life? Keep seeking. God is still calling. PEACE AND JOY, THE CELTIC MONK
We visited the town of Nazareth where Mary the mother of Jesus was first approached by the angel Gabriel to learn she would be the mother of One to be called Emmanuel. It’s likely that Jesus spent the first 20 years of this life there. While in Magdala (Mary Magdalene’s hometown) we saw the boat that was excavated in 1986 and has been dated as a fishing boat of the 1st century. We sailed in a replica boat to the middle of the Sea where we heard scripture read, prayed the Lord ’s Prayer together and were led in singing “Amazing Grace” by Barbara Rumberger.
Another stop was the top of Mount Tabor – getting there is a miracle in itself with its switchbacks zigzagging us up the mountain. I don’t know about your recollection of the story in the Gospel, but I’m fairly sure that when Peter, James and John wanted to construct “booths” in the place they saw Jesus transfigured and where Elijah and Moses appeared next to him, Jesus said “no.” Yet today there is a rather large church on that place with... yes, you guessed it, three separate places to worship Moses, Elijah and Jesus.
After Mount Tabor, I stood in the headwaters of the Jordan River and after a short common liturgy, renewed the baptismal covenant of most of our travelers. Once again we claimed faith in Jesus Christ, once again we renounced Satan and the powers of evil in the world. It was a lovely expression of faith in a lovely setting on a lovely morning in northern Israel.
Tonight at sundown Shabbat begins, the Jewish Sabbath. What I see in this country as an observance of their Sabbath gives me pause. In anticipation of the Sabbath, stores have all closed. Families have gathered for leisure activities together (the kids aren’t at the mall, while the parents are somewhere else). I’m not so naïve as not to understand that some of these practices are cultural and not religious…but it challenges me to reconsider my practice of Sabbath as a day set apart.
While much of what we are seeing buoy’s our faith, some challenges what we learned in Sunday School. I know God has something specific to teach each of us as we continue to walk this faithful path. Being here convinces me that God has specific hopes and dreams for each one of us; that our faith is not one size fits most. What specific thing is God teaching you in this season of your life? Keep seeking. God is still calling. PEACE AND JOY, THE CELTIC MONK
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