Here’s a picture of our Holy Land group taken on the Mount of Olives with the Temple Mount, the Dome of the Rock, and the city of Jerusalem in the background. Having traveled with fifteen people, I can testify that there are many advantages to a smaller group. We all got to know each other, we were able to visit more sites than some of those …
We took this picture about 27 hours ago, at 2 AM in the lobby of the Grand Court Hotel in Jerusalem. I wanted everyone to see Malcolm and Muhammed, the two men who worked together to give us such a memorable Holy Land tour. I mentioned a few days ago that Malcolm is a born teacher. On further reflection, I don’t know that I’ve ever met …
On Monday night we gathered in our hotel room and everyone gave us the disks with all the pictures from the trip. The result was enormous–over 5200 pictures taken by 8 people over 10 days equaling 11 gigs of space. I plan to cull out the duplicates and give each person a flash drive with the best pictures. Here are some favorites from our tri…
On our final day of touring we started by ascending to the Temple Mount, site of Solomon’s Temple, Herod’s Temple, and the site of Mount Moriah where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22). Since 691 AD it has also been the site of the Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site in Islam. Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammed ascended to h…
We were reminded on Sunday morning of the tensions that lie just beneath the surface in the Middle East. We started the day by leaving the Western Wall in time for our appointment to enter the Rabbis Tunnel (also called the Western Wall Tunnel) that runs underneath the surface of Jerusalem and goes north along the Western Wall and finally exits int…
A Holy Land tour always takes on a rhythm of its own. In the beginning and for several days, adrenaline keeps everyone running in overdrive. Eventually a combination of jet lag and sheer fatigue from the long days leads to a bit of a slowdown. This is entirely natural, and in large part is due to the fact that you are in a foreign land, seven or ei…
We managed to survive our trip to Bethlehem this afternoon, though it was a close call, and not because of anything having to do with politics. In fact, crossing into Bethlehem was very easy indeed. Because of the prevailing situation, our Jewish guide Malcolm could not join us on the trip to Bethlehem. That’s the law and he could be heavily …
On Tuesday morning we set out on our first day of touring with only four hours of sleep. You forget, at least I do, how hectic a tour can be. Fun and exciting and enlightening but also very hectic. You start early every day and you never really stop.In the five times Marlene and I have been to Israel we have always been blessed with excellent guide…
I’m writing this note–hurriedly–from our room at the Dan Panorama Hotel in Ceasarea on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in northern Israel. It’s bright and sunny and warm in Israel this morning. After a long layover in the Istanbul airport, and after sitting on the tarmac in Istanbul for an hour, we arrived in Tel Aviv ar…
Last week I sent out a sermon called Who is Jesus Christ? In response a friend in Seattle wrote down his thoughts. I foudn them very moving. Who is this person Jesus Christ? It’s as simple a question as it is deep. This is where God took my thoughts on your question. Who is Jesus Christ to me?He is the tissue that wipes away my tears.He …