A New Day Begins

This picture is one of the many I captured in the early dawn over Virginia Beach. I love sunrises. The beginning of a brand new day: a new day full of possibilities, unexpected blessings, and opportunities to be God's hands and feet in this world. As I paused to witness the beautiful way in which God ushers in another day, I couldn't help but think of the new day dawning in my life. As the sun sets on my service at Mulberry Presbyterian Church, another day dawns as I joyfully accept the call to be the pastor at Kings Grant Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Yes, after months of interviews, long nights and and early mornings of prayer, reading MIFs and websites and statistics until my eyes got blurry, God has fully convinced me that I am being sent to serve the people at Kings Grant. It was a long journey, full of unexpected twists and turns. I mean, since when does a 2012 car break down one block away from the hotel after a 6 hour drive? How often does a two year old car have the 3rd, 4th, and 5th gears stripped from the transmission? Well that incident meant that we had to drive a rental car for two weeks and then return to Virginia Beach to retrieve our newly fixed car. That return trip, although only 24 hours, was my spiritual discernment retreat that helped lead me to the conclusion God wanted me to start a new chapter of ministry in Virginia Beach.

Of course I'm not going to Kings Grant just because my car broke down there while I was visiting. I'm going because of a search committee that was convinced long before I was that after 403 PIFs I was the one for them. I'm going because God spoke to me through Frederick Buechner who wrote, "The place God calls you to be is where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." I can imagine no deeper gladness than being the next pastor at Kings Grant. I'm going because when God wakes me up between 2:00-4:00 a.m. EVERY morning for 15 days straight thinking about this church, God must be trying to tell me something. I'm going because after trying to convince the search committee I was not the right one, after trying to see myself in other churches, after surrendering this call to God and willing to say no, I couldn't NOT accept this call (sorry for the double negative). I'm going because if the search committee is crazy enough to do their presentation to the congregation in bare feet to honor my preaching style, they must be kindred spirits (either that or as strange as I am). I'm going to this church because they are exactly what I need, and I am exactly what they need, and by God's grace we have been brought together for such a time as this. (And did I mention they are about 10 miles from the beach?) See who they are for yourself at www.kgpc.org.

So starting January 1st, I will be the next pastor at Kings Grant. The moving van comes December 26. December 27 I'll be residing at 604 Sandy Springs Lane  Virginia Beach, VA 23452. January 11 I will preach my first sermon in what I know will be a long and fruitful ministry among a wonderful part of the Body of Christ. February 8 I will be officially installed by the Presbytery. 

A new day brings new possibilities, high hopes, expectations, and excitement. January 1 the sun rises in my life and at Kings Grant. And it's a beautiful thing! 

Don't Do Mission!

Yes, you read it right. Don't do mission. In fact, that might be one of the pitfalls of church today. We do mission like it's something on our check list. We form a mission committee. We have a mission opportunity. We DO mission work. Our mission work.

What's wrong with that? Well first of all it's not primarily our mission. It's God's mission through us. That is a profound shift. Instead of saying, "One of our missions is to volunteer at the soup kitchen once a month" we should be saying, "Because God's mission is to feed the hungry, we volunteer at the soup kitchen." See the difference? Our mission programs begin with God and God's mission in this world.

So what is God's mission? "For God so loved the world, that he sent his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but will have eternal life. For God sent his son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him." God's mission is love and salvation. That's why Jesus came. How did Jesus manifest that love and salvation while he lived? Jesus' mission was proclaimed by him in the temple through the prophet Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." That's God's mission: love and salvation. That's Jesus mission: good news, release, recovery, freedom, proclamation.

Thankfully God's mission has a church. Not God's church has a mission, but God's mission has a church. If the core of who the church is, who we are as Christ followers, is not God's mission, then we've missed the boat. Mission isn't a program, a component of the church's ministry. Mission is who we are, what we are about, how we live. It changes us and transforms us and equips us to do God's mission in this world.

Therefore, mission is a lifestyle to be learned before it is a program to be run. It is a lifestyle of sacrifice and service when we're driving, at the grocery store, at work, doing housework. It is a lifestyle of having "people eyes" as we notice and engage the lives of people around us. It is a lifestyle of being an "ambassador of blessing" finding ways in our everyday lives to bless those around us. It is a lifestyle of love and sharing God's salvation in word and deed with others.

So mission work can be done while we are at the bank and offer to pray for the bank teller who just got a divorce. Mission work can be done when we order food at a restaurant and listen to the waitress talk about how hard it is to make ends meet, then leaving a substantial tip for her. Mission work can be done in a thousand different ways everyday by caring about and being a blessing to those around us.

Let's stop thinking about mission as a component of "church life" and see it as the core of who we are every minute of every day. That's missional living. Seeking to be a blessing to everyone we meet. When mission starts to transform us and makes a profound difference in our lives, then God's mission to transform the world will be done through us. Don't DO mission. BE God's mission every minute of every day.

The Beginning of an End

It was with a heavy heart that Session and I broke the news to the congregation that my last worship service here at Mulberry will be our Christmas Eve Services. It's been a strenuous past few months as we have considered this possibility, hoping to find a way to stay but knowing that God has different plans. Fortunately, by moving to part time status and ending the full time installed position, the congregation is freed to create a search committee and begin their search for a part time pastor immediately. By moving to part time status the financial situation of the church becomes strengthened. By moving to part time status, it also makes the inevitability of leaving that much more real.

For 6 1/2 years I have loved serving this church. With all the ups and downs we've had, it is full of good people with faithful hearts doing their best to follow God's will. It is also hard to leave a situation where so much fruit is evident from these years of mission focus: new members, new visitors, new staff, new intern, new outreach programs, etc.

But like Paul says in I Corinthians 3:6-7, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." I have planted the seeds God has given me. Apollos will come along in January and water the efforts that have been invested. But neither of us deserve any credit, because only God will give growth to those seeds.

These next three months will be one of preparing for a transition, for all of us. I prepare as I pack a house but don't where yet where I will be going. They prepare as they interview and search for a new pastor. Neither of us know quite what to expect or what will happen. It's the beginning of an end, and yet another beginning for all of us is just around the corner. To God be the glory!

Would You Be a Christian if There Were No Afterlife?

It's a strange question, I know. For some it may be offensive. Others may find it simply ridiculous and dismiss the question altogether. But I have found this to be an enlightening spiritual exercise: Would I be a Christian if there were no afterlife? If there were no heaven to strive for or hell to fear?

First of all, let me clarify I do believe in an afterlife and that Jesus paved the way for humanity to experience eternal life. But does Christianity, does Jesus himself, have anything else to offer than just a golden ticket through the pearly gates?

Twice now this issue has been brought to my attention in one capacity or another. The 14 year old young man I am co-preaching with this Sunday has chosen the topic of Salvation. He has experienced a Christian school setting that preached fear of hell and he has other thoughts on reasons to turn to Jesus and live accordingly. Others have asked me if I "believe in a literal heaven or hell"? Many Christians have used heaven and hell as motivation for accepting Jesus as their personal Savior, and preaching that to others.

But what if? What if there were no heaven or hell? Would there still be a reason to be Christian? Would Christians still evangelize and share the good news of Jesus with others? How would they share that good news if there was no fear of hell or reward of heaven?

An unhealthy focus on heaven and hell blinds us to so many other motivations to give our lives to Christ. Here are just a few that come to mind:

1. Gratitude: When we realize that God became a human being, lived an exemplary life in relation with God's triune self, died to forgive our sins, and rose again to prove to humanity it was all true, we respond out of gratitude. We respond in loving God because we have first experienced that love in Jesus. We choose to follow Jesus and live a counter cultural life because we are thankful, appreciative of all God has done for us. We follow Jesus not out of fear of hell, but out of gratitude for the love and forgiveness that's been shown to us.
2. Experiencing Unconditional Love and Forgiveness: Who else can forgive our sins: the mistakes, the failures, the bad decisions? Who else can truly give us unconditional love? We cannot find those two things on this earth. Forgiveness frees us from a past we cannot change. Unconditional love means we don't have to earn, or be worthy, or perform in order to experience acceptance. The only way to experience unconditional love and forgiveness is its purest form is through God in Jesus Christ.
3. A Peace (and Joy) that Passes Understanding: Giving our lives to Christ means we experience a peace that passes understanding and a joy that defies logic. I am reminded of one Christian man who walked into an Arby's and the cashier said, "Why are you so happy?" Believing in Christ means that we can have a peace even in turbulent times, a joy in the midst of difficulties. Our peace and joy do not come from a bank account balance or the stock market or the amount of electronics we have or a prestigious job or our paycheck or house or car or relationships or...you get the picture. It comes from being in relationship with a God who knows us, loves us, and wants to give us abundant life here and now.
4. A Meaningful and Purpose filled Life: When you give your life to Christ, your life suddenly has new meaning. We live counter culturally instead of simply for our own benefit and welfare. We give and help and love those in need, even when we can hardly afford to. We may put ourselves in harm's way to save another life. We may be content with a lower paying job because it gives us time to volunteer more at church or be home more with our families. We are freed from the rat race and the "me mentality" so apparent in our culture.

Granted, not all Christians live this way all the time, myself included. But these are also compelling reasons to follow Jesus. It shouldn't be about fear. We are afraid of what will happen if we don't follow Jesus. Becoming Christian should be more about love, gratitude, forgiveness, peace, joy, meaning, and purpose.

When we give our lives and hearts to Jesus, we begin a process of living a transformed, counter cultural, sacrificial, loving-beyond-our-means kind of life. There is a peace and joy this world cannot take away. Our lives have purpose and meaning we did not have before. We are filled with love, knowing that we are loved and sharing that love with all we meet. Overall, we experience a difference here and now in our lives, not just in the "sweet bye and bye." And we give thanks and praise to the One who gave his life for us that we might have abundant life on earth in the present as well as the future.

Yes, there are many reasons to follow Jesus. I have found the most compelling to be more about how it changes my life today, how it makes a difference in who I am now, how I am encouraged to lead a transformed life on this earth. True, I believe I "may not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) But for me, that's just icing on the cake.

Jonah, Humility, and Unexpected Endings

Since I am working with the children on a Jonah play for this Sunday, I have spent some time in those four chapters recently. There is so much in that story: disobedience, second chances, anger, reluctantly following God's will. But this time around I am struck by the ending.

The book ends with Jonah pouting under a withered tree because things didn’t turn out the way he wanted them to, the way he hoped they would, the way he thought they would. After he was finally faithful to what God was calling him to do, the final result was not what he had anticipated. Life didn’t turn out the way he wanted it to.

Does it ever? Throughout our personal lives, our family lives, and our church lives, there are twists and turns we never expect. Unexpected outcomes. Surprising results that weren’t on the horizon when we started. We may be completely faithful in following God and what God wants us to do and end up in a completely different place than we thought we would be.

Why? Because God’s ways are not our ways. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. God has a plan that we know very little about. God sees the big picture while we only see the immediate “here and now.” Humility is an essential ingredient in our spiritual lives. While we may want something to end a certain way or like to see a certain result, it may not always turn out like that. We must be humble enough to submit to God’s will, to admit we don’t see the big picture, to accept what is and what will be even if we don’t understand.

We don’t know what the future holds for our own lives, for the people we love, for our church, for our world. It may be completely different than what we want or expect. But God IS good all the time, even when we are thrown those curve balls.

Jonah is a wonderful story with a powerful message. The last message is the most powerful of all. How do you respond when life doesn’t go your way, when God’s will is not your will? The hope, the prayer is that Jonah didn’t pout for too long under that sapling. Before too long, perhaps he came to his senses and realized that God’s plans are much greater than anything we could ask or imagine. Whether we understand it at the time or not, may we each have a sense of humility as we travel down life’s road and accept God’s will whatever it may be. Alleluia. Amen.        

GA Day 7 - Last Day but Not Least

Today was the last full day of the General Assembly. Tomorrow (Saturday) we take a few hours for appreciation and closing worship before everyone goes home. But today we HAVE to get all our business done, even if it takes all night. Fortunately, we only went to midnight after starting at 8:30 am and having an hour and a half for lunch and dinner.  Needless to say, it was an exhausting day.

We had a lot of business before us. We voted to limit the number of synods from 16 to 10-12 and referred this to a process for doing it in a responsible way. We dissolved the Korean Presbytery of Hanmi so they could join the presbyteries that are in their geographic area.

After much discussion the General Assembly voted to refer to the the Mission Responsibility Through Investment the request to divest from fossil fuel companies. MRTI will make a report to the next GA. We condemned the use of drones in war to facilitate targeting and killing of suspects. We asked the US government to lift travel restrictions to Cuba and to take off Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

We also passed several  policies for our church governance. If a pastor leaves the denomination while in a church court proceeding, they cannot be work in a PC(USA) church again until they go through the court process. We strongly urged all presbyteries and churches to do background checks before hiring. And finally, several suggestion on how to educate, train, and evaluate those who want to be ministers, including allowing a 3/4 vote to waive ordination requirement for special circumstances.

Yes, there was a lot of work needed to be done.  But all of this paled in comparison to the most controversial issue of the day, and for that matter the week. There is a special committee designated for the Middle East, specifically Israel/Palestine, because of all the resolutions that are sent to the GA about this issue. Three resolutions in particular stood out.

One wanted to call Israel an apartheid state. According to the definition of apartheid, many feel that Israel meets every single requirement. The committee narrowly defeated this motion 33-32 and so did the assembly. Also, we defeated making a distinction between the ancient nation of Israel in scripture and the country of Israel today. We did not feel this distinction was necessary.

Finally we voted on whether or not to divest our money from three American companies (Motorola Solutions, Hewlett Packard, and Caterpillar) doing significant business with Israel and profiting/contributing to the violence going on in that region. PLEASE NOTE: This was not a motion to divest from Israel. This was not against Judaism or the Jewish people. This was not a means to use our finances to cripple companies and get our way. In fact, this will have little or no financial impact on those multi-million dollar corporations. This was a symbolic statement saying what is going on in Israel/Palestine is wrong and so is profiting from the violence. There was passionate debate. This was not so much against Israel as it was against war in general.  In the end, the motion did pass 310-303. It was our closest and most controversial vote. A moment of silence was held for those who would be hurt by this decision. It was an extremely difficult and heart wrenching vote for the GA.

Since I've been home, many have asked how GA was. I often respond with two words: exhausting and exhilarating. It was a lot of meetings, a lot of work, a lot of everything. But the atmosphere was one of mutual respect and understanding. We knew we were doing important, significant, Godly work and took our responsibility seriously. But we also had a little fun, a few laughs, and yes, even a few drinks along the way. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Presbytery of Charlotte and the greater church in this way. It was an experience I will never forget. And through it all, after it all, I can say with more confidence than ever, "I am proud to be a part of the Presbyterian Church (USA)."

GA Day 6 - Difficult Marriage Issues

The General Assembly voted on several matters Thursday. 

We approved that Presbyterians have an interreligous stance with other religions meaning we will seek opportunities for respectful dialogue and mutual relationships with other religious traditions.

We approved advocate measures to prevent gun violence, opposed "stand your ground" laws, asked churches to declare their properties "gun-free zones," raise the age of gun ownership to 21, ban semi automatic  assault weapons, and create advocacy support for state and federal legislation.

We DISapproved a special committee to review PC(USA) abotion policy and a proposal to make a distinction between the ancient state of Israel and the current country of Israel.

We approved a lengthy statement on tax justice offering recommendations seeking a fairer tax system. We approved asking for a moratorium on the death penalty. We approved encouraging all churches to adopt a minimum 6 week parental leave with 100% of salary. We approved a study on end of life issues. 

Yes, we voted on a lot of motions Thursday, but most won't hear about these. Rather, the focus on this day was two fold: should pastors have the ability to perform same gender marriages where it is legal and should the definition of marriage be changed from "a man and a woman" to "two people."

Debate was respectful and civil. We first voted on pastoral discretion for same gender marriages. Should Presbyterian pastors have the choice to marry a same gender couple in a state where it is legal? The committee that debated this issue recommended to the Assembly that we vote yes. The Assembly in fact did vote yes, 61% - 39%. This was an "authoritative interpretation" which means it does not go to presbyteries for approval and is effective Saturday, June 21 at noon. 

Then the wording to redefine marriage was up for a vote. The original motion, again recommended for approval by the small committee, was to define marriage between "two people" instead of a man and a woman. An amendment was proposed which offered a middle ground. Marriage would be defined "between two people, traditionally between a man and a woman." This amendnent passed 85% - 15%. Then we voted on the main motion which passed 71% - 29%. While the motion passed to redefine marriage THAT DOES NOT MEAN MARRIAGE IS REDEFINED. The proposal then goes to the 172 presbyteries for their vote. A majority of the presbyteries must vote in favor for the change to go in effect. This vote will take place in 2015 at the presbytery level.

PLEASE NOTE: We also passed a motion to ask the Office of the General Assembly to develop resources and make personal visits to all presbyteries in an effort of reconciliation. There was a conscious effort made to care for our brothers and sisters who will grieve the decisions that were made today.

After a busy, stressful, and tiresome day, we ended celebrating the 248 churches that have started under the 1001 new initiatives. 248 red beach balls were released and hit around while the song "Happy" was played. It was a great release to the end of a difficult day. 

Prayers are with those whose hopes and dreams have been answered today. Prayers are with those who feel the Presbyterian church is going against the Bible and God's will. Lord, hear our prayers...

GA Day 5 - O Canada! And a Final Decision on Belhar

With the only free morning of the entire week, my room mate, Nancy Wilson, and I decided to leave the country. Fortunately, from Detroit that involved a 30 minute ride on a $4.50 bus ride. We walked around Windsor, Canada for a few hours.

Now in all honesty, Windsor is not all that different from other American cities. But it was nice to see Detroit from across the river...

as opposed to seeing Windsor, Canada from across the river.

It was a breath of fresh air to get away from the United States and walk around the great town of Windsor, have lunch on the river, and get a couple of Canadian souvenirs for the kids.

Then it was time to get down to work...well kind of. There were many presentations and non-business items that took up our time.  My favorite was this video called the Spirit of GA: part 5.  http://vimeo.com/98572797   It was a way to laugh at ourselves about what we find humorous about the General Assembly. There are other Spirit of GAs that are also very interesting.

But seriously, the most important item of business was whether or not to approve the Belhar Confession and send it on to the presbyteries for a 2/3 vote to include it into our Book of Confessions. I was so passionate about this topic that I was one of three people who spoke in favor before we voted on it. While a small contribution to the discussion, I was happy to be a positive part of the next step in including this in our Book of Confessions.  It passed 86%-14%. For all you Presbyterians, it will go before your presbytery next year. Please be an advocate for it.  It's a wonderful confession and prophetic word we need for our country today.

Finally, if you want a more official reporting of what goes on at GA, please see the Presbyterian Outlook page which writes several articles a day on the latest news.  You can find them at http://pres-outlook.org.

Tomorrow we talk about marriage equality issues: whether or not redefine marriage and to allow pastors to do same gender weddings where it is legal. Stay tuned!  More to come!!

GA Day 4 - Get to Know the Belhar Confession

After our perfunctory approval of the minutes and a brief disussion to disapprove designating a Sunday for Presbyterians celebrating the gift of evolution, the rest of our time together 9:30-5:00, was spent on learning about and debating the Belhar Confession.

The Belhar Confession was written in South Africa in 1982 and adopted into the church in Belhar, South Africa in 1986. In the context of apartheid and racism, this confession boldly stood up to discrimination and spoke about unity, reconciliation, and justice. It talks about the sin of segregation, prejudism, and hatred. You can read it and find out more about it at pcusa.org/belhar.

The question before us was whether or not this confession belongs in our Book of Confessions. Now that's a BIG DEAL. The last time a confession was added was in the mid 1980's. Before then it was in the late 1960's. Before then it was the time in Nazi Germany in the 1940's and before then it was the Westminster Confession in the 1600's. All that is to say, adding something to the book of Confessions is a once in a generation, if not lifetime, opportunity.

Clifton Kirkpatrick led our discussion. So what makes a confession worthy of inclusion? We ask questions like, does it speak to our time? Is it a prophetic or needed word to include to our historical documents? The overwhelming answer is YES. Racism still exists in our country. The church hour is still the most segregated hour of the week. The church needs to speak up against this injustice where people are still judged by the color of their skin instead of the content of their character. 

Christians in South Africa stood up against their racial injustice. We are asked to the same in our country. Of almost 60 people on our committee, only 1 person was against the Belhar. Now it goes to the entire General Assembly and if it passes it goes to Presbyteries throughout the next year to get a 2/3 majority vote. We will see what happens.

After our business, I engaged in another important part of GA: socializing and networking. First the entire Presbytery of Charlotte went out to dinner. It was a time to share our experiences, check in with each other, and talk with people we might not see too often. As you can see, we all had a great time led by our positive and uplifting Transitional Presbytery Executive Rev. Betty Meadows. 

Princeton Theological Seminary had a reunion and it was good to meet new people and catch up with long time friends. I met the former moderator Neal Presa who did such a great job representing our denomination the past two years.

I also had the chance to meet the current Vice Moderator Larissa Kwong Abazia, pastor of a thriving multi-cultural church in New York. So glad she will help represent our denomination in the next two years. Here she is with my room mate for the week, Nancy Wilson.

Finally, I ran into the former chaplain at Princeton Theological Seminary with whom I worked as the chapel assistant. Michael Livingston is one of the saints of the church and I was glad to see him again.

While we come here to do ministry, we also strengthen our connections around the denomination as we get to know new people and reconnect with past friends. Tuesday was a great day. We finished our business and strengthened our connections with those in the church. 

GA Day 3 - Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Committee Work I Go

Yes, today was a full day of committee work. Morning and afternoon we met...and met...and met. I was assigned to committee #13: Theological Issues and Institutions. Our business fell into three categories. This was my view for the day...

Some of our business was perfunctory: approving the seminaries to celebrate communion, approving the new president of Princeton Seminary (even though he has been there a year), approving an award to be given to long time faithful saints of the church Cynthia Campbell and Jack Rogers, approving the trustess of all the seminaries, approving the list of PC(USA) related schools, and celebrating 100 years of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education. 

Then there was debate on word smithing the 500th birthday of John Knox. As often happens in committee meetings, we got caught up in the minutia of wording instead of celebrating the main idea which was to set aside a Sunday in October to recognize and celebrate the legacy of John Knox in our denomination. After an hour or more debate, we passed it unanimously.

Oh yeah, and you know when minutes are approved it usually takes 10 seconds. Well we actually had to table approving the minutes and send them back to be rewritten because there were so many spelling and grammar mistakes in them. They will be approved tomorrow. Nothing is ever a given, even approving minutes.

Finally, we had some important discussions about a new proposed Directory of Worship. Just like the Form of Government was rewritten a few years ago, the General Assembly two years ago asked a special committee to come with proposed changes to our Directory of Worship which guides our worship services. For now, we are recommending this new directory to congregations to read over and give feedback before it is sent for approval at the 2016 General Assembly. It will be fine tuned over the next two years and then put up for adoption at the next Assembly.

So those were our accomplishments on Monday. Committee work is not always flashy or exciting. But we dealt with those issues assigned to us that are important to the larger denomination. We were honest in our discussions. We were "faithful in a few things." We are not one of the more controversial comittees. Nevertheless, each one is doing important work. I was glad to be a small part of the work and ministry that needed to be done at the 2014 General Assembly.

GA Day 2 - Filled and Poured Out

Sunday morning and over 40 churches in the Detroit area hosted GA commissioners for worship. I had the great honor of worshipping at Broadstreet Presbyterian Church, an African American congregation. I think we tripled the worship attendance that day but it was an inspiring, moving, exhilirating experience (can you say that about your worship last Sunday?). Lo and behold there is a guest preacher who is none other than the Rev. Dr. Jerry Cannon, a pastor only a few miles from the church I serve in Charlotte. I can't believe I had to go all the way to Detroit to hear Jerry preach, but it was well worth it.

With humor, energy, memorable illustrations, and calling out people's names during the sermon (including mine), one couldn't help but leave worship 10 feet off the ground, ready to show hospitality and love to our neighbor. The choir had a special welcome song for all of the visitors, we took at least 15 minutes to share the peace, we had an altar call (yes you can do that in the Presbyterian church), and we had a delicious lunch afterward. The one hour and forty five minute worship service flew by. What a blessing to be a recipient of Rev. Cannon's preaching.

Well, after worship like that, we came back to sit in a hard, sterile seat and listen to an hour's worth of four special committees make their pitch to support their recommendations. Of course they will do it again when we actually vote on these issues on Thursday or Friday, but I guess they wanted to get a head start persuading us. After a worship service like I had in the morning, it was sure hard to focus on the dry, boring presentations.

On a more hopeful note, we commissioned the Young Adult Volunteers and Mission Workers to overseas service which brought tears to my eyes.  It was in 1998 in Charlotte that I was standing where they were, commissioned to embark on my year in Ghana, West Africa. In fact, the entire Young Adult Volunteer program was lifted up for its 20 year anniversary. My time as a YAV was life changing and continues to influence me today. I am grateful to be a recipient of this amazing program.

Then it was time to go to our individual committees. There are 15 standing committees and commissioners are randomly assigned to one of the fifteen. Mine is Theological Issues and Institutions, but we would not get into any business today. Instead we worshipped and participated in ice breakers meant to get us to mingle and get to know each other. It was actually fun to get to know some more people and what we have in common.

We ended at 9:30 pm but since I had volunteered to read some minutes I stayed to talk with the moderator and parlamentarian about my edits. Somehow I was then asked to be the spokesperson for the group and to type up the edits and recommendations for tomorrow's meeting. I then spent until 11:30 pm creating that document. 

I went to bed exhausted but filled. Glad to be filled by the Spirit in the morning and glad to pour out my gifts to the committee at night.  Tomorrow we start the real committee work. We will see what God has in store!

GA Day 1 - Celebrations and Tribulations

Today is the first official day of the 221st General Assembly. Here is the view from my seat. Is it a coincidence that I am in the second row from the BACK? Thank goodness for the big screens up front or I wouldn't be able to see a thing.

There are about 650 voting commissioners at the GA. Well, 650 commissioners at least. The voting part could be debated. But we'll get to that in a minute.

The highlights for today begin with worship. It started with bagpipes, liturgical dance, and singing. We reaffirmed our baptism during the prayer of confession around the baptismal font (oh yes, that liturgy will show up at Alex's baptism on July 6). The sermon was on one of my favorite texts: the Road to Emmaus. We then celebrated communion together with pottery made especially for this assembly (and yes you can bet I bought one of these fabulous communion sets). We closed with more singing. It's amazing to be a part of 1,000 Presbyterians all worshipping together. I'm also excited to share that communion will be served each day that plenary meets. No matter our viewpoints we will all gather together at the table. I love that worship will daily bring us together to remind us what we have in common in an atmosphere that often reminds us what our differences are.

The second highlight was a video that blew me away, well if you are a diehard presbyterian that is. You gotta see this! http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M0iYniL2WKg  It is HILARIOUS!! It was a great way to laugh at ourselves with the most influential leaders of our denomination. This video showed we can have fun even as we do the ministry of the church. Plus, I just love Les Miserables!

A third highlight was actually a lowlight. Despite our efforts to enter the 21st century, the online voting system was a complete catastrophe. After it became clear this system was not working, we went to plan B as clickers (like remote controls) were handed out. We then spent even more time practicing our voting procedures. After OVER AN HOUR we finally decided to move on, even considering Plan C, using paper votes for the 650 commissioners.  So much for technology! One of the more frustrating moments of the first day of GA, for sure.

Finally, our most important task for the day was to choose a new moderator for not only the General Assembly, but for the next two years until the next assembly meets. The moderator is the face of the PC(USA), the spokeperson for our denomination. There were three candidates: John Wilkinson, a pastor in New York; Heath Rada, an elder who is the former President of Presbyterian School of Christian Education; and Kelly Allen, a pastor in Texas. There was about an hour of debate before the first vote was cast. And yes...we used good ole paper ballots. Because a candidate needs 51% of the vote it was very likely that we would have to vote two times. But Heath Rada received over 50% of the vote on the first ballot.

I voted for Heath also. He brings a sensitivity to diversity that I appreciate. He intentionally chose a young, female, Chinese American pastor as his running mate because he knew his face needed a different partner to complete the image of the church. He is very inclusive of all people and will make all feel welcome in the PC(USA). He describes himself as a bridge builder, a needed gift in our denomination in these times. A picture of what he believes is below as well as him being installed as the new moderator. That's him secon from the right and Larissa is on the left holding her young child.

It was a long but fulfilling day at the General Assembly. The Spirit was present in a number of ways (except in the technology). May the Spirit continue to move among us and within us in the days to come.

GA Day 0 - Pregame Rituals

Get on flight to Detroit. Check. Get luggage and find the GA Welcome Table complete with colored plaquard. Check. Get to hotel, check in, and arrange items. Check. Find convention center, register, get blue commissioner badge. Check. Peruse Exhibit Hall and pick up lots of free pens, chocolate, tape measure, sunglasses, rulers, post it notes, water bottles, frisbees, iphone stands, and keychain lights (as well as literature at said booths). Check. Get the lay of the land: where are the convention rooms, restaurants, hotels, bathrooms. Check. 

The General Assembly starts tomorrow officially at 11:00 am with opening worship. Today was about the pregame rituals. Preparing for this experience called GA. Getting settled in for the marathon of meetings, conversations, worship, and ministry that comes with GA. 

One pregame ritual I have is to find the prayer spaces. I need to know where to go when I am tired, spiritually and physically. When I am confused. When I am disappointed. When I am overjoyed. Where is the safe space, the sacred space to commune with God. After all, we say we are seeking God's will. Where can I hear that will clearest?

I am proud to report there are 5 such prayer spaces at the General Assembly, all with different sacred space. There is a silent contemplative room. An interactive prayer room with art and mandalas and origami. Another place to post prayer concerns on a board. An art exhibit depicting an immigrants perspective on the stations of the cross. And finally, my favorite, the labyrinth. 

There is something about movement and pray that attracts me. Maybe because I can never sit still or because my body is so used to being in motion from the time my feet hit the floor to the time my head hits the pillow. I seek God best when I am walking, intentionally following a path of twists and turns that inevitably leads to the center, my center.

My pregame rituals for these wonderfully busy, crazy, exhausting events is walking the labyrinth...every day. Taking a time out to re-center myself on the One whom alone I follow, the only one whose opinion really matters on these many divisive issues.

My hope is that each commissioner intentionally finds time each day to be with God, commune with God, hang out with God, listen to God. I believe the General Assembly will be better for it. I believe the PC(USA) will be better for it. I believe our individual churches will be better for it. I believe each person will be better for it.  After all, isn't that why we are here? To listen to the One who called us to be here in the first place?

This makes it official. I am a GA junkie and a PC(USA) nerd.

The Presbyterian Family Reunion

General Assembly. Some people love it. Others run away from it like the plague. I happen to be someone who loves General Assemblies having attended five of them (although my last one was ten years ago). The pulse of the denomination runs through each assembly. Every other year thousands of Presbyterians gather to worship, pray, make connections, discuss, argue, and make decisions together. There's an energy like no other. And I feel the Holy Spirit at work in my denomination.

This year I will have a different perspective on General Assembly since it is my first year as a commissioner. As a commissioner I am assigned a committee: Theological Issues and Institutions. I work with all the business that relates to our Presbyterian Seminaries as well as the Book of Confessions and the Directory of Worship. Some of the items are a bit mundane (although still important) such as approving seminaries to serve communion, approving the new president at Princeton Theological Seminary, and approving the trustees of our theological institutions. Other items are much more controversial such as a proposal to revise the Directory for Worship and adding the Belhar Confession to our Book of Confessions, something which hasn't been done since the 1980's. I look forward to discerning God's will on these issues and adding my voice to the discussion.

Of course, there are hot button issues: whether or not to redefine marriage as between two people instead of a man and a woman, allowing Presbyterian clergy to perform same sex marriages in states where it is legal, and whether or not to divest our investments from American companies that are making a profit from the violence in Israel and Palestine. These will be discussed on the floor of our plenary sessions after the appropriate committee brings its recommendation to the body.

The General Assembly is the Presbyterian family reunion. Like all family reunions, there will be parts of the family that don't see eye to eye and get into heated arguments. There will be parts of the family that try to bring peace and compromise. There will be parts of the family that bring humor and laughter. There will be parts of the family that remind us God is in charge, not us. Maybe that's why I love General Assemblies. It reminds me that I am part of a family and while we are not perfect, or always in agreement, or even make the "right" decisions, we are family nevertheless.

I look forward to blogging everyday from the General Assembly starting June 13 to share my perspective on each day's events. I know our Transitional General Presbyter Rev. Betty Meadows will be as well. I'm sure many other people will be sharing their insights. If you want to keep up with all that's going on, you will want to visit www.pc-biz.org.

For now I ask for your prayers as thousands of Presbyterians descend upon Detroit for one week to discern God's will for the future of our denomination and the various issues we face. We need a Pentecost moment. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us and bring us together. We need God's presence to be palpable as we gather. Please join me in prayer. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer...

The World's Uncertainty vs. God's Vision

The last few weeks I have noticed more than ever that life is full of uncertainty. Actually life IS uncertainty. We never know what each day will bring, what will happen, who we will meet. Have you ever gone to bed, taken a few moments to reflect on the day and thought, "Well, I never expected THAT to happen"? We don't know what the future holds: health, family, employment, plans. Everything always seems "up in the air" and some days and weeks more than others.

It's a helpless feeling really. Not being able to prepare or know what lies ahead. It's the same with churches. When a pastor leaves the future seems so uncertain. When the deficit budget is adopted the future seems so uncertain. When significant changes are made the future seems so uncertain.

And with uncertainty comes fear. We face our illusion of control. We confront our need to know. We realize that many times we can't see what is down the road for our individual lives or our churches, and so we can't prepare. And then the thought creeps in like a disease, "What if...?" What if the test result is positive? What if I only have a few more months to live? What if I lose my house? What if I can't provide for my family? What if I have to move to a nursing home? What if the church doesn't grow? What if we run out of money? What if the church dies? Our minds wander down the rabbit trail of "What if..." and anxiety, worry and fear start to overwhelm us.

Fear is powerful. It changes how you act and think. To some extent it even changes YOU. We think more about our needs and go into a "fight or flight" mode. We enter into a survival mentality. We cling and hold on and try to maintain what little control we have in life.

I was reminded last night that God doesn't want us to live with a survival mentality. While meeting with the Vision Team, we encouraged each other to live in a way that advances God's vision for your life and your church. That vision is full of hope and joy and love. It's not easy when your gut tells you to live in fear, to "fight or flight", to have a survival mentality; to worry about money, or health, or the "what ifs..."

Jesus says, "Do not worry about tomorrow..." In an uncertain world, it's hard to do. There's a lot of things we could worry about. But no matter what happens, God is still God. No matter what happens, God will never leave us. No matter what happens, God's will will prevail some way, somehow. 

Do not let an uncertain future cause you to be overwhelmed with fear. Don't get caught up in the "What ifs..." of life. Don't live with a survival mentality. Take a deep breath. Be still and know that God is still God. Focus on God's vision for your life and your church. A vision of abundant hope, joy, love, peace. Live into that vision each and every day because it is far more than we can ask or even imagine. 

Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen."

A Struggle to Make This a "Holy Week"

I have often said that Holy Week is to pastors what April 15th is to CPAs. And this year they fall on the same week! At the most holiest time of the year, I feel the most stressed. 4 services to prepare, a huge Easter Egg Hunt, logistics, newsletter articles, blog writing, Lenten Lunch, two new members and a baptism, and oh, did I mention 4 services to prepare? On top of that, the school system thought this would be a great week for Spring Break! Not that I am complaining (ok, maybe just a little). I love this time of year. Ironically, I love the passion, the agony, the sorrow, the depths that then leads to new life, a new day, a new creation. It's a true privilege to have the opportunity to craft 4 services that speak to all these emotions, and to try to do it in a way that is creative, meaningful, powerful.

But all too often the list of things to do and the need to "produce" those bulletins, liturgy, and sermons takes it toll. I so want to truly engage this week, sit with it, listen and experience the lows and the highs, but the time constraints often strangle out the contemplative side I long to experience in Holy Week. Every year I promise myself it will be different. I will do everything ahead of time so when I get to this week I can breathe a little easier. But every year, it never works out like that. The copier breaks down, staff get sick, I get sick, or like this year, three funerals in the last two weeks consume any extra time I had.

I am then faced with a choice every year. I can throw up my hands and give up trying to experience any sense of holy in one of the craziest, busiest weeks of a pastor's year. Or I can seek the holy in the midst of the preparation, the crazy, busy logistics, the pouring out of my heart and soul as these four services are molded and crafted by the Holy Spirit through me.

It's not easy, being attentive to the Holy with a list-of-things-to-do a mile long. But then again, it's never easy, is it? If I waited until I had an extra hour of free time to truly commune with God, it would never happen! If it was only on retreat that I felt God's presence, I would only experience it once a year! The struggle is to see God in the every day, in every person, in every situation. To sit back at the dinner table every day and ask yourself, "Where did I see God today?" To see the Holy weaving itself throughout the minutia of ordinary life.

Whatever you are going through this week, God the Holy One is right there. Look, seek, be attentive to the Holy in your midst: in the doctor's office, at the grocery store, in the Spring cleaning, at work, in the kitchen, in the yard, running errands, changing diapers, being a taxi service for your family. Set a timer on your cell phone or watch and when it goes off ask yourself, "Where is God right here and now in this situation?"

After all, every week is holy. Every place is holy. Every situation is holy. Because God is there. Nothing else is needed.

Baptized at the Jordan River

Well, I wasn't really baptized at the Jordan River since my baptism occurred when I was 2 years old in California. But I reaffirmed my baptism at the Jordan River when I was in Israel a few short weeks ago. I had never been "dunked" before and in the cooler waters of the Jordan it was quite a "refreshing" experience.

Baptism is a beautiful sacrament in the church. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, one's sins are wiped clean and a person is welcomed into the church universal. In my tradition the sacrament is usually for infants, although I have done a few adult baptisms in my lifetime. In fact, Nelio and I will have Alex baptized this summer now that he has turned 5 years old. We wanted him to be a part of his baptism and to remember it, as we did with Christian 2 years ago.

Having experienced "baptism" by immersion, I can see why that method is so appealing to adult believers. It really does allow one to die in Christ, die to self, die by being submersed in water, and then "resurrected" up out of the water, a new creation.

I feel very fortunate to be able to experience this for the first time in the Jordan River. Thanks to our guide Meir More who took this video, unbeknownst to me. A few pastors travelling with their church members from the US were gracious enough to assist.

This was truly one of the highlights of my Israel trip and I moment I will not forget. Please click on the link to see the video. Chris' "baptism" in the Jordan River

Pilgrimage to Israel Final Entry

Having been home from my pilgrimage to Israel for a few days now, people have asked, "So how was it?" "How have you been changed?" "What was it like?" "I want to hear all about it."

How do you put into words an indescribable experience? 

As I write my final entry about Israel, I want to reflect on what I've learned and how I have been impacted.  Here are the top nine lessons I learned on my pilgrimage to Israel.

1. Planning pays off. Literally and figuratively. Because of the hours and hours of research and reading reviews, we were able to find great prices for hotels, transportation, guide, and restaurants. We also found out about places like Petra and Mt. Bental we never would have known if we hadn't taken the time to read, study, and research. I find it is the same in life. You may know what you want in life - a better job, a university degree, lose weight - but unless you make a plan and take steps to fulfill those dreams, they will never become reality. Goals, dreams, hopes for one's life are great, but at some point there needs to be a plan on how to make them come true. It takes a lot of work, time, energy, but in the end the fulfillment of that dream makes it all worthwhile. It took me 15 years to finally make this pilgrimage a reality, but in the end it was all worth it.  That being said...

2. Nothing ever goes as planned. No matter how meticulously I planned this trip, something always comes up. A suggestion from the guide to go to Hebron changed our plans for the afternoon. Weather prohibits certain trails on the hike. Our bodies scream "NO MORE!" the second day of the Jesus trail. The internet has the wrong information, people don't answer emails, and reviews on the internet are not always accurate. On pilgrimage and in life one must be flexible. To have a plan for the day and know that plan will not completely work out. I like to think of it as holding life loosely: to have a plan but to know that plan is only a rough draft with the final version to be written by God, circumstances, others, and even myself. When the plan doesn't work out, don't get angry or bitter. Just think of it as a new version, an edited copy, another opportunity to have a different experience. In our experience, what happened each day was much better than what we had planned anyway.

3. Who you travel with makes all the difference. Rose and I have been friends for over 10 years. We have spent hours upon hours together walking and prayer and talking about deep and not-so-deep things. We believed we would be good travel partners and fortunately, we were right. We like to do the same things, we are both morning people, we are both very spiritual people. I like to plan and take charge and she likes to follow along, but speak up when something is important to her. We made the perfect travel team. Who you travel with in life makes all the difference. Some travel partners such as children or parents we do not choose. Other travel partners like spouses and friends, we do. Choose wisely. The pilgrimage of life can hinge on who travels with us. Do they love you, support you, encourage you, believe in you, are a positive influence for you, listen to you? Choose your life traveling companions wisely.

4. A good guide makes the experience much better. Meir More was a true God send for us. He helped us appreciate what we were seeing. He kept us from getting lost. He knew the most efficient way to see the most sites and how to avoid lines. And he was a likable and open minded travel companion. In life also, there are always people that know more than us in a particular area. Humbling ourselves enough to learn from others makes our life experience richer. It may keep us from making mistakes as we learn from theirs. It may help guide us on the pilgrimage of life. Look for wise guides along the way and when you find one, stop and listen and learn what they have to teach you. You journey will be better for it.

5. Community matters. It was not just Rose and I who made this journey. I felt dozens more travel with us as messages and "likes" were left on my facebook page, emails sent, and  phone calls made. An entire community experienced this pilgrimage virtually and vicariously. We are never isolated individuals. We are always connected to community. Community can cheer us on, encourage us, teach us and learn from us. Stay connected to your community. Share with them your heart and your journeys. Receive their support and love. It will make your journey that much better. 

6. Prayer makes a difference. Every day at breakfast Rose and I prayed for God to go before us, guide us, and be with us. And every night at dinner we reflected on how God went before us and was with us. We felt the prayers of those in our community who were also praying for us: for safety, for a transforming experience, for our well being. Prayer makes a huge difference. We were surrounded by prayer from beginning to end. Why don't we do that for our day to day lives? Surrounding ourselves in prayer, waking up each morning asking for God's presence and guidance will only make our life pilgrimage that much more meaningful. Pray not just on a pilgrimage but everyday and see what a difference it can make.

7. God will show up! It was amazing how God was at work on this pilgrimage. Even to the point when it became humorous. On the second to last day, when we got in the car, it rained the entire time until we got to our next destination. Then it cleared up, gave us plenty of time to see what we wanted and about two minutes before we were ready to leave, the rain would slowly start and we looked at each other and said, "God says it's time to go!" This happened no less than 4 times in one day. It became a joke that God was "just showing off now." But seriously we felt God's presence the entire time in real and palpable ways. God isn't just with us when we are thousands of miles away from home. God always shows up every day to surround us in God's presence. Which brings me to the next lesson I learned...                                            

8. Getting out of my comfort zone makes me pay attention to God. It's not that God was at work more in Israel than in my life here in Charlotte, it's that I was paying more attention. Out of my comfort zone I couldn't rely on my coping skills or the same old routine. Instead I had to rely more on God. Oh to learn this in my day to day life! God is with us and goes before us everyday if we would only pay attention. My hope and prayer is to pay more attention to a God who is already at work in my life, both in Israel and in Charlotte.

9. Pilgrimage changes you, although you may not know to what extent for some time to come. I know I will read scripture differently after this pilgrimage. That places and people mentioned will now come to life as never before. I have a better appreciation for how various religions interact with each other and the complexity of the situation in Israel. I have a larger perspective on God, faith, religion, scripture, and life in general. Yet, I think I won't know the true impact of this pilgrimage for some time to come. Life journeys change us, some for the better and some worse. They help shape who we are today, though at the time we may not know its full effect on our lives. Each experience molds us into the person we are today. Be grateful for your life journeys and travel each one with an openness as it shapes you into the one you will become.

Pilgrimage to Israel Day 13

When a Christian group was digging to establish a pilgrim hostel and spiritual center, they found some ruins. Not uncommon in Israel. As they started the excavations, they realized they had found the town of Magdala. Made famous by Mary whom Jesus cured, Magdala was a wealthy fishing town on the Sea of Galilee. No doubt Jesus was here several times as he conversed with people in the synagogue and travelled the area. 

In the synagogue they found a very special stone where a menorah was carved on one side, the first one of its time period found outside of Jerusalem.

Magdala is currently under excavation and will one day be completed as a popular tourist attraction. It was great to see yet another place Jesus had been to.

We met up again with our guide Meir for this last day of site seeing. First stop was Megiddo. The place where many battles were fought and the prophesied location in Revelation where the last battle of the end times will occur. Why was there so much conflict here? It is a high place that controlled a major trade route from Egypt to Mesopotamia. Whoever controlled the area and the mountain, controlled the trade and the economy. Joshua defeated the Canaanite troops here and King Solomon built a great city here. This is what it looked like back then.

There is even a stone dating back 5,000 years which has served as an altar of sacrifice for centuries upon centuries.

Though the remnants of centuries of conquests exist on this site, the future prediction is just as violent. Also known as Armageddon, this may just well be where the final battle on earth will happen. Given its history, it would not be surprising.

Mt. Carmel was the next stop where Elijah had a contest with King Ahab and the prophets of Baal. Elijah challenged the prophets to determine who was the real God. Each built an altar and prayed for their God to light it. Nothing happened on the Baal altar but when Elijah prayed God set the altar on fire at once (1 Kings 18:17-40). All the people worshipped the one true God. 

After winning, all 450 Baal priests went down to the river and were personally slaughtered by Elijah himself. Some prophet!

This is also the same mountain where King Ahab looked down on Naboth's field hoping to purchase it in 1 Kings 21:1-24.  When Naboth wouldn't sell his vineyard, Jezebel took matters into her own hands and had him unjustly arrested and killed. Elijah was not happy with this and told the couple that dogs would end up licking their blood. The prophesy came true, all because one king looked out over these fields and wanted someone else's land.

The Romans may not have created the arch, but they sure perfected it and used it to their advantage. One of their most important contributions to civilizations was the creation of the aqueduct. Water is essential for any village but good drinking water is not always plentiful. When King Herod, who grew up under Roman influence, wanted to build up Israel, he used this technology to transport water to areas where new cities sprang up. The original 2,000 year old arch still stands even after several civilizations have built upon it and next to it.

Our fourth stop was Caesarea, built as a Roman city by King Herod and where he spent a majority of his time. He honored the Roman Empire by naming it after his friend, Caesar Augustus. Herod didn't do anything small scale. He built a manmade port to rival any port of its day. After all, if you controlled the port, you could tax the boats and the trade and become a very rich country. While only a fraction of it remains, the model shows how massive it was.

This was also King Herod's personal place of relaxation.  He built himself a palace with his own pool...

Had his own Olympics and horse races...

And his own theater where concerts still take place 2,000 years later.

Caesarea was built as a Roman city in a Jewish kingdom. It was built to demonstrate the dominance of the Roman Empire over other religions and cultures. Interestingly enough, 2,000 years later that empire has crumbled and the Jews and Christians are the ones who visit these ruins, having survived the past 2,000 years despite the rise and fall of empires. 

We ended the day in Joppa, now known as Jaffa or Yafo, in the southern part of Tel Aviv. Joppa was an important Mediterranean seaport of its day and plays a significant role in two scriptures. First it is the place Jonah runs to to catch a boat in the opposite direction of Nineveh (Jonah 1:3). The old port of Joppa still exists in some form and even though it was a rainy night, the port is still visible.

Of course, Jonah meets a fishy fate as he is thrown overboard and eaten by a big fish only to be spit up on shore three days later. Jonah is then ready to obey God and heads for Nineveh.

The other story involves the disciple Peter. Peter is at Simon the Tanner's house when he goes up on the roof at lunch time and has a vision from God about eating unclean animals. Then some men from Caesarea (where we had just been) knock on the door and tell him that Cornelius is sending for him. Cornelius is not Jewish and the first official Gentile baptism (Acts 9:42-10:8). 

After 13 days, 1,712 pictures, and lots of memories, we leave Israel with full hearts. It has been a surreal time as we traversed the entire country, from the southernmost point of Eilat, to the eastern border on the Jordan river, to the northern area of Tel Dan, and the Mediterranean western shore of Jaffa. We are so grateful for these wonderful experiences and will treasure them always. Israel is an amazing country full of so much historical, political, and religious significance. This pilgrimage has brought the Bible to life, both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Gospels. We will never read scripture the same again. But even more important, it is a spiritual place, a "thin place" where God was present with us each and every day. Wherever we go in life, may every place be a thin place where we feel the powerful presence of God. Shalom!