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!

Pilgrimage to Israel Day 12

On our final day in the Sea of Galilee area we planned to drive up to the northern area of the country. We begin with Kursi, the traditional site of the exorcism story in which Jesus casts multiple demons out of a man into a herd of pigs (Mark 5:1-20). You can just imagine the pigs running off this cliff and into the sea. 

Mt. Bental was our next destination. First let us say there were 5 other tour buses up where we were. We were not in any imminent danger. That being said, Mt. Bental is in the Golan Heights and about 13 kilometers (around 8 miles) from the Syrian border. The history is too complex to explain in this blog, but suffice it to say the Golan Heights belonged to Syria until Israel took it over in the 6 Day War in 1967. Mt. Bental was a Syrian bunker that was used to defend the mountain. Now it is a tourist attraction where you can see the original bunkers.

Metal statues seem to eerily bring this area to life.

Some humor was also added to the site as an artist used the scrap metal found here to create some interesting statues.

All humor aside, it was a very sobering place to be. It became even more real as we looked over the horizon to Syria and actually heard the bombs exploding due to their civil war. About every 5 minutes we heard an explosion and saw the devastation along the border where once thriving cities were now ghost towns. So sad that such a beautiful area had known and continues to be a place of such violence.

Our continued drive in the north led us to Nimrod Fortress where the impressive ruins of a once Medieval stronghold controlled the roads going in and out of Northern Israel.

It has a secret underground tunnel exit. Shhh, don't tell anyone.

Banias is a nature preserve where we took in the natural beauty of northern Israel. These lush forests were such a contrast to the desert areas in the south we had experienced just one week earlier. Also known as Ceasarea Philippi, Jesus was on his way to this village when he asked his disciples who they thought he was and Peter answers the Messiah (Mark 8:27-30).

The waterfall was worth the 45 minute walk.

Finally we went to Tel Dan, the traditional northern border of Israel and not far from the border with Lebanon. Dan is the northern most area of Israel and one of the original twelve tribes. It also has a nature reserve and some key archeological finds. It's absolutely gorgeous. 

On this last night near the Sea of Galilee we had to partake of the traditional St. Peter's Fish dinner (also known as Tilapia). And there it is...enough said.

We will miss this beautiful sea and countryside. It was a truly sacred place.

Pilgrimage to Israel Day 11

We have the privilege of exploring the Sea of Galilee today, the area where Jesus spent most of his adult life.  We quickly realized that using public transportation would be very difficult so we arranged to pick our rental car up one day early in Tiberias. Tiberias is the largest city on the Sea of Galilee and has all the amenities, including McDonald's (a kosher one of course).

Actually Tiberias was not good to us. We thought we could get a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee but were flatly told not only did they not sail from Tiberias, you also had to be a part of a group to get on a boat. We wandered around but Peter's church was closed, we couldn't find a souvenir shop, and there was not much to do or see. I did find a Presbyterian church, the only one we saw the entire trip.

Finally we got the rental car and were free of Tiberias. Next stop was Ginosar where we tried to get on board a boat sailing on the Sea of Galilee. We went to the boat dock but they could not help us since they don't let individuals on board. So we hung out in the entrance way and saw a very happy group come through the doors. It was easy to spot the tour guide and we asked him if we could pay our way to join the group. He asked the group of 8 men and women from South Africa who said yes. First stop was to see the ancient boat unearthed after 2,000 years and on display.

This boat was an amazing find in 1986. Buried in mud the wood had been preserved and dated back 2,000 years ago. Maybe it was the boat James and John or Peter used to fish, or even the boat Jesus slept in when the storm was raging outside. Who knows? It was really neat to see this ancient relic from so long ago.

Then we got on a boat ourselves and headed off on the Sea. It was a beautiful sunny day and the water was calm. 

The group from South Africa sang and danced as we listened to praise songs like "Here I Am to Worship" and "Blessed be the Name of The Lord" as well as "When the Saints go Marching In" and "Amen." It was a blast! I was once again impressed by how big the Sea of Galilee really was. We also laughed when we were told that Jesus wasn't a fan of Tiberias and never went to Tiberias since it was the seat of the Roman government in this area. No wonder we didn't like it there!

We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting four holy sites in Tabgha and Capernaum. We started with the Mount of Beatitudes. A beautiful Franciscan Church with manicured grounds built on this mountain providing a great view and space for reflection.

Looking out onto the countryside, it was easy to see how Jesus used these gently sloping hills to talk to thousands of people and share his wisdom and teachings as recorded in Matthew 5-6.

Next we headed to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish where Jesus is said to have performed the feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21). Under the altar is a rock where some believe Jesus set the loaves and fish before breaking and distributing them. Next to the rock is the famous mosaic made in 480 and still perfectly intact. This is now the symbol of the church and the city of Tabgha.

Then we went to Peter's House with a UFO built over it.

Seriously, this was a really neat place where practically a whole city was excavated, the city where Jesus grew up in Capernaum. There was the synagogue where he likely taught.

And there was a house that didn't have the normal house furniture and instead had lots of oil lamps. It is believed this was a place many of the early Christians worshipped and is thought to be St. Peter's house. 

A UFO looking church was built over the exact place of ancient worship. It was one of the most beautiful churches I had ever seen. The glass sides let lots of the light in and the seating was in a circle. The middle had a plexiglass opening where you could see the ancient worship site. Truly a beautiful blend of honoring tradition while creating a modern place of worship.

The back of the property had benches over looking the Sea of Galilee. In my opinion, this was the most spiritual place of the entire Sea of Galilee. I could have stayed for hours.

Our last stop was the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter. "Upon this rock I will build my church," Jesus says to Peter in Matthew 16:18. Well, here is the rock (or at least the traditional site of that rock). This is also believed to be the place where Jesus ate fish with his disciples after his resurrection. 

The back of the property also is on the shore of the sea so we took advantage of it and put our toes in the water.

We love the Sea of Galilee area and could see why Jesus made it his home.