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Randall's Ramblings
June and July 2010 STANDING WHERE JESUS STOOD! STANDING WHERE JESUS STOOD! On Sunday, June 13, 2004 a group of us worshipped on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. We shared Scripture, sang songs, prayed and were simply quiet. This was a rich worship experience. A number of us had a similar experience in 2008. Both groups were blessed to join with others from First Presbyterian Church in Carson City for an educational tour of the Holy Land. On this first Sunday of our time in Israel, we were on the very Sea that Jesus calmed, that He walked on, and from which He preached. On the shore of this Sea, Jesus called the twelve disciples, healed the demon possessed man, fed the 5,000 and the 4,000, healed the blind man, healed Jairus’ daughter, healed the deaf and mute man, stood on the hillside from which He shared the Beatitudes, and so much more. From the middle of the Sea of Galilee, it was easy to imagine what this area was like in the time of Jesus. With the exception of a few taller buildings in Tiberias, the shoreline and hillsides were very much the same as in Jesus’ day. Jesus ministered in this region nearly all of His three years of total ministry. For me this was one of the most meaningful areas in our travels through the Holy Land. This was an area that remained somewhat untouched from the time of Jesus. With some imagination, I could almost visualize Jesus and the disciples walking along the shore or casting their nets into the water. Our times in Israel were truly blessed. We were able to see virtually all the Biblical sites such as Ceasarea on the Mediterranean Sea where Paul was imprisoned, Mount Carmel where Elijah challenged the priests of the false gods, Nazareth where Jesus was born, the Jordan River where Jesus was Baptized, Capernaum where Jesus taught and stayed, and much more. In Jerusalem we spent time in the Garden of Gethsemane; on the Mount of Olives; in the area of Jesus’ crucifixion, death and burial; and saw Bethany where Jesus stayed with His friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. We spent time at the Wailing Wall, in modern Jerusalem, saw Massada where the Jewish militants held out against Rome in 70 A.D., Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, spent time at the base of Mount Sinai and even saw the Nile River where Moses was discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter. Earlier this week, I read the Gospel according the Mark - this time with fresh eyes! At each point in the story, I was able to connect with the geography and the location. I could see the shepherds on the hill with their sheep; the olive tree groves on the steep stepped hillsides; the dry desert, the Jordan River and more. The stories in Scripture became even more alive for me having spent time in the Holy Land. We are beginning to plan another trip to the Holy Land for 2011 with the possibility of visiting Turkey and experiencing some of the areas in which Paul traveled. If you are at all interested in such a trip, please contact me. Both our 2004 and 2008 groups felt very safe in the region, despite some of the press to the contrary. We were welcomed by all wherever we traveled. Our experience was most blessed! |
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