Sunday Morning Reflections

On By dklinegIn Israel1 Comment

What’s Next?
“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of you mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4

20130623-040157.jpg
It’s Sunday morning. We are not finished with our study trip yet. There’s much to be done in our last two days here, but I can’t help but wonder, “What’s next?”

20130623-041313.jpg

The Bible that I brought along, the only one in the house that would fit into my pack, is beaten up and worn out. It fit into my pack, though, soo… Anyway, the inscription in the cover states that in 1960, Cora Bonselaar, gave that Bible to me. I don’t remember much about her, but I’m guessing she was my Sunday school teacher back in the day. It struck me while on this trip that God used Cora, like so many others throughout my life to tell me about Jesus and the mighty acts of God.

This trip has enriched us spiritually. We’ve gained knowledge and insight. So what’s next? We continue, like Cora, to do what God has been calling us to do, tell the next generation the mighty acts of God.

Saturday Morning Reflections

On By dklinegIn IsraelLeave a comment

Last night after arriving in Jerusalem, after supper we walked from our hotel to the Western Wall of the ancient temple in the old City of Jerusalem. It was the beginning of Shabbat (Sabbath) for the Jews and we found ourselves in a sea of people who… ” were glad when they said let us go to the house of the Lord.” In many ways it was a big party worshipping at the wall.

My companions and I made our way through a football field size area – men only, women had their own section – where thousands young, old and in the middle were singing, dancing, praying and reading scripture. It was a cacophony of Hebrew worship. It was quite surreal. One of our group was talking to a guy who was from a town not far from Jerusalem. He invited us to go to the wall and pray…. and we did. It took some time to go the twenty yards through worshippers standing shoulder to shoulder singing, dancing and reading the Torah. But we made it. While touching the wall I prayed Psalm 145 and I prayed for my family.

Now I don’t believe that there was anything ‘magic’ about praying at the Western Wall. God hears and answers prayer anywhere, anytime. Our new Jewish friend reminded us that we could go to the wall and pray… or… we could pray right where we were standing. “It’s the same God,” he said. Indeed…

“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4

20130622-054502.jpg

Friday – Run the Race

On By dklinegIn IsraelLeave a comment

Hebrews 12:1. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

So much of what we are doing here is experiential. We experienced the wilderness and the waters of En Gedi. Today, sitting in the hippodrome of Herod on the shores of the Mediterranean in Caesarea, we were reminded of and experienced in a small way ‘running the race’ and the ‘cloud of witnesses’ cheering us on. The short video clip (Click on the link below) give s a small sample of what we did.

http://bit.ly/12g5ggk

Friday Morning Reflections

On By dklinegIn IsraelLeave a comment

It’s Friday morning here on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Today, we pack up and make our way to Jerusalem. I remember a preacher preaching a series some years ago during Lent. His recurring scriptural tag line was “Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem.” He was in his last days facing his certain death, resurrection and ascension. We are setting our minds and hearts on Jerusalem.

So far we’ve been studying, learning and experiencing the places and cultural context of many of the Old Testament and New Testament stories. My mental pictures of these stories are being changed. I’m more and more looking through the lens of middle eastern and Jewish culture and more and more leaving that North American lens in the camera bag.

So, it’s off to Jerusalem. We will, no doubt, study, learn and experience a lot of what we are already familiar. And like the first half of the journey here, the experience will be a deeper, richer and a long lasting one.

20130621-061525.jpg