I don't think I blogged yesterday, so I'll make up for it today. Yesterday was a good day. We took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. It was really good to be on a boat and to look back on land and see all the places we have been from that vantage point. From way out it seems like each spot is really far removed from the next spot, but as we got closer to shore the reality of the distance between each site became clear. They really are not far from each other. After the boat ride we went to a museum to see a 1st century boat excavated in the late 1980's. It was again amazing to be in the presence of something so old. And the story of how it was found and recovered is amazing.
Today we went to the Golan Heights. We saw a waterfall that was beautiful (Banias). Afterward we went to Caesarea Philippi. Wow. What a place. And what a perfect backdrop for the story of Jesus asking the disciples "who do you say I am". There in the midst of many gods, Jesus asks his disciples who they say he is. After being there we got to make an unexpected stop at Tel Hazor. Tel Hazor is a site that dates back to 10th century BCE. Tel Hazor is a Caananite city. The Israelites came to inhabit the city and had quite a rich history there until they were eventually conquered. But to be there and to recognize the huge amount of time that has passed since then is just hard to express in words. To be standing where we know for sure people were standing and living and working 3000 years ago is mind-blowing. After Tel Hazor we went to lunch and enjoyed falafels again. What a treat! I love the food here. It is all so fresh and good for you (for the most part).
Now a quick word about the spiritual dimension of this trip. I wrote a little bit on facebook, but since some of you from Fourth Presbyterian don't have facebook, I want to share with you how I've been effected spiritually (or at least the surprise I didn't expect to find). As we prepared for this trip I knew that I would be experiencing some really cool things, but in my mind i guess I was thinking of it one way and now that I'm here I'm experiencing it in a different way (and that 's good). So much of where my mind goes when I'm reading scripture is to a place that is Tom's thoughts on where Jesus was and where he was doing ministry. That place, I'm discovering, is often overly concerned with Jesus' divinity. I don't even mean to do it. It just that when you read scripture all your life and people have told you it is "sacred and holy" and you have treated it as "sacred and holy" my mind leads me to a person who is "sacred and holy". Now, I think Jesus was holy, don't get me wrong, but that is not what is so striking about being here. What is striking, as others in my group have also commented, is Jesus' humanity. Jesus was real person; a wise person; a clever strategist; a man with plans and ways to make those plans become reality. I guess I've always consider Jesus to have simply followed a plan God set out, but he clearly had plans and strategies that he followed that now (to me here) seem so human. And sharply human. I mean, he didn't just roam aimlessly around and hope that his message took hold somehow. He made sure by his methods that the message did get out. because of all that, I'm struck spiritually while we're here by Jesus' humanity and his humanity seems so holy and sacred to me. That being the case, our own humanity must surely be holy and sacred too. Many of us spend a lifetime trying to be like Jesus, and I think that's admirable, but I think Jesus spent a lifetime being fully Jesus and that we should spend a lifetime being fully who we are. Jesus was obedient to God's plan for his life, and that is, in my mind, how we should spend our lives, living the life God gave us to live. To experience Jesus in our humanity is a good thing. No need to talk it to death when we can live it for life.
To my friends back at Fourth Presbyterian reading this, blessings to you. I hope all is well with you and that you are finding Jesus in your life - the one God gave you to live fully.
Till next time, Tom.
Today we went to the Golan Heights. We saw a waterfall that was beautiful (Banias). Afterward we went to Caesarea Philippi. Wow. What a place. And what a perfect backdrop for the story of Jesus asking the disciples "who do you say I am". There in the midst of many gods, Jesus asks his disciples who they say he is. After being there we got to make an unexpected stop at Tel Hazor. Tel Hazor is a site that dates back to 10th century BCE. Tel Hazor is a Caananite city. The Israelites came to inhabit the city and had quite a rich history there until they were eventually conquered. But to be there and to recognize the huge amount of time that has passed since then is just hard to express in words. To be standing where we know for sure people were standing and living and working 3000 years ago is mind-blowing. After Tel Hazor we went to lunch and enjoyed falafels again. What a treat! I love the food here. It is all so fresh and good for you (for the most part).
Now a quick word about the spiritual dimension of this trip. I wrote a little bit on facebook, but since some of you from Fourth Presbyterian don't have facebook, I want to share with you how I've been effected spiritually (or at least the surprise I didn't expect to find). As we prepared for this trip I knew that I would be experiencing some really cool things, but in my mind i guess I was thinking of it one way and now that I'm here I'm experiencing it in a different way (and that 's good). So much of where my mind goes when I'm reading scripture is to a place that is Tom's thoughts on where Jesus was and where he was doing ministry. That place, I'm discovering, is often overly concerned with Jesus' divinity. I don't even mean to do it. It just that when you read scripture all your life and people have told you it is "sacred and holy" and you have treated it as "sacred and holy" my mind leads me to a person who is "sacred and holy". Now, I think Jesus was holy, don't get me wrong, but that is not what is so striking about being here. What is striking, as others in my group have also commented, is Jesus' humanity. Jesus was real person; a wise person; a clever strategist; a man with plans and ways to make those plans become reality. I guess I've always consider Jesus to have simply followed a plan God set out, but he clearly had plans and strategies that he followed that now (to me here) seem so human. And sharply human. I mean, he didn't just roam aimlessly around and hope that his message took hold somehow. He made sure by his methods that the message did get out. because of all that, I'm struck spiritually while we're here by Jesus' humanity and his humanity seems so holy and sacred to me. That being the case, our own humanity must surely be holy and sacred too. Many of us spend a lifetime trying to be like Jesus, and I think that's admirable, but I think Jesus spent a lifetime being fully Jesus and that we should spend a lifetime being fully who we are. Jesus was obedient to God's plan for his life, and that is, in my mind, how we should spend our lives, living the life God gave us to live. To experience Jesus in our humanity is a good thing. No need to talk it to death when we can live it for life.
To my friends back at Fourth Presbyterian reading this, blessings to you. I hope all is well with you and that you are finding Jesus in your life - the one God gave you to live fully.
Till next time, Tom.
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