Cana-Israel Pilgrimage-2

We visited what MIGHT be the town

 of Cana that Jesus visited 

with his family for a wedding.
Where Jesus performed his first miracle-
turning water into wine.

 Many symbols here of wine and jugs.

This church is in the town of Kafr Kanna-

in what is thought to be the 

Biblical New Testament Cana.

Kafr Kanna is an Arab town

 in the Turan Valley in Galilee.

It had a population of  18,000 in 2006.

 It is not very far from Nazareth.

I just love doors.

Maybe they are old?

Renewing our marriage vows in Cana.

 Thanks Rev. Martin and Rev. Jeff-

for doing the honors of this meaningful time.

One thing is sure in the Gospel of John in this story.
The city of Cana and the surrounding towns
 would never be the same after the story of Jesus
 and the miracle with the water and the wine.
Even today-
 the power of Jesus can change whole towns.

How are WE doing with changing where we LIVE-
 with the power of Jesus and His message?

Harod Spring- Israel Pilgrimage- 2

The Harod Spring-

the story of Gideon and his men

 and the battle with the Midianites.

Hard Spring is at the base

of Mount Gilboa 

on the southeastern side of the

Jezreel Valley.

This story is a 

 reminder of how quickly

we will take credit

 for good and well things.

For a win.

Any great accomplishment 

is certainly the will of our great GOD.

The credit is due HIM.

 This section is a bit confusing 

about how Gideon chose his men.

The verses seem a bit confusing.

Nonetheless- it was the system that God used

to reduce Gideon's army

 to a ridiculous small army of 300.

That is going into battle at 450 to 1.

 Israel had long been 

oppressed by the Midianites.

Gideon was now leading 300

valiant men into a battle with unbelievable odds-

because that is what God asked him to do.

A reminder to us when the odds look outrageous.

Working in the realm of God's will brings us 

unimaginable power.

Encouragement for TODAY.

This story was journaled in this post-

The victory is the Lords

Nazareth- Israel Pilgrimage- 2

The city of Nazareth. 

 Today Nazareth has two sections.

Upper Nazareth or Nazareth "Illit"

 is where the majority of Israel Jews reside.

Lower Nazareth is where the

 Israeli Christians and Muslims live.

Current population is about 70,000.

Nazareth is known as the Arab capital of Israel.

The population is made up 

predominantly of Arab citizens of Israel,

almost all of whom are either 

Muslim (69%) or Christian (30%).

In the New Testament, 

the city is described as the 

childhood home of Jesus.

Well known in the city of Nazareth is the

 Basilica of the Annunciation.

On our trip we chose to visit a smaller- less busy site.

The Church of the Archangel Gabriel

 sits less than a mile away from the Basilica.

It is a Greek Orthodox Church.

Beautifully decorated.

The church has a grotto where an ancient spring

 is located that would have been the likely spot

 where Jesus and his mom- Mary, came to draw water.

Nazareth is built on the hills.

The cross marks Nazareth too.

Nazareth- at the time of Jesus

 was an insignificant village of maybe 200 people.

No wonder people said-

"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"

It was interesting to us that our tour guide

 told us that it is not uncommon

 for Israeli Jews to refer to 

Christians as Nazarenes- followers of Jesus-
 from Nazareth.

Sometimes we think we are known one way-

guess it is good to ask.

Tabgha- Israel Pilgrimage 2

Tabgha-

 a shortened Arabic word

 for the Greek word Haptapagon.

translated as Seven Springs.

A place along the Sea of Galilee 

where springs feed the Sea 

with warmer water that creates algae 

and a fish feeding paradise.

Thus a hangout for fisherman.

On the shore of pebbles near the church

 in Tabgha are Heart stones. 

 Our tour leader said that even a few years ago

 they were not seen because water covered them.

Perhaps they were anchors for fishing poles.

This shoreline is significant

 because it is the general vicinity

 where many accounts take place in the Gospels.

This visit I was focused on the story of Jesus

 appearing after His Resurrection-

 as told in John 21.

Not knowing what else to do- 

the disciples go out fishing.

When your world turns upside down- 

sometimes we have to fall

 into the comfort of an old routine.

Unfortunately-for the disciples-

 the same old story- 

fishing all night and catching no fish.

Someone calls from the shore-

"Throw your next on the right side, 

and you will find some."

That sounds a bit Deja Vu`.

So many they can't haul it in.

Peter jumps into the water and swims ashore.

The rest slowly row and haul in 153 fish.

And join Jesus by the campfire-

 where He has breakfast all ready.

Later, a conversation that Peter

 has with Jesus changes his life course.

Jesus brings restoration to Peter.

His messed up life and choices

 will be fully redeemed

 by the death and new life of Jesus.

For each of the three times 

that Peter had denied Jesus-

 he is given a chance to declare
 his love for Jesus.

Do you love me?

Peter has a job to do-- Feed my Sheep.
It will not be easy.

But, above all else- FOLLOW ME.

                                                                                                          John at water's edge.

I give thanks to God in this Lenten season- 

that I too have the story of full restoration by Jesus.

My Baptism promise.

With the very same outstretched hand-

Follow ME.

The Tabgha site has the 

Church of the Primacy of St. Peter
church-of-primacy-of-st-peter

and also the Church of the Multiplication.
church-of-multiplication

These blog posts tell a bit more
 about what you might see at this site in Israel.

Caesarea Philippi- Israel Pilgrimage 2

Large cave- Grotto of Pan- 

The center of pagan worship.
Known as Banias- in the Golan Heights.

 This was Baal Hermon,

 Baal Gad of Old testament times.

Here is where 3rd century BC sacrifices

 were made to flute playing god Pan-

half-man, half-goat.

Numerous temples were built here

 in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

The city was known as Panias 

or in Arabic- Banias.

2.5 miles north of the Sea of Galilee

at the base of Mt Herman

Location of one of the largest springs

 feeding the Jordan River.

Close up of the rock 

at the base of Mt. Herman.

 Sacred Niches - a rocky escarpment

with a series of hewn niches

Statues of the deities were placed here.

Here is the backdrop setting 

to where Jesus brought

 His disciples in Mark 8:27.

With the vivid pagan world around Him, 

He asked-

"Who do people say that I am?"

 The world says- 

John the Baptist or Elijah, or a prophet.

"But, who do YOU say that I am?"

You can almost imagine Peter's gaze 

around the stone niches as he says, 

"You are the Christ."

The popular, pagan culture

 visually blared denial.

Just as our visually blaring

 culture still denies today.

Caesarea Philippi was once a great city.

In 20 BC it was annexed

 to the Kingdom of Herod the Great.

In 3 BC Philip (the Tretarch)

 founded a city here at Paneas.

He named it Caesarea-
 in honor of Caesar Augustus

 and made many improvements to the city.

In later history this area moved from 
Arab caliphate control,
was pillaged by the crusaders in 1148, 
and later ruled by the 
 Ottoman Turks.

Today only ruins hold this place 

in history in a National Park.

And a quietness surrounds

 with the simple question 

we must all still answer today-

"Who do you say that I am?"

Wadi Qelt- Into the Desert- Israel Pilgrimage-2

Wadi Qelt is desert land
in Israel.

 It runs west to east across

 the Judaean Desert in the West Bank, 

originating near Jerusalem

 and terminating near Jericho,

 close to the Dead Sea.

On this hazy day there were 

golden glinting hills in the distance.

There were distinct pockets of 

tiny oasis with dots of green on the hillsides.

Our tour guide told us in all the years of 

leading groups here, 

he had never seen it so green.

 We could see sheep lined up
 on the slopes in the distance. 

Wadi Qelt is home to a 

unique variety of flora and fauna.

 This area has been identified with the 

biblical "Perath" mentioned in 

Jeremiah 13:5.

It was actually almost a surreal setting.

When I  closed my eyes and opened them--

 it felt like I had moved off the planet earth.

This is the reality of where

 Jesus went off into the desert.

By himself.

If I am having a challenging day-

feeling "DESERTED",

I can remember these hills.

 I know that Jesus has walked
 these miles of ups and downs.
In these hills Jesus experienced set back,
heartache, and times of misery.
He walked this landscape of desolation-
to meet me in my "desert times".

Doors into Lent- Ash Wednesday

It is Ash Wednesday.

Time to share what the Lenten journey

 will look like this year.

Door into Lent-
(Lutheran Church of the Redeemer- Jerusalem)

 It will include telling the story of Israel Pilgrimage #2

 to the Holy Land in Dec. 2014 into Jan. 2015.

 Included will be some of the

new places we were able to visit.

Door into Lent-

Bible Journaling- 

what I am Seeing with time in God's Word.

Door into Lent-

What I am Reading.

Books and Devotionals.

On the stack-

In the Dust of the Rabbi-

 videos and study guide by 

Ray Vander Laan.

Will be reading this--

Lent devotionals by Michelle DeRusha.

Michelle DeRusha--lent-devotional

and combining this with Sybil MacBeth's 
 Lenten calendar.
Praying in Color Lenten-calendar-templates-for-2015

LENT for me is not about what I am giving up.

It is usually about what I am adding in-

to help my focus on the cross-

and my Jesus- who died for ME.