Christmas 2007

Greetings one and all,

Well the kids are safely jetting back to their homes as I write and Cindy & I are putting things away here in Las Cruces.

Our Christmas get-together as a family is over and I can say that it was a lot of fun.

Matt flew in from Washington, DC last Friday before Christmas while Laura & BJ arrived from Denver on Sunday. The pattern was set for our time together as soon as Matt arrived. We picked him up from the airport and went out to lunch. After arriving home in Las Cruces we got him settled in all the while catching up on his life. That night we went out for dinner. The pattern was set. We went out to eat a lot. The kids either really like our Mexican restaurants or the fact that mom & dad buy.

Right from the beginning it was a time of laughter, kidding around and catching up.

Laura & BJ are both doing well while living in Denver. Matt likes working in Washington. Since he is currently answering phones in the office of the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, he has many funny stories to share about those calls. Did you know that clergymen (pastors) all over the country do not pay taxes and get free housing? One caller demanded that he pass this juicy piece of news along so it could be investigated. Matt is not allowed to respond to any callers except to say “I’ll pass your concerns along and thanks for your call” or something similar. Since Matt is the son of a pastor he new that this caller was all wrong. He had to put her on hold while he gathered his thoughts and cooled down a bit then he thanked her for her call. So many people out there get worked up about things they have simply heard about but can not verify to be truth. Here in our local paper we have something called the “Sound Off”. It is a place for people to write in about things that concern them. Don’t confuse this with a “Letter to the Editor” which is much more thought out. The Sound Off is simply people spouting off in a few sentences about whatever. It is rather laughable to read. You wonder if these folks realize that they have no life. Well I’m not being very charitable here so I’ll drop this line of writing. I’m starting to sound like I have no life either.

Beside eating out we feasted on goodies from various sources. Our favorite Christmas delicacy is lefse – a Norwegian potato pancake-like dessert. It looks like a tortilla. We eat it with butter and sugar spread on it. It is so good. The best lefse seems to come from the “Holy Land” – Minnesota. Matt had some mailed to us & Laura brought some lefse from home. I also got some from my “lefse mule” friends at church. We were in lefse heaven.

We went to “National Treasurer” one night and played dominoes another. Of course trips out to our hot tub were an almost nightly occurrence.

Another of our adventures took us to Palomis, Mexico on a drug run. Woops! I’m supposed to say medications not drugs when crossing the border. Many area folks go to Palomis to get cheaper medications or even to get eye and dental care. The town is just a dusty little border town that has grown up catering to American’s. We drove the hour and a half to get there, ate at the Pink Store, looked around, shopped for drugs then headed home.

Well we just heard from Matt. Instead of being safely jetting home to Washington he is stuck over night in Dallas. He is tired, hungry and a bit perturbed. Last year he got snowed in Denver for 4 days while trying to get here. A bit earlier Laura & BJ were told their plane was canceled due to weather so they had to scramble to get home tonight. They ended up on another air carrier. For a time there only Laura was going to get a flight out tonight but they both managed to get on the same plane. I can imagine the kids simply saying they are not flying anywhere at Christmas in the future. It is so unpredictable.

Just being together was the best part of Christmas.

I hope all of you had a great Christmas.

May you have a blessed New Year.


Scott & Cindy in Las Cruces

AT LEAST MY BRAKES WORK

I believe I'm going to park my moped for awhile. The last time I fell off my bike simply because I slipped on some gravel. This time it was a bit more serious.

I was going to meet Cindy for lunch on a beautiful morning a few weeks ago. As I approached a very busy intersection I noticed that although the light was green the traffic wasn't moving. I figured I had hit it at exactly the right time when the light was changing in my favor so I entered the intersection going about 25 miles an hour. Well the traffic was stopped because an ambulance was just entering that intersection too. Things happened very quickly now. He put on his siren, I reacted by grabbing my brakes, my bike stopped but I didn't. The next moment I found myself on the ground yet again gasping for air because I hurt.

Well the ambulance didn't have far to go. In just a moment the EMT's were there, the traffic was backed up and the police were getting my information once again. I am turning into a terror on the road. This time I refused a ride to the hospital. I have no broken bones that are evident but man am I sore. I'm popping Percoset pain pills and relearning how to dress myself. I picked up my shoe & cell phone from the middle of the intersection & called Cindy. She had been waiting for me to join her from lunch. She had the right question when I told her I was in an accident though. She asked if I was hurt.

I believe I'm going to park my bike for awhile. Perhaps a long while.

One thing I remember thinking about just before the accident was the death of our friend Wayne Morrow. Wayne was a member of our last church in Mukwonago, WI. I had just read the email informing us of his sudden death. Wayne was about my age.

It was such a shock. Later his wife Ann contacted me & asked if I would preach at Wayne's funeral on Thursday evening. After clearing it with the new pastor at VLC and talking it over with Cindy I accepted the invitation. I was honored to be asked. Normally pastor's do not return to their former congregations to do these kind of things because it can undermine the ministry of the new pastor. In this case the new pastor had no problem with it since he was so new and I had a relationship with the family so I agreed. I hope it doesn't cause any problems in the future.

Anyway I took my sore body to El Paso on Wednesday & flew to Milwaukee. The funeral was on a Thursday night and then right away on Friday I flew home. It was very nice seeing old friends again and being back in the pulpit I had filled for nine years. Although it was nice it is no longer our home so I was happy to get back.

My bike now sits untouched in my garage. I'm going to make sure it starts up okay but beyond that I'm not sure. I discovered my limitations during my two accidents and I still need to process what I learned. After my first accident I was extremely careful of lose gravel. After this accident I don't know if I can trust my ability to stop quickly when the need arises. I don't really want to be done since riding gives me so much joy but I have to keep in mind that there are a lot of things I still want to do and I don't mend so quickly anymore.

Shalom

THE GRAVEL DID IT

Just over a week ago on a sunny soon to be hot Thursday I revved up my moped and sped off to work about 4 miles from home. It was a beautiful cool morning. Nothing exceptional transpired as a cruised along. It was just a nice morning for a ride. I remember thinking about the day ahead and the various meetings ahead of me and what Cindy & I might do over the weekend.

Right in front of church I started my turn into the parking lot AND THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED. The next moment I was on the asphalt moaning and flailing about. My bike was down, done in by loose gravel. I had finally had the accident I knew was coming some day. Most 2 wheelers when referring to accidents have the philosophy that says “it’s not if but when”. Well I was down.

Let me tell you about how it felt as I went through this. I never lost consciousness but everything was a bit jumbled for a bit. I remember thinking how I should call Cindy using my cell phone. Well my phone was in my pocket and at the moment I couldn’t figure out how to get it. I looked at my hand and saw that it was bleeding and had gravel embedded in it. I can admit now that I do not typically wear gloves. My helmet had provided protection for my head so that wasn’t an issue. I was flailing about so I remember thinking that had to calm down so that I could see if I was more seriously hurt. It was hard to breathe but I didn’t really know what that meant.

I remember seeing a homeless gentleman crossing the street in front of the church as I approached. Well when I went down he came back and asked if he could help somehow. Then another gentleman with a cell phone appeared in my field of view and asked how I was all the while talking to the 911 dispatcher. Another guy appeared who said he had medical training and was asking about my condition as well. While all this was happening I could hear sirens so I knew professional help was arriving also.

I was beginning to calm down a bit but I was still flailing and moaning. EMT’s along with motorcycle cops were soon asking me questions. What is your name, date of birth, where does it hurt, what hospital do you want to go to, do you have identification, is your bike 50 cc’s? Well I answered all their questions as best as I could. During all these questions I was being prodded and my vitals were being taken. Then I was being loaded unto a gurney and into the ambulance. I remember laughing out loud because by this time I was embarrassed. There was so much revolving around me all because “I fell down and went boom”. I asked them to take my bike to the church and ask Krissy, who is our Office Manager, to put it somewhere safe. It now resides in the shed behind the church. I’m not sure when I’ll get it.

That was over a week ago. I made it through the Emergency Room relatively unscathed. Cindy came up, filled out papers and generally took over. I can’t tell you enough how I am so blessed to have my wife by my side. During this past week I have gone from not being able to do anything for myself because of the pain in my ribs and shoulder to simply being sore. I still am having a problem doing some lifting since I do not have the full range of motion back and my muscles certainly object when I try to do too much but I have progressed so much. I thank God everyday that my injuries were not worse and that I have someone who loves me and has done so much for me.

I learned a few things from this part of the journey that I’m sure you are all breathlessly waiting to hear. As my wife has said – “Home health care providers do not get paid nearly enough for all they do.” Since I am limited in what I can normally do left-handed and my injuries were on my right side I was virtually helpless for a time. That was very humbling and embarrassing. I figured I would shake this off after a day or so since nothing was broken. Instead I had to miss church on Sunday and have been out over a week now. I do not drive yet so my wife stepped in. As a matter of fact my wife has put her life on hold as she deals with me. What does someone who is all along do?

I also learned that being laid up is boring. One thought I remember having while lying on the ground was “well I don’t have to go into the office today.” Initially the break sounded sort of nice. Just think of all the things I could do type of thinking. Well not when you are in pain and can’t do anything for yourself. My life became sitting in front of the television, taking pills for various things and hurting whenever I moved. So much for eating “bon bons” while getting reacquainted with my favorite soaps. Is Mr. Rogers still on the air?

I became aware that I need to be more aware of how blessed I am in general. At least three gentleman offered their help while I was lying on the ground. They didn’t need to disrupt their lives for a stranger. The police and ambulance personnel were there for me. All of the questions, prodding, etc. were carried out very professionally with gentleness and compassion. I take having health insurance for granted. I can’t imagine facing all this without it. Also I have a caring congregation that has been supportive. The first question I have gotten from most people has been “how is the bike?” Then they smile and wish me well. I also still have a job. Some have lost their jobs when they have not shown up.

My injuries were really minor considering what they could have been. We all know people who are dealing with much more serious situations. I’m simply sore. Thank you Lord.

07 Graduation and Move

GRADUATION AND MOVE

Well our youngest has graduated from college. Matt graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee on May 20th. It was a real joy to watch. There were really two graduation ceremonies – the big one that was a general commencement for all 2000+ students and then the ceremony for those graduating from a particular school where students walk across the stage and accept their diploma. We were very proud.

Also just think – no more tuition payments! Oh yea! Soon we will be rolling in money. Cindy & I expect to be well cared for when in the far distant future we get old. That’s when having children pays off. Matt keeps hinting though about making sure he puts us in the nursing home featured on 60 Minutes. What a son.

Before that big day Cindy & I managed to see our parents in Minnesota. We rented a car in Milwaukee and drove to Rochester to stay with her folks. Then I picked up daughter Laura from the airport in Minneapolis and drove over to spend time with my dad in southwestern Minnesota. It really was great seeing both sets of folks.

Laura & I taught my dad to play Chicken Feet a dominoes game. That was fun. We ate at Trailways and Country Kitchen while there. Wow! We also drove over to Boyd where I served Trinity Lutheran Church for 6 years. It was my first call. While driving through that little village of 300 souls we ran into some folks from my former congregation. You can tell it is a small town when you can stop in the middle of the street and talk and no one gets excited. They roll up the streets at night so it is very quiet there.

After picking up Cindy at her folks we drove to Milwaukee.

We lived in the Milwaukee area for 20 years so there are people to see if possible. I drove over to Mukwonago to my last congregation and managed to see some friends there while the rest of my family went shopping. I also managed to have breakfast with my best friend in Mukwonago. We also managed to see my brother Paul’s family and my brother Joe’s family. Cindy & I also drove by my second congregation – this one in Milwaukee.

This is sort of what our trips north are all about – touching base with family and friends. That time with family and friends is so valuable and precious.

Well Matt, Cindy & I put Laura on the plane in Milwaukee first. Then the next morning Matt & I put Cindy on a plane in Milwaukee. Now the other part of the adventure began. Matt & I were going to load up a rental van with his “stuff” and move him out to Washington, DC where he had just gotten a job in the office of Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.

Well after picking up the rental van we had to track down his stuff. We stuffed every nook and cranny of that van but managed to get what we needed into it. There was no room to spare. Then we drove over to his friends apartment to pick up a bed and a bike. Well the only spot left was on the roof. There was no roof rack so we just wrapped the van in rope.

Then it was south toward Chicago and points east. I should mention that this was a one day rental and we planned to drive straight through. Well 2 hours later and $15 poorer we reached Chicago just at rush hour. It took 2 hours and cost $15 because we kept stopping to adjust the mattress. It was making noise and we were certain it was going to fly off and hit the traffic in back of us. The $15 purchased a webbed packing strap that we picked up at a truck stop. Once everything cinched down good and tight we headed south once again. Every time we stopped throughout that trip we checked the rope and that strap.

We got distracted when we got to Chicago. Instead of taking 294 that skirts Chicago we ended up on 94 that goes downtown. What a mistake. It was rush hour and traffic crawled along sometimes stopping all together. Well there was nothing we could do so we joked about our mistake and made the best of it. We paid for it on the other end of our trip.

Once past downtown the rest of our trip was straight forward. We found the toll ways across Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and rolled right along.

Matt had downloaded some Sherlock Holmes adventures so we could listen to them as we drove. That really made the trip move along. We paid for our mistake in Chicago by getting to Washington at rush hour at 7am.

Well once to his place we got his key, unloaded everything and turned the van at Union Station. We were dead on our feet.

We hoped the Metro and got back to his place. We both laid on the mattress on the floor and slept for 4 or 5 hours. While we slept the gas man came and went so we ended up with no hot water and no gas to cook with. It has been some time since I had to take a cold shower. It wasn’t pretty.

The rest of my time there was spent cleaning, putting some furniture together and then going to the mall – think monuments and museums not JC Pennys - to have some fun. We went to the National Portrait gallery then off to dinner in a sidewalk café across from the Spy Museum. We ended the evening by going to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3. What a way to end the adventure.

The plane trip home was uneventful and got me home by mid-afternoon on Saturday.

Roman Aquaduct - Caesarea

Ruins of Herod's Palace - Caesarea

Tel Aviv as seen from Joppa

Emmaus

Micha - Guide

07 ISRAEL PILGRIMAGE - DAY 7 - HOME

Sunday, March 4, 2007- Day 7

Today we finally got into Old Jerusalem. Our bus dropped us off and we entered Jerusalem through one of the 8 gates - this one was the Lion’s Gate. This city has so much history you can barely scratch the surface in one visit even if it is filled with intense study and touring. Old Jerusalem, which is surrounded by that enormous wall that is 2 1/2 miles around, the British, under their occupation in 1947 divided the city into the Jewish Quarter (1000 people), the Armenian Quarter (1000 people), the Christian Quarter (3000 people) and the Muslim Quarter (20,000 people).

Our first destination was the Wailing Wall. According to the Bible, the First Temple or Solomon's Temple was built in the 10th century BC. It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC, the Second Temple was destroyed by the Roman Empire in the year 70 AD as a result of the First Jewish-Roman War. Each Temple stood for a period of about four centuries. Somewhere in there Herod built a wall around this whole area. The Western Wall or Wailing Wall is part of this wall. It derives its holiness due to its proximity to the sacred Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount, which is the Most Holy Place in Judaism. This makes the Western Wall the holiest location in Judaism which is currently generally accessible to the Jewish people for prayer.

By the 4th century it was being used as a holy place of prayer. It was taken over by Turks and then the Muslims; controlled by Jordanians from 1948-1967, then recovered by the Jews in the 6-Day War in 1967. At that wall, which is segregated according to sex, the Hassidic Jews are praying constantly from dawn to dusk. To us they are seem to be a bit strange looking because of their apparel and because they move their upper bodies in a bobbing type of motion (to resemble a flickering flame) when they pray. I understand this is done to demonstrate adherence to Job 4:14 where it reads "fear and trembling seized me and made all my bones shake". They all tie phylacteries (a small box containing a mini-scroll of the Shema [Deut 6]) on their head and on left arm (Exodus 13:9 + Deut. 6:8: "Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads". There were at least 50 praying when we were there. They pray for three things: the rebuilding of the temple, the coming of the Messiah, and peace. The lower 5 layers of block are the original wall of Herod (I believe), then there are another 8 layers of large blocks laid by the Byzantines and the top layers were placed by the Turk - Suliman the Magnificent in 1517AD. The Jews are not allowed to go over the wall into the Muslim Quarter or to the Dome of the Rock (Mt Moriah where according to tradition Abraham offered Isaac in sacrifice to God. Interestingly, since the 6 Day War, Israel has had control of this area but they know that if they try to occupy it or change it in any way they would bring the wrath of the entire Muslim world down upon them and so they have therefore decided tread very carefully in that area.

Our group separated into groups by sex and went to the wall to pray. Since a head covering is expected I had to use one of the cardboard hats provided. It was very stylish as you can imagine.

From there we entered the Rabbi’s Tunnel which is a tunnel running parallel to the city wall. As you walk you can reach out and touch stone blocks from the original wall. Micha informed us that when Jesus lived where we were walking was a paved path around the city and Jesus would have walked it. So once again we walked where Jesus did. Awesome. This tunnel empties out on the Via Dolorosa.

After Jesus was scourged he started on the walk to the site of crucifixion. This was the Via Dolorosa. It originally had 4 what are called Stations of the Cross (places specific things happened when Jesus walked here). Then the four became11 and now I believe there are 14. Micha pointed out that many of the stations have no Biblical basis. They were simply made up. The bottom line is it is a very narrow street and lined with shops selling virtually anything you might want.

Finally we visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which is another possible site for the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. The primary custodians today are the Greek Orthodox, the Armenian Apostolic and Roman Catholic churches. In the 19th century, the Coptic Orthodox, the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Syriac Orthodox acquired lesser responsibilities, which include shrines and other structures within and around the building. Times and places of worship for each community are strictly regulated in common areas.

We bid farewell to Micha at the airport. I cannot imagine touring without both Micha & Walt. They truly did an excellent job.

I am sure I have probably missed a few things but I offer here my insights into our pilgrimage.

Our trip home was long. We boarded our plane around midnight back in Tel Aviv. We then spent the next 11 or 12 hours chasing the darkness until we arrived back in Newark around 6:30AM. Then it was through customs and on to our next plane. When we finally made it home around 4:00 PM we were exhausted. It took us a week to get over jet lag.

And there was evening and there was morning – the seventh day, I think.

I hope to return to Israel someday. Perhaps I will lead a tour. I do feel though that every Christian should seriously consider going to Israel because it truly is like “going home”.
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07 ISRAEL PILGRIMAGE - DAY 6

Saturday, March 3, 2007-Day 6

I haven’t written much about the sleeping accommodations. Each place we were at was great for what it was. Since we had a wide variety of places and price ranges when and if I return with a group I will know what kind of places & prices are available.

Today was going to be in Jerusalem and we were all excited. You could just feel it. I knew we were going to have a lot of wow! moments.

We started on the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is a large area where Jesus (1) taught his disciples the Lord's prayer (Luke 11 and Matt 6) (2) where he wept over the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and (3) where he ascended into heaven for the last time and where he will return in the same glory at the Second Coming!! It was there we had a group photo which I later bought for $7. I took some very neat photos of my own. The golden domed EI Aqsa Mosque shone in the morning light. The Dome of the Rock was built in 690AD by Caliphn Abad EI Malik, very close to where the Holy of Holies would have been located in Solomon’s Temple, built over rock where according to Muslims Mohammed met with OT prophets and also converted Jesus (not too likely).

After a few moments we began our walk along and down the Palm Sunday road. “1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.” And so began Jesus’ entry into the city with shouts of Hosanna!

Along that road we stopped for a moment at a cemetery. If you look at pictures of Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives you immediately see the golden dome of the mosque and then the city walls surrounding the Old City. The walls were built by the Turks during their 400 years of occupation. These walls were built upon walls which were built upon other walls etc. all the way down to the walls built by Hadrian in about 140 BC. The wall is so impressive. I just was enthralled by the picture in front of us.

Our attention was directed to the hundreds or perhaps 1000’s of graves all the way up to the foot of the wall. First of all the markers which look like stone caskets are big – close to the size as the person buried. But the actual grave is under these markers. I honestly don’t remember why the markers are so big. We were told by Micha that the reason the graves go right up to the wall is that since the Messiah will return to Jerusalem these folks want the best seats.

A short distance down the steep road is the church known as Dominus Flevit. It is an impressive structure and has an awesome view of the city from both inside and outside the church. I don’t know what Dominus Flevit means (something about tears) but this is supposed to be where Jesus grieved for the city. In Matthew 23 it says 37“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” Jerusalem was the capital city of God’s chosen people; the ancestral home of David, Israel’s greatest king; and the location of the Temple, the earthly dwelling place of God. It was intended to be the center of worship of the true God and a model of justice to all people, but Jerusalem had become blind to God and insensitive to human need. So it is here we see the depth of Jesus’ feelings for the lost people and for his beloved city, which soon would be destroyed. The Roman’s destroyed Jerusalem in 73 AD or about 40 years after Jesus ascended into heaven.

At the foot of Palm Sunday Road is the Garden of Gethsemane. “36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” The Church of All Nations which was constructed using money from many nations is also known as the Church of Agony, or the Church of Gethsemane. This is probably a 10 on Micha’s authenticity scale. This is where Jesus asked his disciples to pray and then asked the Father to "take this cup from Him"; where he sweat blood and then made the conscious decision to go to the cross. The Church of All Nations sits along side a grove of olive trees that may indeed be offspring of the trees there when Jesus prayed there. Olive tree roots rarely die. They continue to send out shoots so the olive trees we saw though very old may not have been there when Jesus was the trees before them certainly were. It is am impressive site. Having said that I should mention that it is also at the intersection of a busy street. So cars and buses zoom by right outside the gates to the olive trees. That seems to be the case with every historical site especially in Jerusalem. After a few moments viewing the Church of All Nations it was back on the bus.

In the Gospel of John it reads “2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.” That site was next. I expected to see a pool or at least remnants of a pool at ground level and with the way things were going with a church built over it. Instead we walked between some buildings up to a railing and were shown a 50’ deep pit with remnants of some structures around it. When Jesus visited that pool and healed the lame man the pool would have been closer to ground level.

It really was exciting to be with Cindy in the city where Jesus preached and walked and died for me!!

I may have the sequence of events a bit mixed up but we got on the bus and we went to the House of Caiaphas, the High Priest. This is an area that was outside of the original city of David. There we saw the area Jesus was taken after he was arrested at Gethsemane. “24Then Annas sent “Jesus”, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.”

Scripture doesn’t say anything about where Jesus was taken after his trial that night. He was evidently lowered into a pit (really a dry cistern) and kept there in the dark all night - this was after his disciples had fled from him following his arrest and after seeing Peter deny him three times, just as Jesus had prophesied. This was a lonely place. What was it like for Jesus before he was tried, scourged, and crucified - the mental anguish must have been almost unbearable!! I had never ever even thought about this before. I’ve always rushed from his trial before Caiaphas to the trial before Pontius Pilate. There is a monastery built over this area.

We had been informed earlier in the day that we would be changing buses to go into Bethlehem. We would be getting a Palestinian bus and driver to take us across the checkpoint into Bethlehem. Micha got into the back of the bus since the Israelis frown upon their citizens going into Palestinian territory. Our new driver took us through the check-point past a smiling guard with a machine gun up in his tower.

We drove to the Church of the Nativity which is appropriately on Manger St. This is believed by all to be the real site of the birth of Jesus. “4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

We were able to see the cave where he was born and then laid in a stable a few feet away. We could take pictures of everything almost everywhere we went no matter how holy it was. This was surprising to me since you can't take photos in most museums in the US. At the time of Jesus' birth, Bethlehem had about 1000 people living in it - now 120,000. The birthplace has not one but three churches over it -Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Catholic (St. Catherine's). You have to enter the facility thru a low door so animals could not be brought in, as was the custom of the Turks. Inside 15 lamps light the Altar of Christ's Birth. Attached to the cave is St. Jerome's Grotto where Jerome translated the Bible into Latin ("Vulgate" edition) in 350 AD. He was a scholar and was invited by Pope Damascus to translate the scriptures, which took 20 years. In the process of doing so he built a monastery.

I wish we could have visited the Shepherd's Field but we didn’t have time. Instead we stopped at a restaurant to eat and then next door to shop for an hour. Bethlehem is particularly known for its olive wood carvings.

Back across the border we went and headed to the Garden Tomb.

The Garden Tomb ("Gordon's Calvary") is named after the British General who discovered the site in 1883 about 150 feet from one possible site of the crucifixion and near the Damascus Gate.

Since 1893 this site has been administered by the evangelical Garden Tomb Association. The British accented guide gave a very low key but definite evangelical message as he presented the facts about the tomb and the rationale for the claim of authenticity for Golgatha being at this place. “17Carrying his own cross, Jesus went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.”

Their rationale for this site rather than for the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is: (l) tomb cut from solid rock (2) outside city wall (3) belonged to a rich man (4) by a garden where grapes and olives located (5) never used before or since. The stone formation of Golgatha does looks like a skull and apparently was a place where stoning did take place (though Jews probably pushed people off of a cliff onto sharp, ragged rocks rather than stoning them). It was on the road to Damascus, so many people could see those being crucified. Also the Romans used it for crucifixions and it was outside the city wall.

We celebrated Holy Communion there after we had some time to look into the empty tomb. From Luke 24 - “2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.”

That whole day was filled with very meaningful experiences. We were pretty tired at the end of it.

And there was evening and there was morning – the sixth day.

07 ISRAEL PILGRIMAGE - DAY 5

Friday, March 2, 2007-Day 5

Once again a 6AM wake up call with a buffet breakfast at 6:30AM. The bus left at 7:30AM so we could beat the crowds. Our first drive-by today was to be Kfar Kana or Cana where Jesus turned water into wine, his first miracle. There wasn’t really anything there to see except rooftops and a church. We were on our way to Nazareth to see the town where Jesus grew up so we were in a hurry.

Nazareth has over 100,000 people living in it and it sort of blends into other towns surrounding it. All the streets are narrow, there are no trees, and a lot of traffic, even on a holiday. We stopped at the Church of the Annunciation, which is where an angel supposedly told Mary that the Holy Spirit would visit her. In the church there is a well, the only natural water in Nazareth and there are steps leading to the well. This means that Jesus most certainly was at this well or at least drank its water. Since this is the only water source those who study such things are led to believe that the population around the time of Jesus was between 500 and 1000. We couldn’t get into the church for a little bit so we waited outside while Micha did some fast talking. He finally got us permission to enter but we were told to be very quite and to not take any pictures since people were worshipping inside. We could hear the water in the well but couldn’t see it. All the people living in lower Nazareth are Arab while Jews live in upper Nazareth. Jonah came from this area. Today people get along.

“Okay Family, back on the bus” Micha chimed. So we walked by the vendors selling postcards ($1 for a pack), film, water, and all the rest and got under way.

We were heading to Ma’ayan Harod or Gideon’s Spring. This is a 10 on the authenticity scale. This IS THE SPOT where Gideon chose his army of 300 men from among 32,000. Read your Bibles to hear this dramatic story again. After a teaching moment about Gideon we sang together “He Is Lord.”

We drove south along the shore of the Dead Sea, which is 1290' below sea level, the lowest spot on earth. There are occasional oases along the way. The Dead Sea is 50 miles long and averages 12 miles wide and over 1000' deep. 25-30 % of the water is minerals and salt.

Before stopping there we continued south to Masada. Masada was where there was a Jewish suicide in 73AD, which marked the end of the last Jewish resistance to the Roman occupation. Masada isn’t mentioned in the Bible since it took plasce after the events of the Old Testament and before the events of the New Testament.

Masada is a plateau, which is 1300' above the level of the Dead Sea. It was first occupied by the Maccabees in 165 BC, then Herod the Great had a palace there in 40BC as a possible refuge, and finally Jewish zealots held off the Romans for 3 years, finally succumbing in 73AD. For the Israelis Masada is a very important site. Up until recently new soldiers in the Israeli army were sworn in on Masada. In the 6th century a Byzantine church was founded there as noted in mosaics and finally found again, discovered, and restored in the 1960's. Restoration at Masada continues today. It takes a cable car ride to get to the top in 2 minutes-or you can walk up in about 90 minutes. We took the cable car. From there we had a good view of the Dead Sea and the ruins of the Roman garrison that tried to capture the zealots.

Heading north we stopped along the road so we could see the entrance to the cave in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden for centuries. The scrolls did preserve all the Old Testament books (except Esther) and were found in 1947 by some shepherd boys who were herding and found this cave. A group of people called the Essenes transcribed these manuscripts by the Dead Sea. Eventually the scrolls were examined and reflect, almost word for word, what we have in our Bible today.

We made a short stop at the Ahava Dead Sea cosmetics factory store to shop. Then it was on to Mineral Beach for lunch and time to “swim” in the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is the lowest spot on earth. That somehow doesn’t sound right. Anyway after lunch we changed into our suits and made it to the shore. I saw someone just covered with mud and decided I had to do that too. It was a hoot. The mud pit wasn’t very large but it appeared deep and slippery. So I gingerly stepped in and immediately sank up to my knees. It was with great difficulty that I was able to move around. Once I became sure of my footing I started slathering mud all over my body. Boy, that was fun. Soon a few others joined in. I became a big mud ball in short order. Now, to the water. The Dead Sea is composed of something like 33 % minerals. That meant the bottom was like jagged coral and I didn’t have anything on my feet. Ouch! It was a bit uncomfortable getting in and out. Once in I found that it was almost impossible to sink. Once I was floating it became hard to stand up. Since I normally “swim” like a rock it was really nice being able to float. We were told ahead of time that if we had any open cuts on our bodies it would sting. It sure did. I became pretty red in some spots. All–in-all it was a fun experience.

It was now on the Jerusalem. There was a real sense of excitement in the bus as we approached the city. I was trying to soak up just everything I saw. We saw some Bedouins with their flocks of sheep, some donkeys and a few camels here and there on the outskirts. We ended up on Mt. Scopus where we stood looking over the city we had heard about all of our lives. As Cindy said – “it felt like coming home.” It was a very special moment. The golden domed EI Aqsa Mosque was very prominent. This is one of the three hills (Moriah and Zion are the other two) that Jerusalem is built upon. We gathered around Micha who told us a bit about the city. Then Walt had someone read scripture after which he made a few comments and we had a moment of prayer.

The Jerusalem YMCA was our hotel for the evening. It is a nice facility right across the street from the King David Hotel where heads of state stay when visiting Jerusalem. I imagine their rooms were a bit bigger and more expensive than ours.

After a long day filled with many memorable experiences we were finally in Jerusalem. Wow!

And there was evening and there was morning – the fifth day.

07 ISRAEL PILGRIMAGE - DAY 4

Thursday, March 1, 2007-Day 4

6AM-up and ready for another full day!! Then Micha & Walt saith together, “Let us go forth into the region of Dan and see the ruins of that heathen site”. And it was so.

On the bus by 7:30AM and on the road again. Can’t you just hear Willy Nelson singing softly in the background about being on the road again?

Today it was to see Tel Dan, Caesarea Philippi, Mount Hermon, stop on the Road to Damascus, the Mount of Beautitudes, Capernaum and Ein Gev all before lunch.

While on the bus Micha would use the mic to tell us this and that about the countryside, village, etc. we were driving by or about to see.

Tel Dan fits into the story during the Old Testament time of the Divided Kingdom. Once Solomon died his sons Jeroboam & Rehoboam ended up dividing the kingdom in two – into Judah and Israel. That caused a problem. Sacrifices could only be made in the Temple in Jerusalem but Jerusalem was now in another country. In order to keep his people home Jeroboam erected a golden calf altar there and told everyone this is where they needed to come. During excavation of that site the high altar area was found. We arrived at the site early and it wasn’t open so we took as many shots through the fence as we could until we heard “Family, come on and get on the bus.”

Then back on the road and all the way to Caesarea Philippi (another town that Herod the Great named after his son, Philip). This place was a center of pagan worship during the time of Jesus. It is very hilly and rocky and lush. Water flows through here and is one of the sources of the Jordan River. It was here then that Jesus observed the Greeks worshipping their gods and where he posed the question to his disciples: who do you say that I am? Mark 8:27-29. Walt chimed in here with a teaching moment and prayer.

Next we had a very interesting tour thru the Golan Heights and stopped “on the Road to Damascus.” The apostle Paul had his conversion experience somewhere on this road. Syria was ½ mile away and clearly visible. Damascus was only 17 miles away. Right above us was an Israeli radar installation monitoring the border while down below us was a U.N. Peace Keeping encampment. Lebanon was only a few miles away. It was a bit cold and windy here.

The Franciscan church at the Mount of the Beatitudes and their beautiful gardens was next. This is the site where Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount – “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” etc. (Matthew 6). All throughout Israel are sites that were tied to different Old and New Testament events. Micha told us to remember one important phrase - “If not here, near.” That simply means that sometimes the actual location of an event was a good guess at best so if it didn’t happen here it was near. The Mount of Beatitudes is a good case in point. No one has any clue where Jesus spoke these words but the Franciscan’s built a church here and made it so. Micha also had what he called a “scale of authenticity.” If this was “the actual place” something happened it was a 10 on the scale. Well the Mount of Beatitudes was a minus 5000. It’s a pretty site but not authentic.

Then to Capemaum, my favorite place of the day. This was where Jesus started his public ministry after being rejected in Nazareth. He often stayed at the house of Simon Peter. This house, or the foundation and walls of it, believe it or not are still standing and an eight sided (a side for each of the beatitudes) Greek Orthodox Church has been built over the site. The evidence that this is the house where Jesus did stay is very strong and believable, just to stand there and think about being in that place was humbling. It was also the only place we had rain on the whole tour. We also saw about 3 acres of Capernaum that have been excavated. Among the ruins is a 4th C AD synagogue that was built over the stones of the original location of the synagogue where Jesus spoke. Again a humbling experience.

This part of the tour was in the Upper Galilee and around the Sea of Galilee, which is 13 miles long and 71/2 miles wide and 30 miles around. It was here, or in the hills around here, that Jesus also fed the 5000 twice, walked on the water twice, chose his first disciples, predicted 2 large catches of fish, and appeared to his disciples after he had been resurrected.

We took a short tour of another kibbutz in the area and visited a small museum that had been opened for only a few years. It was in Ginosaur and where the "Jesus Boat” has been restored and is housed. This was a boat that was found when the Sea of Galilee was in a drought in 1986. It took 14 years to raise it, restore it, and place it in a $5 million dollar facility paid for by the Israel government that is on the bank of the Sea of Galilee. This boat (or what they found of it) is much like the boat that Jesus would have fallen asleep in with his disciples when a storm arose. It is 8 feet wide and 27 feet long and has been carbon-dated back to the time of Christ. Over 80% of the miracles of Jesus took place in this vicinity or on the Sea of Galilee itself.

Our stop at Ein Gev included a fish lunch and a short boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. The fish was St. Peter’s fish and was actually good. We were hungry about now and in need of a break.

The boat ride was special simply because of our location. Scripture tells us that Jesus took a boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and that the people he had just left followed him. Well those people had a long trek in order to get there. I imagine that’s why scripture tells us the comment was made that it was too far to send the people home to feed themselves.

Tiberius was clearly visible on the other side of the Sea. That’s where we were to be staying tonight.

Spiritually, the next spot was a highlight. I joined a few others from our group and was baptized in the River Jordan where the Jordan flows out of the Sea of Galilee. We rented a robe and towel and readied ourselves. Then we went into the cold water of the river. Walt officiated and brought us all together. All around us were otyher groups of people being baptized. A group of Nigerian Christians had been touring to a number of the same places we were so we ran into them often. They showed up at lunch by the Sea of Galilee, now at the Jordan River site. We saw them on Masada, at Nazareth, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Dead Sea. The rest of our group gave watched and gave encouragement from the bank.

It was finally off to Tiberius which is on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was built to honor the Roman emperor. It is 600 feet below sea level and on top of a cemetery. Jesus would not have visited here since he came from a priestly family line and could not enter it because it would make him unclean. We got into town earlier than expected so we went to the local hot springs. That felt good. Afterward it was back to the hotel for a bit of rest, dinner and hopefully a good night’s sleep.

And there was evening and there was morning – the fourth day.

07 ISRAEL PILGRIMAGE - DAY 3

Wednesday, February 28, 2007-Day 3

Each day started the same way. We had a 6AM wake up call with a buffet breakfast at 6:30AM. The bus left at 7:30AM so we could beat the crowds. Our first stop today was Caesarea by the Sea (Caesarea Maritima). These were fascinating excavations that have been done in the last 40 years. Up until 1960 the whole area was covered by sand. Interestingly our guide Micha was the administrating archaeologist at Caesarea. We took pictures of the amphitheater, the hippodrome, and Herod’s summer palace, which was built in 22 BC. Caesarea served as the seat of the Roman government for over 500 years. It functioned as a great entertainment center with the amphitheater and a place along the shore where gladiators and wild animals fought. It was 4x6 miles in size in Herod's time and then the Byzantines captured it and made it some 4 times larger. Finally, it was a fortress built by the Crusaders and since then has had little significance.

In looking at the columns that represented Herod's home, we saw a small area just behind it that is felt to be where the apostle Paul was imprisoned for 2 years before he was transferred to Rome. There is a small area where Paul was thought to give his defense of the faith to the Roman governor Festus as noted in Acts 25. How humbling it was to walk where the greatest evangelist of our faith lived and taught!!

A few hundred yards down the beach we saw the remains of some of the aqueduct system that was 5 miles long that the Romans had built to carry water from Mount Carmel to the North down the Caesarea by the Sea. For 2000 year old ruins they are impressive.

Next we drove to Mount Carmel where we saw a Carmelite monastery and statue dedicated to Elijah when he asked the Lord to bring fire down on his altar when he challenged 'the 450 priests of Baal (I Kings 18). We also had a wonderful view of the Jezreel Valley also known the Valley of Armageddon, where the world is to witness the final battle between good and evil (Revelation 16). We also saw the Kishon River where Elijah executed the 450 prophets of Baal he had just beaten in a fantastic contest. You’ve got to read that account in 1 Kings 18. We sang the song “He Is Lord” while on Mount Carmel. “He is Lord, He is Lord. He is risen from the dead and He is Lord. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Then it was off to Mount Tabor, one possible site for the Transfiguration of Jesus and the appearance of Elijah & Moses with him. We took taxi’s up the narrow switch back road to the monastery at the summit. From the summit we again saw some magnificent scenery. Nazareth was clearly visible across the valley. The Hebrew Judge Deborah and General Barak commanded the armies of Israel against her enemies from here also.

I can hear the voice of our guide, Micha saying, “Family, come on and get on the bus.” We were heading north to the upper Galilee and Kibbutz Hagoshrim for the night. I imagine most of you have heard of a kibbutz. The term means “gathering”. They are communal communities historically built around agriculture. Everyone shares equally in the work, the produce and the proceeds produced by the kibbutz. That’s the classic model. Now kibbutz’s are organized in various ways. By law each kibbutz has a bomb shelter. Hagoshrim kibbutz is close to the border with Lebanon. During the last bombardment by Hezbolla from Lebanon the residents had to take cover. Otherwise the bomb shelters are used as offices, computer rooms, etc.

After a tour of the kibbutz it was a buffet dinner and a presentation by Micha about the changing borders of Israel over the years. Then it was off to bed again.

And there was evening and there was morning – the third day.

07 ISRAEL PILGRIMAGE - DAY 2

Tuesday, February 27, 2007-Day 2

It might be more accurate to say this was still day one. We left Newark around 1:30 PM and flew east changing 7 time zones along the way. When we arrived we simply stayed up and kept going. So is it just one long day or is it really Day 2?

Tel Aviv is built around the oldest port in the world--Joppa, which can be dated back to the days before the Romans. Named after Noah's son Japhet! It was at Joppa that the cedars were unloaded for the building of the first temple of Solomon. It’s also the place that Jonah left in his attempt to disobey the Lord in his command to go to Ninevah. We know that didn’t work. He was thrown overboard by his shipmates in the midst of a storm and was swallowed by a large fish, perhaps a whale. It was in Joppa that Peter saw the vision in the home of Simon the Tanner and realized that Gentiles as well as Jews were intended to receive the Good News (Acts 10). Peter also raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:32 ff) and then went to Simon's home and stayed with him "for some time". We were able to stop and take a few photos of the old port and some other ruins. In the early part of the 20th century (1909), some desert was purchased by Jewish businessmen and they expanded some desert dunes which were Tel Aviv and now it is a city of over 1 million, and the largest city in Israel.

Actually before Joppa we met our guide, Micha Ashkenazi, at the airport. Micha was born and raised in Jerusalem and was an archeologist before starting his own business, Bible Oriented Tours. Micha is 70 years old and full of life, humor and boundless energy. Right from the start he called us “Family.” Whenever he wanted our attention he would say, “Family, gather around. I want to tell you something.” We boarded our bus with our driver Avi and drove to Emmaus, the town Jesus celebrated Holy Communion with a few of his followers right after his resurrection. We visited a 5th C. church ruins there. This is the reference from Luke to the event at Emmaus. “28As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.”

Then it was back to Joppa / Tel Aviv and all that. A 7PM buffet dinner at the hotel and then a good night's sleep was our evening. We were going to be covering a lot of ground tomorrow. After that very full day we were beat.

And there was evening and there was morning – the second day.

07 ISRAEL PILGRIMAGE

Around Christmas last year Cindy & I were informed about a tour of Israel that was being put together. We talked it over and decided this was the time to do it so we registered and readied ourselves for what we hoped would be a very meaningful and spiritually enlightening experience. The following entries are pages from our trip.

Monday, February 26. 2007- Day 15:30AM wake up call at our hotel in Washington, DC. We had arrived in Washington to spend time with Matt before leaving for Israel. Cleaned up. Walked to the Metro with Matt. Got to the airport ready for our 9AM flight. It had been canceled the day before because of the bad weather plaguing the east coast. We were put on the 11AM flight which meant it was going to be very close getting to our EL AL flight on time. We made it but just barely. We were the last to board. But before we were allowed to board a young security agent took Cindy & I aside and began asking us questions like “Have you ever been to Israel before?” , “Who are you traveling with?” and so on. I had heard about EL AL security and finally was experiencing it. This was only the 1st of many levels of security we went through. While at the EL AL ticket counter an unattended package was discovered. My immediate thought was it was bomb that someone had left and that it had to be ready to go off. Someone from EL AL approuched it and looked at it but didn't touch it. Now I KNEW IT WAS A BOMB! Another agent came over and picked it up and took it away. Well, I guess it wasn't a bomb after all. So maybe I was a bit uptight. After getting through all the other checkpoints we made it to the gate. It was there we met the rest of our group. Our leader was Walt Wiley. Walt and the others had just been praying for our safe arrival.

We boarded and spent almost an hour preparing for our departure.The plane was huge. It was a 777 which seats 9 across and stretches on forever. I bet there were 350+ of us on board. A group of Ashkenazie Jews (black hats that don’t seem to fit, black suits, curly locks) had prayer shawls draped over them and were bobbing back and forth facing the side of the plane. Well I found out later that like the Muslims they are called to pray a number of times a day facing Jerusalem.

We took off at 1:30PM for our 10 hour flight. I got some reading done, watched a couple of movies, ate a good meal, and got "to bed" for some sleep of about 3-4 hours with the help of a little sleeping pill. Cindy slept or at least rested also. I sure hope I didn’t drool and snore. After another meal we arrived in Tel Aviv at about 6:30AM. All in all it was a good flight.

And there was evening and there was morning – the first day.

ISRAEL BOUND

At the end of this month Cindy & I are joining a group of 26 pastor's and spouses on a journey to Israel. It is something we both have wanted to do. In fact, in 2000 we had assembled a group from our last church to go with us to Israel when violence broke out and the trip was canceled. After that I really didn't know if we would ever get there.

What follows is our itinerary. They really keep us moving. After flying into Tel Aviv which is 7 hours ahead of eastern standard time we visit 2 sites before checking into our hotel. We are going to be exhausted unless we can sleep on the plane over.

Right now we are preparing our packing list, making sure we have all the documents we need and generally gearing up.

I'll tell you all about it when we get back.

Shalom

TUES, FEB 27
Stay at Renaissance Hotel, Tel Aviv
Visit Emmaus & Old Jaffa

WED, FEB 28
Stay at Kibbutz Hagoshrim
Visit Caesarea by the Sea, Mount Carmel via the Valley of Armageddon, Gideon's spring, Mount Tabor with lunch in the monastery, Experience a baptism in the Jordan River, Mount Beatitudes

TH, MAR 1
Stay at Gai Beach Hotel, Tiberias
Visit Tel Dan (at a glance), Caesarea Philippi (Banyas), Mount Hermon (Mount of Transfiguration), Road to Damascus, Kibbutz at Ein Gev with St. Peter's fish on the wharf,
Capernaum, Menza Christi, Tabgha, Ginosar where we see the "Jesus boat" .

FRI, MAR 2
Stay at Three Arches Hotel, Jerusalem
Visit Cana of Galilee, Nazareth, Kumran, Masada, Ahava cosmetics factory, Dead Sea at Mineral Beach and lunch, Mount Scopus for a "Welcome to Jerusalem" ceremony, Jerusalem.

SAT, MAR 3
Stay at Renaissance Hotel, Jerusalem
Visit Model of ancient Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, Dominus Flevit, Palm Sunday Road,
Gethsemane, Pool of Bethesda, House of Caiaphas (the High Priest), Bethlehem with lunch at Sababa Restaurant and some shopping, Church of the Nativity, The Garden Tomb to participate in communion, Seminar at the hotel entitled "How to Run Your Own Pilgrimage."

SUN, MAR 4
Visit Old City to visit the Kardo, Temple Institute, Wailing Wall, Rabbi's Tunnel,Via Dolorosa
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jaffa Gate, Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Street in downtown modern Jerusalem with a shwarma lunch, Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial

After dinner we get taken to the airport where we board our plane back to the states.

A SOJOURNE IN PHOENIX

A SOJOURNE IN PHOENIX


A few weeks ago I drove over to Phoenix so that I could attend a seminar on Process Preaching.

On the way I stopped and had dinner with my sister Barb & husband Joe in Tucson. It is always good seeing them and of course Barb’s great cooking is an added treat. I was only able to spend a few hours there since I was heading to Phoenix to spend the night at my brother Don’s home.

Right now Don has a house full. Normally it is just Donny, his daughter Lacey and Darin, a boarder we never see. Now another brother, Jon, who just got a job in Phoenix is joining the pack for a number of months. His family will move out to the Phoenix area after school is out. Then I showed up. Our bedroom looked like that of the 3 bears. There were 2 single beds and my cot all lined up in a row. My dad suggested we sleep in shifts. It was great seeing everyone. Jon started his first day while I was there so I got to hear about his impressions of work and what it is going to be like.

For almost 30 years I have been chained to a manuscript when preaching. It was what I learned in seminary. You wrote out your 3 point sermon and “delivered” it. That meant that after some years of experience I could craft a fairly good message that I could now read to people. My reading became pretty good also so I wanted to change that. I wanted to be able to look into the eyes of my congregation more as I spoke to them. So when I got a mailing about Process Preaching and it was in Phoenix I decided to go. I am really glad I did.

Over the course of a few days our group of 20 pastors from all over the country learned a process of preparation that would get us out of our manuscripts. I used that process this last Sunday and it worked. Many people commented to me about how my message was great. What they don’t know of course is that the sermon they heard was the one I took with me to Phoenix and “rehearse”. It will be next Sunday’s message that will tell the tale.

Cindy & I are now starting to think about our upcoming trip to Israel. We will be there in three weeks.

Shalom

MAMA MIA FUN

MAMA MIA

Wow! Just think back to those wonderful days of yesteryear, the ‘70’s, and picture in your mind where you were when platform shoes, bell bottom pants, white belts and disco were all the rage. One musical group I always enjoyed hearing was ABBA. The music was always upbeat and driven. I remember also getting a bit of grief because I liked to listen to that music. Who couldn’t love songs like Chiquitita, Dancing Queen, Mama Mia, Super Trouper, Take a Chance on Me, S.O.S. and many others. I bet you are smiling right now aren’t you.

Well, well, well. ABBA IS BACK! Mama Mia, the smash hit musical based on the music of ABBA is touring the country to sell-out crowds. Cindy & I drove to El Paso to see it. It was so much fun. The story the musical tells is that of a young woman who is getting married on a Greek island. She has grown up without a father and wants to know about him. She reads her mother’s diary (kids, don’t try this at home; these are trained professionals) and discover references to 3 men her mother “knew” 20 years previously. She impulsively invites those men to her wedding without telling mom, of course.

The sets, costumes, lighting, dancing, acting and singing were all superb. I just wanted to sing along but for some reason Cindy didn’t want me to. We had a very entertaining 2 ½ hours.

It took Cindy & me a long time to give ourselves permission to spend the money it costs to see big name entertainers. We were raising kids and had those expenses. Yet in the past we managed to experience the music of James Taylor, John Denver, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. They all put on great shows. Of those mentioned my personal favorite was John Denver. We saw him at least two times in Milwaukee.

After the show we stopped at Fuddruckers and split a juicy hamburger, onion rings and chocolate shake.

Yesterday was a good day.

Shalom

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year one and all,

We had a wonderful Christmas celebration at church and then we finally got together with our kids. Matt was supposed to get here the Wednesday before Christmas but managed to fly into Denver during the worst storm they've seen in years. Laura & BJ live there so luckily he had somewhere to be. Laura rescued him from the airport. Over the next number of days they got reacquainted. Then all three managed to fly down here on Christmas Day.

After a day and a half around here we drove over to Puerto Penasco, Mexico on the Sea of Cortez for a 4 night adventure. The weather was good but cool. We had a great time. The hotel sure was nice, the food was terrific and the hot-tub was blissful. The pool was open but the water temperature was just a bit above freezing. One afternoon we rented ATV’s and boy did we scoot around. It was fun. At night we watched V for Vendetta, played cards and laughed a lot. We also took a sunset cruise all bundled up against the cool night air.

We made it home on New Years Eve after driving 8 hours. Once here we prepared finger food, watched the count-down on TV, soaked in the hot-tub, and lit sparklers. Whoo – no parents! I have to tell you about that. If I remember right Matt tells us that when he was a Resident Assistant at school a college kid drank too much, streaked across the campus yelling “whoo – college – no parents”. Well once Matt told us that it was our mantra in Mexico. “Whoo – no parents!”

After a few more days here Laura & BJ flew back home. Laura starts a new job and has been involved in setting up the program from the ground-up. That’s impressive. The same afternoon AJ, Matt’s friend from college flew in to join us here in Las Cruces. White Sands, Juarez, card games, movies, chatting, great food all kept us busy here. AJ & Matt flew home yesterday (Sunday).

Matt got some great news. He will be in Washington, DC the last semester of his undergraduate work doing some class work but more importantly an internship for a congressman. Actually he reached high and got chosen to be an intern in the office of Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Wow! We are very thrilled.

Since Christmas life returned to normal. I just returned from a preaching seminar in Arizona but that is another story.