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Circuit Rider - February 2010
Well, we all made it safely back from our pilgrimage to Israel and journey to Egypt. This past month a group from St. Paul's headed to the Holy Land. It was a long flight, almost 13 hours each way, and very long busy days. Our day would begin at 6 and end after 7 each evening. I thank God for the opportunity to make this trip. The last time I was in Israel was in 1997. I was surprised at how many things changed in just 12 years. When I went before I was interested in seeing those places where Jesus had done ministry. This time I was more interested in what was happening today to the people and their environment.
Since I was there before they have dammed up the Jordan River just south of the Sea of Galilee. Apparently the Sea is being used as a form of energy for the area and the size is decreasing. This has also resulted in a drying up of the Jordan River south of the Sea of Galilee. I was shocked that the Dead Sea is also decreasing in size because they are mining minerals off of it. The coast has receded almost 200 yards and dropped down 30 feet. They had to build a canal to get the water from the north of the sea to the south where there is a resort.
I enjoyed the boat ride we took on the Sea of Galilee. Each morning I would get up and remind myself..."You are in Israel." I was amazed at what has happened to Bethlehem. Currently it is under the Palestinian Authority but it exists within the country of Israel. The Israeli government has built a wall around the entire town and you have to go through a checkpoint to get in or out.
This time I also did the extension to Egypt. When you hear and see things that were built from 3000 BC you realize how young we are as a nation. I was impressed to see the pyramids along the Nile River in Giza. The sound and light show they did was fantastic. How these structures were created and how they have lasted through so many conquests and battles is amazing. We took an overnight train to Luxor and saw the Valley of Kings. We were able to walk into a tomb of Ramses the 9th. Unbelievable. The hieroglyphics on the walls were amazing. The amount of work and information there was overwhelming. The people were friendly and tourism is definitely a major income for the country. We were told that 10,000 a day see the Pyramids and 15,000 a day visit Karnak.
One thing I did as we went into each synagogue or church was to pray for our church and also for my friend CJ. CJ is still up in Jersey Shore recovering from a fall he took at work just before Christmas. He cracked his scull and broke his back. I would appreciate everyone's prayer for him and his wife Carrie. It is going to be a long time of recovery for him. I would also ask that we as a church continue to lift up those who have suffered from the earthquake in Haiti. There will be many ways to give and help in the coming days and much said by those in the media. Let's together seek God at how we can help the lives of those in Haiti.
Also at the Wailing Wall, I prayed for our church to continue ministering well to one another. I prayed that in the coming year, we would have a greater burden for those around us who do not know Jesus. Jesus is the solution to people's need!
See you in Worship,
Pastor John |
