Brotherhood of St. Andrew – Coral Springs

We started at the Israel Museum which has a wonderful outdoor model of Jerusalem during Jesus’ time. Then inside, this specially built museum, are the actual Dead Sea scrolls, which are in amazing condition and beautifully scribed. We then went to the Yad Vashem Memorial aka the Holocaust Museum. I had been at the gates of Dachau Concentration Camp outside of Munich when I was 21 but didn’t want to go in. I did wander through this museum and went around a corner and saw large photographs of Nazi troops and Hitler but being looked at by fifty Israeli troops. The troops are everywhere. It was somber and gut wrenching experience. The building’s architect designed the complex to be like a knife cutting across the mountain. It worked. Memories of some of … Read entire article »

First for all thank you for all who are reading this blog and thank you for your comments as it inspires me to blog when I might not otherwise. We are having 14-hour days, touring and lectures. We walked through the Damascus Gate to the Temple Mount. We walked on the massive terrace surrounding the two Mosques, one of which has the gold dome. Very few people are allowed to enter inside and you have to prove that you are Muslim. The building is 7th century and is most likely built on top of the Holy of Holies of the original Jewish Temple. The whole area does feels holy almost like the world’s heart is beating beneath the stone pavement. The world’s lowest place as in below sea level is … Read entire article »

We first went to Banias near Ceasarea Philippi–”Who do you say that I am?”–located at the northern edge of Israel. We were within 10 miles of Lebanon. We passed rusty watch towers, fences from the 1967 war. There are still land mines. We go to a site that was a shrine for the Roman God, Pan then became Christian, then Muslim, then Jewish. It was a beautiful morning. The air crisp and the headwaters of the Jordan absolutely clear. This is why it is part of Israel–for without water–you will perish. Every drop counts. We walked along a trail that was dotted with fig trees and blackberries. There were three fig trees in a row. I asked a layperson which tree represented his faith. He said they all look pretty … Read entire article »

A long day but a delightful day in the sun. First we started at Capernaum and saw first century ruins of Peter’s house which according to sources is authentic. We walked where Jesus walked. Then we went to the Church of the Multiplication where seven “rivers” reached the Galilee. It was easy to collect fish at this location. We visited the Mt. Beatitudes which was beautiful with an incredible view of the sea. Below at the sea in a natural harbor which also made a wonderful amphitheater so one could preach to a crowd at the shore. After a fish lunch, we first saw the remains of a first century boat that was found in the last decade–then we sailed on a larger version. The Galilee was incredibly smooth and tranquil … Read entire article »

We left yet another rainy day in Jerusalem and traveled through yet another security check point to travel to Israel (the northern kingdom) from Judea. The landscape along the coastal plain was less arid with some trees and farms and Florida-style high rises dotted the Mediterranean. We meandered up to the top of Mt Carmel. I had another profound spiritual moment when the Dean read about Elijah slaying Baal’s false Prophets. While I stared at the statue of Elijah and I had a childhood moment as the statue’s eyes seemed somehow alive like what a child might believe. I felt like a child again, the innocence. The nearby Israeli’s F-18s took off from a nearby base and interrupted my contemplation. We could see Mt Hermon. We then traveled to Nazareth … Read entire article »

We drove into the wilderness technically called Wadi Qelt, desert mountains close to Jericho. The hills were rocky and had a slight green tinge to them as the rainy season has started. A Bedouin, a nomad, immediately put a shah on my head when I was the first to exit. I didn’t care for his aggressiveness and he kept negotiating against himself. I walked by the nasty donkeys and up the hill to the cross. I felt a presence walking up the rocky mountain, was it because there was no other presence, no visible living creature? I thought of Father Mark, when he prays before our services “Be present, be present oh God.” I felt the presence. I felt energized by these rocky slopes. I was the only one that … Read entire article »

The day actually started with last night’s lecture where an American-born Orthodox Jew spoke to us for 2 1/2 hours about being a Jew and living in a settlement or as he would say a “community”. He was a very passionate Zionist and corrected the language of some of the questions. He confirmed my question that they are now aligned with American fundamentalists including providing a jet/crew for Jerry Falwell. He said they would take anyone’s money and US political power. We then went to a beautiful treed town of John the Baptist and saw what was believed to be his grave. This town looked like something out of northern Europe and it was where Elizabeth and Mary met. There is a spring that transforms this arid area into more European … Read entire article »

First, fantastic news. I finally received an email from Bishop Frade that my priestly ordination has been approved. Don’t know when, probably January. I heard the news in Jerusalem! After a lecture, small groups were formed and ours was tasked to explore the Christian Quarter of the old city. We walked through the Arab Quarter to get to the Christian Quarter which was much more organized, quiet, more Western than the Arab quarter. The Christian Quarter was probably the second cleanest, prosperous Quarter after the Jewish Quarter. Only 15,000 Christians live in Jerusalem out of 750,000. We visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is believed to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection. I waited for a spiritual reaction and didn’t have one. I did have … Read entire article »

After our lecture we took a coach to one of the ridges of Mt Olive to an Assyrian French Convent for a lunch of chicken and rice. We climbed to the top of the convent just as it started to rain for a panoramic view of Jerusalem including the dome which was not glistening. We could see down the Kidron Valley where they were tombs of Arabs next to the ancient temple walls and of the Jews next to Mt Olive. All three religions believe that this will be the place for the end of time and they want to be ready, close to the action. The fundamentalists of all three religions have taken action and want to take action to accelerate the end of the world. Jerusalem is viewed … Read entire article »

I realize that my first posting wasn’t very spiritual and within an hour of that posting we had evening prayer at the adjacent neo Gothic Anglican Cathedral. Within minutes we were reading Psalm 122 “Now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.” I had just walked through those gates! Jerusalem is built as a city that is at unity with itself; to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, the assembly of Israel, to praise the Name of the Lord….Pray for the peace of Jerusalem…. Suddenly this Psalm really meant something and for those that don’t know the Psalms are the most ancient part of the bible 100s of years BCE. Our group used the American Book of Common Prayer along with the old British Hymnal and … Read entire article »