This morning we got an early start in order to walk back into the Old City via the Damascus Gate to visit two holy sites for Jews and Muslims: the Western Wall of the Temple, and the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosques (Elharam Esh Sharif).
We started at the Western (or "Wailing") Wall, one of the few visible parts of the Second Temple (destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE) that remain. We were all dressed extra conservatively due to the sensitivities of those whose holy sites we were about to visit. After going through a security check not unlike what we experience at airports, the men go to the left, and the women have their separate place at the wall to the right. Some of us put prayers written on small scraps of paper into the cracks between the large stones in the wall.
Following that experience, we then went up a seemingly makeshift wooden bridge that brings one up to the main level of the Temple Mount where now sit two important Muslim sites: The Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Non-Muslims are no longer allowed to enter either Mosque for security reasons. However, as we strolled along the numerous distinct areas on what Arabs know as Elharam Esh-Sharif, we were led in our tour by Dr. Ali Qleibo, an artist, author and anthropologist who was born in the Jerusalem and education in the United States. In his addition to his numerous accomplishments, one of the notable facts about him is that his family is one of the two Muslim families who are charged with opening and closing the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre) each day. His books and artworks have taken him all over the world. His book Before the Mountains Disappear is an ethnographic description of everyday Palestinian life, providing a narrative vista rich in anecdotes from his personal experiences into the manners and customs of modern Palestinians. Leading us around the plaza, he painted the Muslim experience and spirituality in terms of artistic sensibilities, including a propensity for non-symmetrical, eclectic lines unlike those generally expected in Western art.
Leaving Ali at least temporarily, our guide Fr. Kamal Farrah then led us out of the walled city to St. Anne's church, which is where the traditional Palm Sunday walk concludes. There one also finds the Pools of Bethesda where the man in the Gospels had laid for so many years before being healed by Jesus. After touring the now-dried up pool site, we entered into the church and sang Amazing Grace and the Doxology before departing on our bus to Pasha's Restaurant outside of the city.
During the afternoon we toured the areas and towns surrounding Jerusalem so as to appreciate the city from a variety of perspectives. We have taken some amazing pictures which we will share with everone back home in due course. Our final stop on this portion of the afternoon was the mountain where it is believed Abraham heard from Yahweh that he was to take his son Isaac to sacrifice him. (Reminder: Isaac is spared in the end!)
We returned back to St. George's for a couple of hours of rest before dinner, at which we were rejoined by both Kamal and Ali. Following dinner, Ali shared with us his perspective on life in the present Middle East for Palestinians. He also discussed his two recent books and signed copies for those wishing to buy one. Following Compline, we joined Ali at the adjacent St. George's College where he shared a number of his paintings which are displayed there.
Well, it is now 1:05 a.m. our time, and I have just rewritten half of this piece after an errant keystroke wiped half of what I had written off the screen. So I will wish you Godspeed tomorrow and, for this evening, a peaceful night. Don
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Jerusalem Pilgrimage Day 3: Church of the Resurrection
Today we made our first organized visit into the Old City, which is surrounded by a wall. Starting the day with Holy Eucharist in the cathedral chapel at 7 a.m. (midnight EDT), we had breakfast and then took off on foot to the Damascus Gate to the Old City. (We walked nearly 5 miles today!) Our tour guide, The Rev. Kamal Farrah, led us a journey through the Soukh (Muslim Open air market) to study the ancient walls and thoroughfares to get to the Church of the Resurrection, more prominently known in the West as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is the site that is widely believed to be the place where Jesus was crucified, was buried and rose from the dead.
Our group actually studied this issue a month or so ago when The Rev. Bill Eakins, my predecessor at Trinity, gave a presentation involving some work he has done strongly indicating the validity of the claim that this is indeed the site of Christ's crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Indeed, Fr. Kamal showed us the beginning of rock formations near the judgment gate (the other side of the wall from the Holy Sepulchre) which continue to the spot thought to be the hill of Calvary where Jesus was crucified. It was both intellectually stimulating and reinforcing for our faith to experience these sites.
It is a sad commentary on Christians' inability to love -- or respect -- one another that the keys to this most holy place to Christians are held historically by two Muslim families, who are charged with opening the church in the morning and locking it in the evening. They have played this role for centuries. Because there was a two-hour line to actually go into the tomb area, Fr. Kamal led us to other parts of the church that add to an understanding of why it is believed that this is the actual site of the events of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. We as a group reflected on the meaning of Jesus' act of self-offering. Particularly moving was the group recitation of the Lord's Prayer in a side area just across from the tomb. 'During some of our free time next week, we will return to the Church in the morning to visit the site of the crucifixion.
Returning to St. George's guesthouse via the same route by which we had come, we were treated to more than an hour of conversation with the Rev. Canon Hosan Namnoun, Vicar to the
Arabic speaking population at St. George's cathedral. Hosan has just completed a Doctor of ministry program at Virginia Theological Seminary, and enjoyed hearing about the connection between Dean and President Ian Markhan and Trinity. He began his time with us by taking a famous question of Jjesus an turning it to us: "Who do you say that I am?" Together we had a fascinating hour discussing what it means to be a Christian Palestinian who is an Israeli citizen. We talked about the present status of negotiations, and possible scenarios for the future of East Jerusalem.
Our evening concluded after dinner, as it does each evening, with the "good night" prayer of the church, Compline, which tonight was led by Linda MacGougan. Tomorrow morning we get an early start with breakfast at 6 a.m. so as to get to the Muslim Holy site, the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque, before they are closed to the public later in the morning.
Know that we all miss our loved ones terribly and wish they could be here with us. But know that only three days into our journey, we know that each of us will come back stronger in our faith, with a greater understanding of our own Christian heritage, and a clearer sense that we are called out in faith to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Until tomorrow, Shalom, Salaam, and Peace be with you. Don+_
Our group actually studied this issue a month or so ago when The Rev. Bill Eakins, my predecessor at Trinity, gave a presentation involving some work he has done strongly indicating the validity of the claim that this is indeed the site of Christ's crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Indeed, Fr. Kamal showed us the beginning of rock formations near the judgment gate (the other side of the wall from the Holy Sepulchre) which continue to the spot thought to be the hill of Calvary where Jesus was crucified. It was both intellectually stimulating and reinforcing for our faith to experience these sites.
It is a sad commentary on Christians' inability to love -- or respect -- one another that the keys to this most holy place to Christians are held historically by two Muslim families, who are charged with opening the church in the morning and locking it in the evening. They have played this role for centuries. Because there was a two-hour line to actually go into the tomb area, Fr. Kamal led us to other parts of the church that add to an understanding of why it is believed that this is the actual site of the events of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. We as a group reflected on the meaning of Jesus' act of self-offering. Particularly moving was the group recitation of the Lord's Prayer in a side area just across from the tomb. 'During some of our free time next week, we will return to the Church in the morning to visit the site of the crucifixion.
Returning to St. George's guesthouse via the same route by which we had come, we were treated to more than an hour of conversation with the Rev. Canon Hosan Namnoun, Vicar to the
Arabic speaking population at St. George's cathedral. Hosan has just completed a Doctor of ministry program at Virginia Theological Seminary, and enjoyed hearing about the connection between Dean and President Ian Markhan and Trinity. He began his time with us by taking a famous question of Jjesus an turning it to us: "Who do you say that I am?" Together we had a fascinating hour discussing what it means to be a Christian Palestinian who is an Israeli citizen. We talked about the present status of negotiations, and possible scenarios for the future of East Jerusalem.
Our evening concluded after dinner, as it does each evening, with the "good night" prayer of the church, Compline, which tonight was led by Linda MacGougan. Tomorrow morning we get an early start with breakfast at 6 a.m. so as to get to the Muslim Holy site, the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque, before they are closed to the public later in the morning.
Know that we all miss our loved ones terribly and wish they could be here with us. But know that only three days into our journey, we know that each of us will come back stronger in our faith, with a greater understanding of our own Christian heritage, and a clearer sense that we are called out in faith to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Until tomorrow, Shalom, Salaam, and Peace be with you. Don+_
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Day 2 In Jerusalem
This morning we got to sleep in after our marathon day yesterday. Our morning began with a buffet Mediterranean breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, a tuna salad, hummus, yogurt, tomatoes,, cucumbers, smoked meats, cheese, various Mediterranean spices, and of course coffee, juice and cereal.
Followig breakfast, we walked next door tot he cathedral to celebrate the Holy Eucharist with the Arabic-speaking congregation (the English=speaking congregation worships at 11:00 a.m.).
As Marion Porter observed, it was a bit like a little Pentecost in there with many of the prayers and all of the hymns were said and sung in both Arabic and English.
Following the service, some of us joined the congregation in the garden for coffee hour, which is tame by trinity standards. People being served a cup of coffee and then going to sit at tables. During lunch at St. George's we met our tour guide, The Rev. Dr. Kamal Farrah, former dean at St. George's College and an expert in linquistics and interfaith relationships. After lunch, we visited the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book, where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls are permanently housed. The scrolls, you may recall, were discovered by Bedouin Shephers in 1947. This discovery helped to lead others in the study of the bibllical intrpretation and provided a window into the contextual analysis of much of the Hebrew Bible. Also, outside the walls of the museum is a scale model of Jerusalem as it would have looked at Jesus time. While this is just a model, it sets up the members of the pilgrimage to have an excellent overview of the layout of the Old City and see how all of the Holy Sites at some level relate to on another.
Following a ride through the Israeli government compound, we returned back to St. George's where we began preparing for our Skype session. It was fun seeing everyone back home and we hope that it was enlightening -- if not entertaining -- for most of the parishioners present.
Have a blessed rest of your day! Tomorrow we are off most of the day to the Old City and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Peace, don
Followig breakfast, we walked next door tot he cathedral to celebrate the Holy Eucharist with the Arabic-speaking congregation (the English=speaking congregation worships at 11:00 a.m.).
As Marion Porter observed, it was a bit like a little Pentecost in there with many of the prayers and all of the hymns were said and sung in both Arabic and English.
Following the service, some of us joined the congregation in the garden for coffee hour, which is tame by trinity standards. People being served a cup of coffee and then going to sit at tables. During lunch at St. George's we met our tour guide, The Rev. Dr. Kamal Farrah, former dean at St. George's College and an expert in linquistics and interfaith relationships. After lunch, we visited the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book, where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls are permanently housed. The scrolls, you may recall, were discovered by Bedouin Shephers in 1947. This discovery helped to lead others in the study of the bibllical intrpretation and provided a window into the contextual analysis of much of the Hebrew Bible. Also, outside the walls of the museum is a scale model of Jerusalem as it would have looked at Jesus time. While this is just a model, it sets up the members of the pilgrimage to have an excellent overview of the layout of the Old City and see how all of the Holy Sites at some level relate to on another.
Following a ride through the Israeli government compound, we returned back to St. George's where we began preparing for our Skype session. It was fun seeing everyone back home and we hope that it was enlightening -- if not entertaining -- for most of the parishioners present.
Have a blessed rest of your day! Tomorrow we are off most of the day to the Old City and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Peace, don
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Trinity Pilgrims Arrive Safely
Jerusalem, Saturday, May 28 - At approximately 9:02 a.m. Jerusalem time, (2 a.m. Hartford time) twenty-four pilgrims from Trinity landed safely at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, beginning a fourteen-day journey that will take them throughout Jerusalem, the Galilee and many other sacred or historic sites.
Departing from the Trinity parking lot at 10:30 a.m. Friday morning,our bus operator from Kelly Bus Lines braved Memorial Day weekend traffic to get us to Newark International Airport on time. The 9 hour 40 minute ride to Tel Aviv took us over the northeastern coast of Canada, over the United Kingdom, eastern Europe, the Mediterranean and into Tel Aviv.
At the airport, we wre met by our tour operator, Iyad Qumri, a Palestinian Christian, who gave a guided tour of our route about 30 miles to the east of the airport. Upon arrival at St. George's Guest House in East Jerusalem, Iyad gathered us for a brief orientation session. There we were advised about clothing protocols. especially when visiting holy sites. Following a lovely and healthy Mediterranean-style lunch (barbecued chicken, three different satisfying salads and roasted potatoes), we then set off for a quick tour of the neighborhood.
St. George's Guesthouse is situated in the Eastern section of Jerusalem, being that portion of Jerusalem that was in control of Jordan before the Six-Day War in 1967. Walking down Nablus Road to the Damascus Gate, we got a feel for the shopping districts in the Eastern section of the city. The temperature is in the lower 80s and sunny, so those who had forgotten the admonition to bring water bottles, hats and sun screen for daily trips were quickly reminded of their importance.
We are now back at the guest house for a chance to catch our breath after our 24-hour+ day before dinner at 7. The socialites in the group are arranging a social half-hour before dinner. Following Compline in the cathedral at 8 p.m., which will be led by Boo Morton, we will all turn in for a much-deserved and much-needed long night's rest.
As I close, Muslim prayers are sounding from the several minarettes in the area. It is a good reminder to us Christians to stop what we are doing and spend a quiet moment with God.
Don't forget to check us out on the Skype broadcast at Adult Forum tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m. in the Trinity Library! Salaam, Shalom, Peace! Don+
Departing from the Trinity parking lot at 10:30 a.m. Friday morning,our bus operator from Kelly Bus Lines braved Memorial Day weekend traffic to get us to Newark International Airport on time. The 9 hour 40 minute ride to Tel Aviv took us over the northeastern coast of Canada, over the United Kingdom, eastern Europe, the Mediterranean and into Tel Aviv.
At the airport, we wre met by our tour operator, Iyad Qumri, a Palestinian Christian, who gave a guided tour of our route about 30 miles to the east of the airport. Upon arrival at St. George's Guest House in East Jerusalem, Iyad gathered us for a brief orientation session. There we were advised about clothing protocols. especially when visiting holy sites. Following a lovely and healthy Mediterranean-style lunch (barbecued chicken, three different satisfying salads and roasted potatoes), we then set off for a quick tour of the neighborhood.
St. George's Guesthouse is situated in the Eastern section of Jerusalem, being that portion of Jerusalem that was in control of Jordan before the Six-Day War in 1967. Walking down Nablus Road to the Damascus Gate, we got a feel for the shopping districts in the Eastern section of the city. The temperature is in the lower 80s and sunny, so those who had forgotten the admonition to bring water bottles, hats and sun screen for daily trips were quickly reminded of their importance.
We are now back at the guest house for a chance to catch our breath after our 24-hour+ day before dinner at 7. The socialites in the group are arranging a social half-hour before dinner. Following Compline in the cathedral at 8 p.m., which will be led by Boo Morton, we will all turn in for a much-deserved and much-needed long night's rest.
As I close, Muslim prayers are sounding from the several minarettes in the area. It is a good reminder to us Christians to stop what we are doing and spend a quiet moment with God.
Don't forget to check us out on the Skype broadcast at Adult Forum tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m. in the Trinity Library! Salaam, Shalom, Peace! Don+
Monday, May 23, 2011
Test Blog
This is a test blog in preparation for Fr. Don's upcoming trip to the Holy Land and the return of Fr. Don's blog to the Trinity Episcopal Church Website.
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