Walking the Way of the Cross

Hi Folks...David here, finally! I've been reading what Chris has written & she's missing out stuff! We are realising that this is our adventure, our experience, and not everybody will be interested in all the details...but there are so many new & wonderful experiences. We have been speechless (yes me!), and we have wept quite a number of times already at the realisation of where we are & what we are doing.

Today, Sunday, we headed of for worship with the 47 or so folk we are travelling with (all Lutherans with Silesian, Prussian etc backgrounds...families first to Aust in early -mid 1800's We go on to Homelands Tour in Germany next week).

We gathered at one of the Lutheran Churches here in the Old City of Jerusalem- ie. within the ancient walled city of J, which is in turn within the huge sprawling city of J across many hills & valleys! What has been done here over the last 60 or so years (since 1948 & State of Israel set up) is both amazing & distressing. A city of vast contrasts...More on that later. We are here for 3 nights, in an old Hotel just inside the wall near the "Jaffa gate" (one of the 8 gates into the Old City).

Short walk this morning from our Hotel "Gloria" to the "LutheranChurch of The Redeeemer" (ELCA) for Lutheran Communion worship service in English (American Pastor Fred Strickett -knows the Lockwoods in Aust). Great sermon on epistle reading 1 Timothy 2:1-7 with intro story on USA Bumpersticker "Pray for Obama-Ps 109:8" Look this up! It had us laughing & thinking! This church has a special mission to the Palestinian poor & elderly. The church here has services in English, German and Arabic for Paletinians.

"Lutheran Church of the Redeemer"-inside Old City of Jerusalem

Pilgrims at Church of Holy Sepulchre (& alter built over spot where JC said to have been crucified)

Our group swelled the congregation to fill this small Crusader type chapel, which is next door to the "Church of the Holy Sepulchre" Very moving worship. Then to the Holy Sepulchre...this was less moving (interestingly)...very crowded & ornate over the "spots". Pilgrims from all over world in long lines, viewing Jesus' (likely) crucifixion and burial/resurrection sites. Lots of kissing of the spot etc...see above.

Naem, our Christian Arab Guide, pausing for some history on road down from Mt of Olives

We then had beautiful mediterranean lunch at a large kibbutz, then onto the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls and their amazing story are displayed. Our Tour Guide, Naem, was involved in the archeological digs and is seen in the photo displays there. He is a very knowledgeable (PhD) Christian Arab, living between his home on Mt of Olives/Bethphage & Switzerland, where he still does some lecturing.

Ancient Olives trees in Gethsemane

We then walked down the Palm Sunday road from Mt of Olives, pausing to view the city (as Jesus did when He wept for it) down through Garden of Gethsemane (& several 2000yo Olive trees!) to the Eastern wall. Then entered Herod's Gate & walked the Via Dolorosa catching some of the Stations of the Cross, whilst others were hidden/lost by the crowded bazaars.
Hard to imagine Jesus walking through this (although it would have been beneath this level of the current Old City ie. an earlier version)



Via Dolorosa -Station V is where Jesus tires & Simon is brought in to help with the cross...plus David coming up the ViaD! (Woman in foreground -pink-is Cheryl Kuehne)

Huge variety ofculture here with Christian, Jew & Muslim living in this city!

And all this followed on from Friday & Saturday, when we visited the Beatitudes Church & monastary (& I met Sister Victoria who has given me a message for her brother in Melb whom she hasn't seen for30+years!), then Bethlehem, & Nativity church with its "cave manger", & the amazing work the Lutherans are doing at the International Centre of Bethlehem (ICB) amongst the Muslims as well as Christian Arabs. This is where Dr Mitri Rahib is based. Some exciting educational possibilities being developed!

Sister Victoria at Monastary of the Beatitudes

Too much to tell...sorry! Chris is asleep, its late, the activity in the tiny lane beneath our balcony has lulled as this ancient city sleeps....
Tomorrow we head off for Jericho, then Masada & Qumran and swimming in the Dead Sea. This is an amazing part of the world with a people & history that is incredible....but very real!
Enough for my first "blog"........Shalom, David (very important name here!)