Our Journey Together: Going Around Jerusalem

The Mount of Olives is right behind me.
Notice all of the graves on the hillside.

One of the things I am loving about my experience in the Holy Land is the opportunity to put places in their proper perspective. All of my ministry life I have studies maps, studied books and history to get a picture of the customs, terrain, and geography of this Land. Just being here has filled out my imaginations. Just a few for instances: I didn’t realize the Mount of Olives was the highest mountain in the region. Standing on the mountain you can see all of Jerusalem, the Kidron Valley and get a glimpse of Bethlehem. I had heard that the Mount of Olives had a cemetery, but it wasn’t until I saw how a whole mountain and valley was covered with Jewish, Christian, and Muslim graves did I understand the magnitude. I always knew everyone had to “go up” to Jerusalem, but it is not until you are going up – especially from Jericho which is the way Jesus would have normally come did I realize the difference between 1200 feet below sea level and 3800 feet above.

The FBC Cornelia gang on the Mount of Olives with the
Dome of the Rock between Jimbo and Susan

Today we started on the Mount of Olives to see the Church of the Ascension, traveled to the Garden Tomb where we saw “the place of the skull” and the tomb (this is one of two possible locations). We had a beautiful communion service here. We had a great picnic lunch over looking the mountains and valleys. Then, we visited the churches on Mt. Zion – which include one where Mary is supposed to have ascended, a church over the possible house of Ciaphus with a basement dungeon where Jesus could have been held and tortured, and visited the church at the Garden of Gethsemane.

A few highlights for me:

Tear Drop Chapel on the Mt of Olives
near Garden of Gethsemane

· Finding the Church of the Teardrop where Jesus prayed before going to the temple – just up the mountain from the Garden of Gethsemane for my friend Jack Boozer. I’m sorry he couldn’t come with us - Here’s a picture of the window that he loves so much. There was a mass going on so I couldn’t go inside, Jack.

· Singing the doxology in the church to Mary – the acoustics were even better than the ones at FBC Cornelia.

· Hearing all of the singing in multiple languages sung in worship at the Garden Tomb. WE serve a Savior for the whole world and you see it here.

· Having a great night out at “The Tent Restaurant” at the Shepherd’s field near Bethlehem. Here’s a picture of all of the FBC Athens and Cornelia members yesterday when we visited the church there. We are traveling together in one bus while the others from Gainesville are traveling in the other.