Day Seven - The Lord's Day in Jerusalem!

The Lord's Day in Jerusalem!

   On our way to the Jordan River to celebrate and renew our baptismal vows we stopped at St Gerassimos Monastery. There are seven Greek Orthodox monasteries in Israel. What a beautiful church served in by loving, welcoming believers. We saw a ossuary with bones from monks who have lived and died here by the Jordan River.

The Jordan river is unlike any river I have ever been. It is a place of crossing first by Joshua and the Israelites then years later by Jesus when He began His ministry in the same place by being baptized by John.  Both crossings brought us out of slavery and into the promises of God.

   We began the day by renewing our baptism in the Jordan and ended the day celebrating Holy Communion in the Judean wilderness. There is no church more beautiful than a desert at sunset with a full moon for light.
     My lesson from the wilderness--my second favorite place...is that the wilderness holds treasures that you can only find by entering into it fully.  I believe that the first few days in the Wilderness were pure delight for Jesus.  Here He was alone in the vast quietness, His soul blessed by the beautiful blue the dessert brings out in the sky.  I saw deer herds running with joy, heard monks chanting from St. George Monastery and realized that the Wilderness is beautiful.

     Father David had brought wine for communion from the Sea of Galilee shop, but had not brought bread.  Sam, our guide, asked a  Bedouin boy who was selling goods at St. George if he had any bread.  The boy gave us the one piece of pita bread left over from his lunch.  What a holy communion in the desert.     Our Sabbath rest could not be called restful, as we filled the day with lots of fun and fascinating places including the Dead Sea and Massada. If you go to Israel--don't miss the a dip in the Dead Sea and mud bath!  My skin has never been so soft. 
      Being here on the Lord's day has had a profound effect, etching deeper in my soul the reality that I can rest from my sin because of what Jesus did for me. Maybe that's why humans float in the Dead Sea--our salvation has brought us true rest!