Every pilgrimage has its surprises. The unexpected upends your expectations and you find yourself trekking down a different path.   Today was one of those days. We started with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, where to a person, it was a surprise that Jesus' ministry took place in a small geographical area.  When the motor was shut off, you could hear the lapping of the water against the boat and imagine Jesus out with his disciples.  In times of confusion, storms, and calm, it was profound to think that Jesus saw the same geography we were seeing. Just when it seemed like it could get any better, we shuffled onto the shore to see a recent discovery of the "Jesus Boat," a first-century boat similar to the ones that the disciples would have used.  Claudia even lined everyone up to see if 12 people or disciples could fit in the boat with Jesus sleeping in the stern. But even as she set up the "photo" shoot to prove her point, one had to question - did the discip...

All Together in Tel Aviv  "For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." Isaiah 30:15 The pilgrim journey is often an awakening to ancient connections we didn't even realize we had. The microscopic thread to the past is magnified and the past feels immediate and present. Which story or place connects is different for each pilgrim. St. Peter's Church - Jaffa St. Peter's Church - Jaffa The day began with a trip to Jaffa, the ancient port city, where Jonah tried to take an about-face when God called him to proclaim the grace of God to pagan Ninevah. It is also the city where Peter initially resisted God's call to associate with the unclean Gentiles.   The next stop reminded us of the power and ego of the Roman-installed leader, Herod the Great. His pride and excess were on full display at Caesarea Maritima. When his newly created port city proved too shabby, he st...

“This spiritual journey also involves leaving something behind.  It involves letting go,  trusting that what we love will somehow be okay without our being there.  Pilgrimage from the very beginning, and of its very nature, involves surrender—surrender to a power beyond ourselves,  a power we trust in,  a power we are both leaving behind to care for those we love  and that at the same time is drawing us away from them  to another place that will help us better relate and love.” Father Murray Bodo, the Road to Mount Subasio Tonight the pilgrimage began. Before our first dinner together, we met our guide, Iyad, and John, our driver -  Palestinian Christians who will shepherd us on the pilgrimage journey. We gave them gifts from Cincinnati and San Francisco, bourbon and wine, respectively, along with Cincinnati Bengals t-shirts and Golden State Warriors drinking glasses.   Our beloved Diana Aldrich cross-stitched bookmarks for all of us, in...

As the groups begin to straggle into Tel Aviv, we were saddened by the news that one couple couldn't make the trip due to Covid. Although recovered, the PCR test was positive and so they had to bow out. Last night, the early arrivals from Berkeley and Los Angeles all went out for a great dinner at a restaurant that sits on the beach in Tel Aviv. The breeze off the Medditerian couple with great seafood and delightful conversation made for a near-perfect evening.  Today was another story. As more groups navigated their way to Tel Aviv, reports of challenges mounted for our intrepid travelers. Missed flights. incomplete paperwork, and a close call with an airline technology glitch that nearly barred one of our group from boarding the plane.    For those who did make it to Tel Aviv, the excitement of being here drowns out the travel frustrations. Pilgrims who have only met over Zoom are beginning to make in-person connections.   One of the more crazy connections was...

Stand at the crossroads, and look,  and ask for the ancient paths,  where the good way lies;  and walk in it,  and find rest for your souls.  Jeremiah 6:16   Members of the Pilgrimage group are beginning to arrive in Tel Aviv. Pastor Debbie arrived first and was promptly whisked away to her beloved Bethlehem for a birthday celebration for her 8-year-old friend, Cece. Being around 10+ kids second graders is enough to get you over a lack of sleep!  For Pastor Debbie, this is a return to a sacred place she loves and a reunion with many friends. But for the rest of the group, part of the pilgrimage experience is meeting new people and deepening established friendships. The group represents people from California who attend three different churches along with those from Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati.  A few have been on pilgrimage with me before, but for most folks, this is their first trip to the Holy Land. All of us are eager ...

Not the most "spiritual" first step along the pilgrimage path but a necessary one. All of us must take a COVID test before we can board a plane and then test again when we land in Israel before being allowed to be out in public.   In addition, there are entrance forms to fill out, health declarations to make, and masks to wear (even though the US dropped its mask mandate yesterday).  Being on a group pilgrimage means honoring the goals and needs of the group above your own. On pilgrimage, the "I" is not as important as the "we." The pilgrimage way is communal, and in the shared journey, the "I" finds its true identity.  Our fellowship becomes the lens where we discover God anew.   So perhaps all the paperwork and testing for COVID is part of the spiritual discipline that recognizes that public management of the virus is more important than one's individual freedom.  So the journey begins.