An Adventure in Ministry

In the afternoon we spent some time at the Southern wall of Jerusalem. Here we looked at some of the ruins left from the period of the second temple. We stood on the steps where Jesus would have definitely walked when he came to Jerusalem for festivals.  We sat and considered how the area may have looked when the temple was still standing and what it means for us. Helen set a picture of what the temple would have been like at feast days. The sights and sounds, the hustle and bustle, the mayhem of it all. She then said. "The temple doesn't sound or smell like the house of prayer we imagine today." This really challenged me. I expect a house of prayer to be calm and peaceful but that isn't always the case, God can also be in the hubub.  I also considered that the bible says we are the temple of the holy spirit. Sometimes in church we can discount people because we don't believe they can become our vision of the temple, calm, ordered and compliant bu...

Today our journey started at Yad Vashem, Israel's holocaust memorial. It is set in a beautiful hillside in Jerusalem and the aroma of rosemary, a herb representing remembrance, fills the air. We are shown round the museum by a guide called Debbie, whose parents went onto the Kinder transport to Britain and survived the war.  Our first stop was to the Children's hall of remembrance, a truly moving place, where the light of five candles are reflected with mirrors around the room. The effect is like a million stars sparkling. As we passed through, the names of the children were read aloud, a seemingly never ending list of names.  We then went into the main museum which followed the story of  6 million Jews who were led to their death. Our guide brought this number to life with stories of individuals who were victims of the holocaust, some who died and some who survived the horrors.  As we made our way through room after room packed to capacity w...

We entered Jerusalem through the Lion gate. We then walked to the ancient pools of Bethesda. We sat in the gardens of the church and read from John Chapter 5. we considered how in verse 8 Jesus told the man to: "Get up, pick up and walk!" For me, however, I considered how the man had been looking for healing wherever it could be found. He couldn't even get into the pool but he was desperate to cure himself.  When Jesus saw him, his first words were, "Do you want to get well?" So often we look to other things to give us the healing only Jesus can give. We need to look ONLY to him and faith that we will Get up, pick up and walk! We went inside a beautifully simple church and sampled the acoustics singing 'Praise my soul, the king of heaven' it gave me goosebumps!  We then stood and looked over the ruins of the pool of Bethesda. At the side of the pool was a plaque that read: 'Jesus is all-powerful, omnipotent; He alwa...

Our final destination of the day was 'The Garden Tomb'. It was a little place of quietness and peace in the bustle of Jerusalem. We arrived and was greeted by a lovely English guide who took us through the three stages of the place.  We sat and overlooked the place believed to be Golgotha, as the guide explained the torment Jesus would have endured during the last moments of his life. He reminded us that through his death, we have life and forgiveness.  Looking at Golgotha, one thing that struck me, was the way that there was a Muslim cemetery that has been built on top of Golgotha. On the side of the wall, just above the place Jesus would have been crucified, was emblazoned, in Arabic, 'Allah is God' For a little while I got a bit angry, but on reflection, two things occurred to me One - that if the worst another faith can do is to put death next to the place that God conquered death, then what a mighty God I serve!  Two - It is inter...

We soon started our ascent to Jerusalem, and as we did the psalms of ascent that David wrote. The final Psalm of Ascent 134 rang in my head:  Soon I had my first glimpse of Jerusalem. My heart started beating fast...Wow!  We drove into the city and sat on the Mount of Olives. Surprisingly it was very quiet and we didn't need to push through crowds. As we sat overlooking Jerusalem, the presence of God was tangible. This is the place where Jesus ascended to heaven and this is the place he WILL come again! We sat and contemplated this and sang Amazing Grace. It was overwhelming and I wept. Wept with joy at his amazing grace, wept with thanks that I was here and wept with sorrow for Israel, for our world and for humanity.  We soon after descended the mount to the garden of Gethsemane. The trees stood in the garden were from the same roots of the ones that would have stood the night Jesus was arrested.  As we sat outside the church o...

Our first stop today was Beit She’an, a fabulously preserved ancient town. It was on the tel that Saul and his son’s headless bodies hung. It was also part of Decapolis in a later period. We saw impressive bath houses, shops and theaters, but it was soooo hot! After seeing some amazing pillars that had been felled and split by an earthquake, Paul and I decided to take an opportunity to rest and recoup in the shade. As I sat with a drink, I considered the importance of water in the bible in a completely fresh light. Christ as the living water was a pretty big deal! The refreshment and rest that Christ offers surpasses that of a cool drink on a hot day. It is life saving, life transforming and life giving. After our visit to Beit She’an, we began our journey through the Judean wilderness to Jerusalem. As we travelled we saw the border with Jordan and miles and miles of arid wasteland. We stopped for lunch in a little café and after a welcome meal of chips (!)...

Our final stop of the day was to see the Jesus boat – a 2000 year old boat discovered on the shore of Galilee. After we had seen this we then went on our own ride over the sea of Galilee. Words cannot even begin to describe my experience there and even writing this, I can feel tears coming to my eyes. As we began our journey with the beautiful sun on our skin, we listened to songs of worship. I simply couldn’t stay in my seat or keep my hands by my side and as we sang ‘My Jesus, My Saviour’ the tears poured. Then the Bethel version of ‘It is well’ played. As the music washed over me, I was reminded of the promise Jesus had given me already on this trip, and the words from the song brought such deep peace. Paul was then asked to read from Mark 4:35 where Jesus calms the storm. It was overwhelming to know that the very story happened where I was sailing. Then, after a short thought we sang 10,000 reasons. This song is so special to ...

At Capernaum, our next stop, we saw some of the ruins of the town Jesus did much of his ministry in. We sat in the shade and read from Mark 1. Sat in front of the ruins of the Synagogue, we read how Jesus healed people, cast out demons and ministered to them in that very place. WOW! Later as I stood in the synagogue I could sense his power and authority in that very place. In a church over the top of a house it is believed Jesus resided in, I saw a young man on his knees before Jesus and I just had to sit and pray and thank God for his son. We then went to Bethsaida, a small, quiet and pretty non-descript ruin. As we sat listening to the chorus of the crickets, Eric reminded us that God uses ordinary people for extraordinary things. Peter, Andrew and Philip came from here and God turned their lives upside down. As I considered how God will transform nobodies into somebodies, I thought of the ministry God is using me in. I thank ...

We started our day by reading Psalm 103 on our way to the mountain where it is believed Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. What a psalm full of truth and power. As we travelled along, I prayed that as I was blessed by God, I may also bless and praise my saviour. We arrived at the mount of Beatitudes, and with the heat already setting in, we found shade to read from Matthew 5. Eric explained how ‘the word’ was a master of the word and he attracted crowds wherever he went. As I sat in the beauty of the gardens of the church I could hear a symphony of birds singing. The music could rival the most talented band or singing group! As I listened, I was reminded of Matthew 6:26 spoken at possibly this very place and I imagined Jesus at this actual place looking at the birds. Of all the places I have visited so far, however, I struggled a little with this one. It wasn’t as I had imagined, a place once simple, had become so complicated and ornate. BUT  ...

After our visit to Caesarea, we moved onto Mount Carmel, a possible place where Elijah went head to head with the prophets of Baal and called fire from heaven down. It was a stunning place. There was a beautiful garden of peace and tranquillity and as we stopped in a quiet part of the gardens, I heard an Indian priest address a group of pilgrims. He called them to rise up and follow the God, who in that place, sent fire down from heaven. He called them to be true disciples of Jesus. At this my heart stirred, and I had to stop myself from shouting AMEN! As the group moved on and our guides spoke to us, they read from 1 Kings 18 and reminded us of the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. They also shared from James 5:16 “16  Therefore confess your sins  to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.   The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. ” As we sat in the place where God so miraculously answered Elijah’...

This morning after a beautiful breakfast we left Tel Aviv and headed to Caesarea. Here we saw an ancient town including a Roman theater and a hippodrome where horses raced and eventually gladiators fought. As we sat in the seats of the amphitheater we read from acts 10. We considered Cornelius, the roman centurion, from Caesarea, who was the first gentile to become a Christian. We considered the legacy of this one man’s faith and I was challenged to ponder what legacy my faith will leave. Caesarea was stunningly beautiful. The sea so blue, the sun so hot and the remains so striking. In this place of such beauty we paused to consider the nature of Roman occupation and what that meant for the early Christians. We thought about the counter-cultural message of Jesus and the fact Jesus calls us to still be radical and counter-cultural with his message of love.   I was also fascinated by the archaeological evidence of the excavations found along our walk. ...

We have arrived! After a broken suitcase, no gluten free food on the plane, an hour delay on the tarmac and a huuuuge queue to get through passport control, we are finally in Israel!!  There is a group of 30 of us and it is a real mix of people of different ages, accents and outlooks. At our first group meeting, our leaders, Helen and Eric introduced us to the week ahead…it was a goosebumps moment! Eric also opened the scripture to us. He read John 12:21  “They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”” ‭‭This is most certainly my prayer this week. That in all the bustle and business, that despite the heat and tiredness, that regardless of any circumstances In it all I would like to see Jesus I want him to knock me off my feet. I want fresh revelation. I want to be changed this week from glory to glory! As I write, these words are playing over in my head. This week, t...

As some of you know, recently I embarked on a pilgrimage to Israel. Whilst there I kept a journal and thought I would share some of my thoughts here. 10th May 2017 Today I began my pilgrimage to Israel. Paul and I decided to book this trip in memory of his mother Jean. For me, this is a trip I have wanted to make for many years and I have been preparing for this for months. However, as I sit in my hotel room at Heathrow, I wonder if I have really prepared spiritually as well as I should have? You see, my life as a minister means long days, an endlessly busy mind and a servant’s heart which gives an awful lot. I love my full time ministry in The Salvation Army. I have found the sweet place of sitting in God’s will, but always being pushed forward and closer to him. After a pretty tiring and difficult drive from Wale, I am now feeling pretty exhausted and overwhelmed. These verses are resounding in my head as I seek rest. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? C...