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May 6, 2007
Sunday
Day Twelve

Today was a day of Sabbath for the blogger. Along with about eight others, I stayed around the Pilgerhaus, worshiping with the Benedictine community at the outdoor Dalmanutha chapel, walking down from the guest house where there is a pedestrian walkway connecting the property. The abundance of birds provides a pleasant choir and the blooming trees and flowers provide the liturgical colors. For seats, there are long logs facing a stone altar behind which is the Sea of Galilee. My poor German picked up the words "liberation" and "new life" in the sermon, which seemed appropriate enough, and the hymn book enabled me to sing.

The rest of the group had an opportunity to travel, courtesy of our guide Naim and driver Magit, who showed them the lovely countryside further north. They saw the temple to Pan, and the site dedicated for Peter's confession of Christ at Caesarea Philippi in present-day Banias. They saw the headwaters of the Jordan River, and a waterfall from the runoff on Mount Hermon. And they saw the Syrian border on the Golan Heights, with UN presence and a large Israeli presence guarding the border. On their way back Naim found a restaurant with Mezza or salads in typical Palestinian fashion.

The temperature was the hottest ever, seemingly reaching 100 degrees. Some sought refuge in the lake. Others found the air-conditioning in the rooms.

In the late afternoon, we gathered for eucharist. The centerpiece was Quaker-meeting style, where anyone was invited to share a poem, song, or creative offering. Ruth interpreted in expressive dance a song about Jerusalem that Susan led. A few offered hymns. Others shared reflections. We are aware that we are in our last days together on this pilgrimage.

In the evening, we gathered in a circle called a mandala, with objects representing a variety of emotions: a rock for fear, a branch with dead leaves for sadness, a stick for anger, a bowl for emptiness, and a votive candle in the center for anything else. We were invited to individually come forward and to take an object and speak the truth of our feelings, as a way to remain connected with each other and able to process our responses to a variety of settings and what is called "the situation" in this land.

Monday we will go to the place where a first-century boat was discovered, enjoy a view of the Jordan River, and a swim in the Sea of Galilee. We will also spend time packing our luggage for our early morning trip to Ben Gurion airport on Tuesday.

Tim Keyl
Christ the King Lutheran Church
Nashua, New Hampshire


Click here to see Pastor Tim's photos of the Pilgrimage on Flickr.
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