Highlights of our Tour of Israel

How does one put into words the experience of a lifetime? It is indeed very hard. And then, to make things even more complicated, how does one choose one or two highlights from among the many? It is impossible. Overall, it was such a special time in Israel, despite all that is happening in the political circles. One can't really refer to the time as a 'holiday' - it is more of an Encounter or an Experience, and one that every believer should try and do, if you can.

If I am pushed to choose a spiritual highlight, I would go for 3 of them:

1. Sharing in Baptisms in the Jordan River - priceless encounters with our group and even with other people who came up to us (out of nowhere) and asked us to Baptise them. They were from the Coptic Church in Egypt - so, so amazing.

2. Sharing in Holy Communion at the Garden Tomb. Very blessed time and hard to put into adequate words.

3. Singing the Lord's Prayer in the Pater Noster Church. This is considered to be one of the places where Jesus taught his disciples to pray and we got the chance to sing in this special place. There are versions of the Lord's prayer in hundreds of different languages all over that place.

Overall, I am just humbled to have had the chance to be in that special place. It is hard to imagine that a land, smaller than the Kruger National Park, could have impacted the world in such a dramatic way.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

The sacred blessing

There were only a few things that Jesus instructed his disciples to do after he had gone. One of those was to share in a meal of Remembrance, which is called by many different names - Holy Communion, The Lord's Supper, The Eucharist, Mass, A Love Feast and so on.

Believers approach this awesome meal from different angles, all seeking to express our devotion to Jesus. Some communities make the Lord's Supper open to all people and allow it to be instituted by any believer, while other churches require an Ordained person to bless the elements first. I am not going to get into the different theolgies today, but I want to invite us into a reflection on how we 'personally' experience this meal.

I think the following thoughts may be a helpful starting point:

"If the Lord's Supper were served in only one place, by only one ordained person in the world, many would make a sacred pilgrimage to experience it. But Communion celebrations are offered everywhere... This Communion is health to my soul and body." - Thomas a Kempis

As I read this I reflected on how I easily forget the massive gift Communion is to me. It is always a reminder of God's grace and mercy, revealed in the person of Jesus. I pray that the next time I share in this 'Gift' that I am touched by the Love of Jesus again.

Living in Grace
D3LM3