Is Different Everything Now TRAVEL SCRAPBOOK

CAVE 4

We visited Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. This picture shows Cave number 4 where over 90 percent of the scrolls were discovered. One of the biggest finds at Qumran was the book of Isaiah nearly intact. Later we visited the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem where we saw a replica of that scroll; unfortunately, the original was temporarily not on public display.

Communion On The Sea Of Galilee

For many a highlight was celebrating the sacrament of Holy Communion on the Sea of Galilee in a replica of a first century boat. This is one of the places where we can know with absolute certainty that Jesus was. This is where Jesus walked on water, calmed the storm, and called his first disciples. It is also where he multiplied the loaves and fishes and delivered the Sermon on the Mount. The setting of the sun as we returned to shore made this memorable experience even more so.

BY CHERYL MATHISON

The plan to travel to the Holy Land and Jordan was first announced in the fall of 2018. When registration opened in 2019, two trips scheduled for fall of 2020 filled within minutes and then ... COVID -19. The trips were postponed until October/November 2022 when 58 of us finally made our pilgrimage to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Our days of travel were long and full. We saw and learned and experienced so much. One traveler said to me, “What I saw was more than I could absorb.” Indeed. Entering the Church of the Nativity or the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or standing in the Shepherd’s Fields or on the steps of the temple are each individually so awe-inspiring that finding words to explain is difficult.

There is no doubt that a pilgrimage like this changes people. It changes how they understand the situation in the Middle East. It changes how they hear scripture. It changes how they understand the life of Christ. One traveler put it this way: “I knew before this trip that Jesus lives, but my greatest discovery from being in Israel and walking in his steps is that he truly lives inside and outside

Remembering Our Baptisms At The Jordan River

Two by two we stepped into the Jordan River where we remembered our baptisms. With these words: “first name/ middle name, you are a beloved child of God,” we traced a cross on one another’s foreheads. The group picture is taken at what is the most likely site of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist.

Western Wall

People write prayers on scraps of paper and tuck them into cracks and crevices at the Western Wall. For a long time, it was thought that this wall was all that remained of Herod’s temple (the temple Jesus knew) which was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. But more recent excavations uncovered the Temple Stairs on the Southern Wall.

The Church Of The Nativity

These are the faces of pure joy after visiting the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The underground grotto marks the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

Gloria Plumier

Teaching At Mount Precipice

Mount Precipice is the traditional site where the people of Nazareth chased Jesus in order to throw him over the cliff. See Luke 4:14-29. The 360-degree views are spectacular!

Travel Scrapbook

of me—now, tomorrow and for eternity. He will work through me to bring others to him.” Another said: “I cannot hear Christmas hymns the same way anymore. Like ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ and ‘Away in the Manger’ ... I hear the words anew!”

I give thanks for the development of relationships within our travel groups. As I write, someone just stopped into my office looking for the addresses of all the travelers in her group so she could send a Christmas card to each one. I give thanks for the transformations each one experienced. One woman put it this way: “Everything is different now.” I give thanks for the renewed interest in Bible study. Many travelers reported that they are eager to continue to learn and grow as they read and reflect on scripture. Finally, I give thanks for the sheer joy and privilege of hosting these trips, teaching and sharing scripture, and developing relationships in ways that cannot happen in any other setting.

Worship At Redeemer Lutheran Church In Jerusalem

On our last day in Jerusalem, we worshipped at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jerusalem. The service was both in English and Arabic. Afterwards, we were invited to join the congregation for fellowship and this picture was snapped of five Lutheran pastors: Pastor Sarah Moat, Pastor Adam Miller-Stubbendick, Pastor Fursan Zu’mot, Pastor Nancy Carlson and Pastor Cheryl Mathison.

PETRA

These two men climbed 850 steps in blazing heat to reach the Monastery at Petra. We also saw the Treasury which is familiar to many from the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

The whole trip was an amazing experience seeing so many of the actual sites that we have read about since our childhood. A couple of our highlights included having communion during a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and reaffirming our baptism at the site of Jesus’ baptism while standing in the Jordan River. We especially enjoyed the camaraderie we shared with all the other travelers!

Karen And Joel Christopherson

The Temple Stairs On The Southern Wall

We stopped for a photo on these massive steps. They were part of Herod’s expansion of the Temple Mount and along with the Western Wall, are all that remain of the temple. It is likely that Jesus taught on these very steps.