DEREK MAUL

listen, learn, and - always - search

2012-02-19T13:15:00.000-08:00

Note: I understand that a lot of folk are still reading - or looking for - Friday's post on cancer and hope. If you missed it, click on "recent posts" to the right, then go to "February 2012." Once you're there, scroll back a day or two and take a look at "cancer, hospice, and a conversation about life." Apparently it's been a big help for many people.

Today I plan on sharing a more straightforward story:

: Good Lebanese Coffee

Learning Curve: I was on my way back from my brother's Thursday when I stopped by to see my friend Charles Willard at Sun City. Charles and I teach an adult education class together at church. It was time to get our heads together about the Lent study and beyond.

I'm so blessed to teach with Charles; he's a bona-fide scholar. Charles is a Presbyterian minister, held the position of Librarian at Princeton Theological Seminary and then Harvard Divinity School, and taught New Testament studies at both institutions. Now he helps higher learning theological institutions gain or keep their accreditation.

RINGER: Teaching with Charles is like having Roger Federer as your doubles partner in the neighborhood tennis tournament, or bringing in Babe Ruth to hit clean-up for the church softball team. All I can say is, if you have the chance to attend our class but you don't... you really are missing some good stuff!

One of my friend's ministry gigs several years ago was mission work in Lebanon. It was there that he learned how to prepare proper Middle Eastern coffee. Like tea in England, the service of coffee is an act of hospitality. When you walk into someone's home and the first thing they do is to serve you, that is a very good thing.

Listen... Search... Learn: So we shared coffee and we talked. We talked about a wide range of topics, but always circling back to the great opportunity we have to share the faith journey of those in our class and to search the scriptures together for guidance and truth.

They were entirely ready and accepted and welcomed the message with inclination of mind and eagerness, searching and examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11 - Amplified Bible)

The phrase "search the scriptures" strikes me as terribly important in our intention to be everyday disciples. And I love the phrase "with inclination of mind and eagerness." The concept reminds me of an ordination examination I once sat in on. The preacher-to-be opened the Bible, announced the scripture lesson, and then used the phrase, "Listen for the Word of God."

More than one minister present took issue with the phrase, suggesting that it suggested doubt that the Word of God was going to be heard. "You should say, 'Listen TO the Word of God," one rather pompous pastor lectured. "Tell me, do you believe the Bible is God's Word... or not?"

: Would we listen?

PREPARED & TUNED IN: But I think the young would-be-preacher was correct. God could be standing on the communion table, reading scripture through a megaphone and we would still miss God's Word unless we were properly prepared and tuned in.

We have to search the scriptures, and every time we do we find something new, something different, something powerfully and specifically for us.

That's one of the problems, I believe, with the literalist viewpoints that take the searching and the understanding and the listening and the contemplation out of scripture. I believe ready-made answers and tidy explanations are the last thing dynamic faith needs in these troubled times.

So we continue to search... and we continue to listen... and we continue to ask God to be in charge of the process... and so we learn - DEREK

reach, love, laugh

2012-02-18T08:24:00.001-08:00

: Every picture tells a story... (photos of David from Naomi Campbell)

REACH: I have decided this morning that it's time for a few - admittedly gratuitous - pictures and comments from the Connecticut grandson connection.

In fact, we'll ramp this post up to "Grandaddy Letters" status. It's been a while since I've written a specific communiqué for the inimitable David Henry Campbell and a couple of these photographs have jogged my consciousness in the right direction.

"Dear David, this is your grandaddy Derek. I'll try to be brief....." I can't help but smile when I look at this picture with the toy station. Here you are, just four months old, and you're reaching, grabbing, pushing buttons, doing your best to make something happen.

You come from a family that believes not only that we can all make a difference, but believes that we were placed here in this world specifically to make a difference. Making a difference is our job, our purpose.... You're already discovering that - much as you enjoy watching your mama play with your toys (and one day you're probably going to have to hide them from her!) - it's more fun to get involved yourself.

Way to go, David! Keep reaching out. This is just the beginning.

Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. (Psalm 127)

: That's right. I love your grandma too!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE: It does my heart good to see that you love your grandma! Know what? I love your grandma too. She's awesome in so many ways and I pray that you have the opportunity to know her more and more as you grow. However, now that you've opened this conversation about love, I want you to know a couple of important truths on the subject.

First, the most foundational truth about love has to do with faithfulness and commitment. Love has more to do with choice than it does emotion. In fact, the best emotions emerge in response to faithfulness. So understand this: We are your grandparents and we choose to love; you can count on that love 100% and for every day of your life.

The other thing I want you to know about love is this: LOVE DARES. Too many people live without coming remotely close to their potential, and more people still fail to love at anywhere near capacity. And here's the thing about capacity - it increases the closer we get to full. So I want you to be extravagant when it comes to love. We weren't created to hold back, we were created to live - and to love - in abundance.

: "Evidently you're a funny little dude"

LAUGH: Finally, I'm so pleased to see you laughing (evidently you're a funny little dude). Seriously, there's simply not enough laughter in the world today. So learn to love (we'll be talking about this a lot over the years), and please-oh-please become a world-class virtuoso of mirth too.

People who learn to laugh (at themselves, with others, in response to difficulty...) are not only happier, but they make the people around them happy and at peace.

Laughter is a lot like love in this respect, and this word goes with the idea of "reaching-out" that we began with. We were placed in this world, dear David, with the expectation that we would live to capacity, love with faithfulness and generosity, and bring joy and meaning via our passion for life and our inner peace.

Live to capacity;
Love with faithfulness and generosity;
Bring joy and meaning via our passion for life and our inner peace.

: reach, love, laugh

Love, and laughter, and reaching out are huge elements of the path to inner peace. So keep it up, kid - we're already so proud of you and we are brimming with excitement for your future.

In love, and because of love - GRANDADDY DEREK

(for more "Grandaddy Letters" posts, click on "Grandaddy Letters" in the key words....)

cancer, hospice, and a conversation about life

2012-02-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

: The Sunshine Skyway, Thursday

IMPERATIVE: I'm backed up with work this week. But first I have to write this post. My brother Geoff has run into a few more negative results in his ongoing cancer journey. So I headed down to North Bradenton for a lunch time visit and we chatted for a couple of hours. Our conversation has been working on my heart and mind and I'm having a hard time thinking it all through. So I guess I'll take my own best advice and simply put one word in front of the other and see where it leads.

WATERS OF ETERNITY: But first I had an errand to run in Tampa. Then I continued on down I-275 and over the Sunshine Skyway. Just before the big rise I pulled over to the waterside park to catch my breath and take in the view. I immediately thought about "passage," and "crossing," and the way the waters of eternity lap so closely against the margins of our lives. Mortality placed itself firmly in the front of my consciousness.

: Getting over the hump...

When I got back in my car I opened the roof and the windows to let the fresh air breeze through. I wanted to feel liberated - not restricted - on my way over. I didn't think that I was driving my vehicle across a metaphor so much as breathing in a little understanding. We are more connected to eternity than we think, most of the time.

CANCER: I'm going to share some thoughts from my conversation with Geoff, and I want you all to know why. Before I left we talked about confidentiality, and medical privacy, and the limits of public information. But my brother is insistent that I help to tell his story.

The reason why - Geoff said - is that his experiences, what he is learning through this struggle, and what God is teaching him about abundance and "living like we mean it", are his gift to all of us. This conversation about life and eternity is appropriate wherever we might be on our journey toward life beyond life.

"I am an open book, Derek," Geoff said, "and I want you to help turn the pages."

: Geoff behind a table-full of medicines

FIRST THE HARD NEWS: The change for Geoff over the past two weeks is threefold -

First, the liver cancer has proliferated - is proliferating.
Second, Hospice has been prescribed in order to help manage pain and coordinate care.
Third - and this came out just yesterday - he now has bone cancer too.

It had only been a few days since my last visit, but I was taken by the visible evidence that the reach of the disease has shifted. Pain, difficulty in movement, loss of appetite. It was all revealed in the way he got up from his chair to greet me.

IMPORTANT CONVERSATION: We talked a lot about the meaning of life. We talked about vitality, and how it is a much bigger concept than physical fitness. We talked about fullness, about what Paul referred to as, "The Life that is truly Life." Here's the passage:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life... 1 Tim 6:17-19

It turns out that my brother truly is rich.

And we talked about healing, and about medical interventions when the end of our physical life is right there, lapping up against us like the ocean against the shore.

"I'm entirely open to the idea of God healing me physically," Geoff said. "But that would be God's decision. Believing that God can heal doesn't change the fact that I need to make reasonable decisions about my care that work in my best interests, given the continued progress of the disease."

: strong cords that hold us together

CLICHÉS THAT RING FALSE: Let's make sure we understand what's true here. The language we use to talk about these kinds of issues turns out to be critically important.

First cliché: Many people say they don't want to talk about Hospice because, "Hospice helps people die." But it's actually more true to say that, "Hospice is helping my brother to live!"

Effective pain management and loving care typically increase both the quality and the length of life.

Second cliché: Another common red herring idea is, "We don't want you to give up..." Believe me, the choice to forego aggressive interventions in favor of Hospice care is not "giving up." Hospice care happens to be a reasonable treatment choice.

Let me repeat that. When a treatment choice is palliative rather than invasive, the team of care-givers is making a reasonable medical decision. THEY ARE NOT GIVING UP!

If a Hospice-referred cancer patient is driven to aggressive treatments they are uncomfortable with because someone else is unable to handle a difficult diagnosis, the following scenarios tend to play out:

First, the treatment will likely make the patient feel worse and result in additional suffering.
Second, the patient's chosen path will have been compromised and the rhythm of their life compromised.

: Looking back...

SACRED RHYTHM: This is a crucial point. The path to the passageway from time to eternity is typically a long one. Finding peace at the latter stages of the journey is critically important. Coming to terms with the fact that this life is temporary is an important element in understanding that the fullness of life transcends time and space.

The fullness of life transcends time and space.

: Geoff with his daughter, Hannah, and Granddaughter, Haley (Thanksgiving 2011 - photo by Alisia Hess Thompson)

Geoff and I talked about the fact that his life has found its rhythm. His confidence and his peace are so much more real than the pain and the breaking down of his increasingly fragile body.

That's enough for this post. There will be more, because my brother is courageous enough and generous enough to think about and to love the rest of us, and to talk about the end of his life without fear.

57 years into the conversation... and now he's a pretty good theologian!

Peace - DEREK

logistics, statistics and ballistics

2012-02-16T07:00:00.001-08:00

: check out the "follow" button)

Item # 1 - logistics: We all know I'm not much of a "geek;" I'm not ashamed to admit that technology is always somewhat of a challenge. However, in a recent "aha" moment, I discovered how useful the "Follow blog by email" button can be. Check it out, especially the "manage" feature that allows readers to customize how - and how often - you receive new posts.

: Help me have happy stats!

Item # 2 - statistics: Yes, I'm aware that "statistics" rhymes with "logistics." I swear it was an accident. 2012 has seen a significant up-tick of interest in this blog. Currently, combining numbers from the three sites where these musings post, around 300 people stop by each day. With your help, I'd like to see that number top 500. Please consider sharing this blog address with your friends, forwarding links to posts you have found helpful, and inviting others to check in from time to time. "Word of mouth" is still the best possible way to get a message out, so I'm relying on each one of you.

Item # 3 - ballistics: Okay, I admit it, this time I succumbed to the temptation to add another rhyming word. But it actually works. You see I really am thinking about the "dynamics of projectiles" here. We all launch ourselves at the beginning of each day. Now I'm not talking about "going ballistic," (which I'm sure we all do on occasion) but our "flight characteristics" as we head out into our lives.

: Setting the day in motion...

So here's the question. How, as a projectile into this new day, do we launch successfully? What are the characteristic qualities of our flight path? Are we erratic, or consistent? Is there any purposeful sense of direction, or are we haphazard and - to use a related idea - aimless?

Solutions: I'd like to suggest two short-term interventions and one long-term commitment:

Set your alarm for 15 minutes earlier for the next four days. Then, once you are up, take a 15-minute walk.
Spend the first one minute (just one) in prayer. Simply repeat the following sentence several times: "Lord God, please be with me today and bless my family with your love." Take the remainder of your short walk in silence. Then complete the walk with the same prayer.

THEN, beginning next Tuesday (February 21, Shrove Tuesday), I'd like to invite each one of you to take the 49-day Reaching Toward Easter Lenten journey with me. There are three ways you could do this:

Read along with me in my new book, Reaching Toward Easter. Find it at - Amazon or The Upper Room
Participate in the really cool "On-line Lenten Retreat" The Upper Room has organized. You can find details at - Lenten Retreat
Log in to this blog every day and pick up a different perspective. Invite some friends to join you.

What ever you chose, please do something intentional that will launch each day in the right direction. Life always has the potential to be transformational. Don't miss the opportunity.

: Petra - stepping out of the routine

One more thing, and it's my guarantee. If you take the 49-day challenge, reading and praying with consistency and purpose, I am 100% confident that you will be a transformed person by the time Easter Sunday rolls around.

Do you dare?

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” - Luke 24

Peace, and Promise - DEREK

Downton Abbey and our tendency to struggle against life

2012-02-15T10:44:00.001-08:00

: Our Asbury Seminary "EO" tour group with the Pyramids, January 2012

NORMAL? This morning I have been sorting through some of the memorabilia from our Middle East trip. It was a month ago today that we returned to "life as normal."

But it's not life as normal. Life as normal would assume that nothing has changed. But real life is defined by change - that's what makes it life. Trying to "keep things the same" is actually a struggle against life.

: PBS series

Downton Abbey: This idea is beautifully illustrated in the new PBS Masterpiece Theater series, Downton Abbey. We've missed a few episodes, but have kept up with the storyline. This past Sunday, with WWI behind them, Lord Robert Crawley tells anyone who's willing to listen that he wants life to return to "The way things were before...."

Beyond the day-to-day drama that plays out in the lives of the characters, the overarching conflict that drives the Downton Abbey narrative is the societal shift - away from the Victorian/Edwardian Age and into the "Modern World." It's change with the inevitability of continents shifting.

The change is incremental at first, barely registering yet irrepressible, an undercurrent of motion that builds and builds until cracks start to appear and foundations begin to crumble. There's no putting things back together again after that. But the commitment to such studied inertia is a value that drives the dreams and the policies of people like Lord Crawley.

: My brother, Geoff, singing with his daughter, Hannah, at a recent family gathering

URGENCY: My life should not, cannot, be the same as it was a couple of months ago - especially having launched 2012 in the manner that we did. This week one of my friends said that he has observed a real shift in Rebekah's preaching in terms of urgency. I pray that the same evidence is plain to see in my work too.

There are other factors at play, of course. There are life-and-death struggles, critical uncertainties regarding my newspaper writing, constant questions as to what's next for me professionally, and so many variables in the mix when it comes to plans for the future.

LIFE = CHANGE: But life, the irrepressible urgency of being, must not only be ready for change but ofttimes at the steering end of the equation.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. - Luke 6:38

: The past is interesting... but life necessarily involves change

God's faithfulness is a constant, something that will never change. But, and in the truth of that unchanging promise, our challenge is to live with urgency and integrity. "The way things were before..." is always the wrong direction! Because the promise of Jesus is the New and Living Way.

If we need to do anything to share the Good News of love and redemption in this world, then what we need to do is to demonstrate that we are ALIVE! "Life and light to all [God] brings," the carol reads, "risen with healing in his wings..."

Life... and light - A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over - DEREK

a story in four photographs

2012-02-14T08:49:00.001-08:00

: a new way into our church - iPhone 4

I think what I love best about photography is how an image can help to tell a story. Sometimes the photograph is the story. Believe me, as a writer that's a hard concession to make.

Understanding image as story not only means seeing the picture differently, it means looking differently before releasing the shutter. The question is not necessarily about form or beauty so much as it is about communication. The result is still art, but art on a deeper plane.

Here are four photographs I took over 24 hours, Monday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon. I'll deal with them separately, then - maybe - draw a conclusion.

CHURCH: First is this new entrance to our church. The access was completed last fall and I often use it as an easy exit. But yesterday, driving down Morgan, I glanced to the right and - for the first time - saw it as a way to come in. So I turned my car around, pulled out my iPhone 4, and recorded the image you see above.

I was captured by the idea of a new way in. Jesus came to offer a new and living way. This community of faith is becoming more and more about the tearing down of boundaries, the removing the old walls, and introducing the Christ of the Open Door rather than one more version of the all too familiar "we're right - you're wrong" religion. For me, driving by, our New Way In was a metaphor I couldn't pass up.

: Margie, Rebekah, Olivia and Scout

FRIENDS: This is Margie Binder and her delightful daughter, Olivia. The "Open Door" image immediately makes me think about her story.

One fine day - back when we lived in Pensacola - a young Naval officer and helicopter pilot drove past the church we served. She stopped, turned her car around, took another look, walked in the front door, and found Rebekah. She hadn't grown up in church, but she knew she needed to know God and she gave her life to Jesus. Her name was Margie and she became one of our dearest friends.

Today Margie works as a medical technologies manager. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children, and came to visit this weekend by way of Disney. And when I think about Margie's story I pray that we continue to open our doors a little wider and welcome more people in to the joy of a life of faith.

Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matthew 7)

: Darth Maul - chilling

DARTH MAUL: Darth - still the world's coolest cat - has reached that stage of life where his priority is 99% contemplation and (barely) 1% action. Seeing Darth sitting by the window reminded my of my commitment to be more deliberately contemplative in my spiritual life.

Psalm 46 offers the following advice: "Be still and know that I am God." Or, "Calm down" the CEV translates, "and learn that I am God." The Message puts it this way, "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything."

It's a good word, however the idea is parsed.

: Sky over Valrico, Florida - iPhone 4

BIGGER THAN THE SKY: Then, as a benediction to these thoughts, I looked up - always a useful posture - to witness this small slice of sky during a small slice of the day. What I saw was a deep window into eternity.

Perspective. Expanse. Life beyond life. Punctuation. A long semi-colon.

At this time so much of my thought process is drifting to eternity. The sky; this sky; spoke into my soul. Life is so much bigger than the sky. Life is so much bigger than mortality. The scope of being is so much bigger than life.

The scope of being is so much bigger than life.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. - Revelation 22:1-6

: Looking into eternity

I don't make this stuff up, you know. I just write down what I see - DEREK

Traveling Companions: God's Word and God's good people

2012-02-13T08:33:00.001-08:00

Teach me, LORD, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word. - Psalm 119:33-40

Most members of our POGs "small" group

Sunday morning I had a commitment to speak at another church. Consequently, I slipped out of First Presbyterian before Rebekah finished her sermon. It was good to be there for the first part of the day, and I'm especially glad I was there to witness a baptism (a mother and daughter), but I was also gone for 11:00 worship and I really miss my community of faith when I'm away.

SMALL GROUP: So I'm glad our "POGs" small group was scheduled to meet Sunday evening. POGs stands for "Parents of Grads." What we all have in common is young-adult children. Additionally, and increasingly, we're also concerned for our aging parents. There's never a shortage of issues to talk about, and the two hours we have for dinner and conversation pass all too quickly.

That's why, sometimes, I design a conversational framework that addresses resources we have beyond one-another. So last night we talked about scripture, and the impact The Word can have when we give it the prominent place a life or deliberate discipleship requires.

"This past 10-day stretch has been extremely difficult in many ways," I said. "I visited the oncologist with my brother, Geoff; we had a funeral for dear friend here at church; Rebekah went through hand surgery; and Geoff's situation is becoming increasingly challenging...

"However, and this is amazing, it's also been an extremely good week and a half. God's Word has spoken to me so directly, so consistently, and so powerfully."

: God's Word - every day

SHARING: I then asked my group to share how a verse, or a passage, or a story from the Bible had helped or guided them during the past couple of weeks. Almost everyone had something to share - which was great - but for most the intersection of scripture and life had been haphazard at best.

My next question (pretty much all I do at these meetings is to ask questions!) was exactly this, and I'm reading from the paper I took with me, just to make sure: "When tough situations go down, do you (A) Need to search for scripture that helps... or (B) Is the scripture that helps already at hand?"

The question boiled down to, "Are we able to draw on a long-term body of knowledge and our current devotional trajectory, or do we have to go fishing around for 'something that fits?'"

IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE: It's a similar principle to the one I discussed in "GET REAL," concerning improvisation. How can we possibly improvise unless we first develop a set of skills and disciplines to improvise from?

Last week God spoke clearly and powerfully through scriptures I was already reading, or had just studied; God was feeding my soul via wisdom and promise vested in passages and stories that are familiar because they are a part of my deliberate, daily, walk of faith.

Fact is, we don't have to go fishing for something that may or may not fit our situation when we are already steeped in God's Words and committed to spending time in God's presence.

: What is God going to show me today?

HEDGING FOR THE FUTURE: At my small group meeting, we all agreed that our lives aren't going to get any simpler or less demanding in the foreseeable future. But God is faithful, regardless, and the scriptures are our most reliable mile-markers on this particular leg of the road less travelled by....

And here's the other part - Make sure you're not traveling alone - DEREK

Here's the scripture we opened with, this time in The Message translation:

God, teach me lessons for living
so I can stay the course.
Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—
my whole life one long, obedient response.
Guide me down the road of your commandments;
I love traveling this freeway!
Give me a bent for your words of wisdom,
and not for piling up loot.
Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets,
invigorate me on the pilgrim way.
Affirm your promises to me—
promises made to all who fear you.
Deflect the harsh words of my critics—
but what you say is always so good.
See how hungry I am for your counsel;
preserve my life through your righteous ways! - Psalm 119:33-40

So proud of my Presbyterian (PC(USA) church

2012-02-12T09:35:00.001-08:00

: Ben, Kelly, Bill, John, Tim, Marianne, Bill, Rebekah

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me..." - John 17:20-21

I AM SO PROUD OF MY CHURCH! (God is more interested in faithfulness than perfection...) This morning's post is more in the spirit of the "Clergy-Hubby" blog I launched (and then retired) a year and a half ago. It's Sunday, the church is on my mind, and I am so genuinely thrilled to be a part of such an honest-to-goodness authentic community of faith.

: Yes, we're using the new space!

Our church (where my wife, Rebekah, serves as pastor) is First Presbyterian Church of Brandon, Florida. We have around 550 members, attendance falls somewhere between 350 and 425 most Sunday mornings, and community life is driven by a strong discipleship ethos. There is a lot of enthusiasm here, and also a lot of love. We're nowhere near on the same page about everything (thank goodness), but we are knit together by a spirit of love.

Jesus said that being defined by our love for one another is how the world will know that we're genuine; so it's a good thing we have that going for us!

: Dinner as a family

VISION: A short while ago Rebekah and I attended a remarkable dinner in our new building. The occasion was the last official gathering of the "Visioning Team." They've been meeting together for a number of years, charged with the task of matching our facilities with the direction God is leading. Now - with the new facility up and running - they're temporarily out of a job.

What made this meeting so unique was the spirit of the gathering.

I'd been asked to moderate some "closing questions" for after dinner. The chairs wanted me to facilitate a conversation designed to lead to a sense of closure. My first question was, "Think about the past few years and share something about this moment - sitting here at dinner - that makes you smile."

JOY: I'd anticipated answers like, "Rebekah in a hard hat..." "The day the termites stopped holding hands and the old building just lay down..." "Just knowing that we're finally done!" or, "You know, we nailed the design of the kitchen and I'm so happy about that..." or, "The look on Bill's face when he saw they'd planted the wrong trees in the wrong places..."

But instead, pretty much every member of the team said something like:

Er... we designed this kitchen... Anyone know how it works???
"Just showing up for meetings with my brothers and sisters; I love these people..."

"That moment when we counted the congregational vote to take the plunge and build; God was so much part of that process..."

"Seeing my husband come home from these meetings," (this from the spouse of a team member). "He was always so excited and so positive after being with all of you..."

And so it went. Love, fellowship, mutual respect.

LOVE: I've got to be honest here - and it shames me, as a Christian, to say this - but this is definitely not par for the course when it comes to church expansion/building projects. Many church members finish a job like this and say something like, "I'm never doing anything like this ever again!" And they mean it.

But these folk, the team at First Presbyterian Church of Brandon, Florida, devoted several years of their lives to a building project and they finished off closer to God and to one another.

: Nice room, huh?

ECONOMICS: We achieved this expansion, by the way, at the "worst possible time" when it came to the economy. But God's economy is built around the spiritual value of stewardship. When a church is defined by love, and by discipleship, then it's a different equation, and this has been a journey that has told the truth about the Gospel of Love.

That's my testimony today. I love this church so much, and I feel so blessed by the spirit of mutual respect and love that continues to move us forward.

Jesus said that the world would understand the truth about the Gospel of Love by the behavior of those who claim to be his followers. I can say with the utmost confidence that First Presbyterian Church of Brandon tells the truth about Jesus, simply by the way that we live together.

: Proud to be a Presbyterian!

The other question I asked the team was this, "How has this experience affected your faith... both in God and in people?" That, my friends, is when the tears started to flow. Tears of joy, tears because this is a place where the Spirit of God touches our hearts and directs our lives.

It's the quality of experience we all should be having - DEREK

Mother Maggie's Kindergarten and a root canal

2012-02-11T05:41:00.001-08:00

: Fun times at the dentist!

Yesterday morning I spent a couple of hours back in the dentist's chair - this time it was prep work for the crown that will cap off last-week's root canal. But what I thought about the whole time - my eyes clenched tight so I wouldn't have to see my dentist (no offense, Dr. G) coming at me with all those gruesome instruments - was the children's mission we visited in the Garbage City slums on the edge of Cairo.

People there can die of an abscessed tooth. Children suffer and die for lack of basic medical care. And here I was, sitting in a state-of-the-art office, whining like a baby because I can't handle a little pain, and because we've already spent more on medical stuff this year than the entire of 2011!

Boo-hoo....

: Children in Cairo's slums

Timing is everything. It was just yesterday that I received an email from a friend asking me to re-post my article about the children's mission in Cairo. He said he's concerned that "Mama Maggie's" work isn't getting the attention (and consequently the support) that it needs.

I agree with him. So I'm breaking my rule and running a repeat. But, if you've seen this already, please read it again. I'm tweaking the prose and adding some pictures. And - believe me - it won't hurt to be reminded of a crying need you can actually do something about if you really want to help - DEREK

: Children living in "Garbage Town"

SYMBIOSIS: THE PEOPLE AND THE PROMISE IN CAIRO'S WORST SLUMS:

- DEREK MAUL - This is a hard post to write. The topic is still travel, yes, and the venue is still spectacular; but today I’m focused more on the deep struggle that much of humanity engages just to make it through the day.

Rebekah and I were bumped up to business class when we flew from Athens to Cairo on “Egypt Air.” It was a strange contrast to arrive in the absolute lap of luxury, and then drive through a city teeming with 20-million people where squalor seems to be ubiquitous. Tired, rundown infrastructure; desperate living conditions; piles of festering garbage; unfinished apartment blocks occupied regardless of the conditions.

Then, having seen Great Pyramids and treasured antiquities, we visited a children’s mission in the heart of “Garbage City.”

: Children are a splash of color and light

Mother Maggie’s Kindergarten ("Mama Maggie") is located in “Garbage City” on the edges of Cairo. Yes, I said “garbage.” The town is the industry; the industry is waste; the community is built around the refuse; the garbage is the town.

The economy amounts to sifting through the garbage in order to salvage anything potentially useful, to dispose of what can’t be somehow re-claimed, and then to live off the refuse. The community exists on and is built around garbage. The relationship between the people and the waste is symbiotic. Yes, symbiosis with garbage… waste… trash… refuse.

: Hope for the future

The mission we visited is a day program designed to get one child per home exposed to an environment where they can imagine a different tomorrow. One child spending a few hours each day in the presence of a little education, a little hope, a little promise, a lot of love and the Good News of Jesus.

And what is Good News for these kids? - ”You are not garbage; you are beautiful children; you are special creations from the heart of a God who loves you with as much passion as God loves anyone on this troubled Earth.”

So we met some of them. Children make your heart sing, and they also make your heart cry. Often both at the same time.

: Washing the child's feet

At the gate – and this was telling – we saw a woman washing the feet of a child. They were seated under a mural of Jesus doing just that to his disciples. “We do this for every child,” the director told us. “We do this to teach humility to our staff, and we do it to model the way Jesus looks at ministry.”

HOPE: Farther up the mountain, through streets running knee-deep with refuse and head-high in festering despair, there is an amazing church built literally into the side of the cliff. Each Thursday evening, thousands of residents stream into the place to worship God and to hear the message of promise and redemption.

In Egypt, ground zero for the Arab Spring, there is another revolution going on. It’s a revolution against hopelessness.

In Romans 8, Paul talks about how creation literally groans in anticipation as it contemplates the full meaning of a restored world.

“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”

: Garbage City

Children of light were not designed to live in the middle of garbage. But the children who attend Mama Maggie's Kindergarten do. We all do in some regard. The Gospel is all about liberation, and promise, and the end of a life defined by decay and by existing in the middle of filth.

I don’t have a tidy answer for these children, other than my voice, support for such missions and an unremitting advocacy for justice in this broken world.

But Jesus offers answers – both for those who live up to their necks in physical garbage and for those of us who live mired in other kinds of messes.

: Mama Maggie's Kindergarten

Note: Financial help for Mama Maggie’s Kindergarten under the umbrella of Stephen’s Children, is possible by sending a check payable to “Stephen’s Children” to Stephen’s Children, 30 Pied Bull Court, Galen Place, London WC1A 2JR

- Derek Maul blogs at www.derekmaul.wordpress.com

Rebekah's hand surgery and thoughts about love

2012-02-07T11:47:00.001-08:00

: Prepping for hand surgery

Yesterday morning started a little too early for our household. 4:30 to be precise. OK, if I'm going to be precise then that would be: "4:30 for me, Scout and the coffee pot, and 4:50 for Rebekah." Regardless, it was too pre-dawn by far and we were in the SUV and heading for the surgery-center before 5:15.

Rebekah was scheduled for out-patient hand surgery, First in and first out because fasting and Type-One diabetes are not the best combination, especially as they pretty much numb your brain as well as your entire arm.

BIG OUCH: Without going into all the details, the key word in the idea of surgery is "cut." The doctor made an incision in the palm of Rebekah's hand so she could perform some fancy repair work on some of the uncooperative tendons inside. That's why Monday's scripture reading from my morning devotional was so remarkably appropriate. I kid you not, the following text is exactly what I read in The Upper Room just five minutes before Rebekah went in to surgery...

The LORD says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” (Isaiah 49:16)

: One big bandage later...

INTERPRETATION: That scripture resonated on a number of levels:

First, the imagery is raw and vivid. Rebekah's surgeon - an orthopedic specialist who works exclusively on hands - said palms are extra sensitive because our hands have such critically important work to do.
Then, with Lent coming and preparation for Easter under way, the idea of God engraving my image into the palms of the very hands of Jesus just about stops me cold.
Not only that, but I realized that God is a specialist too: God specializes in Rebekah; God specializes in me; God's hands were spread wide open for us; God believes in us that much.

Yesterday morning I felt a tremendous sensation of care and love from my Creator. My image, my likeness, my vulnerabilities, my sins, my personality, engraved indelibly on the very body of Divinity... How God must love me!

: My likeness engraved on the palms of Christ's hands

JESUS: Listen to how Jesus delivers the idea in Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount:

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows."

Do not be afraid. Fear not. Forget hoping for your photo fastened on God's refrigerator; God had your likeness chiseled into the palms of the hands of Jesus.

- DEREK

Easter Initiative: gaining momentum

2012-02-06T15:23:00.000-08:00

: 49-day retreat begins Feb 21

Happy Monday, friends! I've got to tell you, I'm almost grieving the end of my travel blog series. I've posted 18 Middle-East entries since January 16 and the response has been terrific. Thanks for reading along.

Today, however, I'm excited in a different direction. It's February already, there are just a couple of weeks until the beginning of Lent, and there's been an explosion of activity associated with my seasonal book, "Reaching Toward Easter."

I'm always thrilled about a new book, but this one feels like something extra special. Maybe "Reaching Toward Easter" will be the project that finally tips the balance so that everything begins to take off!

After a slow start the Presbytery of Tampa Bay now has (at last count) around 500 people in 18 congregations participating in the 8-week study.
The book has been sitting at or adjacent to the top of The Upper Room's best-sellar list for the best part of a month.
Upper Room Ministries is sponsoring on-line Lenten retreat featuring "Reaching Toward Easter." The reach could well be world-wide.
I have (as of today) 10 speaking engagements in support of the release.
Every time I "Google" the book I see more congregations (from a variety of denominations and all across the USA) advertising "Reaching Toward Easter" Lenten studies.

The bottom line is that I'm thrilled to have initiated such a wide-reaching conversation, one that encourages a deliberate journey from Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday, through Holy Week, and the celebration of Easter Sunday.

Please consider this as your invitation to join thousands of other people in an unforgettable experience! There are several ways you can join in:

Pray for the churches that are participating. There's a huge need for spiritual unity among Christians and this initiative provides a great opportunity.
Pick up your own copy of "Reaching Toward Easter." Then enjoy a personal, spiritual retreat.
Read with a friend, or two, and encourage one another along the way.
Sign up for the Upper Room on-line retreat.

: Back cover image from "Reaching Toward Easter"

IF NOT THIS... THEN SOMETHING: If you chose not to read along with me, then I pray that you will make some level of commitment to do something specific during Lent to enrich your spiritual life.

I have poured so much of myself into this book, and I'm very pleased with the result. I'd be honored if you would join me on the journey - DEREK

Derek and Rebekah's Epic Adventure: the epilogue

2012-02-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

: Having fun... and hanging on for dear life!

Jesus - "I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." (John 10:10 - The Message)

This is my "Great Adventure" wrap-up. I'm sure I'll talk about it some more, and I'm sure I'll find some excuse to throw in more of these amazing photographs - but today's post officially brings this "travelogue" series to a close.

If you've been visiting this blog because of our Epic Journey, then "Thanks for stopping by." But don't leave just yet, I believe it will be worth your while to keep coming back. Here's why:

1. The essential content is consistent; I write about "The Life-Charged Life" and the life abundant is an ongoing experience no matter where I am. Bottom line, you don't have to travel somewhere exotic to live like you mean it.

2. I will continue to feature good photography and a faith-based perspective. Read this blog as your daily devotion if you like.

: "Derek of Arabia!"

CAMEL as METAPHOR: I've opened with two camel pics (right and above) because they capture a lot of why this Great Adventure turned out to be so epic. I'm laughing for a couple of reasons. First, the experience was pure fun. Then, I was totally aware that I had very little control over what was going to happen. I was, to employ an over-used and typically misused cliché, one hundred percent "In The Moment."

When you begin to climb onto a camel and your Bedouin hits the "start" button early you know immediately this is no Disney Ride. Lesson # 1 from Derek and Rebekah's Epic Adventure, then, is... Stop trying to over-civilize your life.

: Taking in Petra

SHARE EVERYTHING: Originally, this was to be Rebekah's solo study trip; continuing education courtesy of our generous church. But I am so glad we made the effort to pull together the resources necessary for me to tag along. Fact is, everything we're involved with becomes that much more meaningful when we are connected. Dreaming together is an important part of any relationship... but actually following through as a couple takes a marriage partnership to the next level.

Simply put, this adventure has been great for an already great marriage! Lesson # 2: Be serious about having fun together!

: Mt. Sinai at 6:30 AM - view not available from my couch!

LEARN: Rebekah and I may be in our mid-fifties, but we are still committed to a continuing, life-long, education. There's television, there's the Internet, there's reading, there are great movies, there are live performances and educational seminars, and so much more... and THEN THERE IS TRAVEL.

Travel is the key to the world, and there is only so much we can learn from our armchair at home. Travel forces us to deal with the fact that diversity is more than a politically correct ideal; diversity is The World, a world where the bubble we live in simply does not exist. Yesterday (Friday Feb 3rd) a tour bus on the road to St. Catherine's Monastery was stopped by Bedouins and some Americans were kidnapped....

... Rebekah and I were on that exact stretch of road just a couple of weeks ago. There's good reason I threw 55-year-old caution to the wind, and followed without a second thought when our Bedouin guide (Yusef) suddenly decided our friend Lonita needed a one-on-one detour down a precipitous "short-cut" as we descended Mount Sinai. Lesson #3: The World is Bigger than America!

: The face of Egypt

COMPASSION: I'll be honest about what I do when one more "Save the Children" commercial interrupts my favorite show on television. I thank the technology geeks for DVR and skip on ahead.

But it's a different story when you witness a child playing in filth in the middle of garbage piled high against his home - and when you can smell as well as see as well as hear the misery of systemic decay. That's when sentiment moves through pity and into compassion.

I may carry a passport that says "United States of America," but I am a Citizen of the World. And so are you. I couldn't begin to understand what's going on in Egypt today if we hadn't stood at the end of Tehir Square in Cairo and looked into the burned-out shell of Mubarak's headquarters; or driven through neighborhoods teeming with desperate people and persistent squalor; or climbed the side of The Great Pyramid, and listened to it whisper to me: "These people know they could be great again and the tension between that knowledge and the reality of their situation will not... cannot be contained much longer...."

Lesson #4: This world is populated with real people, and God loves them just like he loves us.

: Petra - looking back at The Treasury

PURPOSE and PROMISE: So what? So was this trip an extravagantly expensive carnival ride... or was it an opportunity for me to grow significantly as a human being and in my understanding of what it means to deliberately engage "The Life-Charged Life?"

Most definitely this experience has been - and is - a monumental opportunity. The more important question has to do with what is it that I'm going to do with this opportunity now that I'm "back to normal?"

This series of travel posts has helped. I've debriefed and processed and organized my thoughts and emotions. (If you're new to this blog you can scroll back to January 16 to catch up on the entire journey.)

: What you see depends on where you stand, where you look, and what you're willing to learn....

But the real test is today, and every "today" that I encounter. And it's always going to be a choice (it is for us all). And the choice is to invite God to use me, to use my experiences, and to equip me to live life out loud, a story that "Tells the truth about the Good News of Jesus, simply by being."

Lesson # 5: "We have been blessed in order to be a blessing."

I am so g

Healing and an Empty Tomb: Jerusalem the final act

2012-02-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

: Rebekah - smiling because she's at The Pool of Bethesda

After we left the Church of the Resurrection we enjoyed our last Middle-Eastern lunch - the classic combo of "falafel" and strong coffee. Then Rebekah and I continued all the way down the Via Dolorosa to "The Pool of Bethesda." People from our church (First Presbyterian Church of Brandon) are going to laugh when I say this, but: "That's Rebekah's favorite Bible story." (She has, at last count, around 25 scriptures in her "Top Five")

The Pool of Bethesda is the place where Jesus challenged the paralyzed man regarding his willingness to live life in all of its fullness. Jesus asked a hard question; he knew the man needed to be healed, but only the man himself could make the determination to allow the miracle to take place.

: "Do you want to be made well?"

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesdaand which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” - (John 5)

: St. Anne's Church at Bethesda

There's a beautiful church at the location (they tend to build churches on top of everything here and - frankly - it gets a little tiresome when there are a thousand better ways - archeologically - to develop these places and respect the integrity of history at the same time). Fortunately this church was dedicated to the mother of the Virgin Mary and the structure leaves the pool complex well enough alone.

Ritual cleansing was part of the Jewish practice of worship. You didn't just show up to worship God, there had to be deliberate preparation. It is an idea, frankly, that has merit. Jesus lived in a culture where God dwelled in "The Holy of Holies," and God was not appraoched by anyone other than the High Priest, and he only went in once a year. Our guide told us that a rope would have been tied around the priest's ankle, so that - if he was struck dead in the presence of The Almighty - he could be pulled out without anyone else placing themselves at risk.

And so, when Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be made well, and why he hadn't made his way to the water in almost four decades, Jesus was also asking if the man wanted to be spiritually whole, and if he had any intention of living the kind of life-charged life God intends for his children.

: The Garden Tomb - Jerusalem

TOMB: Then, having left Bethesda, we made our way to The Garden Tomb. The Garden Tomb makes no claims to be the exact location, but it is a legitimate ancient burial site, and offers a clear idea of what such a place - owned by someone like Joseph of Arimathea - would have looked like.

Consequently the place has presence, an intuitive sense of peace and focus, not only at the end of a long day, but at the conclusion of a trip that was wonderful even as it left us spent. I felt, quite literally, the rest of Jesus. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)

: Sharing communion at the Garden Tomb

BREAD and WINE: We made our way to a quiet area and shared a simple service of communion as a group. Across the garden, as we were taking the bread and the wine, we could hear an African tour singing with such passion and such belief.

We joined in, quietly, carrying the words like a corporate prayer that united us all, believers from every tribe and nation declaring Jesus in every tongue and with one voice, that God gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father... (Philippians 2)

It was our last stop on this life-chareged, life-challenging tour. We returned to the hotel, ate dinner, packed, and made our way to the airport at Tel Aviv where we boarded our Jumbo jet close to 1:00 in the morning...

: The tour, in and around the Empty Tomb...

But our hearts and minds were still at the tomb. An empty tomb, mind. And how do we know that? We know the tomb is empty because Jesus lives in us, here and now. Jesus lives through us. And we live because of Jesus. Not "live" as in breathing; but "live" as in life-charged.

It's what I'm writing about; it's the pulse of this blog; it's the filter through which I pour all of my experience.

Tomorrow I'll put the wraps on this Amazing Journey. But stay with me, please - because we're only just beginning to tell the story - DEREK

The Last Day in Jerusalem - Part One

2012-02-02T14:07:00.001-08:00

: Crowded streets in the Old City

Reading from the Gospel of Matthew: After they had mocked Jesus, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).

Our last day in Jerusalem was - as expected - packed. We saw a lot of wonderful things, including the actual Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah, but the definitive experience was the long, slow walk we took through the Old City, following the route known as the Via Dolorosa.

: Narrow streets of the Old City

What struck me about the "Way of the Cross" was the narrow, crowded, marketplace atmosphere. This, our guide pointed out, would have been they way the city felt when Jesus was forced to carry his cross (in all likelihood the cross-beam portion) to the place of execution.

It was the intention of the Romans to make crucifixion as public a spectacle as possible. They wanted the suffering - the horror of the experience - seared into the hearts and minds of as many people as they could. And, as I helped Rebekah and her painful ankle hobble through the narrow, uneven streets, crowded with people and goods and food and merchants - the throbbing pulse of a living city - it was not a stretch to imagine Jesus, weakened by a vicious flogging, struggling under the weight of it all and stumbling as he went.

: Rebekah receiving encouragement from Lonita

BIG CHALLENGE: We started the day with a wheelchair for Rebekah. But we soon realized that "accessibility" is seldom compatible with history. The idea of retro-fitting a historic site is impractical, we understand that, but what did surprise us was the "too bad about you and your wheelchair" attitude at Jerusalem's premier museum. "The Israel Museum" is a showpiece of archeological presentation, housing not only the Dead Sea Scrolls but hundreds of other important artifacts. Eventually, after more than an hour of aimless wandering, Rebekah and I finally found an exit we could roll the wheelchair through. Then, once we reached the room featuring the scroll from Isaiah, she still had to crawl up a flight of steps to get close enough to see.

: At the Israel Museum

We learned a lot about accessibility.

Then the miracle occurred. There is no way to take a wheelchair into the Old City of Jerusalem, so we left it on the bus and told our guide we'd catch up at the Garden Tomb, our final destination. Rebekah put all her weight on my right arm and we simply determined to "make it happen."

It turns out we never became separated from out group. It helped that, this time, movement from point A to point B was not a forced march! But the ankle loosened up. It hurt, but we were able to move. And that, given the scope of what we were witness to on our final day, was a blessing from God.

: Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was constructed at the place tradition holds as the site of Christ's crucifixion. We like - as evidenced in hymns such as There is a green hill far away... to imagine the crucifixion on top of a hill. However, more typically such brutal executions were performed at some busy intersection on a busy highway - something you simply couldn't avoid.

The church, also known as The Church of the Resurrection, is an interesting complex, containing chapels administered by a variety of Orthodox and Catholic groups. In a way, the place is beautiful.

: Rebekah with the key-minder

Rebekah rested by the front door and struck up a conversation with the man sitting beside her. Later, our guide stopped by and said, "Do you know who that is you're sitting with?"

"Oh yes," Rebekah said, "we're friends already. He's the official key-minder and gatekeeper. He showed me his humongous key and I have his card!"

I have to finish here for today - tomorrow we'll continue down the Via Dolorosa to the Pool of Bethesda and then communion at The Garden Tomb.

: The Door to the Church of the Resurrection

DOOR: But look - here's a photograph of the door. I guess today's post is really about accessibility: Accessibility of The Kingdom... of peace... of people we want to keep in the shadows... of the Good News. All this and more.

We wished we could have had more time to simply wander through the city, talking with the merchants and the gate-keepers and the regular people who call this place home. Jerusalem is a place like no other, but it is a real place and not some museum exhibit.

Ultimately, taking in the sites and the history without taking in the real people who pulse life through the Middle East would be a tragic mistake. Essam, Mohamed, Michele, Avi, Hoosam (some of our guides and drivers) - these folk all live and work and struggle and raise families in the middle of the politics and the unrest and the fear. Simply put, we've got to spend more time sitting on a bench and listening to their stories....

Peace - and I really mean that - DEREK

Archaeology and coming home

2012-02-01T20:16:00.001-08:00

: Down the wet steps and into history

In many ways, it's past time to come home. Oh, Rebekah and I have been back in Florida over two weeks now, but I personally spent the last part of January still wandering Egypt, Jordan and Israel in my heart and mind. Today, February 1, for the first time since we returned, I find myself completely captured by the beauty and drama and need of this life, in this particular moment.

I'll finish out the tour, like today's pictures and references to the City of David, street-level Jerusalem circa 33-AD, and The Upper Room. But this morning my life is invested in the story of a dear friend whose child is dangerously lost, my brother's medical tests, and preparation for an important speaking engagement this evening.

: King David's palace and the Kidron valley

But isn't that why Jesus came? Isn't that why Jerusalem is such a great point of pilgrimage... because this is where God opened the portal between time and eternity and broke into the human experience so compellingly via the life, death and resurrection of Jesus?

It was raining at Gethsemane, and the rain continued to come down the day we traversed countless uneven steps, deep down into excavations that are revealing layer upon layer of history, core-samples of life one-thousand years before Christ.

: Street level circa AD 19 - Jerusalem

RAIN: Rain happens. Life happens. Three-thousand years ago via the heroic and (more often) tragically human stories of David; two-thousand years ago in the context of street-level experiences Jesus had with ordinary people made extraordinary because they encountered the Living God; and today, where life slaps us in the face sometimes and Jesus is still here - because my friends, their son, my hurting brother, and the people I'm speaking to tonight are exactly the reason the Lord offered redemption and new life and the peace that is beyond understanding...

Ancient pathways
We looked at rooms from the palace King David occupied when he ruled Israel (1040-970 BC).

We climbed through the amazing underground water system that sustained ancient Jerusalem and which was also used as an escape route.

We visited the Pool of Siloam, where Jesus opened the eyes of a blind man.

Coins (Bible times) in hands of archaeologist
We talked with an archaeologist who still finds coins that date from and predate the time of Christ.

We walked on the street where Jesus turned over the money-changers' tables - paving stones dating from Herod's era of reconstruction.

We made our way - soaked and shivering - to the traditional site of The Upper Room.

And then we climbed into the prison complex beneath the palace of Caiaphas the High Priest. We know Jesus was held here. The place holds a powerful historical and spiritual gravitas.

: At The Upper Room

UPPER ROOM: I'm especially interested in The Upper Room because that is the Nashville based ministry that publishes my writing. The structure of the location only dates back to Crusader times, but the idea of the place where Jesus met with his friends for the Last Supper sparks my imagination. It's the setting for my newly released book, "Reaching Toward Easter."

TIME TRAVEL: There are a thousand key scenes from the biblical narrative that people would move heaven and earth to attend if time-travel were a possibility. For me - given the chance - the choice would be hands down The Last Supper. To sit at table with Jesus; to listen to the Lord go over the highlights one last time; to ask him a question... or two....

: The hole Jesus would have been lowered into at the "holding cell" at Caiaphas palace

Would I let Jesus wash my feet? Would I dare to look into the Master's eyes and feel him gaze on my soul...?

Again, more questions here than answers - DEREK

Gethsemane, betrayal, politics, and grace...

2012-01-31T07:41:00.001-08:00

: Jerusalem!

One of the exciting things about travel is posing for those long anticipated "bucket list" photographs. You know, the one's you had in mind from the time you first imagined the trip. This tour was full with such "Kodachrome" moments and Jerusalem Day Two was no exception.

The Old City from the Mount of Olives is, of course, a classic image. Typically the shot is taken with a baking hot sun reflecting from the white buildings and the golden dome on the Temple Mount shimmering.

: Jerusalem the Golden!

This day was cold, wet and breezy - but the city shimmered anyway. So we got out of the bus, wrapped our jackets tight (it was the last time they'd be dry until we returned to the hotel) and took in the amazing panorama. It's easy to see the outline of the temple renovations Herod completed in 19 BC. So we wiped the rain from our lenses and tried to capture both the view and the emotions before making our way down to the Garden of Gethsemane.

: The memory of Trees...

GARDEN: In Gethsemane a collection of gnarled ancient olive trees, some dating back to the time of Christ, reside in a walled garden adjacent to The Church of All Nations, also known as The Basilica of The Agony. The trees stand as silent sentinel to Christ's deliberate choice to love me beyond reason and beyond even hope. When I reached through the fence and touched the bark I imagined I sensed a lingering resonance, an echo of the imprint of the physical presence of Jesus. Or maybe it wasn't my imagination at all.

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:32-36)

: The Basilica of The Agony

Inside the basilica we found ourselves in a place of haunting beauty. The church is ornate in design, with elaborate paint and tile work. But it doesn't feature the gaudy bangles and hanging decorations so often found in the region. In consequence I found myself - naturally and gratefully - in a contemplative frame of mind.

I needed much more than the scant half hour or so to thoroughly engage the meaning and the emotional impact of Gethsemane, and so I left the church reluctantly, bound for our next destination but still, spiritually, in The Garden with Jesus.

And I wondered to myself as I boarded the bus, "Would we crucify Him today?"

And the answer was a hesitant but honest, "YES." And I'm sure that the most pointed resistance to Christ's challenging message would begin in the church that bears his name.

We saw a lot more that day, but this morning I can't break myself away:

I can't break myself away from the Mount of Olives.
I can't disengage from the memory of those ancient trees.
I can't wrap my mind around the dishonor we do to the Spirit of Christ whenever we try to use the name of Jesus to advance our own, more cynical, agendas.
I can't believe anyone would dare to manipulate this Jesus to advance their brand of politics.

: And we betray Jesus still...

"Enough!" Jesus said. "The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (Mark 14:41-42)

And we betray Jesus still....

- DEREK

A visit with our sisters and brothers in Palestine

2012-01-30T07:13:00.001-08:00

: The wall casts a long shadow over Bethlehem

To get into Bethlehem our bus needed to negotiate a couple of checkpoints and then drive through a hole/gate/portcullis in an ugly grey wall topped with barbed-wire.

This wall dominates the landscape and likewise dominates the tone of life on the Palestinian side. It's impossible to drive through the wall and then not feel the reach of its shadow.

And the Palestinians - I have to get this out up front - are not, as one confused politician suggested, an "invented" people. The natives of this region have been "Palestinian" for the best part of a century. Fact is, even the Jews who were born in present day Israel before 1948 had the word "Palestine" printed on their birth certificates.

So we headed in to Palestine for two reasons. First, to visit the Church of the Nativity, built over the traditional site of the birth of Jesus. And then to attend a seminar at the Christian College and to encourage the Palestinian Christians, courageous believers who work for hope and peace and who present the Gospel of Love in the middle of chaos and despair.

: Church of the Nativity

NATIVITY: Our guide had a good answer when someone asked, "How could we possibly know exactly where Mary and Joseph were the day that Jesus was born?"

Tradition alone, he pointed out, is typically a fairly good indicator when researching historical sites. First off, tradition is not arbitrary, there is usually good reason for multiple centuries of attribution, even if the documentation is long gone. More often than not, archeology ends up affirming or at least adding credibility to tradition.

The Church of the Nativity, he said, is built on more than tradition. A late 1st Century Roman emperor did historians a favor when he built a temple directly over the site the early church recognized as the birthplace of Christ. His purpose was to obliterate the location and strike a blow against the upstart religion, but the result was to leave future researchers a huge, monumental "X" marks the spot! After Rome's decline the temple was removed and the Church of the Nativity erected in its place.

: St. Jerome

For us, however, the church, its gaudy excess, and the less than Christ-like demeanor of those who control the site (search "You-Tube" for videos of "brawling priests") was more symptomatic of the region's institutionalized angst than it was a spiritual destination. The most worthwhile moment was viewing the cell where St. Jerome (347-420) translated the Bible into the Vulgate.

: Bryan, Rebekah, Lonita, Eric and the ankle

As we were leaving the church Rebekah - having just been yelled at by a priest for, well, being a woman - fell victim to the uneven paving and sprained her ankle. The fall brought our "family" together in prayer, but we honestly thought Rebekah was done for the remainder of the tour. We pretty-much carried her onto the bus and she had to sit out the balance of the day.

: Palestinian Christian leaders

PRAY for PEACE: Anyone influenced by the political rhetoric that infuses much of American Evangelical dogma would have a hard time believing any Jesus-Followers live in Palestine. But bona-fide disciples do live and work here, and we had an interesting visit with the president and vice-president of the Bethlehem Bible College.

Note: Sunday evening during my small group I explained the difference between "exegesis" (which means allowing scripture to inform our interpretation) and "isogesis" (which involves reading our preconceptions into the text). I then mentioned my concern with the way many Christians in the U.S. try to co-opt the church into conservative political dogma.
"That," my sharp-as-a-tack friend David Dale observed, "would be Ameri-gesis." Nice one, David.

We listened to many voices during our tour, but the good folk at the Bethlehem Bible College offered a perspective many in the group had never considered before. There is such sadness here; such frustration at the unwillingness of so many in the international community to speak up for an illegally displaced people; such a love for this conflicted land; such faithfulness to Christ's instruction in the way of peace.

They are a voice we simply cannot ignore.

: "welcome to Jerusalem (NOT)"

And so we returned to Jerusalem, both more hopeful for Palestine and more fearful for the future of its people. And - as we approached the cold, grey wall - I felt the bus fill with unspoken prayer for the peace of the region, and out of compassion for our brothers and sisters in Bethlehem.

Amen - DEREK

The Holy City... Serendipity... and Grace at the Western Wall

2012-01-28T08:54:00.001-08:00

The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount

This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain." - Zechariah 8:3

Our group arrived in Jerusalem at just the right time. We followed Moses from Egypt, through Sinai and to the Promised Land; then we walked with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem. The thrust of the biblical narrative brings everything to a head in Jerusalem.

After Jerusalem, the New Testament suggests, the rest of the story is pretty much up to us. But we have to be willing to go to Jerusalem first. It was imperative for Jesus; it was pivotal for us.

: All this and more!

We were tired, no surprise. So Rebekah and I were beyond grateful that our room for the next three nights turned out to be a significant upgrade. We got off the elevator, rolled our luggage to the appropriate room number, and then were a little confused to find the words "The Brown Suite" by the elegant entrance.

Rebekah went in first. This is our actual dialogue:

Rebekah: "Derek... I think there's been a mix-up."
Me: "Is there something wrong with our room?"
Rebekah: "The opposite. Come take a look. They gave us a suite by mistake!"

So I followed her in and checked the place out. Sure enough, we had a luxurious suite with a sitting room, an office area and a palatial bath. There was a box of chocolates on the desk and a presentation gift basket of "Dead Sea Minerals" products.

Rebekah: "What if someone finds out they goofed and they kick us out? We have to keep this quiet."
Me: "Quick, let's eat the chocolates!"

The next day a beautiful arrangement of flowers showed up. Later, when I tried to pay for Internet access I was rebuffed with, "Room 542? Let me see... No charge at all, sir." Talk about a serendipity. All I've got to say is - along with the business class ride on Egypt Air - it's a good thing Rebekah and I don't buy into the whole slippery slope of "God's favor" theology. This would have pretty much launched us over the edge!

: The Western Wall of the Temple

WESTERN WALL: Just one "Old City" story for today. Tomorrow we'll visit Bethlehem and talk about Palestine.

Some of you may remember my trip to Assisi in November. It's one of those "Thin Places" (Check out "A Thin Place Named Assisi"). I lit a candle in Assisi for my brother, Geoff, and brought back a carving of St. Francis for him. Well, as I walked down to the "Wailing Wall" I thought about the gravitas the place holds as a place of prayer, and my brother came to mind.

: Prayer for my brother

The Western Wall is an especially holy place for the Jewish community because it's a part of the structure - stone upon stone - from the Temple before Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70. This is as close to the ancient "Holy of Holies" as 21st Century Judaism can come.

Holy, Holy, Holy: So I approached the Western Wall with reverence, and I did the following three things:

I wrote a simple prayer on behalf of my brother, rolled it up, and located it carefully in the wall.
I borrowed a yamaka - יאַרמלקע - and prayed for Geoff with my hand on the wall, over the prayer.
I placed my own hat over the yamaka and "borrowed" the yamaka permanently, so that I could give it to my brother along with the story.

: There's a yamaka under that hat!

Just like Assisi, this was a powerful moment. There is something special about these direct, physical connections to the eternal. Like the woman in the crowd who touched the hem of the garment Jesus was wearing, I too have been connected to grace.

It is the story of faith; it is the story of hope; it is the Greatest Story Ever Told.

Peace... Promise... and healing - DEREK

PS: You can visit my facebook page (friend me) to see a set of photographs to go with this story...

Channeling Paul: words from the amphitheater at Caesarea

2012-01-27T07:10:00.000-08:00

: Meggido and the Plains of Armageddon

From Nazareth we travelled to the ancient site of Megiddo. Megiddo is in the valley of Har Meggido, or (Anglicized) "Armageddon," the site of several historical battles.

The dig has revealed 29 layers, representing 29 civilizations, and the site is a textbook example for the state of the art of archeology. People lived at Megiddo from approximately 7000 BC to 586 BC. It has remained uninhabited since the time of the Jewish exile to Babylon.

: Elijah sticking it to the Prophets of Baal

Our next destination was Mount Carmel, site of the famous "dueling prophets" story where Elijah taunted, defeated and destroyed the prophets of Baal.

It rained, the wind blew, the sun came out, the temperature dropped, and then it rained some more. The mountain makes for a spectacular setting, and it is easy to imagine the theatrical tone of the pivotal confrontation. I have always liked Elijah for his honesty, his hesitancy, and eventually his great courage. God was so patient with him, even when he felt sorry for himself and did his best to avoid taking God at his word.

: aqueduct at Caesarea

DEREK channeling PAUL: Finally, and with the wind blowing hard off the Mediterranean Sea, we spent the afternoon at Caesarea Maritima, stopping briefly at the Roman aqueduct before spending an hour or so clambering around the amphitheater, the circus, and the ruins of the amazing palace the Roman governor occupied, right on the shore.

Back in Egypt, when Dr. Tuttle was assigning meditations to his students, he asked me to share something with the group when we came to Caesarea. It was here that Paul offered his defense of the Gospel to Governor Festus and King Agrippa.

Standing in the ancient amphitheater to speak, with the deep blue of the Mediterranean behind me and the towering clouds billowing, the scene struck me as surreal. I could feel the gravitational pull of history, the insistency of Paul's commitment to the Gospel, and my own constant search for the right words at the right time tugging at my spirit.

: That's me, sharing some words in Caesarea Maritima

THIS IS WHAT I SAID: "Before reading the scripture from Acts 26, I'm going to offer a little background from the great drama that plays out over the preceding chapters:

Paul's message hits too close to home in Jerusalem. The religious authorities decide to clamp down.
The Romans don't want to see a citizen lynched, so they take Paul into protective custody, right here in Caesarea.
Governor Felix is pressured by the Jews but eventually passes the buck to the new guy, Festus.
Festus wants to make a good impression with Herod Agrippa. So the two of them get together and ask Paul to explain himself before passing him further up the food chain via an E.O. (the group we were traveling with) "eastern Med." cruise to Rome.
Paul gives Agrippa and anyone else listening his best "15-minutes of Jesus..."
Festus tells Paul he's crazy, but Agrippa is intrigued and challenged; "Almost persuaded" according to one translation.

Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to become a Christian?" Agrippa said. "Short time or long," Paul shot back, "I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what i am, except for these chains..." (Acts 26:28-29)

: Roman villa by the sea

"So yesterday, just before last light, I walked on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to think about this passage and to skim some stones. And here's what I'm thinking - as a writer, as a journalist, and as a passionate follower of the Way of Jesus.

"We meet people like Festus and Agrippa every day. We work alongside them, worship together, live in the same house, share the highway, stand in line at the store, volunteer with the P.T.A.... And I'm wondering what kind of story my life tells them?

"Does my life tell a story of love and clarity and light? How persuasive is the narrative? Do the twists and turns of the plot-line support - or call into question - the foundational premise of the Good News? Does my life story articulate with eloquence how startlingly wonderful it is to know and to love Jesus?

: Taking in the history

"I thought about all of this, down by the Sea of Galilee, and I came to the conclusion that what Jesus wants is this: Jesus wants us to tell the truth about the love of God... simply by being.

"To tell the truth about the Gospel of Love, simply by being.

"Paul stood here - in this place - at the crossroads of history, and what he said was supported by the authority of a life lived as if everything Jesus promises is true. And it reminds me of something Paul wrote - later - to his friends in Philippi:

Shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the Word of Life. That way I can boast on the Day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

"I have this image of Paul, standing right here, holding out the Word of Life to Agrippa, and to Festus, and to anyone else listening. And here we are, January 11, 2012. Is the world we live in persuaded at all that what we're holding out to them is the real thing?

: A beautiful day to on the edge of the Mediterranean

"So yesterday - just before the last of the light slipped behind the hills - I walked out on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to think about this scripture and to skim some stones on the water... and I wondered how far the ripples might travel...?"

I've got to tell you, speaking right there, in that setting and in the shadow of Paul, now that was something to remember - DEREK

Nazareth and the consequences of love

2012-01-26T15:24:00.000-08:00

: On "The Precipice" outside Nazareth

If you read this blog on a regular basis (not just these travel features) then you know that I tend to write about what's going on in the here and now. This is, after all, my "Life-Charged Life: a journal of living like we mean it."

So I really can't skip the fact that I had my first ever root-canal yesterday. Long story short I woke up December 30 with the most excruciating tooth-ache I've ever experienced in my life. It was a Friday morning, and by the time I realized I needed help there was no way to see a dentist until Tuesday morning (it was New Year's weekend). So, Saturday morning, I went to the Walk-In clinic.

"We're not a dentist's office," they said. "See your dentist Tuesday."
"I'll be in Egypt by Tuesday," I said.
"Oh..."

So I talked them into a course of antibiotics and some big pain pills and headed off to the Holy Lands with a throbbing abscess under my lower-left molar. Ouch.

: Evidently my "Happy Pill" was already taking effect...

PAIN: Our trip was, as I've been saying continually, amazing. But the first week, and certainly until the anti-biotic got the infection under control, involved a huge amount of pain. But the fact of it, rather than spoiling the adventure, essentially heightened my awareness of the humanity we encountered.

I became pointedly aware of the absence of routine care in many of the places we visited. And I couldn't help but note the ubiquity of day-to-day suffering, and the unremitting challenge of being human in a world struggling to get just a toe-hold on a quality of life I take for granted.

: Walking the path to Nazareth

Leaving The Galilee: And so back to the Great Adventure narrative. Our first stop when we left the Sea of Galilee was a walk in "The Valley of the Doves." The footpath we hiked was the ancient pathway from Nazareth to Capernaum and beyond.

I like to joke that we "Walked where Jesus walked but didn't sleep where he slept..." But it's no joke at all to realize that you are literally retracing the exact path the Lord must have followed countless times. I closed my eyes tight, listened to my footfall, and tried to imagine Christ's companionship on an all-day hike up to Nazareth.

: Nazareth

Nazareth: We didn't spend any time in the city itself, but instead made our way to "The Precipice" on the edge of the town. That's where the picture that opens this post was taken. Look closely and you can see the rock I'm perched on. Beyond is the valley. The drop is precipitous. I wondered what it might have felt like to be dragged and hustled to that point by an angry mob; your life held in the balance because you dared to talk about the truth in your own home-town.

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read... "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."... "Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown." ... All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

: Rebekah, just trying to take it all in

As I stood there, overlooking the fertile plain, a jolt of pain shot from my jaw through my entire body. It may have been the cold wind working on the abscess and it may have been an urgent jab from the Holy Spirit. I couldn't help but think about the solid humanity of Jesus and about how he voluntarily placed himself, bodily, between me and the consequences of my rebellion against Love.

Jesus was doubtless roughed up on his way to this precipice. But he allowed himself to be treated thus. Jesus loved each member of that mob and he loved with the same passion and pain that he feels for me. And he always refused to anesthetize himself against the consequences of such love.

Jesus refused to anesthetize himself against the consequences of love.

: Our group, listening to the scriptures exactly where the story took place!

EPIPHANY: Wow. That thought is a real epiphany. It must be time to stop writing and pray:

Jesus refused to anesthetize himself against the consequences of Love.

Thank you, Jesus, for loving with such a love. Thank you for refusing to do anything to lessen the impact of that love. Thank you for living.. and loving... and dying for me. Amen

Nazareth and the consequences of love

2012-01-26T07:34:00.000-08:00

: On "The Precipice" outside Nazareth

"We're not a dentist's office," they said. "See your dentist Tuesday."
"I'll be in Egypt by Tuesday," I said.
"Oh..."

So I talked them into a course of antibiotics and some big pain pills and headed off to the Holy Lands with a throbbing abscess under my lower-left molar. Ouch.

: Evidently my "Happy Pill" was already taking effect...

: Walking the path to Nazareth

: Nazareth

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read... "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."... "Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown." ... All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

: Rebekah, just trying to take it all in

Jesus refused to anesthetize himself against the consequences of love.

: Our group, listening to the scriptures exactly where the story took place!

EPIPHANY: Wow. That thought is a real epiphany. It must be time to stop writing and pray:

Jesus refused to anesthetize himself agains the consequences of Love.

Thank you, Jesus, for loving with such a love. Thank you for refusing to do anything to lessen the impact of that love. Thank you for living.. and loving... and dying for me. Amen

Galilee: rest for our souls

2012-01-24T07:21:00.001-08:00

: The Sea of Galilee from our hotel room

OVERWHELM: A smart blogger would acknowledge the impossibility of doing justice to our first day in The Galilee, and simply limit the posting to one representative story. Such an approach has merit. But I've got to tell you I'm struggling against the notion of leaving anything out at all.

Rebekah and I woke up that morning to realize our room directly overlooked Lake Galilee. Not a bad start to the day. Then we made our way into Tiberius for an excursion on the water. The experience was both wonderful and problematic. I'll try to explain.

: Waiting to board in Tiberius

The tourist boats come equipped with sound systems and loaded with "religious" CDs. Our ride drifted in from the Lake with a full load of nuns and we could hear classical chants roll across the water at full volume as they approached the dock. My guess is the boat operators try to get a read on the clientele and then select the music accordingly.

We were hardly a hundred feet from the pier when our music started. At first it was a novelty and most folk joined in the praise songs. But they must have had us pegged at the cheesier end of the faith spectrum because they cranked up the volume and it was one country-themed gospel tune after another.

But this was Galilee! We were on the water where Jesus and the disciples spent time together. And I'm 100% convinced Andrew, Peter, James and John et al were able to hear the birds sing and the fish jump and the wind rustle the surface of the water.

So, I confess... I'm the one who whispered "Could we please lose the soundtrack?" to the guide and salvaged 30-minutes of blessed peace as we floated where Jesus walked.

: Fishing boat dating from the time of Jesus

JESUS BOAT and more: We made landfall at the Yigal Allon museum, where the celebrated "Jesus Boat" exhibit is housed. After a fascinating hour at the museum we visited the site of the Sermon on the Mount and then the traditional location of the Feeding of the 5,000, before enjoying a walk around ancient Capernaum. Later we continued around the Lake to Gerasene, the place where the "demoniac" was healed and the herd of pigs ran off the cliff and into the sea.

For lunch we ate "Peter Fish" on the lakeside and continued our circumnavigation with a baptismal event in the River Jordan. Several of the group wanted to renew their baptismal vows and fairly froze to death in the process. It was a meaningful end to the day, and we returned to our hotel with the echo of the footsteps of Jesus still ringing in our souls.

: Rebekah sharing stories - at the traditional site of the Sermon on the Mount

SERENITY: But the most telling exhibit of the day was serenity. It rained; we rushed; we ran where Jesus walked... but somehow - and I believe this was nothing less than a divine presence - we all experienced the serenity of The Galilee and our souls were fed.

If there is a next time in Israel, Rebekah and I would like to park ourselves in a lakeside hotel for a week and literally walk around the Sea of Galilee. There is so much to drink in, to inhale, to - as Jesus would say - "Rest in." Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)

I really like the way Eugene Peterson parses the passage in The Message:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. Matt 11:28-30 -The Message.

: Serenity around Galilee

Come to The Galilee. Rest in Jesus. It is impossible to spend any time here without catching a hint of the presence of God. And then, once you realize what's beginning to creep in at the edges of your consciousness, to take a deep breath and to breathe in the Spirit of Life.

Come to The Galilee - DEREK

The Promised Land

2012-01-23T07:11:00.001-08:00

: Mount Nebo

For Moses, the road to The Promised Land took forty years. We got there a little sooner, thanks to a bus driver named Mohamed who managed to make our tour bus handle more like a sports coupe.

We did, in fact, follow the footsteps of the children of Israel. This was no haphazard visiting of sites, but an entire tour designed to follow the trajectory of the scriptures. So we wandered the wilderness after leaving Egypt, entered the Promised Land around Jericho, and then made our way from Galilee to Jerusalem. We completed the tour with communion at The Garden Tomb.

: Hazy view from Nebo, looking into The Promised Land

From Jordan we left Petra before light, driving "Mohamed style" through the desert, and when we walked up to the summit of Mount Nebo the morning haze still hampered visibility. But we saw enough to get a sense of what Moses experienced when God took him there to take a final look at "The Promised Land."

Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Then the LORD said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”

: The road down to Jericho

PROMISE: We could see Jericho, the hills around Jerusalem, the Dead Sea to the south, the River Jordan and the broad valley leading toward Galilee.

Jose gave the devotion, and he shared the heart-wrenching story of his 12-year-old daughter Michelle, who has been completely dependent since an infection attacked her brain six years ago. Yet her life, and the effect she still has on the faith and the love of so many people, can only be described as a powerful ministry.

Jose's devotion wasn't a hope-filled story so much as it was a story charged with Promise. Because sometimes, when the future we hope for fails to materialize in the ways we have planned and dreamed, then the way God uses us - and our lives and our potentiality - is better understood in terms of Promise.

God showed the Promised Land to Moses. But Moses didn't get to go in. Not even after 40-years of faithful, world-shaping leadership. Yet it was still The Promised Land, and it was still a promise for Moses. God's promises own a dimension of truth that is so much deeper and more complete than what we can see, moment by moment, right in front of our eyes.

: On Masada - Dead Sea beyond

BORDER: The crossing into Israel took three hours. It was lengthy, complex, and more thorough than I could possibly describe. We were met by Avi, our guide, and we immediately headed for the fortress of Masada at the southwestern end of the Dead Sea.

Masada was the last stand of the Jewish rebellion that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Diaspora. The fortress finally fell in 72 AD. At that time, our guide said, the Romans completely dismantled both the nation and the religion. There were, quite simply, no Jews remaining in Israel. The dispersion was thorough and complete. The nation was, essentially, obliterated.

: Masada

Immediately, and this is something that cropped up for me again and again during our week in Israel, I was taken by the single-mindedness and the resolve of modern-day Israel. Our guide's words were supported by an intense sense of "We can do this..." pretty much everywhere we turned. Desert? No problem, let's irrigate. Impossible? No such word, let's improvise. Overwhelming odds? Not on your life, we can make this happen...!

THEME: And so this became the theme - so far as I was concerned - for my thinking during our time in this amazing country. You see I've been beating the same drum for some time now. It's the "Live like you mean it" idea, along with the companion phrase, "Because God most certainly does."

God most certainly meant it when God created Israel. Now I'm not suggesting that God is any justification for the way Israel continues to treat the Palestinian people. But I am suggesting that the national character of this small country is compelling, and that there is something very inspirational about the spirit of this place.

: Looking west from Masada in the late afternoon

I'm just scratching the surface of this discussion today. We have so much to learn and such a short amount of time. Please join me tomorrow when we wake up in The Galilee.

Peace - and I mean that in every possible way - DEREK

PETRA: wonders of the lost city

2012-01-21T13:55:00.001-08:00

: The Treasury at Petra

There is a moment as the visitor walks toward the lost city of Petra for the first time - approaching through the narrow, wind-sculptured gorge that guards the entrance - when you first catch a glimpse of The Treasury. Suddenly it's there; massive, imposing; and it literally takes your breath away.

Petra is an ancient, noble place, hewn from the rock in the desert east and north of Aqaba (Jordan), and immortalized long before Indiana Jones made The Treasury an archeological icon. Today, fifteen-hundred years since it was last abandoned after one more catastrophic tangle with geology, just 15% of the site has been excavated.

: Petra, The Treasury

For Rebekah and me, Petra represents an open invitation to explore, and to learn, and to wonder what other treasures of antiquity await. This was the day that has made Rebekah determined to return and participate in an archeological dig. This was the day that forced my understanding of time to shift. This was the day that made me realize that taking 569 photographs is not a stretch, and it's only a problem when you try to sort them down and still end up with over 500 "keepers."

Less Rush: Overall, out Great Adventure was a tour filled with instructions like:

"Ten minutes here then we're moving on."
"The bus is pulling out in 23 minutes so you have ample time to do all your shopping."
"I know we've covered a lot this morning, but we're giving you a full 40-minutes to find a restaurant, and relax over lunch. So we'll meet back at the statue in, check, 39 - no 38 - minutes. Enjoy!"
"Let's move it, people. Try to keep up!"

: Layer upon layer of wonder

So it was a real treat to hike into Petra in the early morning, spend a couple of hours with our guide, and have nothing else on the agenda until dinner in the hotel at 6:30 that evening. And Petra is that kind of a site, completely invitational with more to see at every turn, narrow and grand at first and then spreading out as the valley opens up to the remains of an ancient, sprawling, city.

: The walk was worth the walk

Some of us, more adventurous, took on the hike to "The Monastery," high in the mountain behind the city. The experience felt like climbing the side of the Grand Canyon. However, far from feeling spent from the Sinai expedition the previous day, I found myself springing from rock to rock like I was still twenty years old. The cool, clear air was invigorating. I found myself running ahead to catch groups of friends, tracking back to rejoin others, or taking lateral trips off the path to find the perfect angle for a photograph (check out the extensive "PETRA" album I'll post on facebook today).

: "Coming through"

Halfway up I missed a step, fell very hard, and lay still for a few moments while I caught my breath and assessed the damage (just scrapes and bruises, it turned out). A pack donkey, on his way down from a Bedouin settlement, appeared, stole my apple, and clomped his way directly over me without missing a step! Nice.

: At the top

At the top, a good 1,500 feet or more above the town, I found another massive chamber carved out of the rock.

Phenomenal? Yes. But this time the journey was more significant that the destination. So I left ahead of the group and made my way slowly down through the canyons, meditatively, simply absorbing the bombardment of beauty, completely understanding how contemplatives adopt the monastic lifestyle and invest their time in the quiet spiritual life.

I found Rebekah combing through a breathtaking series of excavations the other side of the valley, and we spent the afternoon exploring. Oh. My. Goodness! We wanted to stay a week, at the very least, and comb our way through every crevice.

: Rebekah on a a precipice, with the mountain I just climbed in the distance...

Petra is not only a "World Heritage Site," but was also selected as one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World." Hmm, if I made my own list I've got a feeling more than half would come from this Great Adventure.

So What? OK, I can't post all the great pictures, and I can't make this post any longer (I could, but you don't want me to!). So let's jump to the so what part of today's entry.

There's this great quote I found at Mt. St. Helen's in the USA. "Civilization exists at the consent of geology." Petra is a prime example. The city was the capital of the entire Arabian world until it was finally abandoned after yet another catastrophic earthquake. Civilizations are temporary. Even great empires rise and fall. Life that is rooted in rock and built into the face of a mountain can suddenly be uprooted by a simple tremor in the Earth's crust....

: Rebekah looking back as we leave... "Just one more day...."

Gravitas: Hanging out in a place like that you get a sense of time, eternity, the weight of eons. But also, breathing the fresh air and taking in the wonder of creation, we encountered the tremendous peace and assurance that comes from an active relationship with the Creator of all, who neither wavers like the earth nor fades like time.

This was not a "Bible site" so to speak (other than the tie-in with Herod's infidelities, John the Baptist's criticism and Salome's request for his head on a platter...), but the day served as an important archeological and spiritual marker in our journey.

: Outside The Treasury

Next up for this blog? We'll be traveling to Mount Nebo, where God showed Moses The Promised Land. What God has shown us so far has proven to be more remarkable than I can articulate - but I'll give it a try - DEREK