Jesus' Other Home Town

On Saturday, Evertt and I got up early to visit the excavation at Sephoris (Zippori), a ancient city less than five miles from Nazareth that was a community in which Joseph may have done carpentry-work and which Jesus probably would have visited in his younger days. It boasted an impressive reservoir aqueduct and some of the best mosaics in Israel (including one they call the "Mona Lisa of Zippori" which is composed of 1.5 million tiny stones in 23 colors -- a picture will not do it justice!).

One of the main roads in town is pictured below -- it was called the Decumanus. It is very possible that Jesus would have walked on this very road during his lifetime.

W.W.J.D? Where Would Jesus Walk?






















We also paid a visit to an archaeological site called Yoda Fat (no Dwayne H., I'm not kidding!). It was a small town in the hills of Galilee that the Romans besieged during the Jewish rebellion in AD 66 and following. The famous Jewish historian Josephus was a general there and once the Romans broke through and killed the people of this city, he surrendered to Vespatian (who soon became emperor of Rome) and went on to write an important history of the Jewish people.

A herd of goats atop Yoda Fat


















Saturday afternoon, Evertt and I went and visited a few families from the church in Nazareth. We saw Maurice and Inam Jadon (the local preacher) and his son and daughter-in-law Awney and Sahar. Maurice shared about some of the hardships he has faced as an Arab Christian in Israel. We also visited with Suhiel and Mayada Shlayan, and their sons Wassim and Basil. We were received with incredible Arabic hospitality at both venues (can you say food!) and I truly enjoyed getting to know these brothers and sisters in Christ. This is an experience that no tour group could ever have provided.

The Shlayan Family of Nazareth

Dead Sea and Jordan Valley

Evertt Huffard and I got up early Friday morning to visit Masada, Qumran, the Dead Sea, Bet She'an, and Ma'ayan Harod, before staying the night in Nazareth. To learn more about these places, read on. If you're not interested, your work here is done my friend -- just skip down to the pictures.

As you probably know, the Dead Sea is the lowest spot on planet earth, 1300 feet below sea level. It's also very hot and very dry, not unlike Palm Springs. Our visit to Masada was both educational and impressive -- Masada was a palace/fortress built by Herod the Great that Jewish rebels took over in AD 70 and the Romans lay siege to for two years. It is perched on an rock high above the valley below. It was amazing to think about the trouble Herod took to build it and the trouble the Romans went to to quash the Jewish rebellion.

My intrepid leader and tour guide, Evertt Huffard

















Rockin' that safari hat! Looking North from Masada


















OK, here was a disappointing revelation: there is no more Jordan river! The water that flows from the sea of Galilee has been diverted by both Israel and Jordan for irrigation, drinking, etc. Sort of like what we've done to the Colorado River before it reaches Mexico.

Qumran is the site of a major manuscript find in 1947; those manuscripts were left there nearly 2000 years ago by a community of Jewish rigorists who pulled away from society to live in purity and holiness in anticipation of the Lord's righteous judgment upon the sons of darkness.

Here is one of the caves in which a Bedouin shepherd found the first group of scrolls.





















We visited Bet She'an, a well preserved Roman city complete with bath-house and theatre, just a stone's throw away from where King Saul met his cruel demise. Our final stop was at Ma'ayan Harod, the creek at which Gideon instructed his troops to stoop down and drink, and God told him to reduce their number from 10,000 to 300 (Judges 7-9).

Ma'ayan Harod (a.k.a. Gideon's Creek)

Jerusalem -- Day Three

In Israel, one must plan around the Sabbath as virtually everything closes on Friday afternoon, at least in much of Jerusalem. Of this I had been sufficiently forewarned. However, a corollary to this advice is that many places close a day early when there is a major Jewish holiday, such as, say, Shavuot (Feast of Weeks, a.k.a Pentecost). Which was this past Thursday!

So I began the day by learning that the Yad Vashem (Holocaust museum) would be closed. Throughout the day I ran into other closed sites such as the Dome of the Rock and the Ramparts walk. However, there were still plenty of places to visit.

I enjoyed my visit to the Garden Tomb, an alternative site for the death and resurrection of Jesus that looks more like what we Protestants would expect -- a tomb carved out of a rock that you can enter, as well as a more peaceful and beautiful garden setting. Even though I don't think this location has as much going for it as the "downtown" site of Jesus' resurrection, it did allow me to envision what such a place may have looked like before it was paved over with cathedrals. See below.

You've got to love my hat!
































I also visited the Jerusalem Archaeological Park and Temple Mount excavations, where I got to wander around just below the Temple Mount where the Temple of Israel once stood. A favorite moment was getting to walk along the ramparts of a short part of the Jerusalem wall and imagining what it may have been like to be a soldier on patrol looking down through the turrets to the valley below.

I also visited the Tower of David, a museum that provided a great overview of the history of Jerusalem. From the roof, I got my best view of the old city of Jerusalem.

















Of course, my day would not have been complete without getting lost (for my third day straight) in the Bazaar that winds its way through Jerusalem's narrow streets. I finally had to tip a boy to show me the way to the Damascus gate.

For three straight days, I have also visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection located in the old Jerusalem city that is now covered over by what I can only call a cathedral complex -- a hodge-podge of buildings that are shared/divided by the Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Coptic (Egyptian), Syrian Orthodox, Armenian and Ethiopian Churches. During my visits, I have been pondering the death and resurrection of our Lord, the power of those events for humankind and for me, and the tragedy of the divided Church throughout history. I have enjoyed exploring the various segments of this vast edifice as well as sitting in various parts of the cathedral (inside and out), taking in the art, and watching the pilgrims who have traveled from all over the world to be here.

On my third visit, I witnessed a beautiful and poignant work of art created by God himself:

Light From Above

Shalom from Israel

First the bad news. The hotel lobby computer I'm renting access on won't allow me to uplink pictures to the blog. :( I promise I won't write a thousand words to try to make up for the lack of pictures. Also, this computer has no spell checker (so reader beware!).

Now for the good news: my visit to Israel is going great! Evertt Huffard, who is the dean of Harding Graduate School and a former teacher, met me at the Tel Aviv airport Monday morning (following a flight from 2:20 to 4:30 a.m. -- ugh!) and we drove to Jerusalem, where I'll be through Thursday. Evertt grew up in Israel, spent time in Israel as a missionary, is fluent in Arabic, and has led about 25 tour groups over here. Needless to say, I'm in good hands!!

Our Jerusalem hotel is an easy walk from the old walled portion of the city of Jerusalem (nearest the Damascus gate, for those of you who know). I am loving, absolutely loving walking through the various sections of the old city, through the narrow streets lined with merchants selling everything from music to clothing to souveneirs. Just the sights, sounds and smells are worth the price of admission: the spice shops and the cooking of meats; the Arabic music and the periodic calls to prayer going out from the mosques; the pealing of the church bells; the jostle of people of countless nationalities working bargains or following the Via Dolorosa; priests, nuns, monks, rabbis and imams walking around in all their garb and headgear; the Arab women with their headresses; the Hassidic men with their beards, curly locks, black clothing, and wide-brimmed hats.

I can't begin to describe the feeling you get as you ponder how much history is packed into this ancient city, of civilizations that have come and gone, of world religions clammoring over the same holy soil, of buildings and ruins representing bygone eras, of churches and temples and walls commemorating various moments in the life of Jesus and other religious events. One thought keeps haunting me as I take this all in: NOTHING IS FOREVER! At least, nothing that we humans build -- no building, no civilization, no empire.

Here are a few highlights so far (each of which deserves it's own section with commentary): walking through Hezekiah's tunnel, the Western Wall excavations tour (or Rabbi's tunnel), hiking around the Mount of Olives and through the Garden of Gethsemane, visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (traditional burial/resurrection site of Jesus), taking in the panoramic view of the city of Jerusalem from across the Kirdon Valley (and remembering Jesus' lament for the city "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem..."), seeing the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed (unfortunately, the Israel Museum is under rennovation), seeing the magnificent outdoor scale model of first century Jerusalem, visiting the pool of Bethesda, and visiting Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity (traditional birthplace of Jesus). I have been touched by beautiful art and architecture in a number of these sites. And I have been saddened by the constant reminders of the conflicts that are present in this region of the world.

OK, I promised to keep it under 1000 words but I must be pushing that limit. Shalom for now.

Sunday in Athens

What a pleasure and privilege it was to worship with the Downtown Church of Christ in Athens and to guest preach for them.

I saw several long-time family friends, including the man in the following picture. His name is Manoli Berbesabas. In 1973, he was a 20-year-old young man when my father baptized him into Christ. He is pictured here with his daughter Sophie and son Basiles, who is considering the call to ministry. Perhaps you can imagine my feelings to meet this man in whose spiritual journey my father played a part, who 35 years later introduces me to his children who are walking with the Lord. Friends, this is "Where Amazing Happens!"

Manoli, Sophie, and Basiles
















Preaching with Alexander Melirrytou Translating

Ancient Wonders

When I was a boy growing up in Athens, our family took so many visiting Americans to the Acropolis that on more than one occasion I exclaimed, "Aw Mom, do I have to go to the acropolis again!" (Never mind that it is one of the seven ancient wonders of the world!)

Today (Saturday, May 23), I voluntarily visited the Acropolis and Mars Hill and enjoyed every minute of it. My host, Alexander Melirrytou, went with me and shared many interesting historical and cultural insights.

I also enjoyed getting to have dinner with Kostas Koutsoumbas and his family; Kostas is a dear friend from my childhood time in Greece.

Standing on Mars Hill where Paul delivered his famous speech to the Athenian philosophers (Acts 17).
















In front of the Parthenon






















With my friend Kostas and his son Panayotis

It's All Greek to Me

By God's grace I have landed safely in Greece and have been warmly welcomed by Alexander and Eleni Melirrytou, who serve the downtown Church of Christ in Athens.

Today (Friday, May 22) I am spending time in my old neighborhood in the suburb of Glyfada with the Melirrytous and trying to push through jetlag. I am looking forward to dinner tonight with my old friend and brother in Christ, Kostas Koutsoumabas.

Coffee With Alexander and Eleni
















In front of one of my favorite childhood beaches, "Varkiza"
















In front of Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church, where our public school occasionally took us for worship services (Greece has no separation of church and state)
















Helping with dishes after a delicious lunch of Greek salad, tyropita (cheese pie), jajiki sauce, mini-pitas and prosciutto -- YUM!!

Summary of Week 1

Hi friends,

I’ve just competed the first week of my ministerial leave. It has been a good week.

I’ve divided up some of the highlights into categories:

Reading/Reflections
Completed the following books:
Christian Spirituality: A Historical Sketch, by George Lane
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, by Richard Foster
The Life of Anthony, by Athanasius

Began reading the following:
The Laws of Simplicity, by John Maeda
The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, by Ignatius Loyola
Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Wisdom of the Desert, Thomas Merton
Creative Ministry, by Henri Nouwen

Out of my reading, here are several insights I’ve been reflecting on.
1) From Christian Spirituality: A Historical Sketch. During much of the first 1500 years of the church, the contemplative life (prayer, withdrawal from society, self-denial, penance, avoidance of sin, meditation upon Scripture, personal sanctification, mystical union with God) was seen as the highest expression of spiritual devotion to Christ. It wasn’t really until the Renaissance, first with the Franciscans and Dominicans, and later with Ignatius and the Society of Jesus, that a greater emphasis was placed upon combining the contemplative life with going into the world and doing good. The idea that one could experience union with God by going out into the world and laboring among people seemed new (though I believe one can find it in Scripture). 
 While I see the value of the contemplative approach to spirituality, I find myself drawn to an action-oriented spirituality that is ready to serve the kingdom of God. Active engagement with the world that is nourished by intentional withdrawal from the world seems to be a healthy balance for living spiritually.

2) From The Life of Anthony. This is an inspirational account of the life of one of the first Christians who withdrew from the world and went to live in the dessert; it tells of his many great deeds of faith, self-denial, and how even by withdrawing, he was a blessing to many who came out to the desert to seek his wisdom. While I drew much inspiration from this good man’s unflinching devotion to Christ, I could not relate to the absolutely flawless portrayal of Anthony’s life (he comes off sounding better than the gospel portrayal of Jesus). Still, there is much lasting Christian wisdom in this telling of the life of Anthony.

3) From Celebration of Discipline. I have read Foster’s famous book before and yet was struck by two things this time around: a) how simple and obvious much of this book on the classic spiritual disciplines appears; b) how rich and suggestive it still remains as a very readable and highly practical introduction to twelve of the spiritual disciplines. As I read Foster, I found myself thinking, “I’ve heard this; I know this; but I simply must incorporate more of this into my life routines and disciplines.”
As I read the chapters of submission and service, I was struck by the fact that I am very proud and am easily hurt when I don’t feel like I receive the respect I “deserve.” It was a moment of insight that helped me find release from a wound I’ve been nursing for about 13 years.

Family -- It’s interesting how much more emotionally available I feel toward my family; in other words, I have more energy to give to them at the end of the day:

I enjoyed cooking some special breakfasts for my girls during STAR testing week
Carrie and I enjoyed a nice breakfast out one morning
Jenna and I enjoyed a run one afternoon
Jessica and I have practiced volleyball together on several evenings
Michaela and I went on a sunset hike together and got to follow a coyote up a trail; we also attended her final track meet of the season
Jenna, Jessica and I had a daddy/daughter lunch

Worship
Visited Calvary Community Church for worship on Sunday; enjoyed hearing their new pastor and bumping into some old friends

Personal
Got in three runs this week
Was invited to go to game 7 of the Lakers playoff against the Houston Rockets! Loved it!

Farewell For Now

I learned this past week that my ministerial leave has become a source of consternation for at least one of our younger members at the Conejo Church. This youngster recently peppered his mom with questions about my “sabatnical”:
• He's leaving? Why?
• But doesn't he rest every night like I do?
• Are you sure he will come back?
• Who will take care of his office?
• Will he take his computer with him?
• Wouldn't it be easier to read in his office where his books are?
• I just don't get it!

Good questions all. This initial series of four articles, writing in anticipation of this ministerial leave, seek to articulate why I’m leaving for these months and what I plan on doing. My "sabatnical" officially begins Monday, May 11 and continues through Monday, August 24.

The word that keeps coming to my mind as I think about this season of ministerial leave is “gift.” You, the Conejo Valley Church of Christ are granting me a very generous gift of time, financial support, and encouragement that I might pursue spiritual renewal, personal growth, and ministerial enrichment. My prayer is that you also will see this time as a gift for our Church: a season to hear fresh voices from the pulpit, an opportunity for you to experience the blessing of using your gifts to serve in a greater way, and a chance for the Conejo Valley Church to reflect upon its history and calling in God’s ongoing mission to our ever-changing world.

Thank you for this wonderful gift. I do not take it for granted. Please pray that we all may share the benefits of this season. Know that I will bear you up in my prayers. And rest assured that I am looking forward to returning to the Conejo Church this fall to re-engage in ministry with renewed faith, energy, and creativity.

Midlife Evaluation and Renewal

[The following is a reflection piece I wrote in early 2009 concerning this summer's ministerial leave.]

I recently celebrated my 45th birthday. I’m officially half way to ninety! At the same time, I have passed the 21 year mark of serving full-time as a minister in the local church. Assuming I retire from full-time work at the age of 65 (which in this economy is looking increasingly dubious), then I am about half way through my career.

Because of these milestones in my life, it strikes me as providential that I am gearing up for a time of ministerial leave this summer. This sabbatical will be a period of several months in which I will be away from my ministerial duties and weekly commitments with time to become a student again, to refresh my spiritual calling, to reflect more deeply, to pray more intensely, to travel and read more widely, to seek out mentors, and to think afresh.

But my ministerial leave is only half the story. This year will mark the 36th year in which the Conejo Valley Church of Christ has been in existence. While I’m not sure this means that the church is in “middle age,” my perception is that we are past the early stages of congregational life in which a church struggles to establish its identity. At 36 years of age, I believe our congregation is at the stage in which we need to push back against the temptation to maintain, to coast, or to rest on our laurels. I believe that this is a most appropriate season for us as a congregation to become students again, to refresh our congregational calling, to reflect more deeply, to pray more intensely, to seek out appropriate models, and to look ahead to our next chapter of ministry together.

I am taken with the idea that we can go through this season of reflection and preparation together, carefully listening to one another and our community as we discern God’s calling afresh. There is something exciting about looking back on where we’ve been and prayerfully looking ahead to where God may lead us. There is something powerful about intentionally asking how we need to grow and change in order to more faithfully bear witness to our Lord and serve our community. I am especially energized by considering fresh and creative ways in which we may use our gifts to be the blessing of Christ to our community and our world.

Please continue to be in prayer in anticipation of this upcoming sabbatical. Please pray for God to guide my preparations so that I might utilize this gift of time well. Pray for our congregation that we may be energized by the additional opportunities for leadership and service during this season. Pray for all of us as we look ahead and ask, “What is God up to in our community and how can we better be part of it?”

A Time to Keep Silence and a Time to Speak

[I wrote the following reflection piece in May of 2008, in anticipation of this summer's ministerial leave.]

In 2003-2004, the elders of the Conejo Church established a ministerial leave policy for the ministers of our congregation. Full-time ministers who have been employed for seven years are entitled to a ministerial leave of three months.

I am very grateful for this policy as I plan for my upcoming ministerial leave during the summer of 2009. That summer will mark my twenty-first year in full-time ministry, my eighteenth as a preacher, my eighth as the minister of the Conejo Valley Church. At 45 years of age, I will be primed for a season of reflection, self-evaluation, and revisioning in preparation for the second half of my ministry career. After 36 years in existence, the time will also be right for the Conejo Valley Church to reflect upon its history, its gifts, and its calling in God’s ongoing mission in our changing community and the larger world.

Some questions that would be profitable for both Conejo and me to reflect upon during this ministerial leave include: What fresh and energizing goals do we need to embrace at this point in our ministries? What ministry skills and competencies should we extend and hone? Who do we need to spend time with in order to learn how to better fulfill the mandate of our callings? How do my goals and vision mesh with the goals and vision of the Conejo Church?

The beneficiaries of this ministerial leave are both the minister and the congregation. The minister receives the gift of a season away from the daily tasks of ministry with time for spiritual growth, reflection, travel, and renewal. The congregation receives the gift of a change-up in the provision of preaching, teaching, and ministry leadership. Members of the congregation also receive the opportunity to fulfill roles normally assigned to the full-time minister, thereby stimulating their own spiritual growth.

One of the greatest challenges of preaching as I experience it is having to open my mouth and declare something each week that is faithful to scripture, practically relevant, and potentially life-changing. Ecclesiastes 3:7 says that there is a “a time to keep silence and a time to speak.” After many years of speaking, a ministerial leave will provide a season to keep silence, listen, and be still before the Lord. I invite you to pray for and participate in this ministerial leave process as it takes shape during the next twelve months.