Israel, perhaps? I'm afraid that worshippers here at Life in Christ will be hearing me start my sermons this way for the months ahead: "On my recent trip to Israel..."
The truth is that I got back to the office yesterday and so I'm playing "catch up." There isn't time to select a text, meditate and pray upon it, research it and then write a manuscript. So, I'm thinking that I will utilize some of the devotional materials I developed for the trip and offer them as the sermon.
The joy for me is that when I write about Jonah finding a boat in Joffa, I will remember standing at the dock, looking out into the Mediterranean Sea. When I talk about that night Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, I'll have in my mind those olive trees that I saw and took pictures of. When I tell the story of Jesus reinstating Peter to ministry (see John 21), I'll just think of that beautiful morning we stood on the shore of the Sea of Galilee at the village of Tabgha.
My biggest disappointment in the trip was the lack of reflective time we had at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem. The crowds were so enormous that there was no way to spend quality time in these places. It was rush in, take a picture or two, and move on.
I expressed my feelings to my dear, sweet wife and her observation helped me put things in perspective. Sherri said, "Who is this Jesus, that 2000 years after His death and resurrection, can draw crowds like these?" And she was right. Those who believe that the stories of Jesus are just fairy tales are so wrong. Those who say that Jesus was a good teacher but nothing more are sadly mistaken.
Yes, Jesus still draws a crowd. And I was so glad to be a part of it for 10 days, 10 unforgettable days.
