Jerualem Day 5

Good morning all. I realized last night that we have been here for almost a week! We are getting used to the heat, and are really enjoying the day after day of sunshine! One great way to see the city and surrounding country side is to walk the outer walls and ramparts. Psalms 122 comes immediately to mind as you begin the walk. (2) Jerusalem-built as a city that is bound firmly together. The walls and gates bind the city together physically. It is really quite a different place inside the walls to the city that surrounds it. What a great place to look out and pray that the present peace will be sustained. (6-9) Pray for the peace of Jeruslaem! May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers! For my brothers and companions sake I will say, "Peace be within you." For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

It is said that he Old City is one of the safest places in Israel. However, as you can see from the picture on the right, that peace is fragile and marked by distrust. There are many people here. Jew, Christian & Moslem, who have experienced first hand the horror of war. They know that their safety is tenuous and could be snatched away at any moment. I pray that Psalm not just for them, but for all of the GAFCON particpants....for the sake of my brothers and my friends (for we have made other friends here this last week)...I will say, peace be within you.

We look out from the walls and pray as well. The conflict is close. The "fence" is only a couple of kilometers away. On one side reside Christians, Jews and Moslems in a tenuous peace, on the other there are Palestinian Christians & Moslems who see Israel as a threat to their life and safety.

Mount Zion was our next stop. Again, a Psalm comes to mind. In Psalms 125:1-2 we hear, Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people, from this time forth and forevermore. As we tread this ancient place, the Word comes alive.

It is said that this is where Mary resided after Jesus death and where she was eventually buried. The church is very beautiful and there is a wonderful sense of peace about it. (besides being a cool place to sit out of the heat for a moment.) The mosaics were stunning! The location of the upper room is reported to be next door. However, after being reconstructed by the Crusaders, used as a church, then by the Moslems as a Mosque, and finally reclaimed by the RC church, it has lost some of what one might call authenticity. The room is very Byzantine, and is little more than a tourist site. In reality, the actual upper room was probably 15-20 meters under where the present room is built.

We had lunch in the Jewish quarter and then headed through the Suk on our way to St. Anne's. Peter and Elsbeth really insisted that we go to St. Anne's because of the acoustics...and listen while people sang there. There was a French group in the church when we arrived and when they began to sing plain chant the sound was something that I wasn't prepared for. We went into the crypt, and the acoustics were even good there! As we went back upstairs the church was empty, so we thought....why not? We sang the Doxology in two part harmony. It still give me chills. Thank you Jesus!

This is also the location of the Pools of Bethesda, and a place where many still come to pray and be healed. There is an extensive archeological excavation. In the evening we returned to St. Anne's for a chamber music concert. The first three numbers were held outside and in the excavation....the final series in the church.

All in all, it was a great day. We have been wonderfully blessed and encouraged by the things that we have seen and experienced. We have to wonder what else the Lord has in store for us. More Lord!