Jerusalem GAFCON Day 4

Well folks, it looks as though I have access this evening, so here goes. We had a great evening last night as all 1200 attended an evening service at the Ophel Gardens which are at the base of what used to be the Temple Steps. This is where Peter preached the Pentecost sermon which birthed the Christian church. Some of the bottom steps were hewed out of the bedrock and are still there. I will be bringing a picture home, but here is one I took tonight as we were leaving the Western Wall court. The picture looks east to the Mount of Olives with the Jewish cemetery on the western slopes. The Jewish people believe that the Messiah will come on the Mount of Olives and then head to the Temple Mount...and those buried between the Mount of Olives and the Temple Mount will be he first to be raised. Therefore, it is a popular burial site, with over 60,000 buried there.

Mary & I have been to the western Wall three times. There is something in the spiritual realm that keeps drawing us back into the Jewish Quarter of the Old city, and the Wall is definitely a place where you can draw closer to God. Tonight we prayed for the ACiC, our common mission together, our upcoming AGM. I prayed for peace and for sustaining of holy fellowship, for the Lord to draw more excited people and pastors into our coalition, and for us to become a anointed instrument of God's blessing to the lost within ou sphere of influence.

You can't really see much of them but there are about 300-400 Anglicans praying at the men's side of the Wall. The other picture is of the womans section and our group in intercession.

We found a delightful rooftop restaurant called Papa Andrea's. In fact it was recommended to us by Peter and Elsbeth who were here earlier in the month. Many of the Mission delegation have eaten there over the last week. This is Tim & Emily Smith, who pastor a church Jackson Mississippi.

This is the view north towards the church of the Holy Sepulcher, with a Muslim minaret. It is a wonderfully cool and quiet...well sometimes quiet place to end the day.

Jerusalem GAFCON Day 3

Hey all, Sorry about the intermittant reports. Access to the internet is restricted to a few moments between sessions while we are at the main conference hotel. However, there are great things happening here. I realized that many of the western Anglicans that are here haven't had the 5 years of blessing that we who are part of the Mission have had. For many, this is the first large "synodical" type gathering where thye haven't had to look over their shoulders for the next spear, and where they understood for the first time that all the people around them at worship believed as they did!

There are great things being wrought here for the orthodox Anglican body. We have been asked not to comment on our blogs about details, but let me say that we will not be disappointed at the end....and will, in fact be greatly encouraged by what the Holy Spirit is working in our midst. There are some who are here and hesitant...where many of us were 5-6 years ago. There are others who just want it all to be solved today. So those of us who have tasted the freedom of Godly leadership are having to be very gracious and patient with those who still want to fix the Anglican Communion from within. However, I am sure that all will be encouraged when the Spirit is done with us.

The worship is wonderful, the fellowship is amazing, the conversations are at a heart level, and God is good...all the time. Please continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will move in a mighty way to give us a path forward. God Bless you all.

Jerusalem GAFCON Day 2

I'm not sure that I was quite ready for 1200 people. Mary and I had a wonderful quiet time last week, but have now been completely immersed in the sometimes frenetic activity of this important conference. Many of you will have seen the news feeds and are aware of the guantlet throne down at last night's opening address. Archbishop Peter Akinola set us a series of questions designed to help the leaders discern the way forward...but one thing is for sure, there will be a way forward. We can no longer sit idle and watch as the Anglican Communion is dragged further and further into apostasy and sin.

This mornings pilgimage to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gesthename was one of the most powerful experiences of our time here. The guide for our bus explained the geography, pointing out the place where Jesus travelled and the activities of the last few days and hours before the crusifixion. Actually putting ones eyes and feet on the locations brings a clarity and perspective to the scripture that cannot be had by just reading the text. To sit quietly in the Garden and pray for the ACiC Leadership and our ministry together....to struggle with my own sinfulness and human desires in the place where Jesus struggled with his calling, was almost to much to bear. "Not my will, but thine be done" takes on a whole other meaning.

We have been blessed as members of the Anglican Mission to worship together with 1200 other faithful Anglicans. This, however, is the first time for many others to not have to wonder what kinds of wierd theology will come from the meetings. I rejoice with the Networks, both Canadian and American, the Forward in Faith crowd from England, the Syney Diocese people from Austrailia, The REC, The Recife pastors and Bishop, who are now coming to understand what it means to once again be a part of an orthodox communion of faith.

Jerusalem Day 9 June 21, 2008

It is Shabbat and most everything is closed. So, we decided to do what many of the Jewish population, orthodox and non-religious alike, are doing. We went to the park. There are some fabulous views from the Sherover Promenade. We could see east into Jordan in the mist & north to the Mount of Olives, Mt Scopus & the Old City. The Hinnom Valley joins with the Kidron Valley at the base of the hillside below the park. We could also see the Church of the Nations and the Russian Orthodox Cathedral wih its numerous golden domes. This was a garden day for us so there are a lot of flower pictures. It is a great day of peace before the beginning of GAFCON. Thanks to all of you who looked after things while we had a few days to ourselves. Sometimes you don't realize how much you need a break until you take it. As I reflect on the last coulple of months as compared to the relative peace of the the last week, I realize what a zoo life has been. It has been a real blessing to spend real quality time with Mary and both of us with Jesus.

The plant on the left is sisal, an that is the flower stock coming up from the centre 30 ft high! We're not sure what the one of the right is, but it is one of those things that seem to bloom even though Israel is in the midst of a drought.

As the day ended , we went to the Renaissance and registered. We met up with Julia and Yong Ping Chung and Margaret Murphy for supper, and then walked the 2 miles back to our apartment for the last night.

Jerusalem Day 7, June 20

Today was pretty quiet for us. We decided to head in through the Jaffa Gate and return to the Wall, this time to pray for the Pacific Coast Common Cause Churches and the ACiC Congregations. Actually we went back to the Jewish Quarter twice. There is something about the Old City that just seems to draw us back in. Early Friday afternoon is a good time to go to the Wall...before the Shabbat rush. It was interesting to see all the shops begin to shut down for both the Moslem & Jewish Sabbath. All the Jewish families preparing for their Shabbat meal....the phylacteries & yarmulkas became more evident, the clothing less casual. We also had lunch with George and Manya at a restuarant in the Jewish Quarter, before Manya headed off for the Friday Stations of the Cross.

We have looked at many things in the Suk over the last seven days and decided today to do a good portion of our shopping for gifts. They always seem to tell you 250NIS ($80) no matter what you want to buy, and you can start at 1/4 of the price they ask. Today I listened carefully to this guy, gave him a price and then when it was refused, walked away. It was the first time I hadn't been pursued down the street and I wondered if I had gone too low. However, when we walked past an hour later he came out and gave me the price I had quoted. It's too bad we don't do this in Canada. Once you learn the system, it is a lot of fun!

We have been in the habit of finishing our day with a smoothy in the garden at Christ Church. It is wonderfully cool and an oasis of peace in the midst of all the frenetic activity that surrounds it. Psalm 131 comes to mind as we sit here. My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore. (NIV) We have stilled and quieted our souls in preparation for the events of the GAFCON week to come. The media feeding frenzy has already begun, and I am a little hesitant to wade into the midst of it, but have been called here for a purpose. Would you please pray for us that the peace this Psalm speaks of will reside in our hearts, and that we will be led by the Holy Spirit to righteous and insightful leadership in this time of great turmoil and transition. Here is another of Moshe Berger's Psalm pictures that depicts that passage.

Jerusalem Day 7: June 19,2008

Good Morning all. Things just get more interesting by the day. Yesterday we decided to visit the Psalms Museum. The museum houses a series of paintings done by Holocaust survivor Moshe Tzvi HaLevi Berger. He is seen here on the right standing in front of one of his paintings. All 150 Psalms are depicted in the museum, some more than once. The images are like poetry on canvas. As I viewed them, it was like looking into David's soul, his longing for the presence of God and the establishment of the holy city.

We had the privilege of meeting and speaking at length with the artist. Moshe told us that each of the colours had a meaning in Jewish Kabbalah thinking, and that the shapes and numbers were all meant to convey a particular emotion and/or spiritual understanding of humanity's relationship with God and his chosen people.


The director of a media company was on site shooting and interviewing for a DVD in which all 150 paintings will be shown and explained. There was also a young Rabbi and theology student working for Moshe who was very interested in what was happening in the North American Anglican scene...so we had a couple of hours of wide ranging discussion on both Jewish and Christian topics. This is from Psalm 122..Let us go up to the house of the Lord. Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! All of Moshe's wonderful paintings can be view on their web site http://www.museumofpsalms.com/ .
We are bringing a couple of examples home. Mary was particularly taken with this one from Psalm 107 which speaks of Yahewh's steadfast love for His creation. Psalm 107:13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.(NIV)

The release today of The Way The Truth And The Life has caused quite a stir in Christian circles, and there is much speculation that the end of the Anglican Communion, as we have known it, is in sight. The document certainly reads that way, but we shall have to see what transpires next week. It can be downloaded for free from http://www.gafcon.org/. Archbishop Akinola was refused entry into Jordan, and Greg Venables stayed home to care for his wife. The pre-conference leadership meeting was moved yesterday to Jerusalem. Satan and his minions are afoot and trying desperately to disrupt the faithful from moving in God's will. Please continue to pray for us and the leadership as the week ahead approaches.

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!

Jerusalem Day 4, June 17

Our fourth day began with a short walk to St. Georges Cathedral. We thought we might have lunch there before visiting the Garden Tomb, but they only served meals when they had large groups. So we wandered around the church for a while. It was very "Anglocatholic" and cathedral-like. The reception at Christ Church was much warmer and the people who served the public much more friendly.

After lunch at the Olive Tree Hotel across the street, we headed for the Garden Tomb. I would like to say that it was a great spiritual experience, but....He is not here, He is risen....to quote an obvious scripture!

It was interesting, how- ever, to be a few meters from the place where some believe Jesus was crusifed and then laid in the tomb. There was a lot of interesting detail which seemed to coincide with Scripture and I can see why there is a controversy about where events actually took place. The stone seen here must have been similar to the one that originally covered the tomb.

The tomb's door was about 1/2 the size it is now and that small round rock would have covered the opening ... and it weighed 100s of pounds! The small window is original and in the morning would have shone a beam of light onto the place where Jesus was to have been laid, and consistent with the biblical record showing clearly that the grave was empty. As I said above...He is not here. He is risen indeed!

On a lighter note, and for my wine making friends, the garden also contained an ancient wine press. When it was pointed out, the guide mentioned the scripture when Jesus said that he was the vine...as in grape...and we are the branches. I know that it is taking a lot of license, but it made for a good story.

We finished the day with supper at Papa Andreas, a Palestinian Christian rooftop restuarant. There was a wonderful view of the city, a cool breeze and great food. On our way home we went through a beautiful park the has an ancient Herodian tomb right in the middle....unguarded, and surrounded by lots of flowers. Speaking of which, check out these flowers which are typical of Jerusalem gardens.

This is a fallow year. We were speaking with a Rabbi last night who owns a shop not far from our apartment. He told us that orthodox Jews will not be tending their gardens this year, and would allow anyone to pick and eat what hey needed from their fruit trees and vines. So, any beauty we see this year will be mainly from perrennials that don't need to be fussd with. Rabbi Immanuel Zadoc told us that the Jewish people are going through much of the same issues with faith as the Christians. Their so-called reform believers have essentially started a new religion.

We also met a young pastor, Aaron, who is the Assistant at Christ Church, Jerusalem. Both he and his Senior Priest, David, are licensed by off-shore Bishops...(Orombi of Uganda & Frank Lions of Bolivia). Christ Church is not technically a part of the Jerusalem Diocese. They are run by a Mission Society and consider themselves to be an AMiI church, that is Anglican Mission in Israel! They are the ones who are the on-the-ground organizers of the the GAFCON conference, not the Jerusalem Diocese or Bishop. The Diocese is funded mainly by monies from Los Angeles TEC Diocese, and although the Bishop would consider himself to be orthodox, they are still trying to balance on that fine line between the two realities. Hmmmm, sounds like much of the ACC in Canada.

Jerusalem Day 3 The Jewish Quarter

On our way to the old city today we passed through what is now a modern shopping mall built on a street between some very ancient buildings. In fact we discovered that all over the city buildings were being deconstructed and then put back together as facades or facings for new structures. They do it by numbers! each brick or stone is numbered and then taken from the old structure. It is then put back in its exact place in the new location.

We set out this morning to discover the Jewish Quarter of the old city, to pray at the Western Wall, and to walk among the Jewish pilgims who have come to visit the central point of their heritage. It is hard to describe the feeling as you roam these ancient streets and put your feet along the same pathways where for thousands of years other pilgrims have trod. There is at once a sense of excitement and a aura of holiness about the place. Even those who live here seem to understand the immensity of their privilege they have to be in the place of their ancestors. I have begun to understand why they have fought with such tenacity to maintain their place here.

There is a Cardo (main street) excavated and rebuilt one level under the present street level. Today it is lined with high end shops and galleries. Interspersed along the walkway are observation ports which look down many feet to the underground excavations of streets where people walked 2-3000 years ago. There is one spot where they believe they have uncovered the foundation of the first temple, on top of which was build the walls of the Hasmonean palace. The picture above is of those building stones.

The highlight of our day was the great privilege we had to be able to pray at the Western Wall, and to leave a list of our parish and family in a crack with thousands of other prayers deposited by pilgrims. It was an amazing experience to even approach the wall. I began to weap and pray in tongues even before I touched it. I was almost over come by the presence of the Holy Spirit and could hardly stand. As I leaned my head against the wall, I knew that I was in the holiest of places. i am not usually one who reacts well to relics and touchy feely things that are supposed to be holy. But I can tell you with all certainty, that I met the Lord in this place this afternoon. I am weeping even as I type this. Mary also had such a sense of the presence of God. She could appreciate how difficult it must have been for the Jewish people at those times when it wasn't accessible to them.

And there, just on the other side of the Western Wall, was the Dome of the Rock...the holiest place in Jerusalem for the Moslem believers. It is visable from all over. In fact, even as I looked down into the excavations in front of the plaza and to the Wall, the Dome of the rock was there. We will visit the Moslem Quarter another day.

As we climbed up from the Western wall and back into the sector with schools, synagogues and homes, we came upon a ruined German Crusader chapel which unfortunately is presently being used to store chairs and tables. These windows look out onto the Western Wall and the Mount of Olives behind.

The last picture is of Christ Church sanctuary, which I didn't take pictures during worship yesterday. This was one of the rare occasions when the church was unoccupied. Like many of the churches that were built in that era, it has great acoustics, and groups come there to sing, record and pray while on their pilgrimage. When we came the first day there was a large crowd singing. Today, however, I had it all to myself, and was able to sing to my heart's content and take a couple of great pictures.

Thank you Jesus for a great day...thank you for your powerful presence in every place we went. Thank you for showing us the wonders of your creation, and your people of faith. Amen

Jerusalem Day 2 June 15

We were up this morning at the regular Sunday time. the Service at Christ Church Jerusalem starts at 9:30. The worship was great, and the Pastor, David, preached a a wonderful message on God's ministry to Abraham and Sarah. It is always a great day when I learn something about the Word that I didn't know! I took this on the way to worship this morning. The church on the left of this picture is over the room of the Last Supper, and Domition Church is on the right, and near the tomb of King David...(Mount Zion)

We met George & Manya Egerton at church, ten time zones from home! In the afternoon we went on a bus tour of the city. It was great the bus had air, and we were able to see lots of great sites. There are many of ancient buildings
that have been gutted and rebuilt on the inside, but retain the original structure on the outside. I think that the one on the left is a Greek Seminary.

The last picture is the western wall taken from the top of a garden which overlooks the Valley of Ghenna. This part of the valley near the Jaffa Gate has been turned into a park and an artists colony. We finished our day at the Ben Yehuda Market....which is not as frenetic as the Suk in the Moslem Quarter. They even have price tags! It was great not having to bargain for every item of our supper.

I was reading this morning in 1 Kings 15 & Col. 1. What appropriate passages for Fathers' Day! They reveal the legacy that both paternal and spiritual fathers have on those who follow them. Most of us don't really understand the degree of influence that our words and behavior has upon those over which the Lord has given us charge. Jereboam.."walked in the way of his fathers and did evil in the sight of the Lord." He followed Soloman who had turned away from the Lord (1Kgs.11:9&10) Both he and Basha who followed him led the people of Israel astray. God was dishonoured and the life Israel was marked by conspiracy struggle and death. But Asa didn't follow the actions of his predecessor, but instead followed after his spiritual father David, and was righteous before the Lord. He destroyed the idols and punished those who worshiped foreign Gods...even his own mother! God was honoured and Judah prospered under his leadership. The cycle can be brokenby one righteous leader who obeys God's call.

The reading in Colossians reveals the same process. Paul and Epaphras acted with righteousness and integrity. They had a heart to see people's lives changed, and because they pursued that integrty and call, the church in Colossae flourished. There is a lesson here for both the fathers of children and the "fathers" of congregations.

Jerusalem Day 1: June 14

We are here! However, it is Shabbat and most everything Jewish is closed today. We decided to just follow our noses. We started at the Jaffa gate and walked...and walked and walked! There was a huge difference between the merchants in the Moslem quarter and those in he Christian one. Many of the same touristy stuff, they were all very friendly and wanted "just to show us their shop....free to look...", but the Armenians were significantly less aggressive, and there was a lot less crowds. This picture was taken in the Armenian quarter fairly early in the morning. We visited Christ Church Anglican, which is supposed to be the oldest Protestant church in the Middle East. We will probably go back there in the morning for Communion.

We also went to the church of the Holy Sepulchre. There were hundreds of people there, many wanting to touch the stone of unction on which Jesus was said to have been anointed by Nicodemus; or to get a brief look into the Chapel of the Angels and the Holy Sepulchre. But even with the crowds, there was a great peace about the place. Mary and I sat in one of the chapels for a few minutes, and you could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. At noon the sun shines through the roof onto the Chapel of the Angels. It made for a really cool picture!

The frescoes and architecture were also amazing. People have been building, maintaining, praying, and giving glory to God in these structures for almost 1700 years! I don't think that it really matters whether this was the actual site of the crusifixion and burial...or the garden tomb was. The geography isn't important. Jesus died within a few hundred metres of here...for my sins....that is the thing that everyone who comes to this place gets to sooner or later.

We are tired and hot, but it has been a wonderful day....thank you Jesus!

On Our Way!

Well, the adventure has started! In our Life Journal lectionary this morning, the readings were from 1Kings and 2Chronicles...the stories of Rehoboam's horrible choice to follow the impetuous preferences of youth instead of the wisdom of the elders....which resulted in the division of Israel into factions and a rapid descent into idolatry and sin. It was a sober reading to begin this pilgrimage with, but one that may put some perspective on what the Anglican leaders will be about in the next couple of weeks. We need...it seems to me, to take counsel with the elders, and to take note of their years of wisdom.

If we are to bring restoration and renewal to this Anglican Communion....if we are indeed to be the instruments of an Anglican Reformation, then we will need to take seriously the wisdom of those that the Lord has called and gifted to be our leaders. The other reading this morning was Philippians chapter 2. There is a call in it for humble submission. Father I pray that these critical two weeks will result in open and contrite hearts, willing ears to hear as you speak, and actions which issue from humble submission to your Son our Saviour...Amen.

The First Cross Jurisdiction Canadian Ordination

Sunday evening, June 8th was a wonderful time of celebration and fellowship as The Rev. Jennifer Isaak was received into the Holy Order of Priest. The Rt. Rev. Donald Harvey of the Anglican Network in Canada was asked by Bishop Sandy Greene of the Anglican Mission in the Americas to act on his behalf. Clergy from the Anglican Mission, the Anglican Network and the Anglican Coalition joined 62 lay people for the first Ordination in Christ the Redeemers new sanctuary. Jennifer's Father, The Rev. George Isaak was please to be able to lay hands on his daughter and commission her to this new season of ministry.