DEREK MAUL

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

Destination God' Mt. Sinai and my morning rendezvous with the Creator

2012-01-20T12:38:00.000-08:00

: Sunrise from Mount Sinai

The LORD said to Moses... "Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain."- Exodus 34

"GREAT-JOURNEYS" - Day 4: The morning I crawled out of bed for our Sinai adventure it was still night. "Wake-up" was scheduled for 1:00 AM, so I was somewhat bummed when our hosts banged on my door at 12:50. Regardless, I dressed and made my 1:30 coffee pot appointment with time to spare.

By the time we gathered in the parking area and hiked up to St. Catherine's Monastery it was after two o'clock and time to meet the group of Bedouin herders who would be our guides up Mount Sinai.

: My camel was the dark brown one

One at a time, we paired off with the Bedouin. People disappeared into the black night and merged with the vague shapes of camels. My Bedouin led me to a huge specimen and then, the moment I started to straddle the animal, vanished into the night. The camel immediately lurched up and I grabbed hold of the saddle "handle" to steady myself.

Without a moment's hesitation, my camel ran past everyone, hopped a couple of dunes, found a narrow path and started the accent. Evidently he knew the way from the front and was simply doing his job.

Magic and Mystery: The next two and a half hours were magical beyond imagination. The night was cold - around 35-degrees - and crystal clear; the stars shone with a brightness I've never seen before; and then, just ten minutes into the expedition, a three-quarter moon appeared from behind a mountain and provided enough illumination to see every detail of the path, every precipitous drop, every deep valley, and the range of towering peaks that surrounded us.

: Waiting for the light

In the silence, mostly alone, and from an elevation ten-feet above the path, I could literally feel the mountains speak. I knew instinctively why Moses climbed into this place for his private audiences with the Creator. I could feel God's spirit beckon me to the summit because there were truths to be shared, worlds to behold, and mysteries to be absorbed.

On to the peak: Around 4:30, the camels stopped at a Bedouin tent offering hot tea. From there to the summit we climbed on foot. Once the group assembled we continued our accent, a thin line of pilgrims snaking our way toward the heavens. We arrived around 30 minutes before dawn and waited for a new day to break over the rugged terrain.

: "Step back a little more... one more step... a little to the left... don't fall... that's it..."

Eventually, and with the temperatures well below freezing, the first golden droplets of light morphed into a river of life and poured over the horizon in unbounded glory. God swept into my consciousness with the dawn and I felt as though the very hand of Creation was reaching out to me through the new day. And I thought of the hymn - "Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning; born of the one light Eden saw play. Praise with elation, praise every morning; God's recreation of the new day." (Eleanor Farjeon)

Decent into the Day: It was hard to break ourselves away from the amazing views (check out the complete gallery of pictures "Mount Sinai" on my facebook page). However, not only did we have a long walk down, but my theology of light demands reentry into the world.

: The descent...

The journey down the mountain - all on foot - was spectacular. The harsh beauty of the rugged landscape now accentuated by the pure light of the early morning sun. We enjoyed breathtaking views at absolutely every turn. The path is unthinkably steep and the drop-offs perilously close, but the grandeur still invited us to venture toward the edges.

The effect was like being clobbered by a 12-foot wave at the beach... only here it was being hit full-on with a wall of beauty and being washed over by a waterfall of overwhelming natural theology. Wow!

: The invitation to live life without reservation...

Monastery: By the time we reached St. Catherine's Monastery again we had logged around 18 miles. But I was still all energy. I was still all motivation to keep exploring, keep engaging this amazing world, keep inviting the Creator to be a vital element of every detail, keep jumping to the top of the next rock and capturing the latest view.

And it was energy I would need soon enough. Because the very next day we would be hiking into the lost city of Petra, in Jordan....

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. - Exodus 34

: By 8:00 a.m. - almost back to the monastery (St. Catherine's is just 2-3 miles more, around the corner...

The invitation to live life without reservation is built into the substance of the beginning of each new day. Never forget the imperative to let life loose! Always live like you mean it... because God most certainly does. And, wouldn't it be cool if - every day - people could tell that we've been on the mountain with the Lord, simply because of the way we are...?

Symbiosis: The people and the promise in Cairo's worst slums

2012-01-19T07:03:00.000-08:00

: Children living in "Garbage Town"

This is a harder post to write. The topic is still travel, yes, and - as always - loaded with spectacular venue, but today I'm focused more on the deep struggle that so 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, 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 Mission is located in the "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. "You are not garbage; you are beautiful children, 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."

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.

: Garbage City

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."

Children of light were not designed to live in the middle of garbage. But we 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.

: The Red Sea

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 those of us who live mired in other kinds of messes.

But enough for today, this is a post, not a chapter in my next book - DEREK

: Into the Sinai desert

P.S. That evening we crossed the Suez, made our way alongside the Red Sea for a while (above), and drove into the desert. This picture (left) just scratches the surface of the harsh beauty. Tomorrow's post: "Climbing Mount Sinai"

Not Just Adventure but Community

2012-01-18T05:09:00.000-08:00

: Always on the move...

I have so many great stories to share from our Epic Adventure. But one serendipity played out that has little to do with bucket lists or Great Pyramids or World Heritage sites. I'm talking about people, and the dynamic of community that is - ultimately - one of the most important elements of living the life-charged life.

Scholarship: Forty-nine of us traveled together as part of an Asbury Theological Seminary graduate-level seminar. The group comprised grad students, preachers, other church professionals, seminary alumni and spouses. The professor, Bob Tuttle, is somewhat of a legend as a spiritual giant, writer, traveller and guru of New Testament studies.

Rebekah hooked up with the tour because she was looking for a continuing education opportunity that combined the right destinations with the right level of scholarship.

: "Family Group" - Lonita, Bryan, Eric, Derek and Rebekah

Bonus: At the very beginning, standing as a large group at the Athens airport, our "tour host," Stephen, yelled out "Arrange yourself in family groups of five!" We had around 60 seconds and no other information on which to act.

Rebekah and I turned around and corralled the first three people we saw. They were Lonita, Bryan and Eric. Eric and Bryan work in the same church in Jacksonville, and Lonita is from St Cloud near Orlando.

The idea was to keep track of one-another and make it easy to account for all 49 people on the tour when on the move, re-boarding the bus, meeting up after "30 minutes of shopping," or leaving one site for another.

Community: There were ten family groups and the plan really did help. But ours went a few steps further - we became a legit close-knit family. We hung out, we cared for one-another, we shared what was on our hearts and minds, we prayed for each other. What happened, essentially, is that we fell for our family in a big way and it was a beautiful thing.

: Family Group on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem

Lonita, Eric and Bryan are all in their thirties; they all have such positive, Christ-centered spirits. The only family group requirement so far as the tour was concerned was logistical, helping the host count heads. But we transformed into a mini covenant-group and I believe our trip was so much richer and deeper because we were part of a covenant community.

Important: Here's what I want everyone to understand. As human beings, we were created specifically for community. Covenant community is not optional for the life-charged life; meaningful spiritual community is a requirement.

: At "The Pinnacle" outside Nazareth. More on this story later...!

Tomorrow we'll see another side of Cairo. It's not pretty, but the story is an important part of what made this Adventure so special.

- DEREK

Great Pyramids, King Tut and The Arab Spring

2012-01-17T07:42:00.001-08:00

: Emerging from the morning mist

In an adventure full with bucket-list moments, the Great Pyramids may well have been #1 on my all-time list. I've wanted to visit the Pyramids since I first learned about them in grade school.

We headed to Giza right after breakfast that day, the pyramids emerging almost hesitantly out of a thick morning mist. My first impression was that of sheer mass. I had no idea how colossal they would be. Rebekah and I climbed all over the massive limestone blocks like kids, laughing and pointing and staring open-mouthed. The stones were honed so perfectly - back in 2560 B.C. - and fit so tightly that no mortar was used. Just a little water, the guide told us, and they vacuum-sealed together like sheets of flawlessly flat glass.

The Great Pyramid, at 481 feet in height, remained the tallest structure in the world for over 3,800 years after it was completed!

: Such a cool time!

Eventually, after exploring and taking photographs and listening to facts and statistics and dodging the constant swarm of vendors and beggars, we assembled at one of the viewpoints for a 45-minute camel ride around the dunes.

My camel was named "Bob Marley," and the experience was all sorts of fun. Sand dunes, cool weather, the simple fact of being in Egypt, and Pyramids in the background made the camel ride a far cry from walking around the parking lot at the zoo.

: The Sphinx and the Great Pyramid

By the time we made it down to the Sphinx the mist had burned off and the view changed accordingly (check out a new photo album to go with each travel post over the next 12 days at my facebook page). All in all a breathtaking experience.

ARAB SPRING: Twists and Turns: We completed this remarkable day with lunch on the river Nile in sailboats, a visit to an ancient Coptic Church, and then a tour of the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities that included the complete King Tut collection, an exhibit that is mind-blowing on every level.

Rather than King Tut, what I want to mention here is the juxtaposition of ancient culture and the current day "Arab Spring." Our guide, Essam, had recently voted in a parliamentary election for the first time in his life and he almost cried when he told us his story.

: Lunch on the Nile

The museum - home to one of the world's most important collection of antiquities - sits at the head of Tahrir Square, the focal point of the 2011 uprising that led to the fall of Mubarak. Mubarak's party headquarters sits immediately adjacent. You can see the burned out shell in this picture, and get a sense of how perilous the times are.

One of Mubarak's tactics was to instigate violence (the so-called Muslim attacks against Christian churches, for example, were actually government thugs) and then blame anti-government protestors. One day the Egyptian Museum was targeted.

Our guide picks up the story:

Mubarak's burned out headquarters is adjacent to he Egyptian Museum of Antiquities
When the government lost control of the country, over 6,000 guides arrived at the museum. We organized ourselves. We placed a human fence around the museum. We put more than ten guides in each room. The fittest and strongest were in the King Tut exhibit. We arrested everyone we found without credentials.
Three days later the army came, and gave the people we arrested one hour in a private room to unload their pockets and back-packs. After one hour they were searched and released. When we went in to the room it was full with priceless treasures!

Throughout Egypt over 17,000 guides did the same thing, sleeping at the entrance of the Valley of the Kings, keeping our treasures safe. It was a tense time.
We did all of this from heart....

: On the banks of the Nile with Rebekah

I'm just scratching the surface here, I understand this. Tomorrow we'll take a look at Egypt's poverty, at hope, and at the phenomenal power of the Gospel of Love.

Peace, peace in the Arab world, peace at home, and peace to my friend Essam - DEREK

PS - See the day's best slides from this day at my facebook page!

Derek and Rebekah's Excellent Adventure, Day One - Athens

2012-01-16T07:39:00.001-08:00

: The Parthenon, Athens

Question: Define "Epic Adventure?" Answer: Four continents (North America, Europe, Africa and Asia); countess World Heritage sites (including The Acropolis, the Great Pyramids, Petra, Caesarea, Megiddo...); climbing Mount Sinai; and much, much more.

My goal this week is to invite you all along for the ride. But hold on, it's going to a wild one!

OFF-LINE FOR 14 DAYS! The big challenge, now that we're back from this year's Epic Adventure Number One, is going to be my response to the question, "Please catch us up on your travels in your blog?"

First off, we didn't make the decision to spend two full weeks "off the grid" lightly. But, by the time we reached Cairo, Rebekah and I both realized that we needed to immerse ourselves in the experience and disconnect from everything "other." That meant no phone, Internet, facebook, email, blog or text messages.

But I'm already ahead of myself. Before Cairo was Athens. And Athens meant a chance to explore the Acropolis on a beautiful clear day. So We'll begin there.

: Mars Hill, from the Acropolis

MARS HILL: When you stand on Mars Hill, three things come immediately to mind:

First is the testimony of Paul, when he introduced a new way of thinking to the residents of Athens. So Paul stood up in front of the council and said, "People of Athens, I see that you are very religious. As I was going through your city and looking at the things you worship, I found an altar with the words, 'To an Unknown God'. You worship this God, but you don't really know him. So I want to tell you about him." (Acts 17:22-23)

The second is The Acropolis, which includes the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike. The architecture dates to The Golden Age of Athens. It's impossible to wander around the site without getting a sense of life between 460 and 430 BC. And, in a theme repeated daily throughout our Great Adventure, Rebekah and I were nowhere near ready to return to our bus at the end of the day. There is so much to learn, so much to process, so much to enrich our experience and our understanding...

: Rebekah on Mars Hill, overlooking the city

Lastly, the view of Athens from Mars Hill is spectacular. The ancient metropolis lay gleaming under the bright Mediterranean sun. Ten million people living out their lives under the stress of a crumbling economy... but at the same time in the shadow of one of the great civilizations in history. The view gave me both pause and hope. And the message from Paul resonated: "I was going through your city and looking at the things you worship...."

WORSHIP: Paul put his finger on the most pressing contemporary issue of his day, and it's exactly the same question we're grappling with here in the United States. The things we worship. Right now, coming out of the Christmas rush and into a new 2012, is a great opportunity to make a decision regarding worship.

What are we striving for? What do we long for? What do we devote our time and attention to attain/obtain....? And then, once we acknowledge what dominates our allegiance, does all our attention and intention lead to satisfaction?

Like Paul, I'd like to introduce us to the Living God. I want to tell you all about him.

: The Temple of Zeus, Athens

FOLLOW THE TRAVELS: We're going to travel to a lot of amazing locations together over the next couple of weeks. Please check in daily for a new set of photographs and a few words about what God has been up to in my heart and mind.

Peace and Promise - DEREK

"Occupy 2012" - Life: The Adventure Continues

2012-01-01T03:07:00.000-08:00

: Getting ready...

"As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them." - Joshua 1:5-6

OK, friends, we've finally done it. 2011 has been wrapped, canned, stacked on the shelf and put into the history books. So how do you feel about it? Was 2011 a classic... a flop... a keeper... a dud... a blockbuster... an instant highlight reel-er...? What do you say?

Well however you categorize 2011, it's in the past. Done. Finis. Now we have another crack at making history. 2012, blank, tableau rasa, waiting to be occupied. Wow! I don't know about you, but I find that exciting.

: Egypt, Jordan, Israel

GREAT ADVENTURE! And how cool is it that Rebekah and I begin the Great Adventure that is 2012 with a "bucket-list" trip together to the Middle East? Really, you couldn't script this any better. Here's the speed version: Orlando, New York, Athens, Cairo, Petra, Jerusalem, Galilee, Jericho, Nazareth, the Jordan River, Caesarea, Tel Aviv, New York, Orlando...

It boils down to this. You're going to have to check in with this blog for periodic posts - depending on time and the availability of Internet access at my end. Or I may just keep a journal and keep my readers waiting! Then you'll have to be patient till after we return. Either way, I promise to do my best to keep everyone up to date.

: Pilgrimage - always moving forward....

Bottom Line: No matter what any of us are up to, traveling the world or holding down the fort at home, what we have here is another huge opportunity to set the trajectory for a year defined more as pilgrimage than status quo.

We already know what the status quo looks like. That's where we've been hanging out much of the time. Even if it's all good and you've had a great year, there's still reason to move forward, reinvent, improve, journey... to draw closer to the Source of Creation and to recommit ourselves to the Author of Life.

That's the beauty of this road we're traveling: we're never really done.

: This is the New Year. Look! Absolutely anything is possible!

THE CHALLENGE: So how about it? How about a New Year that's characterized - from the get-go - as a...

Top-open,
Windows-down,
Wide-open-highway
Open-to-the-possibilities journey...

... Full-throttle into this life-charged life? And, how about we invite Jesus to be our guide, and let's simply make our best effort to follow the Prince of Peace?

Do you see my note-book? There's nothing there. It's got just the one heading so far, "JANUARY 2012." Anything beyond that is for me to experience.

: Moving into 2012!

CHOICE: We have this choice, and it's the same one that we have every single day of our lives. Do we live into the promise and the purpose that distinguishes us as Children of the Living God? Do we live forward into 2012 with hope and joy? Do we "occupy the Promised Land?"

Or, do we let another year pass us by?

Not this year. Not 2012. Not on your life!

Don't lose touch, and please let me know how God is challenging you to move forward - DEREK