In His Steps - Day 10

Our celebration for Palm Sunday was so spiritually rich!

Quite honestly, it’s a religious holiday that both Gary and I have celebrated very little. But our visit to the Anglican Church for their service today, visiting the Jewish tunnels under the Western Wall to the Temple, and joining a Jewish Church for their Megillah (reading of Esther) were all very insightful!

We honestly felt like today was a day to just be a student, to be lifelong learners, and to discover new ways to celebrate and worship our God. My apologies in advance for the lack of photos of these two services because the leaders had emphasized trying not to be distracted by your technology during worship.

The Anglican Church began with a procession of the mass, walking into the building with the palm leaves and singing multiple renditions of the song “Hossana”. We stood for a long time as we not only sang songs, but joined the Reverend in reciting psalms, prayers, and scripture reading. As he described, “You stand before a King and his words.” The main focus of today’s service was looking back at where these words of celebration and crying came from to Jesus as he entered Jerusalem.

Psalms‬ ‭118‬:‭22‬-‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬
”The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success!“

‭‭In our time visiting these two services and witnessing the total devotion these men have to uncover as much of the old city to get closer to the original sight of the Holy of Holies, it is clear that we are just as eager as the other for the Messiah. Our Jewish brothers and sisters however are still looking for him through. They are still pouring over all these other buried, rejected stones and are not seeing the true one God sent long ago. Of course, we believe he already came and are now awaiting his “return” rather than “coming”, but the idea still stands.

We all are hanging in suspense about the God who saves. I loved seeing the commitment to God’s word, following line by line, reciting scripture together, and praying with one another! The believers today were reminded that he has come, he was rejected by his original audience but because of that we now are inheritors of this promise.

Reflection: How am I preparing my heart for this Holy Week? As Good Friday and Easter Sunday approaches, are the eyes of my heart fixed on the Cross and the Empty Tomb or other things?

Please, my brothers and sisters, don’t get distracted this week from one of the most important weeks in our faith. Fix your eyes on Christ, contemplate his willing sacrifice for his dearly loved people, and be excited for the change to come!

Pictures:

1-3 Palm Sunday at the Christ Church Jerusalem Congregation

4-6 Wester wall reference pic, Model of the second temple, and light showing the current wall (yellow lights) and the part of the wall we can currently through the glass in this particular spot underground (red lights)

7-8 Sections of the underground tunnel 

9-10 Underground tunnel synagogue with its statue of a flaming pomegranate and scripture writing

11 Gary and I at the Migellah reading, they gave us yarmulkes!