“Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34:3‬

This morning we woke to the sound of rain on the Sea of Galilee. Though I didn’t exactly want to be awake at 3am, the sound of rain in this desert land is a blessing. Our guide, Aharon, spoke to us about the fact that it is headline news each morning in Israel, how many millimeters the Sea of Galilee rose or fell. Water isn’t just a blessing in this land – it is an obsession. I am reminded how the things that I take for granted are desperately important to others.

Such were my thoughts on the bus this morning as we headed into our day. I didn’t know all that the day would hold, all the ways we would be blessed.

Today we stood on the precipice outside Nazareth where the townspeople wanted to throw Jesus off the cliff, we toured the living museum of Nazareth Village, we walked through Sepphoris/Zippori where Joseph would have found work as a builder and we ended the day touring Magdala – the ancient ruins of Mary Magdalene’s town.

For me, the goosebumps happened at Magdala. The site is a significant archeological find. It is the ruins of a town from Jesus’ day, and in that town is a synagogue. It is significant because the town was deserted in the first century, and then covered by a mudslide. So the synagogue has not been touched since Jesus’ day. Most synagogues that date back to that era have been expanders, renovated, rebuilt and changed over the centuries. We know that Jesus was teaching in the synagogues of Galilee, so this is a place where Jesus was.

The ruins are remarkable. But equally remarkable is the worship center that has been built to honour the women who were part of Jesus’ ministry. In this circular building we find a number of pillars with names of some of the famous women from Jesus’ public ministry: Mary Magdalen, Joanna, Salome, Peter’s mother-in-law, and then there is a pillar the the multitude of women – all those whose names we do not know. That is moving enough, that these nameless women would be given this honour. But even better – there is a pillar with no name on it. This pillar stands as a monument to the women of today.

Our guide asked us, “who taught you to pray?” And someone answered, “mother.” Our guide said, “yes, my mother taught me to pray, too. My faith exists because of my mother. How countless are the other mothers teaching people to pray? This pillar exists for all the women – not just moms – who are helping and leading and guilting and building the church today.”

I poked the Rev. Dr. Mona Scrivens and whispered to her, “that’s your pillar!” She whispered back to me, “it’s yours, too.”

What a blessing to be doing this thing called ministry with the excellent women and men on this tour. What a blessing to know that people who don’t know me, or my name, or my story, have chosen to honour me in a land on the other side of the world. That people offer prayer and thanksgiving for me – just because I’m one of those women helping to lead and build the church. God’s generosity simply overwhelms me.

The precipice outside Nazareth:

Nazareth Village:

Magdala:

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm‬ ‭119:105‬ ‭NIV‬

Our journey began with delays and confusion. I’m not the only one who missed whatever announcements there were for our flight until the “final boarding call” and a rushed trek down the bridge to our airplane.

Nonetheless we all made it. And then…we waited and waited. And waited.

With all the weather we’d had in Toronto over the past 36 hrs, Pearson was moving slow.

Eventually, after more delays and de-icing, we made it to our runway. The airplane began to gain speed. And all too soon we were limiting off the tarmac, the g-force pushing us backwards into our seats.

One and a half movies later we are somewhere over the Atlantic. Greenland to our north, Ireland to our east. We glide countless miles above the earth, moving through atmosphere that would kill us in an instant, if it weren’t for the airplane keeping us afloat and secure.

Our ground speed is 976km/hr, it is 7:14hrs to our destination. We have already travelled 2646km, and we have so much further to go.

These are all just statistics. Numbers with only a little meaning. Only in certain contexts.

Each of us will be changed by the trip we undertake. In ways we cannot even imagine right now.

I am blessed to be taking this tour for the fourth time in my life. Knowing that as I walk, I will meet Jesus – in the paces he ministered and in the miracles he worked.

I am thrilled to lead followers of Him to this place, to his land, to his home. May all of us meet Him here in ways we didn’t expect. In moments that take our breath way. In places that are holy and wholly natural.

Amen. And amen.

Now the “half” part of this post. We made it safely off the plane in Tel Aviv. We found our luggage and our busses and our guides.

Because of the delays we weren’t able to do a whole lot today, but we did make it up to Mt Carmel for the story of Elijah’s battle with the prophets of Baal.

It was windy with some real rain coming through, but we posed for a few pictures before seeking shelter.

Then we got back on the bus for an hour’s journey to our home for the next four days: the Hotel Kinar Galilee. Right on the shores of the Sea.

It was dark when we arrived, but here are a few photos from Mt Carmel.

Tomorrow our journey begins in earnest.

(Cause when you’ve run out of words yourself it’s good to rely on the brilliant writers that have gone before. Thanks, Beuchner, you never disappoint!)

But the Lord reigns forever,

executing judgment from his throne.

He will judge the world with justice

and rule the nations with fairness.

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,

a refuge in times of trouble.

Psalms‬ ‭9:7-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The last two posts of my blog have at least mentioned judgement – it occurred to me that if you read them both, you might think I am saying conflicting things.

In the first post (which is really just an image with a scripture verse), God’s judgements help us learn righteousness. In the second, Jesus didn’t come into the world to judge it, but to save it.

So does God judge or not? Am I contradicting myself here?

As I thought about this, it occurred to me that the problem with judgement is a very human one. When humans judge, we do it from a limited perspective. We find it easy to get it wrong. We don’t know everything, and cannot know everything, about what we are judging.

God, however, is not limited in time, or in knowledge, or in righteousness. God is the good judge – the one who knows it all and gets it right every time.

God judges, as the Psalm says, with justice and fairness. Yet God remains the refuge for those in need.

This Advent, may you not judge others, but leave that up to the One who judges with justice and fairness. May you trust the One who knows it all. May you find refuge in Him.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I was in my 20’s John 3:17 was pointed out to me. Everyone knew John 3:16 – it was the verse that was taught over and over.

Even I, who can never remember chapter and verse, knew exactly what John 3:16 said. I could quote it easily. I’d read the Bible – cover to cover – and yet somehow I’d missed this verse. I knew Jesus had died for me, so that I could receive everlasting life by believing in him.

But somehow I’d missed the fact that the scripture clearly says that Jesus didn’t come to judge and condemn the world, but to save it.

This is important because sometimes Christianity and Christians are presumed to be full of judgement. We are not meant to be. Jesus himself wasn’t focused on judgment or condemnation, he was focused on salvation. That was his goal, his purpose, his reason for stepping out of paradise, into such a world as this.

This is good news of great joy. This is what we celebrate throughout this season.

So this Advent, may you be saved, not condemned or judged. And may it bring you everlasting joy.

(Tired after a long day, and I’ve started about 3 different blog entries without being able to actually go anywhere with them. So I’m calling it. An image and some scripture are all I’ve got in me tonight – except for this one comment: with God, judgements aren’t something to be feared but something that will teach us righteousness…I find hope and peace in that!)

…my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:47‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Yesterday was the Advent Sunday of Joy. This marks a turn in our observation of Advent. We move from the quiet waiting of hope and peace to the celebration of joy and love.

I always find this turn exciting. Christmas is drawing near! Many of the responsibilities of the season have been met – extra services have been put together, I’ve hosted the elders for an open house, we finally celebrated my Mother’s birthday, the gifts (in my case) have all been bought. There are still some responsibilities and experiences to come, but I feel ready and excited to be part of them rather than worried about them or stressed by them.

So, for me, joy has arrived at precisely the right time. That may not be true for everyone. I am always aware at this time of year that there are those for whom celebrations won’t come easily. They are dealing with grief or uncertainty. They are finding it hard to make ends meet, or they are alone in a season that is all about togetherness.

There is a song entitled “Grown Up Christmas List,” (check out my fave version here) that includes the lyrics:

No more lives torn apart,
That wars would never start
and time would heal all hearts

That everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, oh
This is my grown-up Christmas list

This is my prayer for those who struggle at this time of year. I sing these words throughout Advent, whenever this song comes up on the Christmas playlist shuffle in my car. I sing them with joy, but also as a sincere prayer.

This Advent, may your spirit rejoice in God, your saviour. May those who are hurting be healed. And may all of us find and take the opportunity to be a friend, to heal a hurt and to experience joy.

(Cause I spent today sermonizing and I have run out of words. This was too good not to post, and meant that I didn’t have to come up with words to accompany it!)

Immanuel is a wonderful name for our savior. It means God is with us. So much of our faith has to do with community.

God is triune – three, yet one. Which means that God by God’s very nature is a community. Each member of the trinity giving love and support to the other two – this endless cycle of praise and worship.

When God comes to Earth, He is born into a family. The first community that any of us know. Mary, Joseph and the baby, bound to each other. The three of them against the world – at least for a while.

When the baby is born in Bethlehem, he draws people to himself. Shepherds and wise men – strangers welcomed into his midst and made part of the we-were-there-we-saw-him-in-the-flesh community.

We aren’t meant to go it alone. We are made in God’s image – made for community. We are born to families (and if you’re anything like me, you adopt people along the way who become like family even though you weren’t born to each other). We are drawn to communities – maybe crafting communities, hopefully communities of faith, maybe communities centered around a certain band or author or movie or tv show.

We were made to be a “we.” And one of the things I love about this season (even as I find it exhausting) is the gathering together that is such a part of it. Parties and dinners and concerts and services. We gather together as we celebrate Immanuel – God with US. The “us” is important there.

This Advent, may you know God is with you, may you gather with others who know it, too. And may you celebrate.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm‬ ‭118:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I feel like I’ve said it countless times over the past several weeks – this is the busiest time of year. And in this Season, sometimes ministers get exhausted. When we are exhausted we tend to grumble and complain. We find it hard to take joy in all of the activities we are part of during this season.

I’ve worked long and hard in my career in ministry to not be a grinch at Christmas – to find the joy, even when I’m tired; to worship our savior, even when it is my job; to marvel at the wondrous story of his coming among us even when I know the words off by heart.

And yet, I confess to you – I’ve been grumbly lately. I’ve complained about meetings I haven’t wanted to attend and I’ve moaned about events that I haven’t wanted to lead. I’ve whined about the number of evenings in a row I must be out.

But here is the thing: God is good, God is generous, God does not grow weary, God is ready to restore.

The goodness and generosity of God has been excessively apparent to me in recent days. Because as I have showed up grumbling to one engagement or another, God has not held my grumbling against me. Instead, God has blessed me in my work, surrounded me with people to inspire and cheer me, and at each turn breathed life back into my shriveled spirit. God has restored my soul.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

This Advent, may you know the renewing, generous, life-giving love of God. May God show up in person in your life. May you find yourself overwhelmed by blessings. May you enjoy the wonder of the season. May you find restoration in Him.