Good morning…
Yesterday we went to the little town of Bethlehem, a town that is not so little anymore. We visited the multifaceted Church of the Nativity, which was built on top of the cave where Jesus was said to have been born, swaddled in cloth, and placed in a stone manger, a feeding trough for the animals. We took turns kneeling down and touching the black rock floor of the cave, which is now enshrined with ornate fabric, marble, and hanging candles.
We visited a site called The Shepherd’s Field and enjoyed learning how shepherds were an important part of the story of the birth of Jesus. Exquisite artwork fills the small chapel built above a cave much like the one shepherds would use. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about” (Luke 2: 8-15, NIV).
After an amazing lunch, we spent the afternoon shopping in the Old City of Jerusalem, exploring, bartering, buying fun gifts. Today is a new day with a new word to focus upon.
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Day 7 – Friday, March 11 – Notes from Rev. Steve Allen
City of David – 2 Samuel 5
Temple of the Western Wall – 1 Kings 5 -6, Ezra 5-6
Hezekiah’s Tunnel – 2 Kings 20:20, 2 Chronicles 32:2-4, Psalm 137:5-6, John 9:1-12
Yad Va Shem – Psalm 42:5-6, Psalm 119:55, Jeremiah 51:50, Jonah 2:7, Deuteronomy 7:17-18, 1 Chronicles 16:12
Today’s Hebrew word of the day is zakar, to remember. We talked about similar dynamics with the word shema, to hear. In our English language, these words are cerebral words. In Hebrew, they’re active words. Hebrew transforms them into actions. You don’t just remember by thinking, you remember by doing something. In this case you remember by telling the story.
When the text says you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, the people were told to talk about it with their children, to teach them the stories of their ancestors. By doing so they assured they would remember and never forget God’s mighty work in their lives. In the telling of these stories we actively keep their memory alive, making the power of God more tangibly real.
Today we visit two great symbols of remembrance in the Jewish faith, the Western Wall and Yad Va Shem (the holocaust memorial).
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Remember the days when you first learned the truth. You had a hard struggle with much suffering, but you continued strong. Sometimes people said hateful things to you and mistreated you in public. And sometimes you helped others who were being treated that same way. Yes, you helped them in prison and shared in their suffering. And you were still happy when everything you owned was taken away from you. You continued to be happy, because you knew that you had something much better—something that would continue forever. So don’t lose the courage that you had in the past. Your courage will be rewarded richly (Hebrews 10:32-35, ERV).
As we actively remember the story of God’s faithfulness, generation after generation, our inner eyes will notice the blessings of God.
…Sue…
