Sabbath Day Adventures

Today's blog "report" comes from Suzanne Schafer-Coates, Pastor of the Meadow Lakes Congregationof the First Presbyterian Church of Hightstown, NJ...

"O Sabbath rest by Galilee, O Calm of hills above, Where Jesus knelt to share with Thee The silence of eternity,Interpreted by love."by John Greenleaf Whittier, from the hymn "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind"We've journeyed for six days, and on the seventh, we observed Sabbath.Sabbath means different things to different members of our pilgrim band. To some it means to do something they've wanted to do but haven't had time to do; to others, it means rest and repair. To all it means to take time for self and God.Seven hardy souls hiked from the Cliffs of Arbel down to the Valley of the Doves (where the sort of doves that were acceptable for Temple sacrifice could be obtained in Jesus' day) to Magdala. This is the valley that Jesus walked when he came from Nazareth to the villages along the Sea of Galilee to begin his ministry. (He also walked it every time he went back and forth between Nazareth to the Lake (Sea) shore.) Three hours after beginning, the group arrived in Magdala, some came back to Tiberius from there, two others hiked on to Capernum, stopping at the Primacy of Peter to bathe their hot, aching feet in the Sea of Galilee.Four of us rented a car and drove to Sephhoris, and spent the day exploring the fascinating ruins of this ancient Roman City (it is close to Nazareth, and Joseph and Jesus would have doubtlessly gone there to work). Getting lost along the way just added to the excitement of driving in Israel.Two more rented a car and explored Galilee, including visiting an artists' colony and bathing in the hot springs at a Roman spa.The rest of us stayed in Tiberius, resting in our rooms or in the lovely gardens overlooking the Sea of Galilee, swimming in the hotel swimming pool, catching up on our journals, reading, talking, and praying. Many of the stay-behinds explored Tiberius on foot, some with maps, others letting the Spirit lead them. Some went to the street market, others down to the shore to eat lunch lake/sea side. Two went out in a boat, three swam in the Sea of Galilee while three others waded, and one stayed at the hotel and had a message.We met up at dinner, each content with our day, to share experiences and to think of the morrow.We'll be up early: breakfast at 7, worship at 7.45, then load the bus and of we go - up to Jerusalem!Shalom.Suzanne Schafer-Coates