Sunday Worship

Sunday August 5, 2012:  Today we worshiped at a beautiful Benedictine monastery in the Arab village of Abu Gosh, about nine miles north of Jerusalem.  It is the location of the ancient city of Kiriath-jearim, where the ark of the covenant rested after it was taken back from the Philistines (I Samuel 6:19-7:2).  Here the ark languished, sadly, for about 60 years until it was taken up to Jerusalem by King David (2 Samuel 6).  Bringing the ark up to Jerusalem was one of the most significant things David did after he was anointed king.  Establishing the capital there and then placing the ark, symbolizing the presence of God, right in the center of the city served to also establish the worship of Israel’s one God as the center of the life of the nation.  Prior to this the children of Israel were pretty much a loose confederation of twelve tribes, but this helped make them a nation.

The church was built by Crusaders around 1143 on the site of a natural spring coming from deep in the ground.  The acoustics in the ancient church are amazing, and the singing of the nuns and monks is just heavenly in there.  The walls and massive columns are adorned with colorful frescoes of Christ, John the Baptist, other biblical figures and saints.  A careful walk down the steep stone steps reveals a cool, dark crypt built right over the deep spring.  

After church we went to a wonderful Lebanese restaurant and enjoyed delicious kabob, hummus, felafel, and other treats.  Not far from here is one of the places that is said to be the city of Emmaus, where the risen Jesus met the pilgrims on the road.  Here Linda and I are “on the road.”  Linda is a great sport and traveling companion!