Morning Worship featured David Short today, speaking from Exodus 24 on the meaning of salvation. He is a Rector in B.C. Canada, leading a parish very much like St Stephens out of an extremely hostile diocese.
After that I went to my small group again. We are holding together better and better through these discussions, across differences in nationality and culture. Our workshop is on Anglican Identity, where we heard Ashley Null on the Decay of Anglicanism, and a speaker from Uganda Christian University on the East African Revival. He spoke on the themes of the Revival: Walking in the light; conversion and repentance; disciplines of discipleship; contentment and generosity; shun evil in all its forms and listen to scripture; shared ministry for everyone (every believer carries his/her Bible everywhere, and was always ready to testify to the Lord).
Wednesday afternoon I went to the Ophel Gardens on the south wall of the Temple Mount where we ascended the steps to the Temple, with all 1200 of us present for teaching and singing and praise and prayer - and then photos by groups. The place is beautiful, and the immensity of the Temple Mount is almost overwhelming, even in ruins. This was the largest Temple in the ancient world. At the time of Jesus the architecture of the Holy Land, being built by Herod, rivaled that of Rome. Which is one of the reasons the Romans destroyed it with a vengance - just three years after it was completed!
We were on the Temple steps that Jesus ascended and this was the likely place where 3000 people were baptized on the day of Pentecost (in the purification baths). These were the places and the gates where so many of the Gospel events happened. It was a powerful time, a pentecostal time of renewal and recommitment. One of the speakers told of how in prayer he had heard the lions of Africa roar, and seen the tigers of Asia prowl, and then flocks of birds migrating from America, 'but not for long - and the Lord himself will be your shelter...'
In the evening I went to dinner with David Pilaggi, the new Rector of Christ Church Jerusalem. He has been in the Holy Land for 28 years, and has recently moved into these responsibilities. We talked at great length about the Sabbath, about the crazy western culture, and about what it means to 'sanctify time'. I was particularly interested in what he thought might fit inside the life of an evangelical congregation. It was a very helpful conversation, and gave me some good ideas on how to proceed with the development of discipleship and spiritual formation process in our parish. I am actually looking forward to the start of Sabbath tomorrow night.
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