Oh, what a sacred Sunday! After passing the ruins of ancient Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene (I was so choked up, I could barely get through Mark 16:9 and Luke 8:1-3), we then studied the Beatitudes in a grove of trees near the spot where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount.
A beautiful way to begin our Sunday together, as we took turns reading Matthew 5:1-10, and considered the meaning of “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Then we imagined the Lord walking on the water, studying John 6:16-21, while we sailed in a boat called “Faith” on the Sea of Galilee. We sang, we laughed, we danced, we worshiped, and we marveled at the serenity of the water and the unspoiled scenery.
Next I shared the story of the feeding of the 5,000 from Matthew 14:15-23, near the hillside where the loaves and fishes were multiplied. There were teaching spots everywhere we went, ready for us to find seats and open God’s Word. When all of us reached the shores of the Galilee, a “Ta-da!” seemed the natural response.
Our hearts were already full to the brim, but the best was yet to come. We shared three lessons about Jesus as our Deliverer (Mark 1:21-28), our Healer (Matthew 8:14-17), and our Savior (Luke 7:36-50) among the synagogue ruins in Capernaum, where Jesus taught. I mean where he taught. It was almost more than this girl could handle.
And then I had the absolute joy of teaching Matthew 3:13-17 about the baptism of Jesus, before baptizing 21 precious women in the Jordan River, inviting them into the water singing, “O, Sisters, Let’s Go Down to the River and Pray.” Can’t imagine anything more glorious this side of heaven!
Back to the kibbutz we went, eager to see what the next day might hold…