St Clement's Israel Visit
17 to 26 November 2009
April More recollections
This was the first time I had been to Israel, and I really did not know what to expect. Every day in Israel was a very full day – from our 6am wake-up call until we returned to our hotel for dinner. Both our hotels, in Jerusalem and in Tiberius, were excellent, and we had lovely rooms and wonderful meals. After dinner each day many of us met together in Gaynor’s room for Compline – prayers, a reading and thoughts of the day, which I found a time of blessing.
There are many places we visited, and things I experienced that will have a lasting effect on me: Walking where Jesus had trod when he went to the synagogue; seeing the pit he was probably put in the night before his crucifixion; sharing Holy Communion together at Tabgha on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and also walking by and sailing on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus spent most of his three years teaching his disciples and working miracles; and floating in the Dead Sea.
Lastly, may I thank Gaynor for organising and arranging the pilgrimage, and making our Israel trip not just a holiday, but an uplifting experience that I will not forget, and I know I came back feeling closer to God and Jesus.
Janette Reynolds
It is difficult to put in a few words what happened over ten very exciting and moving days but to try and give you a taste of my experiences…
I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to the mock-up Nazarene village. Transported back in time, we experienced a typical village, making and using their tools to cook our own bread over an open fire, and eating an authentic meal. (For those of you who wanted the recipe for the cabbage salad: Cut cabbage in small strips, then add: brown sugar, salt, white vinegar, olive oil and brown sesame seeds.)
I had a real connection with God on Mount Tabor, where I somehow managed to get everyone to sing “Go tell it on the mountain”. I then actually spoke to two Nigerians about my experience, and later, while waiting for the mini buses, sang with their group “We are walking in the light of God”. A really special experience.
Things we saw and the people we met will stay with me for a long time and I look forward to using these experiences to encourage others in their faith. Gill Dowdall
March-More recollections
Arriving in Jerusalem late in the evening after a tortuous day of travelling, imagine my excitement to discover that my window looked out onto the floodlit north walls of the city. I lay in bed that night, curtains open, my mind brimming with Bible verses and images 2000 years old.
Our first stop near Bethphage where Jesus sat on a donkey and set off down the Mount of Olives towards a triumphal entry into Jerusalem: jubilant, expectant crowds greeting their Saviour. An overwhelming sense of his presence overtook me, with an outpouring of emotion which I struggled to contain thereafter: a rollercoaster from elation, to despair, and back again!
Even though many of the locations we visited would have been unrecognisable to Jesus, to know that he walked this same land brought the Bible verses alive in a way I would not have dreamed.
By the end of day one the trip had exceeded my wildest expectations, but the best was yet to come…. He heightened my senses, enabling me to see his image in shadows, hear him in the voices of people around me, and feel him lifting me… body and spirit.
Jesus commissioned his disciples to be his ears, eyes, voice and hands; spreading his message, ministering and healing… his way, reflected by others, especially amongst the unloved, the meek and the downtrodden.
I can’t wait to fulfil that commission, whatever he has planned for me. How about you?
Lynn Bowerman
Visiting the Holy Land is a dream come true for most Christians, the experience of a pilgrimage is second to none. Although this was our second visit the feeling of walking in the footsteps of Jesus is indescribable, the names of the sites instantly remind us of the stories from the Bible. You can walk on paving stones in Jerusalem that are thousands of years old.
It is difficult to pick out what moved us the most, it was all so awe inspiring and emotional at times. The visit to the children’s orphanage, where 30 young girls lived, all of different ages, was also quite moving - and they were so pleased to welcome us, we were all able to take gifts for them.
We would like to thank Gaynor for leading our group and Jonathan for being part of us.
Eric and Beryl Wardlee
I felt some trepidation at the start. What had I let myself in for? The journey to Heathrow and the flight were not conducive to getting to know each other, nor was our late arrival. Then it all came together: Early mornings! Hugs and cuddles! Leading prayers and thoughts brought us all together.
Highlights:
The first that comes to mind must be our experience at the site where the High Priest's House was situated. Jesus was kept there as a prisoner on the Thursday night. It was traditional for a prisoner to be lowered into a pit below the house and kept there over night. It is quite possible that this is what happened to Jesus. We descended into a pit below the building. I imagine this pit was rather larger than would have been the usual. I was asked to read Psalm 88. This was a rather emotional reading ending with the line: ‘My only friend was darkness!’ It had its effect on all our group gathered there. From there we climbed the steps that led up to the House which Jesus actually climbed or was dragged up on that Thursday.
The next highlight was the journey along the Via Dolorosa. That really brought home that Friday's journey. We found it hard enough but what Jesus must have suffered having that heavy Cross to carry. It's no wonder that He stumbled several times.
Then on to Bethlehem where we shared Holy Communion in the Shepherds' Field. At the end of the service Gwen and I told the story of the Bethlehem Peace Light .
Later, we travelled on to Galilee. By the Church of the Loaves and Fishes we joined together for another Communion Service on the shores of the lake. Birds of all sorts were flying around us as we sat looking out over the water.
I must mention the low point. This was our departure from Tiberias at 4 am and then the security checks at the Airport! However, we all arrived safely at St. Clement's after a very easy journey.
We give our thanks to God for a wonderful experience and for our safe keeping. We also give our heartfelt thanks to Gaynor for a truly memorable time together and for her inspirational leading.
Vic Read
 When I heard the news that Gaynor was arranging a trip to the holy land for St. Clement’s Church I jumped at the chance. It was somewhere I had always wanted to go. It took me back to the day at the age of five when I played an angel in the school nativity and I had thought then how much I would like to visit Bethlehem. Now, quite a few years later, and no longer dressed in an old white sheet and a pair of tinsel wings, I was able to stand in The Church of the Nativity with my friends from St Clement’s and sing the carol “Away in a Manger”, with tears streaming down my cheeks. This was just one of the many amazing moments of my visit.
After spending six nights at our Jerusalem hotel we moved on to another hotel in Tiberias, which is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. On this journey we stopped at Abu Gosh, a place reputed to be the old site of Emmaus. The story from Luke 24:28-35, had been read at my first communion in St Clement’s Church, the day after my confirmation service at Salisbury Cathedral. This story made me cry then, and I was now very emotional to be standing in Emmaus. Gaynor asked me to read. I didn’t think I could, but after a deep breath and a prayer I was given the strength by God to read the Bible verses to our group. More was yet to come, when we went inside the church we saw the spring where Jesus would have taken water. I just had to touch the water and after much effort and help from my friend and her orange scarf being dangled in the spring we managed to feel and touch the water. It was incredible. I had definitely been filled with the Holy Spirit. I was glowing.
During this trip to many locations in the Holy Land each one of us encountered a variety of very different emotions, and we all did some ‘sloshing’, better known as crying, but we have all come home glowing.
Over the next few months more of our visit will be published in the magazine for you all to read about. I am sure I speak for everyone on this trip when I say we are looking forward to sharing our stories with you all.
Catriona Smyth
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