At the end

Lord’s Day, July 26, 2009 –6:30 AM

Again the Lord of light and life 

Awakes the kindling ray, 

Unseals the eyelids of the morn, 

And pours increasing day. 



I must add one more chapter to our pilgrimage report, on this Lord’s Day, half way around the world, from the place where more than 2,000 years ago Mary Magdalene proclaimed “He is risen!”

It is certainly not necessary to visit Israel to follow in the steps of Jesus but what a privilege it was to see the places and occasionally walk in the actual, physical, material foot steps.

Our trip home was an important part of the journey. It was a beautiful day as we left Israeli airspace in the early morning hours. By grace Marilyn and I had seats near a window where we could see the earth clearly below us. Our plane flew over the area where the Good News first spread including the island of Cyprus and the coast line of what was ancient Asia Minor. We could so clearly see the sea, the rugged mountains and the area where John Mark returned to Jerusalem as the Pauline Mission Team pushed northward into the continent, an event which later caused an intense conflict between Paul and Barnabas. We could see from above the area where the gospel crossed into the European continent and made it’s persistent way to the uttermost parts of the earth.

The day was remarkably clear as our plane approached Heathrow airport just outside of London. We could see the city, the Tower Bridge, the royal palaces and gardens of the Land that gave us the combination of sounds to communicate the Message in our day in that strange tongue called English.

Most of us should have been in bed by about midnight but my spirit did not calm until nearly 2 AM. Our thirty “pilgrims” had enjoyed ten flawless days. I never heard an angry or unkind word from anyone in our group, and we were often in intense and trying circumstances. No one complained and everyone cooperated to make it a meaningful experience.

Our special thanks to Jo Liston of “Go With Jo” travel agency who worked out the myriad of details, faithfully gave us good advice and direction, selected our tour company (Guiding Star Tours) and guide. She joined us at each location as a fellow-pilgrim. And we must mention our tour guide Rimon Makhlouf. He is a Palestinian Christian, born and reared in Jerusalem. He is a part of the 1.2% of people in that city where Christianity was born, who now recognize Jesus as the Messiah. He boldly holds his faith, often in the face of what most would call persecution. He quoted or cited by memory thousands of facts and hundreds scripture references and we never caught him in an error… maybe one or two extra-scriptural suppositions but he almost always identified them as possibilities and/or probabilities even though not specifically affirmed by scripture. He knew “the Book” better and more extensively than any of us and what a blessing that was.

Happy Lord’s Day. It will never be quite the same for this pilgrim.

O what a night was that which wrapped 

The heathen world in gloom! 

O what a Sun which rose this day 

Triumphant from the tomb! 



This day be grateful homage paid, 

And loud hosannas sung; 

Let gladness dwell in every heart, 

And praise on every tongue. 



Ten thousand different lips shall join
To hail this welcome morn, 

Which scatters blessings from its wings 

To nations yet unborn.

-- Jacob Vincent