Thursday, October 26, 2017

The Door of Humility - Enter as a Tourist, Leave as a Pilgrim

Here is a picture of Toni and I entering the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem through the Door of Humility.

You can see how small the entry is.  In order to enter the church through this door (there are other more accessible doors to enter the church) you have to stoop down or crawl through it, hence the Door of Humility.  

There is a plaque nearby that says, "If you enter as a tourist, we hope you will leave as a pilgrim.  If you enter as a pilgrim we hope you will leave as a holier pilgrim."

We were told that the door was made smaller centuries ago to prevent animals from entering the church.  You can see the indentation on the threshold where countless pilgrims have entered through this tiny doorway. Seeing it brings to mind Jesus' admonition in Matthew 7:13-14: 
‘Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Friday, October 20, 2017

Bethel Series Holy Land Tour Reservations Close in Early November

It should be clear that the Bethel Series Pilgrimage to the Holy Land will be spiritually meaningful. What is not so obvious is that it will also be a great deal of fun! 

To the left is a picture taken of Bethel Series Executive Director, Reverend Jeff Quinto and his wife in a first century cave. What is the first thing that comes to mind for them? “Let’s take a selfie.”



Swimming in the Dead Sea is a not-to-be-missed opportunity during your pilgrimage. Of course, everyone knows that you float in the Dead Sea because of its high salt content. What they do not tell you is that once you lay back in the water, you pop up nearly out of the water like a fishing bobber. Many people rub their bodies with the mud from the Dead Sea believing that it brings back a youthful complexion. We make no guarantees of this claim.

One of the most inspiring experiences of the trip will be when we visit the path that Jesus came down from the Mount of Olives sitting on a donkey on Palm Sunday. To think of Jesus riding down this very path to the shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David!” is overwhelming. You can picture the scene as you stand by the path. You can imagine yourself cheering for Him. You wonder how you would have reacted as the events of the Holy Week unfolded.

This combination of spiritual and fun experiences will fill our pilgrimage. You should not miss this opportunity. Reservations close the first of November, so you will want to secure your spot in this life-changing Bethel Series Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2018.

You can get more information on the Bethel Series website at www.BethelSeries.org/pilgrimage or by calling the Bethel Series office at 608-849-9220.