November 9, 2009

Bob’s Sabbatical

November 9, 2009 – “The Galilean Ministry”

 

            Nazareth
– the place Jesus lived for 30 years, “hidden” years.  This little town had to be formative for
him.  As a small, farming community,  we see how his parables came out of his
experience.

            We began
at a re-created Nazareth.  It helped put
Jesus’ life into perspective.  The olive
press was especially interesting, having just been to a modern one in Italy two
weeks ago.  The lever action, and the
weights were innovative, to say the least!

            Andrew,
on the bus talked about Christology, “Who is Jesus.”

There are lots of different labels.  Major one is Jesus as teacher.  Rabbi is used to describe him, though he was
not technically a Rabbi, but taught as one with “authority.”  Perhaps better to think of him in the Wisdom
tradition.

            We drove
through Cana (first miracle) on our way to Capernaum, stopping first at the
Primacy of Peter, on the shore of the Lake of Galilee (see pictures from Early
September), where we had an outdoor Eucharist. 
We went to Capernaum to see the ruins of a small town that was important
in Jesus’ teaching time.   It was a poor,
fishing village, with small houses, close together.  It is easy to see how he would have become
well known is such a place.

            Lunch
was on the Lake of Galilee, with “St. Peter Fish,” which was actually
farm-raised perch, but very good.  We
then went for a boat ride on the lake of Galilee.  Instead of going south to the area where the
Galilee empties into Jordan River (which has become a “disney-world” kind of
place with rent-a-robe for baptism in concrete ampitheaters on the banks of the
river), we went north, to where the Jordan empties into the Lake of Galilee and
had a renewal of our Baptismal vows at sunset. 
We then drove around the east side of the lake of Galilee (passing the
Golan Heights) on our way back to Nazareth.

Peace,

   Bob