1 Hallelujah! How good to celebrate our God in song; how sweet to give fitting praise.2 The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem, gathers the dispersed of Israel,
3 Heals the brokenhearted, binds up their wounds,
4 Numbers all the stars, calls each of them by name.
The rebuilding of Jerusalem started here, on the Mount of Olives where Jesus spent a lot of time praying and where He was ultimately captured and brought to trial and finally, death.
It is time to start doing some serious thinking about joining David in his song of praise to God and to God's favorite city, Jerusalem. So often do we hear about Jerusalem. It's in the news almost every day. Some of us remember when Tel Aviv was the capital of Israel. It just wasn't the same. Then, not too many years ago the capital was moved to Jerusalem. It makes more sense when we think of the literal meaning of each of these two words, "Israel" and "Jerusalem". "Israel"means God perserveres; "Jerusalem" means foundation of peace. So in our day, God perserveres at His seat of governance over His land in the place named the
foundation of peace.
Most of us have this driving desire to go to Israel and to Jerusalem in particular. Most of us do not go because no one invited us. This year, someone is inviting you, so it means that God is also putting the "bug" in your ear. Who knows why He is doing this. Is it just for you to satisfy your life-long desire? Is it because you have to get closer to Him to remind Him to take care of your family by keeping them close to Him? Is it because you just have to see for yourself where He walked while He was carrying His cross? Is it because you dream to see what the Temple must have been like? Have you ever yearned to see how it would feel to be in a boat on the Sea of Galilee? In a storm? Or maybe even in placid waters? Maybe you are convinced that if you could bathe your invalid relative, your husband or your child with water from the Jordan river
that a healing would take place? Now these are all valid reasons. Allow me one more.
What about thinking that your presence in a community of peace loving people, praying in the City of Peace in the country whose name reminds us that God perserveres would help towards the search for lasting peace in God's chosen country? It's not that far-fetched an idea. There are those whose hearts yearn for that to happen. There are those who know that it will not happen without the intervention of God Himself.
There are those who plead for our Pilgrim prayers of intercession so that Jerusalem will indeed be the foundation of peace in the Middle East. I know this, because I have heard it, from Jews, Christians and Palestinians alike. God is inviting us. What are we waiting for?
There are some of you in the network of this message who have been turning the thought of joining this pilgrimage over and over in your minds. It is time to tell you that June 23, 2008 is the deadline for submitting your $300.00 seat reservation for the September 3 departure. Don't be left behind.
Here's a way to keep yourself thinking about it. Start getting yourself in shape for the walking part of the pilgrimage. Walk a mile or so every day. Tell yourself that you are doing it to make yourself ready to meet God in His hometown. Believe me, that will work.
Finally, I assure you that if you join us on this pilgrimage, you will not be the least bit tempted to dry at my funeral.
