Passion Week(s)

I have been sadly remiss in keeping you updated on the many events here in the land over the past week or so.  It's just there have been so many of them, and I've been so busy working on a paper in between times, that I haven't had time to write a complete blog.  I've started at times to write down my thoughts, but never somehow got them into a form I would be comfortable posting.  So, here and now I will try to give you an abridged update of my thoughts and experiences over the last week.

It started with Palm Sunday, a little over a week ago now.  I should specifiy.  It was Palm Sunday for the Western chruch.  Everything is celebrated a week later in the Eastern Orthodox church (at least this year).  

So for Palm Sunday a group of people gathered on the Mount of Olives, at the chruch where supposedly Jesus mounted the donkey or something like that.  They then proceded down the mount, waving palm branches and singing.  

Some JUC students joined them.  I personally watched the procession from the other side of the Kidron Valley and then joined them as they went inside Lion's Gate.  

(Actually, I also got to hang out before hand with some priests-in-training at St. Anne's.  That in itself was pretty interesting.)

One thing that I've thought about some since arriving in Israel is, well, I guess I'd call it the "emotional response" that people have to the land.  Not that emotion is all bad...I just wish sometimes that there would be a little less emotion and a little more truth and wisdom.  Holidays here seem to bring out a lot of emotion in people...which can lead to some very bad situations.  But perhaps I'll say more on that later.

At any rate, the procession was interesting and thought provoking.  

Wednesday, as I've already posted, we went on a hike.  Not really related to the holidays, but fun.  

On Thursday a group of us took the opportunity to go to the Samaritan Passover.  

Getting the lambs ready for slaughter:

This is a unique experience for many reasons.  For on thing, the Samaritans are the only group that still sacrifices lambs for passover as commanded in the Torah.  The Jews have replaced this practice with the seder meal.  I'm sure that the modern Samaritan practice is quite different from what was originated by Moses, but it's the closest thing we have.  

Preists praying and chanting before the sacrifice:

It's also an interesting experience because of the Samaritans themselves.  They consider themselves to be the real decendants of Abraham.  

Preparing the lambs:

While historically we are unsure of their exact origin, it seems likely that they are decended from the remnants of the northern kingdom of Israel, meaning that they have never been exiled from the land.  They follow the 5 books of Moses, and have done so continuously, in the land, for over 2000 years now.  Which is a better run in the land than the Jews have ever had.  Today there are about 750 Samaritains.  

About half of them live on Mt. Gerazim and speak Arabic, and the other half live in a suburb of Tel Aviv and speak Hebrew.  They are a rather unique ethinic group, with unique costoms.  All Biblical connections asside, it was a unique cultural experience.  

Hyssop dipped in blood:

We also got to see the remains of the Samaritan temple:

Friday the most interesting event was the triclinium meal we had in the evening.  

Some of the costumes:

A triclinium was sort of a Roman style dinning room with low tables set up in a U-shape and cushions for the guests to recline upon.  Probably the set up at the last supper would have been similar.   

Our Master Tecton performs some service for us, probably relighting a lamp:

There are some interesting implications to be found here, which I do not have the energy to repeat here.  Perhaps someday. :)  At any rate, we had fun attempting to recline and eat with our hands and not jostle the person next to us too much.  

Sunday was Resurrection Sunday.  By noon I had already been to two different church services at two different churches.  

At 6am I went to the sunrise service at St. Andrew's Scottish Presbyterian Church.  I was a little late.  Oops.  It was hard to get up after4.5 hours of sleep.  I think they were just finishing the first song when I arrived.  

We prayed and then moved from the garden to the front of the church where we watched the sunrise.  

We sang a little more, read some scripture, and the pastor gave a short message.  One of the things he said struck me.  He talked about John 20, when all the disciples had come together for a meeting, and most of them probably didn't even know why they had come.  There were wild rumors - the tomb was empty?  Accusations - did they know enough to go to the right tomb?  Stories of one angel, or was it two?  Mary Magdalen claimed to have seen Jesus himself, but "she was an unsteady soul, known to give in to wild exaggerations."  Then suddenly the tumult was stilled as Jesus himself stood among them.  We like to give ourselves airs today in the 21st century: of course these poor, ignorant Galileans were somehow mistaken in their beliefs.  As if any of the questions we raise today are not the exact questions they were asking that first night.  And their doubts were stilled in the presence of the risen Christ.  If any of those questions had still remained in their minds, how can we think that they would have go on to suffer and die as history tells us they did?  

I was back at school by 7 and then left for a service at Christ's Church at 9:00.  This time I didn't go by myself but tagged along with a friend, which I think was a good choice.  It seems that I usally end up going to church by myself and sitting by myself (though sometimes there are other people there that I know and talk to after the serice.)  I have been to Christ's Church a couple times before, though not this semester (other than Good Friday).  I always enjoyed it fairly well, but I think this time I enjoyed it more, and I think that I can partially attribute that to the company I was with.  I sat between Cameron and Matt, and Shan and Julia were in front of us.  I think perhaps that knowing I had friends around me, friends that I could hear and see as they sing and that could hear and see me, helped me to enter into the spirit of the songs a little more.  It was a good reminder that the Church is a body, and we need each other.  The sermon there was also good, stressing the importance of the ressurection.  

Then on the way home we saw another little parade.  And the Easter Bunny. :)  Oh Jerusalem!

To celebrate Easter on campus we had a BBQ that afternoon, which was a lovely break from paper writing and weird cultural experiences.   

A friend even started to teach me to throw a football.  :)

So basically, it's been a crazy week.  And the Orthodox Easter week is just starting, so there may be more to come.  And finals are looming, so please be patient as I probably post less. :)  

Oh, and while I'm thinking of it...I know there are people who read this...so if you ever feel like leaving a comment and saying hi, I'd love to hear from you. :)