The Holy Lands

I've just returned from an amazing week in the Holy Lands. The Bishop of Edmonton took about 20 recently ordained clergy (4th years snuck in by a whisker) for a week's pilgrimmage visiting sites around Israel. I feel I've learnt huge amounts and am quite embarrassed about my ignorance of the geography and the political situation before I left. While I'm not now claiming to be an expert, having met a number of Palestinian Christians some in the occupied territories, I feel that I have a more balanced perspective than before I left.

We visited some beautiful places and highlights included an open air communion on the shores of the sea of Galilee, a football game in an orphanage in Bethany and a visit to a recreated 1st century Nazareth village in Nazareth. The weather was great so much so that a couple of us even had a very quick dip in the sea of Galilee.

A couple of photos here and more at the side.