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Shabbat Shalom!

It was hot yesterday. I think I heard that it topped out at around 90 degrees. I know, its a dry heat, but let me tell you, that is still hot.

Had a wonderful visit with the Immanuel Tours family. Dinner was in Tel Aviv in an area called Neve Tzedek at a continental cuisine restaurant named Dallal. I kept kidding everyone, that the name was really Dallas. We learned that the chef had just been featured on Israeli television as one of the areas brightest stars. Neve Tzedek has undergone major redevelopment in the last 15 years and is now known for its artist colonies and fine restaurants. As always with the Meyers, good fellowship and good food.

The festivities continue in Israel all this week. I thought you would find the following article interesting. I know I did.

News from Israel Today
Headline News
Thursday, June 05, 2008 Nicole Jansezian

Christian worship festival continues in Jerusalem

Fulfillment Fest, the first of its kind worship festival here in Israel, has been marking the days leading up to Pentecost on June 9 with nightly worship services at a park on the Mount of Olives.

Organizers said the purpose of the festival in Israel was the same as the first Pentecost—to wait on the Holy Spirit to come. For each of the evenings, no speaking was on the agenda, just worship.

“We’re not pretending we have an answer, that it has to be through the arts even,” one of the organizers told Israel Today. “But rather than making doctrinal statements, we’re just worshipping and inviting the Holy Spirit to come.”

Israeli and Arab worship bands joined the international line-up of worshipers. The worship tent attracted foreigners and locals alike. Shavuot, or Pentecost, is celebrated in Israel beginning Sunday night and carrying on through Monday. The festival organizers hope to see another Holy Spirit outpouring like in the Book of Acts.

Sean Feucht, who has started 24/7 worship sights around the world including in Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist nations, was one of the worship leaders at Fulfillment Fest. He said Israel’s environment is markedly different for worship, and its exactly this kind of atmosphere in which he enjoys worshiping.

“Israel is in the most intense environment in the entire world to worship in,” he said. “Every power and principality is warring for or against the return of Jesus on the earth,” he explained. “But God is so accessible and it doesn’t take much for Him to come. I love these kind of atmospheres—He has to show up, we don’t have any other choice.”

Another good night’s sleep and another good breakfast. The visitors at the B&B include mostly French and Israeli’s—always good people watching. I walked, got my paper and said my usual “boker tov‘s. It is such a good feeling to be part of the community, no matter how long the time I have in Israel.

Since Shabbat is tonight, I went to the “big” grocery store rather than the expensive corner store. I entered, a little more secure in knowing what I wanted, and that it did not require me to know a lot of Hebrew. I can identify lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, etc. Whew! Life is good. The checkout line is a whole other story. I never know if I am in the less-than-ten-items line, the only-paper-goods line, or the please-speak-English line. So, I stand in line and pray that I am okay and that I don’t create a big “American” scene by not knowing what I am doing. I don’t know what it is in Israel about grocery store checkouts, but everyone looks at their items as if they were seeing them for the first time. Each item is discussed and the price is questioned on EVERY item. I always say that in Israel, everything is a discussion. So, here, patience is a real virtue. Just a different experience than in the States. I usually stand in line, check out, say thank you and I am out the door.

The Chicken is cooking, flowers are bought, the apartment is clean, and I am ready for the greeting of Shabbat—a quiet time with our Lord. May your Shabbat be blessed.

This entry was posted by Sandra on Friday, June 6th, 2008 at 3:44 am and is filed under From Israel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.