Where then is my hope? Job 17:15

St. Mark’s held a meeting with their church to share their stories from Israel, Palestine and Jordan. Below are the notes from Josie Jordan's presentation... I experienced hope during our homestay with a Palestinian family in Burqin…

Walls and Walls – A Pilgrim’s Perspective

This blog post comes from traveler Susan Goodwillie Stedman (former St. Mark’s Parishioner who joined us from Maine for the 2015 Pilgrimage in Israel/Palestine/Jordan. Her late husband, Bruce Stedman, had been an assistant to Count Bernadotte,…

Seeds of Hope, as seen in the Arts

St. Mark's held a meeting with their church to share their stories from Israel, Palestine and Jordan. Below are notes from Marjorie Coombs Wellman's presentation... We saw numerous examples of artistic pursuits on the trip, even where it…

Surprises

Today's blog post comes from traveler Stephanie Deutsch and photographs by traveler David Deutsch... A pilgrimage such as ours is full of surprises. I knew we would go to the Temple Mount, the most famous site in Jerusalem but I didn’t…

Day #3…What a Day…What a Trip!

Today's blog post comes from traveler David Willson. Today we learned about the challenges and issues presented by Israeli settlements in Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem. Sania from Silwan We heard from Sania, a resident…

Nooks and Crannies

Today's blog post comes from David Deutsch... Stephanie and I visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre while on the St. Mark’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Needless to say the place was jumping: the overwhelming visual impression of many…

Tourists or Pilgrims? – Reflections based on an anonymous piece I first read years ago.

Today's blog post comes from Karen Getman.   Blessed are those who find their strength in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. (Psalm 84:5) The most exasperating stranger I’ve had to walk with is myself. I go through life…

A Blessing of the Pilgrims

August 23, 2015 - We invited the St. Mark’s community, our families and friends, to travel with us to the Holy Land. Our trip officially begins September 1 in Jerusalem, but we have been preparing for over a year with readings, films and speakers. We…