Community

Yesterday we arrived in Efrat, a smaller community in Israel, much different than the scenery of Jerusalem. Still, entirely beautiful and serene. We have spent the last two days at the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation. Our session topics included who is a prophet, are there really ten commandments, who is the devil, and Ishmael and Isaac. The perspective was from a Judaism paradigm and the style ranged from classroom lecture to full-out discussions, often loud and vigorous. I enjoyed the content and overall enjoyed the discussion. It was reminiscent of a Dippold class, just from a Jewish lens.

We were also able to share Shabbot dinner with our new friend David, who graciously shared the day with us part from his family and taught us about the ancient tradition. We also attended the beginning of a Shabbot synagogue service, where we listened to the congregation sing Psalm 95-100, then a welcome song to the Queen of Shabbot. It was very beautiful. There's something majestic about the antiquity of the beliefs and customs that are passed on through families. The sense of community is different from the atmosphere that I have experienced so far in the Western church. I'm not saying I don't have community at home, there's just simply a different flavor to these experiences.

Tonight after Shabbot ended [left] we walked to the corner store to purchase water before we head to the desert tomorrow. Bad news, the grocery store was closed. Good news, the pizza shop was open and they sell Ben & Jerry's ice cream. I feasted on Dulce de Leche chocolate swirl ice cream with some friends and am now ready for bed after an intense sugar high.

http://www.cjcuc.com/