The Church of Ireland Diocese of Connor

The first day is all about travelling and getting to know one another, particularly as the 20 members of the Diocesan group are joined by 10 members of a group from First Presbyterian Church in Larne and their minister Colin McClure. We are gelling as a group already and looking forward to walking in the steps of Jesus over the next ten days.

Sadly we are one person down, with Diocesan Reader Bob Fryer, who is unwell and unable to come, left at home. I hope you are feeling a bit better today Bob! Bob has been several times to the Holy Land with me and is well known in the Newtownabbey parishes and elsewhere. We shall miss him and I know just how much he will miss this trip.

Settling in to the Golden Walls Hotel in Palestinian East Jerusalem we prepare for the first full day tomorrow [Wednesday], looking out on the walls of the old city with Psalm 122 in our minds. We read it as we approached the City. ‘Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem’. Yes, we shall, and for the many places in this world that we remember prayerfully each day.

Like everyone at home we remember the people affected by the catastrophic typhoon in the Philippines. Day by day as we call to mind the things of 2,000 years ago, we will also relate them to the world today.