Meta tags:
description=Canda, Jerusalem, Mucknall;

Headings (most frequently used words):

of, jerusalem, the, blog, holy, smoke, your, charity, seeking, pausing, remembering, and, world, didn, stop, dirty, water, noble, sanctuary, what, do, we, call, jesus, layers, history, post, navigation, search, stats, subscribe, to, via, email, robes, project, winter, night, shelter, follow, me, on, twitter, canda, mucknall,

Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (739), and (297), that (144), was (116), for (76), this (62), but (55), #jerusalem (51), with (50), his (45), you (44), not (37), all (36), are (35), who (35), place (32), have (31), from (31), were (28), one (28), which (27), here (27), river (26), holy (25), our (24), those (23), where (23), church (23), they (22), will (22), into (22), what (22), there (21), jesus (21), been (20), had (20), november (19), has (19), when (19), southwark (19), andrew (19), nunn (19), like (18), now (18), land (18), out (17), some (17), people (17), cathedral (17), can (16), would (16), just (16), about (16), their (16), history (15), know (15), city (15), your (14), through (14), him (14), 2016 (14), peace (14), london (14), incense (14), king (13), then (13), part (13), temple (13), wall (13), god (12), could (12), today (12), back (12), sabbatical (12), name (12), lord (12), life (12), rock (12), other (11), blog (11), see (11), before (11), over (11), both (11), story (11), water (11), walls (11), home (11), world (11), site (10), amen (10), may (10), layers (10), way (10), still (10), came (10), her (10), its (10), more (10), years (10), made (10), few (10), find (10), good (10), work (10), many (10), around (10), built (10), day (10), jordan (10), john (10), abbey (10), new (9), come (9), give (9), love (9), most (9), century (9), them (9), well (9), called (9), very (9), room (9), great (8), robes (8), because (8), house (8), how (8), bring (8), prophet (8), being (8), saw (8), never (8), told (8), last (8), college (8), death (8), went (8), whole (8), course (8), every (8), mount (8), dome (8), poem (8), something (8), mosque (8), pilgrimage (8), she (8), after (8), sepulchre (8), sister (8), project (7), build (7), better (7), time (7), also (7), kings (7), son (7), vineyard (7), said (7), israel (7), end (7), weeks (7), did (7), georges (7), meet (7), didn (7), community (7), faith (7), bethlehem (7), make (7), first (7), morning (7), call (7), sanctuary (7), pray (7), stop (7), let (7), henry (7), sally (7), get (6), wordpress (6), com (6), must (6), old (6), real (6), megiddo (6), days (6), took (6), even (6), think (6), six (6), year (6), birth (6), father (6), hands (6), done (6), only (6), matthew (6), luke (6), much (6), beneath (6), pilgrims (6), between (6), naaman (6), deep (6), own (6), thames (6), subscribe (5), night (5), reality (5), ahab (5), jezebel (5), within (5), down (5), again (5), though (5), ago (5), left (5), take (5), blind (5), fact (5), voice (5), little (5), living (5), ready (5), these (5), west (5), churches (5), christmas (5), keep (5), began (5), begin (5), stood (5), noble (5), heaven (5), aqsa (5), use (5), entered (5), building (5), shall (5), away (5), sunday (5), cross (5), fields (5), westminster (5), william (5), nothing (5), decided (5), rotunda (5), die (5), pause (5), whilst (5), seeking (5), rooms (5), order (5), chamber (5), prayer (5), create (4), follow (4), email (4), address (4), testament (4), rich (4), each (4), naboth (4), another (4), tunnel (4), under (4), times (4), civil (4), amazing (4), long (4), held (4), than (4), mary (4), final (4), sight (4), jacob (4), isaac (4), felt (4), smell (4), dressed (4), says (4), family (4), school (4), beginning (4), question (4), jeel (4), group (4), two (4), visited (4), tells (4), perhaps (4), diocese (4), nobility (4), don (4), berlin (4), david (4), second (4), high (4), sacrifice (4), special (4), gate (4), george (4), mark (4), religious (4), thought (4), rivers (4), east (4), want (4), written (4), heart (4), sky (4), lie (4), wrote (4), stations (4), ever (4), any (4), streets (4), going (4), palestine (4), declaration (4), joined (4), remembrance (4), fantasy (4), mucknell (4), places (4), blake (4), abbot (4), post (3), sign (3), enter (3), via (3), shape (3), inspiration (3), tel (3), grateful (3), witnesses (3), disaster (3), plain (3), elijah (3), battles (3), seen (3), himself (3), wife (3), money (3), outside (3), really (3), destroyed (3), modern (3), contains (3), working (3), paul (3), doing (3), nazareth (3), since (3), spending (3), british (3), off (3), hope (3), boy (3), say (3), arms (3), brother (3), heard (3), jericho (3), able (3), week (3), amal (3), children (3), needs (3), shurooq (3), christians (3), bishop (3), visit (3), support (3), nativity (3), scene (3), does (3), facts (3), form (3), lived (3), christ (3), sure (3), herod (3), couldn (3), concerned (3), best (3), members (3), asked (3), divided (3), until (3), government (3), line (3), man (3), steps (3), south (3), look (3), beyond (3), humanity (3), empty (3), solomon (3), yet (3), golden (3), rest (3), always (3), islamic (3), perfect (3), wonderful (3), domes (3), small (3), friday (3), guests (3), means (3), september (3), waqf (3), occasion (3), rise (3), whatever (3), dirty (3), promised (3), imagination (3), knew (3), became (3), ladybird (3), book (3), dead (3), singing (3), sung (3), looking (3), beauty (3), marks (3), houses (3), open (3), majesty (3), earth (3), crucified (3), resurrection (3), auden (3), passed (3), kept (3), clocks (3), number (3), space (3), period (3), whereas (3), remembering (3), put (3), north (3), seek (3), friends (3), 12th (3), hymn (3), rights (3), non (3), jewish (3), royal (3), during (3), next (3), significant (3), read (3), shed (3), laid (3), flanders (3), poppies (3), loved (3), congregation (3), while (3), hall (3), retreat (3), become (3), tradition (3), hearts (3), road (3), near (3), priory (3), knights (3), established (3), homeless (3), sleepout (3), mixes (3), workshop (3), bar (2), view (2), content (2), log (2), subscribed (2), sabbaticalthoughtsblog (2), already (2), join (2), subscribers (2), twitter (2), free (2), sponsoring (2), sleep (2), raise (2), winter (2), shelter (2), posts (2), search (2), help (2), learn (2), past (2), stand (2), used (2), tell (2), victory (2), power (2), weakness (2), stones (2), standing (2), strategic (2), confronted (2), humbled (2), hears (2), saying (2), why (2), depressed (2), eat (2), jezreelite (2), travelled (2), along (2), features (2), constructed (2), metres (2), itself (2), piece (2), engineering (2), walk (2), tree (2), age (2), israelites (2), finally (2), 4th (2), spectacular (2), abomination (2), archaeological (2), 100 (2), slice (2), towards (2), episodes (2), bake (2), happened (2), tent (2), full (2), separate (2), quite (2), things (2), cake (2), national (2), whether (2), set (2), oppressed (2), freedom (2), surname (2), nor (2), light (2), truth (2), powerful (2), justice (2), injustice (2), lives (2), tried (2), esau (2), field (2), scriptures (2), stage (2), younger (2), eager (2), patriarch (2), response (2), care (2), found (2), cope (2), ask (2), believe (2), schools (2), christian (2), serve (2), severe (2), physical (2), instead (2), bank (2), bethany (2), village (2), lessons (2), deal (2), everything (2), together (2), shepherds (2), message (2), point (2), joseph (2), leave (2), residence (2), according (2), far (2), anna (2), interesting (2), actually (2), war (2), result (2), barrier (2), celebrate (2), later (2), disciples (2), across (2), security (2), jews (2), muslims (2), cave (2), sense (2), true (2), led (2), returning (2), exile (2), babylon (2), wouldn (2), priest (2), once (2), walked (2), chronicles (2), moriah (2), threshing (2), floor (2), ornan (2), jebusite (2), abraham (2), summit (2), hill (2), lost (2), level (2), same (2), should (2), architecture (2), reminds (2), large (2), women (2), modestly (2), tourist (2), intifada (2), known (2), allowed (2), privilege (2), trust (2), third (2), extension (2), remember (2), damp (2), helped (2), saviour (2), baptism (2), thank (2), flows (2), sometimes (2), imagine (2), run (2), looked (2), waters (2), promises (2), hand (2), maid (2), master (2), aram (2), favour (2), begins (2), flow (2), feed (2), honest (2), ancient (2), bit (2), campground (2), version (2), famous (2), mention (2), mind (2), political (2), boundary (2), judean (2), wilderness (2), valley (2), important (2), iconic (2), sweet (2), song (2), crosses (2), sink (2), eliot (2), dear (2), seem (2), sun (2), beautifully (2), unto (2), towers (2), doth (2), wear (2), pass (2), show (2), bridge (2), deanery (2), wordsworth (2), composed (2), books (2), risen (2), restored (2), adam (2), experience (2), coming (2), briefing (2), festival (2), multitude (2), nation (2), white (2), tomb (2), role (2), jumble (2), afternoon (2), focus (2), leads (2), december (2), evening (2), talk (2), round (2), public (2), silence (2), four (2), thanks (2), sake (2), taking (2), looks (2), glory (2), social (2), service (2), graves (2), prejudice (2), existing (2), communities (2), anglican (2), signed (2), complex (2), country (2), gravestones (2), balfour (2), seems (2), row (2), sunshine (2), member (2), need (2), procession (2), albert (2), parry (2), filled (2), thinking (2), ways (2), dream (2), remain (2), opportunity (2), lovely (2), temperature (2), degrees (2), dark (2), evidence (2), trees (2), dying (2), legacy (2), ministry (2), heads (2), pilgrim (2), wherever (2), takes (2), verse (2), hercules (2), clerkenwell (2), side (2), gateway (2), offices (2), ambulance (2), particular (2), crusaders (2), founded (2), chancel (2), monks (2), journey (2), prophesied (2), relates (2), shakespeare (2), crown (2), lay (2), dean (2), english (2), bible (2), litlyngton (2), kindly (2), huge (2), charter (2), reasons (2), charity (2), right (2), bed (2), comforts (2), clicking (2), sisters (2), brothers (2), advent (2), making (2), worship (2), responsibilities (2), bagged (2), boxed (2), ingredients (2), trays (2), oils (2), frankincense (2), bark (2), granular (2), camino (2), mass (2), canda (2), mucknall (2), started, design, comment, logged, loading, comments, collapse, manage, subscriptions, reader, report, privacy, account, instagram, linkedin, facebook, website, tweets, please, consider, annual, 25th, funds, awareness, receive, notifications, 377, hits, stats, older, navigation, future, present, grace, eternity, readings, alive, realise, strange, discredited, technique, opened, defeat, duplicity, honesty, courage, cowardice, baddie, hit, base, sophistication, wealth, kingdom, literally, touch, mountains, above, prophets, baal, fought, supremacy, comes, straight, confronts, cursing, queen, repenting, chapter, ends, spoke, else, prefer, answered, govern, food, cheerful, constantly, tishbite, tishbe, roads, area, married, scheming, desired, finds, husband, sulking, won, entering, stories, pantomime, baddies, rule, memorable, spring, citizens, access, siege, shaft, leading, length, sophisticated, timers, rebuilt, rebuilding, destruction, slicing, cutting, counting, rings, frontier, principal, trade, routes, whoever, egyptians, canaanites, assyrians, persians, uninhabited, inhabited, lasting, 3000, sights, archaeologists, section, mound, remains, attacking, mille, feuille, revealing, immediately, judging, sadness, missing, catching, explaining, anyone, exciting, watching, baking, three, cakes, having, judged, difficult, million, tuned, watched, candice, win, seeing, layering, achieve, judges, hollywood, treasure, berry, discover, equal, depth, balance, recovery, prisoners, proclaim, news, poor, bless, precise, details, darkness, stalks, lies, stunts, riches, poverty, extremely, moving, genesis, blessed, learning, difficulties, hugged, smelt, recognise, stroked, poignant, resonant, deceive, gain, elder, blessing, goat, skin, clothes, approached, deaf, refugee, camp, outskirts, wandering, filthy, shoes, communicate, gaining, confidence, goes, weekends, fieldworker, supporting, returns, smart, washed, action, foundations, regardless, ethnicity, gender, orphans, endured, terrible, domestic, problems, multiple, mental, tremendous, canon, wendy, robins, press, officer, projects, might, beit, jala, edge, watch, perform, plays, nine, carols, cathedrals, parish, complications, ignoring, squashing, trip, crib, paths, crossed, deeper, simply, involve, completed, cast, facetious, disputed, depend, based, annunciation, persecution, slaughter, mirrors, actions, pharaoh, wanting, kill, hebrew, boys, welcome, uum, barjospeh, barabbas, confusions, former, blank, mother, questions, parents, requires, addresses, magi, strangers, deliberately, forwarding, trace, mentions, definitely, fixed, abode, angels, unreliable, filling, simeon, postcode, town, easy, complete, thing, preparation, visiting, introductory, lecture, narratives, reconcile, matthean, lucan, accounts, fill, certificate, mccabe, divide, include, challenge, desires, tore, construction, begun, august, 1961, 1989, thawing, cold, breaching, belfast, 1969, names, deny, separation, freeing, elected, usa, promising, mexican, border, ironic, word, cannot, fall, ophel, silwan, israeli, erected, palestinians, creates, defines, affront, tangible, majestic, romans, remained, dump, 621, muhammed, gabriel, journeyed, instructed, instruct, followers, slaves, returned, holies, appeared, designated, willing, ishmael, quran, araunah, purchased, ark, covenant, rested, platform, spectacularly, 1st, monumental, carpets, gilding, fine, windows, mosaics, construct, religion, symmetry, colours, harmonious, style, calming, opening, philip, larkin, guide, realised, prayers, men, honoured, lion, stephen, behaviour, befits, calling, proper, haram, sharif, 2000, partially, provoked, ariel, sharon, haven, except, invitation, rare, interior, earlier, caterham, team, occasions, route, morocco, excellent, relationship, sites, besides, dad, bricklaying, expanding, big, enough, provide, digging, footings, laying, cavity, gave, utility, office, extra, loo, creation, faithful, baptized, fellowship, household, almighty, often, disappointing, beloved, pleased, disappointed, renew, baptismal, meant, persuaded, healed, renewed, spiritually, physically, refreshed, angry, surely, wave, spot, cure, leprosy, abana, pharpar, damascus, wash, clean, servant, girl, israelite, captured, raid, mistress, elisha, heal, gets, permission, healing, asks, bathe, seven, furious, commander, army, given, child, prizes, setting, extraction, policies, removed, naturally, shrinking, sea, impressive, arrive, disappointment, narrower, shallower, slower, dirtier, talking, gospel, feast, works, overtime, represents, african, american, spiritual, mentioned, print, 1876, movie, showboat, robeson, archetypal, expression, connected, exodus, brings, hymns, characters, figures, events, forms, biblical, fording, exiles, baptist, headed, stretch, barren, rocky, descent, inspired, poets, painters, nile, agatha, christi, murder, romance, lined, tiber, rubicon, ganges, mississippi, crisscrossed, carriers, softly, till, brown, unheard, nymphs, departed, clutch, wet, wind, broken, fingers, leaf, differently, wasteland, 120, mighty, lying, asleep, glideth, calm, splendour, steep, bright, glittering, smokeless, air, ships, theatres, temples, silent, bare, garment, touching, dull, soul, anything, fair, nicholls, bedroom, curtains, sonnet, upon, 1802, beautiful, evocation, concluded, roof, defeated, restarted, seemed, remembered, prayed, sang, buzzing, activity, soldiers, got, crucifixion, others, northerner, claiming, messiah, dogs, barked, crowding, revelation, count, tribes, peoples, languages, throne, lamb, robed, palm, branches, elements, enshrines, golgotha, byzantine, emphasised, dual, basilica, separated, encounter, crusader, revelations, plan, title, anastasis, divinity, reasoning, eastern, celebrates, january, epiphany, manifestation, divine, nature, bell, tower, fell, clergy, zimbabwe, rochester, glorious, centring, passion, visits, weren, pour, ocean, sweep, wood, pack, moon, dismantle, stars, wanted, wrong, noon, midnight, traffic, policemen, black, cotton, gloves, crepe, bows, necks, doves, scribbling, aeroplanes, circle, moaning, overhead, coffin, mourners, pianos, muffled, drum, prevent, dog, barking, juicy, bone, cut, telephone, following, success, film, weddings, funeral, popular, pauline, hazel, friendship, psalm, 122, relatives, prosper, bernard, cluny, scathing, critique, crusades, contempt, bliss, compare, radiancy, joys, contemplation, milk, honey, blest, inscription, bottom, summed, memories, flooded, words, rifleman, middleditch, wandered, amongst, handover, ottomans, marshall, viscount, allenby, study, documents, desk, archbishop, suheil, dawani, uses, alongside, hung, mandate, transept, embroiled, play, international, establishment, endeavours, facilitate, achievement, object, clearly, understood, status, enjoyed, anniversaries, major, dates, text, iterations, evocative, mccrae, 1915, services, yesterday, tomorrow, foreign, blood, ongoing, conflicts, engage, without, seeming, britain, such, wreaths, grow, break, torch, yours, hold, failing, throw, quarrel, foe, dawn, sunset, glow, short, scarce, amid, guns, below, larks, bravely, fly, blow, heat, commonwealth, cemetery, scopus, clear, blue, grass, mown, serried, ranks, fallen, whom, commemorated, proudly, canadian, armed, forces, hear, beats, breaths, speak, deserted, yourselves, marching, ended, choir, carlisle, audience, lustily, rousing, tune, sir, hubert, minds, arena, longs, worcestershire, experienced, feels, intense, problem, themselves, idealise, theologise, minute, 00am, cenotaph, whitehall, television, hadn, underway, usual, falling, arriving, shock, summer, arrived, recent, rain, approaching, driving, lit, lights, shops, fake, snow, pausing, turned, live, generations, naming, moments, continuing, challenging, raising, strand, native, yearn, sigh, meanwhile, raised, peter, abelard, entitled, quanta, qualia, sunt, illa, sabbata, manson, neale, translated, 1854, joy, provided, script, return, waterloo, borough, lambeth, block, corporation, flats, plaque, commemorating, 1790, afterwards, hospitaller, cared, hospital, archway, headquarters, door, inheritor, instantly, recognisable, wore, effigies, stands, inns, court, reminiscent, consecrated, 1185, designed, recall, holiest, circular, added, reminder, embraced, traditions, lent, enabled, dolorosa, similar, templar, crusading, protect, recreate, destination, prophecy, fulfilled, harry, bear, vainly, supposed, hath, laud, tis, warwick, lodging, swoon, belong, front, fireplace, event, occurred, 1413, planning, praying, edward, shrine, taken, ill, apparently, stroke, brought, fire, recovered, consciousness, chronicle, realized, prince, trying, lancelot, andrewes, gathered, committee, tasked, translating, five, pentateuch, process, publication, kames, editors, met, 20th, latter, 14th, nicholas, covered, 16th, tapestries, including, depicting, proportioned, ceiling, bearing, monograms, mitre, richard, whose, reign, series, samaria, convents, saints, named, entrance, sadly, understandably, isn, everyone, travel, certainly, desire, memory, mini, associations, warmth, nowhere, head, loving, change, amount, woe, face, wander, thro, street, monday, various, blogs, reading, share, selfish, writing, thoughts, virtual, paper, click, button, screen, someone, likes, creature, sleeping, churchyard, comfortable, spend, monitor, weather, forecasts, nervously, approaches, enjoy, choices, numbers, wealthiest, cities, almost, 000, simple, effective, delighted, partner, venue, appear, horizon, falls, gone, missed, appearance, approach, miss, happens, justgiving, lifted, praise, buy, enhance, rises, 141, lifting, personal, visceral, psalms, helps, understand, coals, spoon, carefully, prayerfully, joyful, fascinating, finished, products, tubs, sent, islands, america, australia, obviously, commented, hoped, move, weighing, mixing, prays, congregations, shown, secret, recipes, nashdom, stopped, producing, mixed, correct, quantities, using, fashioned, scales, digital, devices, dry, drying, depending, mixture, muesli, solid, dries, granules, weighed, shipped, cupboard, introduced, raw, ingredient, olibanum, sources, theirs, ethiopia, collected, incising, described, weeps, tears, dried, becomes, created, addition, powdery, myrrh, cinnamon, principally, aromatic, produces, different, ranging, pure, elaborate, reason, posting, box, presented, conclusion, thousand, blessings, honour, invocation

Text of the page (random words):
tament figures and events it s a river that forms a modern political boundary between jordan and israel a river that was a boundary in biblical israel a fording place for returning exiles the place of baptism the place of john the baptist and jesus the religious imagination works overtime as we imagine the jordan and all it represents in the story of our faith the african american spiritual deep river first mentioned in print in 1876 sung in the movie version of showboat made famous by paul robeson is the archetypal expression of faith and hope connected to this river sung by people looking for their own exodus deep river my home is over jordan deep river lord i want to cross over into campground oh don t you want to go to that gospel feast that promised land where all is peace oh don t you want to go to that promised land that land where all is peace deep river my home is over jordan deep river lord i want to cross over into campground so when you arrive at the jordan river east of the ancient city of jericho it can be a bit of a disappointment the river is narrower than in the imagination shallower slower and dirtier this can t be the river that we have been talking and singing about but it is the water extraction policies of both israel and jordan have removed a great deal of water which would naturally flow down the river and feed the now shrinking dead sea beyond but to be honest it has never been an impressive river you may have had this one when i was a child i had a ladybird book called naaman and the little maid it told the story of naaman it was one of my sunday school prizes the story is told in 2 kings 5 it begins by setting the scene naaman commander of the army of the king of aram was a great man and in high favour with his master because by him the lord had given victory to aram 2 kings 5 1 his wife s servant girl the little maid of the ladybird book was an israelite who had been captured in a raid she told her mistress that there was a prophet elisha in israel who could heal her master so naaman gets permission to go and find the prophet and ask for healing the prophet asks him to bathe seven times in the jordan when naaman hears this he s furious naaman became angry and went away saying i thought that for me he would surely come out and stand and call on the name of the lord his god and would wave his hand over the spot and cure the leprosy are not abana and pharpar the rivers of damascus better than all the waters of israel could i not wash in them and be clean 2 kings 5 11 12 as we looked into the waters of the river today where we had come to renew our baptismal promises you knew what he meant but in the end he was persuaded to do as the prophet said and was healed we renewed our promises and some entered the water and were spiritually and physically refreshed the jordan today not everything is as we sometimes imagine it to be and we can be disappointed when our religious imagination has run away with itself but into this water jesus entered and a voice came from heaven you are my son the beloved with you i am well pleased mark 1 11 god can work through the dirty water of life even through the dirty and often disappointing water of my life and bring me bring you to the promised land and that perfect river that flows through the city almighty god we thank you for our fellowship in the household of faith with all who have been baptized in your name keep us faithful to our baptism and so make us ready for that day when the whole creation shall be made perfect in your son our saviour jesus christ amen the noble sanctuary november 9 2016 november 9 2016 andrew nunn al aqsa berlin wall diocese of southwark dome of the rock holy land sabbatical southwark cathedral st georges college temple mount walls waqf my dad was very good at bricklaying and when we were younger and the family was expanding he would build an extension here and there to the house to make sure that it was big enough to provide a good home for us i remember him digging the footings and laying the damp course before the cavity wall began to rise and gave shape to whatever it was he was building an extension to the living room a utility room an office an extra loo the walls he built helped to create a home today was a very special day earlier in these six weeks i visited the temple mount and i again visited it with the caterham team pilgrimage on both occasions we entered by the tourist route and through the morocco gate on each occasion it was wonderful and a privilege to be up there but as a result of the excellent relationship and the trust that has been built up between st george s college and the waqf the islamic trust with the care of the holy sites and more besides today we were to be allowed into the al aqsa mosque the third most holy site for muslims and the dome of the rock the interior of the dome of the al aqsa mosque before the second intifada known as the al aqsa intifada which began in september 2000 partially provoked by the visit of ariel sharon to the temple mount pilgrims were allowed to go into both the mosque and the dome since then we haven t been able to except by invitation of the waqf and that is a rare privilege so we entered not by the tourist gate but by the gate for honoured guests which is by the lion st stephen s gate the women in our group were modestly dressed and we were all on our very best behaviour as befits guests instead of calling it the temple mount we called it by its proper name haram al sharif which means the noble sanctuary we were modestly dressed this is a perfect name for this most wonderful place we were led by an islamic guide who told us something that i had never realised that the whole site is the mosque not just what we call the mosque the whole site is holy the dome of the rock is but one of the domes in the mosque and in fact every where you look there are domes large and small and for friday prayers and other holy days the men pray in the mosque and around it the women pray in the dome and around it but that they are all in the mosque the whole place has a nobility that i always find in islamic architecture the symmetry the colours the harmonious style is calming there is water and it reminds me of the opening of the poem by philip larkin water if i were called in to construct a religion i should make use of water in the al aqsa there are rich carpets and gilding fine windows and mosaics it is the same in the dome of the rock yet what is so special for us is the rock beneath the golden dome we went beneath it into the cave this rock is the summit of mount moriah the rest of the hill lost in the level platform that was constructed around it by solomon and then most spectacularly in the 1st century bc by herod it is a monumental piece of civil engineering but the summit of the mount is there plain rock for all to see beneath the rock here abraham was willing to sacrifice his son isaac or ishmael according to the quran here was the threshing floor of araunah ornan the jebusite purchased by david here the ark of the covenant rested here solomon built the temple as we are told in 2 chronicles solomon began to build the house of the lord in jerusalem on mount moriah where the lord had appeared to his father david at the place that david had designated on the threshing floor of ornan the jebusite 2 chronicles 3 1 from here the israelites left as slaves to here they returned from exile in babylon here herod built the second temple and to here jesus came he wouldn t have seen the rock as we did that was in the holy of holies so we believe and only the high priest could enter that and only once a year but into this noble sanctuary jesus walked the whole temple site was destroyed in 70 ad by the romans and the place remained empty a dump but from this rock in around the year 621 the prophet muhammed led by gabriel journeyed by night into heaven and was instructed by god returning to then instruct his followers a majestic sight this rock has a nobility for us all jews and christians and muslims and as we stood in the cave beneath it the sense of this being a true holy place was tangible later in the day we stood on the steps beneath the south wall of the temple up these steps from the ophel the pilgrims would come and jesus and his disciples came to enter the sanctuary of god but if you look from the steps across the city of david to the village of silwan and beyond you see the israeli security barrier the wall that has been erected to keep the palestinians out of israel not every wall creates a home not every wall defines a noble sanctuary some walls that we build are an affront to humanity the fall of the berlin wall 27 years ago today 9 november the wall that had divided berlin began to come down construction of the wall had begun on 13 august 1961 and it took until 1989 for the thawing of the cold war to result in the breaching of the wall and a new age of freedom to begin but in belfast the british government built a wall a peace line in 1969 it is still there it is amazing the names we give to walls to deny they are walls the peace line the separation barrier and on the day when we celebrate the freeing of the people of berlin a man is elected in the usa promising to build a wall along the mexican border ironic is not the word it has no nobility and cannot create sanctuary jesus you tore down the walls that divided people challenge our desires to build walls that divide and don t include that keep people out not bring them in that have no nobility and create no sanctuary or home amen what do we call jesus november 8 2016 andrew nunn al shurooq andrew nunn bethany bethlehem christmas diocese of southwark holy land jeel al amal mccabe nativity sabbatical southwark cathedral we were set an interesting question first thing this morning when in preparation for the group visiting bethlehem we had an introductory lecture on the birth narratives that we find in matthew and luke and what the members of the course would find in the city of his birth the question was not so much how do you reconcile the matthean and the lucan accounts of the nativity but how much we actually know about jesus if you were asked to fill in a birth or death certificate for jesus how much do you do we actually know not easy to complete it was a good question first name jesus surname well it s not christ uum not sure barjospeh well no that would never do barabbas well we saw the confusions around that name in a former blog leave it blank mother mary father back to the questions again place of residence of the parents well matthew says bethlehem luke says nazareth place of birth we re back on course bethlehem we all know that this form requires two witnesses with home addresses well some magi came according to matthew but they were strangers and deliberately left no forwarding address so herod couldn t trace them luke mentions shepherds but they re definitely of no fixed abode angels are unreliable witnesses as far as form filling is concerned perhaps old simeon and anna will do and the address for anna the temple jerusalem could not be better the best postcode in town i m being facetious but only to make the point we know few facts about jesus and the facts we do know are disputed and depend on faith do i go with matthew who tells us that the holy family lived in bethlehem or with luke s nazareth based story do i go with an annunciation to joseph in matthew or to mary in luke do i go with a story of persecution and slaughter that mirrors the actions of pharaoh wanting to kill all the hebrew boys as matthew tells it or one of welcome in the temple as luke tells it the whole cast on stage of course in just a few weeks time as we watch children perform nativity plays in our schools and churches as we go to nine lessons and carols in our cathedrals and parish churches we know that we deal with the complications by ignoring them and just squashing everything together the shepherds will trip over the kings in the crib scene even though their paths never crossed we cope with it because we know that the story has a deeper message that does not simply involve the facts with which a form could be completed in fact i didn t go with the group to bethlehem and nor did canon wendy robins the bishop s press officer for southwark instead we went into the west bank to visit two projects to find out more and see how we might support them one jeel al amal in bethany i had visited many times before the other al shurooq school for the blind in beit jala a village on the edge of bethlehem was new to me in both of these we saw jesus at work in action through those who believe in his name both schools have christian foundations but serve the whole community regardless of faith ethnicity or gender both serve children who have severe needs at jeel children who are orphans or have endured terrible domestic problems at al shurooq those with no or little sight and some with multiple physical and mental needs in both tremendous work is being done by christians for the whole community the question they ask at jeel al amal we heard of a little boy deaf blind who was living in a refugee camp on the outskirts of jericho his family didn t know how to care for him so they didn t he was found wandering filthy no shoes and the school was able to take him in he is now beginning to communicate and gaining confidence he goes back to his family at weekends who are better able to cope with him as a fieldworker is supporting them he returns to school smart and washed and ready for the week it says it all a little boy came to meet me blind and with some learning difficulties he hugged me and smelt me so that he could recognise me again stroked my arms as isaac did with jacob and his brother esau it was so poignant and resonant with the scriptures by this stage isaac was blind and when the younger son jacob eager to deceive his father and gain his elder brother s blessing dressed his arms in goat skin and himself in his brother s clothes and approached his father we re told that the patriarch s response was this so jacob went up to his father isaac who felt him and said the voice is jacob s voice but the hands are the hands of esau ah the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the lord has blessed genesis 27 22 27 the boy tried to say my name it was extremely moving the fact i know about jesus is not what his surname was nor the precise details of his birth but that those who follow him do the work that he did and bring his light into darkness his life to where death stalks his truth where lies are powerful his justice where injustice stunts lives his riches where there is poverty i know jesus when i see him and i saw him today jesus my lord bless those who in your name proclaim good news to the poor freedom for the prisoners recovery of sight for the blind and set the oppressed free amen layers of history november 7 2016 andrew nunn ahab andrew nunn...