Book Published - 10/10

Friday night I happened to check my publisher's web site – like I've been doing every day for the past several weeks – to see if my book was available. And there it was . I'm very excited to finally have this book come out. In some ways this book is the product of the last 15 years of research on Hebrews, which started with my doctoral dissertation. It was only Nov. 2007 when I was able to present my thesis about comparison (synkrisis) in Hebrews during the Society of Biblical Literature conference. Several years ago I began studying Hebrews again and preached messages each Sunday at Salem Friends Church in Liberty, Indiana. During the week I spent many hours researching and studying the Greek text of Hebrews and compiling an exegetical outline. Then on Friday and Saturday I would set the scholarly research aside, so to speak, and work through the same text, seeking a way to communicate its message to my congregation. After six months of writing and preaching, I came to the realization that what I had written out in outline format might be of interest to a wider audience. I converted my format to paragraphs and began the process of editing. ESR writing students assisted me, but only with proofing for grammatical and punctuation errors. First Roni Lynn worked with me and then Carrie Drees read through the whole manuscript. Wipf & Stock Publishers accepted my book proposal and I submitted the manuscript. Wipf & Stock did the typesetting and had their artist design the cover (I had no say about the cover). It's especially meaningful for the book to come out while I'm teaching the book of Hebrews here at Bethlehem Bible College. I'll be teaching Hebrews at Earlham School of Religion during the spring semester. I hope people will read the book. I hope church groups will read the book together and use it to encourage them to form strong communities of faith.

The book is available directly from Wipf & Stock . Amazon.com has the information but it might be a week or so before all of the information is included there. It was unfortunate that the book appeared there with two copies, and now it shows as being out of print. Wipf & Stock is a print-on-demand publishing company. More copies are in production now.

Sunday – 10/12

I was determined to find my way to a local church this morning. I had asked about churches and at least knew that south on Hebron Rd. there was a Presbyterian church. Once again, however, I realized that I hadn't asked what time the church service was. I did manage to find a listing on a web page of Arabic Christian churches. I also had seen a sign along the road for Baraka Bible Presbyterian Church. So I set off walking at about 10 am. I couldn't remember if I had seen the sign while walking or when riding in a car. If it had been while walking, then I knew it wasn't too far away. If it was by car, then I had no idea how far away the church was. I walked until I came to the farthest point I had walked before, where I have been getting groceries. I hoped I hadn't missed the sign or I might be walking a long time before I decide to turn around. To my delight the sign for the church was just a little further than the grocery store. I saw a van going down the drive, so it was a good assumption the church was just down the hill.

When I found the entrance to the church, I began meeting people that I knew. The assistant pastor, Danny Awad, greeted me. I saw several students from Bethlehem Bible College (BBC). I met a young man from New York state who is volunteering with a school nearby. The church has Arabic/English song books. I hope to buy a copy soon and learn some of their songs. They provide non-Arabic speaking people with headsets to hear an English translation. Very nice. The music was different than churches sing in the States, but otherwise the worship format is very similar. As a Quaker, I'm not accustomed anymore to participating in communion services. It just so happened this was communion Sunday. Following communion the church recited the Apostle's Creed and sang the doxology. The sermon focused on religious practice within people's homes and the witness they have to others in their neighborhood.

On the walk home I stopped at a restaurant called Fawannees. I had a hummus appetizer (three pita bread, plate of hummus with seasonings and olive oil, and a small relish plate), a mixed grill of tasty meats, and a diet coke. I was trying to get their attention so I could order a coffee and baklava. I think there are two restaurants connected, one a pastry shop and the other a restaurant. I couldn't get anyone to come to the table, so I just got up and paid at the counter. Better for me to stay away from the baklava as much as possible.

After a stop at the grocery store to restock my empty pantry, I made my way back to the apartment. I was checking my email and responding to someone on Facebook, when one of the BBC students began chatting with me in Facebook. We exchanged pleasantries, and then he told me he was from Gaza. He had left there because it was dangerous for Christians. He told me he has friends living in Gaza who want to convert to Christianity but they are afraid of the Islamic militants who would punish them for leaving Islam. We agreed that not all Muslims are bad and not all Christians are good. But it's more than many of us can imagine that our decision of where to worship could get us killed.

Arabic Class – 10/6

I worked all day Monday on Arabic. Our teacher focuses on learning conversation patterns and on verb formation. We use English letters, sometimes called "romanized" text, so that we learn to pronounce words with the right vowels sounds. I find it difficult to be a language class with a group of people. I experience anxiety in those situations in any sort of meeting. Even speaking English in a small group makes my brain not work well. It's doubly difficult to speak in Arabic to the class. Although I study and know the words, I can't get my brain to work fast enough to process the information. I find it funny the way the teacher seems disappointed if I don't do well. But if I do respond correctly, he looks surprised.

I stopped on the way back at a restaurant near Bethlehem University called Bonjour. I had a very good vegetarian pizza. It was close to the kind of pizzas I had while in Italy this summer.

Trip to Herodion (Herodium) – 10/7

This afternoon Rami asked me if I would like to take a quick trip to visit Herodion. It's not very far from Bethlehem. Fortunately for me you drive halfway up the hillside and park. There were hardly any people there. You get to the top by walking through ancient tunnels dug either for the purpose of hiding or for accessing cisterns. It was quite a climb for me walking up stone steps and then the metal stairway. We took a little breather half way, since Rami didn't want to have to carry me back down.

At the top was the palatial fortress of Herod. On one side was a colonnade, a rectangular series of columns, where there would have been a garden in the center and a peristyle around the outside for taking a stroll. What I found interesting is that Roman practice seemed to be to have a water attraction, a fountain, in the center. Here there was a mikveh off to the side. The room that looked like a dining room has now been labeled by the Israelis as a synagogue. There was a bath area for a steam bath, a cold room for cooling off.

The views from the top of Herodion were spectacular. You could look to the west and see Bethlehem and Beit Jalla. Looking to the northwest you see Jerusalem. On the other side of Herodion you can look to the southeast and see one of the many examples of Jewish settlements (illegal Jewish settlements). The most spectacular vista is looking east and seeing the Dead Sea with the mountains of Jordan looming on the horizon.

I kept telling myself, you're really here. It's so real to be walking in the dirt and stones, but in a few months it will only be a memory.

Upcoming Plans

I'm planning to travel to Ramallah on Sunday and worship with Friends at the Friends Meeting House. I've asked numerous times about how to get there. Everyone gives me the same three or four optoins but never something definite. Next week I'm going to attend a conference held at Bethlehem University on The Influence of Media and Education on Christian-Muslim Relations . Then in mid-November I'll be participating in Sabeel's 7th International Conference , this one called "A Time To Remember, A Time For Truth:  The Nakba, Memory, Reality, And Beyond."