In the Bible, we find four gospels (“good news”)… Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  It has been said that the Holy Land, the place where Jesus’ ministry actually happened, is a “fifth gospel.” Taking a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, visiting the Mount of the Beatitudes, and walking in the Garden of Gethsemane and the streets of Jerusalem, brings the Bible alive in a new way. The first time I visited the Holy Land, I could not wait to reread the stories of the Bible and that is the response I get from folks who have traveled with me. My good UM colleague, Rev. Rodney Frieden, and his guests were on the same tour bus with my group of travelers this past February, and Rod and I have decided to host another Holy Land trip together in February of 2020. It will have all of the most popular Biblical sites plus a few new ones, like Jacob’s well and the tomb of Lazarus in Bethany. This will be my seventh trip to the Holy Land (Rod has been multiple times as well) and based on our experience, we are customizing this trip to allow for a less “hurried” experience and more time for reflection and teaching… a true spiritual pilgrimage.

We are finalizing the details and there will be an information meeting when all is confirmed. But if you have considered visiting the Holy Land and would like more information for this 2020 trip, email me at cheryl.garbe@inumc.org and I will keep you in the loop as we plan for this visit to “The Fifth Gospel.”