Tuesday, August 26, 2014

PROUD

PROUD - As I watched all of the people serve in church this past Sunday and minister to all of the new families and those in the congregation who are dealing with "stuff."

PROUD - As I watched the people of Grace work so hard at setting up the carnival afterwards, serving, and connecting with all of the many visitors that attended.

PROUD - As I watched so countless people stay after and clean up... the aftermath and then reset the church for the visitation that night and the funeral on Monday.

PROUD - As I watched so many people serve before, during, and after the funeral .... caring for the Suntken family, serving, cleaning up, and loving on the guests.

PROUD - As I watched Jeff Burpee give a wonderful, heart-felt, compassionate eulogy for Gary Suntken.

PROUD - As I watched numerous people pour out their prayers and compassion for the Rosin family during this time of unspeakable loss.

PROUD - As I watched our staff serve tirelessly over the past couple of weeks, sacrificing their time for their people and their Lord.

PROUD - As I watch the church be the church and become the church of Jesus. Great attitudes, great spirit, great commitment, great people.

PROUD - To serve as the pastor of a such a wonderful group of people ...
 
Philippians 1:3 - 7 
 
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.
 

Monday, August 11, 2014

Good Night ... Robin Williams!



Very very sad.  Today it was announced that Robin Williams, noted actor and comedian, was dead.  Some reports say due to Mr. Williams taking his own life. 


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Like many of you, I have enjoyed some of the work that Robin did over the years, especially Patch Adams, Good Morning Vietnam, and Mrs. Doubtfire.  But deep below the funny man exterior, their apparently lay a deep depression and dissatisfaction with life and all of his achievements.  As Jesus said, "What will it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul."





Just Sunday afternoon I shared the privilege of baptizing 7 people who made a decision for eternal life with God by entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  While not perfect, each of the 7 is forgiven based upon the truth of God's Word.  That relationship with Jesus brings eternal salvation at the end of this life but promises an "abundant life" now with Jesus. 





A right relationship with Christ brings the Holy Spirit into our lives which empowers us to live beyond our selves and beyond our circumstances.





I know that in the past I have personally prayed for Robin Williams, wanting him to come to faith in Christ.  We are all sinners dealing with multiple layers of sin and brokenness ... and its to God's glory when we respond to His call of salvation.  Sadly, many people reject that call and decide to live and die in their sin and selfishness.  And as a result, they will face the eternal consequences for their decision to reject the Lord or their indecision to make a decision for Him.





I'm unsure of where Robin is at this moment in eternity ... my prayer is that somewhere in his life he truly made a decision for Christ.  If not, it's too late now for him to do that.





Have you?  Have you repented or turned from you life of independence from God and asked forgiveness for your sins?  If not, there is still time ... no matter how bad your present life circumstances may seem.





If you have ... then ask God to empower you to live beyond your life circumstances.  Ask God to empower you to represent Him well to those around you.





Robin ... many of us will miss your wit.  You are now standing before God Almighty.





 

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

YOU WILL LEAVE THE BUILDING!

Elvis has left the building"ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!" is a colloquial saying that means The Show Is Over - Go Home.

This was announced at the end of Elvis Presley's concerts to encourage fans to accept that there would be no further encores and to go home. It is now used more widely to indicate that someone has made an exit or that something is complete.

This morning I read a touching article about a couple, Don and Maxine Simpson, who had been married 62 years and died within 4 hours of each other.  In their failing health, they had been placed side by side in a hospital to spend their final days with each other.  Maxine was the first to pass away and their granddaughter described their closing moments this way, "When her body left the room, his soul left with her."  A web link to the article is at the end of the blog.**

When Elvis passed away on August 16, 1977 both his body and soul left the building.  His body is now buried at his estate in Graceland, Tennessee and his soul has taken up residence --- somewhere.  The same is true of Don and Maxine Simpson --- their bodies either buried or cremated and their souls --- somewhere.

The Bible teaches that all of mankind will die as a result of the effects of sin and that our soul / spirit will take up residence --- somewhere.  In effect, we too will "leave the building."

It makes sense to prepare for that departure.  And if we have a friend, family member, neighbor, co-worker, classmate that we care about --- we as Christians should lovingly and truthfully help them to prepare for theirs.


On our church website there several tools which will help you and those who you care about to prepare for this "departure."  I urge you to take the time to look at these and to share them with others. 

For each of us, there will come a time when it is said of us, "_(your name)_ has left the building!"

  • Church web link:

  • Article about the Simpsons:




































Tuesday, July 15, 2014

What would you do with just 15 seconds?

During the past couple of weeks there has again been escalation between the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas and the nation of Israel.  On July 9th there was a new report on Foxnews that started with the title: What would you do with just 15 seconds?  The following quote from that article frames up that question (web link for the article is at the end of the blog):
 
"Imagine that wherever you live in the United States you have only 15 seconds to reach a secure place to avoid a rocket or missile. Seriously, count down from 15 to 1, and think about what you would do. For more than 3.5 million Israelis, Jews and Arabs, their mental stopwatch is ticking as Hamas extends the reach of its barrage from Israeli communities near the Gaza border to Hadera, 26 miles north of Tel Aviv."
 
In the Bible, 1 Samuel 20:3, we read of a conversation between David and the son of King Saul, Jonathan.  Saul has gone ballistic toward David, motivated by jealousy, pride, and anger the King is seeking to kill the young man.  David makes an observation that is sometimes lost as we read the stories about his life ...
 
"But David took an oath and said, "Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he said to himself, 'Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.'  Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death."
 
15 seconds.  One single step.  The brevity of life.
 
In the past several weeks I've officiated at two funerals of long time friends at Grace Church.  Death is a reality for all of humanity, unless Jesus comes back before that moment.  And death comes much quicker and more sudden than most of us want it to or expect it to. 
 
I know that this subject isn't on every one's top ten list for topics of conversation.  But it is reality and a reality that we must face - someday.  A few simple questions for you today ...
 
"What preparations have you made for that moment?"
 
1. Have you given ownership of your life to God and asked His forgiveness for your sin?  That means we must repent and believe (in the sense of commitment) in His Son Jesus.
 
2. Have you prepared a will or trust to deal with your estate and belongings?
 
3. Have you filled out a "Going Home Paper" at the church and have it on file in the office?

4. Have you provided for the future of God's ministry and your family by investing in a life insurance product?
 
5. Are you living a life that will be fondly remembered by others after you are gone?
  
15 seconds is not a long period of time, but each of us will have that amount of time tick down on the clock of life --- for one reason or another.  Now, I'm not totally ready to hear the words ... TIME IS UP (I have some things on my Bucket List that I would like to take care of).  But I am prepared in most of these areas ... are you?
 





 
 
 
 



Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Last words ...

This morning I watched a touching video that made me think about life and those that I really care about.  If I knew I was going to die soon, lose my memory and recollection of those people that mean so much to me, move to a far away place and not be able to speak with my friends and family again ... what would I say to them NOW?
 
When the Lord prepared for the end of His life, He intentionally shared His heart and mind with His family and followers ... He was purposeful and passionate in what He said and in what He did.
 
Last words.  In forty years of ministry I've watched people say their last words ... some of those have been funny, some sad, some mean, some incoherent, and some eloquent. 
 
Inscription on a tombstone: "I TOLD YOU I WAS SICK"

 
"I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather. Not screaming in terror like his passengers."  Jim Harkins

 
"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist... "  General Sedgewick, killed at the Spotsylvania battle 1864, imprudently looking over the parapet at the enemy lines.

 
"Here lies an atheist, all dressed up and nowhere to go."  Inscription on a tombstone.

 
"It is finished."  Jesus Christ
 
 
But we will all say our last words ... and a lot of the time, we won't even realize that they are our last words.
 
What would you want others to hear?  To remember about you - about life?  Would you want to touch their soul?  Would you want to inspire them, instruct them, or incense them?
 
Take a couple of minutes and watch this video and think about your last words.  It's far better to say those things now than leave them unsaid. 
 
I would love to chat with you and hear your thoughts about this topic ... you don't have to share those precious words with me ... but I would like to hear what your reaction is to this video.
 
Last words ... you will say them some day.




Video:




 
 

Friday, June 27, 2014

Chicago 2014


At the end of His life and ministry Jesus gathered His followers on a mountain side in Galilee and gave them a summation of His life and a challenge for their lives.  His words there are often referred to as The Great Commission; and He said in Matthew 28:16 - 20:
 
 
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
 
 
The essence of all that He taught, did, and modeled is contained in these words.  It's not a "Great Suggestion" but in the original language it is an imperative command.  True maturing followers of the Lord prioritize their lives around bringing others into a saving and maturing relationship with Jesus.
 
 
This week in Chicago our church send 12 students (hmmm ... sort of like the number of key followers that Jesus had) and 5 other adults to an event called MUVE.  While here they learned how to share their faith, how to defend their faith, had numerous opportunities to talk to a variety of people on the streets of Chicago, and were challenged to go home and make a difference in their church, community, and our culture.
 
Stats for the week (through Thursday): 
  • 1,024 spiritual conversations took place
  • 335 people prayed with
  • 274 gospel cards / tracts distributed
  • 22 people made a decision to accept Christ
  • 2000+ gospel letters were sent out in which students and adults shared their faith with people back home and/or arranged meetings for when they get home to talk to their friends and family about the Lord.

  
The followers of Jesus changed their families, their communities, their peer group, their nation, and ultimately the world because they obeyed this simple command.  My prayer is that this group from Grace will do the same to whatever extent God wants to use them, and they are willing to submit to His leading.
 
 
Pray for our group ... over the next few months as they seek to follow the command and example of the Lord.  They will be meeting with some of their family members and friends to share Christ, seeking to influence their youth group members to grow and mature in the Lord, and taking an active role in our church to serve and minister.
 
 
Grant and Evan Adraianson, Alli and Ryan Hickey, Jessica and Maggie Hughes, Jeremiah Jacobs, Heidi and Peter Krauss, Abby, Bekah, John, and Melissa Mater, Alex Musser, Kim Ripley, Josh Sanchez, and Joel Smith.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Israel 2014 #12

#12 … Thursday – May 8th  [The Resurrection and the Start of the Church]

Today was our last day here in Jerusalem.  Did I tell you that this is a hilly place?  And everything is limestone rock --- that you walk on, sit on, climb, etc.

Here are three things that what we did before heading back to Tel Aviv for our midnight flight home ….

First - The Garden Tomb. The Garden Tomb is located north of the Damascus Gate, was suggested in the 19th century as an alternative site of Calvary and Jesus’s tomb.  In Jerusalem for a visit in 1883, General Charles Gordon spied a prominent rocky crag which looked to him like it could be the "place of the skull" mentioned in the Bible as where Jesus was crucified.
  
Around the corner Gordon identified an ancient tomb and putting the two together he located the hill of crucifixion and the nearby burial place.

The slope has eroded badly in the last hundred years, but some maintain they can still see the eye sockets and the nose bridge.  Regardless, it must be noted that while the Bible locates the crucifixion at the "place of the skull," it never says that it was on a hill, nor that this place bore the resemblance of a skull.  It also could be asked if this hill which resembles a skull looked the same 2000 years ago.

This is the place believed by many to be the resting place of Jesus.  Some archaeologists question the authenticity of this tomb because typological features suggest that it is a tomb originally hewn in the time of the Old Testament and not a "new tomb" as specifically stated in Scripture.

While the setting is very suggestive of what the garden would have looked like in the time of Jesus, excavations would seem to indicate that the tomb is too ancient to have been the one built by Joseph of Arimathea. 



Second – The Mount of Olives.   Also known as Olivet, Mount Olivet, and Har HaZeitim.

The Mount of Olives is the2900-foot hill facing the old city of Jerusalem, on the eastern side of Kidron valley.  The two-mile long ridge has three summits each of which has a tower built on it.  Its name came from the olive trees that once grew on its hillside from ancient times.  According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will appear here and bring the dead back to life. Therefore, the hillside became the most holiest cemetery, and the hillside is covered by thousands of grave stones.

Old Testament: The hill is first referred in the Bible when King David flees the city (2 Samuel 15: 30, see references). King Solomon erected altars on the hill dedicated to false alien gods. They were later destroyed by King Josiah who "filled it with bones" to prevent future worships.  Prophet Zechariah talks about the day of Judgment, with Mount of Olives its epicenter of God's fiery fight against the enemies of Jerusalem.

New Testament: Mount of Olives is associated with acts in the life of Jesus. Several churches mark these places: Pater Noster church, the place where according to tradition Jesus taught his disciples the Lords prayer; the tear-shaped church of Dominus Flevit ("the Lord wept") where Jesus wept over the future destruction of the city; Gethsemane (Gat Shemanim) where Jesus was betrayed and arrested.

Middle Ages: Until the 12th C AD the Jews used to come and pray from the top of mount of olives, since it has a great view of the temple Mount. During Sukkoth (Tabernacles - a Jewish religious festival) they conducted parades on the hillside.

Third – The Southern Steps of the Temple Mount.
The main public access to the Temple was from the Southern Steps.  People entered and exited through a double and triple gate, together called the Huldah Gate.  These gates had to handle enormous crowds during the feast days; estimates as high as 150,000 at a time.  As Jewish pilgrims would approach the temple, they would begin to chant the Psalms of Ascent [Psalms 120 – 134].  They communicated the idea of moving up to God and your soul moving closer to God.

In this area there are a number of ritual baths from the time of Christ, and it is believed that this is where the founding of the early church took place (Acts 2).


Looking forward to being home in our own church – Grace Community on Sunday, May 11th!!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Israel 2014 #11

#11 … Wednesday – May 7th  [The last hours of Jesus]

First – Upper Room.  So much happened here .. Location of the Passover meal (Mark 14:12- 15), Jesus washes the feet of His disciples (John 13:1 – 20), Jesus identifies Judas as the betrayer (Mark 14:18 – 21), The prediction of Peter’s denial (Mark 14:27 – 31), The Lord’s Supper is instituted (Matthew 26:26 – 29); and the Upper Room discourse (John 14 – 17).

The Upper Room or Cenacle, is traditionally thought to be in the upper portion of Old Jerusalem on the West Side of the city, in the wealthy section.  Archaeological excavations in the Jewish quarter show that there were large homes in this area during the time of Christ.

There is a possibility that this is indeed the correct location of the Upper Room.  A church was built on this site soon after the death of Jesus.  It must have survived the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70A.D.  Bishop Epiphanius wrote of how Roman Emperor Hadrian made
an inspection tour of Jerusalem in 130 A.S. and found “everything razed except for a few houses and a certain small church of the Christians which stood on Mount Zion in the place where the disciples returned after the ascension.”

This church was destroyed and rebuilt many times over the following centuries before being handed over to the Franciscans who restored the room giving it its present Gothic appearance.

Second – Garden of Gethsemane.
After our time in the Upper Room we traced the path of Jesus downward through both the wealthy and common sections of the city, seeing where he would have left the city by the Water Gate and entered the Kidron Valley. 

It’s a long steep walk for sure and again the whole group was remarking about how “fit” Jesus and “His boys” must have been.  From there we began our journey up the valley with the massive walls of the city on our left and the Mount of Olives ridge on our right.

Our destination, like that of Jesus so long ago was Gethsemane.  The name means “olive press”  or “olive stores.”  In Hebrew it is gat shemanim.  It is a place where we find ancient olive trees and olive presses and storage areas.  The idea behind the olive press is that they were crushed three different times, with a very heavy stone, to get oil out of them.  And it’s very interesting that Jesus prayed here three times and is said to have “sweat drops of blood” from the agony of bearing the sins of the world.

Gethsemane is the place of many events in the life of Jesus: His betrayal, teaching of His disciples, and time spent alone with the Father.  Luke 21:37 tells us that Jesus slept here at night; Luke 29:39 tells us that it was His custom to go here, and John 18:2 tells that Jesus often met His disciples here.  The present location fits the description of Gethsemane at the time of Jesus and this tradition has been maintained since about 330 A.D.  In this area, we find the Garden of Gethsemane, the Basilica of the Agony, and the Cave of Betrayal.

The Franciscan Church of All Nations contains the Garden of Gethsemane outside and the  Basilica of the Agony within.  In the garden there are eight olive trees that may well be over 1,300 years old.  The olive tree doesn’t die, but continues to live even if cut down, by producing new shoots from its roots.

The Garden of Gethsemane is the place where Jesus left His disciples and asked them to sit while He went to pray (Matthew 26:36).

  
He then took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee (John and James) and began to be sorrowful and very heavy of heart.  He asked them to wait there and keep watch for him as He went a little farther where He fell on His face and prayed (traditionally this is believed to be at the rock in the Basilica of Agony) (Matthew 26:37-46). 


It is interesting to note that Peter, James, and John were the three who witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus and the glory of it, and now they were witnessing the agony and the perfect submission of Jesus to the will of His Father.



Third – Caiaphas’ House / St Peter in Gallicantu (literally “cock crows”).

The Church commemorates Peter’s three denials of Jesus and his repentance.  It lies on the eastern slope of present day Mount Zion.  This site also commemorates the illegal trial of Jesus staged by Caiaphas and Annas (Jewish High Priests), and the imprisonment of Jesus. 

Outside the existing church is an ancient stairway which is actually main walkway up the side of Mount Zion.  It is very likely that Jesus, after being taken prisoner in Gethsemane, was led up these stairs to the house of Caiaphas.  These stairs were in existence in Jesus’ day.

This location for Caiaphas was determined by reports from Christian pilgrims from the 3rd century A.D.  Their reports say this site “was known by all.”  About 460 A.D. the Empress Eudoxia built a church on the ruins of Caiaphas’ house to commemorate this occasion.

The present day church was built over the remains of a basilica destroyed on this site by the Persians in 614 A.D.












Fourth – Wohl Museum – Praetorium.
One of the most difficult topographical problems of Jerusalem is to identify the location of the Praetorium where Jesus stood before Pilate, and where He set out carrying the gross to Calvary or Golgotha.  One thing is certain; it was one of three palaces used by Herod the Great. 
1st – The Antonio Fortress (north of the Temple), 2nd – The new Upper Palace of Herod (next to the Jaff Gate and a one minute walk from my hotel door), or 3rd – The ancient Royal Palace of the Hasmoneans.


Since Crusader times it was always identified with Antonio Fortress, where the traditional 14 stations of the Cross evolved over the years.  This Fortress sat on the north west corner of the temple mount and gave the Romans a very visible presence to the Jews.  When new archaeological evidence suggested that the pavement was from Emperor Hadrian’s time in 130 A.D., many scholars felt compelled to abandon this old, traditional location.


Many researchers moved the Praetorium to Herod’s Upper Palace as the next likely location.  The problem with this location is that there has never been a Christian tradition that it was used as the place where Jesus was sentenced.

The third location is the ancient Hasmonean Palace.  No one knew where this was located until after the Jewish reclaimed the city of Jerusalem after a hard fought battle in 1967.  In 1970 archaeologists found a magnificent building which is designated as the Palatial Mansion (see artist’s rendering of what the ruins would have looked like), leading many scholars to identify it as the Hasmonean Palace used by Herod, and later on by Pilate. 

Our group had a fascinating time as we explored this mansion and other partially preserved 1st century homes of the wealthy.  Herod Antipas had probably come from Tiberias for the Passover and stayed to preside over the trial of Jesus. 

Fifth – Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  Although the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (“tomb”) is now within the city walls, it was outside the walls of Jerusalem in the time of Jesus. 
Various places within the church contain remains from the 1st century, adding credibility to its identification as the location of Calvary and the empty tomb.  Up the stairs you will see bedrock at a considerable height above the current floor; this is all that remains of the outcrop of rock which is the probable location of where Christ was crucified.

Inside the church is a rocky outcropping which is the traditional place where the cross was placed. Archaeological excavations have demonstrated that this site was outside the city but close to one of its gates and thus would have been a good location for a crucifixion.  Today this chapel is controlled by the Greek Orthodox Church.



In A.D. 135 Emperor Hadrian built a temple to the goddess Aphrodite directly over this outcrop of rock.  In A.D. 326, when the pagan temple was razed, the workmen looked for the tomb of Christ.  When they believed they had found the correct one, the dug out the bedrock around the tomb so that it now resembles a small chapel.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Israel 2014 #10

#10 … Tuesday – May 6th  [Back in Jerusalem – Looking at reminders of worship and persecution]

Yesterday we spent a lot of time at the city of Beit She’an – Scythopolis. It must have been a remarkable place from the size and remains of the ruins. 
Scythopolis was at the intersection of the Jezreel Valley (runs from the N.W. to the S. E. between Galilee and Samaria) and the Jordan Valley (runs from the Sea of Galilee in the North to the Dead Sea in the South) --- and at the intersection, the Beit Shea’an Valley is formed. 

The city was built around an ancient Tel on which numerous civilizations have been identified.  Jesus would have walked through or by here many times as He traveled to Jerusalem for the various religious festivals (and on His way to the cross). 

I’ve read that every Jewish male was required by the law to go to Jerusalem for the three annual festivals of Passover (March – April), Pentecost (May – June), and Tabernacles (September – October).  That being the case, Jesus would have walked 70-90 miles one way for each of them … a total of 520 to 640 miles each year … just for these religious feasts. 








Today we began our final three days here in Jerusalem.  Each day will be packed with activity and learning experiences; so today for brevity sake I’m only covering three:

First – The Pater Noster Church.  This is the traditional site for the Lord’s Prayer – Luke 11:1-13.
In the courtyard of this compound stands a half-reconstructed Byzantine church on the Mount of Olives.  King Constantine’s architects first excavated at the Church of the Holy sepulcher.  Then they turned their attention to Bethlehem and then this site.  In the thinking of Archbishop Eusebius, each of these three sites was associated with a cave and also a key part of the Creed (Jesus’s birth, death/resurrection, and ascension). 


Here you will notice the Lord’s Prayer in over 200 languages.  The identification of this site as the place where Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer came later, sometime before the arrival of the Crusader’s, but it is a dominant tradition ever since.





















Second – Dominus Flevit Church.   This is a small Franciscan church located on the upper western slope of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Bible trivia buffs know that the shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35, when "Jesus wept" over the death of Lazarus. But Dominus Flevit, which means "the cry of the Lord," commemorates a different occasion on which Jesus was moved to tears.

According to Luke 19:41, "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it" because "the days will come upon you when your enemies will... dash you to the ground." (Christians believe this was fulfilled in 70 CE, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem.) Dominus Flevit Church is believed to mark the place where Jesus' mourning over Jerusalem occurred.

The current Dominus Flevit Church was commissioned by the Franciscans, who still run the site, and designed by Italian architect Anton Barluzzin. Constructed in 1954, the church is in the shape of a tear drop to symbolize the Lord's tears.

The current church stands on the ruins of a 7th-century church, some mosaics of which still remain. The western window in Dominus Flevit provides a beautiful view of the Temple Mount.



Third – Yad Vashem – Holocaust Museum.

Yad Vashem is Israel’s official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Yad Vashem is located on the western slope of Mount Herzl on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem, 804 meters (2,638 ft) above sea level and adjacent to the Jerusalem Forest. 

The Yad Vashem complex contains the Holocaust History Museum, memorial sites such as the Children's Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance, The Museum of Holocaust Art, sculptures, outdoor commemorative sites such as the Valley of the Communities, a synagogue, archives, a research institute, library, publishing house and an educational center, and The International School for Holocaust Studies.

Yad Vashem also honors non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust, at personal risk, as the Righteous Among the Nations.

Yad Vashem is the second most-visited tourist site in Israel, after the Western Wall. It receives some one million visitors annually.

Our group had a sobering trip here as we learned about the annihilation of 6 million Jews during World War II but even more sobering was the reality that Jews have been persecuted for literally thousands of years … even by those who call themselves “The Church.”

The Hall of Names containing Pages of Testimony commemorating the millions of Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust.


A great website to view key aspects of this museum is: http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/museum/index.asp