Community Corner

Israel Trip Enriches Ministry in Trexlertown

Upper Macungie pastor walked in footsteps of Jesus

Walking in the footsteps of Jesus brought the Bible to life for a Trexlertown pastor who is now using that experience to enrich her ministry.

Pastor Carol Bastin is applying her first-hand knowledge from a trip to Israel in a weekly adult faith formation class called "First Light: Jesus and the Kingdom of God at . The class, held Thursdays at 7 p.m., incorporates history, geography and archaeology to help students understand the world of Jesus' time.

Bastin recounts her trip in great detail with many photos on her blog.

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Bastin's toured sites of many famous Bible stories - from the hill where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount to the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. She saw thousands of olive and banana trees and dined on fried tilapia, known in the Holy Land as "St. Peter's fish."

Bastin, who is five-foot-two, was surprised to find she had to stoop down to enter the low-cut door of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity.

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"They didn't want armed invaders on horseback to be able to ride in," she explained.

Some of her favorite stops included a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and a walk on ancient stone steps in Jerusalem - steps that Jesus likely climbed before he was condemned to be crucified.

Bastin visited two tombs in Jerusalem - both linked to Jesus' burial and resurrection. Not knowing the exact spot where Biblical events happened didn't disract her from the emotional power of a spiritual journey.

"We don't know (all of the specific sites). They didn't leave a sign behind and CNN wasn't following them with a camera," she said. "It doesn't matter. You're remembering the event. What matters is that you are part of a line of pilgrims."

Bastin was supposed to go to Israel on an archeological expedition in 1981, but chose to get married instead. Bastin's husband, Al, is also a pastor at St. Paul's.

The Atlanta-based Cousins Foundation fulfilled Bastin's dream to visit the Holy Land. She was among 20 clergy of various faiths selected for an all-expense-paid pilgrimage.

Bastin hopes to return to Israel to do her husband a favor. One of her prized souvenirs from the trip is a stone from the Sea of Galilee. But she only brought one back - much to Al's disappointment.

 

 


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