Mark Ireland's Blog

Sorry there was no blog on Sunday - we had a more gentle day visiting St George's Cathedral and Christ Church, the two Anglican churches in Jerusalem which serve very different communities. Here is my final vlog, recorded before we left on Monday: Our pilgrimage ended yesterday at the south wall of Temple Mount, standing… Continue reading Farewell from Temple Mount

The Western churches call it the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but the Eastern Orthodox churches call it (much more excitingly) the Church of the Resurrection. After being jostled by massive crowds in that impressive and ancient church, we came to the Garden Tomb, a quiet and reflective place to celebrate the Eucharist together, led… Continue reading The Church of the Resurrection and the Garden Tomb.

Today's vlog was recorded in the sixth century Church of the Nativity, the oldest standing church in the Middle East. This morning we visited Johnny Shawan, a Palestinian Christian with an amazing ministry of reconciliation and ministry to the children of this troubled town.

Today we left Jordan and travelled into the Palestinian desert to celebrate the Eucharist in a very atmospheric service led by the Revd Susan Seed.

Today we spent the whole day in the ancient city of Petra, which was at its height in the first century. We climbed high above the monuments to an ancient high place where animal sacrifices were made, and possibly human sacrifices, and pondered the Old Testament warnings against pagan worship at high places, such as… Continue reading Petra

Today we visited Mt Nebo, and prayed and sang in a beautiful new church built over a much earlier church built in 597 AD, the same year Augustine landed in Kent with the good news of Jesus. We remembered Moses looking out over the Promised Land before he died, and mediated on this moving statue… Continue reading Mt Nebo

Today we visited the place where Jesus was baptised at Bethany beyond the Jordan. We renewed our baptism vows in the blistering heat at this, the lowest place on the earth's surface. How appropriate that Jesus should stoop literally to the lowest place on earth that he might raise us to the heights of heaven.… Continue reading The Baptismal Site

Today we visited the massive excavation of the Graeco-Roman city of Jerash, one of the ten towns of the Decapolis where Legion took the good news of Jesus to after he was healed of many demons, according to Mark 5.20. On a blistering hot day we paused to praise and reflect in the (rather welcome)… Continue reading Jerash and the Jabbok River

Our second day began at Mary's well, which I describe in the video. After this we visited the church of the Annunciation built over the home of the holy family. Then we visited a re-creation of a Nazareth village in the first century, which was very evocative. Here are some pictures... This bottom picture is… Continue reading Nazareth – Mary’s Well and the Church of the Annunciation

This morning we visited the place where Jesus recommissioned Peter by the lakeside after the resurrection.