Preparing for a Succot Celebration
There is nothing quite like sitting in a room with a full orchestra and a choir, making music. That is what I was doing, late into the night, last night. Our big concert will be in the theater at Beit Shean in a couple of days. We plan to do two concerts, one at 4 PM and the second at 8 PM with a feast in the park between the shows. It promises to be a fantastic day. Actually, for me, it will also be a very long day. I leave to join a group of young adults, (The Grafted group) for several days of touring in celebration of the festival called The Feast Of Tabernacles in a few hours. I have been asked to be the chief guide for a three bus tour. (No, not a three hour tour!)
I’ll post some pictures from the concert and the feast later.
 

One person asked me to send a better picture of Becky going off the cliff. I think he wanted to see terror on her face. I am not sure this looks like terror. Actually, it looks like fun to me. 

A Conversation with Moshe

Guide Lines
A Conversation with Moshe:
He started it with the following...

I’ve taken a good look at your new website, and I’d say it has great potential. It’s attractive, not overly wordy and written in the kind of light, witty yet informative style that makes for easy reading – and that’s the name of the game in a website, isn’t it? Also, the breakdown into topics is a good idea. Judging from the times of the night that you posted some of these items, you must be pretty busy during the day. Which of course is good. But, hey, when do you sleep?! Suggestion: Why not write up some of those questions that tourists ask and put them on your site – together with your answers. Might be fun – and, again, informative – to read that kind of stuff.

Part of my answer follows:
Ahh, You are so kind.
I am afraid that some of those questions will come up on the site. Many of them are potential fuel for global war. I had one yesterday as a matter of fact. The lady asked me if there could be salvation for Jews in a future temple. The implications are extended in every direction, wouldn't you agree? Since I was in the car having a private discussion, I felt I could talk about the obvious fact that the sacrifices in the Temple never did provide salvation as Christians define salvation but were rather a means of devotion and faith. I noted that there is at least one sin offering that involves only grain and not blood. I don't think she was satisfied but I shudder to think where that sort of discussion could go in a more public setting.

Moshe extended my line of thought:
Yes, I’d put that little exchange about the sacrificial cult onto your website – especially in view of the fact that you offered a good answer to the lady’s rather challenging question. By the way, you mention “at least one sin offering that involves only grain…” Take a look at Chapter 2 of Leviticus. The chapter is devoted, in its entirety, to a number of such offerings. Chief Rabbi J. H. Hertz of Britain, in his “The Pentateuch and Haftorahs,” analyzes this issue in quite some detail, in his commentary on the Book of Leviticus, in terms of weaning the Israelites away from the ugly and immoral practices so widely prevalent, in those days, in the sacrificial cult as it was practiced by other nations.

Sitting in the Jacuzzi
I know, I know… I'm supposed to be a tour guide. So, what about a tour?
Well, today, I didn't have a tour group. I had other things to occupy my time. The thermostat on my waterbed broke. That's bad! So, I've been sleeping in the guest bedroom. Nice bed there but I like the waterbed. Now, you may not know that I am diabetic. Hopefully, it doesn't make any difference. I've been trying an experiment for the past three years. I quit taking insulin. So far, so good. But, the blood tests I took last month were a little scary. I need to visit the doctor.
Are you noticing a build-up in items for my day's itinerary? I'm not through. I got the van inspected last week and renewed the insurance. When I talked to the insurance company they told me that they needed to require an additional security device. The van already has automatic locks, electronic ignition lockout, a siren system, GPS tracking, an ignition lock and door locks. The security devices weigh nearly as much as the engine. Anyway, I made a visit to Dror, the gadget guy who installs security devices in my van. Oh, one more thing. I have made it a practice to walk for at least an hour every day.
No, I'm not done yet. Two more items. I spend at least a half hour with Spanish lessons while I am walking and I also decided to update my health insurance. Now we have a plan for a day, don't you think? Too bad it doesn't include any time for a job!
So, since I didn't have time to work at a real job, I walked all over town doing stuff that I couldn't have gotten done otherwise. I'd make a lousy housewife.
My feet are tired though.
So, for my next trick, I think I'll go sit in the Jacuzzi.
Another tour group will arrive soon enough.

I Like Questions!
As a tour guide, I meet lots of people. My job is to show them a nation and to explain hundreds of things about this nation. In case you hadn't noticed, nations are fairly large as a general rule.
Topics for explanation include geography, people groups, religious interests, political aspirations, geology, theology, eschatology, meteorology, botany and the list goes on and on.
So, let's imagine a tour group that arrives at the border of Israel. Since I guide in English we can specify that they are from an English speaking country. They probably don't speak Hebrew. A few of them may have been in Israel before. None of them know me.
I can make some guesses about their level of understanding based on knowing their nation of origin, their general religious background and their average age. In fact, however, I usually don't know very much about them at all.
That's why I like questions. The minute one of the group asks me a question, I begin to understand the kinds of things they want to know and the level of understanding they have already achieved.
I want to take this opportunity to invite questions. You see the list of topics above. Believe it or not, I can answer any question if I feel like it. You should realize that one of my answers may be, "I don't know." but even so, I can answer.
Let's go!
 

Tom Brimmer, standing high on a cliff, in front of "The Treasury" in Petra, Jordan. 

Clay Corvin (Center) in Jordan January 2004
WAITING ON A STORM

So much of life just happens
Even as we watch
We think we are in control
Truth is, we aren’t

Waiting on a bad storm
Causes prayers to rise
Each and every person
Not surprised

And yet each day is similar
Storms mostly come unannounced
We should be committed
To watch for storms each day

They swirl about us
Striking while we snooze
Thinking life is easy
Then crumbling in the storm

Storms have a purpose
If we will look to Christ
They let Him strengthen
Our ordinary lives

Life lulls to boredom
People go to sleep
While all around the evil
Strikes a strident beat

Wake up casual Christian
Pay attention to your ways
Pray for wisdom
To face the evil day

Clay Corvin 9/15/04

Just before Rosh HaShanah...

Just before Rosh HaShanah...I live suspended between worlds. Jerusalem is an essentially religious town. In many ways, it is a small village with lot's of people involving themselves in their neighbor's lives. It is also the center of the universe for the Jewish People worldwide and the object of intense hatred by about a billion Moslems. But I'm a Christian.I feel like I fit in just fine. I speak the local dialect and I not only understand the local customs, I teach tourists from all over the world about life, history and culture here. Then, every once in a while, I notice that my friends and neighbors are noticing me. I guess I missed a step in the dance or something.I once heard an American whose skin is darker than I suggest that he might have gotten special treatment because of his skin color. I suppose it might be true. He thinks of himself as living as a minority in a world of prejudice. I wonder. Now, I live as a minority. Nobody mistakes me for an Arab, ever. I may be mistaken for Jewish I suppose. I dress like many of my friends and my skin is approximately the same color. Still, I think they notice me from time to time.It was at lease partially my choice to live in this place. I like to believe that God was involved in the plan. I came to shine if possible but I also came to learn. I have done some serious learning.So, it's just a couple days before the Biblical celebration of the new year. The typical celebration includes blowing horns. I have a special ram's horn that I intend to blow. I may offer the guests in our home the opportunity to blow a horn too. Why not? It sounds kinda cool and it's great fun to make such a piercing noise. I'll probably blow it on the balcony facing the city. There is an Arab village a few hundred yards away and I'm sure they'll love me for keeping them awake. They blast us with a call to prayer and a reminder that they believe Allah is greater than our God, five times a day. Yeah, it might be payback time.You see, suspended between worlds. Jewish neighbors, Arab/Moslem neighbors and us; a tiny island of Evangelical Christians; here in Jerusalem.Is it ridiculous to pray that God bless all the neighbors? I intend to pray, anyway!Shana Tova!

Becky goes rappelling

There is no sight quite like seeing your wife walk off the edge of a cliff.

By way of introduction...

Hi,
Perhaps I should say, "Shalom!" since I live in Jerusalem.
I am an American, Christian and I live in Jerusalem. I've been living here for several years and I work as an Israeli Tour Guide. If you don't know what that means, I'll post a chapter from my book some day with lots of details.
My idea for this blog is to post insights, comments and maybe even factual news that may take a less leftward slant than the news media, both local and international. You might think that means I am a right wing radical but in truth, I am somewhere near the middle. I know some of the real radicals and I don't fit in real well with them.
I've had a number or "Careers" in my life. I have done manual labor (Building houses and working on an assembly line), skilled labor (Driving truck), intelectual stuff like formating HTML back when we did that with a word processor, entertainment (acting and singing) and religious stuff ( I am an ordained minister). I have credential as a journalist, an Israeli Tour Guide and a professional driver. I guess what I am really saying is that I get bored way too easily and I keep trying new/different things. You get the idea, right?
So, this is where I start sharing stuff with the big wide world.
Come see stuff...
Come again whenever.
Tom