Day 5 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
6am in the Church if the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was for me an amazing overload experience of faith and history.
The different liturgies in the side chapels and at the door of the sepulchre at it’s centre, in the chill of the morning air, was like being wrapped in a blanket of devotion and prayer.
There was the opportunity to get down on my hands and knees under an altar to touch the rock of Calvary. In physical posture and attitude of heart this clearly is the only way to approach it. The glittering icons looked on like the great cloud of witnesses, and there were clouds, incense clouds, rising up amongst the worshippers as a symbol of their prayer.
Descending the steps, underneath the altar, it was as though we were entering the rock of Calvary. As I stood there I recalled the line of a song from my youth in the Wesleyan Chapel, ‘Hiding in thee, hiding in thee, thou blest rock of ages I’m hiding in thee.’
Ancient graffiti could be seen incised on the walls, possibly dating from the time of the Crusaders. I suppose many wanted to leave their mark and over the years imagine ‘their’ cross speaking for them through ages long.
Layer upon layer of history and heritage, constant prayer and worship from every ‘flavour’ of Christianity gives this holy site something unique....but the greatest event it witnesses to is; Christ is risen, He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
We stepped out into the daylight refreshed for the next leg of our pilgrimage knowing that the risen Christ goes with us wherever we go.
Canon Keith and The Dean’s pilgrimage to The Holy Land is in preparation for a Sheffield Cathedral Pilgrimage open to members of the congregation taking place in 2021. Would you like more details? Please send Canon Keith an email.