Following Jesus in the Holy Land: Pathways of Discipleship through Advent and Lent
Ebook
Reflecting on the key places in Jesus’ life, ministry and death, Following Jesus in the Holy Land is a study course on Christian discipleship that can be used by individuals and groups during the seasons of Advent and Lent. Each chapter considers one of the main locations of the Gospel story, including Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the Judaean desert, Mount Tabor and the Sea of Galilee, and invites readers to reflect on the meaning of discipleship today. Each chapter includes questions for reflection, Bible readings and suggestions for worship as well as ideas for “things to do” as a disciple of Christ.
Reflecting on the key places in Jesus’ life, ministry and death.
If we just read our Bibles through weekly or daily snippets from the lectionary, we may miss out on some important perspectives. The geography of the Holy Land is important in providing a lens to focus not only on the reality of events in Jesus’ life, but also their meaning. Through knowledge of location and setting we see Jesus ‘more clearly and follow him more nearly’ as disciples. Stephen Need’s book is a useful and knowledgeable guide to the Holy Land. You do not need to have been there - it is, as he states, ‘an armchair pilgrimage’, designed for spiritual refreshment in both Advent and Lent. In Advent, the focus is the Temple and (naturally) Bethlehem; but we also progress in our imaginations to Nazareth and to the River Jordan for Jesus’ baptism. The later themes (for Lent) encompass the wilderness, Galilee, Caesarea Philippi (for the Transfiguration) and back to Jerusalem, to remember Jesus’ death and resurrection. This book is a welcome addition to the options for both private study and devotion, and to group discussions during these liturgical seasons. Each short chapter provides a week of Bible passages, worship options and discussion questions. Practical and profound, this book is recommended as a sound Christian antidote to the superficial distractions of life as we journey towards Christmas, and onward to Easter.
In Following Jesus in the Holy Land, Stephen Need (formerly Dean of St George’s, Jerusalem) explores ten holy sites’ pasts and presents, deftly weaving New Testament hermeneutic and church doctrine to cheer and challenge contemporary mores. Spanning Advent and Lent, each chapter concludes with suggestions for Bible study, worship, action, discussion, and further reading, marking an immense but accessible breadth of scholarship. Throughout, locus is subordinate to Gospel imperative: transfiguration (often over-spiritualised) is boldly rooted in transforming action such as Kids4Peace and Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra; stooping to enter Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, Philippians 2 rings in your ears; the heat of Caesarea Philippi is terrific, with the cults of Pan and Augustus in the crucible, melting before Peter’s confession. It is all as if I sat in a boat in the midst of a silent Galilee, each surrounding village heavy with Christ, who comes as close as touch in Need’s astounding book.
I am sure that being part of an actual pilgrimage party travelling through the Holy Lands, led by Stephen Need, would be an exhilarating and enlightening experience. Having lived in Jerusalem, he demonstrates a detailed knowledge of the main pilgrimage sites, and the book reads like an expanded script of the things he might have said at each of them. … I would certainly recommend the book as an aid to preachers. … There is a wealth of insight and glimpses of the author’s passion, showing his knowledge not only of the land but also of the Bible and Christian tradition.
- Title: Following Jesus in the Holy Land: Pathways of Discipleship through Advent and Lent
- Author: Stephen Need
- Publisher: Sacristy Press
- Print Publication Date: 2019
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781789590432, 9781789590418, 1789590418, 9781789590425, 1789590426, 1789590434
- Resource ID: LLS:9781789590432
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-12-26T08:07:30Z
Stephen Need is a former Dean of St George's College, Jerusalem and has travelled extensively in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East. He is a parish priest in Essex and author of several books, including a guide to the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.