I just walked in the house. It is nearly 10:15 pm PST. Since on one in the house is awake, I just want to post this blog up before I forget and miss the moment.

On the way back, one of my buddy, who picked me up, asked me, "so if the trip was all about learning, renewing, and deepening, will your sermons and lessons be different now?" I said, "yes, of course, I can't see the bible the same way anyway." He said, "good, now that you are more fired up, I can come to your church and listen to more than feel good sermons."

This response resonated with the wise words we heard from the director of the International Center that, "there is no peace" when everyone is preaching peace. Let's deal with the reality of no peace and go on from there. Before I go on too much, that's not the main point of this post.

All of us have expressed openly the changes we experienced in ourselves and in each other while we were still in Israel. Now that most of us, minus perhaps both Susan (from WI, and WV) and Nancy who might be driving home now, are all home and might be sleeping by now, I think the reality of change and real transformation in all of us are yet to be seen. For that, I look forward to stay in touch with you all to hear how you have changed by September when we gather and in the years to come.

For now, in the words of another good Lutheran, Garrison Keillor, "be well, do good work and stay in touch."

David