Singing Old Hymns in Ancient Jerusaelm

You wouldn’t believe the many spiritual sights we’ve seen so far as Anne Graham Lotz leads her In His Steps tour through Israel. One of the places we visited was Saint Anne’s Church in Jerusalem, where the group joined in worship together. This wasn’t the first time we had worshiped, but it was truly remarkable as the architecture in the sanctuary reverberated with the joy-filled sounds of our voices blending together. I let the sweetness of our singing wash over me.

What better place to sing hymns than in an old Roman Catholic Church located at the head of the Via Dolorosa? As we joined voices “Come Thou Fount” I was struck by the power of those lines, especially after seeing many of the places Jesus lived, taught and breathed. Thinking about our trip the next day to Golgotha, the verse “Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love” was particularly striking. I was sitting in the entrance of the Via Dolorosa, that same path Jesus took to His crucifixion. He had walked on this road towards the mount, on my behalf, as proof of His redeeming love. Talk about breathing life into words! The echoes of our Faith continue to reverberate in my heart and memory—just the way our song rang out in this beautiful place.