Psalms 120-134 are known as the Psalms of Ascent. They were said by pilgrims making their way to the Temple in Jerusalem. Jerusalem itself was built on a mountain and the Temple was at the highest part of the city. Thus, wherever one was, one “went up to Jerusalem.”
Since we are making our own pilgrimage to Jerusalem, I designed Yeti mugs to reference the Psalms of Ascent. I chose a verse representing each of the four of us:
For Leslie, Psalm 122:6 - “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” She is a woman of great empathy and a compassionate heart, thus it fits!
For Loren, Psalm 122:2 - “now our feet are standing within your gates.” Loren loves a good pun and I foresee a picture of her feet standing within the gates of the Old City!
For Jim, Psalm 122:1 - “I was glad when they said unto me, we will go into the house of the Lord.” If ever a person felt at home at the altar of God, it is Jim.
And for me, I opted for Psalm 121:1 - “I lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from when cometh my help.” Psalm 121 is the motto of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina, where I began my Christian life, and for nearly five years, I saw that verse in Latin on the diocesan banner “Levavi oculos.” I love this pslam, particularly in a gently jazzy version by Leo Sowerby in the 1920s, and use it often.
For those who don’t know them, Loren is a priest and Canon to the Ordinary of the Diocese of Georgia and a fellow Disney and Figment fan. Her older sister Leslie is my best friend from seminary and priest and rector at All Saints, Fort Lauderdale. Leslie already has her mug, so it is missing from the group photo.
The cross over the Psalm verse is the Jerusalem cross, a Greek Cross (arms are equal length) with four smaller Greek crosses in the quadrants. The Cross dates to the heraldic arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the Twelfth Century and is a symbol of pilgrimages to this day. Razzouk Tattoo is a tattoo parlor in the Christian quarter of Old Jerusalem that has been given pilgrim tattoos featuring this cross since the Middle Ages.
While Leslie may get a pilgrim tattoo, I will probably get a pilgrim keychain instead. :)
We fly to Israel in two days. Saint George’s College has sent us a security update telling us that travel is still very safe. The outbreaks of violence are in very specific locations and easy to avoid. This is part of the daily life of people in the Holy Land. So, indeed, Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem as the psalmist bids us.
Blessings Always!
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