leavingbethany

Lent Pilgrimage Week 5

Betrayal in the courtyard If I were to ask you who betrayed Jesus, who would you say? I’m guessing it would be Judas, the well-known baddie of the Bible. One of Jesus’s inner circle who sold him for thirty pieces of silver. The word “Judas” synonymous with betrayal. Another of Jesus’s inner circle also betrayedContinue reading “Lent Pilgrimage Week 5”

Lent Pilgrimage Week 4

Agony in the Garden This is the fourth of my Lent Pilgrimage blogs. Today we look at the time Jesus spent in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is no nice pretty flower garden, but a working olive grove, and it happens in the dark. It is the middle of the night, the darkest hour whenContinue reading “Lent Pilgrimage Week 4”

Lent Pilgrimage Week 3

Everyday Stuff This is the third in my Lent Pilgrimage blogs. This week we think about Jesus’s last meal with his closest friends. Last year, I had the privilege of celebrating Pesach also called Passover, in a Jewish home. At the heart of it is the family, where all are included, from the youngest toContinue reading “Lent Pilgrimage Week 3”

Lent Pilgrimage Week 2

A King Like No Other Welcome to the second of my Lent blogs. This week we look at the Sunday before Jesus died, often called Palm Sunday because the crowds waved palm branches in front of Jesus. There are some strange stories in the Bible. Please hear me out before you accuse me of heresy,Continue reading “Lent Pilgrimage Week 2”

Lent Pilgrimage Week 1

Lent Stories This is the first of my Lent Pilgrimage blogs. For the next seven weeks, I will be looking at one aspect of the story of Jesus’s last days, and his death and resurrection. This week I’m looking at what Lent means. Each week I will share an excerpt from my first novel LeavingContinue reading “Lent Pilgrimage Week 1”

Aemilia Metella Interviews Tabitha – part 2

Even death could not stop her If you have not already done so, read part 1 of Aemilia’s interview here (https://leavingbethany.com/2023/01/10/aemilia-metella-interviews-tabitha-part-1/). She left us with the ultimate cliffhanger, so read on to see what happened next. “Yes, the day I died,” Tabitha said. “That still seems strange to say.” Melia took my hand and ledContinue reading “Aemilia Metella Interviews Tabitha – part 2”

Aemilia Metella Interviews Tabitha – Part 1

The woman they could not keep down Three women jumped up and down on the jetty and waved in my direction. I looked around at the other passengers on the ship and none of them waved back, so I supposed they were for me. I picked up my bag and walked down the gangplank ontoContinue reading “Aemilia Metella Interviews Tabitha – Part 1”

Mary’s song of deliverance

As Christmas approaches, our thoughts turn to the stories of Jesus’s birth and one character above all others, that is to Mary, Jesus’s mother. This young unmarried woman, no more than a girl, has just heard that she will become pregnant and give birth to God’s son. She sings a mighty song, sometimes called theContinue reading “Mary’s song of deliverance”

I’m calling on the God of Martha

This month’s blog is a little different from usual. If you are a regular reader, you will be familiar with my creative interviews of Biblical women of the New Testament by my fictional Roman journalist, Aemilia Metella. Or my discussions on various aspects relating to Biblical women. But this month I decided to try somethingContinue reading “I’m calling on the God of Martha“

Who were the women who anointed Jesus?

The Bible stories of the women who anointed Jesus’s feet have intrigued me for a long time. Wondering who they were and why they performed such a public display of their devotion to Jesus, and in the process opened themselves up to misinterpretation, censure and ridicule. All four gospels tell the story, with slight variations,Continue reading “Who were the women who anointed Jesus?”