Day One: Posture, Perspective, Presence

Today was about posture, perspective, and presence.

Posture before God as fully alert, fully awake, fully attentive, fully surrendered. We were reminded that our own strength cannot carry us where we are going. It will take the presence of God.

Perspective that things are not always as they appear. We trust not in what is seen, but in the unseen hand of the Almighty.

We began our day on Mount Nebo, looking across into the Promised Land. Like Moses, we could see the land, but we could not yet step into it. From there we traveled to Madaba, where the ancient pilgrim map still lies on the floor of St. George’s Church. This mosaic, centuries old, points all travelers toward Jerusalem. It reminds us that every pilgrim must orient heart and soul toward God, setting their hearts on pilgrimage, just as the psalmist declared: “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage” (Psalm 84:5).

We ended our day in Wadi Musa, just outside Petra, reflecting on the consequences when posture, presence, and perspective are misaligned. Here we remembered Moses’ painful moment, when his posture hardened like Pharaoh instead of reflecting the tenderness of the Divine Shepherd, when his perspective turned against a complaining people instead of toward the God who provides, when he struck the rock instead of speaking to it. The result was that he was disqualified from entering the land.

The day began with a challenge to posture ourselves rightly before God. It ended with a sobering reminder of what happens when we don’t. And so, tomorrow, we step forward again, leaning in, listening close, trusting the divine hand that leads us.

“Lord, keep our posture humble, our perspective clear, and our steps in Your presence”