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Turkey, Greece, & Rome
2009 Pauline Mission Tour
Monday, 5/18/2009
We flew through the night to arrive in Istanbul on Monday the 18th at
2:30 p.m. Rather than going to the hotel, we went straight to the Sultan’s
palace for a three hour tour. Everyone was exhausted but ran on adrenaline and
loved it. It actually worked to our advantage to overcome jet lag by keeping
everyone on their feet. After a 4-star dinner we strolled through the streets of
Istanbul before settling down for a full eight hours of rest.
Tuesday, 5/19/2009
Our first full day began with a tour of the great hippodrome (originally seating
100,000), the Blue Mosque, and of course the Hagia Sophia. We were mesmerized by
the architectural power, the historical significance, and the religious wealth.
This church, as it stands, is 1600 years old and the site of some of the most
important church councils which precede Protestants by a millennium. Many of the
frescos and mosaics are 500–1000 years old, depicting biblical scenes and
ancient saints. It feels as though we were looking through a vortex in time and
stepping back in history. It makes one feel so small, yet so connected to a very
large and rich tradition. After flying to Izmir (ancient Smyrna) at 7 p.m.,
eating at 10 p.m. and walking along the Aegean, we went to sleep at midnight in
a plush hotel room and very happy.
 
Wednesday, 5/20/2009
After a wonderful night’s sleep, we walked three blocks to the church of Smyrna
and read the letter of Revelation 2. This was our first visit to the seven
churches. We boarded the bus for an hour and a half drive to Sardis. When we
arrived we were all alone and it was extraordinary, the entire group was like
children with a newly discovered playground. Cameras ran amuck. But when we read
the letter within the 5th century Orthodox church shell which sits in
the shadow of the entrance to this great temple of Artemis, we stood in stunned
silence at the relevance of God’s living word. On to Philadelphia. It meant more
to me now than ever before because Don Fankhauser’s church took their vision
from this letter: An Open Door. We drove another two hours to Laodicea where I
know sit. Mark Scott is teaching from the book of Colossians against the
backdrop of this archaeological site. A storm is rolling in with thunder and a
call to prayer provides an enchanting accompaniment to the powerful proclamation
of the nature of Christ.
Thursday, 5/21/2009
We begin the day at the Hot Springs of Pammukale followed by a three hour drive
to Ephesus. We are driving from Colossae, Hieropolis, and Laodicea so the tour
is assigned to read those two Epistles (Colossians and Ephesians). We continue
to have difficulty herding all the wandering sheep. Linda is back with the group
after losing her passport in Istanbul and staying overnight to visit the embassy
for a replacement. And Jara is bright eyed after her hospital visit following a
terrible tumble when exiting the hot springs at our hotel. I feel like an inept
shepherd but all seem to be very happy with the trip. We began our time in
Ephesus with a tour of St. John church. Several stood on his tomb and Jeannine
Chaney read the letter from the pulpit. Many were surprised that the baptistery
was for immersion. Our tour of Ephesus was late in the day resulting in far
fewer tourists. We spent five hours and got wonderful pictures. We even snapped
the Curetes Street EMPTY!! It was one step away from magical. Mark and Mark gave
a word of exhortation from the stage of that theater. The acoustics were perfect
and the word of the Lord pierced our hearts. From there we went to Mary’s
supposed house and just, for a moment, imagined that the tradition was true.
Friday, 5/22/2009
Most of our day has been spent driving (eight hours) punctuated with a tour of
Thyatira, Pergamum, Asclepius, and a very nice tour of a carpet factory where
four people purchased five pieces. We heard three major lectures: Tansu on
Islam, Mark Moore on Traditions vs. Scripture, and Mark Scott on living where
Satan has his throne. I’ve spent an additional three hours on the bus in
informal teaching. As a bonus, Linda told her story and passed around bread from
her new family in Istanbul, accompanied by the fresh cherries Tansu bought for
us at a roadside stand. We will conclude the day with a walk along the Aegean
after a 9 p.m. dinner. Our hotel is in the pine woods on the bank of the
Dareanelles.
  
Saturday, 5/23/2009
Today we said goodbye to Tansu but only after she gave us a tour of Troy and
drove us to the border, crossing to the Darenelles by ferry. We transferred
buses at the border and followed the old via Egnatia on the Kavala, the lovely
port city where Paul first landed. We had a magnificent five-star hotel and
after dinner we went to the beach to have Mark Scott exhort us about the gospel
coming to Europe. As he spoke the sun set across his face as the waves serenaded
his sermon: "Be a sponge”—as "fate” would have it, a sponge had washed up on
shore.
Sunday, 5/24/2009
We began our day with a short 20 minute drive from Kavala to Philippi where we
toured the ruins of this Roman colony. We reveled at the three churches we saw:
two sixth-century Basilicas, and the highlight of an octagonal church of 313
a.d., the very year of the edict of
Milan legalizing Christianity. It was as if the underground church was growing
and rumbling until it could be released by legalization like a volcanic
eruption. Even this, however, was overshadowed by our own Eucharist and the
prayer of the women on the island at the place where Lydia was baptized. The day
was still young. We had a drive through Emphipolis and Apollonia and a tour of
Thessalonica. At 9:30 p.m. we felt a minor earthquake in our hotel.
 Monday, 5/25/2009
Today was FULL! We left Thessalonica
at 7:45 and drove hard. Our first stop was the birth place of Alexander the
great—Pella. There we saw the most magnificent mosaics I’ve ever seen in their
original location, as well as the largest ancient house I’ve ever seen. We then
drove to Vergina, the ancient capital of Macedonia where great leaders were
buried and where the tomb of Philip of Macedon was discovered
in tact! It was a well-kept
secret and when the group realized where they were they gasped with delight. Our
third stop was the monasteries on the cliffs of Meteora—Astounding. Many of us
purchased icons manufactured in an authentic way. Our hotel was close, lovely,
and much needed.
  
Tuesday, 5/26/2009
This was a driving day to move us from Meteora to Athens with a stop along the
way at Delphi. I was taken by the size of this site and the wealth it contained.
I knew little of the history and purpose of this religious and economic center.
Nestled in the mountains of Greece 1½ hours north of Athens,
this center for prophecy inflamed the imagination of Greeks, Jews and Christians
alike.
  
 Wednesday, 5/27/2009
Our day began with a city bus tour of Athens, delivering
us at
the Parthenon. The acropolis was more crowded than I had ever seen; even so, it
is undeniably majestic. From there we descended on Mars Hill (properly the
Areopagus) where I unleashed my heart concerning Paul in Athens—he was not
enamored with intellect, monuments, or power. He simply preached the resurrected
Christ—the single most powerful event of human history. Then we walked down the
hill to the Agora where Mark Scott preached about the word of God from the
speaker’s platform. It was a moment! We then released the troops for shopping
until dinner, followed by a symphony in town. What a day!
Thursday, 5/28/2009
Our last day in Greece took us to Corinth and Cenchrea. Sy Huffer had his head
shaved by Lynn Ragsdale and Nathan Schultz got his half done before we had to
leave. Needless to say, he has worn a hat the rest of the day. Lunch was at the
Agean side of the Corinth canal where a large ship passed by as we ate lunch on
the water. We arrived at the airport three hours before our flight and are
sitting at the gate in a daze.
   
Friday, 5/29/2009
Today was the Vatican in the morning and St. Peter’s in the afternoon. Need I
say more?
Saturday, 5/30/2009
Our morning was a tour of the Colosseum as well as the Forum. Afterwards we went
to three churches: where Paul was buried, where Paul was beheaded, and one of
the Catacombs. It was thick! In the evening we walked to San Giovanni as well as
the sacred stairs. It was there that I wept…hard. The sight of a hundred
faithful pilgrims crawling up the steps supposedly imported by Helen in the 4th
century from Jerusalem to Rome, doing penance for sins rather than seeking Jesus
through the Holy Spirit in faith just undid me. I can’t put into words my anger
and shame. As a cleric I share the shame of building earthly kingdoms of human
grandeur and most of all I share the ugly courage of oppression of the poor.
Where will I stand, like Luther, walk off the steps and revolt against the
hegemonous power of the church without fragmenting her witness to the world.
  
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