The Tour Continues

Met up with Mom in Rome, fellow adventurer :)

-Italy
-Florence: climbed the Palazzo Vecchio Tower
-Pisa: leaning tower and baptistry with amazing acoustics
-France: shuttle to Marseille, Metro, train to Aix et Provence
*did laundry, ate crepes, walked narrow streets, lavender and linens and soaps

-Spain: tourist bus in Palma Mallorca up to Castle
(secret staircases, amazing views)
Cathedral reflected in the water

-Barcelona
*walked up La Rambla to meet Fat Tire Bike Tours
-steps commissioned Chris Colombus
-old bull fighter ring (Gaudi's work = gaudy)
-parks, zoo, cascade
-Familia Sagrada
-the beach

Pompeii

-Rome to London
met up with Spanners
relaxing, ppl climbing the Shard, deer park and cows, Amen Corner
perfect.

Roman Catacombs

*Sang our morning song one last time

Lessons from the trip:
-Victory in Christ
-Transforming Power
-splendor/grandeur of God
-the Body = 1
-His faithfulness

*St. Paul's Church

*Walking thru the Catacombs was a surreal experience, running my fingers along the rough volcanic rock and peering into slots in the wall that once held the bodies of early Christian martyrs.

-to even proclaim Christ thorugh your dying breath--saint with 3 fingers showing the trinity

2 Tim: hold fast to the hope of Christ (1:13)
the Word of God is not chained (2:9)
live vigilantly for Him
all will suffer persecution but God equips us
preach the Word! be watchful 4:2

*Summary prayer:
Lord you are so faithful!
From the example of the ealry Christian marty

rs--Stephen, etc.
From seeing how you chose Paul, a severe persecutor of the Christians, and transformed his life
To how you used Paul in megacities like Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Thessalonica
You encouraged him at the moment he really needed it to press on and establish a Church there by the power of the Holy Spirit
You saved us from death--reaching into our sarcophagi and lifting us up to share in your Victory!
Thank you for the perseverance of the saints and for the unity through your Spirit
throughout the ages.

When in Rome..

Tuesday
-early morning flight to Rome

-lunch with restaurant owner who looks like James Bond
-Vatican museum/Sistine Chapel
*good culmination of everything we've seen, God is sovereign, faithful and He has the victory in the end-last judgment)

Wednesday

-Colosseum
-Titus' Arch
-Roman Forum, SPQR by the Senat and the people
-Trevi Fountain
-Pantheon
-Trajan's column
-crazy street performers
-Spanish steps and obelisk
-Metro

Thursday
-started with 9 on the Michele tour and ended with 3
-Piazza de Popolo (originally built for pope)
(concert being set up, churches, obelisk)
-climb to Pincio (gardens and amazing view
-followed Tevere River down to the Bridge of Angels
(nice cool, shady walk under the trees, smart cars parked the wrong way)
-explored all over Castel St. Angelo, built over Hadrian's crypt
-LOTS of steps
-Matthew, Mark, Luke and John bastions
-parapet walk, christian symbols
-Room of the Urns (ashes of Hadrian's wife)
-long curved ramp, like passageway for funeral procession
-Chamber of Justice, treasury
-gorgeous Sistine-chapel like frescoes everywhere covering the walls
-more incredible view from the top!!

*walked to Piazza Navona: Neptune fountain, obelisk, church, narrow streets, sat and ate lunch

*Campo de Fiori: remains of farmer's market
*followed river past several bridges; crossed to Isola and back
*Found St. Maria in Cosmedin: crypt of Hadrian and Mouth of Truth
*Circus Maximus, Arch of Constantine, Colosseum, Roman Forum
Vittoria Emmanuel Monument
Via de Corso
*back to Piazza de Popolo
back to hotel Leonardo da Vinci
went back to the concert in the Piazza, popular Italian singers: Tezeki Festival

Istanbul (continued)

IN BRIEF (more pics later)

-Basilica Cistern
-Archaeological Museum
-Boat tour on the Bosphorus
-Kora Church frescoes and mosaics
--Jesus: Come ye all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest
--Powerful imagery: Jesus pulling Adam and Eve out of the grave!
-but

no cross!
(Orthodox emphasizes redeeming work vs. atoning work)
-dinner in Asia


-Grand Bazaar
-Church with Apostle's Creed
-Sultan's Palace: Topkapi

Hagia Sophia and Lessons on Forgiveness

**Hagia Sophia

Built by Justinian I as the largest Christian church in the Roman Empire, the Hagia Sophia has undergone many changes throughout its turbulent history and evidence of this is still etched into its walls. The site of the Great Schism, taken over by the Ottomans and turned into a mosque and more recently converted into a museum.

It is one of those sites that you walk into and you feel small. Dwarfed by columns, grand ceilings/mosaics, you feel as if this place was meant to reflect the glory and grandeur of God. Now, however, the stories from the Bible depicted in mosaics are covered up, the crosses rubbed out, overlaid with ornamental Islamic designs, and huge circular discs hang from the ceiling with the verses from the Quran.

To me, it was upsetting to walk through the Hagia Sophia, originally designed to glorify God, and see that it is now a museum, that neither serves as a place to worship Him nor acknowledges Him in a very Islamic society. Sure, there are some of the original church mosaics that they’ve uncovered of Jesus and various disciples, but of the few thousand visitors that pass through the sanctuary, not many leave with the true meaning behind these pictures or a further understanding of the Gospel.

Then, walking into the Blue Mosque was even worse. Also an amazingly grand place with its blue tiles, spacious rooms and domes, the Blue Mosque welcomes visitors when it is not a designated prayer time or holy day, but people must cover themselves (no shorts and women must cover their heads). The thing that struck me about this mosque, or any mosque for that matter, is that even when there are multitudes of people kneeling and praying inside, it feels empty, like something is missing.

When I visited a Jewish synagogue in Santa Barbara while working as a day camp counselor, I experienced a similar feeling. They may be so sincere, crying out to the Lord and knowing that He is holy, but completely missing the point. They are so wrapped up in law and following all the rules, that they miss God’s message of a Savior, Jesus Christ.

Something so unique in the Christian faith is that we have God's Holy Spirit living within us and that unites us across countries as brothers and sisters. When we worship the Lord together, He is present among us and that is never an empty feeling. His Word is living and active, and when we open His Word to read together, it has transformative power.

Though we may have divisions within the Christian Church (Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox..and other branches off of those), we know What unites us, Who we're ultimately following, and Where we have to look forward to one day. As the Westmont group and I further examined conflicts within the Middle East and Turkey throughout history and today, there's one powerful word I believe the Islamic society is missing. Forgiveness.

Yes, I will admit that as the Christian Church, we too struggle with exemplifying genuine self-less love and forgiveness, but we have the Holy Spirit which allows us to love in ways that we never could on our own. On the other hand the Sunni and Shi'ah Muslims both have similar core beliefs but their original disagreements over leadership have become deep set divides that have led to countless attacks on each other. The root of bitterness and animosity has grown deep and caused endless tragedy among the places where these groups of Muslims interact. 

It is only in Christ that we have the power to forgive even what we would consider the worst of wrongs. Jesus says: 

Mark 11:25

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. 

This act of forgiving others is so important that Jesus tells us that we need to put priority on setting relationships right before we come to worship Him.

Why should we forgive?

Colossians 3:13

13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Once we grasp how wide and long and high is the love of Christ that never fails us and has completely wiped out our sin, we are more able to forgive others. Rely on His strength to either humble yourself and ask for forgiveness or to say "I forgive you" and mean it with all your heart.

Micah 7:18-19

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.  You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

Istanbul, Not Constantinople

**Istanbul, Not Constantinople!

Whew-what a whirlwind shift, going from Greece to Turkey!

To me, Istanbul was full of surprises. First of all, the city was very green, as we drove along the road to the Old City from the airport, we passed grassy parks with playgrounds and bright flowers. I noticed it was a very modern city with deeply historical roots, on both sides of the Bosphorus Strait you can see a skyline of apartment and business highrises interspersed with the minarets of domed mosques on every corner. The remains of seawalls and aqueducts dating to the Byzantine era stand near the coastline, and large ships cruise through the sparkling blue waters dividing this great city.

Turkish food was always a discovery, from different eggplant toppings and shaved lamb meat to baklava and other super sweet desserts drenched with honey. Vendors handed out free samples of Turkish delight in every market and put on the act of being friendly and personable in order to sell you their wares.

The Westmont group and I stayed near the mosque of Suleyman’s son, a mosque I thought completely grand until I stepped into the Blue Mosque tiled with gorgeous geometric patterns and intricate calligraphy.

My roommate, Susan, and I went on our own walking tour around the neighborhood of our hotel. It was late Friday afternoon and these back streets near the university were quiet. Following the cobblestone roads, we passed through archways that led to different, larger mosques.

On the way, we passed Turkish men sitting in barbershops and smoking outside at little tables playing backgammon. Women with decorative scarves sat in small groups in the mosque courtyard sharing an afternoon picnic. And when 5:10p rolled around, shop owners hurried out to the local mosque for one of their 5 daily prayers. Their prayer times when we were there were approx. 4a, 6a, 1p, 5p, and 10:30p. In fact a local band covering popular hits at our hotel restaurant stopped their show completely at 10:30p out of respect for the call to prayer.

Each night during our time in Turkey, we met with Jim Wright and Heather Keaney, who lead the Westmont in Istanbul program and are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to history of the Middle East and Islamic culture. Leaving those talks, I always felt I had a much better grasp on the current situation in Turkey, the parallels and differences between Christianity and Islam, and the Orthodox Church.

Communion in Corinth

**Corinth

After hearing an abbreviated history of Greece and the life of Paul, we arrived in modern day Corinth. A town bordering the Aegean Sea, Corinth played a pivotal role in Greek/Roman commerce as Nero built a dry canal through the isthmus joining the Aegean and Ionian Seas, which is still used today. (baptism bridge)

Paul was primarily an urban missionary, living in and adapting to the cultures of various cities of money and influence. Corinth was like the Los Angeles or New York City of Paul’s day: The “Crossroads of the World”. (Sound familiar? #panama)

When Paul came to Corinth, he had recently been flogged in Philippi, put in prison (rescued with an earthquake), not to mention, he was being followed around by Jewish rabble-rousers who kept stirring up dissension everywhere Paul and Silas tried to preach.

Paul arrives in Corinth and, in typical Paul fashion, goes directly to the synagogue. But when he shares with the Jews (his people) the Good News, they violently oppose Him. What a blow to Paul’s spirit!

Here he was, so burdened by the fact that his own people didn’t know about salvation through Jesus and freedom from the Law that he went into their place of worship first to share boldly with them. And instead of accepting Jesus as their Messiah, the Corinthian Jews threw it back in Paul’s face—almost like spitting at God. How heartbroken and distressed Paul must have felt.

Nevertheless, God still had a purpose for Paul and would not abandon him even in the trials and persecution ahead. (Acts 18:9-10)

⁹ “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.”

**How has God encouraged you in your lowest moments? Who do you know in ministry that needs that encouragement right now?

Later, Paul writes the Corinthians letters as his “deeply loved ones,” knowing they are still a little shaky in their newfound belief and uncertain how to live Christian lives in such a pluralistic Roman society. Paul clarifies the Message again and instructs them on hot-topic issues like sexual immorality and eating food that is offered to idols. Above all, Paul stresses the importance of unity in the Church.

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10).

Because we are all one in Christ, we can share in something extra special—the communion of believers through the Holy Spirit and the celebration of a Gospel based on love that costs everything but has no greater reward. We are not alone in this journey.

The Peace of Christ be with you.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 1:2

**Corinth tidbit: Who is Sosthenes?

In Acts 18, a group of angry Corinthian Jews accuse Paul of teaching things that contradict God’s law. They drag him to stand in front of the Bema, or judgment seat, where Gallio the proconsul will make a decision. Gallio, fed up with petty arguments about people’s religious beliefs, dismisses the case. The mob then turns on Sosthenes, the synagogue leader at the time, and beats him violently for not doing anything about Paul. Gallio looks on and does nothing. It seems that Sosthenes then disappears from the picture for awhile, and you wonder what ever happened to him.

Then, in the intro to Paul’s first letter to the Church in Corinth, you see his name mentioned again:

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,² To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: ³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 1:1-3).

Notice, Paul called Sosthenes “their brother”. What happened in Sosthenes’ life following his beating in front of the proconsul? Could it be that the Corinthian Church reached out to Sosthenes and the love of Christ transformed his life? One would think that Paul and Sosthenes would have a lot in common: Jewish leaders, former persecutors of the Christian church, both wrapped up in the law with a blind spot to God’s grace. Acting in love, the Church can be powerfully used by God to reach out and be living testimonies of His grace and truth.

**Who is someone who God wants you to reach out to and love without judgment? It could be someone you share common interests or life experience with or someone completely on the other side of the fence from you. Pray that God will reveal this person and that you do not miss out on a powerful opportunity to welcome another brother/sister into God’s family.