Journey to Thessalonica

May 21

Today we visited Thessalonica

Acts 17:1-9New International Version (NIV)

In Thessalonica

17 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. ⁴ Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

⁵ But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.^{[a] 6} But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” ⁸ When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. ⁹ Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

Go to BibleGateway.com to read 1 and 2 Thessalonians

 It rained but we enjoyed the sites. We had mass at a Roman Catholic Church. It was beautiful.

May 22

Today we visited Philippi

Acts 16:4-15New International Version (NIV)

⁴ As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. ⁵ So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

⁶ Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. ⁷ When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. ⁸ So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. ⁹ During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

¹¹ From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. ¹² From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district^[a] of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

¹³ On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. ¹⁵ When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

 

Acts 16:16-40New International Version (NIV)

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar ²¹ by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. ²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. ²⁷ The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. ³⁴ The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

³⁵ When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶ The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”

³⁷ But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

³⁸ The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. ³⁹ They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. ⁴⁰ After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.

 We dipped our fingers in the river where St Paul talked to Lydia and we had mass on the ruins where St Paul was imprisoned.

 Our trip is almost at an end, we are back at the hotel in time for dinner and we depart tomorrow.
What an amazing journey of faith this has been.
Thank you, Lord, for giving us this blessing.

Arrival in Meteora

May 20

We are off the boat and after 51/2 bus drive we arrived in Meteora. We visited a Monastery on top of the rock towers. Can not imagine how they were able to build them. The pictures do not do them justice.

Also visited an Orthodox Icon Workshop to see how icons are prepared. It is fascinating to watch.

We had mass at the hotel. So far we have had mass at a church only once. Wish I had taken picture of Fr Tony saying mass in the back of the lounge in the ship.

Jesus, the Rock Star Antithesis

This past Monday through Wednesday, I participated for the first time in the annual Church of the Nazarene South Texas District Assembly. During the first service on the Monday, the worship band sang, “Even So Come” by Passion. I sat near the back row, while most others stood, and closed my eyes so that I could truly hear the words and take it all in.

A woman behind me sang at the top of her voice. I pictured her with arms raised high to heaven as she sang.

I heard another voice to the right further in front of me praising loudly, “Yes, Jesus. Come, Jesus.”

 

With my eyes still closed, I imagined others bouncing to the rhythm of the Spirit moving within them.

As the band sang the line, “come, Lord Jesus, come,” I pictured Jesus bursting through the back door like a rock star, pumping His fists in the air, mouthing words like “yea” and “come on” while He strutted down the aisle, high fiving and fist bumping His fans as He made His way to center stage.

This image made me laugh inside and faded just as quickly. Jesus would never enter a room like that, but I could tell He had, indeed, come.

If Jesus were to come in the flesh at this moment, and made His appearance here with us this Monday evening when we called, what would that look like if it would not look like a rock star?

I saw it all so clearly. He gives the woman behind me a big bear hug and lifts her slightly off the ground, the way my friend, Dean, greets me every Sunday morning. I see Him with a big grin on His face as pulls away from the embrace and looks at her.

When He reaches the one who cannot stand still, He takes him by both hands and dances with him before pulling him in for an embrace.

The woman shouting praises cannot stay put. She takes off running toward Him. Jesus, in turn, sees her running and runs to meet her. He picks her up in His arms and twirls her around in circles.

Now, Jesus does not walk past those of us who cannot stand or who choose not to stand. Nor does He walk past the wallflowers or others working to make this service run so smoothly.

Before anyone else even notices Him, Jesus stands against the wall next to the wallflower and slides His body along the wall until it nudges her side. When she turns to face Him, He smiles and winks. She rests her head on His shoulder and He rests His head on top of her head.

He greets the man at the sound booth and helps him for a bit, giving him a thumbs up and quick kiss on the cheek.

As Jesus comes upon a man in a wheelchair, He kneels down to face him. Jesus holds this man’s face in His hands, smiles, and rests His forehead against his forehead. He whispers something only he can hear before embracing him.

He slides into the seat next to mine, the one more comfortable with silent worship. Jesus throws His arms around me and squeezes my shoulder. When He turns to face me, He gives me a smile and pulls me into Him, just as a man does for His beloved wife.

I almost cried as I imagined this scene. No. Jesus would not enter the room like a rock star, basking in the praise and adoration, raising His hands with puffed out chest. No. Jesus would come and meet us wherever we were, however we are, and love us. He would love us just as we are. Jesus does love us just as we are. Isn’t that amazing?

I could feel Him in the sanctuary. I knew He sat right beside me, and I knew He also laughed and danced with others.

Following the Path of St. Paul

May 16

Today we boarded our ship. We toured Mykonosi. No scripture reference that St Paul was here, but tradition feels he must have visited. Beautiful place.

May 17

This morning we toured Ephesus ,Mary's house, and weaving studio.

It is just amazing to see so much ruins, and to be inside where Mary spent her last days was unexplainable.

 We saw how they weave the rugs and how they get the silk from the cocoons.


From BibleGateway.com:

Acts 19New International Version (NIV)

Paul in Ephesus

19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples ² and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when^[a] you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

³ So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

⁴ Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” ⁵ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues^[b] and prophesied. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.

⁸ Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. ⁹ But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

¹¹ God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

¹³ Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

¹⁷ When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. ¹⁸ Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. ¹⁹ A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.^{[c] 20} In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

²¹ After all this had happened, Paul decided^[d] to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.” ²² He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.

The Riot in Ephesus

²³ About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. ²⁴ A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. ²⁵ He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. ²⁶ And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. ²⁷ There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”

²⁸ When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ²⁹ Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. ³⁰ Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. ³¹ Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

³² The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. ³³ The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. ³⁴ But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

³⁵ The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? ³⁶ Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. ³⁷ You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. ³⁸ If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. ³⁹ If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰ As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” ⁴¹ After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

 

May 18

This evening we went to Patmos
Rev 1:9. No words can explain

From BibleGateway.com:

Revelation 1:9New International Version (NIV)

John’s Vision of Christ

⁹ I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

 

We went to Lindos and Rhodes Acts 21:1

From BibleGateway.com:

Acts 21:1New International Version (NIV)

On to Jerusalem

21 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara.

 

 

 

May 19

 

Visited Crete this morning. Saw the Minoan Palace. Hard to believe that 4 centuries ago they had a sewerage system, flushing system, 5 story buildings. Took wonderful pictures but can not post all of them.

 

 



On our way back to the boat. We toured Santorino Gorgeous!!!

 

Arrival in Corinth

My mom and step-dad are fortunate enough to have been able to travel around the world during their retirement years. This year, they are visiting Turkey and Greece, following in the footsteps of Saint Paul.

Since our blog focuses on spiritual reflection, I thought it would be nice to share her experiences as she is able to share them with me and Facebook! ;)

Earlier today, the visited Corinth - saw historical ruins, participated in Mass, and had lunch by the Corinth canal where a bridge is lowered to let boats pass.

This evening, they had drinks at the roof lounge at their hotel with a view of the Areopagus.

As I drove them to the airport, both my mom and step-dad admitted that they were not excited like they have been in the past and as they expected to be. I assured them that it was most likely the dread of the long plane ride making them feel less than enthusiastic and that once they arrived and got some rest, they would be excited.

Sure enough, once they immersed themselves in the tours and culture, my mom found herself lost in the wonder of the history of Greece. She found herself thinking of Greek mythology and all the wonders she learned in school and now is fortunate to see and appreciate for herself.

She says authentic Greek food is great as well!

Now, my mom prays, "Lord, thank you for making this pilgrimage possible."