Retracing the ancient steps of Paul the apostle

The Rev. George R. Crisp

Six members of Christ Church by the Sea United Methodist were part of

an exciting tour to Greece and Turkey in March. Bill and Carol

Harader, of Costa Mesa, Chuck and Phyllis Bell, and George and Sue

Crisp of Newport Beach, enjoyed the 12-day trip retracing the

missionary journeys of the apostle Paul. About 170 United Methodists

from the California-Pacific Conference, laity and clergy, traveled

with Educational Opportunities Tours, a Christian travel organization

based in Lakeland, Fla.

After arriving in Athens, the group visited the ruins of the

ancient city of Corinth, site of the Isthmian Games and where St.

Paul lived and worked for 18 months (Acts 18:20-11). We also saw the

Corinth canal, a construction marvel considered by the Emperor Nero

in AD 67. The canal project was not carried out until 1893, and today

serves as a link between the Ionian and Aegean Seas.

In Athens, we saw the grandeur of the Olympic stadium built on the

site of the ancient games. Athens will host the 2004 Summer Olympic

Games, and construction was evident throughout the city. No trip to

Athens would be complete without a trip to the Acropolis to view the

Parthenon, and the various temples that crown that hill. Most of the

group ascended to the top of Mars Hill, also known as the Areopagus.

The apostle visited Athens in AD 49/50, and was so upset about a city

full of temples to idols that he preached a sermon about Jesus from

Mars Hill (Acts 17:16-34).

After touring Athens, the group boarded the Greek ship Triton, of

the Royal Olympia Cruise Lines, for a voyage into the Christian past.

In total, more than 600 persons cruised to Thessalonica and Philippi,

two more Greek cities visited by St. Paul. In Thessalonica, Paul

caused an uproar by preaching about Jesus, and was run out of town

(Acts 17:1-15). While in Philippi, the apostle met Lydia, who became

first Christian convert on the European continent. It was here that

he was also imprisoned for his evangelistic efforts (Acts 16:11-40).

One of the most exciting segments of the journey was sailing

through the Dardanelles to Istanbul and experiencing that ancient,

beautiful city. Istanbul is the only city in the world that lies on

two continents, Europe and Asia. While there the group toured the

famous Blue Mosque, St. Sophia’s Church (now a Byzantine museum), and

even had time to shop at some of the Grand Bazaar’s 4,000 shops.

Two more ports of call were on the agenda in Turkey, Daikili and

Kushadasi. Daikili is near the ancient city of Pergamum, one of the

seven cities of Asia Minor mentioned in the book of Revelation

(2:12-17). Kushadasi is the port near the ancient city of Ephesus.

St. Paul visited this magnificent city, the most excavated and best

preserved of all the Roman ruins (Acts 19:1-41), and later wrote one

of his epistles to the church established there. Ephesus is also one

of the cities mentioned in Revelation (2:1-7). While in Ephesus, I

had the privilege of singing one of my original songs during a

service of Holy Communion celebrated in the theater.

There was concern about the imminent probability of the war

against Iraq. Though the group felt quite safe, very little news

reached the ship. When we finally learned that the United States had

bombed Baghdad, we were just leaving Turkish waters. We gathered as a

community to pray for peace, and for those who were involved in

harm’s way, especially our military troops. The three bishops on the

tour offered strong, comforting pastoral leadership during this

unusual time.

The final stop on our cruise was the Island of Patmos. This Greek

island is where St. John wrote the book of Revelation while an exile

of the Roman government in AD 95 (1:9-20). The group visited the

Grotto of the Apocalypse and the Greek Orthodox monastery that sits

on top of the island like a fortress.

While we explored these biblical sites, we learned a great deal

about Greek and Turkish culture and history and about St. Paul and

his amazing witness to Jesus Christ, following his Damascus road

experience. Without this missionary effort, and all the trials and

hardships he endured, it is hard to imagine what Christianity would

be like today. We came away with a new appreciation of the making of

disciples, a new perspective on the Bible stories we’ve heard for

years, and a firm commitment to make our own witness in our own time.

It was an experience of a lifetime.

* THE REV. GEORGE R. CRISP is the pastor at Christ Church by the

Sea United Methodist and a resident of Newport Beach.

* TRAVEL TALES runs on Sundays. Have you, or someone you know,

gone on an interesting vacation recently? Tell us about your

adventures in about 400 words, accompanied by a couple of photos to

choose from that do not have the Daily Pilot in them, and send them

to Travel Tales, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; or e-mail

[email protected]; or fax to (949) 646-4170.