Pergamum & Troy: Day 6

We find the letter to the church in Pergamum in Revelation 2:12-17 where they are commended for holding fast despite being where "Satan's throne is". This made 6 of the 7 churches we have visited and it was unique because it's key components are up high on a mountain in the Acropolis. Just to reach it we actually had to leave our bus and take taxis to the top.

Overlooking Pergamum

While in Pergamum, we were able to see Trajean's temple, the Altar of Zeus which was likely what was being referenced when mentioning the presence of Satan, and some breathtaking views, including the steepest ancient theater in all of Asia. After we came down from the Acropolis we drove over to Aesculapium which was a medical bathing facility used for mental patients. The facility made use of an intricate water system to fill the baths used by patients. At this facility there was also a smaller theater and arena where patients would participate in various therapies by putting on performances for the community.

Following our lunch, where I was able to eat Turkish pizza (it was pretty good... Light and tasty, but I'll keep my Little Caesar's), we began our long trip north toward Troy. It was about a three hour trip for the group. Prior to reaching Troy we stopped by Alexander Troas, which is importan biblically because it is where Paul would set sail for Europe. Later when we reached Troy we were able to see walls from the ancient city over 4,000 years old. It was an important city because of its locatin to the harbor, and is most famous for the Trojan horse incident which allowed the Greeks to defeat the Trojans.

Tonight is our last night in Turkey, and though I've enjoyed it so far, I'm really looking forward to visiting Greece.

Comments

Just Because We Can Doesn't Mean We Should

Over the last ten weeks the sanctuary at First Baptist Monroe has sat dormant. Though we haven't been worshiping in that space, worship has continued via a more intimate setting in our church's choir room beamed up into airwaves for people to participate in on all manner of personal devices. I have missed being able to gather with our folks there, and when I walk through it now, something is definitely missing. It is a vast understatement to say the COVID-19 pandemic has overturned our very way of life. Restrictions on work, retail, recreational, and social activities have hit us all hard. Like a two year old toddler, the first instance or two of being told "no" might slip right by us, but after repeated denials, that opposition often grows into anger-filled defiance before generating fits of rage-fueled outbursts. It happens. Churches are no stranger to this as the recent push to allow congregants to gather in NC has made its way through the court system. ...

Lent: Not Just Another Resolution To Keep

Over the past few weeks, I have been amazed at the number of cultural and secular references I have both seen and heard in regards to what an individual is "giving up for Lent." Just last night, my favorite late night host, Jimmy Fallon, incorporated the question of "What are you planning to give up for Lent?" into one of his infamous skits with the audience and house band, The Roots. The common responses I have seen are sodas, sugars, coffee, social media, and cursing. All of these are certainly admirable goals and definitely would improve one's life, but sadly they negate the entire purpose behind the season of Lent. The ways in which I see people describing their "sacrifices" bears striking resemblance to language I am accustomed to hearing around New Years in regards to a person's resolution, and not about penance or reflection. You see the season of Lent is not about identifying traits that we want to improve in ourselves, but recognizing o...

Boy Scouts of America & the SBC: My Adolescent Pillars

The annual Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) finished up last night in Houston, TX and one of the major news stories coming out of the convention is the resolution passed regarding the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) [read full resolution and press release by Baptist Press here ]. Essentially, the resolution expresses the disappointment by the denomination in both the leadership and decision made by the national Scouting board in regards to allowing all boys to participate in the organization despite their sexual orientation. What it does not do is tell churches to dissolve their relationships with BSA troops/packs (because then they would cease to be Baptist, you know the whole local church autonomy thing is KIND of a big part of the Baptist denomination), but instead encourages them to funnel support into the Royal Ambassadors (the SBC equivalent of an organization to the BSA). For those of you who may not know, I am an Eagle Scout, and a proud one at that. My family and I were a part ...

Between the Lines

Search This Blog