felix hominum

Holy Land Pilgrimage 2010 - In the Footsteps of St Paul & the Early Church

Here are the basics of the blurb for our next holy land pilgrimage.  Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Monday, April 19 – Saturday, May 1, 2010

Churches carved into the rock…ancient cities where the Gospel was first proclaimed…the birthplace of the Creeds of the Church…Roman and Byzantine ruins…Greek islands…sandy beaches…one of the friendliest and most interesting cultures in Asia…

All this and more can be found on our pilgrimage to modern-day Turkey, ancient Asia Minor, and the Greek island of Patmos. Turkey was the site of much of Saint Paul’s work of evangelism, the home of Early Church theologians, and the site of the earliest ecumenical councils of the Church. Patmos was the home to St John the Divine, author of the last book of the New Testament, and the place where his Revelation was written. Both are tremendous places of pilgrimage for Christians today.

 If you have ever wondered about the ancient world, about the life and times of Saint Paul, about the meaning and message of the Book of Revelation, or even about Christian theology in general, then this pilgrimage is for you! We will be following in the footsteps of the great Apostle, exploring the cities where he preached, taught and wrote, and visiting the land that in many ways gave rise to our modern church. In Western Turkey and on the Greek island of Patmos, we will explore the challenges of early Christian life in the ancient world, and the context which gave rise to some of the great Christian writings. We will visit, among other places, Ephesus, Colossae, Pergamum, Laodicea, Antioch of Psidia, Patmos, Nicea and, of course, Byzantium.

Please consider joining us for a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Saint Paul next spring. The trip will be led by the Rev. Sally French and the Rev. Joe Walker.  We will be journeying across Turkey, from Cappadocia to Ephesus, the Mediterranean Coast, the Greek island of Patmos, and Istanbul.

Itinerary:

Monday, April 19, 2010: Depart North America for Turkey.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010: Arrive Turkey. Air and bus transfers to Goreme, the main site in the region of Cappadocia. Relax, dinner and overnight in our hotel.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010: We will begin our pilgrimage in Cappadocia, the heart of the early church, and a site of spectacular ruins and history. Today we will visit the open-air archaeological park to see the ancient churches carved into the rock, to examine the ancient fresco paintings, and to discuss and learn about the development of Christian theology, including the creeds of the Church.

Thursday, April 22, 2010: Our tour of the Cappadocia region continues with a visit to one of the great underground cities of the region, a place of refuge for early Christians fleeing persecution. Then, we drive on to modern-day Konya, home of the ‘whirling dervishes’. We will visit their centre and the local museum. We will end the day in the town of Yalvac, ancient Antioch of Psidia.

Friday, April 23, 2010: Today, we begin by touring the ruins of ancient Antioch of Psidia, where Saint Paul began to spread the Gospel to the wider world (Acts 13). From there, we continue on to the ancient spa town of Heliopolis, modern-day Pammukale, and a UNESCO world heritage site. On the way, we will stop and visit ancient Colossae and Laodicea, famous from the Letter to the Colossians and the Book of Revelation. We will have free time today to visit the spa and Turkish baths and pools at our hotel.

Saturday, April 24, 2010: Our tour of some of the “seven churches” of the Book of Revelation (Rev 3) takes us to the ruins of Sardis, including some spectacular Roman buildings, a temple dedicated to Artemis, an ancient Synagogue and a Byzantine church. We will continue on towards the Mediterranean coast and spend the night in the modern-day resort town of Kusadasi, close to the ancient city of Ephesus.

Sunday, April 25, 2010: Visit Ephesus, one of the greatest ruins of the ancient Roman world, and a significant site for Saint Paul. In addition to an extensive tour of the ancient city, we will also be visiting the Basilica of Saint John and the ruins of the Temple of Artemis of the Ephesians, one of the ‘seven wonders of the ancient world’.

Monday, April 26, 2010: Today we travel to the Greek island of Patmos by private boat from Kusadasi, Turkey. There, we will visit the Monastery of Saint John and the Cave of the Apocalypse where the revelations to John took place (Rev 1:9-10). We will also enjoy lunch and free time in the Greek harbor town of Skala.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010: From Ephesus, we will continue northward to Bergama, ancient Pergamum. There, we will see the Acropolis, the Askelepion (Temple of Healing), and other ancient temples. Following our visit, we will drive on to Bursa, Turkey’s fourth largest city, known for its parks and silk production.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010: After a morning tour of Bursa, we continue on to Iznik, formerly Nicaea, site of the first ecumenical council of the Church in 325, and the place where the Nicene Creed began to be written. There, we will visit the site of the ancient palace complex (where the Council of Nicaea was held) and the ruins of the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom. From Iznik, we journey to Istanbul. We will enter the city along the Bosphorus, with a boat cruise past the city’s many minarets.

Thursday, April 29, 2010: Tour Istanbul: Our day begins with a walking tour of the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, and the famous Hagia Sophia, followed by an afternoon visit to the Chora Church. We will finish our day with some free time in the Istanbul, a trip to the Spice Market and Grand Bazaar, and a relaxing evening to enjoy the city. Dinner today is on your own.

Friday, April 30, 2010: Free day in Istanbul. Walk through the ancient streets, visit the Topkapi palace or other sites, shop and relax. In the evening, we will gather together for a final celebratory meal, a traditional Turkish feast. Lunch today is on your own.

Saturday, May 1, 2010: Departure. Travel from Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport to North America on our return home.

Accommodations and Meals:

Your pilgrimage fees include all accommodations and most meals. The accommodations will all be 4 or 5 star, depending on availability. The only exception to this is in the town of Yalvac (Antioch of Psidia), where the best hotel in the region is 3-star.  All meals are included, except dinner on April 29 and lunch on April 30. This is to give you some flexibility with your free time, and to give you the option of getting to know Istanbul and to make your own decisions regarding what, where, and when you eat. On other days, we will be traveling together as a group during mealtimes. Most meals will be ‘buffet-style’, with plenty of choices and opportunities to test the local cuisine. We can accommodate almost all dietary restrictions, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Registration, Fees, and other information:

The total cost for the pilgrimage is $5350.00 Canadian. This includes all travel (flights, bus, boat, etc), accommodations, meals as described, all admissions and guiding costs. It does not include medical insurance, local tips, travel visas (required for both Turkey and Greece upon entry), drinks and personal expenses. For more details, please see the Registration form. It is possible to arrange for departures from other locations, please ask if you are interested in joining us.

We strive to provide you with both a first-class travel experience and a positive experience of Christian pilgrimage. Throughout our time together, there will be opportunities for worship, for prayer and reflection, and for spiritual direction. This is not a “package tour” – it is a spiritual journey with fellow Christians, following Saint Paul and those who went before us in the earliest days of the Church. We believe that seeing the lands of the bible is truly a life-changing experience and we are excited about the possibility of sharing them with you. Although your leaders are both Anglican clergy, we welcome people of all Christian backgrounds and we would be happy to answer any questions you might have.  We wish you every blessing as you discern and prepare for pilgrimage, and we look forward to journeying with you in the footsteps of Saint Paul.

 

In the footsteps of St Paul - pilgrimage 2010

Churches carved into the rock…ancient cities where the Gospel was first proclaimed…  the birthplace of the Creeds of the Church…  Roman and Byzantine ruins…Greek islands…sandy beaches…one of the friendliest and most interesting cultures in Asia…   All this and more can be found on our pilgrimage to modern-day Turkey, ancient Asia Minor, and the Greek island of Patmos.

Turkey was the site of much of Saint Paul’s work of evangelism, the home of Early Church theologians, and the site of the earliest ecumenical councils of the Church. Patmos was the home to St John the Divine, author of the last book of the New Testament, and the place where his Revelation was written. Both are tremendous places of pilgrimage for Christians today.  If you have ever wondered about the ancient world, about the life and times of Saint Paul, about the meaning and message of the Book of Revelation, or even about Christian theology in general, then this pilgrimage is for you! We will be following in the footsteps of the great Apostle, exploring the cities where he preached, taught and wrote, and visiting the land that in many ways gave rise to our modern church. In Western Turkey and on the Greek island of Patmos, we will explore the challenges of early Christian life in the ancient world, and the context which gave rise to some of the great Christian writings. We will visit, among other places, Ephesus, Colossae, Pergamum, Laodicea, Antioch of Psidia, Patmos, Nicea and, of course, Byzantium.

Please consider joining us for a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Saint Paul next spring. The trip will be led by the Rev. Sally French and the Rev. Joe Walker.  A full itinerary and registration materials will be posted soon for downloading.

Itinerary in MS Word  Download Turkey_2010

Itinerary as PDF: Download Turkey Itin

speaking of Turkey...

Plans are being considered for another "Footsteps of St Paul" Christian pilgrimage to Turkey (and possbile a bit of Greece).  I'll post the proposed details as they take shape, but the dates we are considering are for late Spring 2010 - probably in late April.

serious looking saints...

Chora Church, Istanbul,

© Joe Walker, 2008

Arab shopkeeper, Jerusalem

 

Crosses over Capernaum

Crosses over Capernaum
photo ©  Joe Walker 2009

early morning, Holy Sepulchre, Old City of Jerusalem

the morning commute
©2009 Joe Walker

doors of the Holy Land

Muslim Quarter, Old City, jerusalem

rooftop hermitage, Old City, Jerusalem

Old Jaffa port
© 2009 Joe Walker

like a rolling stone tomb

photo © Joe Walker 2009

There are a few examples of rolling stone tombs still to be found in Israel.   This one in particular is found in Nazareth, and it comes with an unusual story.  Although, to be fair, most things in this part of the world come with an unusual story.  It seems that when the owners of this site were first purchasing land for expansion many years ago, the local Muslim landowner wanted a fairly steep price.  The land was, according to local legend, the "home of the righteous man."  The land was bought, and some time later, while doing work on the property, a first century house and road were uncovered, along with this first century tomb.  You can get a sense of what scripture means when it refers to rolling away the stone.  The location of this particular tomb is in Nazareth, and local speculation (nothing proven, except piety) ties in with Saint Joseph, whom the Gospel describes as being "a righteous man"...


Mark 15.45-16.8

When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’

the faithful at prayer: Western Wall, Jerusalem

photo: © Joe Walker 2009


 1st century temple steps exposed

The only problem with Masada...

word on the street: reaction to Obama's speech from the Green Line, Jerusalem

On the corner just outside the Damascus Gate leading up from the Old City of Jerusalem is a guy with a Bunsen burner.  For 3 shekels he will boil you up a fine Arabic coffee in just under 15 seconds.  I take mine ithneyn, 2 sugars.  The place is one of most under-rated people watching spots in the world.  You can throw a rock and hit the old Green Line, and I'm sure such a thing has in fact been done many times in the past.  Two or three street vendors sell kebabs and such - street meat in the Middle East is not for everyone, though I confess I do have a tender spot for it. 

The corner is a great meeting place for locals.  Workers heading to their day jobs will pick up their morning coffee, unemployed and out of school kids will gather to smoke incessantly, and in the evening the old men come out.  "Politicians, just politicians. We've heard politicians for 60 years.  This is nothing."  "What can he do?  He is not God."  In my rather unscientific poll (conducted, if you are wise, among the older gentlemen - the younger can become a bit too impassioned after a bit), what I heard was mostly a variation on "thanks for coming out Mr. President, but..."

ps:  a billboard in Nazareth, one block from the Church of the Annunciation:

East Jerusalem, child among the women

photo: © Joe Walker 2009

by the time you read this, I'll be in Jerusalem...

And probably have a real coffee at Yaravan's cafe just inside the Old City (near the New Gate - take a left just at the first street.  Can't miss it.  As the Turks say, coffee should be strong as death, black as hell, and sweet as love.

I'll try to post some updates from our 2009 Holy Land pilgrimage as we travel.  If you would like to see the basic itinerary, click here.

Mt Sinai, mid morning

photo Joe Walker

The little gathering at the bottom of the photo is the last of several tea huts along the way.  It also serves as a bit of a camel parking lot. At the top right you can make out a few pilgrims who are near the summit.

caeserea mosaic

the church at prayer

 

Coptic area, Old Cairo
photo Joe Walker, 2007

the rock churches of central Cappadocia

The early Christian communities of Cappadocia.  I think the thing which most strikes visitors is the contrast between the sheer rock and stone of the exterior, and the rich decoration of the interior.  The first shot shows the beginning of the internal structure;  it was exposed after earthquake damage.  I think this to be an apt symbol for the life of the monastic and the hermit.  From a purely external point of view, all one sees is the harsh discipline of the ascetic life.  But within, hidden from view, is the rich spiritual life of one who devoted to Christ.

from a cafe in Istanbul

photo©Joe Walker

all the colours of the rainbow

that would be a selection of belly dancing outfits in the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

photo Joe Walker 2008

days in the wilderness

Judean wilderness
photo Joe Walker 2005

house, somewhat falling, Turkey

photo Joe Walker 2008

no entrance

Seraglio, Turkey,
photo Joe Walker, 2008

waterfront, Istanbul

photo Joe Walker, 2008

Burial tombs, central Turkey

just to you in the mood for Aeneas' further adventures in the underworld

 

photos: Joe Walker, 2008

this ain't Kansas, Dorothy

in fact, it's the far side of Mt Sinai.  Over the ridge away from the main pilgrimage routes there is a great little place where Ahmed & I had some tea and about an hour of  conversation.  He runs a great little shop which is, ummmm, off the beaten track.

I'll introduce you if you want to join us this spring for our next Holy Land Pilgrimage.

ritual washing / 'baptismal' at Qumran

Notice the two sets of steps:  you go in one way, and you come out a different way.  It captures my imagination that this is a physical image of change of direction.

"Repent, and be baptized."

photo: felix hominum

Ruins, Petra, Jordan

Roman square, Petra, Jordan.

[click for full size & better colour]

Holy Land Pilgrimage 2009 -

Full itinerary is here in Word or PDF

Registration materials are here in Word or PDF

What are the basics? 

Following Christ and the First Christians: A Pilgrimage Through the Holy Land and Egypt in the Footsteps of Jesus and the Desert Fathers:

A Holy land Pilgrimage is being planned for Feb 2-21, 2009.  The itinerary will follow sites from the life of Christ throughout the Holy Land, along with sites important to the background of Christianity and the lives of the early Christians. The pilgrimage will be led Reverend Sally French and the Reverend Joseph Walker, both Anglican clergy with experience leading pilgrimages to the Holy Land. We will be journeying through Israel and Egypt, following the bible stories from Bethlehem to Nazareth, the Galilee, the Judean Wilderness, the Dead Sea, the ancient city of Jerusalem, and many other sites. In Egypt, we begin with the Sinai Desert, the wilderness of the Exodus. We will then explore the landscapes of the Desert Fathers and the early Christians, and journey to the monastic centers of the ancient world.

For more information, go to the Holy Land Pilgrimage blogsite.

Full itinerary for the 2009 Holy Land Pilgrimage: Christ and the First Christians

can be viewed here, registrations forms, etc, will be uploaded shortly.

ps - I will be departing from Edmonton, but we can make a variety of accomodations for people who would like to come, but would be departing from other cities.