August 3, 2011

The  Rome Experience 

Dear Friends, 

Beccy and I had a wonderful Christian pilgrimage this summer. We walked the city of Ephesus where Paul taught and St. John and Jesus’ mother Mary spent their later years. The book of Ephesians was written to these people. Then we went through the passage between the boot of Italy and Sicily up to Rome where we followed Paul’s last journey by sea. It was humbling and provocative to stand in the forum of Caesar Augustus where he ruled the world during Jesus’ time. We looked at the Arch of Titus, built to celebrate his victories and the siege and destruction of both the city of Jerusalem and Christianity in AD70. A short distance was away the Arch of Constantine, where 300 years later he declared that Christianity was not dead and in fact was the religion of the Roman Empire. Then, looking off to the side of the forum we saw a little prison, Mamartine Prison. Beccy and I were able to enter this musty, dark little prison cave where Paul wrote his prison letters. We just wanted to stand there again and pray, and to thank God for the example of Paul laying down his life for the gospel. And to be challenged to lay down our lives for Christ.

We came home thankful to the Lord for the privilege of being servants of our incredible Christ. 

In the name of our incredible Christ,

Pastor Larry