Day 02 - Sardis, Colossae

Day 2 started with another fantastic Turkish breakfast buffet consisting of multiple varieties of olives, cheeses, fresh fruit and vegetables, not to mention a lovely selection of warm bread, and fruit juices. Also have to mention the coffee and Turkish tea called cay, (pronounced chai), served in these served in the customary way, in a tulip-shaped glass, with a tiny spoon and sugar cubes.  

Our morning was still dark when we pulled out of the Lydia Sardis hotel, even colder with the rain!  We headed out to the city of Sardis, and the ruins which were the historical backdrop to the Lydian Kingdom. Here there is an acropolis, (which is the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens, yet nearly every Greek city had an acropolis of its own.). 

Sardis boasts of some incredible Biblical connections which were so cool to see firsthand.  

The King's Road was established here, and the significance of its 200,000 miles created pathways for the Gospel to spread further and faster than ever before! We even got to stand on it and see the shops and spaces that lined this part of the road. One of the shops' walls had a stamp of the menorah, and there was even evidence of what the businesses had been: paint, pottery, spices, and meat shops just to name a few.  

Sharing a wall with the shops was the Jewish synagogue, discovered in 1962. The mosaics that covered the walkway into the synagogue were incredible to see and the many colors were bright even in the early morning. The main hall of assembly was over 50 m. long and large enough to hold a thousand people!  

Sharing the opposite side of this massive synagogue was the Sardis Gymnasium. This large area and structure functioned as a training facility for competitors in public games and was a vital part of every Roman city. These were considered a school of sorts that made it also an education center.    
 

What stood out from these 3 connected structures was that they were all connected by the buildings themselves, but who was influencing whom?  How much had the secular culture influenced the Jewish synagogue, or were they making an impact in their space? We asked ourselves the question, "where am I making accommodations, justifications in my own life to be part of the culture I'm in."  

We got lots of pictures in this space - ask to see them when we arrive home! It's hard to describe the massiveness of these structures.  

Hopping on the bus for a quick roll to the temple of Artemis or also known at this site as Cybele (pronounced SIBEL-EE). She was the mother goddess, and known to bless her followers with fertility. Many sacrifices were made to be a priest of this cult, and instead of giving the blessing of new life, fertility was taken. Brokenness and physical pain were what awaited the priests. But in the far back of this structure there was added on a small Christian church known as Church M. Here in the shadow of the towering cult temple Jesus' hope was given, physical and emotional healing, a binding up of broken dreams and wounds. Weren't we called the New Testament Church to minister to the injured, sick, and broken?  

Each of us walked away with mutual and different takeaways from this site (ask us when we get home what our specific ones were): To show up in our ministries where there are already broken and hurt people; to shine the light of truth and healing into the broken promises of this world.  

Lunch was at an incredible spot on our way to Colossae. Warm fresh bread, chicken, beef or fish was served right by a warm fire, with a waterfall right outside the entrance.  

From there, we headed out to Colossae. From the road it was a short "hike" up the hill and atop this tel, we could see for miles and miles! The physical town of Colossae is no longer there.. destroyed by an earthquake, just shortly after they received Paul's letter to the Colossians. We were given insight to what Paul was calling them to do, and Travis also read the letter to Philemon, and his plea for Onesimus.  

The Doga Thermal Hotel was our stop for the day, and we are all extremely excited to get to be here for two nights!! The pools and hot springs are so fun, and the space invites rest and time to relax. I know the photos do not do this trip justice, but we all can't wait to share our own pictures when we get home. You can also follow us on our Instagram page @ncleadershipacademy for more videos and posts!