Join us in the nave at 4:00 p.m. with Pastor Don Carlson for this interesting topic! Below is more information:
Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man”, set in River City, Iowa in 1912, opens with a group of traveling salesmen riding the Rock Island Line. They agree on one thing; to be a good salesman, “You gotta know the territory!”
After hosting five “In Search of Paul” study pilgrimages for LEAD, I am convinced that knowing Paul’s territory – the Roman Empire – brings a much richer understanding of the apostle Paul and his gospel.
New Testament scholar N.T. Wright has said, “For too long we’ve read Scripture with 19th century eyes and 16th century questions. It’s time we get back to reading with 1st century eyes and 21st century questions.” My experience tells me that Wright is right; too often we read Paul through Reformation lenses.
Walking through ancient Philippi, seeing the Roman forum at Thessaloniki and the Temple of Apollo at Corinth, discovering that there were imperial temples to Hadrian, Domitian, and Augustus at Ephesus – brings with it the realization that Paul was writing to very small faith communities that lived in a world very different from or Luther’s or ours.
The pervasiveness of Roman Imperial Theology, the patronage system, the social restraints of slavery and caste, the inescapable economic inequality, the array of gods and temples, and the brutality of the “Pax Romana” – the peace of Rome – all stood in stark contrast to the grace and peace of Jesus. Faithfulness to Jesus called for a different way of doing life together. Paul knew his territory.
A pastor, rostered less than ten years and who received a partial scholarship, wrote this note of thanks for his “In Search of Paul” experience:
Dear Scholarship Provider,
I wanted to write you this note of deep gratitude for the money you gave to the “In Search of Paul” trip. Since I began professional ministry, this trip was a dream of mine and your generosity made it possible. The experience has forever changed the way that I read Paul. It has influenced every sermon since returning and I have already offered two presentations on the experience. Later next month I will also use my new insights to lead a listening session after a showing of “Paul, the Apostle” motion picture at a local theater.
Your scholarship makes it possible for younger people like me to have experiences like that will directly influence the next 10-20 years of service. Because of this, I plan to give to the next scholarship drive. It will not be much, but I feel called to pay it forward and I pray that your continued help will make more dreams possible.
Peace always,
Justin Dittrich
That is the goal of any pilgrimage or immersion: to know the territory and understand life from a different point of view. In this case, to begin to understand Paul from a 1st century point of view; and then begin asking some 21st century questions.
More information on “In Search of Paul” for 2019 can be found here: https://waytolead.org/in-search-of-paul-2019/
Date/Time
Date(s) - Aug 26, 2018
4:00 pm
Location
Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church
