The Road to Ephesus

Walking the stone road through Ephesus is an experience I will never forget. On the west coast of the Izmir Provence of Turkey, I am with my traveling group from Charleston’s Church of St. Michael’s. In this arid climate, the sun is overhead and bright. There is a gentle breeze coming in from the sea. In ancient times, Ephesus was located on a river bend, which fed into a harbor. Over time, silt has filled in and the ocean is now located 8 km away. Crowds of people congregate around their guides. Incredible sights meet my eye in all directions. I feel the excitement coming from us all as I stand at the threshold of this ancient marvel.

Ephesus speaks to me on so many different levels. I love history and here the depth of the past is astounding. Everywhere I look, I imagine ancient people living their lives much as I do. I can feel their presence. I envision these stones telling their many stories. I am happy to see that we are listening by preserving these ruins. Experts work endless hours to bring this town of antiquity back to life.

On another level, Biblical men and women strolled the stone passageways. Apostle Paul walked the same streets I am walking. He greeted others as he made his way to the theater where ultimately, merchants, angered at his stance of their god Artemis threw him out of the city. I sit quietly on one of the theater’s seats and look down on the stage. I can almost see this scenario being played out in front of my eyes. I picture Paul taking on these angry men in the name of Jesus and his courage amazes me. He does not back down and consequently; he is escorted to the city gate and thrown out. His calm demeanor humbles me. He stands up for his faith when most would back down. Can I do the same?

My traveling companions whom I have grown to know during our trip add another dimension to my experience. Sometimes I travel alone and other times I am with a group or a few friends. Being with a group of friends here seems right and their enthusiasm and perceptions add to my understanding of this unique site. In his writings, Apostle Paul emphasized the importance of Christian friends in life’s journey. Our group has become cohesive as we walk many ruins together. We have gotten “to know each other from the inside out”(Frederick Buechner). Our Turkish tour guide and our priest, Dr. Peter Moore from St. Michael’s have prepared us intellectually for what we are seeing. What no one can prepare me for is the complexity of my feelings when I reach out and touch the past. Wisdom is gained and I come away richer for the journey.

One particular companion on our trip had been a woman, whom I have grown to esteem. She was elderly by the standards of the world, but to all of us, she was the life of the party. While others of her age were in nursing homes, she was traveling the world, experiencing all life has to offer. I have always been drawn to older women who live outside the box, who take what life has dealt them and then define it for themselves. Her deep-seated faith had enabled her to weather the deaths of her second husband and daughter within a year of our trip and yet here she was with us, making the most of her last years. She was an inspiration to all of us.

As a teenager, she sang for the WWII troops overseas. Many evenings on our trip, we stood by the piano and sang along with her. She had a spark I rarely see and we were drawn to her and her story. She didn’t speak of her faith unless you questioned her. Instead she lived it and what a powerful example she exemplified.

Last week, I heard of her death. I am not sad in the way you may think. She lived a very full life and made every second count. I mourn her because the world is not the same without her. She was truly one of a kind. What I want to gain from knowing her is the courage to be who I am, always. And to embrace and cherish every day! To draw deep into my faith during hard times. And to love life and forever be up for an adventure! I find it hard to think of her passing up even one OIALO - Once In a Lifetime Opportunities. And thus I want to be just like her when I grow up.

Barbara Stevenson of Long Island, NY and Vero/Jupiter Beach, Florida, we will miss your radiant spirit! You will not be forgotten. We know heaven is brighter with your presence. God has said well-done, good and faithful daughter. Welcome home. We wish you God speed.

N’Motion Fitness studio

A majority of my most meaningful experiences in the presence of God have been in solitude. An exception is fitness spinning at N’Motion studio in Mt. Pleasant. This nonprofit studio brings to reality Luke 10:27- “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and Love your neighbor as yourself”. This program bases itself on the Trinity of God. Mind, Body and Spirit are incorporated. Spinning represents the Father, where cardio exercise works the heart and the mind is engaged. Weights/strength training is based on Jesus, who came in a physical body and gives us strength when we ask Him. The Holy Spirit is found in stretching. He stretches us outside our box. This workout gives our body what we need to accomplish great things.

This is a perfect combination as we individually meet God while gaining the benefits of physical exercise. Bible verses and devotional sayings are read during seventy-five minutes to give us food for thought. Their mission is to serve women who serve others. This is the loving your neighbor component.

I prepare my spin bike for a ride to the mountaintop. Women around me talk quietly as they get on their bikes. A few of the women are new to spinning. In this place, there is no judgment, only patient explanation and love. The lights dim while Christian music plays in the background. Our instructor starts our group ride. She begins with a slow warm up while giving us some ideas to consider as we lose ourselves in God’s company. It is a solo ride, surrounded by the encouragement of others. The instructor encourages us to make this ride our own. We are instructed to listen to our bodies and determine how much resistance we add to the pedals. It is a private decision with no one observing our actions.

I close my eyes as the music swirls around me. I add more tension to the wheels as I feel my heart rate increase. Deeper into the seat of the bike I go as I work my muscles. I increase my cadence and I get lost in the music and God’s presence. He is here; ready to talk with me. I tell Him how this mountain is a tough climb and he says practice makes perfect. The climb will be long and hard, but the mountaintop view is spectacular. This is an analogy I use for life. There are times when I think I can’t make it because the climb lasts too long and my energy level is depleted to the point of collapse. This is when God steps in if I ask Him. He will give me the strength to continue as I climb higher. And He will be with me at the pinnacle where I celebrate a victory of sorts. The clarity I get at the summit makes all the past struggles worth the effort. I look back over the ride and see God in every turn. He confirms His promise never to desert me. It may feel like He is distant at times, but He is always with me. I can rely on Him and this gives me hope for a brighter future.

I have found that when I engage all my senses, I am brought into the present. It is impossible to be worried about the future or living in the past, when I am concentrating on the information my senses are gathering. I am where I need to be at this moment and life is good.

The jury is still out on whether I love to spin. What I know is that I love to connect to God in this amazing space. Only love fills this room. I pedal and find myself alone with God. He is so happy to connect with me in this sacred and safe place. The thirty- five minutes fly by as I spin in His presence. Before I know it, it is time to slow down, dismount and lift weights for fifteen minutes. Transitioning into stretching, my body is given a slow down while my mind is quieted.

N’Motion believes that nutrition is key to a healthy body. Their “fuel” classes are offered to promote healthy eating. Being well rounded is important.

I invite all women to visit this amazing place. Mention this article and the first visit is free. Find N’Motion on the web at www.nmotionstudio.org. This experience is a spiritual journey with physical benefits. Come join me for the ride of your life.

Deep Dive of Faith

Photos by Kim Brunson and Rob Lyons.

Leaving the dock behind, I swim towards open sea. All around me are hundreds of tiny rainbows dancing on the sand. The water, acting as a prism, breaks the sunlight into many colors. The rainbows are mesmerizing. I pause to take in the beauty and give thanks for this special moment.

In the aquamarine water, I swim along a coral reef off the shore of Bonaire. There is a slight current I am fighting against. The sun is shining through the water illuminating the corals, lightening up the oranges, blues, greens and whites. The ferns are delicately swaying in the surf. Fish of every size and color are swimming amongst the reef. There is so much activity to observe as I float by. Nowhere else in the natural world am I able to observe wildlife so closely without interrupting their animal behavior. The fish accept me as a fellow traveler in the ocean if I move slowly without frightening them. The only sound I hear is my regulator delivering air to my lungs as I inhale and exhale. Bubbles float to the surface. It is a comforting sound. I am alone in my thoughts and I am at home.

Schools of fish swim in front of me as they cross my projected path. They move with a grace that leaves me in awe. One fish in particular is swimming along with me. He swims ahead, darts between some ferns and then returns to my side. My dark brown friend, a Bar Jack, has adopted me as a traveling partner. He continues to weave around, behind and in front of me. He seems as enthralled with me as I am with him. I wish we could talk, but maybe that is the beauty of this world. We share this place through our presence, not through anything we say. No words will enhance this friendship. And I am content to swim in peace and harmony.

There is something amazing about being suspended; buoyant in a horizontal position. A certain freedom is gained from weightlessness. Normal human movements include forward, backwards, left, and right. Diving gives me the extra dimension of going up and down. Rising and falling are tools I use to navigate. In the same way, my faith gives me an added dimension. I have a connection to the source of life, which gives me access to God’s wisdom, His strength and His goodness.

Breath is an important component to diving. As I float in this sea of water, I control small ascents and descents by my breath. I swim towards a fern swaying. I need to go over it. I take in more air and hold it slightly while I lift higher. Slowly releasing, I swim easily over the obstacle. I maintain this new depth by breathing normal. Deep cleansings breaths are taken in and out as I observe the world around. I use less air in my tank as I maintain a rhythm. I am aware of what is happening in my body as well as what is going on around me.

I continue to swim into the current. I am 50 feet below the surface. When I look up, I see the surface lit up by the sun. My bubbles continue to make their way upward. The coral reef draws my gaze back. A moray eel slides along the sandy bottom. He sneaks into a crevice and disappears. A peacock flounder rushes by quickly as it searches for a rock to camouflage itself. A school of blue tang swims in uniform as it intersects a school of yellow tail snapper. Each school continues course. The mingling confuses neither.

God says there is nowhere I can go that He can’t follow. I feel this profoundly when diving in the deep. Alone in my thoughts, He appears. It is in the quiet that I hear His voice. When no one is speaking, we communicate. I thank him for this opportunity to enjoy His amazing creation and spend time with Him. He says it is His pleasure. He never tires of being with me. This fills me with great joy. He prefers it when I am still and open to His presence. In that moment, I am one with Him and I am content.

I look at my dive computer and realize that my hour is up. As I climb into the boat, the water dripping off me reminds me that I have reentered the human realm, where gravity holds me down. This magical time has come to an end. Only for the moment though. There is always another dive. And another time with God.

Chartres, France

Sacred Ground

Travel is seeing new places, experiencing different cultures and connecting with history. When I open myself to the unknown, amazing things happen. When I connect with places steeped in spiritual significance, I come away with a deeper understanding of myself, my faith, and the world around me. People have been experiencing pilgrimages for centuries. In ancient times, Greeks and Romans visited the temples of their gods. During the Middle Ages, knights traveled to the Holy Land and many faithful Christian believers visited the cathedrals of Europe. Throughout history, Jews and Muslims have made journeys to divine locations. Many religions have places of spiritual importance where believers renew their faith.

For over a thousand years, pilgrims have visited Chartres Cathedral, located in Chartres, France, an hour southwest of Paris. I journeyed there last year on a pilgrimage to be with God. You may ask, why travel so far when God is everywhere? That is a good question. One I also posed. The answer is this: God is everywhere and you can experience Him in the most ordinary as well as the extraordinary places. But God has favorites that He wants to share with us. There are so many unique localities that each one of us will be invited to His Holy sites in various ways.

When I approach a place of holiness, I walk the perimeter first and notice any places that speak to me and listen to the voice of longing. Then I walk inside and circle that as well. I take note of my feelings and where God may want me to pause and listen. I don't stop yet as I continue to circumambulate.

When I arrive back to my starting point, I ask God where He wants me to pause and be still. It is in the quiet that I can feel His presence. I sit in the nave of the cathedral so I can get a full view. The concrete vaulting crisscrosses the entire ceiling of the nave. The space gives an optical illusion of being able to reach out and touch the other side. My brain tells me this isn’t possible, but the effect creates a personal space that seems almost cozy in a space so immense.

An evening concert is beginning. It is dark in the sanctuary with candlelight flickering off the walls and twilight coming through the stain glass windows. There is a hush as the music begins. One woman sings while another plays the flute. A cellist rounds out the ensemble. The haunting music rings out in the silence and slowly floats upward. The feeling of holiness surrounds me. All my senses are engaged. I am fully present.

Afterwards, I walk to the back of the cathedral… the semicircular apse where I am alone. I sit in a place that God has marked on my heart. The quiet and solitude open me to a dialogue with my Father. I tell Him how wonderful everything is so far. I am surprised, delighted and honored. He is pleased that I am excited. He delights in giving us good things. And I am grateful.

I walk back to the nave. There is a giant labyrinth set in the stone floor, which has been there for close to a millennium. Using this tool, people have meditated on these stones for centuries. In the center, a rosette flower is divided into six petals. Beginning in the left bottom petal, I reflect on the Lord’s Prayer, starting with the awesomeness of God. I stop in each petal as I work my way through the Prayer: Faith, Surrender, Service, Abundance, Forgiveness and Strength. On Fridays, the entire labyrinth is exposed when the chairs are removed. I walk along the path with many other pilgrims. Using this ancient method, I embrace the chance to be with God and connect with the past, present and future.

This spiritual journey to France changes me. My life blossoms, like flower petals following the sun. My experience opens my eyes to new perspectives, new opportunities and new relationships that help me appreciate the beautiful and meaningful world that God gives us. Close by, at Mepkin Abbey in Goose Creek, I discover a labyrinth to walk and mediate. Join me each month as I explore God’s presence in our world and His influence in the lives of His people. In our search, we will come away with a greater appreciation for our spiritual life.