At the conclusion of the Go Ye Choir Tour, I met Amanda and stayed over in Italy for a few days of vacation. We visited places I never dreamed I would have the privilege of visiting…the Vatican, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the town of Assisi, the mountains in the Cinque Terre range, and the canals of Venice. Our trip became more like a spiritual pilgrimage as we toured renowned museums, visited historic cathedrals, and hiked the scenic mountains.
During our journey, I took a few notes, wrote a few articles, and reflected a little on what I was seeing. Of all my observations, here are the top ten:
10. Man cannot live on pasta alone.
9. Hospitality, smiles, and laughter transcend language barriers.
8. Ice cream is good, especially when you call it gelato. (I also learned that I could eat gelato every day of my trip and still not catch up with Pensacola’s reigning gelato king, Steve Baker.)
7. Euros seem to disappear faster than dollars.
6. Caffe’ and coffee are not nearly the same beverage.
5. Turning off your email and cell phone periodically is good for the soul.
4. A church that is more concerned about preserving the past than ministering in the present may become the next “tour stop.”
3. Churches become empty when Christians neglect faithfully assembling with others for worship, and begin to treat Sunday as a “holiday” to travel, recreate, and visit family and friends.
2. We can learn from our Catholic friends to say, “Father, forgive me, for I have sinned,” a little more often.
1. Be it ever so humble there’s no place like home.
It’s great to be home in Pensacola. Our August series, More Than a Song, continues this Sunday as we look at Isaiah 40:28-31 and hear an encouraging message built around the song title, “You Raise Me Up.” On Sunday evening at six o’clock, Ross Lankford will be sharing our second August Concert.
Don’t forget that our celebration of Baptism at the Beach is coming up on August 22. If you or a member of your family has recently made a commitment to Christ, contact me or one of our ministers so that we can help you prepare for baptism.
It’s great to be at home in Pensacola. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we gather for worship and Bible study.
(Read more about our trip at www.bayhillrev.blogspot.com)
