Monday, 24 April 2017

Looking Back

We are now back In England, after an smooth journey back (apart from the greater number of security and passport checks at both Turkish airports.) It’s good to be back in our own home, with availability of books and music, choice of clothes and the calm of a small town in East Devon. But we miss our involvement in the life of St John’s and all the friends we have made there.

Our Holy Week was worthwhile, if a bit limited. We held an afternoon service for Good Friday – which about twelve church members were able to attend, as well as a number of Turkish passers-by, who called in and stayed for the rest of the service. Our Easter Day Eucharist was a joyful occasion, as always; and we had a lovely leave-taking afterwards. We were given a hand-woven kilim – a reminder, we were told, of how our lives are woven together. And someone had had a luscious strawberry and cream cake made, with the iced message ‘Michael and Jo, we love you.’!

Easter Day was also the day of the Turkish referendum on much increased presidential powers. To nobody’s great surprise, President Erdogan got his way – but only by a small margin. Given the huge disparity between the government-funded campaign for Yes and the severely restricted No campaign of the opposition, it almost counts as a defeat. The campaign and its aftermath was at least fairly peaceful. The Izmir region voted strongly against the proposed changes; again, no surprise. It will be interesting to watch further developments from a distance. Some of the Iranian refugees are anxious that there will be a push for more Islamisation in Turkey. And it will probably be even more uncomfortable to be an opposition politician, or a journalist. But as there will be presidential elections in two years’ time, Erdogan will have to ensure he loses no more support (even his home-base Istanbul had voted against the new constitution.)

So we look back on seven and a half busy weeks. As always, we are conscious of the privilege of doing locum ministry. We get to spend time living in a ‘normal’ area of a city, with regular contact with locals – so different from the experience of spending a week in a hotel or holiday let. We become part of a local church, with a real opportunity of getting to know and learn from people with many different stories. We meet Christians from other churches and denominations. Talking to refugees from Iran, we gained a much deeper realisation of all they have suffered, and the continuing pain of their unrooted existence in a temporary setting. They do not really belong anywhere, or possess anything – despite their skills and gifts. It is deplorable that those who are fleeing intolerant regimes are rejected by Western governments that criticise those same regimes.

I am writing this on the feast day of a third-century martyr from Turkey, who was executed in Palestine – one St George. It should be a reminder of our common humanity, unrestricted by narrow nationalism.  At present, most Christians in Turkey have freedom to meet and worship, but there must always be caution; Christian pastors have been arrested on little evidence, and in more Muslim areas, there can be some hostility. Complaints about the apparent downplaying of Easter in chocolate eggs hunts in England sound strange in a country where there is no outward recognition of any kind of this central Christian festival! At St John’s we were able to go on procession around the church on Palm Sunday, but we were told that in some places that would be impossible.

Our hope is that the appointment of a permanent chaplain will proceed according to plan. But we also hope that this will not have been our last ever visit to Izmir and the congregation of St John’s.

Please pray for the people of St John’s in the months to come:
That the refugees may have more than a glimmer of hope for the future.
For justice and openness in Turkey.

Monday, 10 April 2017

Holy Week in Izmir

Yesterday was Palm Sunday. It was good to be celebrating this in a church with palm trees outside; the Catholic Cathedral administrator brought us many (fresh, green) palm branches to decorate the church and to carry in our procession from the hall, as we walked around the church – shouting Hosanna! -before entering for the service. We had brought palm crosses with us from England (a bit like carrying coal to Newcastle, I suppose!) and distributed them to everyone. And, although the congregation is not large, they joined very positively in the crowd parts of the Passion reading. It felt a satisfying start to Holy Week. We were surprised during the Offertory hymn when the congregation more than doubled in size when a large group of young people (obviously on a walking tour) came in at the back of the church; they stayed, many taking photographs, for most of the Eucharistic Prayer - when they left as suddenly as they had arrived. Another indication of the interest many young Turkish people some to have towards Christianity.

Our plans for an afternoon boat ride across the Bay were frustrated. With the referendum on presidential power only a week away, the government AK Party are pulling out all the stops. Some of the streets and the waterfront are festooned with AKP flags, and the President was speaking on a huge stage set up the Cordon, which was out of bounds to visitors. Bus-loads of supporters were brought in from outlying parts (many in buses sponsored by local firms.) We saw crowds making their way to the assembly, which could be heard over a wide area. Restaurant owners must have been disgruntled, because many were out of bounds. The vote takes place next Sunday.
So we walked in Kulturpark (on the site of the former Armenian area, destroyed in the great fire of Izmir in 1922 – sadly there is no acknowledgement of this anywhere. Turkey is quite adept at airbrushing or ignoring its past.) It was nice to see a group of teenagers happily jiving to 1950 jazz music.

On Friday we ventured somewhere new. One of the Iranian members lives as Manisa (in line with government policy to assign refugees to specific towns, to avoid over-concentration in large cities.) It’s accessible by train, so we went, to see her, and to visit this town, which was an important centre of learning in Ottoman period. There are some lovely, well-restored buildings, including a former hospital now turned into a medical museum. It was informative, with panels in Turkish and (pretty good) English; there were some gruesome displays of surgical instruments, and tableaux of procedures. Ottoman medicine apparently included music therapy – something which has only recently come on the scene in Europe – and some innovative medicine. Manisa is famous for its paste made of a mixture of 41 herbs and spices. We bought a tube, and will test its therapeutic powers. A mountain-range towers over the town; at the top of a river, which runs down through the town is ‘Niobe’s Rock’. Readers of Ovid may remember the tale of how Apollo and Artemis took vengeance on Niobe for her hubris in boasting about her children; they were killed by the gods, and Niobe’s tears continue to flow, though her head has been petrified!

Now we prepare for the rest of Holy Week – which of course makes little impact on Turkish society and shops; so there are no Hot-cross buns, or Easter eggs (or bunnies) in the shops. We hope a few church members will be able to attend a Good Friday service at 2.00pm (but other churches have evening services for those who are working.) There are not enough people to support Maundy Thursday or Easter Eve services, I fear. We’ll be taking home communions to a few people. We finished our Bible Study on Ephesians last week, so we will do a one-off one for Holy Week. And then Easter Sunday will be our last engagement before we pack up and return to the UK and our family.

Please pray:
For protection of Christians this week; (there have been few attacks on churches in Turkey, but the dreadful incidents in Egypt may provoke others.)
For our final services at St John’s.
For the future of the church, as the appointment process of a permanent chaplain continues.
For safe and easy leave-taking and return to the UK.


Monday, 3 April 2017

Turtles and cable-cars

Now it is Passiontide. Lent has passed quickly – but in many ways it has been more positive this year, with fewer distractions, and more reason to be focussed.
Yesterday after the Eucharist I took part in my first Annual Church Meeting for five years. It was basically the same as others have been (though perhaps some details were observed in a slightly more casual way than in the past!) Numbers at church have not been high; but at least two of the best singers in the congregation have returned from time abroad, so the hymns were sung with more panache. Visually too the worship was enhanced: one of the church members has loaned a beautiful representation of the Last Supper painted on cloth by a Syrian Orthodox woman from eastern Turkey; we’ve hung it as a kind of altar frontal. Its impact affected even our youngest member: 3 year-old Ryan came up to the sanctuary step and gazed at it for some time. (I’ll try to post a photo on Facebook.) And once more, our numbers were increased by seven or eight people who came into the church in the course of the service - and stayed until the end. We hope and pray that this has some lasting effect. (This week, too, there were well over 300 visitors to the church on Saturday.)
As well as leading the Bible Study and Evening Prayer, I’ve also been seeing one of the Iranian asylum-seekers, a lovely man who is wanting to deepen his (relatively new) faith. He is eager to learn, but already knows more of the Bible, and his reason for believing than many long-term Anglicans I have come across! It’s frustrating that most English-speaking countries have closed their borders to refugees; he and his wife would be assets to any country.
Political campaigning is warming up somewhat as the referendum approaches. We had some ‘Vote Yes’ leaflets delivered to the flat; and there are more ‘Vote No’ posters and stickers around in Izmir. From time to time we hear loud music and announcements from a passing car – but I have no idea which side they are on! But so far, all is calm. The result may well be influenced by the fact that Syrian refugees have been given votes – but not the more sceptical Iranians.
For the past couple of weeks, we have visited the Botanical Gardens at Ege University before the Bornova Evening Prayer, and it’s been good to see the visible progress of spring. There are some interesting plants – and a colony of turtles in one pond. But we can’t help noticing the rather neglected state of the gardens, with a lack of notices, some overgrown ponds, barren flower beds and an air of untidiness. Given that these are – according to one web-site ‘the best’ botanical gardens in Turkey – it suggests that there has been some over-relaxed management in the past, though there are signs of improvement over last year. They are worth visiting (if you can find them!)
We managed to get to Ephesus again. Though this was our third visit, we found plenty of new things to see, as well as enjoying the whole experience again. It was good to see more tourists than last year; and it was easier to explore in a temperature less than 35C! There are good information boards around, but they gave no indication of Ephesus’ significance for Christians – apart from the notice at the Church of St Mary, site of the 431 Council of Ephesus. We took a taxi to the House of the Virgin Mary in the hills above – a lovely peaceful place (with explicitly Christian notice-boards), whatever its historical status. There was much more security than last year, with a check point on the way, and armed soldiers at the entrance.
We also managed to visit a modern art gallery on the 18th floor of a tower block overlooking the bay. The exhibition – of Turkish paintings from the past 120 years – was very interesting; and the views from the windows were outstanding. (I don’t think we’ve ever been in a gallery so high above the ground.) We also met the two young women Jo had taught when they were at school in Exeter many years ago, and went with them and a couple of friends (six of us in the car!) to the Balcova district, where we took the cable-car up to the top of one of the very high hills overlooking Izmir. It was good  to be surrounded by pine forests and peace.

Please pray for:
Holy Week preparations.
Refugees and asylum-seekers, that their cases will be processed soon.
The presidential referendum; security during the last fortnight of campaigning.
Safety for travellers.

Continued health and safety for Jo and me.

Monday, 27 March 2017

Drains and other matters

Before we left England, some people commented that we were ‘brave’ to be coming to such a dangerous country as Turkey. Ironically, the first ‘terrorist’ attack in recent months took place in London. It’s a reminder that nowhere is ‘safe’ these days. And it is so important to remember that the great majority of Muslims are as opposed to mindless violence as most of us are.
One of the disadvantages of returning to a previously visited place is that there are few ‘new’ things to see or do. In the Izmir region, public transport is somewhat limited, and so we are unable, in the free time available, to get to some other places we would love to visit. But there is some compensation in the fact that we can take time to reflect more  on the culture we experience. One of the most visible contrasts with all European countries is the absence of churches. Before 1922, when the ‘Greeks’ were expelled, many towns and villages will have had Orthodox churches as well as mosques; hardly any survive. That probably accounts for the frequency with which St John’s is visited; it is almost the only church in Izmir (and probably in Turkey!) that is not protected by walls and barriers.
The large Turkish flags we reported last week have mostly disappeared, so they were obviously flying for a particular event. There was a large public meeting on the Kordon yesterday, which we assume was something to do with the coming referendum on presidential power; the road was closed to traffic, and there were coastguard boats and others keeping watch. The government have banned most meetings planned by the opposition, and at least some statements have linked a vote for No with a vote for terrorism. So it is not exactly a ‘level playing-field’; but there does appear to be some doubt about the likely outcome. We shall see; referenda can achieve strange results!
We had an ‘interesting’ diversion at the end of the week. The woman living in the first floor flat came up and managed (eventually) to tell us that she was getting foul water coming up into her sink and toilet and asking us not to use our toilet or sinks! We enlisted the help of our Turkish-speaking churchwarden, and it appeared eventually that there was some kind of cess-pit underneath the shop unit on the ground-floor. This had got blocked and raw sewage was coming up into the shop as well – there are some advantages in being on the top floor! We exercised as much discretion as possible to avoid adding too much to the problem, and all was finally sorted by Saturday evening.
Otherwise, it has been a largely routine week. Bible Study continues to go well, and we are enjoying wrestling with Paul’s thought in Ephesians. We are missing a number of regular members from Sunday worship – we’re a bit of a remnant at the moment - but those who do come seem very committed. We visited the American minister who had done such a good job of helping to maintain preaching and sacramental worship. Sadly his health has now deteriorated. But it was good to see him and his Turkish wife, and enjoy the views of the Aegean from their delightful and interesting house.
Spring has officially arrived – and been marked by some warm sunny days, which is good. A beneficial effect of the arrival of Summer Time in UK is that we are now only two hours ahead, and so communications with home are easier – and we can catch a few radio and TV programmes as they are broadcast! (Certainly, having WiFi in the flat has made life much easier than it was last summer.).
We took advantage of the sunshine to pay a return visit to Foça, on the coast north of Izmir. It’s in a lovely setting, surrounded by clear blue water. The journey there is easy by public transport. Our Saturday walk beside the bay took us some way further to the west, where we discovered an unexpected park extending for a couple of kilometres alongside the sea.

Please keep praying:
For safety and health – for us and for all Christians in Turkey.
For the refugees in our churches.
For Turkey in the forthcoming referendum.
For preparations for Holy Week and Easter.

For the ongoing appointment process for a permanent chaplain here.

Monday, 20 March 2017

Happy Spring; Happy New Year

Today (March 20th, the Spring equinox) is Nowruz (or Norooz): New Year in the Persian Calendar. It’s a time for family celebrations in much of the Western Asia. So it is a poignant as well as joyful day for ‘our’ Iranian refugees, who are banned from ever returning to their families. It is too easy for us in the West to see refugees as a ‘problem’, without reckoning on how much they have lost in becoming exiles from their homes. Very few would have chosen such a state of unrooted-ness without good reason. By coincidence this year it’s also the transferred Feast of St Joseph, the patron saint of families. In my sermon yesterday, we were thinking about Jesus’s words from the Cross to his Mother and St John, and reflecting on the ‘family’ nature of the New Israel to which they pointed.

Yesterday’s worship seemed to go quite well – though we are missing a few people, who have had to go abroad on trips for various reasons. We are blessed in having some good musicians to lead the singing and to play preludes and during the communion: yesterday one Turkish, one American and one Iranian.

It’s been a ‘normal’ week. On Tuesday we went again to St Mary Magdalene’s church in Bornova. The church is actually older than St John’s, in Greek Revival style; originally, it was a separate ‘parish’ catering for some of the wealthier European merchants. There are still some large mansions in the area; but it is now dominated by the extensive campuses of Ege University. There are students everywhere. The church is a bit neglected, but there may well be potential here. At Evening Prayer, the congregation of a dozen or so was mostly drawn from members of the Turkish Işik Church, who also share the use of St John’s. We use Common Worship, but the songs are a mixture of English and Turkish, and the Biblical readings are also mixed. Three or four children looked in before the service, and stayed for most of it – leaving during my short homily (but I don’t think they were making a protest about my theology!) Several students also took advantage of the opened gate and doors to look inside – all part of this fascinating openness to the Christian presence in Izmir. (On Saturday, we were told, some 380 people – a number visibly Muslim - visited St John’s!)

We managed a couple of days off. On Thursday, we visited the two major archaeological sites. Old Smyrna, in Bayrakli, was deserted as it had been last year. It’s not well signed, but has some interesting remains, dating back to the 8th century BC, and including the oldest known Temple of Athena, and the oldest surviving Greek water fountain, from which water still flows. The Agora in town consists of classical Greek and Roman remains, including those of a vast Basilica, with underground galleries; there are also many Ottoman gravestones. That site at least appears on tourist publicity – but there are no leaflets to guide the visitor. Izmir seriously underplays its history! Saturday was sunny, so we repeated our long walk beside the Aegean of a couple of weeks previously, and finished with some exploration of the former Jewish area.

Izmir continues to be peaceful. There is an increase in the number of large Turkish flags hanging on public buildings, as the referendum on increasing presidential power approaches (voting on Easter Day.) The President has just told Turks living in Europe that they should have five children, to increase their presence. That won’t go down well with many people, especially those Islamophobes who suspect a Muslim plot to turn Europe into Eurabia/Europistan!

Otherwise, all goes well. The weather is, at last, a bit warmer. People are friendly; we had a warm greeting from one of the fishermen we used to see last summer. It’s interesting to be keeping Lent here, and having to forgo the joys of baklava and other pastries, as well as eschewing the nice restaurants on the Cordon. We look forward to Refreshment Sunday, and beyond that to Easter!

Please pray for:
Iranian refugees, as they miss their families, and feel frustrated by the closed attitudes of the West.
The ongoing process of selecting a permanent chaplain for Izmir.
Outreach to the many visitors who come into our churches.

Continuing health and safety for us both.

Monday, 13 March 2017

Keeping on keeping on.

Are we really into our third week in Izmir already? The Sunday morning service went well – music led by piano, violin and guitar; there were slightly reduced numbers (but including two who normally attend a Catholic church.) Perhaps Jo and I have ‘tuned into’ the congregation more fully.

It’s good that there are usually new people in church each week, including a small number of younger people, who have been drawn to St John’s out of – what? - interest, curiosity, a genuine searching for the truth? I don’t think it matters what their motives are; their presence at the Eucharist, and the welcome they receive, exposes them to the presence of the living God, which can’t be bad! And now that the church is being kept open more often, the numbers coming in off the street have increased enormously. On Saturday, nearly two hundred people came through the doors; many of them were young. There was a similar phenomenon last Tuesday when we went to Bornova, to lead a short Evening Prayer at St Mary Magdalene’s church. It’s very near to Ege University, and during the service a number of students came in, or looked in through the open door. Something is happening here!

I can’t comment on the political scene in Turkey. At present, everything seems very calm; most newspapers support the government, but some are able to offer constructive criticism of its policies. Individuals here are friendly and helpful; life seems stable. Refugees are given some support, including basic medical insurance – provided they ‘sign in’ weekly.

We still haven’t had time to go beyond Izmir, but we have had some culture. One afternoon we walked French Consulate on the Cordon, most of which is now an art gallery. There was a fascinating exhibition – “The Luminists” - of Belgian paintings from the late 19th and early 20th Century. There was obvious influence from French Impressionist and Post-impressionist artists, but with some distinctive emphasis on the effect of light and reflection. It was free, with good notices in French and English as well as Turkish. We also re-visited the City History and Art Museum, which contains a wealth of classical statues from this area, and also ceramics and jewellery. It’s the sort of collection which would attract crowds in London, but was virtually deserted. We were approached by two 16-year old girls, who wanted to practise their English, and asked us many questions! Another time, while visiting the only bookshop in the city which has any English books, we were asked by a young Iraqi teacher who was on holiday what English novels we recommended. An interesting challenge! All the more regrettable that the British Foreign Office shows little interest in promoting British culture in the city. The British Council withdrew over ten years ago, and there is no Consul, just consular staff to deal with enquiries.

We’ve had some treats. After the Bornova Evening Service, we were taken to a restaurant up in the hills behind Karşiyaka, which has wonderful views over the city and the Gulf of Izmir. It also served some very good lamb kebabs and salad! And going, with a couple of others, to see a church member who has not been well, we were treated not only to some stimulating conversation, but an excellent Iranian bean soup, and some delicious Korean rolls and Turkish cake.

The interviews for a permanent chaplain take place in London on Wednesday. It’s a challenging job description, involving the role of port chaplain for the Mission to Seafarers, as well as priest of St John’s - effectively the only English-language church in a city of over 3 million people. But we keep seeing great opportunities, and the core congregation here are so committed and supportive. The weather has been less favourable; we had masses of rain during the week, which led to flooding around the church and various leaks within. Fortunately, they have installed good central heating in the chaplain’s flat, so we’ve been warm, and able to dry washing. But we’ve still managed to walk on the Kordon most days before breakfast – watching out for pelicans, and different kinds of cormorant on the sea.

Please pray for:
The interviews in London on Wednesday.
The Lent Bible study on Ephesians, and the sermon course on the Seven Last Words.
The Tuesday Evening Prayer service at Bornova.

‘Our’ refugees.

Monday, 6 March 2017

Back in Izmir

We’re coming to the end of our first week back at St John’s, Izmir. The first reaction is one of encouragement. The church is still flourishing – they obviously have managed without a priest in charge! Mick McCain, who used to celebrate a Communion once a month, has been unwell, so they have depended upon members of the church leading Morning Prayer for the past three months or so. But we had a very warm welcome at the Bible Study on Ash Wednesday - with a rather un-Lenten celebratory tea! (There were eleven participants in all, for our first study on Ephesians.) We have also been recognised in some local shops, and by one of the police keeping watch at the Consulate.

What’s going on in Izmir itself? Despite a terrorist attack in the city last year, the atmosphere is still relaxed. Indeed, there was no visible sign of increased security at the airport in Istanbul where we changed planes. The political situation in Turkey is complex. The President is asking for greater executive power, and for direct presidential elections; a referendum in April is expected to agree to this. Political opposition is muted; but for the majority of people, life is peaceful and safe. Turkey continues to be active against IS in Syria, and to accept refugees from its neighbours.

There is no sign of any kind of enforced Islamisation of the country. In Izmir, most women are unveiled. The church remains open and much visited. Indeed, a promotional DVD about Izmir we were given at the Tourist Office included a brief tour round the Anglican church and a Synagogue, as well as footage of a couple of Mosques, to show the multi-cultural range of the city’s heritage and life.

The Iranian refugees at St John’s are resigned to spending longer in their limbo. The US government’s attitude to Muslim countries has had a wider effect, including reduction of funding for UN refugee programmes (the UN refugee office in Ankara is effectively closed.) This means that these committed and able Christians have less chance of having their applications for other English-speaking countries processed in the near future.

Another rather depressing fact is the insularity of the British Government. There is a lively French cultural presence in the city through Institut Français, which is a co-sponsor of the Jazz Festival now underway, together with the Goethe Institute, and consulates of Italy, Poland, Romania and others. Britain appears to do nothing to promote British culture.

On Ash Wednesday, we went to the Catholic Cathedral for the Mass; it was a rather chaotic start, but the service sheet was in Turkish and English; one reading was in English, and the sermon (in Italian and Turkish) was accompanied by an English hand-out. So, good to see some ecumenism at work; there had apparently been a well-supported service at St John’s for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

And now we have had our first Sunday service. It was in once sense very familiar after our time here last year; but it always takes a little while to attune to the spiritual atmosphere of a different church. It was good to meet some new members, and to see a number of young families present; we hadn’t had that last year. I’m preaching on the Seven Last Words from the Cross.

We’ve been blessed with some sunny days, which enabled us to walk to various parts of the city, and beside the Aegean. It will be a real Lenten discipline, to resist the temptations of Turkish delight and baklava! We had an enforced abstinence from using the lift to our apartment, as it was out of action for two days – but it’s working now.

Please pray:
For continued health, and protection for us.
That we’ll be fully in tune with the spiritual needs of the congregation.
For clear discernment of the future for the church.
For the refugees, as they cope with their disappointment and need for patience.

For the interviews for the new chaplain (in England on March 15th.)

Thursday, 23 February 2017

Saint Polycarp



It’s just six weeks since we returned from our time in Chantilly – an enjoyable and rewarding experience – and now we are preparing for our next ‘assignment’, returning to Izmir, to look after St John’s Church.

It seems appropriate to write this first instalment of our Turkish ‘blog’ today (23 February) , as it is the feast of St Polycarp, who was bishop of Smyrna/Izmir for many years, until his martyrdom in 155 AD. Christian Smyrna had two distinctive features in the early years: they, with Philadelphia, are the only communities to receive no rebuke from the Lord in the Book of Revelation, and their letter to other churches about Polycarp’s trial and death stands as the first example of such a writing. Polycarp was a significant church leader, having known some of the apostles, particularly John the Evangelist (who was buried at nearby Ephesus.) He was acquainted with Irenaeus of Lyons and Ignatius of Antioch. (In St John’s Church there is a stained-glass window depicting his meeting with the latter on his way to Rome where he was martyred.) When he was encouraged to renounce his faith, Polycarp said, “For 86 years I have been his servant, and he has never done me wrong. How can I blaspheme my king who saved me.”

This reminds that the Church is built on the witness of the martyrs, and that we are all, in one way or another, called to be martyrs (the Greek word martus originally simply meant ‘witness.’) A cost-free Christian faith is suspect, which is one of the main objections to the obnoxious heresy of the ‘prosperity’ gospel. As we approach Lent, we are reminded that we, who dare to call ourselves Christian, are followers of the Lord Jesus, who invites all would-be disciples to take up their cross as they follow him.

We shall be sharing Lent and Easter with the believers of St John’s. A number of people have said we are ‘brave’ to be going there, given the security issues in Turkey. It’s true that since we were there last summer there have been more terrorist attacks – including one in Izmir. But nowhere is completely safe these days! There have been some cases, mostly in eastern Turkey, of Christians being attacked for their faith, but on the whole there is a tolerant and welcoming attitude on the part of the majority of Muslims; Izmir in particular has not fully cast off the label given it in the Ottoman empire: ‘infidel Smyrna’ (partly because of the large number of Christians and Jews then; they are a minority now.)

We believe that it’s right to go and minister to the good people, who are continuing faithfully to maintain their witness and to worship the Lord week after week. And we are looking forward to our return visit, and seeing again some of the friends we made last time.

Please pray for Jo and me as we prepare to travel.
We fly from Gatwick on Monday 27 January, and will be in Izmir until the Wednesday after Easter.
In particular, pray:
For our physical protection in travelling, and in Izmir itself.
For spiritual protection.
For good health and energy.
That we may be able quickly to discern the needs of the congregation.
For our Lent sermon course on the Seven Last Words of Christ, and the Bible study on Ephesians.
For the people of St John’s and for the process of appointing a permanent chaplain (the post has recently been advertised.)