25th Day of Easter, Wednesday May 6: Acts 13

Iconium is the next stop in central Turkey. Paul and Barnabas rile up a mix of Jewish and Gentile fans and opponents, and then flee town before the lynching. Is this a model of ministry, a good way to be a church leader? What would you do with folks who came to your place of worship, to your town, and said ‘you’ve got it all wrong, you’ve got to change’, and attracted new followers and split the old?

Lystra and Derbe are the next central Turkey stops, and a healing makes folks think Barnabas is Zeus and Paul is Hermes, Greek gods come down to earth. Have you ever been given more credit than you were due, and felt the ‘imposter syndrome’? I have. But the posses from Antioch and Iconium mug Paul – have you ever experienced the fall that can follow the temptation to pride. I have.

Antioch is the destination of the last leg of the chapter, and of this ‘missionary journey’. They took some debriefing time, and lingered in Antioch. Through May, and into June, we’re doing some review of our ‘church year’ now ending. What would you tell people about your year – how does it compare to Paul’s?