Zoom Recording: Online Info Session

REGISTER HERE

Prayer request: our hearts, minds, and best wishes go out to the people of Turkey & Syria, who experienced deadly and devastating earthquakes in February. (The destinations for the CSW pilgrimage are located along the Aegean Sea in northwest Turkey, far removed from the epicenter of the earthquake.)

Pilgrimage has been a major offering of Center for Spiritual Wisdom since our founding in 2016. It’s a practice shared by all the great religious traditions of the world. Going on pilgrimage not only means traveling to someplace different. It also involves a passage from home to sacred spaces in order to deepen our awareness of the divine. Pilgrimage reminds us that, spiritually speaking, all of us are on a journey through life, regardless of the distance we may travel.

We are happy to once again offer an international pilgrimage this fall led by CSW Director Rob Field. During our fourth international pilgrimage, we will journey to holy places in Greece and Turkey such as Corinth, Athens, Laodicea, and Ephesus to trace the travels of St. Paul. On the way, we will discover “Paul the Mystic,”* a side of the apostle unknown to many, and see some of the most beautiful and sacred places on earth. Explore the identity of the man scholars call the “First Paul” — someone you may not entirely recognize from the New Testament letters that bear his name. It promises to be the journey of a lifetime.

*(Don’t be put off by the word “Mystic,” which refers to someone who actually experiences the divine presence, as distinct from someone who simply talks and thinks about the divine.)

Our pilgrimages follow a rhythm of spiritually-informed travel created by scholars, experienced guides, and pastors. CSW Sr. Consultant Tom Lewis led a dozen pilgrimages to Israel-Palestine while serving as Director of the Spirituality Program at Columbia Seminary in Georgia. Over many years, his team developed an approach to pilgrimage that we continue to follow. Here are elements of a typical day during a CSW pilgrimage:

Contemplative prayer & reflection
Breakfast at hotel
Day trip to sacred sites (by chartered bus, often with some walking required)
At sacred sites: learn from a seasoned tour guide, spend time in quiet meditation
Lunch at local restaurant
Afternoon sacred site visit, or:
Return to hotel for rest or free time
Small group reflection on the day’s activities
Dinner at hotel
Group gathering for overview of the next day & quiet contemplation

Please note that this is a spiritual pilgrimage, not a traditional group tour or academic study trip. The following itinerary is subject to revision based on keeping a contemplative rhythm as well as travel & weather conditions.

IITINERARY:

Sep 29 Fri DEPART Atlanta GA
Sep 30 Sat ARRIVE Izmir, Turkey (via Istanbul)
Oct 1 Sun PERGAMON – THYATIRA – IZMIR
Oct 2 Mon SARDIS – SMYRNA – IZMIR
Oct 3 Tues EPHESUS – KUŞADASI
Oct 4 Wed MILETUS – DIDYMA – PRIENE – KUŞADASI
Oct 5 Thurs COLOSSAE – LAODICEA – KUŞADASI
Oct 6 Fri TRANSFER TO Izmir AIRPORT – FLY to Thessaloniki (via Istanbul) THESSALONIKI
Oct 7 Sat AMPHIPOLIS – PHILIPPI -THESSALONIKI
Oct 8 Sun FLY THESSAONLONIKI to ATHENS
Oct 9 Mon CORINTH, CENCHRAEAE – ATHENS
Oct 10 Tues Depart Athens airport and fly to Atlanta GA
OCT 10 Tues Return home by car or additional airplane trip (additional travel not included)

COST:

$3,990 per person, based on double occupancy ($1,050 for single room supplement)

A $700 per person deposit is due at the time of registration (to be paid on or before April 15, after which deposits are non-refundable).

Full Payment: due by June 15, 2023

PRICE INCLUDES:

One-way international airfare from Atlanta, GA to Izmir. TURKEY
One-way return international airfare from Athens, GREECE to Atlanta, GA
Flight from Izmir-Thessaloniki
Flight from Thessaloniki-Athens
3 nights at Kordon Cankaya Izmir (or similar hotel)
3 nights Korumar Hotel Kusadası (or similar hotel)
2 nights at Thessaloniki Grand Palace hotel (or similar hotel)
2 nights at Athens Phillipos hotel (or similar hotel)
All daily breakfasts and 10 dinners
Entrance fees to all sightseeing as per itinerary
English–speaking licensed tour guide throughout the itinerary
Transfers & transportation by private A/C motor-coach
Service charges and local taxes
NOT INCLUDED: lunch and tips

For more information:

2023 St. Paul Pilgrimage BROCHURE

Questions??

Please contact pilgrimage director Rob Field at director@centersw.org or (828) 577-8168

How to Register & Save Your Spot

Register HERE via Eventbrite or mail a check for $700 per person to: CSW, 100 Elks Club Road, Brevard, N.C. 28712