#CoCMidAtlantic, Day 6

Today we walked seven miles through historic Philadelphia! But first, we were refreshed and supplied in our spirit by some ministry reading with other Christians local to the city. I was impressed by the fact that “God’s intention is to give Himself to us as our enjoyment in Christ through the Spirit.” Next, we were charmed by cobblestone streets of Elfreth’s Alley, the oldest continually inhabited street in America (since 1706!); we squinted up at the imposing facade of City Hall and snapped pictures at Love Park; and we marveled at the Liberty Bell’s polished look. After stopping for cheesesteaks and ice cream, we headed to the UPenn campus for a tour with other Christian students at the university. Ben Franklin — inventor extraordinaire, founding father, and first president of what would become UPenn — famously mused that “lost time is never found again.” Today our time was spent very wisely — in spirit, in fellowship, in prayer, and with the dear saints, all of God’s people.

— Karissa H.

Today we walked a lot together. It all started in Delaware, where a few of us are staying with some saints. Then we drove for an hour to Pennsylvania. It’s still pretty crazy that you can drive to another state in just an hour! There, we blended with the Church in Philadelphia and read Enjoying Christ as the Word and the Spirit through Prayer. It was a wonderful portion—I enjoyed the reminder that we can always express the Lord. One line that stood out to me was: “When we are inspired with something from the Word, we should consider it” (p. 53).

This message stayed with me throughout the day, as I kept thinking about the Lord and what He wanted, as well as my own thoughts. I really appreciated Ale’s point about praying after we receive a thought—how a word becomes rhema (the instant word God speaks to us). Through prayer, we can be bound and knitted by the Word. Praying with others is especially sweet.

In my experience, when I pray, I’ve been able to give—or at least present—situations to the Lord and let the Spirit lead. In everything, we can enjoy the Lord. Later tonight, we blended with students from UPenn at the Bible study, and it was so sweet to fellowship together as we read 1 Corinthians chapter 11. This chapter also spoke about being led by Christ, who is our Head.

Throughout today, it was comforting to know that we can bring all our situations to the Lord, who holds us in His palm. I am so thankful for the blending on this trip.

— Paula C.