Lydia

When the Church Begins Down by the River: Lydia, Paul, and the Long Road of Faith

Meta description: Discover how Lydia—a successful woman and early follower of Jesus—opened her home to Paul and helped start the first church in Philippi. A reflection on Acts 16, hospitality, calling, and unexpected grace.

“There’s a place where women pray. Down by the river.”

Paul wasn’t planning to go to Macedonia.

His itinerary was set. His map was drawn. But twice—twice—the Spirit said no. So there he sat in Troas, frustrated and uncertain, until a dream came in the night. A man from Macedonia saying:
“Come help us.”

No name. No details. Just a tug in the dark.

And because faith often begins where plans end, Paul and his companions crossed the sea, hiked through Neapolis, and walked inland to Philippi—over 100 miles by foot—with nothing but a dream to guide them.

Now that’s a long way to go for church.

Lydia: The Woman Who Opened Her Heart (and Her Home)

When they got to Philippi, there was no synagogue waiting. No official welcome. Just a whisper:

“There’s a place where women pray. Down by the river.”

And that’s where they found Lydia.

She wasn’t a footnote. She wasn’t waiting in someone else’s story. Lydia was a businesswoman. A dealer in purple cloth—a luxury product reserved for royalty. That means she had wealth, clients, a network, and influence. She was powerful.

But she was also—
praying.

And the text says this:

“The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what Paul said.”
(Acts 16:14, CEB)

That may be the most beautiful line in the whole passage.

She didn’t say the sinner’s prayer. She didn’t ask a list of theological questions.
Her heart opened—and she listened.

When Faith Starts in the Unexpected

Lydia’s openness changed everything.

She invited Paul and his companions into her home. She offered shelter, food, and belonging. And that’s where the first Christian community in Philippi was born—
not in a temple, but in a woman’s house.

A woman who prayed by the river and sold purple cloth.

Finding Ourselves in the Story

It’s easy to forget that Paul didn’t find what he was expecting. The man in the dream? Nowhere to be found.

Instead, he met Lydia.

And maybe you’ve been there, too. Maybe you’ve walked the long road—through doubt, identity, or change. Maybe like me, you’ve wondered if God could call someone like you.

I’m a gay pastor. I know what it feels like to walk a road thinking you don’t quite belong—
because you’re not the “right kind of Christian.”
But then the Spirit leads you—
to a river,
to a conversation,
to someone who opens their heart.

And suddenly, church happens.
Not in a building.
But in the meeting of grace and vulnerability.

Reflection Questions

💬 When was a time your heart felt closed, and someone helped open it?
💬 Have you ever felt a calling that didn’t make sense at first? What happened next?

Ben Harper and the Gospel of Not Walking Alone

There’s this song by Ben Harper that’s been echoing in my mind all week. It’s called “I Shall Not Walk Alone”. One line says:

“Battered and torn, still I can see the light.
Tattered and worn, but I must kneel to fight.”

That’s Lydia’s song.
That’s Paul’s song.
That’s our song.

Because even when the path is long, and the road unclear:

I shall not walk alone.

You Are Not Walking Alone

Paul didn’t walk alone.
Lydia didn’t pray alone.
And you, beloved—you do not walk alone.

Not when the Spirit still speaks in dreams.
Not when women still open their homes.
Not when the church is still being born in unexpected places.

Wherever you are on your journey—
down by the river, in the middle of the dream, or still walking the road—
you are not alone.

Thanks be to God.

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