God's provision

This may sound a little ridiculous, but I am sometimes completely surprised by the way in which God provides. Let me give you a current example.

In the college where I'm living, we were warned a couple of weeks ago that the hot water system is dying and that there were plans in place for replacing it next week, meaning that most of the showers would be unavailable for 3 days from Monday. That didn't seem to be too big a problem for me because I had already made arrangements to head to Shellharbour for 3 weeks on Monday - if I had a shower on Sunday night, that would be fine.

However, last night I got home to find an email saying that the hot water would actually be turned off at noon today so that the system had time to cool before they start work. Now, that's more of a problem! I'm still in Sydney for the next few days and I didn't think I could go to church on Sunday without washing my hair!

In being awake for half the night tonight (agh, shouldn't I at least be able to sleep better during my holidays?), one of the things that has been running through my head is the whole issue of sorting out showering arrangements for the weekend. It has just occurred to me, however, that last weekend, some friends from church are heading to Melbourne this weekend and had offered me the use of their house while they're away.

The solution has been found!

And isn't God's provision amazing? His timing is perfect!!

And I might try heading back to bed now for a bit more sleep :-)

Update and Prayer Points

Wow!! It really has been ages since my last post and I feel there is so much I should be updating!

After Mission, we had 3 weeks' break from college. It's always worth reminding people that college breaks are not really holidays. Invariably, we have assignments and essays that are due during our breaks and there is always reading to catch up on. This means that I sometimes find it difficult to schedule proper time off where I actually give myself permission NOT to do any work - because there is always something I could be doing!

These holidays, I had the privilege of housesitting for the lovely Jane at Concord for the whole of the break. It gave me the freedom to spread out while I wrote my Old Testament exegetical paper, room to walk away from the table I was using, a lounge to sit on to relax, opportunity to eat breakfast in my pyjamas and the chance to leave my toiletries in the bathroom for 3 weeks!

It was exciting to be able to spend Good Friday down in the Illawarra. I caught up with old Shellharbour friends at church and over lunch before spending some time with my parents then with my god-daughter and her family. With not having made it back down to Wollongong since I left there just before the New Year, it was the longest time in my life that I've ever been away. Seems strange to be away for such extended periods now!

I also had the opportunity to get away for a couple of days up to the Hunter Valley with my sister. Her Christmas present to me last year was to take me up there for a couple of days over the Easter break. Despite a little bit of rain, we had a lovely time visiting some wineries, galleries and various shops.

Since returning to college, things have been pretty crazy! We had our Greek half-yearly a couple of weeks ago, a 3000-word Church History essay to hand in 2 days ago, another 3000-word Old Testament essay due 9th June, followed by another 3 exams. Doesn't exactly leave a great deal of time for other things!

In amongst all of that, I have been a big, allergic, sneezy, sinus-y, headache-y, coughing mess for the last two weeks (which was particularly fun during the Greek exam!). Trying to face all of the things on my plate while being in an allergic fog exacerbated by an inability to get a proper night's sleep, has made life more than a little difficult. Whilst the sinus and the headaches have eased up, the rest is still causing me some grief - something I'm now more than a bit tired of (as, I imagine, is the girl in the room next door!).

Please join me in praying for the following things.

Praise God:

• for the opportunity to remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of his Son, so that our relationship with him can be restored


• for time with family and friends over the college break


• for the blessing of opportunities to house-sit


• for the privilege of sitting under the amazing teaching that we have here at MTC

Pray:

• that my health will return quickly and that I'll be able to return to some normal sleeping patterns


• for the ability to focus on the work that I have to do and to be able to prioritise appropriately while remembering to ensure that I consider how God wants me to change my life as a result of what I'm learning and not neglecting relationships with those around me

Wonders of Mission

It is truly amazing, the opportunities that you can have to talk to somebody in the city about Jesus! There is a certain freedom with knowing that people sitting in the square are actually sitting on property owned by the cathedral - it kind of makes them fair game! And so many are curious about the cathedral and about the idea of church, so they're willing to engage in conversation if you approach them!

Last night's City Night Church was lots of fun. Lots of people were sitting out on the square before church so we were able to invite a number to join us for church - and some took up the invitation! It was great to chat with some who were checking out the cathedral services for the first time, as well as some who had been around for a while.

Lunchtime today saw a similar response. People came to check out the talks that we've organised for lunchtime throughout the week - not many people but there were some who were curious about what Chris had to say and it was great to talk with a woman who works in a local nearby office about what she believes and how that influences her life.

The other fascinating aspect to wandering around the square is spotting famous faces. Today's top 2 were Joe Hockey and Lyn Collingwood (go on, Google them if you're not sure who they are).

Mission begins....

So I've managed to grab some time on a computer in the cathedral offices and thought I'd give a quick update on the first few hours of the Moore College Mission week at St Andrew's Cathedral.

I was right in thinking that mission at the cathedral would be very different to last year's experience at Albury Bible Fellowship!

Church this morning was a very different experience to the relaxed informality of an independent evangelical service held in a church hall - and I didn't even go to the traditional service this week!! However, it brought back memories of attending traditional services in my teenage years, which was quite nostalgic. It was a surprising delight to see my friend Jodie and her friend Jill arrive at this morning's service, after having run away together for a girls' weekend in the city.

It was interesting to hear Phillip Jensen speak of the particular peculiarities of inner city ministry, especially that in a cathedral. The challenges that are faced are quite uniquely different to those in a regular suburban parish, yet provide exciting opportunities to share the gospel on a regular basis to people who visit.

Please pray for us as we continue to share the gospel this week, that we will be bold in taking up opportunities, sensitive to the needs of those we are talking to and faithful in the words we speak. Please also pray for me as I finalise the details of my talk for Thursday morning.

Mission and Prayer

Another quick update and a prayer request.

Next week, students and faculty of Moore College will be dispersing to various areas around the Sydney Diocese for a week of Mission. We will be working alongside local parishes, with the distinct intention of sharing the gospel with people and helping the parishes connect with their local communities.

I am part of a team that will be heading to St Andrew's Cathedral in the Sydney CBD. Some may recall that last year I was working alongside a small, independent, evangelical church in Albury - needless to say, I expect the two missions to be quite different!

However, the gospel remains the same and people's need to hear it does not change. Apart from time with regular members and visitors to the Cathedral, I will be involved with some kids' ministry and will be giving a talk to a group of women next Thursday morning.

Praise God for the opportunities that we have to proclaim him throughout mission weeks. Please pray that we will be faithful to the gospel, sensitive in conversation and deeds, gracious with each other as a team and that I, and others who are giving talks, will prepare well and bring glory to God as we deliver them.

Twitter Updates?

I've added a new element to my blog, at the top of the right hand column. The idea is that it will provide some short updates of what is happening in my life in between my blog posts.

It is especially for those relatives and friends of mine who are not on Facebook, as my Facebook friends are often given much more detail of what is happening week by week, or even day by day at times.

Can I say that apart from this function (and the old friend that I accidentally found on Twitter), I think that Twitter is actually pretty useless. It is merely about what is known as micro-blogging and has none of the additional functionality of Facebook in encouraging interaction between 'friends'.

However, I hope you enjoy this new addition.

Quick update

Apologies for not posting an update for so long.

We are now in Week 3 of Term 1 and we have certainly hit the ground running! I have a 2000-word Doctrine book review due on Tuesday, my first New Testament exegetical due the following Tuesday, college mission week 29th March - 5th April (I'm heading to St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney), all the normal readings and Greek exercises and vocab, heading up the Agape Committee PLUS I'm leading church for the first time at Panania this week, etc, etc.

Please pray with me that I will not be overwhelmed by the number of things to do, that I will be focused and disciplined in my work and that I will be seeking to bring glory to God in all that I do.

A couple of people have asked me recently how they can support me financially. The best way would be to contribute to my accommodation costs or Moore Books account. Details are as follows:

Cheques made out to Moore College, 1 King St, Newtown NSW 2042 with student # 10010313 can be sent.

Alternatively, the BPay biller code is 908327.
For accommodation, the reference # is 10010313634.
For Moore Books, the reference # is 10010313303.

By all means, feel free to contact me if you're unsure about all of this.

Victoria's Bushfire Tragedy

I certainly don't profess to be any sort of expert in this area, but there is no doubt that the tragic events of the last few days have deeply affected Autralians.

Never in Australia's history have we had a natural disaster that has claimed as many lives (the toll was officially 173 this morning and will, no doubt, continue to climb over the next few days).

Even if they've not found themselves under direct threat, most Australians will have had some sort of exposure to bushfire, and will have some understanding of how quickly such fires can move and claim property and even lives.

However, the scale of the events of the last few days has been particularly horrifying. Even with modern fire-fighting equipment and techniques, 1000's of hectares, 100's of homes and scores of lives have been destroyed.

It is, therefore, reasonable for people to be asking why such a tragedy has happened - and different people will look in different places for the answer. If it is found that these fires were the result of arson, no doubt there will be some seeking to extract vengeance upon those responsible.

However, if the fires have been the result of the extreme temperatures and conditions that Victoria had been experiencing for a few weeks, then some will be asking how a loving God could allow such a tragedy to occur. Indeed, even if the fires were the result of arson, such questions could still be legitimately asked, with the additional question regarding human evil.

So, how could God allow so many to die, so many more to be injured and to lose their homes?

The Bible tells us that God created us and he knows us. In fact, the psalmist writes:
"O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways...For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:1-3, 13)

God loves us, too - not because we deserve it or have earned favour from him. John writes, "This is how God has showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:9-10)

What I'm trying to say, I guess, is that God has created us, known us, loved us enough to send Jesus to die for us, and STILL, we ignore him, live our lives our own way and even outright reject him. But we still then have the audacity to expect him to love us and protect us from all evil!

The reality is that God did create a world that was good and without sin. However, in ignoring God, we have been the ones responsible for stuffing things up. God has been very gracious in sending Jesus so that we can, one day, again live in a world that is perfect. It is by trusting that Jesus has paid the price that we deserve to pay for ignoring God that we will one day see this world.

However, the world we live in now, is not that world. This world is broken and hurting. It is filled with tragedy and evil. We cannot escape this reality. However, in no way should this be taken to mean that the fires are God's punishment for the people who have been affected, or that they somehow deserved this tragedy. But it is a consequence of this fallen world.

However, it is of enormous comfort that, one day, Jesus will return and bring to reality that new world. Of that time, John wrote, "Never again will they hunger, never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat...And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:16-17)

God does love us and wants us to have the best of everything. But we need to respond to him by trusting that Jesus has paid the penalty we should pay for ignoring God.

These fires remind us that we cannot know when we will die and when we will face God. We need to have made a decision about trusting Jesus before that happens.

In the meantime, I pray that God will relieve the suffering of those affected by the fires; that he will use his people to show love to those who are hurting and suffering in immense ways; that he will provide for the myriad physical, emotional and spiritual needs; that he will provide the conditions to enable firefighters to extinguish the ongoing fires and protect against further loss of property and life; that somehow God's name will be glorified; and, that Jesus will return soon to bring an end to all suffering.

Ouch!

One of these days, I want somebody to tell me how to open things they sell in those hard plastic packages, without cutting myself.

This was made especially difficult this morning by the mozzie bites on my hands that made it awkward using the scissors :-(

Panania Anglican Church

Exciting

Exhausting

Friendly

Overwhelming

Welcoming

Generous

Just some words to describe my first 3 weeks at Panania Anglican Church. Praise God for his people there.

Bring back winter!!

I know that anybody who is reading this from Victoria or South Australia would be justified in telling me to get over it, but I just want to say that I am really tired of summer!

I've always preferred winter - I figure that you can do something about getting warm in winter (eg move around, put more clothes on, etc), but there's only so far that you can decently strip off in summer - and sometimes that just isn't enough!

Add to that the fact that my room is an oven that just stores the heat that it collects from its north-facing wall, and you find me really struggling to cope with the heat.

When we're not even getting decent drops in temperature overnight and haven't had a cool change come through for a couple of weeks, my room just seems to be getting hotter and hotter - especially if I shut the door to go to bed at night.

My friend who lives across the corridor came into my room after breakfast one morning last week and complained that it was so hot just standing talking to me! She has a south-facing external wall and her room is generally 5-10 degrees cooler than mine!

My recurring fear is that one day, God will decide that he's really going to test me and move me to a tropical region (because humid heat is FAR worse than dry heat).

In the meantime, I am grateful that he provides us with seasons, and try to keep reminding myself that this heat will not last forever, that winter will, indeed, return one day, even if there are days that I think that is just too far away.

Obama's Inauguration

I was discussing on Facebook today, my amazement at the response of Australians to Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th president of the US. I have never seen such a reaction amongst friends to a new Australian Prime Minister - I mean, I could name several people I know who got up at 3am to watch the inauguration live to air.



Please don't mistake my reaction for disinterest or apathy for what has happened in the last 24 hours. I know that this was a landmark in many ways, not least because Obama is America's first black president (particularly poignant the day following Martin Luther King Day). It is also, of course, worth noting that people are really hoping for change in an America that is currently economically unstable. These things do matter.



However, can anyone remember the last time that Australian TV stations ran 7 hours straight of telecasts of the swearing in of a new Australian Prime Minister? I would have quite happily watched a repeat of the inauguration speech to hear what Obama had to say, without getting up at 3am or watching a further 7 inane hours of people walking down roads in Washington. One of my friends on Facebook argued that questions could be asked about 7 straight hours of cricket - for five days in a row - as well (good point, I have to agree!).



I guess my greater concern about people's response to Obama is that there seems to be enormous expectation and hope placed in a mere man. No doubt, he is an amazing orator. Hopefully, he will be a good leader - of America and the greater western world. However, he is not God and it would be wrong to expect him to be the saviour of America, let alone the rest of the world.



God has provided us with a Saviour already - his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus died on a cross 2000 years ago so that we could have our relationship with God restored. Through this, we can know that we will have eternal life - a life that will be without sin or decay.



Now, that's a hope that's worth holding onto!

Beginnings at Panania

On Sunday just gone, I started as Student Minister at Panania Anglican Church. It was a full-on 14-hour day filled with people and conversations - and, needless to say, thoroughly exhausting. However, it was also exciting to start to get to know people and work out how I would be serving God in his church at Panania.

For those who don't know, my brother did a couple of years of student ministry at Panania Anglican about 7 years ago. In fact, it's where he met his wife! Although the staff team has completely changed in that time, there are still plenty of people there who remember Dave and Steph and were keen to tell me of some of their memories of them. It was actually novel to have one couple say to me, "So, you're Wendy's sister."

This change of church will also mean a shift in focus for the ministries I'm involved with this year. I will be co-leading a Years 7-9 group at the 10am service, spending time with some families over lunch, mentoring of younger women during the afternoons and being involved in the 7pm service.

It dawned on me last week that I had not been regularly involved with an evening church for more than 10 years - and I suddenly felt rather old! However, I have to say that I really enjoyed all of the services on Sunday, including the 7pm, and I am looking forward to getting to know people better.

PS I am, however, missing the great friends I have left behind at Shellharbour City and am looking forward to hearing how they are going.

Next Gen conference

I spent last week up at Katoomba as a strand group leader at the Next Gen conference - and what a week it was!!

Next Gen (formerly known as Katoomba Youth Leadership Conference) is a 5-day training conference for those involved (or wishing to be) with the leadership of youth or children's programs in their churches.

It is an intensive week, with talks both morning and evening, strand groups to teach how to write a Bible study or children's talk and afternoon workshops. There is little time to rest but lots of fun to be had.

I attended a couple of KYLC conferences in the early 90s (I know, that says a lot about my age!) but have had no further involvement until this year.

I have to say what a joy it was to be reminded of the value of this conference. It not only provides sound Biblical teaching both morning and evening (this year the talks were by Grant Retief and Carl Matthei), but also allows delegates to think through some of the practical aspects of leading their groups.

It was an enormous privilege to co-lead a strand group who were there for their second year and helping them understand biblical theology. Thanks to Ben for the opportunity to serve alongside you and learn from you; thanks to Jesse, Jessica, Sally, Trudy, Rachel, Matt, James, Billy, Drew, Helena, Jasmine and Marty for the privilege of getting to know you all. I pray that God will strengthen and sustain you in your ministries and that your knowledge and love of him will continue to grow.

Happy New Year

Well, who can believe that another year has gone by? 2008 has been an amazing year for me, personally. From leaving work at Barnardos on 4th January through to leaving Shellharbour City Centre Anglican Church on 28th December, it has been a year that involved a lot of changes. I've survived my first year at Moore College, moving out of the Illawarra, living in community and commuting to Shellharbour for church each week - and through it all, God has remained steadfast and faithful.

As I face more changes, especially with beginning at a new church (Panania Anglican Church) in a couple of weeks, and am sometimes daunted by more change, I can continue to rely on the God who never changes.

In the next few weeks, there is much happening. Tomorrow, I head to Katoomba for my annual week at CMS Summer School - a week-long mission conference, with great teaching and an opportunity to hear of God's work around the world. For a number of years now, my whole family has stayed together for the week but this year will be a little different. My brother and his family will be staying in a house of their own, especially in order to give them the freedom to offer hospitality to others. This means that it will just be my parents, my sister and I in a house together.

At the end of Summer School, I will spend a couple of days at Kurrajong with my brother and his family before heading back to Katoomba to be a strand group leader at the Next Generation conference (pka Katoomba Youth Leadership Conference). This is my first experience of leading a strand group - with a group who is there for the second year! Please pray for Ben (my co-leader) and I as we work through Genesis 11 with the group and help them to see how the whole Bible fits together.

I hope that Christmas was an opportunity for special time with friends and family, but that, most of all, it was a time to remember the birth of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus. I pray that 2009 will be filled with many joys and blessings for all readers of this blog and that Jesus' love will become more real throughout this year.

Now, I'm Really Finished!

Today has been a lovely way to finish the academic year. The whole college attended a farewell chapel service (where Michael Morrow's new CD was launched, by the way - see http://www.morrowmusic.com). We all then enjoyed a BBQ lunch on the lawn (and what a glorious day for it!) before a competition between faculty and students.

Then later in the afternoon, a group of first-year girls got together for a high tea celebration. This was such an encouraging time of fun and laughs, sharing with each other the highs and lows of the year and praying for each other. Some of those girls won't be returning next year, although some of them have husbands who will be continuing study. I pray that God will continue to sustain each one of them and that they will find new ways of enjoying and serving the One who sustains us.

Last One!!!

Yesterday afternoon, I completed my final exam for the year. 3 hours of Doctrine was an exhausting yet exhilirating way to finish.

I've really enjoyed Doctrine lectures this year. It has been great to think through my understanding and knowledge of God and this world.

I expect that next year's lectures will be much more challenging but, for now, here are the questions I wrote on yesterday afternoon. If you want to talk any of them through, let me know - more than happy to discuss them!

• How is it possible for human beings to 'know God'?


• 'The Trinity is an impractical doctrine of relative unimportance.' Discuss.


• '... of infinite power, wisdom and goodness.' Consider the meaning and implications of this description of God.


• Respond to the suggestion that 'penal substitution' is unjust.


• Why must Christian believers take seriously the bodily resurrection of Jesus?

So, what's next? Well, today we have our final chapel service for the year, lunch together as a college and a high tea for the first year girls this afternoon. I'll spend a few days in Shellharbour early next week before coming back to college for much of the holidays.

I'm looking forward to reading for the sake of enjoyment (even re-reading some of my textbooks, just because I can), enjoying time to watch some movies, doing some scrapbooking, catching up with people, attending a silly number of weddings, doing Christmas shopping and even cleaning up my room and getting into Greek summer assignments!

In the meantime, I will be preparing to finish up at Shellharbour City, starting at Panania in January, attending CMS Summer School and assisting at Next Generation (previously known as Katoomba Youth Leadership Conference). As much as I first thought the holidays would be difficult to fill, now I'm pleased there at least seems enough time to fit things in.

Well, off to prepare to face today and all its celebrations!

Mission Foundations Exam

Well, here's a first - I walked out of the exam smiling!

Mission Foundations is a subject that looked at the biblical theology of mission before looking specifically at how people have engaged in mission since biblical times. It has been a fascinating subject, one that I've felt I could sink my teeth into.

The questions I wrote on were:

• In what ways did Paul's conversion launch him on a path of world mission?
• What is the message of the book of Revelation for world mission?
• What relationship does action for social justice bear to proclamation of the gospel?

All that's left now is the 3-hour Doctrine exam tomorrow afternoon - it's a BIG ONE!!!! Wow, are we nearly done?

Philosophy exam

For better or worse, I have finished my Philosophy exam. I have to admit that I've really struggled with Philosophy - the ideas seem so enormous and, quite frankly, weird or even useless. So, although I've done some hard work on it (maybe not as consistently as I should have?), I went into the exam feeling as though I really wasn't sure about any of it. On top of that, I'd had my first bad night's sleep in the last couple of weeks (praise God that I've had such great sleep over the last few weeks) - I've been awake since 3.43am!!!

This exam was different to the others in that we had some idea of what the questions would be before we went in. In some ways, this seemed to increase the pressure of feeling like we'd really need to know what we're on about for this one. Additionally, I think everybody was a bit surprised that not all of the questions seemed to particularly resemble the ones we'd been told. At the very least, they tended to be narrower in scope, meaning you had to understand a particular part of the question you'd prepared for.

The questions I answered (or attempted to answer at least) were:

• How successful is Plato's ideal republic when it comes to formalising the relationship between the One and the Many?
• To what extent did Augustine's challenge to the skeptics enable him to make judgements about the Truth?
• How successful is Kant's categorical imperative when it comes to making moral decisions?

Whether it was the tiredness, the anxiety I was trying to keep under control about Philosophy, or that I still really don't get it, I left the exam about 15 minutes early because I had simply run out of things to say about Augustine and Kant. To my surprise, especially given I was in tears over Plato on Saturday night, I felt able to answer that question quite well.

Well, no time to dwell on it too much - still have 2 more exams in the next 3 days. Better get to it!

Church History exam

At least today's exam didn't seem as bad as the New Testament one. We needed to do 3 essays and there were 3 questions that I felt really comfortable with - couldn't hope for better really!

This year's Church History course focused on the early church, from the time of the apostles up to the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The lectures have actually been really interesting - I just wish I'd had more time to really absorb some of the detail

For those who may be interested, the questions I answered were:

• Evaluate the claim that Constantine's Christian faith was little more than a political expediency.
• What advances did the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed make?
• Discuss the legacy for the Christian church of Augustine of Hippo (355-430).

Now, to start looking at Philosophy - my real nemesis if there is one amongst my subjects. I don't get it!!! Please pray.