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?