Jesus

Jesus was...

A challenge to the hypocrits

A healer to the sick

A comfort to the broken hearts

A friend to the sinner

The one who chose the weakest and somehow made them strong.

A man who gave the outcasts somewhere to belong.

Jesus is...

The teacher with faith in his pupils

The shepherd who watches his flock

The father who loves his children

The creator who delights in his creation

The light in the darkness

The hope that chases out fear

The salvation of the lost

The lamb who chose the slaughter

The gift of life

Jesus will....

Work undeniably

Move unexpectedly

Love relentelessly

Forgive endlessly

Heal miraculously

Care tenderly

Accept graciously

Reveal intentionally

Appear triumphantly

Last night in my prayer time I was directed to read Ezekiel Chapter 2. I'm not sure why but I feel like I have a challenge ahead and this is God's warning or direction. I'm not sure what it's about right now but I'm anticipating that God will work undeniably, unexpectedly and unimaginably.

Heroes

Last weekend I was back at LM for the SU Bearsden/Milngavie schools weekend away. It was a fairly relaxed weekend and I enjoyed it. I had a group of S2 girls so I got to sit in on the senior teaching times which is a nice change since I'm usually in the primary section. Over the weekend we looked at four biblical 'heroes' and what we can learn from the journey they each made with God. More specifically, we looked at the lives of Joseph, Moses, Simon-Peter and Paul. Although the teaching was short I really loved looking at an overview of their lives and the way God used them to change the course of human history. Joseph saved the lives of almost an entire nation, as did Moses. Peter and Paul spread the gospel and helped the beginning of the Christian church as we know it. With each person we looked not only at what God had to say to them in their lives but what we can learn from them to apply to our own lives. So what did I learn?

First of all, each of the four 'heroes' was a complete and utter sinner. Murder. Lies. Denial. Doubts. Despite these faults God forgave each of them and was willing to use them despite their inherently sinful nature. My group picked up on the concept of forgiveness pretty quickly and asked questions like, "Does God really forgive you even if you murder someone? Did God really forgive Saul even though he'd killed loads of Christians?" Even as I explained it to them I began to see more clearly the sheer depth of God's grace that such things are forgivable. I always imagine the Old Testament heroes like Moses and Abraham to be the mighty leaders who never stumbled, never doubted, never strayed. Just looking at these guys I realise how human they were and that there was nothing perfect about them. God used weak and sinful men in mighty and wondrous ways. So it is for us, that despite our failings, our weakness and our sins that God forgives us. Not only does he forgive us but He is willing to use us for His divine purposes. Jesus didn't pick disciples who were perfect either. Each individual had some really obvious flaws: Simon was a zealot, Thomas doubted, Peter denied, Judas betrayed. As Rob Bell points out in his Nooma DVD 'Dust', not only were guys imperfect but they were unqualified for the job. These were the guys who didn't make the cut for any other Rabbi. They weren't good enough and yet Jesus called them. He called them and used them in incredible ways. So we see that we don't need to be perfect either. Jesus will call us to follow Him and if we have even a little faith we'll go. We don't need to perfect, we don't need to be great: we just need to follow.

Another thing I noticed is that these guys didn't always have it easy. Joseph lived a real roller-coaster life. Just when things were good they took a turn for the worst. Just when things were bad he got a 'Get out of jail free' card. He lived an extremely unpredictable life. Moses... well he didn't have it easy by a long shot. He gave up a life of royalty and security because he killed a man, then lead an entire nation out of slavery against the will of the very man he called his father. Paul started out by killing Christians. Peter who declared his undeniable love for Jesus denied Him to save his own skin. It's so easy for us to read the bible now and say, "Well yes but you can clearly see that God had a plan and these bad times were a necessary part of it!" Hindsight is a wonderful thing but neither Moses or Joseph knew what lay ahead. Given their circumstances it would have been easy to give it all up and walk away. How often in our own times of trouble do we keep absolute faith that God has a greater purpose and that this is all part of his plan. We like to quote Jeremiah 29:11 at people but do we believe it ourselves? Very often when we take the time to look back over the journey that we've made so far we will see that God has been in both the bad times and the good and that we are indeed part of His great plans.

I learned a whole lot more besides this but that would make for an incredibly long post! Still, I feel I've been challenged a little and given plenty to think about. Times like this give me a real desire to spend more time in the Old Testament looking at individuals and the way God used their lives. There are so many lessons to be learned.

Resolutions

New years resolutions. It's a bit late I know but I didn't want to make them at the time. So, my resolutions for 2008 are:

> Go new places

> Meet new people

> Take more opportunities

Last year was pretty restricted because of teaching placements and other things but this year is much more flexible now that Jordanhill is behind me (resits permitting!). Therefor I want to make the most of my time by going to new places and meeting new people. On Saturday night I went to a random 21st and met a few new people which was good. I have also met a few great new people at camp. I'll be the first to admit I suck at keeping in touch with folk so part of my new resolution is to properly keep in touch with people after camps and parties etc. In particular I have a great set of friends from uni who I really want to keep up with. Meeting new people specifically includes those of the non-christian variety. It's easy to meet new Christians because the Christian networking in Scotland is immense but I need to spend more time out-with Christian circles. Take more opportunities: By this I mean take up those opportunities for random weekends away or going to gigs that might not come around again or whatever it may be. Last year I spent too much time thinking about things and never got round to doing them. So far I had a nice weekend away in Dundee, I've booked my tickets to Frenzy and a weekend in London. Hopefully this year will continue to open up opportunities that I can really make the most of.

Did you make any resolutions? How are you doing so far?

Happy Campers

I am now back from what was a completely exhausting but thoroughly enjoyable week away at Lendrick Muir. As always, God moved in unexpected, undeniable ways and I had a fabulous time. The team as a whole got on so well - no personality clashes or internal issues. The kids were mostly well behaved and responsive during the worship. I love it. LM is like my spiritual home (however un-PC that might be, I can't really explain it.) It's the place where I've been challenged, I've learned, I've grown and where I've been loved and supported by those who, over the years, have become close friends and family to me. Countless lives have been changed by God in there and those who go are eternally grateful for the goodness of God in providing such a place for his ministry.

So what have I learned this week? Not to judge kids before I know them. Sounds obvious but I realised that very quickly I took a dislike to a couple of the younger boys who I found arrogant and irritating. However, after actually spending some quality time playing pool or on the ropes course with them I discovered that they were little gems and was ashamed of my snap judgements the previous day. I also learned that these weeks are not all about 'converting' the campers and making sure they leave as Christians. These weeks are about giving the kids the best week of their lives through loving them, caring for them, getting to know them, sharing experiences with them and sharing a little about Jesus with them too. Some kids are not ready to hear about God or make any kind of life-changing decisions. All we can do is sow the seeds and let God take care of the harvest. I also lead the worship which I'm not used to doing and found it a bit scary but God by His grace used His strength in my weakness and we saw some great responses to the work of the Spirit during the worship sessions. All in all I had a fabulous week with lots of great people and I feel all the more blessed for being there. A special thanks to SU for the incredible work they do. Thanks be to God for his providence and care.

Role-Model Education

"No printed word, nor spoken plea can teach young minds what they should be. Not all the books on all the shelves – but what the teachers are themselves."
Rudyard Kipling


role model: n. A person looked to by others as an example in a particular role or situation. (Concise Oxford - 9th Edition)

I am currently trying to work my way through a short essay on teaching and learning. Can't say it's the most exciting way to spend the Easter weekend. Still, while doing some research I came across the above quote, used in this article. Some of the results in the research mentioned, though unsurprising, are certainly interesting and relevant to educators and Christians alike.

The research from the article expressed the fact that most children and young people identified their role models first and foremost as the people closest to them in their circle of family and friends. Celebrities and media figures came after these in terms of significant influence. Daniel Rose suggests that this is because, "The gap between theory and practice is bridged, as ideological concepts become realities before the eyes of the students. Once they have truly understood an idea, because they have seen it at first hand...they are only then in a true position to judge its validity to their life, and then make the relevant lifestyle decision." An interesting and somewhat scary thought. After reading this I considered the most significant role models in my life and, agreeing with the research of Anton Bucher, I found that these were in fact the people closest to me in my circle of family and friends. These people are from whom I have sought help or advice from, talked to about their values and have then seen for myself the validity and integrity of what they do in practice. This has then in some shape or form influenced the decisions I have made in my own life. I think that teachers, as Rose suggests, can have an incredible influence over their pupils and not one that they should use without consideration. With ACfE focusing on values and lifestyle pupils will seek to establish role models and identify the connection between theory and practice in the lives of their teachers. This is a huge responsibility, because if the practice of the teacher cannot be justified according to the values they are trying to pass on, their integrity will lie in tatters and I imagine that the pupils' respect will be lost. However, this also has huge implications for us as Christians too. The words that we say and the faith that we profess can be powerful, but those who wish to inspect our faith more closely will probably seek to evaluate the link between our thoughts and our actions. If this link is somewhat tenuous then not only will our integrity be at stake but our witness could be catastrophically tainted.

Rose says that, "Children, especially during adolescence – their most vulnerable and impressionable age - are in need of role models, and take them from all areas that are close at hand". This then begs the question, what kind of role models do our children find in church? A scary question and when children are honest in their opinions we sometimes dislike the answer. Children will not only look for role models in individuals but will also look at the church corporately. I suspect that they will notice where the church as a whole fails to put in to practice the value of children that they profess to have. I suspect that they will notice when a commitment to making church enjoyable and accessible to younger people is lost in translation between word and action. We can teach them about the example that Jesus sets, but I feel that the integrity of our teaching can be seriously diminished where we as individuals and as a church fail to live this out in our own lives. A case study I recently examined showed that a primary 5 pupil knew that, despite the teacher talking about fairness and equality, she only directed questions to children who were likely to know the answers. If children can spot the difference then we are presented with a huge challenge - a challenge not only for those who work with children. If we wish to be good role models for our children, in church and in life, then it requires integrity, honesty and commitment. Let's be the kind of role models that Jesus taught us to be. Perfect? We are not. Honest? We can be. Good role models? Let's find out.

Hope and Prayer in Troubled Times

I've been praying a lot for some very close friends recently. There seem to be so many things going on at once with various people and I find myself asking God to carry the burdens which are just too heavy for the rest of us. Sometimes I find myself saying, "There's nothing we can do but pray..." and I get frustrated by that. Prayer is one of the most productive things you can do and saying that makes it seem like a last resort. What better to do than to bring the problem to the almighty creator of heaven and earth? However, I do understand that in a time of crisis we like to be able to 'do' something practical to help. When my friends present a problem and I'm not sure how to help sometimes it's best to just ask, "Is there anything I can do?". However, I struggle when it comes to non-christian friends. When there's nothing practical to be done, and we can only pray for them, how do we present them with any hope? Though they may doubt it at times, Christians will most likely understand that God has a plan and a purpose for them and that He will not let them carry more than they can handle; but with our non-christian friends how do we offer any kind of hope or solice in desperate times? Sometimes I tell them that I am praying for them but does this help? Is it a comfort? If they don't believe in God, much less the power of prayer, I suspect it doesn't. So how do we help? How do we really show that care and compassion in our outreach? How do we convey that we are doing the best thing that we know we can do, when their own beliefs may be a barrier to them understanding what we mean? More questions than answers I'm afraid. I confess that I am neither confident or consistent when it comes to praying but deep down I know that doesn't matter. When it comes to my friends I pray with honesty and hope because I want to see God moving in their lives. I just wish that people could understand more clearly the love and compassion that goes in to prayer and that, although to them it might not seem like much, some times it really is the best I can do.

The Road Ahead

At last!

At last night's members meeting the church (KBC) voted through the decision to employ a part time Children and Families Worker. Everyone was supportive of the decision and recognised the needs of our children as a separate entity from the youth. I am SO pleased about the potential for our children and families to get the support and vision that they've been needing for so long. God is gracious and does not forget his children. Thank goodness the church hasn't either. I have an optimistic feeling that this is the start of great journey for the children and families in the community of Kirkintilloch...