Spiritual Formation
Well term started on Monday 5th January and it was all go with 3 days of Spiritual Formation with Michael Neumann (from a bible college in South Africa).
At age 50, everyone has the face he deserves.Basically he was talking about too many Christians who meet Jesus as their saviour but miss out the journey of discipleship that follows this initial event. For example 80% of Rwanda called themselves Christians and yet there was a genocide that killed 500k. Clearly there is something very wrong here (for those who want to follow this up do read "After the locusts" detailing God's work in reconciliation and healing of a very broken people - a very powerful and moving read).
George Orwell
He distinguished between the work of the cross (that brought us forgiveness through the death of Jesus) and the way of the cross (that brings us holiness through the death of our selfish "fleshy" self). The journey to become Christlike - not so that we look good but so that we give God glory for the way He is changing us and so that we can serve Him better.
Prophecy
As Sarah Fotherby said "Michael is so prophetic it's not funny".
Michael had many "words" for the group which were uncannily accurate given that he had never met us before this week. One morning we were working with clay to see whether God would speak to us through what we made. He made a pair of dice and said "John, God is saying that you have lived too much by chance..." He then carried on and I was thinking that this really isn't me at all - but he did say John and is looking almost straight at me "...God wants you to be intentional about how you live..." the more he talked the more I thought this is SO not me - this sounds exactly like Jon Kennedy - perhaps he's got confused. This carried describing Jon and not me more and more. He then walked over...past me...to give them to Jon who was sitting directly behind me.
But then he made a batton and looked straight at me and said "You've been on the receiving end of this in your life..." Man! This is so true! And then said "but God's going to make this into a sceptre. He wants you take up the authority He's given you". I was blown away - it was so apt how I have shied away from authority (except when I'm arrogant) and feared having that position.
I think these words were more powerful because each time he described the person's current situation spot on (and so got our attention) and then said what God wanted for us now. Scary but fab.
The sad part was because these were so obviously powerful, it became a bit like a secular Christmas...people all wanting their word from God. Which was a bit sad really.
Reflections and life
It was a bit of a hectic week - my bike didn't start on Sunday so called the RAC. They fixed something (a wire that was shorting) and it seemed to work. Worked...ok(ish) on Monday but didn't start on Tuesday. Took it to the garage and they eventually replaced the battery on Friday but thought the carburettor had trouble so referred me to the local Piaggio garage....
Also Jen's eye has been getting more and more sore so eventually she got taken to the nurse, then the doctor, then the optician and then finally I took her to the hospital eye ward. They thought it might be optic nuritis but wanted us to come back next Tuesday as nothing was visible.
Really felt that God was saying "don't pray for me to come into this situation...I am in this situation, instead pray that your eyes would be opened to see me working". Need this.
