My belated 13th week at college

Sorry for the delay - end of term essay crisis again. So will do both the last weeks while I'm on Christmas holidays!

Well an icy start to the week meant that I fell off my moped three times on Monday. Wasn't going at all fast so no damage other than severe shock. Rang highways and got full permission to make use of the salt bin on the hilly corner. However this has meant I have been late every morning and have been missing the devotions. I have to say that this has made a big difference. Going straight into lectures without some time with God really does take the sparkle off...

One interesting side effect was noticing what happens if I come into a time of worship late - I've always wondered about how much "meeting with God" during worship is genuine and how much is due to the emotional atmosphere after a heavy duty worship session. Coming into a session near the end I have no emotionalism created from singing lots - but I could still feel the peace and joy as if it were tangible, which was really refreshing to find out - it isn't all just hype! Just want to get there earlier though...

Christology
We've been looking at who Jesus was and what his sacrifice accomplished:

So his divinity: his claims (which is the reason he was crucified - for blasphemy) and his actions that backed up his claims (ie his miracles and his resurrection)

His humanity - that in addition to being fully God he was also fully human.
Why it is necessary that he was both and so was able to offer the perfect sacrifice for oour sins (and then all the exciting heresies about himm not being one or the other).

His sacrifice (the only way a holy God could establish fellowship with sinful humans is for a perfect human to pay the penalty of our messing up)

His resurrection (what it means and why it is the only logical conclusion given the evidence)

His ascension (ie heading back to heaven)

Dave Perryingo
After a week of enjoying Dave Perryisms, such as "can you see what I'm reaching for", "booga booga land", "it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it", "gazillions" and the classic "stick that in your theological pipe and smoke it", I constructed Dave Perryingo (it's like bingo but has 9 Perryisms in a 3 by 3 grid. Students cross off the square if they hear the corresponding phrase and the first to cross off 3 in a line calls out "Dave Perryingo!"). Did it on Friday and it was a laugh with about 4 people calling out at the same time! Ah, happy days....

Tumbling Bay
Did an alternative quiz this week (ie not general or subject specific knowledge) - with dingbats, crimes, wally questions and another type that I don't know what to call it. They seemed to enjoy themselves...

Didn't get in trouble this week...oh well!

Reflections
Our next essay (due in next week - or 1 week ago when you finally get to read this!) is on one aspect of the nature and character of God. I feel I've looked at fatherhood quite a lot now so thought I would go for something that I am uncomfortable with: joy.

I know it may sound weird - but I imagine God to be a rather austere but loving father - wounded by our sins but forgiving. And I imagine Jesus as the "man of sorrows". Either of them being happy, joyful or laughing just seems plain heretical to me.

So I thought I would delve into this area more deeply so my view of God is balanced and not a reaction to my earthly experieces. I'll let you know how I get on in next weeks update (which'll be posted very soon...honest! )

Godincidents
One cool thing was during the prayer time on one of the last days. Remember how I said that the words last years students gave were uncannily accurate to the students who'd they'd never met and coincided with what other students said (before they'd even heard what had been written before). Well was praying for a visitor and felt this verse pop into my head so I said it to the bloke and he was like - I can't believe it that is THE verse that has meant so much to me since my divorce which I'd let slide for a bit. What is the chance of that - choosing the exact same verse out of goodness knows how may thousands? Cool, eh? God is good - Chris was so enbcouraged! Happy days.

Baby - 12 week scan
Look our jiggly baby - in fact so jiggerly that the picture is blurred! Well looks like another hyperactive child for the Lee household. Ho hum.

My 12th week at college

Welcome back for the next installment...

Well after the last week's dramatics this week was a bit of a come down...though we did have some great feedback on David's eye (you may recall that his retina was detaching again and his vision becoming much restricted, some of the girls prayed for him and it got much better) - he went to see the specialist on Monday who confirmed that it was fine and no surgery is required anymore. Hurrah!

Lectures
We were studying the nature and character of God this week - so looking at His essence (spiritual, self-existence, immensity, eternality), His attributes (omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, immutability, glory, sovereignty) and His character (holiness, graciousness, etc)

And having many exciting conversations about reconciling our free-will with God's sovereignty...but that would require a whole blog to itself... so moving swiftly along...

Creative bit
The third day was a chance for us to creatively respond (sounds a bit arty to me... ). But below is my attempt to delve into the fatherhood of God. I hope you enjoy:


Before you were born I knew you.
It was my idea that you were created.
I spoke and you came into being.
My delight in your birth was far greater than your earthly parents.



I am strong; a mighty whirlwind
Yet I am also tender
My gaze perceives all, lays secrets bare, brings down kingdoms
Yet you are the apple of my eye



I move all heaven and earth when you call out to me
I delight in being your helper
Time, nations and galaxies are in my hands
My plans are perfect for you



I know the thoughts of all men's hearts
Yet I am interested in your thoughts
When other may get bored and move on
I am patient and will stop time to spend this moment with you



I am intimately acquainted with your sorrows
I know the words that will soothe you
I am moved with compassion
when others may tire of you



I love seeing you grow up and learn from me
I told the mountains to rise up
I formed the oceans in the cup of my hands
Yet I am a gentle teacher



I created the heavens and the earth for your enjoyment
I delight in each moment of discovery you make
My strong arm is never too short
My reach encompasses the universe
My affection outlasts the stars
I am your father
You are my child.

Third place
Well we did a Ghanian and Romanian culture session at Tumbling Bay old peoples home. It was great to learn a bit more about Daniella's and Beverley's culture.

I was very moved by Daniella's parents laying the table with all the cutlery and praying a blessing over the food when they had none in the house...only to have the neighbour knock on the door when they finished praying with bread...beautiful.

However we did get in trouble as Daniella and Beverley were praying for one of the ladies who was not feeling well. Apparantly that's just not on in the communal area (no "religious meetings"). Probing further about how come they can have a carol concert - the answer was that they can sing but not pray. So we can sing to Jesus but not talk to him. Bizarre! So thinking of some clever way to obey the ruling but still reach the people there with the good news.

Erk!
Well it's late and I'm knackered...so I'll post the 12 week scan of our little one on next week's entry and chat about reflections next time. Catch you later...

My 11th week at college

Hello - well you wait for ages for a post and then two come along at once. If you missed the previous post (with the photo of the sleeping bag incident) then please do check out week 10!

Pneumatology
This week was spent on pneumatology (study of the Holy Spirit). For those who don't know much about this He's the third one of the Trinity who lives inside Christians when they are born again, who's job is to transform their character to become more like Jesus and to give them power to speak in tongues, heal, prophesy and so on.

So we had three days on the theory and then a scary two days on the practice.

Warning!
I appreciate that this next part of the blog might freak you out if you think Christianity is just a belief in God and trying to do good deeds. Please feel free to comment or email me if you want to chat through some of these issues further. I remember the first time I encountered this I was freaked out - because it meant that either God was real or some very freaky things were going on...

Holy Spirit practical
So it was like - "OK who doesn't speak in tongues and would like to?" and then praying for them. If you're new to this tongues is where you speak another language - one of your spirit talking direct to God - it's like an intimate prayer language of the heart. Is it just made up stuff? I've sometimes wondered - am I just making this up or is it really a God thing? But I've seen and heard too many times where someone speaks in a tongue and someone else recognises the language even though the person speaking in tongues has never learnt it.

Then it was OK let's pray for words of knowledge. This is where God gives you information about someone else that you would never know yourself. God does this not to embarrass or freak people out but so that He can heal people physically and emotionally. Various examples of this have been Jen suddenly hearing in her head that our daughter Hannah was out on the road (and she was), I somehow knew that my friend was just about to leave home without his passport (and he was), Pastor Mark Driscoll knew that a particular girl had been raped (and she had) and he was able to pray for her and see healing, etc.

So what happened with us? Well all sorts (in fact so many I can't remember them all). But someone felt there was someone with lower back pain, there was, and they were prayed for and it was immediately better (I have to confess being sceptical about the whole leg lengthening business but I can't deny that this girl's back was better immediately after...); we also had someone feel that someone had shoulder pain and there was and they were prayed for and were immediately better, about someone looking for their father as a small child and not being able to find them and seeing that person freed from the trauma that had caused, words also about isolation and seeing God meet their need (and deliver one from some nasty satanic bondage - I confess I found the screaming, spasming and puking when they were being prayed for rather freaky - was this put on? I know her very well and can tell you that's not who she is as she's one of the most genuine people there. But I can tell you that she had been involved in a lot of unwholesome stuff before she became a Christian and that she is just so much freer than she was before the prayer).

For me I had two things - one about disappointment which spoke into a time (which I had forgotten all about) where I felt I was let down and deserted by God - I feel so much better now after prayer. Also one about how I had felt a calling on my life for a couple of years now, hadn't known what it was and had tried various things but they hadn't seemed right and that it would come into focus by the end of this year. That was freaky as I had been feeling for the last three years that there was something else I was supposed to be doing for God but hadn't known, I tried writing books with various people but it hadn't come to much and also chasing becoming an IFA but it hadn't come to much either - so this was like the story of my life - could they have guessed it (as they didn't know me at all)? Well as a mathematician I know a fair bit about probabilities and it's got to a point in my life where I've seen so many things that I either say this is an unbelievable amazing number of coincidences or take a very short step of faith to say this is just so unlikely to be chance that there must be something else. So let's see what the rest of this year brings then...

My 10th week at college

Hello!

Well essay crises and all that has delayed this post...I know excuses excuses....

Father's Heart
We had only one day in college this week and we spent it on the Father's heart. So we looked at the story of the prodigal son but then went onto a practical...

So they had three people come up (including myself) where they re-enacted the story with us as the prodigal sons. The Father welcoming us sons home: putting on a robe (to cover our shame), putting on shoes (as only servants were bare foot) and a ring on our finger (to show that we are a son and an heir). It was a moving moment - helping us to really grab hold of the lavishness of God's love for us despite our failings, sins and messes.

Derby Prayer day
Well Tuesday was a day of fasting (where we don't eat for 24 hours), followed by a day of prayer on Wednesday up in Derby (it's grim up north - though apparently it's only the Midlands - which shows how much of a southerner I am ).

Have to confess I thought it would be a real drag but when they broke it up with periods of testimony about what's happening in the churches it really fired us up. One of the most exciting moments for me was hearing about the street healing - literally they go on the streets and offer to pray with people who need healing - and they've seen all sorts from piles (the size of pairs apparently) to cancer getting healed. Fab.

In our own group David's retina was becoming detached again (he's had an operation on it previously) and some of us prayed and it not only got better but he says it's the best it's been for ages (ie his vision is so much wider than before). Excellent.

One of the fun times was the evening where we had a quick sleeping bag fight. However in my attempt to make Ben fall over he dodged out the way - it's all because he didn't have a "mummy" shaped sleeping bag (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! ) and I seemed to have ended up on the floor...


Oh yes and made a hole with my elbow in the wall...just above my prone form and to the left of the door. Yeah it was interesting explaining that one to the owners...still waiting for the bill...

I'm trying to get the video clip for this (does this sound a familiar story?) - though I have at least pasted it to my facebook profile if you want - it's well worth a visit - just to see Ben's face of shock when he sees the hole!

Also got a day's input from Mark Ritchie on using our stories to spread the good news. Although he hasn't been able to use the story about his mate who had been invited over for dinner and then couldn't flush his number 2 down the loo and so resorted to a grabbing a big clump of tissue pulling it out and throwing it out the window. All might have gone well had they not invited him into the conservatory for a cup of tea to see something (you know what!) zig zagging it's way down the roof...

Reflections
At the prayer day someone opened my eyes to the disciple John who started off so judgemental (wanting to call down fire on people) and proud (wanting the most important place in Jesus' kingdom). But then later came to define himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" and finally in his letters preached how love was the most important thing. What a journey! But as he described this to me I saw myself - the one who is often so judgemental and wanting to be the centre of attention but yet am discovering this year how much I am loved. I so want to finish this journey and become the one who sees love as the most important thing...