I wasn't really looking forward to New Wine this year, having moved churches and then towns. I planned to keep myself to myself, work hard on team and read and sleep in the afternoons. It was a good policy. As I'd only planned to do things by myself ,and I am now quite used to going places on my own, it was a bonus to be invited out for coffee with friends.
The most enjoyable part about the week was being on team once again. It's now the 5th year that I have been on Boulder Gang/Rock Solid team and it's great to see the same faces year on year. I love having the opportunity to chat to a different bunch of kids, get to know a bit about them, help them to make friends with each other... and then spend the evenings moving around the floor splitting up playfighting boys! Although I went to New Wine with every intention of it being my last, I left feeling less sure.
Still, I feel myself to be right on the edge of comfort (and often far beyond it!) with some of New Wine's teaching and the way things are done. This year there was a focus on prophecy. In one of the team times we had to get into 3s... pray for words or pictures for each other... 5 minutes each.... Sound familiar?! Anyway, this time I laid out my thoughts on the matter right before we began and didn't stress myself over trying to hear some obscure word from the Lord in my time limit and so avoided any Clover advert embarassments. We fortunately ran out of time before getting to the point where the other 2 would be praying for words for me.
I continue to wonder: Is God really all that bothered about giving individuals small words of comfort to already comfortable Christians on a holy holiday? I don't recall Him being like that in the Bible. It all made me think of Professor Trelawney from the Harry Potter books. She's an old fraud. And so I felt like an old fraud giving strangers words of prophecy that I'd pulled out of thin air. But, like Professor Trelawlney, that is not to say that God might use me as a prophet when He so wishes. Not when I wish. Professor Trelawney is an old fraud, but she's only in post because of a true prophecy she once gave, and she has no idea that she gave it.
As well as prophecy there was rather a lot of time spent praying for healing for children again, as last year, but I was glad that one evening was devoted to praying for children who were 'sad, maybe because of something from home or school'. I continue to wonder about praying for healing. I come with very low expectations, reluctant to be there and witness a child be disappointed as a genuine illness or disability remains when other children seem to be healed of minor complaints. One girl really touched my heart when, after praying for her, she said "Nothing. But I pray a lot for healing. I know that God will heal me one day." I told her how mature and strong she was and how proud I was of her. But how I longed that it would be she who would experience a miracle.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Moving mountains!
I moved house this weekend and I'm embarrassed by the sheer volume of stuff that I have - even without furniture! We needed 3 cars to move me and all my stuff!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Explanations
I've been planning to teach explanation texts to my class this week and so have been watching Wallace and Gromit clips on You Tube. Love 'em!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSVD3nzsIyA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSVD3nzsIyA
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Job satisfaction
I'm sat in the sunshine at my computer planning away for the next 3 weeks' worth of literacy. And you know what, I can't wait to get back to work and teach it. I can't wait to get stuck in with all the assessments and focus groups and choir and everything else. And I realise that I am indeed a very lucky lady to love my job quite as much as this.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Spring Harvest 2009
Have been to Spring Harvest in Skeggy again this year, returning on Maundy Thursdy (that's how we say it up 'ere..!). There was much to reflect on whilst I was there, particularly with the difficulties that I've been having with church lately (which mostly accounts for the lack of blogging to be honest).
The theme for Spring Harvest this year is Apprentice: Walking the way of Christ. The first day was spent almost entirely in learning about learning styles, the leadership having taken the decision to organise us according to the best way that each of us learns as individuals. We were grouped into Pragmatist, Theorist, Reflector and Activist. By the end of the first day the 4 friends of us who went together were a bit weary of hearing about learning styles - 2 of us are trained teachers and the other 2 studied Christian Ministry at St Martin's College (now the University of Cumbria) and had covered all this kind of stuff ad infinitum before. A particular disappointment on the first day was to go to the activist stream only to be lectured on how activists don't like to sit and listen but like to get up and do things.... touch of irony there.
Fortunately, the remainder of the week was not spent telling us about what we would learn as the week progressed and we actually got stuck into the subject matter. I ended up going along to the Pragmatist stream (where I had intended on going initially - I ended up in the Activist stream on the first day almost by accident) and I was challenged throughout by both Steve Chalke and his colleague Jill Rowe. I am particularly happy to see how Steve Chalke really seems to have guided Spring Harvest towards a more social action/social justice route than I remember from a few years back. Along with my own recent dealings with church it has really caused me to consider what a Christian community really is and what it is called to do.
Steve Chalke responded to one question in a way that interested me greatly. The question was about how to do things for the community that didn't openly and ostentatiously have Jesus and by default evangelism as their purpose and driving force. And it interested me because I agreed so whole heartedly with his answer, but don't often hear it preached. He said that Jesus called us to love God with heart, mind and strength but equally to love our neighbour as ourselves. Not to evangelise our neighbours but to love them.
That is our purpose. Our beginning, our end, our driving force. If we have in the back of all that we do "we are doing this so that we can do that..." is that truely loving our neighbour? It's not about bums on seats, it's not about how many church run events we can have, it's not about how good we are at this or how good we are at that. It's about loving for the sake of loving. It is loving and expecting nothing in return.
And that is the greatest challenge. How can I be that person that loves unconditionally and where can I act out that love? How can we break down our constricting barriers of church and return to what we were called first to be?
Maybe being in the workplace is the best place to be. What a priveleged position I am in that I can not only teach a whole class of children but I can love them just for being themselves. I can show love to my colleagues as we go about the school day. And maybe as a school community we can take that love out into the village community. Maybe those children will go out and be loving wherever they may end up in the world.
And now I've got all bleary eyed and hopeful and ....
Yes, I'm a dreamer. And I'm here to stay.
The theme for Spring Harvest this year is Apprentice: Walking the way of Christ. The first day was spent almost entirely in learning about learning styles, the leadership having taken the decision to organise us according to the best way that each of us learns as individuals. We were grouped into Pragmatist, Theorist, Reflector and Activist. By the end of the first day the 4 friends of us who went together were a bit weary of hearing about learning styles - 2 of us are trained teachers and the other 2 studied Christian Ministry at St Martin's College (now the University of Cumbria) and had covered all this kind of stuff ad infinitum before. A particular disappointment on the first day was to go to the activist stream only to be lectured on how activists don't like to sit and listen but like to get up and do things.... touch of irony there.
Fortunately, the remainder of the week was not spent telling us about what we would learn as the week progressed and we actually got stuck into the subject matter. I ended up going along to the Pragmatist stream (where I had intended on going initially - I ended up in the Activist stream on the first day almost by accident) and I was challenged throughout by both Steve Chalke and his colleague Jill Rowe. I am particularly happy to see how Steve Chalke really seems to have guided Spring Harvest towards a more social action/social justice route than I remember from a few years back. Along with my own recent dealings with church it has really caused me to consider what a Christian community really is and what it is called to do.
Steve Chalke responded to one question in a way that interested me greatly. The question was about how to do things for the community that didn't openly and ostentatiously have Jesus and by default evangelism as their purpose and driving force. And it interested me because I agreed so whole heartedly with his answer, but don't often hear it preached. He said that Jesus called us to love God with heart, mind and strength but equally to love our neighbour as ourselves. Not to evangelise our neighbours but to love them.
That is our purpose. Our beginning, our end, our driving force. If we have in the back of all that we do "we are doing this so that we can do that..." is that truely loving our neighbour? It's not about bums on seats, it's not about how many church run events we can have, it's not about how good we are at this or how good we are at that. It's about loving for the sake of loving. It is loving and expecting nothing in return.
And that is the greatest challenge. How can I be that person that loves unconditionally and where can I act out that love? How can we break down our constricting barriers of church and return to what we were called first to be?
Maybe being in the workplace is the best place to be. What a priveleged position I am in that I can not only teach a whole class of children but I can love them just for being themselves. I can show love to my colleagues as we go about the school day. And maybe as a school community we can take that love out into the village community. Maybe those children will go out and be loving wherever they may end up in the world.
And now I've got all bleary eyed and hopeful and ....
Yes, I'm a dreamer. And I'm here to stay.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
A blogging return on a peculiarly disagreeable book
I have caught my housemate in possession of a book. A disagreeable book. One might say, a ridiculous book.
The book is called "Get Married: What Women Can Do To Make It Happen".
I am incensed!
Now, I haven't read this book, but, aside from the title, the cover did nothing to draw me in any further. On opening the book I felt no greater desire to read it when faced with foliage page detail and floaty italic fonts. No, I think it is fair to say that this is not my idea of a good read.
Do you think there will be 10 easy to follow steps? Do 1. followed by 2. followed by 3. etc and by number 10. you will find yourself happily married (do the 2.4 children follow in the sequel?). What makes the author think that the steps that led up to her marriage will be the same as for everyone else? And what if you follow her simple self help steps only to find yourself married 10 years down the line wondering who on earth you are and how you managed to find yourself here? Is not being yourself surely a better way at approaching life than persuing marriage by any means?
The reviews on Amazon do nothing to allay my fears:
"She passed on truth to me that positioned my heart in such a way to truly receive the Lord's fullest blessings."
"In this book, Candice Watters gives us pratical tips and stories from her own life about how to finally reach the altar."
More worryingly though was another similar looking book that I followed a link to on Amazon (and is more popular...) "Getting Serious About Getting Married". About which reviewers said:
"But this book has reminded me of both my Godly responsibilty to be a wife and also the fact that being single is not part of Gods plan for the majority and so no matter how busy and successful we are, nothing else is going to slot into the perfect place made for a husband accept [sic] a husband! "
"This book is sent by God for "such a time as this"."
Oh please. Spare us.
The book is called "Get Married: What Women Can Do To Make It Happen".
I am incensed!
Now, I haven't read this book, but, aside from the title, the cover did nothing to draw me in any further. On opening the book I felt no greater desire to read it when faced with foliage page detail and floaty italic fonts. No, I think it is fair to say that this is not my idea of a good read.
Do you think there will be 10 easy to follow steps? Do 1. followed by 2. followed by 3. etc and by number 10. you will find yourself happily married (do the 2.4 children follow in the sequel?). What makes the author think that the steps that led up to her marriage will be the same as for everyone else? And what if you follow her simple self help steps only to find yourself married 10 years down the line wondering who on earth you are and how you managed to find yourself here? Is not being yourself surely a better way at approaching life than persuing marriage by any means?
The reviews on Amazon do nothing to allay my fears:
"She passed on truth to me that positioned my heart in such a way to truly receive the Lord's fullest blessings."
"In this book, Candice Watters gives us pratical tips and stories from her own life about how to finally reach the altar."
More worryingly though was another similar looking book that I followed a link to on Amazon (and is more popular...) "Getting Serious About Getting Married". About which reviewers said:
"But this book has reminded me of both my Godly responsibilty to be a wife and also the fact that being single is not part of Gods plan for the majority and so no matter how busy and successful we are, nothing else is going to slot into the perfect place made for a husband accept [sic] a husband! "
"This book is sent by God for "such a time as this"."
Oh please. Spare us.
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