Today was H's last Mustard with us as she is now entering her final Year 12 exams. Instead of studying chp 1 of Ruth ('bitterness') we celebrated her contribution to Mustard and the school. I shared a few thoughts comparing secular 'graduation' wisdom and what God has to say to us. I have grown to know and love H and seen her mature in her faith and understanding of being a disciple of Jesus.
As she was the student leader, the face of Mustard in the school, this does leave the question of who will God provide to be the new student leader? Someone who loves God and loves to know Him, someone who can put time and effort into the people side of Mustard. I look forward to seeing who God chooses for this role.
(On a side note - I've been sick this week and I hate being weak and frail! It's hard to recuperate and allow myself to rest because I see everything I 'need' to or 'should' be doing. Please pray that I will be wise in my recuperation and know what things to let slide for a bit)
Friday, 17 October 2014
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Pray hardest...
A quote I saw today, "Pray hardest when it's hardest to pray."
I don't automatically pray. I prepare schedules and to-do lists (I may have already mentioned this). I read or sleep or garden. I don't go to the written Word of God when I'm tired and drained. It's curious how we can be refreshed from a conference or holiday or seeing someone make a huge leap in Godliness, but shortly after be worn down and restless again. Oh to be in constant rest with God!
God, give me the strength, focus and patience so that I can work well. Not to please my church or pastor, or to look like I have everything in control but so that I can be a good and faithful steward to the tasks that you have given me. It's all seeming a bit much at the moment, I feel like I'm in charge of too many things. I need you to fill me with you peace and remind me that it is your work and you are in charge. Please help me to serve and love you with all my mind, energy, skills and heart.
I don't automatically pray. I prepare schedules and to-do lists (I may have already mentioned this). I read or sleep or garden. I don't go to the written Word of God when I'm tired and drained. It's curious how we can be refreshed from a conference or holiday or seeing someone make a huge leap in Godliness, but shortly after be worn down and restless again. Oh to be in constant rest with God!
God, give me the strength, focus and patience so that I can work well. Not to please my church or pastor, or to look like I have everything in control but so that I can be a good and faithful steward to the tasks that you have given me. It's all seeming a bit much at the moment, I feel like I'm in charge of too many things. I need you to fill me with you peace and remind me that it is your work and you are in charge. Please help me to serve and love you with all my mind, energy, skills and heart.
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
Preparing the book of Ruth
I'm in the midst of writing our new Bible study for Term 4. This is something that takes a while and yet I learn so much about the topic because I have to sift through context, meaning and application. It's a process that can be frustrating, particularly when trying to discern what key point I want the girls to take home.
Another challenge is the time-frame of each lunchtime group. We have about 30mins to read the passage and discuss it. For Ruth I have a few choices - choose key verses that point to the main purpose of the chapter, read each chapter each week or spend Week 1 reading the whole story. The main drawback with that option is that I have different girls coming each week and they need to hear the story too. I could email the passages out each week for the girls to read, but will they do that? I need God's help in discerning how to best tell the story of Ruth while not leaving anything out.
Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
Monday, 22 September 2014
End of Term
Friday the 12th saw us hold our last Mustard session of the term. We ended with 'Gentleness', leaving 'Self-control' for another time. At the start of the term I planned how many hours I would be leading and engaging with this ministry (as I have to have 100 hours to meet the criteria for my subject) and it easily added up, so I thought great! My plans are working. However, as the term has gone by various 'planned' hours have slipped off the list, such as bi-weekly mentoring the student leader and regular catch-ups with the chaplain. This means that my hours are down according to my plan.
But recently I have been having many opportunities to hold lightly my plans, and to not get (as) stressed when it looks like things aren't going to work out (such as trying to find another KidzBiz leader with Term 4 just around the corner).
I don't know the implications for this component of the subject, but I have learnt that because ministry is about people, and people are dynamic, things will change! And it is better to be flexible and persevere than to get worked up just because your schedule is not being filled how you want it to be. God is at work in people's lives and I get to see that!
But recently I have been having many opportunities to hold lightly my plans, and to not get (as) stressed when it looks like things aren't going to work out (such as trying to find another KidzBiz leader with Term 4 just around the corner).
I don't know the implications for this component of the subject, but I have learnt that because ministry is about people, and people are dynamic, things will change! And it is better to be flexible and persevere than to get worked up just because your schedule is not being filled how you want it to be. God is at work in people's lives and I get to see that!
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Faithfulness
What a joy Friday was! 7 girls, including 2 new girls! We enjoyed a robust discussion, at times it was tricky to steer the conversation back to the topic of faithfulness - what it means, how God is faithful, how we can be faithful. But as I grow spiritually I am loosening my hold on things to go my way. I realise the importance of Mustard being a fun, caring space where we can share what's going on in our hearts and sometimes the topic at hand triggers something in someone. We shared stories of faithful Christians we had heard of - people in jail who would rather preach the gospel for an hour and receive an hour's beating in return, in place of staying silent.
Being faithful requires strength! And patience, and hope. And we have hope not in the impossible and unattainable but in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. For Him, anything is worth remaining faithful.
Being faithful requires strength! And patience, and hope. And we have hope not in the impossible and unattainable but in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. For Him, anything is worth remaining faithful.
Monday, 1 September 2014
Leading on the Frontlines
Friday and Saturday I spent at the national Acts29 conference: Leading on the Frontlines. A fantastic, soul-and-mind refreshing conference filled with gospel teaching exhorting, correcting and challenging us.
Some reflections:
- To rest my soul I need to dwell on the majesty of God. I know that I don't think and feel God's awesomeness very much, I too easily get caught up in logistics, people management and to-do lists, I forget who I'm working for. Majesty is the fear and gladness of the heart. Be captivated by, dwell on and pursue God's majesty.
- Like a father takes his little daughter to work for the day, not because she's helpful or insightful but because he delights in her and she takes joy in being with her Daddy, so my Father invites me to play with His work, to dabble and potter and help in the little way I can. He delights in me working with Him and I too (should) delight in working by His side.
- In order to lead from the Word you must believe it is the breath of God. To lead effectively the Word of God has to be premier in our lives, acting as the lens through which we interpret the world, residing at the core of every decision. Can't lead by His Word if you're not walking by it, and if you don't know it. Be thirsty!
- Know Jesus and make him known. Create opportunities for unbelievers to hear the gospel, the sower finds the soil, not the other way around. Live with gospel consistency, good deeds point to the gospel.
Some reflections:
- To rest my soul I need to dwell on the majesty of God. I know that I don't think and feel God's awesomeness very much, I too easily get caught up in logistics, people management and to-do lists, I forget who I'm working for. Majesty is the fear and gladness of the heart. Be captivated by, dwell on and pursue God's majesty.
- Like a father takes his little daughter to work for the day, not because she's helpful or insightful but because he delights in her and she takes joy in being with her Daddy, so my Father invites me to play with His work, to dabble and potter and help in the little way I can. He delights in me working with Him and I too (should) delight in working by His side.
- In order to lead from the Word you must believe it is the breath of God. To lead effectively the Word of God has to be premier in our lives, acting as the lens through which we interpret the world, residing at the core of every decision. Can't lead by His Word if you're not walking by it, and if you don't know it. Be thirsty!
- Know Jesus and make him known. Create opportunities for unbelievers to hear the gospel, the sower finds the soil, not the other way around. Live with gospel consistency, good deeds point to the gospel.
Goodness
This week in Mustard we discussed 'goodness'. I had a study prepared and we started working our way through it, but God had other plans for the discussion. I felt strongly that we should more deeply discuss the first verse I had chosen for the study, and leave the rest of the questions for personal reflection during the week:
Luke 6:27-28, 35
But I say to you
who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who
curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you... love your enemies, do
good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then
your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is
kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
Why can Jesus say this to us? Why are we to love and do good to our enemies, the frustrating, the manipulative? It's because God loved us while we were still His enemies. This certainly struck the girls in their heart, and mine too! It's easy to say, hard to do.
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