AreopagusAutumn

2010

CONTENTS

Editor’s LetterSaem HaFarewell LetterWesley Chiang

Big Society vs God SocietyRobert BrownDid Jesus Die a Good Death?Tim Goodall

Experience the Bible in WorshipSam Hargreaves

Pentecostal EncounterDirk Hoffmann

What Kind of Old Man Do You Want to Be?Chloe Lynch

The RunawayLuke Maxted

A Song of AscentsVal Quay

The Weekend that Built the Walland the Tuesday that Tore it DownTim Goodall

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5-6

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8-10

11-14

15-18

19-22

23-28

29-30

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Marvin Oxenham: UnpluggedThe Editorial TeamCroatia TeamAnna Kelly, Jon White, Georgina Bassett, Charlie Fabian and Nick Collard Ode to an Ancient LanguageSheila Green, Luke Maxted and Saem Ha

24/7 Prayer WeekRebekka ZiemannGetting AwayEllie Tatton and Mark TattonAreopagus Quote CompetitionThe Editorial TeamHave a little patience?Rachael CostaPeople Like UsNabeel Mohan

Letter to a Beloved FresherAnonymous

Life Together : A Spiritual, Not a Human RealityVal Quay

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The opinions expressed in Areopagus are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine, its editor or London School of Theology. Copyright © 2010 Areopagus

T hank you, and congratulations for making this far. Aha, allow me to stop

you from thinking ‘I’ve just opened it.’ When I was in the world of journalism, people jokingly said the thickest pages in a magazine are the ones that are between the front cover and the editorial page. Whether it gets read on or not depends on its quality - that is, of course, unless the holder’s degree of boredom or desire to procrastinate is great enough.

We are perfectly aware of the imperfection of the magazine. But I encourage you to read on. Normally, if a magazine does not stand up to its readers’ standard, it simply loses it readership and vanishes from the market. The case of Areopagus is rather different; the main readership is its contributors and vice versa. Although a significant amount of responsibility is on its editorial team, its quality amply depends on how the community Areopagus belongs to cooperate. I hate to repeat the clichés of advertisements like ‘your bank’, ‘your government’, ‘your store’ and other countless ‘your’ sayings, but it is simply true to say it is your Areopagus. It is what you make with a hint of our help.

The natural response now would be ‘Yeah! I would love to cooperate! But, how?’ What you could do is to read on till the

Editor’s Letterend and tell us what you think. Sometimes I wish I could read people’s mind so that we can make a better Areopagus but, a. it is impossible and b. I suppose I would not be able to stay sane. Hence, the only option on the table is for you to contact us. A word, or even an emotion, would help, :].

One of the ironies of modern art is this: ‘I could do that’ + ‘Yeah, but you didn’t.’1 Whenever I go to Tate Modern I give my all to resist the temptation to hold in contempt the works that seem worthless and yet are considered to be priceless by many others, rather than weeping over my lack of courage.2 I would like Areopagus

1 Craig Damrauer at http://www.morenewmath.com/2 Perhaps my theology of aesthet-ics is not sound enough to make me realise that modern art is actu-

Saem Ha Mark TattonTim Goodall

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to be quite the opposite: ‘I could do that’ ‘Go for it, then!’ In any point in your reading, if you think ‘I could do that’, do do! Nothing stops you.

I would be more than happy to share our vision and how we see Areopagus to be used for the glory of our God but I am confident that you should be able to spot that inside the magazine - and showing is usually more exciting than telling. However, our former chief editor - though he didn’t want to be called that - and the very one who resurrected Areopagus from its long absence, Wesley Chiang kindly wrote a letter to the Student Body

ally rubbish? If you indeed think it is rubbish or it is not, please enlighten me.

where he points out our vision.

I would like to give special thanks to Val Quay who was the biggest encouragement for me to carry on with Areopagus and has worked so hard behind the scenes. I think she wouldn’t like her to be exposed but I had to show my appreciation!

Whilst you’re reading the magazine, we shall be praying you will be informed, entertained, encouraged, lovingly rebuked, surprised, excited, moved and our God be glorified.

Saemwhich is pronounced same as Sam Otherwise known as ‘Korean Sam’ or ‘Samwise the Brave’

Modern Art = I could do that + Yeah, but you didn’t

Areopagus = I could do that + Go for it, then!

Email us

areopagus@lst.ac.uk

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When it comes to resurrections, I’m a bit jealous of Jesus.

All it took for Him to get Lazarus out of the grave were some instructions for the stone to be moved out of the way and then a brief command, “Lazarus, come forth!”, three words in the Greek as well and probably not many more in the Aramaic. If only it was that straightforward for Areopagus to be resurrected! When he went into his multi-year death-like coma, it took almost four months, more than sixty emails between faculty, staff and students, and almost as many small or larger meetings before he reluctantly reappeared in a new form on the Intranet. Then again, I never tried shouting the same command at my computer. Maybe that would have saved a considerable amount of time and heartache!

Almost a year ago, on St. Andrew’s Day, I penned the following aims for an LST student magazine (at that point I did not know that there used to be an LBC student magazine called Areopagus): 1. To provide a

platform for students’ stories to be heard (vacation, term-time placements, etc). 2. To celebrate the creativity and diversity of LST students. 3. To promote thoughtful discussion and demonstration of our faith’s application to all aspects of life. I was encouraged in going forth with this endeavour after seeing the extremely high quality Christian student magazine produced at Dartmouth College, an American liberal arts college set up by pioneers of native American missions (http://www.

dartmouthapologia.org/). Most of the authors were non-theological students and yet the articles were almost all well written and theologically stimulating. If such a magazine was possible at a secular college, surely something similar, or better, was possible at LST! Disappointingly, instead of an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response, I ended up fielding suspicions concerning my ulterior motives. Instead of offering support, there were doubts as to my ability to get it going. Instead of seeing Areopagus as a high quality magazine that could promote LST’s profile, the majority of

Farewell Letter

Wesley Chiang

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stock.xchng Colin Brough

comments I received related to fears of it damaging the college. I remember several dark December and January evenings writing long emails trying to dispel people’s fears and recruit their support instead.

Someone once wrote that candles appear brightest when the night is darkest. That was certainly the case with some candles God sent into the winter of 2009/10. It was brief conversations with people such as Shivali, Dave and Jeanny Wang that encouraged me to stick at the task of resurrecting Areopagus despite the frustrations that kept on springing up. Few people seemed to care if the magazine existed or not. Then again, as Steve Walton pointed out, throughout Areopagus’ history, it has always been a small group of people beavering away at its production. At many points it was tempting to just forget about the whole project. Areopagus had lain in its comatose state for several years. Another few years wouldn’t have made much difference. Poor Ting Ting had to put up with many a moan about the most recent set-back!

Nevertheless, a small team slowly gathered. Saem’s creativity and enthusiasm was a wonderful boost. The addition of Mark Tatton’s photography skills and general ability as a sounding board gradually brought the magazine together. Articles trickled in before and after the March deadline - generally after the deadline. It was at this point that I learnt the need to commission double the

number of articles really needed, since half the articles disappear somewhere along the way! When it became clear that there wouldn’t be any funds available for printing Areopagus, we decided to publish it online for the first time in its history. Praise the Lord, a few days after the end of the Spring term Areopagus was resurrected at last. The second issue of the resurrected Areopagus came out a term later, a few days before the end of the Summer term.

Looking back at the these two issues of Areopagus, have the initial aims been accomplished? As far as celebrating the diversity of LST students, I think we have done pretty well, with a broad range of students (cultural backgrounds, age and FT / PT mix) being invited to contribute. The articles have reflected deeply on various aspects of our faith and from anecdotal evidence have been helpful to the readers. However, I believe there are still so many more stories that could be told. The magazine could easily be twice its present length. The lessons God has been teaching us during our time at LST shouldn’t just be for our benefit or fodder for assessed reflections. Instead, let’s share these lessons with the wider student body! I would love to see responses being written to articles in previous issues. Even a casual observer of the Intranet knows that LST students can be an opinionated bunch. I believe Areopagus can be a forum for carefully thought through arguments and counter-arguments on the issues of the day, whether in the realm of politics,

economics, popular music, modern art, leadership theory, pastoral dilemmas or ecology. As Areopagus becomes re-established as an integral part of LST, I hope to see it either becoming theme based or having regular columns, whereby it can be a collection of articles to which students / alumni can refer back to in future years. I also hope that Areopagus can be an arena where budding new authors can test their pens, discover their talent and gain confidence to write for larger audiences in later years. One of my greatest joys working on Areopagus has been hearing authors who were originally reluctant to write, tell me with beaming smiles about the comments they have received from people who found their published articles helpful. From what I have heard from the new editorial staff, much new content is being planned for new issues. I very much look forward to reading the Christmas edition! As Alison reminded me last year, this is a spiritual endeavour, which needs to be covered in prayer. Much prayer has already gone into Areopagus. I will be continuing to pray for Areopagus’ flourishing and that the editorial staff will be clearly guided by the Spirit, and invite others to join in this prayer!

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The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne recently an-nounced the results of the UK spending review revealing the

Governments desire to make 81 billion pounds worth of cuts in public spending over the next four years. It’s assumed that up to 490,000 public sector workers will be made redundant and local councils are set to lose 7.1% of their annual budgets1. Ever since the collapse of the U.S invest-ment bank Lehman Brothers back in Sep-tember 2008 and the ensuing global finan-cial crisis we never hear any good news about the economy, nor are we likely to in the near future.

This crisis has firmly underlined the intrinsic problems in the way our society works. Two of the main things that our Prime Minister David Cameron wanted to establish in his new government were the need for financial reform and for the concept of ‘big society’; that local people would have more control and responsibil-ity of their respective communities. We are then led to think about how we can affect society, how we can have an impact and make changes for the better – isn’t this a common theme in Sunday morning ser-mons?!

1 BBC News, ‘Spending Review: Winners and Los-ers.’

So, we have an opportunity on an in-dividual basis to better the world, but un-like most other people our motivation is to honour and glorify God. Rather than aim-ing for a ‘big society’ would it not be better to aim for a ‘God society’. But how do we even begin to do this?

The Biblical instruction to us is clear, the Old Testament tells us: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength’ (Deuter-onomy 6:5 TNIV). Change needs to come on an individual basis; that is to say that the way we live our lives is the ultimate way in which we can reflect God, and then be able to witness to others and initiate change. This idea doesn’t involve a complex understanding of politics, or even a simple one, but instead requires a heart that is willing to be shaped by the Holy Spirit.

We need to be people who are more concerned with the contents of our char-acter, than with the contents of our bank accounts. It’s too easy to rely on society for everything and not to seek God in our day-to-day lives. The financial crisis has high-lighted the uncertainty and insecurity of man-made systems, surely it would be bet-ter to rely on a supreme and faithful God. Too often though Christians claim that if you rely on God everything will be fine and dandy. This just isn’t true. Life isn’t a walk in the park, it’s difficult, and many people all over our country and world are feeling this right now. But, we can rely on God for the

strength to get through these tough times, so that we may be his example and enact his idea of society in our own lives. Perhaps tribulation is the testing ground of our faith, the place where we align our beliefs with our actions.

Whatever impact the Government spending review will have upon your life, you can rely on the fact that ‘...in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose’ (Romans 8:28 TNIV).

So, let’s be the people God wants us to be; “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-16 TNIV). Let’s not get down hearted about our fall-en world, instead let’s get passionate about what God can do to fix it. ‘Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things’ (Philippians 4:8 TNIV) – this is a God society!

Bibliography

- HM Treasury, Spending Review 2010, (October 2010, http://www.official-docu-ments.gov.uk/document/cm79/7942/7942.asp)

- ‘Spending Review: Winners and Losers’ BBC News Website, (1st November 2010, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11595441).

The Government Spending ReviewAn Opportunity for Big Society or God Society?Robert Brown

flickr mauricedb

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It was a wet Tuesday when three old class-mates met on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral, embraced, displayed the usual satisfaction and contentment gained only by those who have spent numerous years in community together, and filed quickly

into the cathedral close behind the flowing scarf of the Professor they had come to hear debate death.

Not a topic you would expect to draw a crowd, and with only half the seats taken, proceedings began. St. Paul’s had four such debates during October as part of their public ministry.1 Stanley Hauerwas – who was in the UK primarily to promote his new book, Hannah’s Child2 – was the main attraction for the three old class-mates.

The debate was good, if too short, but what really got us talking in the pub after-wards was the question that ended the debate: Did Jesus die a good death? This was a question asked of Hauerwas by Sister Frances Dominica. By now, I found myself pre-empting Hauerwas’ answer, having followed his theology of death through to this point. But his answer shocked – expecting a ‘Yes’, he answered ‘No’.

Of course, the debate had ranged wider than this question. Up to that point, Hauerwas had given a brief but thorough explanation of why we as Christians sing from an unrecognisable songbook when compared to the attitudes toward death we encounter in our society at large. His diagnosis of cultural attitudes can be neatly summarised by a phrase he repeated a number of times: we want to get out of life alive.

He argued that our culture has been deceived into believing modernity’s project of convincing people that they should have no story except the story they chose when they had no story. The need then to co-operate as humans within society was still present, but as we increasingly accepted modernity’s lie, we needed a hook upon which to hang our co-operation, for it was no longer God. Consequently, Hauerwas names Hobbes as the man who provided the argument that we continue to co-operate because we still have a common factor that affects all of our stories – death. Thus, we have, with an ever-increasing measure, feared death. 1 If you want to watch them, which you should, go to: http://www.stpauls.co.uk/View-St-Pauls-Videos.2 Hauerwas, Stanley, Hannah’s Child: A Theologian’s Memoir, London: SCM Press, 2010. A thor-oughly excellent read.

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Structured Ramblings on a Debate about Death in St. Paul’s Cathedral

Did Jesus Die a Good Death?

Tim Goodall

This is an about turn from what we as Christians have as our story and our at-titude toward death. In the Middle Ages, notes Hauerwas, the prayer was ‘Lord, save us from a quick death’. The desire was to have an awareness and understanding that death was coming – for that enable the dying person to be made right with their friends, enemies, and first and foremost, God.3

It was God they feared, not death. Today, we it is death we fear, not God.

There is something profoundly obnoxious about wanting to get out of life alive, spending remarkable amounts of money to surround dying people with technology that keeps them alive until they do not actually know whether they are alive or not. We no longer fear God, and thus want to slip out of this life without noticing we died. Indeed, as Sister Frances noted, being surrounded with technology whilst dying is profoundly lonely. But this in itself is antithetical to the Christian message. Because we need not fear death, we are able to make death less lonely by being present with those who are dying. Sister Frances, who had surprisingly little to contribute to the debate and was unable to contribute to what a good death actually is, is practicing this very presence with her work in setting up children’s hospices.4

Instead of this obnoxious desire to get out of life alive, we have a bigger, better story. Life is a gift from God – and therefore, whilst we rightly see death as an enemy, we need not fear it.

Conversely, Hauerwas ponders whether death is actually, in an interesting way, a gift itself. Death makes life valuable, but because God ultimately wants us to be with Him, Hauerwas wonders with Augustine whether there needed, even before the fall, to be some sort of transition from finite beings to infinite beings. Now, whether Hauerwas is correct on this musing is open to debate, as he seems to disregard the fullness of the communion between God and man in the garden. But it is a thought worth of further pondering that likely needs another article.

Our attitude to death is neither one of fear nor of trepidation. For in our baptism into the death of Christ we are baptised into the resurrection. As Paul (say where!)

3 Interestingly, Lauren Winner, in a completely different context, also notes this was the Ameri-can attitude in the 19th century. There was a desire to linger around whilst dying in order to put accounts in order, and to make sure we were ready for the future, for death albeit a reality more real than most, is a prelude to the future. For more see Winner, Lauran, Mudhouse Sab-bath, Paraclete Press: Brewster, Massachuettes, 2010, 92-108.4 Helen and Douglas House, see http://www.helenanddouglas.org.uk/.

Did Jesus Die a

Good Death?

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says, if we have died with Christ we will surely be raised with Christ. The fear and loneliness that clasp around our society and the pervading attitude towards death are released and banished by the death and resurrection of Christ.

Hauerwas concludes thus: That as Christians we do not have to get out of life alive because we know our destiny has been set through our baptisms into the love of God. Christ’s death was, for us, a very good death.

And thus we come back to the question of whether Jesus died a good death or not.

If we look at the modern fear of death, then Jesus died a very bad death. Not only was he alone, our culture would claim, but he knew he was going to die, it was long and painful, and he was something of a burden to those around him when he died – his death infringed upon the freedom of the lives of many of those around him.

But, when we think about the death of Jesus through the eyes of the followers of Christ that we are - and not the followers of modernity or cultural trends - we surely cannot fail to come to the conclusion that Jesus did indeed die a good death.

Jesus died as he lived: sacrificially and specifically for others. He did not die alone; his Father was with him every step of the way (even if we do allow for the cry of despair right at the last – although even then, the Psalm Jesus quotes does not allow for the actuality of God not being there, only for the perception of his absence). Jesus had time to prepare for his death, he had time to set things right, had he any need to, with his family, friends, enemies (forgive them, they know not what they do), and with his Father. And finally, his death infringed upon millions of people and is remembered by them every time the Eucharist is celebrated.

For Hauerwas to claim that Jesus did not die a good death seems contrary to his whole argument that as Christians we have language and mechanisms that enable us to both understand, process and come through death – our own and that of others – as a community that is radically changed because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who died a good death.

So, when it comes down to it, and we are sat in a small London pub on a wet Tues-day, what do we think about death? And what do we think about the death of Christ?

by

Tim

Goodall

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Biblefresh is an initiative we’re excited to be partnering with for 2011 - joining over 100 organisations to inspire and resource thousands of churches for engaging with the Bible in fresh ways. They’re encouraging

churches to sign up to four pledges - the forth of which is to “Provide and opportunity for people to experience the Bible in new and creative ways.” That sounds really up our street, especially in the context of church worship.

How can we make Sunday services a place where people don’t just think cerebrally about scripture, but experience it with all of their senses and emotions? Research into Neil Flemming’s VARK learning styles model seems to suggest that around 15% of people are primarily Visual learners, 22% primarily Aural learners, 31% Reading/writing learners and 30% Kinesthetic (tactile) learners. Whilst in the church we may have focused on teaching in an Aural and Reading mode, the Bible has always given us a much wider scope to engage with God. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life” says John in his first letter. How can we follow in this rich heritage of planning worship which facilitates an entering-in to the biblical story, touching it, tasting it, feeling and living it?

Experience

the Bible

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In Times of Sung Worship

Scripture can often come to life when included in a time of sung worship - getting a team member to read something appropriate over a microphone, or encouraging the whole congregation to read from a screen or handout. We’ve posted some PowerPoint resources like a Praise Shout and other scriputure based liturgy, and a fantastic responsive version of Philippians 2. Also check out our Psalms Praise idea as a way of including the congregation in leading scripture-based worship. You can keep music going underneath to create a flow amidst songs, or fade to silence to allow space for reflection.

Singing scripture or a paraphrase is also a great way to engage with and remember God’s word. RESOUNDworship.org has a number of songs which spring directly from passages like Philippians 2, Psalm 121,Psalm 139, and Numbers 6, with free sheet music and mp3s for download. Simply reading out the scripture a song has been inspired by can also be very powerful, eg; reading Isaiah 40:28-31 as an introdction to Brenton Brown’s Everlasting God, or setting the context of Great is your Faithfulness’ trusting praise in the midst of the harsh reality of the book of Lamentations (3:22-24).

Sam Hargreaves

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Engaging the Five Senses with the Bible

Tasteif your passage mentions food (bread, honey, bitter herbs, water) why not pass around dishes of it for people to taste? Or have whole meals to explore Passover, or the verse ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’?

Touchis their a physical object mentioned in your reading (stones, nails, mustard seeds) which people could hold in their hands or pass around as it is read? Is there a craft activity, like making something or moulding clay which would be a tactile route into the text?

Smellis there an appropriate smell you could waft into the space as scripture is read - hay, incense, purfume? How about setting bread-makers going during a reading about the bread of life, or some rotting rubbish when reading about sin?

Sighta group of actors could be arranged to pose in freeze-frame tableau’s for various key moments of a narrative reading. You could put up images of situations mentioned in a reading on projector screens. Or check out Kore’s graphical presentations of Bible passages for a unique way to view texts.

Soundexperiment with sound effects (feet walking, cocks crowing, water lapping etc) as scripture is read. You can buy CDs of these, download from the internet, or have someone create them live. Keep it simple to avoid distraction or hilarity! You could also experiment with having the person read into an off-stage microphone, and/or playing instrumental music to enhance the mood of the passage.

Experience

the Bible

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Getting Techie

You can use computer and video projection as another way to help people engage with scripture in worship. We’ve produced a number of Motion Graphics videos which communicate texts like Luke 4 and Acts 2, or engage with issues from the book of Esther. You can also used free web-based programs like Prezi and Xtranormal to create innovative Bible readings, whilst others have used Flash creatively, like Richard Lyall’s Unforced Rhythms of Grace. There are of course movie depictions of biblical scenes, but why not also use other films to help people experience a passage? For example, our friend recently used a clip from Master and Commander to help us feel real empathy for Jonah and the sailors caught in the storm.

Meditation, That’s What You Need

There is great untapped potential in church for helping people engage with the Bible in ways that they can take home and use on their own - teaching people to digest the Bible for themselves rather than spoon-feeding. Including simple Bible meditation techniques in services like imagining the scene, using creation and Lectio Divina can really empower people to chew-over God’s word for themselves. Prayer stations are also a great way to create space for biblical reflection - we’ve posted a number for download including a whole set themed on the word of God.

Being Intentional

As someone who leads worship in church it is easy to fall into ruts, and quite often people’s engagement with God’s word is what suffers when we stick to our default settings. Ultimately it is the Holy Spirit who makes God’s word ‘living and active’ in people’s lives, but somehow he graciously uses us as tools to help him do that, drawing on the gifts, skills, technology and community we have around us. If you have any thoughts, suggestions and ideas you’ve used please get in touch with me!

by

Sam

Hargreaves

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Black Pentecostalism affirms with dogmatic insistence that liberation is always a consequence of the presence of the Spirit. Authentic liberation can never occur apart from genuine Pentecostal encounter, and likewise, authentic Pentecostal encounter cannot occur unless liberation becomes the consequence. It is another way of saying no man can experience the fullness of the Spirit and be a bona fide racist.

Leonard Lovett in Hollenweger, Pentecostalism (1997) p.31

When people hear about Pentecost, they think of speaking in tongues, manifestations of the Spirit and the conversion of many people. Some people would also think of the affirmation of

Jesus’ ministry and the ringing bells in the minds of the first Christians who associated the resurrection of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit with the beginning of the last days. But what comes up in your mind when you hear “Pentecost”? Is it merely emotional or intellectual? Does it cheer you on to act or do you stay apathetic?

The important link between Acts 1:8 and the Baptism in the Spirit is known to many: God gave his Spirit to empower us to bear witness of his saving grace and his eternal love. But the effect is not one-dimensional, it is multidimensional – missiological, soteriological and ecclesiological (even more?).

Pentecostal Encounter

DirkHoffmann

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Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?

Acts 2:8 (NIV)

The ethnical and linguistic diversity was not resolved at the day of Pentecost. There were still plenty of people from different nations with different languages that couldn’t understand each other. But into this diversity, the Spirit of God brought unity. Everyone could hear of the great deeds of God and they all became a part of God’s family. Their origin didn’t matter any more, Gentile or Jew, Parthians, Medes or Elamites, even Samaritans were involved in God’s new creation.1

The separation into different nations, languages and cultures, which started with Babel, is often compared to Pentecost. Coming from this point of view, Pentecost is seen as a reversal. Like mentioned earlier, this did not happen through a monolingual shift in global politics, rather God revealed himself in the mother tongue of each individual. No social theory or politics made the wall of segregation fall; it was the Spirit of God.2

For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.

Paul in Ephesians 2:18-19 (NIV)

The Spirit gives access to both Gentiles and Jews to the Father. He is the uniting factor, the characteristic for the new people of God that is not limited by ethnical boundaries, outward appearance or literal obedience. Now, two thousand years later I generally think of Jews and Gentiles in the first instance, but in my German context, why don’t I think of immigrants? Sure, not all of them are my brothers in Christ, but they are equally loved by my Saviour. They are separated from him, just like I used to be. When Peter was preaching on the first Pentecost in history, he didn’t only address his fellow Jews from Israel but spoke to everyone from all nations that were present.

1 Jagessar, ‘Wind-Rush’, 117-118; Welker, Gottes Geist, 217-220.2 ‘Beyond Babel’, 57-58.

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Apostle Paul’s experience of the uniting mystery through the Holy Spirit may seem to be out of our range. The miraculous unity at Azusa Street in LA is probably for many as unintelligible as the first Pentecost in Jerusalem. But the same signs of God’s mighty presence, that his kingdom is already here and yet to come, were obvious. The famous quote of the eyewitness Frank Bartleman brings it to the point: “The colour line has been washed away in the blood.”3 In early 20th century America the separation of races apparently didn’t exist for the Holy Spirit. The most tragic backslide in Pentecostal history is probably the reconstruction of discrimination. Reconciliation is still needed in this area, and some steps were already taken.

Keith Warrington said during his speech at the EPCRA Conference in August 2009 about Pentecost:

This fundamental work of the Spirit to create a diverse but united community (1 Cor. 3:16) needs greater emphasis among believers, who, unfortunately, are increasingly divided. Unity is not a negotiable element on the agenda of the Spirit, neither should it be valued as a doctrine devoid of reality by believers today.4

He not only points to racism amongst believers, but also to the unity of the church like Jesus prayed in John 17. The Spirit of God is the key feature of New Testament Christianity, he unites every believer no matter where he lives, which ethnic group or denomination he belongs to. In the case of racism, I believe that we as believers have to be very careful in Europe how we treat immigrants, especially those labelled as illegal immigrants. The witness of the church will lose its power if we can’t succeed in bringing Christians from different races together. The apartheid in South Africa was also upheld in Pentecostal churches, but going back to their origin, they were able to make a change.5

3 Bartleman, Azusa Street, 24. – A challenging, but easy-to-read book which is a good starting point for everyone who is interested in the Pentecostal revival. In my eyes a must read.4 Warrington, ‘Cracked or Broken,’ 19.5 Horn, ‘Crossing’; Fox, Fire from Heaven, 259-262.

Pentecostal

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To make a change in this world, we also have to think outside the box, looking back to the achievements of earlier generations and critically reflect our own attitudes. Can a spirit-filled believer follow Sarkozy in his gypsy politics? Germany is more and more labelled an immigration country and I would say that this suits to most parts of Europe. How do we engage with these new citizens? The secular theory of a multicultural society is about to fail; we already reached the status of multi-society countries in West Europe. Is the church able to bring unity into this diversity? The power of Pentecost and the witness of early Pentecostalism gives a sign on how to build a community that doesn’t care about race, social status or language. Where the Spirit of God is, there is freedom! Where the Spirit of God is, there is unity!

Bibliography

Bartleman, Frank, Azusa Street, Plainfield: Logos International, 1980.

‘Beyond Babel: Pentecost and Mission,’ International Bulletin of Missionary Research, 30/2 (2006), 57-58.

Fox, Harvey, Fire from Heaven, London: Cassell, 1996.

Hollenweger, Walter J., Pentecostalism, Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997.

Horn, Dr. Nico, ‘Crossing racial Borders in Southern Africa: A lesson from History’, Cyberjournal for Pentecostal-Charismatic Research, 3 (1998).

Jagessar, Michael N., ‘Wind-Rush,’ Black Theology, 2.1 (2004), 117-118.

Warrington, Keith, ‘Cracked or Broken: Pentecostal Unity,’ speech held at EPCRA Conference, OCMS Oxford, August 12-15, 2009, (16 November 2010, http://www.edinburgh2010.org/fileadmin/files/edinburgh2010/files/pdf/keith_warrington.pdf).

Welker, Michael, Gottes Geist, Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag, 1993.

by

Dirk

Hoffmann

Admittedly, I’m never going to be any kind of old man given my gender, but I love this question. MacDonald asks it in his book ‘The Life God Blesses’.1 It catches my imagination somehow.

I have to be honest, I don’t aspire to be old. In fact, along with the rest of my generation, I somewhat dread it. Who wants to be old, after all? Wise, yes. Old, no. It’s just not an attractive concept. Limbs that ache constantly, pains in places I never knew really existed, memory loss, reduced mobility – bring it on…not!

Yet, there is something about age which could be positive. But only if I finish well.

The idea of finishing is significant to me. I know that at the tender age of 30 the world does not expect me to become all philosophical about life yet.2 But I’ve done a lot of thinking and I want to finish well. I don’t want to be like so many others whom I see, losing their focus and prioritising other things that are not the one thing they promised allegiance to.

It seems to me that the second letter to Timothy gets it right: when I am old, I want to be able to say that I have finished the race, fought the good fight and kept the faith. I want to be running hard over the finish line on the day I die and not to have wandered off the track. I want still to be standing for the same truth for which I claim to stand now.

But that kind of ending to my story is not going to happen by accident. What kind of old person I’m going to be depends very much on how I choose to live now.

In his book, MacDonald presents the example of Caleb who, in his eighties, is still going strong. At forty years old, Caleb had believed God to take Israel into the Promised Land; his faith was so strong that, even surrounded by men who did not dare to dream, Caleb stood against the crowd, raised his eyes above the circumstances and declared what could be.3

Yet, because of the nation’s unbelief and fear, Caleb’s dream got postponed for forty years.

1 Gordon MacDonald, The Life God Blesses:Weathering the Storms of Life that Threaten the Soul, Milton Keynes, Nelson Word, 1995.2 Even though a lot of this magazine’s readership is in their twenties and some may think that at 30 I am already a relic! 3 Numbers 13-14.

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What Kind of Old Man Do You Want To Be?

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Now many would have said that those forty years should have been the prime of Caleb’s life, the years of success, the peak of his career, the time when gifts and skills have been honed and personal awareness already gained. Caleb, quite simply, should have experienced a sense of convergence between his gifts, dreams and service for God.

But instead he had the dubious privilege of walking in circles around a des-ert. With a motley collection of grumbling Israelites. And the sure and certain knowledge that none of this would end until the last of that generation died off. It’s not what dreams are made of, is it?

And I think that, were we Caleb, most of us would have given up on God by then; we’d have found a vision which was less costly and dreams which might actually stand a chance of becoming reality. We’d have found a way to set our sights lower and we’d have sought fulfilment where we could. In a way, I wonder whether, in Caleb’s shoes, we might have begun to ‘live small’.

I suspect that it would have been the subtle things at first: we might have be-come less willing to thank God in all circumstances and we might have moaned just a little. And then as the sand began to seep into just about everything we possessed, we’d perhaps have moaned some more, lost heart and maybe even dreamed of Egypt. Our greatest dream might have become only to contrive never to eat manna again!

You can give a wry smile at this point; you can be glad that you are not in the desert walking endlessly in shoes that never wear out. But I also want to suggest that there’s still a point in this for us in the supposedly enlightened twenty-first century.

You see, as I reflect on the Biblical account, I realise that the deferral of dreams is one of those things which could stop me finishing well. So often, as Christians, we focus on the obvious areas of sin which could take us out. And that’s not wrong: we are wise to be alert to the wiles of money, sex and power...and any other formulation of temptation which is uniquely ours! But the enemy of our souls is not above more subtle means of diverting us from the one to whom we promised allegiance. And hope deferred, as Proverbs reminds us, makes the heart grow sick.4

When I started leading a church, it was the beginning of the fulfilment of a call which God gave me about seven years earlier. And at first I expected the

4 Proverbs 13:12.

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remainder of his promises to me to be fulfilled by him in quick succession. I thought that seven years was a long time to wait, especially seven years of what was spiritual wilderness in many ways. I had been pleased that I had kept believing throughout the seven years, kept trusting the promise and the God of the promise. Now all I was waiting for was the rest of the blessings to rain down from heaven.

But oh, how wrong can you be?! Why do so few people tell us that when God gives the big promises to his people, his timescale is often years, perhaps even decades? And not just years and decades but usually wilderness years and decades where God chisels character, where he breaks in order to remould.

In my privilege of leading LifeGiving Church, I’ve received the foretaste of promises fulfilled.

But, even now, some days all I see is sand rather than the fulfilment of promise. My dreams are bigger than the reality which I now perceive.

And I expect that I will carry some of those dreams unfulfilled far into my old age. Hope will be deferred for a time. It’s what God does. He does this because he has something bigger planned. He did it to Caleb, he did it to the rest of the saints who were commended for their faith, and he’ll do it to you and me. You can be sure of that.

The question, though, is what I will do with that. Will hope deferred make my heart sick? Will I fix my eyes only on what is seen or will I look to the unseen reality?

Though many of us give up because it is too painful to keep dreaming big dreams, to keep believing great and precious promises, to keep fighting and to keep running the race, Caleb didn’t quit. He believed God and he kept his focus on the promises. He could have been diverted by the deferral of hope; he could have been taken out of the race through disappointment. Yet instead it seems that he chose to feed his dreams and to keep running with God, a choice emotionally more costly than quitting.

And so it is that at the grand old age of eighty-something, Caleb is still ready for his opportunity. When the time came for fulfilment, Caleb was prepared

What Kind of

Old Man Do

You Want To Be?

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for God’s promised reality. At an age when he should have been tucked up in bed, he is still running the race! We see no bitterness that what should have been the prime of his life passed him by in a desert sand dustcloud. We also do not see the apathetic lethargy which can take hold of those whose lives did not work out to their plan.

Not only that but Caleb is still up for a fight! What I think I love most per-haps about this man is that when Israel gets into Canaan, he doesn’t ask for a nice square of farmland where he can grow old(er!) and die with his people. Goodness knows, that would have been enough for most of us! But Caleb demands the hill country, a land which is difficult to capture, full of the Anakites and their fortified cities. In his mid-eighties, this old man is still fighting giants because he knows that his dream has not yet come to pass and God has not yet finished with him.

One thing I know about Caleb is that he finishes well. Despite great disap-pointment, despite the deferral of hope, despite the passing of his youth, Caleb is still running the race until the end.

And so I ask: what kind of preparation is it going to take to ensure that I will be a Caleb? What choices can I make today to prepare myself to keep running no matter what disappointments come? You see, the path along which God calls us seems never to be as smooth as we would have desired. Jesus called it the narrow path for good reason. At times, we will be pressed to a point which feels far beyond our ability to endure. There are stones over which we can stumble, there are ruts in the road and sometimes there are plain big holes to fall into! So, I can’t rely on the road home being easy. My journey will be opposed on every side.

Yet, as I read and allow myself to be read by the story of Caleb, I am con-vinced that our best hope for finishing well is to do whatever it takes to keep the hope alive. If we can do everything in us to renew daily our love for the one to whom we promised our lives... if we can make even small choices to-day to put his desires above our own... if we can deepen our dependence on him and wean ourselves from independence... if we can daily stir up our hope that the promises for this world and the next will be fulfilled because he who promised is faithful...

...perhaps then we will finish well. Pray that it may be so.

by

Chloe

Lynch

THE RUNAWAY

LUKE MAXTED

RABBITBOOKS

Clay flung himself on to the ground. Exhausted, unable to force his body to go on, he allowed the chill night air to flow over him. The dew of the grass began to seep into his ragged clothes. He shivered, his skin ablaze

with sensation. As his heart clattered in his ribcage Clay punctuated his gasping for air with a single, resolute breath and opened his eyes wide to gaze at the sky.

The 8 year old Clay was filled with awe at the vast sea of black that stretched out above him, from horizon to horizon, littered with the sparkling jewels of the heavens. He knew some of the many shapes that lay on that dark canvas; Cassiopeia and The Big Dipper were the most prominent of those he could decipher. He had been taught about them at school, his teachers telling him of how cultures had used the stars to navigate the globe and reveal the future. He hoped they had written greatness into his destiny, that they would guide him to magnificent new shores. His ambition made the hairs on the back of his neck tingle in anticipation at this tantalising prospect.

Clay remembered how big his father’s garden had appeared to him previous-ly; that garden he had helped tend and protect from pests and weeds, where he had felt safe, secure and yet strangely bound; that garden he had escaped. It seemed so small now. He wondered at how insignificant it would appear from the vantage point of those luminaries dangling above him, soothing him, like his own personal mobile. This new expanse felt like a place designed for him, cre-ated for his growth, that yearned to acknowledge his potential for greatness.

Clay had run a long way from home; sneaking away when he thought his father was not looking, he had packed himself food for his journey – sandwiches and fruit, and slipped off into the dusk. It was not that he had not been happy in his home, nor for want of good things being given to him, but rather that he had come to the decision that by turning away from what was simply given to him, he could develop into more, he could be the creator of himself. No adult would be able to set the parameters of his life; Clay was the master of his own universe. Clay continued to stare at the sky above him and revelled in his new found liberation.

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As the dawn began to break, greeting Clay with a new warmth that slowly crept over his body, he noticed his earthly surroundings for the first time. He was in a grassy clearing within a cluster of pine trees that rose like giants all around him, the light of the sun was exposing the dew that glistened on the blades of short, green grass around him. It was as though all the world was coming to life purely for his delight.

Whilst still drinking all this in Clay could not help but feel he was being watched. He heard rustling in the undergrowth to his left and he was certain he caught movement in the periphery of his vision. From the tree line the head of a small, pale-furred fox cub emerged. Clay righted himself slowly, his desire to see the creature better tempered by his fear of scaring it away. He reckoned it to be at a similar season of life to himself, still caught in the throes of infancy yet stepping for the first time into the initial stages of independence.

The fox, having spent a matter of minutes seeming to agonise over the prop-osition of leaving the relative safety of the trees, finally chose to make the bold first step into the open chasm of grass that lay in the midst of a rather large forest. It began to circle Clay, hugging the edge of the clearing as it went, trying to understand this new scent it was smelling. Its large eyes were fixated with him, quizzical, curious to know the nature of this strange fur-less animal seated before it. As the fox progressed around the extremities of the forest boundary Clay began to notice a limp in its step. Indeed, upon peering forward to get a better view of the creature he observed a small flesh wound on its rear leg, a gash the length of Clay’s index finger. Clay eased himself onto his haunches; crouching low, his hands held palms outward just before his knees in an effort to tempt the fox cub closer. The fox paused briefly and cocked its head to one side in bemusement at the gesture. Clay then reached into the small pack of food he had made for himself and pulled out part of a ham sandwich. He raised it toward the fox so that it could see his offering and placed it a foot in front of himself. Still somewhat unsure of itself the fox crept cautiously forward, taking three steps, pausing and sniffing, three more steps and another pause, its nose trained to the ground and ears standing to perfect attention, taking in all it could, suppressing its alarm at the situation for the sake of nourishment it so desperately needed.

Runaway

When it finally reached the torn piece of sandwich Clay got his opportuni-ty to see the wound in all its splendour. Deeper than he had initially imagined, it was definitely not caused by a tussle with another animal. The clean, sweep-ing cut had been made by an encounter with a hunter’s trap of some kind. A brush with humanity that for the diminutive cub could have been fatal.

Clay edged his hand out toward the cub, hoping to touch its soft matted fur. Yet immediately it stood bolt upright and darted toward the barricade of pine that formed the edge of the clearing as swiftly as its damaged leg would carry it. Clay gave chase, lagging slightly behind his quarry, wondering if it would seek refuge with its family for safety. The young cub dodged and weaved through thickets and bushes, making it as difficult as possible for Clay to follow it, but it could not lose the intrepid boy. Suddenly it stopped short at the base of a large tree and took cover behind a still form on the floor. Clay broke pursuit and hid himself behind a growth of bracken. The fox cub, thinking it had slipped clear of its attacker, began to nuzzle at the dark shape Clay had seen previ-ously. The boy moved stealthily round behind the foliage that was concealing him, trying to get a clear sight of this new object. He stole further and further along until in a moment he froze. The identity of the shape at the base of the tree had just been revealed to him. Deathly still, unable to be roused by the pleas of its own young, was a vixen. It had been caught in a snare and impaled by a blade. Blood had congealed on her fur making her into a gore encrusted statuette of her former self. Clay’s heart broke as he saw the helpless young cub desperately seeking in vain to wake its parent. It was too weak to fend for itself; without the protection and provision of its parent it would not have the opportunity to grow up, it would surely die within the week.

Clay, full of sorrow but unable to aid the creature, backed away slowly to the clearing where he had spent the night. Sitting cross-legged in the centre he began to feel as though the trees were closing in around him. For the first time since he had left home Clay felt lost and alone. He wept as he longed for the familiarity of his father’s garden. He could not remember the way back home, he had run so fast he had forgotten to mark his route and now he was trapped in a chasm of grass, in the midst of a forest, with only the hope that somewhere, somehow, his father would be looking for him, and maybe, just maybe, he’d find him.

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by

Luke

Maxted

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Author’s Introduction

Stories have been used to teach throughout history. Fables, sagas, parables, myths and legends are present in every civilisation and culture since the devel-opment of language and nearly all of them have incorporated some form of instructional purpose. By providing engaging characters and plots, giving room for the ability to use metaphors and symbolism, stories have remained a popu-lar means through which ideas are communicated even today. Contemporary novelists still express religious belief, philosophical theory and cultural comment through narrative prose. Aesop’s Fables are the classic example of stories used for moral teaching, stories such as ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’ which have retained their pertinence through the millennia thanks to their simplicity and the instruc-tion they give. Similarly in recent years the likes of The Dark Materials Trilogy of Philip Pullman have utilised fiction to expound what he wishes to portray as the truth of human existence.

There is also a strong Biblical precedent for using stories to teach doctrine. Jesus used a great number of parables to demonstrate teaching that was not abstracted from reality and practice but rather applicable to life. Tales such as ‘The Good Samaritan’ (Luke 10:30-37) give the audience a way in which they can both know the content of what is being taught and an example of its outwork-ing. Many would also argue that Genesis 1-3 are polemic devices used to teach doctrine in opposition to the beliefs of surrounding cultures.1

It seems peculiar as a principle to express a doctrine of creation in a non-creative manner. As such I have elected to express my own specifically Christian doctrine of creation in the form of narrative, providing a brief commentary on the short story below in an effort to clarify those ideas that have been shared. The contemporary creation issue that I have concerned myself with is that of the worship of the created being, whether human or otherwise.

Author’s commentary

Clay: The name itself is in reference to the many instances in the Bible that relate humans to the ground from which they were formed and also their relation to God as potter (Is 64:8, Rom 9:21). Clay is the image of humanity post-fall. He has run away from the protection of his father’s intention for him; having been provided a garden to tend and food to eat (Gen 2:15-16). Clay revels in the physicality of the world, finding his identity in finitude rather than God.2 He mar-vels at the creation given to him but still seeks more, he falls prey to the trick of Satan that through disobedience and his own striving he can become great (Gen 3:5). By the end of the story it dawns on Clay that his desire to seek his own ends without the assistance of his father will surely lead to his death (Gen 3).

1 Bartholomew, Drama, 92 Camus, Sisyphus, 108

Runaway

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The Fox Cub: The fox is an homage to The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Ex-upery. In The Little Prince the prince meets a fox whom he tames and befriends. When the pair part the fox makes a statement that is key to an understanding of humanity’s relationship with the creation over which it has been given dominion (Gen 1:26). ‘You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed.’3 The fox is indicative of the way in which humanity’s rebellion affects not only the human but also the rest of creation, for which people have been given responsibility.

The Night Sky: This is symbolic of the deification of nature; what was intended for God’s glory (Psalm 19:1) is instead given authority as controlling the fate of humans, oft seen as deserving of worship.

Bibliography

Barrie, J.M., Peter Pan and Wendy, Dorking: Templar Publishing, 2004.

Bartholomew, Craig and Michael Goheen, The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story, London: SPCK, 2006.

Bettis, J.D. ed., Phenomenology of Religion: Eight Modern Descriptions of the Essence of Religion, London: SCM Press, 1969.

Camus, Albert, The Myth of Sisyphus, London: Penguin Books, 2000.

Carroll, Lewis, The Complete, Fully Illustrated Works, New York: Gramercy Books, 1995.

De Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince, London: Egmont, 2005.

The Fables of Aesop, New York: Quality Paperback Book Club, 1995.

Fynn, Anna and Mister God, London: Harper Collins Publishers, 1999.

Golding, William, Lord of the Flies, London: Faber and Faber Ltd, 2005.

Greene, Graham, Twenty-One Stories, Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1974.

Hammond, T.C., In Understanding Be Men, Leicester : Inter-Varsity Press, 1968.

Lane, Tony, A Concise History of Christian Thought, London: T &T Clark, 2007.

Ortega Y Gasset, Jose, Man Has No Nature, Walter Kaufman, ed. “Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre”, New York: Penguin Books, 1975.

Pullman, Philip, Northern Lights, London: Scholastic, 2007.

Pullman, Philip, The Subtle Knife, London: Scholastic, 2007.

Pullman, Philip, The Amber Spy Glass, London: Scholastic, 2007.

Siku, The Manga Bible, London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2007.

Torday, Paul, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, London: Orion Books, 2007.

Tressider, Jack ed., The Complete Dictionary of Symbols in Myth, Art and Literature, London: Duncan Baird Publishers, 2004.

3 De Saint-Exupery, Prince, 64

by

Luke

Maxted

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A Song of AscentsLearning. LORD, I’m learning.About how to relate better, more rightlyto You and let go of the self-made constructs ofhow I have sometimes felt things ought to be.in this world. Mine, and that which is at large.Instead I see how You have ordained things according toYour commandments and how the evidence of history hasborne out the veracity and wisdom of Your instructions.

Growing. Lord, I’m growing inthe realisation that people have their own ideas ofhow they want to order their life. And strongwilledstrongminded enough, they push it through and they tell meThere’s no right or wrong. And yet we all have rights. I am however, not entitled to claim I am right or that I have the trutheven, especially, those found in Scripture. It’s all myinterpretation, they say, though it’s funny how plain-spoken thatold collection of ancient texts that come together in a gloriousanthology of stories and teachings and songs isPlain-spoken. But some people make bespokearrangements, with themselves, they tell me It’s supposed or not supposed to be about what we want in life.How I choose to think. I’m entitled. We all have our opinions.But I think it’s about what You want. Your opinions. And we do knowfrom historical facts and spiritual experience that they’re foundin that concise 66. I guess I’ll be unpopular even asI think it’s about seeking out Your ways, regardless of howthe darkened parts of my heart may feel about something right nowAs much as I sometimes want to swallow the easiernice sounding peer pressurising speak. Cos You’re God andI’m just a girl. And the paradox of faith is howin submitting to You, I begin to receive the insight tobelieve even more. See even more, to be transformedTrust your truth, that You have revealed to me throughYour Word. Your Spirit. Your people. Your heart to mine.

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by Valerie QuayFaith seems so fuzzy to so many, Lord.But I’m learning and growing in myreasoned and reasonable faith with a basisan evidential foundation, beginnings, a reference pointthat helps me to believeDraws the vector of my direction towards being one with Christcloser and more, like You.And the paradox of that is that sometimes, because I haveexperienced so greatly, known so deeply Your waysYour heart. Your hand. That wellfounded faith shall sometimescall me, require, demand of meAn act of faith that is unreasonable and compelled bythe conviction of Your call. Your proven Person. The undeniable pull ofYour commands, guidance. And I will humble myselfeven as I may ask why, and wonder, and struggleand nevertheless act and think and bein Obedience.

For that is how a child is meant to be.

It was the weekend that built the wall.When those around me described their tumble and their fall.It crept up on me, not making a sound.Placing itself where it knew I’d be found.

Brick by brick they built and built,a wall of issues like a patchwork quilt.From afar, the artful work would make you catch your breath,But from right up close, it reeked of death.

But it was I who aided the workCarrying their water, like such a jerk.In my paralyzed state of foolish blissIt was my closeness to the Father that sunk into the abyss.

As fresh as one can be walking in from a night that passed abysmally.Expectation at an all time lowReality stunting all that wants to grow.

And yet!O Come, O Come! Emmanuel.Come, and dig out a place in my heart to dwell.From all that filth and stubborn guilt,Create something that is only yours to be built.

Every life must be proceeded by death,So let the funeral become my gasping life-breath.And though I complain and complain,I must know this is your domain.

And this is what I need to be told,Onto this I must most tightly hold.That you are God, and I am most certainly not.And at the end of the day, I can live with that as my lot.

The Weekend that Built the Walland the Tuesday that Tore it Down

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Tim Goodall

Unplugged

Marvin Oxenham:

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Val Quay: What led you to LST?

Marvin Oxenham: It was a surprise. My life was going in another direc-tion but then some things happened and God opened a door to lead me here. I’m convinced that at times we spend so much time trying to figure out where we should be, what we should do and why we got where we are, instead of just saying, ‘OK, now I’m here, I want to be fully here: Carpe Diem’. I find it really confusing sometimes, trying to look back and connect the dots. I know this is where I should be now and that is sufficient.

VQ: What did you do before coming To LST?

MO: I did quite a range of things. I started out when I was in my early twenties after theological studies, returning to Italy (I was born in Rome) and looking for a job as an English teacher. It so happened that they needed an English teacher in the theological college in Rome so I ac-cepted. While I was there the person who was leading the Christian ser-vice programme (the training unit), left all of a sudden and I was asked to take his place. To make a long story short, I started teaching some courses and eventually joined the faculty and worked there for nearly 25 years.

As that was only a part time job, I also did several other things, and in particular for 12 years we church planted. The vision was born as my wife and I led with the Bible college students in music drama produc-tions throughout Italy. We’d drive through town after town after town after town with not one single church (Italy has 14,500 cities without a church) and we developed a burden for church planting that led us to move into an area north of Rome where there were about 60 cities with hardly any sort of live witness for the gospel. God really blessed that time and we had fifty baptisms in the first five years and unwit-tingly developed a cell church structure. I’d never read anything on cell churches, and only ten years later did I discover to my amazement that they were they’re writing books about it. Those are probably the best years of our life, during which our three children were also born.

The interview is mostly paraphrased by the Editorial Team and are based on the interview

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In that time, I also took part-time job teaching English in the science faculty of the local university and wrote a book on New Age. It was the eighties, so the New Age was a big thing and I think mine was the first evangelical book to be written in Italy on New Age Movement, (I think it’s gone into its fourth edition now). I also did a lot of speaking in con-ferences around Italy on a wide range of topics, designed and built our home, did two masters degrees (philosophy and education), was hired by the European Evangelical Accreditation Association as their coordi-nator and survived two marathons. So life has never been boring.

VQ: Are you now doing a PhD and what in?

MO: Yes at King’s College London. I’ve completed two years as a part time student and I’ve nearly completed my dissertation. This year I’ve enrolled formally full time and plan to submit in the Spring (2011). Con-cerning my subject, it’s about liquid education. I’m taking the work of Zygmunt Bauman who’s a postmodern sociologist, and applying his framework to higher education as a descriptive and evaluative tool of what’s happening in higher education (and indirectly in theological edu-cation as well).

VQ: So why teach apologetics?

MO: Again, it’s one of those things I fell into. I think I’ve always had an inquisitive mind. I’ve simply can’t take an answer on its face value and I spent most of my time in Bible College with my hand raised in the air (not in a charismatic gesture but in trying to get teachers to answer my questions).

VQ: What fascinates you about apologetics?

MO: The question is ‘what is apologetics?’ I think in general what fascinates me is allowing other disciplines to interact with my theologi-cal convictions and letting my faith to engage with philosophy sociology, science, etc.

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VQ: It’s really new here at LST, a lot of people were wondering what to expect from a course on apologetics.

MO: I can say I’m thoroughly enjoying the class this year, the students are really good and we’re reading some really interesting books. We’re having some great discussions but I wonder at times if we’re coming out with more questions than answers… As is often the case “The trip is the destination”.

VQ: As a new LST lecturer how are you looking the structure the sense of balance in terms of the expectations of tutoring, teaching, mentoring, discipleship, community?

MO: I think that as in any community, there are some things that you do to fit your expected role and then there are also other spaces where you can create your own style. I’ve found a happy blend of both dimensions here at LST.

In addition to our growth in knowledge, understanding and skills, I’m keen on how we live our community and how we develop our character. Although these areas are not assessed formally, they are vital outcomes of theological education. How can you go on and serve the Kingdom if you’ve been locked up in your room for three years as a hermit or if you’ve fought with everybody and been divisive all the time? Likewise, what’s the point of a degree in theology if you haven’t been mentored to solve character problems and cultivate the virtues? Many disasters in ministry today aren’t due so much to theological ignorance or unskilled ministry, but are related to community and character issues. So we need a holistic learning experience that includes top class academic de-velopment, vocational training and personal formation within community. I think LST is a great place for all this to happen.

VQ: So you mentioned mentoring. Is that part of your passions?

MO: My wife and I have been church planters and pastors and mentor-ing and discipleship have been an important part of our ministry. In ad-dition, my wife has a passion for counselling and I am an ENFJ (Meyers-Briggs), which means that I love seeing others flourish.

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VQ: What would you say are your non-negotiables?

MO: My family and my soccer team: Roma (note the order). And in terms of theological non-negotiables, there’s a quotation in a movie that we saw with the apologetics class last week – Agora - where the pagan philosopher Hypatia, speaks with the bishop shortly before being killed. She says: ‘You have chosen to believe, and you cannot doubt what you’ve believed in, otherwise you wouldn’t be a Christian. I however cannot but doubt and therefore I can never be a Christian.’ I think that what we have here is a mistaken caricature of Christianity. I think that our ability to doubt, to call into question and to keep growing should be a non negotiable, especially if we are serious in our commit-ment to let theology educate us. This is not just about being trendy or revolutionary, because in fact often you throw everything up just to see it come back down exactly where it was before. But in the questioning we renew ourselves as bearers of The Tradition within which we are rooted.

Of course there are some things that you’re never going to let go of, because they are the arm that’s upholding the questioning hand.

VQ: Whose work has influenced your faith or even your journey as a person the most?

MO: My wife, children and parents. People make you what you are and I think a lot of what I am is due my being porous to them. Recognizing my heritage has also been important. I have Mennonite roots on one side and Huguenot blood on the other and I am humbled to recognize that “the grace of God’s been in my family for centuries.”

Books have also been so important. If I have one regret it’s that I don’t have enough time to read all the books I would like to. I rarely finish a book, and I’ve got about a couple of hundred of started books now (the last one I’ve started is Stanley Hauerwas’ Hannah’s Child).

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SH: How old were you when you went to Italy?

MO: I was born in Rome. I did my primary secondary school in Italy struggled with my identity because I felt Italian but obviously don’t look Italian as my parents were missionaries to Italy from Canada. A few years ago I came across Third-Culture-Kids literature which I’d recom-mend to many of you that feel you have no one place in the world that is really “your own”.

SH: Would you say you’re one hundred percent Italian?

MO: No. One hundred per cent Third Culture. To be one hundred per cent Italian would be to have nothing of anything that makes me up – which I clearly do. If I were in Canada I wouldn’t feel a hundred per cent Canadian either because there’s a huge part of me that’s not Canadian at all.

VQ: Right! Your coffee machine in your office which is necessary.

Interviewers gang up on Mark for being a coffee, wine and general snob. Mark comments on bad wine extensively, noting what he likes to drink which leads onto the following closing comments by Marvin.

MO: I’m with you all the way. The first thing we’ll do when we meet Jesus is to drink wine. He hasn’t done that for two thousand years and said that he won’t drink again until he comes back in glory, when the Church meets the groom. I’m not exactly sure what wine will be served, but it’ll be good and at the right temperature. I’m looking forward to the Feast at the Festival of Friends.

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Croatia TeamAnna Kelly, Jon White, Georgina Bassett, Charlie Fabian and Nick Collard

Slavonski Brod is a small Croatian city situ-ated on the border with Bosnia. Separat-ed only by the river Sava, the two coun-

tries are still healing from the war that ended less than two decades ago. Restoration is taking place, buildings are being replastered and paint-ed, but the restoration of people’s lives takes so much longer. It is in this setting that the bless network has had the honour of working with the small Baptist church in Slavonski Brod for almost a decade. While still perceived as a sect by many in this Catholic country, this church’s numbers are slowly climbing as people commit their lives to Christ.

This summer Charlie Fabian, Georgina Bassett, Jon White, Nick Collard and I [Anna Kelly] were part of the team that went out to support and serve the church by running Kid’s Clubs, a Sports Camp, a ‘Youth Space’, playing some Basketball, and more. Our team split one week into the mission, with half of the team travelling to Bosnia to pioneer a mission there. Each mission was steeped in prayer and we’ve seen that this is what makes a difference to the connections that we make and the conversa-tions that we have. We not only saw a change in the place we went to serve, we went home changed people.

Anna Kelly

Charlie Fabian

Since the war has left Croatia broken and hurting, our mission was less about preaching the gospel with words, and more about showing Jesus’ love and healing power by community service and prayer. As part of this, each day at 5pm we gathered on the river front to pray for the community we were staying in. The significance of doing this on the river front was to symbolise a rebuilding of the community between Croatia and Bosnia. For me, there was a daily frustration that although God was continuing to speak to us, we weren’t seeing much evidence of change. However, through-out the whole mission there was this 14 year old girl who used to follow us around everywhere, and so she came to our daily prayer meetings sometimes. This one day we all split up into pairs to pray for the nation so I went with her and we spoke and prayed. It was when we started sharing prayer requests that I realised the depth of emotional and spiritual wounds in the creation and people of Slavonski Brod, but also the amazing work God was doing. Her story involved family deaths, family abuse, a broken heart from divorced parents, and she couldn’t understand why any of it had happened. In our daily worship and prayer times she recognised something significant and she wanted to be a part of it. It was a privilege to be able to pray with her and minister to her and disciple her through two weeks of her life whilst I was there. I found it amazing how much I could relate to her emotion despite not having experienced all her trauma and was so blown away by God’s grace and healing in that young girl’s life and how he gave me the words to speak into a situation such as hers.

This is just one small story, but one that represents Gods healing in a broken land and his love for his people.

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Georgina Bassett

It started in France, it ended in Bosnia. A total of just over 3 weeks. 18 students travelling through 4 different European countries: extreme heat, mosquitoes, ‘weird’ food, lack of sleep, dirty rivers, lovely locals, crazy locals. When I look back, these are just some of the memories that come up mind. In the last week, eight of us travelled to the city of Banja Luka, Bos-nia. Whilst there we spent a lot of time doing youth outreach. Here I met Jovanna, a 16 year old Serbian girl. Jovanna defined her parents’ generation as ‘proud but sad’, because of the war. Her father was shot many times but survived with severe disabilities. Jovanna explained to me that her parents were stuck, but that she had dreams. She told me that the young people in her city believe that the West is where their future lies. These young people, who are the only generation for 100 years not to see or partake in war, consider the idea of the ‘American dream’ as motivation for their own studies. This whole conversation led me to think about this ‘Western hope’. I didn’t, and don’t, have an adequate response. I wanted to dispel this idea, wanted to explain the faults of western society, the society of which I’m a product. But I realise none of this works. No amount of slagging off the West or claiming to know the country you’ve been in for a grand total of 5 days can be considered real hope. I’m not afraid to say then that it was almost to my dismay that I realised the only hope I could share was the reality of Jesus. Maybe because to me this sounds cheesy and cliché, and if you know me you know I try my best to avoid being either of those. Or maybe because I wanted to give practical, solid, logical answers to the situation. Who knows, all I know is when its 30 degrees out, your covered in mozzie bites and someone you barely know is telling you that their only hope and motivation is in another part of the world, in humans, govern-ments and institutions that fail all the time, it’s actually a comfort to get to go back to that Sunday School teaching and pray that whatever comes out your mouth next is more than words and more than a cliché but actually relevant and trustworthy – that the reality of Jesus is in no way forceful, pa-tronising, dogmatic, or condemning, but that it is a response and a comfort.

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Jon White

We had two nights left in Croatia, and we were all hanging out with the young people we’d got to know. I was feeling tired and a little disappointed with myself and with others - I was sick of being eaten by mosquitos and was feeling sorry for myself. My general line of thought that night was: ‘let’s be hon-est about this Jon, what difference have you actually made in any of these kids lives?’ But as I was sitting by the fountain that we had often hung out at, I had another thought, a much stronger thought, that maybe it was time to shrug off my box ticking, self-righteous attitude towards mission and be honest and real about it. So I stood up and went to talk to Carlo, a guy that I had got to know fairly well, and this time the conversation was different. He asked me about my life, my story, and the whole ‘God’ thing. I told him what I’ve known of God and all he has meant to me, but there was no formula to my words this time, just me speaking out my honest experience, and I was kind of shocked - he was actually listening. Then I asked him his story and he told me how he had met with Jesus a few years back at a Christian basketball camp, and how he knows and loves God. I could tell he meant every word of it. And then we prayed together, something which, for me, made the whole mission trip meaningful, worthwhile.

The next night, our last night in Croatia, Carlo came up to me and told me that our prayer together the night before was ‘the most beautiful thing he’d ever experienced.’ I ended up giving him a copy of the message and he told me that he and his friends were going to meet up and read it together. Those two nights made all my apparent disappointments and annoyances meaningless, and I was left humbled by two things. 1. that God would want to and choose to use me to bless someone, and 2. that God would reach out to me and teach me through someone I barely knew.

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40

Nick Collard

It was missions day last year when I first heard about ‘The Bless Network’ and this mission trip out in Croatia, and literally within a matter of min-utes I found myself somehow agreeing to go! I was excited, I’d never been abroad before yet alone done mission work abroad, so the whole thing was a new experience to look forward to. It was brilliant. I learnt so much and was challenged in many ways whilst I was out there, and it was just such a privilege to be part of. It’s hard to cram into one or two short paragraphs everything that went on, but one of the things I enjoyed most about it was getting to know and building relationships with the youth out there. Having done youth work for 2 years before going, it was something I was looking forward to getting stuck into. Every evening we went into the town centre to just hang out, eat ice cream, and chat. There were some great conversations, whether it was light-hearted banter or more serious. It was interesting and hard hitting hearing from some of them about their experiences of living in a place where the scarring and effects of war are still visible. Some of these conversations took place on the basketball court, where myself and a couple of others went for five mornings in the second week. Again it was just so great to be able to provide something for the youth out there, to give them something to do, and just bring some happiness and love. What’s really great is that they all keep in touch with us over facebook, which is such a testimo-ny to the impact a team like ‘bless’ have when they make the effort to go out there and serve. I even got one email from a guy at the basketball a month or so ago saying that a group of them were still meeting at the same court in the mornings to play basketball together, which is such an encouragement.

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Ode to an Ancient Language: New Testament Greek

Sheila Green

I had the privilege of studying Greek as part of the DipTh, London Uni-versity Course at London Bible College in 1972-74. This was a compulsory course for both years. Our particular focus was Matthew’s Gospel one year, then John’s Gospel the other. I have always loved languages, so I revelled in this opportunity to learn the original language of the New Testament. My lecturer was David Jackson, the husband of Sonia who has just retired from the Training Department. I remember him as a very quiet and patient man. He needed to be the latter!

Over the years I have not kept up my study of Greek to the same degree that I had done at LBC, but I have retained a love of the language and I use the Greek in different ways to enhance learning. For instance, in my Pri-mary teaching in Y3 and T4, just for fun I often introduced Greek words to the class, having taught them the Greek alphabet. Sometimes I gave them a Greek word as an extra in their spelling test! They absolutely loved the challenge! I taught them some of the key words which have a con-nection with familiar words, for example, kardia(καρδιά); agape(ἀγάπη), Theos(θεός), and Logos(λόγος) and Doulos(δοῦλος) and in that connection we learnt about the two OM Ships. Incidentally, I heard from some of the class when they had left school and gone to University that some of them had picked up my love of languages and had gone on to study them.

My love of words and the Greek adds fun to my own learning, as I of-ten choose to write an English word using the Greek alphabet. This is just another way to enhance memory for me. When doing Hermeneutics in the BA in Theology and Counselling, I used my Greek to inform my study and I often used it in my essays where appropriate. Currently, I am studying the MA in Integrative Psychotherapy and again I am finding the Greek very useful as we are looking closely at the original texts to understand such concepts as psyche (ψυχή), sarx (σάρξ) and soma (σῶμα). It is fascinating to discover the meaning of psychotherapy as healing of the soul. What a privi-lege to be called by the Lord to work in this area, especially having retired from teaching. I am so grateful to the Lord for the way He has led me in my life and for all the different experiences He has given me. Who would have imagined that Iwould be a student for the second time round at this renowned establish-ment?! To those of you who have the opportunity to study the Greek may you be as enriched by it as I have been and may the Lord bless you in your learning of His Word.

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Sheila Green, Saem Ha & Luke Maxted

Saem Ha

Dreading the idea of learning a language is common; one has to become like a child feeling hopeless. I dreaded the idea of learning a new language with my second language - with which I have already been struggling. How-ever, I thought it best to consider it rationally rather than being ruthlessly driven by an initial fear. I am quite confident to believe that many of you share this xenoglossophobia (Greek prefix xeno meaning ‘foreigner’, glosso meaning ‘language’ phobos meaning ‘fear’) - someone jokingly told me it’s simply being British but it seems politically incorrect to assert such posi-tion here and may undermine countless British linguists many of whom I myself know. If it is indeed fear that hinders you from studying Greek, let me attempt to ease your anxiety.

I studied English for eight years in South Korea without seeing as a language. It was part of the curriculum and I simply did it because I had to. I, then, didn’t have much intention to use it to communicate with those who speak the language. Only, in 2007, when I first stood upon the land of London, the eight years of perseverance - the patience that then didn’t promise of any reward - bore so much fruit that I had to slow down and process. Through this experience, I came to realise both how demanding, time-consuming and patience-testing and how rewarding, long-lasting and liberating it is to learn a language.

Studying NT Greek proved to be more or less the same; except it was a better experience. My systematic understanding of English grammar was helpful as that of Greek overlapped to a fair extent. NT Greek has a limited text to study and that is the New Testament Bible. It is something all of you will continue to read for the rest of your life, I’m sure. So there is no hard getting to know it as closely as possible. Moreover, whilst I have to keep an eye on how English changes - especially the nuances of words -, there is little room for change in NT Greek, though it is possible to explore a great number of approaches throughout the New Testament.

Although it took me years to realise the benefits of learning English, it has been easier to persevere in studying NT Greek than English because I could see my own progress however little. In most cases, you learn a lan-guage for a long time before you use make use of it quite properly. In my first year, I got to find NT Greek useful in a few weeks after the start of the module. This is because we almost learn the grammar from the text from the beginning. Of course, it takes time to be able to dig deeper and there is a lot of room for improvement and exploration.

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Luke Maxted

I still remember New Testament lectures with Robert Willoughby in my first term at LST. We were discussing textual variants of the last passage of Mark’s gospel when he told us that many scholars thought that Mark 16:9-20 simply did not sound like Mark had written it, that the style was different and out of sync with the rest of the book. I thought he was being ridiculous. Most of the translations of the Bible that I had come across were so uniform in their presentation that being able to discern within a book the particular habits and writing style of an author just seemed impossible.

Two years on and I still think that a lot of Biblical scholars are ridiculous, but for completely different reasons. The time that I have been given to immerse myself in Scripture by studying New Testament Greek and Biblical Hebrew has allowed me to see with greater clarity the themes and styles and habits and biases of the Biblical authors.

Learning languages at LST is in many ways simply a slightly more technical group Bible study. As a group you begin to notice the words that Paul might use that Peter does not, or where Matthew might stress certain elements of Jesus’ ministry that are entirely absent from Mark or Luke’s accounts. To prepare for each class students are asked to explore certain issues or questions which involve relating specific passages to the surrounding themes of the book or to trace certain tense which will reveal a lot about the theology of the book. My exegetical essay for Greek 2B, which was based on Matthew 7:1-6, forced me to explore the theme of God as Father of all nations within Matthew as a whole, not only in the Sermon on the Mount, and has changed my view on what I think Matthew is trying to achieve by writing his account of the life and ministry of Jesus.

Ode to an

Ancient Language:

New Testament Greek

44

More than this you are also forced to wrestle with your own habits and biases in translation and learn who you see your audience as being. Many of those in my classes have been concerned with keeping the English they use very simple to ensure that it is accessible for readers who have English as their second language. For myself the bigger concern is to attempt to make the text as engaging and dynamic as possible, to retain the passion and vigour with which the author would have been trying to communicate to their audience. Over the years our class has shrunk, but those who remain know one another’s view and tendencies so well that we have become well equipped to challenge each other on not only specific translation but overall coherency, on our priorities and our understanding of our faith. It’s a lesson that is not only valuable to those who want to be scholars and translators, but for anyone who is considering ministry, to help identify your concerns and passions.

During my time at LST I have been challenged by many people, but my growth in my understanding of God’s Word I owe in great part to Anya, Laura, Guil, Jon Q, Dan, David Leeds, Rob and Steve, who have endured what has been christened the New Luke’s Translation over the last two years. I am more in love with Scripture now than I have ever been and that is largely because the study of language has driven me to see the habits and concerns of the authors. The idea of Mark having a style is no longer ridiculous to me; instead Mark is now a real person, a friend with a voice and an opinion who will continue to stretch my mind and encourage my heart as I go on to the further study that he has inspired me to pursue.

by

Shelia Green,

Saem Ha &

Luke Maxted

45

“Out of the ashes a fire shall be woken” (Lord of the Rings).

Sometimes we need to hit the bottom before we turn to God and make ourselves completely dependent on Him. It’s not a new thing that our college has (financial) problems but it’s not getting easier either. There were all those rumours (or rumours about rumours?) that heightened the tension. Whatever the reason and background of that, the result of the turbulences in the beginning of term was that we started praying more intensely than we had done before.

The 24-7 Prayer Week was only a continuation of the daily prayer gathering during coffee break. On the 19th Oct my diary reads: “God is at work! It’s a miracle already how He’s made me take this task (to organize it) on... Thank you for letting me be part of this.” All the way through I felt that God was doing His thing and along with others I was privileged to play a part in it. The week started off with an International Social Evening where people had the chance to share their passions for their home countries and we had an intense and very bonding time of intercession.

I was reminded of the fact that we’re living in the middle of a battlefield and the only time when Satan can go to sleep is when we’re asleep (because then he doesn’t have much to worry about). So why not use this powerful weapon (prayer) that God has given us and see how it changes, yes, transforms our attitudes, lives, the way we think about and treat each other, the college, the area we’re living in... What if LST, which has a big impact on so many lives (directly and indirectly) already, had an even bigger impact? What if we would learn rhythms of prayer that will carry us through the rest of our lives? What if we were the ones to actually live what we learn and teach? God was stirring lots of wild ideas in me, and I allowed myself to dream big: Inspired by Zinzendorf and his Moravians in the 18th century*, the “Transformations”-videos on YouTube and

24/7 Prayer Week

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“Red Moon Rising” by Pete Greig I dreamed of finding 24 people who would commit to praying one specific hour every day (may it be 7am, 12 noon, 4 pm or 4 am), so we could form a chain of intercessors that pray non-stop.

We finished the week off with a “Celebration of Prayer”, where people had the opportunity to share what was on their hearts concerning prayer and college, we had the chance of praying directly for Chris Jack as a representative for the faculty and staff and Josh had a picture of prayer being the pillar on which the college has to stand on, otherwise it will fail.I had said to God that “It would be amazing if I could find 24 people to do the non-stop-prayer thing, but if there were only two coming to me afterwards who want to do it, I shall be happy.” And there were exactly two people approaching me after the meeting, saying they would be in. So we started praying, one hour every day. We pray for more to join us, for transformation at LST (in all areas that need transformation), for whatever else we feel compelled to pray for. Now there are almost 7 of us. Wanna join?

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WHEN ORDINARY PEOPLE SAY YES TO THE WHISPERS OF AN ALMIGHTY GOD. (RMR)

Inspired by a newly written biography of Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, who is the spiritual ‘godfather’ of the movement and the original pioneer of continuous prayer, I went on a 40 day- pilgrimage to Herrnhut last year. Zinzendorf was one of the most influential and controversial spiritual leaders in modern history. The 18th century Moravian renewal which Zinzendorf led were pioneers of prayer, mission, unity, and community. From the tiny village of Herrnhut in the far east of Germany they prayed without ceasing for a hundred years, they established radical and challenging models of discipleship and relationship, and they launched the first great missions thrust of the reformation. These often flawed but always faithful men and women have shaped the world in which we live, and were the example which many who came after them would follow. Totally gripped by the commitment of these people and the impact this had and still has, I decided to visit the place of the origin of this prayer movement.

RebekkaZiemann

Getting Awayby Ellie Tatton

Why walk?

On your doorstep is the most amazing place to get away from the busi-

ness of life, and what’s more, it is free! Ruislip Heath and Lido are a great way to get away from it all with friends or on your own. From College take a right down to the Gravel Pits and then, on Copse Wood Way look for a small ‘public footpath’ entrance that will take you into Northwood Golf Club. Do watch out for golfers but don’t worry you are entitled to walk this way! Here you can enjoy mani-cured grasses and shrubs and imag-ine that you are in a Jane Austin novel if you like! You will eventually come through a wooded area and out onto the heath. This part of the walk is much more rugged and you might encounter the odd horned cow or two on your way, But don’t worry they are friendly. You would never guess that you are only ten minutes from Northwood high street, or just half an hour from Baker Street! Here you can experi-ence peace and quiet, you will hear the birds singing and the gentle treading of grass underfoot. You will ascend a small hill, follow the path until you reach the Lido which is a fitting reward for all your efforts. Pass through the green gate and the Lido cannot be missed. You will see the beautiful calm waters with swans and many other kinds of waterfowl. You can take a brisk or gentle stroll around its shores to appreciate it from every angle. Not only is it great exercise to get out and get walking, you will find a haven of quiet countryside to ap-preciate at the same time.

Copse Wood Way

Start from the college

Gravel Pits

AreopagusQuote

Competition“Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith; fear is the opposite of faith.” Jean-Marc Heimerdinger in Bible and People of God class

“It’s like the Narnia of Academia” Eve Connollywhile talking about the staff lounge

Child: “See you next week, Lisselle.”Lisselle: “Not if I'm invisible.”leaving Hillside church one morning.

“Muhammad said in his farewell speech: “I was ordered to fight the people till they proclaim: There is no God besides Allah and Muhammad is his prophet!” Interestingly I found out that Aya-tollah Khomeini copied his rhetoric and also Obama... Osama bin Laden...” Tim Goodall

in Islam class in MA

“The torah is just an example; It's like swimming out into the ocean 20 metres. But if you are a good swimmer you can go further, go out 5Km and experience even more of the vast ocean of God.” JMHin BPG

“If you don’t trust Yahwah your picture of God is inaccurate.”JMH in BPG

“He’s not just a pretty face is he?” Steve Motyer to Dan Joy when Danpredicted the next section of the power point

“God had a son, so he calmed down.” Eve Connelly explaining the apparent difference in the God's temperament between the OT and NT in Scriptures, Exergesis and Hermeneutics class

quoted by Scott Miles

quoted by Laura Robinson

quoted by Luke Maxted

quoted by Scott Miles

quoted by Sophie Lau

quoted by Kelly Spearing

quoted by Nabeel Mohan

quoted by Dirk Hoffmann

The Winner

50

Have a Little Patience?

Rachael Costa

One in four people have had a mental health condition. It’s a huge statistic. Here are some others. One in four of us fail to save money. The Associated Press Poll in America states that one in four people read no books last year.

One in four of us go to the cinema to calm down. One in four people use social networking websites.

I am one of the one in four who fails to save money. I am one of the one in for who uses social networking websites. I am one of the one in four who has had a mental health condition in my life.

If you have spoken to me for more than ten minutes, you have probably heard me get on my hobbyhorse about the stigma that surrounds mental health. It is something I am passionate about. It is something I think the church needs to take more notice of. We hear about our responsibility to care for the poor but it is also our responsibility to care for the sick and troubled. I would really love to see our churches praying more for people with mental health problems, their carers and the services and professionals who help them.

Often, the reason we shy away from caring for people with Mental Health problems, the reason sufferers themselves can feel so lost, is that living with mental illness requires patience.

My Grandma always used to say: “Patience is a virtue, and virtue is a grace, and Grace is a little girl who didn’t wash her face”, to which I would generally reply “But I don’t want to be a little girl who doesn’t wash her face!” and I didn’t want to be patient either! My feelings towards patience haven’t changed much if I’m honest. I like doing things as soon as possible so that I can begin the next project. It’s a good job that God doesn’t think like that. Can you imagine what the world, what the Church, would be like if God wasn’t patient. If he had given up with Jonah or abandoned the Israelites in the desert? Can you imagine what our schools, homes and places of work would look like if we were a little more patient? Can you imagine what a difference it would make to people’s lives if we cared with more patience and didn’t act out of impatience or frustration?

I really love the image James uses in the Bible of a farmer waiting for their crops. The Message puts it like this: “Farmers do it all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its steady work. Be patient like that.

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Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time.” Seeds, mud and rain are pretty dull (and messy) things ordinarily. But add a little patience, and the creative power of God, and you can get enough food to stock Waitrose! And yet the patience James is talking about in this passage isn’t just the kind you need when waiting for your birthday to arrive. It’s gut wrenching and agonising. In fact, the English language doesn’t have a word strong enough to convey what James speaks of in verse eleven. The patience required to fight through a mental illness, or support someone fighting is painfully difficult. Waiting on God, for his healing, direction, or an answer to prayer is painful and exhausting.

If you are familiar with the story of Moses and the Exodus you may have noticed that Moses never actually gets into the Promised Land. Forty years of wandering and he died without even reaching the Promised Land – what a waste of time! And yet, thousands of years later Moses stands in glory in the Promised Land alongside Elijah and the Lord Jesus. That story isn’t a testament to Moses’ patience; rather it is a testament to God’s faithfulness and mercy that he allowed Moses to stand in the Promised Land next to the Promised Messiah.

For me, patience is something that God speaks to me about again and again, both concerning my health and my life in general! When I was just five, I really wanted to get baptised. I was sure it was what God wanted too. So I spoke to my Minister – and to my horror he told me I was too young – in the end I had to wait a whopping eight years until I was baptised the day after my thirteenth birthday! It is clear to me now that the day wouldn’t have been so amazing and the aftermath would have been way too difficult for my five-year-old self. Easy to say in hindsight, but no matter how many times I am told, and how previous experience has told me that God’s timing is the best timing – I’m still not very good at it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how patience is a concept very present in both individual mental health and the mental health of the Church. Over the summer I did my vacation placement shadowing Chaplains working in mental health wards. Some of the people I met with and talked to were very poorly indeed. And not only do those working alongside the patients, sufferers too show tremendous courage and patience in the face of their daily battles. I met some young people who are fighting battles far beyond their years; people just like you and me, for whom life has made things very difficult.

Have

a

Little

Patience?

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In my friendship group at school of five seventeen year olds – three had mental health problems, but you wouldn’t know, not unless you were told. We were normal teenagers, shopping, laughing and doing normal ‘teenage’ things. Mental illness is not being ‘mental’, its not always that stereotypical figure clutching a bottle of vodka, muttering that so many people think it is. It’s people who hurt and cry, but also laugh and dance.

During the time when I was most unwell when I was about sixteen God showed me his patience and love through the church. It was the people who hugged me as I cried, sent me funny text messages and put up with me when I could do nothing but sit in a daze, letting life wash over me. They put up with me saying sorry constantly and generally loved me. I was lucky enough to never once have been told to ‘get over it’ or ‘pull myself together’, I was never called ‘crazy’ or ‘insane’ – but I know people who did get treated very badly by their churches.

When I was preparing for my placement I read a book called Spirituality and Mental Health Care and I was particularly struck by these words: “Caring for the needs of people living with mental health problems is not an option for the church. Rather it is a primary mark of its identity and faithfulness”.1 It is part of our call as the church to look after the people who are poorly and in need of compassion. In John 10v10, it says that Jesus came to give us life in all its fullness – a verse I think speaks directly to our mental health. We have a God who wants to take care of us, who is infinitely patient with us, a God who rescues us when we fall. He is a God that does not promise us an easy ride, but an exciting, sometimes painful, always hopeful journey.

Bibliography

Swinton, J., Spirituality and Mental Health Care: Rediscovering a Forgotten Dimension, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006.

1 Swinton, Spirituality, 52.

by

Rachael

Costa

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Imagine a busy street. Pedestrians dressed for work, walk up and down, nodding in a friendly way to local vendors who have pitched their stalls on the pavement. Cars stop and go, stop and go – a hi-hat to the rhythm

section of daily living. Children tag along, pinkie-led by mothers with shopping bags in animated conversation with each other. Can you picture it? Imagine this town as one of many towns, all nestled together. A community of people, going about their lives.

Picture a cluster bomb dropped by an aircraft overhead, diving gracefully towards its ultimate end. A cluster bomb can affect an area the equivalent of 2 or 3 American football fields. Imagine the moment of impact. The horror, the screams. Imagine flying shrapnel slicing up school children into mince, good enough to fill up sausages with.

No, this isn’t Green Lane, Northwood. This is somewhere else.

I remember going back home to Kuwait after the first ‘Desert Storm’ was over. As kids, we got our kicks from collecting bullets that lay scattered all over the ground. We used to wear them around our necks – Arabic numerals on the casings meant they were shot from Iraqi guns, and English meant they were American or British. The luckier kids found real treasures – a piece of a larger weapon, a missile perhaps. There was always enough spoils to go around.

Once in a while you’d be minding your own business and suddenly hear a fantastically loud explosion. You always knew that some poor guy or girl not so far away had found a land mine. Our jokes at school became morbid and fatalistic. We’d play a game called ‘chicken’ – run into the highways and see how close we could come to getting hit by a car. I think we were all a little crazy. We supplemented our meals with army rations that had been left behind. To this day I have a fondness for American tootsie rolls.

It wasn’t all fun and games though. There was also fear. Shiny black stealth bombers flew overhead in aerial exercises. Practice air-raid sirens often sounded during school hours, and we would all get under our desks for cover. During a border skirmish, my father duct-taped all our windows shut in case of a chemical weapon attack. We had one gas mask for a family of four. I remember thinking frantically and selfishly about my own life - how if it came to it, I would take the gas mask, leaving my family to fend for themselves.

PEOPLE LIKE USThe views expressed in this article are my own and are presented solely to foster much-needed dialogue. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions held by the Student Committee, Areopagus or the London School of Theology. In addition, for the sake of clarity, some generalisations have been made that may not apply to you specifically.”

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If at any point you are thinking that children shouldn’t have to think like that then let me assure you that although scary, it wasn’t terribly unusual. As easily as one might remember, for example, growing up in a divorced family and it just being the way things were, that’s how we felt. In spite of all of the above, I was never really a victim of wartime. My father lost a friend or two – civilians who went missing, never to be found. Other people lost families. Operation Desert Storm (Kuwait), “Operation Iraqi Freedom”, “Operation Enduring Freedom” (Afghanistan). In all these places, busy streets much like Green Lane have been decimated. I don’t know if I can ever successfully communicate to you how real these people in other countries are. They do the same things you do – they hang out with their friends exchanging banter and drinking coffee, they want good things for their children, they enjoy a hot meal as much as the next guy. They get stressed at school or work, and sometimes struggle to make ends meet. Sure, they look different, and speak a different language. But they are you in a different skin. Above all, they are loved by God.

Christians have been enthusiastically supporting wars for centuries. Polls show that the biggest backers of armed conflict in the US are Conservative Christians.1 When 9/11 happened, it was Buddhist actor Richard Gere, who publicly urged America not to succumb to feelings of vengeance. Yet some of the loudest voices forcing the battle drums forward for Iraq and Afghanistan, seemed to come from US-UK Christians. Call it what you want, but to everyone else WE are the real proponents of ‘Jihadist’ mentality in the world. We perfected the holy war. In contrast, all over the world thousands of people of different religions or no religion at all, marched for peace.

Question: If someone breaks into your house, brandishing a gun and threatening to kill your family – who is the bad guy? The answer is clear. Change the picture. The home is the country of Iraq. The Invaders are the allied troops. The family is the Iraqi people. What’s different?

CASE #1Abeer was a 14 year old Iraqi girl from a close-knit community in Baghdad. One night as US soldiers were drinking and talking about having sex with Iraqi women, Abeer’s name came up and a plan was hatched.

Abeer was gang-raped, killed and then burned.2

A soldier relates: “During the time [we]were raping Abeer, I heard... gunshots...from the bedroom... Green came out... said that he had killed them all [the

1 http://www.gallup.com/poll/21937/protestants-frequent-churchgoers-most-supportive-iraq-war.aspx2 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1186595/U-S-soldier-raped-14-year-old-Iraqi-killed-family-spared-death-sentence.html

Nabeel Mohan

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family]. Green then placed himself between Abeer’s legs to rape her.” Another witness relates that as the girl lay helpless, “Green...picked up a gun and he shot her in the face again and again,” He then used kerosene to set fire to her body.

Her parents and and seven year old sister were killed within earshot of Abeer, as she was being raped. Abeer’s remains were found – one leg stretched and the other bent, with her dress lifted to her neck.

CASE #2A British soldier shot an eight-year old Iraqi girl as she played with her friends in the street. ‘For some reason the tank stopped at the end of the street, she’s there in her yellow dress, a rifleman pops up and blows her away.’3 On waking up the morning after this news was made public, I switched on the television, to a breakfast show. In response to this leak, a UK representative’s said [paraphrased]: You have to feel sorry for our boys who are put in these situations.

CASE #3An RAF crew air-dropped a box of propaganda leaflets, which fell on an Afghan girl. She died shortly after. The MOD called the incident “highly regrettable.”4

In contrast...

CASE #4

David Cameron responded to the death of the 300th UK soldier, calling it ‘desperately sad news’, and that the family was suffering ‘grief, pain and loss’. The 300th death, he said, was no more or less tragic than the 299 before.5

Six Iraqi civilians out of over 66,000 – 100,000 killed in Iraq. And none of them are even given the dignity of sorrowful language, as a single UK soldier is.

And what of ‘their boys?’ Does the Iraqi have a right to defend his country and family? With what logic do we call Iraqis ‘insurgents’ and ‘the enemy’ when by shooting at ‘our boys’ all they are doing is defending their homeland? When did Christians start believing in Justice but only for people that look like us? We need to stop ourselves and ask the question: Why is the Iraqi the bad guy? Could it be that a British soldier seems somehow more real and immediate, someone who is a lot like people you pass on the street, or even a member of your own family? And because he reminds you of what you know, he cannot possibly be the bad guy.

Let us all remember that the war was a pre-emptive strike to locate the Weapons of Mass Destruction and also ‘liberate’ the Iraqi people from under Saddam Hussein’s rule. Yet at this point it has become known that both invading governments have been untruthful about evidence relating to WMDs, and that if liberation was ever a real agenda, it’s just not realistic when it involves bombing the people first.

3 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/10/24/brit-soldier-killed-iraq-girl-aged-eight-as-she-played-115875-22654792/ 4 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/6245160/Propaganda-leaflets-kill-Afghan-girl.html5 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/21/royal-marine-300th-british-death-afghanistan

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Our nations will continue to wage war until the end of time, make no mistake about that. But if Jesus is the definitive revelation of God and his intention for humanity, then don’t we as Christians need to seriously consider the things he stood for, or alternatively, didn’t stand for? At least some Jews expected the Messiah to come as a military leader. But Jesus said ‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God.’ Loving your enemies is a powerless idea if it only refers to people you dislike in your community, your church, your school. Who is your enemy? Who is your neighbour? As the Samaritans to the Jews - different people, with different beliefs, people who don’t live where you live, those who hate and hurt you, and who you and your country might hate and want to hurt as well. This is the mission of God - to be known by those people and for you to tell them.

I am hoping that as our world progresses, and the face of England transforms (as it is already doing), that more Christians will reject the thought that they need to support war, or even sit on a fence about such a devastating issue, and instead be burdened to take Christ to ‘the enemy.’ It was not an unheard of thing for British missionaries, filled with godly passion, to go to strange and dangerous lands, knowing they might be beaten, tortured and killed by a foreign people. Although there were always some with dubious agendas, there were others that carried God’s message of peace to the enemy – transforming entire societies. They gave their lives for a cause worth remembering. Today Christians from powerful nations appear to be communicating a new message from their God to the rest of the world – he comes to steal, kill and destroy.

There are churches where Palestinians and Israelis worship together, putting aside ongoing bloodshed between their people. There are churches where Indians and Pakistanis pay no attention to their warring governments and worship together the God of love and forgiveness. This is the work of the living God. This is the power of Christ in us.

Jesus Christ has the ability to bring peace to the most violently opposed minds on the planet. Even Muslims question themselves when they see this power and many come to a point where they have to bow their knee before the Christ that can make such a thing happen. But in the face of this grand move of God, two nations still march to war, invoking an altogether different deity - patriotism.

I can think of no better place to be or a better people to be amongst at this point in my life. However I also know that we could all do so much better. We should be part of a tremendous and loving international, multicultural church family. And we could. We could be all that we should be, if only we were ready to sacrifice our lives for a more worthy cause - so that those who live in darkness might find life, and not death.

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I was speaking to a friend, and they commented about how they don’t really need to come to church anymore. After all, you can get the sermons on-line, and the time that they have instead of coming to church can be used

spending time with their friends, or sleeping, or just recovering from a hard week’s worth.

There’s some logic to that. There’s the sense that a person’s spiritual devel-opment can continue through the power of God’s Word being preached and posted online. In fact, truth be told, you can get sermon’s from great speak-ers all over the world now. And if that’s the case, why do you need to go to church? If we are called into a personal relationship with Christ, why do we need to go to church on a Sunday morning?

If church is simply a place to hear the Word of God, then perhaps there isn’t an urgent need into church on a Sunday morning. But I’m reminded of this verse in Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

There is something special about meeting together. The awkward hellos. The face to face contact. The “hmm, where should I sit” kind of feeling. Those are the things that we laugh at, and wish our church didn’t have – but those are also the same things that remind us of our fallen humanity. In fact, it’s much easier to be in situations where we do not feel that. Because we don’t want to feel awkward. We don’t want to be challenged.

Let’s face it, if it was up to us, we’d like to stay in our secure, pre-screened environments, away from different, irritating, or abrasive people.

And so God calls us into church. Into a place where we are not all the same. Into the awkwardness of not knowing someone very well, but sitting next to them. Into the space where we realise that in a room full of doctors, you are unemployed. God calls us into that space, because it is there that we realise that we are united by Christ.

We are not the same. And yet, we are one body.

So brothers and sisters, rejoice in the awkwardness. Celebrate in the dif-ferences. Smile at the fact that we hesitate with strangers. And then go extend a warm hand of greeting, knowing that God unites your hearts. That the differ-ences remind us of our humanity, and the distance divides is now bridged by Christ.

And so you say, “The Lord be with you.”And they respond, “And also with you.”

Life Together : A Spiritual, Not a Human Reality

Val

Qua

y

My dear brother,

So, you’ve reached half term. I imagine that it’s been the quickest five weeks of your life so far… and also the slowest. Have you phoned home since you’ve left yet? Mum would really appreciate hearing from you. I know that it is easy to forget – in my mind I was

phoning home every week during my first year, but it turned out it was barely once a term! – but you’ve got to remember that you will continue to live your life back in Worthing for four to five months a year, so it needs a little investing in still. And so do the friendships you’ve left back at home.

I remember my first half term as if it was yesterday. It is really good fun being in a close knit community like Aldis, isn’t it?! But – and I’m sure you are aware of this too by now – it can be hard too. I write to you mainly with the purpose of reminding you to keep your feet on the ground. There are a number of things that it is imperative that you remember, and much as it will be a bore to read through, I intend to remind you of them, because as your brother, I care too much to let you forget.

Don’t forget why you are at LST in the first place. You felt a call from God to go and study for a time. And not just to study, but to study His Word. It is easy to forget that this is a privilege most in our country and across the world do not have. Your learning will take place in many different ways, through the community, the friends you make, and the different people you meet, but primarily your best learning will take place when you study the Bible, keeping yourself humble and open to the Spirit when you are in lectures and when you are in personal prayer and study. Please let me save you learning this lesson firsthand – keep up with your Bible reading and private prayer! I let mine slip for most of the first year of my degree, and consequently I fell into a knowledge that puffed up, and became increasingly proud and conceited as a consequence. Instead make every effort to do everything out of love for our Lord. Don’t forget the transformation you went through – and are continuing to go through – because of what he has done. There is simply nothing that is as important as this – no grade or friendship will match up to a humble and deepening relationship with Christ your saviour and redeemer.

I hope you are making friends, friends that will last. I’ve no doubt that this is so. As you do, watch out for those on the fringes. It is not always easy leaving home and you have an advantage as you have lived away from your family before. And don’t forget that friendships change over time, especially in the tight community and fun-filled first year at LST. People will settle down into being who they are soon, and once that happens there will be less intensity to friendships. On a cheeky aside, don’t be too obsessed with searching for a potential wife. Just because LST has been called Love Sick Theologians does not mean that you have to follow suit. The Lord will guide you, as he always does, when the time is right, and the time is rarely right in the first term at LST.

I hope you are coping with sharing a room – I imagine your new roommate has far fewer bad habits that I do, so that should be a relief to you! I shall let you go now, I’ve rambled a little, and with Christmas coming we shall be spending some time together with the family, so we can talk more then. Always be assured of my prayers, that our Lord would bring you into a deeper and truer understanding of who He is and what He has done for us.

As always, Your brother.

Letter to a Beloved Fresher