And now for something completely different (kinda)

So it’s now the beginning of September and there’s been a lot of changes in my world. New job, new house, new theology course and thankfully fresh energy following a restful summer.

I’m currently sat in the house on my own waiting for new housemates to arrive in the next couple of weeks. Just handed in my first assignment for the King’s School of Theology course despite my laptop’s many attempts to sabotage me. After many months of component failures, it is time for a new computer, so we can add that to the list.

In all honesty, I’m a little apprehensive about the coming year. I’m expecting it to be the busiest one yet and to be stretched beyond anything I’ve experienced before. Yet, whereas a few years ago I would have dreaded such an experience, I’m now looking forward to looking back (if that makes any sense).

Finishing Grenz and Olsen’s book, I’m now looking to figure out what the lynchpin of my theological understanding is. What is the central focus of my understanding of the nature of God?

However, “good theology always moves from the head to the heart and finally to the hands.” and as such it’s been a pleasure to see my friends get involved with various things in Oxford.

For a great example see the fun day had in East Oxford.

Finally I’m not looking forward particularly to the new routine of early mornings that need to take place. 6am is not the friendliest of times, but the new school looks promising and encouraging.

So in short, lots of new things happening. Please feel free to pray for:

1) Settling into the community and meeting new people.

2) Good relationships with the new housemates.

3) A brilliant start to term that has no compromise about my faith.

4) Persistence and faith to see God work through my own study.

5) Anything else I’ve mentioned or God lays on your hearts.

 

With much love.

Alan

Emotional ends and new beginnings

So we’ve reached the end of term and it’s time for another summer holiday! I’ve packed my bags and moved out of school, not without many tears and a few goodbye drinks. I’ve also said goodbye to Mark and Dave from our house. I’ll be leaving myself in a few weeks to move into a smaller house nearby (complete with dishwasher!).

However, God has been working out new things in my life over the past few weeks. Mainly due to how big He is and how little I can understand about Him at the moment. This all started when trying to define love. We know the well rehearsed phrase that “God is Love” and if you’ve been to a few weddings you’ll know that “love is patient and kind,… it keeps no record of wrongs… always trusts, always perseveres..”  and so on.

But what stumped me was this. Love is not greater than God. God does not look at the blueprint for love and try to change Himself to fit within it. Rather, God, by being God defines what love is by His own nature and the relationship between the persons of the Trinity. But this leaves us with an issue. We have to let go of our judgement of whether God is loving or not. By definition; God is love. He is just, merciful, holy and eternal and my views on what each of these mean is imperfect. He holds the measuring stick for each of these natures, whilst I’m simply guessing with my thumb like an artist.

There’s one way to refine my viewpoint here. In essence I need to draw closer to Him. To align my viewpoint of goodness with His. Many thanks go out to Bex for helping me articulate this. Her dissertation on suffering was raw, honest and humble.

In other good news, I’m finding some time to rest and have got two housemates for the next year. Boxes are mostly packed and ready to move in the next few weeks after Transform and Falcon Camp.

For those of you still reading. Can I ask that you pray for Ignite; the Kidswork at Transform. We’ll have around 200 kids seeking God and what it means to have “Christ in you, the hope of Glory”

With much love.

Alan

Getting back into the groove

Sooooo after two years of silence….. I’m back!

After a little bit of cajoling from a friend, I thought I’d get back into the blogosphere and share some thoughts and prayer requests again.

For those of you who only see this life through the internet, here’s a quick overview of the past couple of years.

Sept 2009: Started PGCE training here in Oxford with the intention of becoming a Science Teacher. (Physics in particular).

Summer 2010: Had an awesome holiday with some great friends in USA. (Lis and Drew: your wedding was amazing btw!) Chicago, Niagara Falls, Detroit, Cedar Falls and more.

Sept 2010: Started my NQT year teaching at a school in Oxford; which was a massive blessing and enabled me to stay with OCC, (The community church, rather than the city council, county council or computing company) and live in the same house with some good friends. I was also reintroduced to the world of taxes, and introduced to the world of pensions and student loan repayments

This school has been a great place of friendship, with many other new teachers and some amazing kids. Despite falling over in lessons and more than a few verbal slip-ups, I can honestly say I love my job and feel that it is God’s plan for the next few years at least that I teach. There has been nothing quite like a kid coming up and saying “that’s my teacher!”.

All these blessings have been amazing and I’ve built some very deep friendships with those still left in Oxford. However, life is not static and with a little push from both myself and a few close friends I’ve decided to move into a local estate this summer and also to take up some theological training in my spare time.

This has been partly due to a continued sense that I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what God might do with this life. Also I want to know him more deeply.

For those of you that know me well, I hope that this doesn’t sound too serious! There’s been much mischief still including:

-Making a gunge nose for Kids Club

- A few silly dances at church

Ms Cole has nothing on us :P

As well as dressing up as a 6ft bunny for an Easter egg hunt!

 

This is meant for just a quick catch-up on life, more detail will follow soon , but I’ll leave you with some prayer points and an interesting thought:

 

1) Housemates for next year and a suitable house/flat. (Once I’d resolved to live on this estate, God provided a

2) Settling into my new school well this September and maintaining strong friendships with the staff from the current one.

3) Opportunities to share God’s love with the families and individuals in the local community.

4) More intimacy with God, through prayer and Scripture: This is more important than all the others, and the one I need most.

 

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”  - Exodus 33:15-18

My life is turning out well filled with many blessings. However, it will not count for anything unless God is living in it. Moses knew that he couldn’t go anywhere or do anything worthwhile without God being there. What about you?