From Under The Duvet..: February 2008

Friday, February 29, 2008

February/March

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In February, in the middle of all the busyness there were two "birthdays" this month.
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The first is one I've blogged about before - I became a Christian in 2003 on February 7th (I think!). I completely forgot about this on the 7th (it was the second last day of mission week). As I look back I'm just ever more amazed at God's faithfulness to me.
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I've been thinking over the past few days about in the Old Testament (please tell me if I'm making this up guys - I can't find the references!) how the Israelites would build monuments or altars so they would remember God's faithfulness to them.
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I want to do this more in my life - not sure how, because I can't go about constructing altars all the time! But I have restarted journalling so maybe that'll help. By making a way to remember God's faithfulness we can look back when we need encouragement and see concrete ways in our lives that He has been faithful, and gain hope that He always always will be.
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The other "birthday" to happen this month, this past week I think, was... this blog turned two! And, in the past week my visitor rating exceeded the 10,000 mark! Thank you all so much for reading - whether this is the first post you've read or that you've read all 293 (I was trying to exceed the 300 mark before the end of the month but busyness and things I couldn't blog about got in the way!).
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Without the readers the blog is just me rambling about the place! If anyone would like to take this moment to "come out" as a reader of the blog please feel free! I've found recently that people I never thought would read my blog do so it might be interesting.
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Anyway, tomorrow is St David's Day here in Wales. I'm not all that sure exactly what made him a saint (definitely couldn't be as cool as St Patrick!) but apparently there were the last words to his followers in the sermon he preached the Sunday before he died:
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"Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed. Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us."
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"Do the little things in life"

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I hope to strive doing the "little things" for God in life and that I would prove faithful in them. The next week and a half are incredibly busy - my next free evening (apart from Sunday) is Tuesday 11th Feb (and there's plenty of time between now and then for it to acquire something that needs doing!) and with yet another deadline, eight letters or emails to reply to, a party tomorrow, reading and presentations to do, statistics to pull my hair out over... It could be a fun week and a half!
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In addition to this... Northern Bank have yet again proven to be ridiculous! My dad was clearing the table on Tuesday when he noticed that my mum had opened bank letters to me with words like "Urgent Action Required", "Start using the new card we sent you in November" and "Your current card will be cancelled at the end of the month" without telling me.
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When on the phone to Northern Bank I made it clear that no card arrived and they re-sent out a card and promised not to cancel my card. With essaying and general busyness I didn't get a "big shop" done this week, nor did I do any laundry. Last night I went to Tesco... to find my card cancelled. I would like to point out I spent the last £5 in my purse on Mothers' Day cards for my mum and granny and some milk!
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The card has now arrived at home, with a letter saying "use the activation code that would have been sent over a week ago" - no such letter! But I think that may have been sorted out tonight and my parents are going to check to see if my actually card works before they give it to the carrier pigeon to bring it to me.
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Thankfully, I paid for the venue for tomorrow's party in advance so I have got £40 back which, along with the "emergency cash" I keep in Cardiff should keep me supplied with milk, toast and fairtrade chocolate until any card arrives!
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I would also like to point out that I did not propose to anyone today. Just in case anyone got excited and went and bought a hat or something! But a big congratulations to a friend who, apparently missing the memo on the whole "this is the day girls propose to guys" thing, got engaged today.
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Labels: blogging, busy, Cardiff, faith, God, life

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I came to this wonderful city just over five months ago now and got plugged into the wonderful Christian Union. Part of that for me was to go along to Wednesday afternoon prayer meetings – I was intimated to pray in front of other people, it was something and, to a lesser extent now, remains to be something I’m slightly self conscious about. But there was one way of overcoming that fear was to keep at it.
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In the first month or so at CU it was obvious that the place we were meeting for our main Wednesday night meetings was too small and the committee was trying to find somewhere with plenty of room. However, I noticed that the little prayer meeting room on a Wednesday, with only twelve chairs, was more than sufficient (and it still is). I didn’t get up for the 8am prayer meeting on a Friday morning (not having lectures until 11) so I couldn’t comment on them – but I have now found that they are better attended but nowhere near CU size! And I really don't think this is a reflection on Ben, the prayer sec of 2007/2008, whose passion for prayer is so clear to see!
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And I thought about this juxtaposition: main meeting rooms that were overflowing (literally) with people, people sitting on the floor or tables even, while prayer meetings were so under attended. I did try to encourage people to come to prayer meetings but was rather unsuccessful. I didn’t tell anyone I was thinking about prayer meetings or the prayer life of CU…
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Fast forward a little and in the last week of January I was approached by the prayer secretary of the CU (CUs are lead by a committee made up with people with various roles – in Cardiff we have male co-president, female co-president, secretary, internationals sec(retary), evangelism secs (two this year), publicity sec, treasurer, prayer sec and small group co-ordinator). He told me that I had been nominated for prayer sec and I was given a week to make my decision.
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The next week was mission week and deciding that I’d have to see if I could actually get up for 8am prayer meetings before deciding I went along to those. The prayer meetings were filling the room in the church (and numbers far exceeded those on Friday morning prayer meetings). Each morning was an amazing time of prayer and it was so encouraging to see people so passionate about prayer.
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I decided to accept my nomination – this was all conducted under a lot of secrecy which explains the lack of blogging on the topic! On the last day of mission week the proposed committee found out who all was on the proposed committee and for a week we felt like we were in this secret club. On the 15th it was announced in the CU email and tonight was the AGM. No one objected to any of the members of the proposed committee so we were “confidence voted” in – we needed a two thirds majority.
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Out of 134 members present, two said no and five abstained. So… Cardiff uni has a new CU committee in which I will be serving as the prayer sec. Just after we were prayed over as a new committee they decided to keep us humble – and made us play chubby bunnies. In front of everyone! I dropped out at six (they made us go up in threes!).
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What does my role mean?
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Well, the prayer sec role has two main functions which I sum up as to encourage and facilitate prayer in and for the CU. It’s my job to organize prayer meetings (which means I’ve to get up for the 8am Friday morning ones!) and people to lead them. I am very excited about the role because there is a lot of freedom with what I can do within it. And to be nominated and now to be voted in to this role when the prayer life of the CU was placed on my heart all those months ago feels like a big confirmation that God is completely in this.
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I’m really excited about what God is going to do in the CU in this next year. Although it is my job to organize the rooms to hold prayer meetings in I am praying for the problem that I will need to find bigger rooms to hold them in. I pray that God would lay it on our hearts to be constantly praying and to meet to pray together because Jesus promises in Matthew 18 v 20:
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“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
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I am passionate about prayer – I think it is such an amazing privilege we have as Christians that we can approach the creator of the universe and call Him “Abba” (literally, Daddy) and tell Him what’s on our heart.
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And prayer does get answered! God has really been showing me that recently – on “silly” “little” things. I have lost some things recently that I needed to find quite quickly and a prayer that the thing would be found works! Or a couple of Fridays ago I slept in! I woke up at ten to eight (keep in mind that I live a 15 minute very fast walk from where the prayer meetings are held). Oops! I quickly pulled on my clothes (which, oddly, I’d laid out the night before) and grabbed my bag (which, oddly, I’d packed the night before) and set off! On my way down I said a quick prayer that they wouldn’t have started, that I wouldn’t interrupt the praying – and when I arrived… they had been locked out of the room!
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I know those seem like little things and I know that people may think that I’m remembering these answers to prayer and forgetting those that have been “left unanswered”. But God has been really telling me “Look at how I can answer these small things – trust me with so much more!”
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I got an email today from the 24-7 Prayer movement people which said:
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Did you feel the earthquake last night? I slept right through it, but I know some people around the UK who felt it. The strongest earthquake in the UK for 25 years, according to the BBC News website.

I confess, I usually (but not always) lean towards skepticism when Christians see 'significance' in natural phenomena. However, on this occasion, I'm intrigued. On Monday, the 24-7prayer UK Tour reached Bristol. I'll pop some more details into a short UK website report later, but I wanted to tell you one short story...

Late on Monday afternoon a few of us got together to pray for Bristol, ahead of the evening Tour event. And Naomi prayed something like this... "Lord, let your kingdom come. Shake the church. Shake the land. Give us signs... like an earthquake." ?!

Sometimes I wonder if the world around us, Creation itself, vibrates with the cries of God's people. Maybe there is some kind of deep symmetry, a synchronicity of 'all things' that we find hard to grasp...

Anyway... the *final* 24-7prayer UK Tour event is in Sheffield tonight, and we're VERY excited. More people seem to be gathering for this than any of the others. It feels significant. Get there if you can... and let's pray, "Shake everything that can be shaken, Jesus! Let your kingdom come! COME ON!" phil.
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I believe God is a mighty God. There is NOTHING God cannot do. It says in Ephesians 3 v 20-21:
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"Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen."
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And there is also nothing too small that God doesn’t want us to bring it to Him in prayer. He can do the massive things, He can blow our expectations completely out of the water and more and yet He is not above doing the small things.
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As I was contemplating my decision about whether or not to accept my nomination I talked to one of the then current committee. I was told not to worry, that this is something I can do but that this person fully expects me to be the rebel of the group, to not accept things blindly.
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Those of you who know me well are probably laughing at that statement – I think the word rebel could sum me up quite well. And I have no problem with that title – I want to be someone who doesn’t accept things blindly. Any decision that is to be made should be made with the Gospel at the centre. Any statement that is made should be backed up – chapter and verse. The main thing should always be kept the main thing –
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“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
- 1 Corinthians 2:2
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It is my prayer and hope that I will be able to sit this time next year and joyfully share with you all the amazing things God has done in Cardiff CU and across the land for His glory. I am praying for big things – things bigger than I can imagine. And I know God can do those big things. I do not want to limit God in my prayers because He is without limits.
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I am so excited to be able to serve God and the CU in this way. I know that there’s going to be a learning curve and tough times ahead. But in all things I want to boast in the amazing power of God and to see God glorified. I know and am trusting in His amazing promises that He will never leave me, that His grace is always sufficient, that He will be my strength and that He can shine in my weaknesses.
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In this time I really do covet your prayers. I know that I am utterly dependent on God in this time and I’m sure that’s a lesson I’m going to keep on learning! If you would like to receive prayer emails – either from me about my life and time here in Cardiff or from me about the CU and ways to be praying for the CU do let me know.
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One of my favourite verses of the moment is 2 Chronicles 7 v 14:
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“Then if my people who are called by my name with humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear them from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”

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What an amazing promise! And guys our land needs healing. Our land needs God. I pray that we would live out this verse – that we would humble ourselves and rely on God, that we would seek His face, that we would turn from sin and that we would pray! And in doing so we can expect God to live up and more to His side of the bargain.
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I realise this is a really long post and I’m sorry for talking so much! But I’m really excited about what God has in store as I strive to “Live and speak for Jesus” (the CU “motto”). I pray that we would all be given the strength to do that today.

Labels: Cardiff, CU, faith, God, life, prayer

Monday, February 25, 2008

And Depression Sets In...

The other day I said "mirr-or" not "meerrrrrrr" as Northern Irish people say.
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I cannot loose my accent!
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In other news.. I spend a lovely 36 hours this weekend throwing up. I also broke every previous record and slept for 18 hours (going to bed "for a nap" at 6pm on Friday and waking up at noon on Saturday) - only to be so tired after three hours of being awake that I went back to bed for another nap. In total, I slept for 20 hours out of one 24 hour period.
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The worst thing about being sick here? There's no one to clean up after you or bring you drinks.
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Anyway, essaying on neuronal transmission which is fascinating... And I'll definitely have blogged again on Thursday, if not Wednesday night. So stay tuned...!

Labels: bleurgh, Cardiff, essays, NI, sick

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Clarifications

Who would have thought that in twenty hours that my “But I don’t want to” post would have gathered comments from nine individuals – whether facebook comments, blog comments, texts and messages. Not to mention msn conversations. I had know idea that the response would be this great.
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I’m not going to respond to the comments – I’ve responded to some of the commentators individually. I still stand by my comment that I’m not making the first move but that certainly doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore him.
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I thought I’d tell you a little of what happened after I posted “But I don’t want to”. Firstly, I finished my assignment, which is now safely handed in.
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I went to have my “quiet time” – and last night (for the purposes of this we’re ignoring the fact it was technically today!) I decided to journal first. I’ve only recently restarted journaling. I realised that if I didn’t there would be too much of this year I’d wish I was able to remember.
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My journal has bible verses along the bottom of each page. As I was writing on my fifth page (ok, so I wrote a lot…) and the bible verse was Ecclesiastes 3 v 11: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
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After I’d written my arm off I decided to do my bible reading for the day. I use a book called Solo (thank you Mr & Mrs Bowman) which has a read/think/pray/live layout. The passage was 2 Kings 4 v 8-37. Here’s what the “live” section said:
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Henri Nouwen wrote, “At every moment you have to decide to trust the voice that says, ‘I love you. I knit you together in your mother’s womb’ (Psalm 139 v 13).” Ponder this quote. What might your life look like if you were to take God at His word, believing that He knows all about you and cares for you as tenderly as Elisha cared for the Shunammite? How might you pray differently? Live differently?”

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Oh, and I’m reading a book at the moment called Doing Things Right in the Matters of the Heart by John Ensor. The chapter I was ready to read last night? “He Initiates... She Responds.”
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I will readily admit that part of me still wants to take the first step but a bigger part of me doesn’t. Yes, that may be me being worried about rejection (as one person commented) but I can’t ignore the sign posts.
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I’m talking to that same friend from the other post’s conversation and he said:
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It sounds to me like God is working all things together for the good of one who loves Him and is called according to HIS purpose… [there’s] more emphasis even than usual. Is this a big tussle for you?

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This is a big tussle for me. But I know that the presence of so many “sign posts” cannot be ignored as coincidence. Not at the moment, anyway.

Labels: faith, future, God, life, love

But I Don't Want To

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I remember getting books out from the library and they were about a girl called Kitty. The books were called things like “But It’s Not Fair” and “I Don’t Want To”. The book would be made up of stories about why it’s not fair that she has to go to bed earlier than her older brother and exactly why she doesn’t want to clean her teeth.
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The stories usually followed the pattern that Kitty complained and her parents let her have her way. They let her stay up later and go to bed when her brother did and they didn’t tell her about brushing her teeth. What had happened by the end of the story? Kitty would realise her parents know best, really and that there’s a reason why she should go to bed earlier than her brother. And brushing your teeth? Her parents didn’t nag for the good of their health but out of love for their daughter, knowing what would lie ahead if she disobeyed.
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At the moment, I like a guy. I’m not entirely sure why I’m telling you, my blog readers, this, but I am. I’m not giving any specifics – other than he’s not a youth worker or pastor, at the moment anyway. Besides, it’s probably a fair bet that at any moment in time there is a guy being liked by a girl.
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I am one of these people accused of Victorian dating ideas. And that’s ok. Rather, it was ok. I didn’t mind preaching that the guy would have to make the first move – I believe that he should. Christian men are sometimes quick to pick up on the wives should submit to their husbands and forget that that means they should be godly leaders worthy of our submitting.
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And that’s the role God has for men in relationships: leaders. That means in all aspects of relationships. The case in point being: starting one.
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See, I’m all for the guy making the first move. I want a guy to be so sure that he likes me or that it is God’s will that he will approach me about a possible relationship. I want a guy to make the first move.
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Correction, I want this particular guy to make the first move. But I’m not patient. And have even typed the text that would make it clear (well, it’s certainly not subtle) enough that he should ask me out or something.
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And I’m sitting, with 80 words to remove from an assignment due… in less than twelve hours wondering about that “Send” button on my phone.
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Naturally, with a deadline looming, I’m on msn and have just been talking to a great friend of mine who is now the president of a Christian Union. Here is a bit of our conversation (I’ve removed any identifying features – the person I’m talking to doesn’t use the msn name of president and I’ve replaced the guy’s name with an x – and I’ve also removed parts of the conversation, but you’ll see that):
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Rach says:
deciding whether or not I should send him a text message
President says:
saying what?
Rach says:
-insert me telling president the story-
Rach says:
wondering if I should
President says:
difficult one to call. it is a biblical principle that he should take the lead in a relationship...
Rach says:
I know this
Rach says:
I really really know that
Rach says:
I tell my friends that
President says:
how does that apply here?
Rach says:
I don't want it to
President says:
how does that apply here, rachael?
Rach says:
I shouldn't send the message and trust that if God wants the relationship to happen that it will
President says:
preach it, sister
Rach says:
but
Rach says:
but
Rach says:
but
Rach says:
but
Rach says:
BUT
President says:
can i then leave you to do the God honouring thing?
Rach says:
hmm
Rach says:
I guess
Rach says:
I'm not the most patient of people
Rach says:
although
Rach says:
I have managed this long
President says:
try not to dwell on it. you are perhaps sailing close to an idolatrous wind. NOT that you are idolising. but probably in danger of making a relationship, or a relationship with x, or x himself, more valuable to you than God, if you are not careful
Rach says:
I know
Rach says:
thank you [president]
Rach says:
you're a star
President says:
you take that a lot better than many people would i praise god for that
President says:
because it says something about where your heart is
Rach says:
oh, I'm not over the moon with it
Rach says:
but I know it's right
President says:
yes, keep exalting his name above all others. he will look after you. don't bow down to the gods of self-pity or insecurity.
Rach says:
yeah
Rach says:
I really needed to hear what you're saying
Rach says:
and part of me wanted to hear someone say I wasn't insane
Rach says:
not that you've expressedly said that
Rach says:
but in my head you have
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I really really want to send this message. Well, part of me does. The other part is trusting in, clinging to the promises in God’s word. That He loves me, that He will always love me. And that doesn’t in anyway depend on how good I look or how grumpy I am. And that He knows best – He knows the plans He has for me.
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I love this post on the GirlTalk blog about this sort of thing.
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I know that ultimately I want to be in a relationship that is God honouring. That echoes the love Christ has for the church. I know that means waiting now. (Maybe waiting forever and I will die alone with the cats.)
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But God is good. And He loves me. Just like Kitty in the story, I don’t want to. I don’t want to wait. But I’m going to endeavour to skip the messy middle part this time. I’m going to trust in my Heavenly Father, the God who created the stars in the sky and yet wants me to call Him Abba, Daddy. I’m going to trust that He knows best.
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Ultimately, the real "I don’t want to" is that I don’t want to step out of His will for my life and miss out on those amazing plans with that amazing guy who knows what it means to trust God…

Labels: faith, friends, future, God, love

Friday, February 15, 2008

I rarely dive into politics here, but…

Ok, with that title I refer to home politics – get me started on Iraq or Bush and I could talk to the cows come home but I’m referring to a bill going through our Houses of Parliament at the moment.
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The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (HFE) Bill is currently in the House of Lords and heading for the Commons. I hadn’t really heard about it until Wednesday night. One aspect of CU life is that there are many, many medical students and many of them are part of an organisation called CMF – the Christian Medical Fellowship. They were away on a CMF weekend and heard about this bill and have since told the CU.
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The HFE bill has a couple of main components.
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One is to combine animal and human genetic material in every cell in order to generate embryonic stem cells for research. This research could already be deemed obsolete because scientists have found a way to reprogram adult skin cells to produce cells with all the potential of human embryonic stem cells.
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A second part of the bill focuses on IVF – and furthers the idea of picking what you want in a child, potentially so that child can act as a donor for their sibling. The idea of IVF also removes the need for a father – which contradicts biblical ideas behind families; although I am well aware that many families do not have a father due to many other circumstances such as divorce, death, abandonment etc.
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And other aspects of the bill point to a liberalisation of the abortion laws. No longer will two doctors need to sign before an abortion can take place – and in some places even a nurse (clarification: my use of “even” is not saying nurses are not as good as doctors!) could lead the abortion in the first trimester, with the abortion being completed at home. This could prevent prolife doctors from seeing women with unplanned pregnancies.
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The key aspect of this final bit is that the act will be extended to Northern Ireland – where currently only 70-80 abortions take place a year, where abortion is opposed by all major parties and in October 2007 a motion was passed with a large majority opposing making abortion more widely available in NI.
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Apparently (going on what the attendees of the CMF weekend said) the way they have put the bill in means much of the voting that will happen will be in a political vote (or something), with maybe only one part being a conscience vote for the MPs. This will mean much more pressure can be put on MPs.
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I am pro-life – I believe that God uniquely and lovingly created each one of us (see Psalm 139!). And only He should decide when life ends. And I don’t believe unexpected pregnancies should be so “easy” (I know many women who go through this would say it’s anything but easy – perhaps available is a much better word).
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I don’t think the so-called “pro choice” are all that “pro choice”. So often when feminists/pro choice people say they only present one of the many options. Pro-choice seems to equate with pro-abortion – rather than pro-adoption, pro-fostering etc etc.
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It’s like the feminists who argue that their choice to work and put their children in daycare is their choice - it’s their right to make that choice and it should be respected. And yet they can sometimes so vehemently look down on those who make the choice to stay at home and raise their children.
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It’s almost like those who violently argue there is no absolute truth and yet they’ve just proclaimed one so loudly.
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So, what can we do about this bill?
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Unfortunately, it seems this bill may pass through quite easily – especially without the conscience vote on much of it. So – pray!
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You can also write to your MP, and you can find out who they are at www.writetothem.com.
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I know, ultimately, if the bill doesn’t go through it won’t change the root of the problem – a society in which the sanctity of life is so often discarded and where pre-marital sex is common. And we do need to comfort the girls and women who have went through with abortions and regret it. But we can stop the killing of these kids easier, especially in Northern Ireland.
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For more information: http://www.cmf.org.uk/index/hfe_bill.htm
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PS - something wrong with formatting options - will fix later!

Labels: activism, do something, faith, feminism, politics

Sunday, February 10, 2008

A Good Lesson

There should be a link to recent photos if you click on the photo.

So, it turns out the world didn't end when I got up at 7am each week day this week. And so far I've heard no reports of pigs flying. I found once you push through the inevitable pain barrier of getting up it's not that bad. I was tired after lectures but then I'm always tired after lectures so not a whole lot of difference. In this regard I'm going to try to get up by 7.30 five mornings a week. I did it for 14 years at school so I doubt it'll kill me and I find I get an impressive amount done in this time. Let's see how it works out though...

Mission week was really good. According to the email I received two people, that we know of, became a Christian which is great. And who knows what else happened. Mission week may have been just one link in a chain for people and it's important we remember that it's not about numbers!

I was at the lunch time talk in Mackintosh pub on Friday. Earlier in the week the talks had dealt (rather well) with the big topics of design, purpose, the Bible and suffering. On Friday it was a "Grill a Christian" event with a panel ready to answer any questions they might by asked.

One guy, a non-Christian, asked whether Christians believed that there was a hell and that anyone who doesn't believe in Christ, accepting Him as their Saviour, would spend eternity there. And the reply was yes (well, the shortened version was, after pointing out that some Christians believe non-believers will be simply wiped out).

In response to this the guy said something like this... "If I knew that I could stop you [refering to a friend of his on the panel] being knifed tomorrow by some guy, knowing where you live, I would do everything I could to stop this from happening. I would protect you and look out for you. And yet, you Christians believe that those who don't believe will spend forever in Hell, being tormented and tortured forever. If I thought that was the case I wouldn't be able to sleep at night, worried about those I love. I would spend every moment I could, every opportunity I could to warn people about this..."

The response from Pete Evans came "You should run the CU mate."

How true.

I'm not saying we should only let a "turn or burn" "trust or combust" message escape our lips. I'm saying we need to remember the seriousness of the fate of those around us. Those we see everyday. In lectures. In work. In the street. Our friends and family. Those we love the most. Those we try to love because we're commanded to.

This non-Christian guy understood what so many Christians don't or choose to ignore. The panel apologised to him for our failings. Although, he has now heard the Gospel - he now must respond.

May we never forget the importance of this news we have. May we be given the strength and the grace to proclaim it - both in what we say and in how we live.

Labels: Cardiff, do something, faith, future, today, tomorrow, uni

Saturday, February 02, 2008

Is what we need different churches? (And Mission Week!)

So.. yeah. I went and saw Dave Murrows. He was crass and "funny" and loud. I didn't like him. Yes, some of his points were valid - I can see why guys by the age of ten have learnt that they loose at church and church isn't for them because they can't sit still, answer questions and memorize Bible verses quite like the girls can. But is what we need trips to the junk yard rather than male Bible studies?

The guys I talked to about it seemed to like what Murrow said though. Maybe I'm just being female? But I wouldn't go to a church where he was the preacher (he isn't one though). I can see that the church has become feminised and when asked does he not think that that is because society in general has become more feminised Murrow replied saying "Maybe in ten years it won't matter then."

I did like his comments on (musical) worship - we have songs now that say "Jesus I am so in love with you" rather than the "Onward Christian Soldiers" of a few decades ago. He asked where the blood, the sweat, the battle imagery had gone? I back that comment. Although I don't want to sing a Saving Private Ryan-esque song. He said this had to do with the female desire for relationships and out of this the "we want to date Jesus" worship movement sprang.

My issue with these songs that sing about being in love with God is that sometimes we aren't in love with God - sometimes we're cross with him, sometimes we can't understand what's going on or where He is. And it has taken me years to realise that God is so much bigger than my emotions - and He still loves me even when I don't love Him. But I'm not saying get rid of all these love songs.

I realise this may not be a representative view of what he said and please don't take this as an objective view on Murrow or his book, which I have not read. Ultimately the reason I left not liking him was his response to one of the last questions (this completely contradicts the report I'm doing at the moment about impression formation which states that people retain their first impression of someone, regardless of subsequent behaviour).

My CU sends teams out to Malawi each summer and the organiser of these teams asked how he can get more guys excited about this mission trip (which involves practical work, so it's not like it's all relationship-y) when he had six girls applying for each one male applying. Murrow's answer was "Why don't we get the girls going to stand up and the guys can see who they'd be going with."

Yeah, I know, male readers are probably now chuckling (as Bowman did when I told him on the phone). But that is not the sort of attitude to have from the pulpit. What a demeaning thing to say - for both the girls and the guys. Stereotypes do not need to be reinforced.

I'm sorry, but I almost immediately lost respect for this guy. I wouldn't go to a church he preached at and if I ever had the opportunity to see him again I probably wouldn't take it (like the old football saying "If they were playing in my back garden, I'd pull the curtains.").

But the guys loved it. And loved him. Maybe we do need Murrow's breed of different churches that men will want to go to. But would women go to these churches? Murrow argued that time and time again it's shown that if you get the men, you get the women for free (this is certainly true of minister's and youth worker's wives - you pay the guy a salary and get the woman free) but does that mean we neglect the women? Maybe we just need seperate churches?

Anyway... This week is Mission week! I'm very excited. 8am prayer meetings each morning which means me getting/lifting myself/levetating/moaning myself/falling out of bed at 7am - which is before the SUN is up. I think the rule should be nothing before the sun is up - when the sun sleeps, we sleep. I realise this proves trickier in winter when we have two hours of sunlight (I live in Northern Ireland/Wales - there are weeks I don't see the sun at all) but I say we bring back hibernation. Nothing really interesting happens in winter - I'll happily celebrate my birthday on my half birthday and Christmas Day is totally moveable as none of the Gospels say Jesus was born on December 25th (and even if they did calanders have changed since then).

But.. I digress...

There are then lunch time talks on the Big Topics (design/suffering/purpose/the Bible) in a pub. And there are evening events four nights too. And during the day there are times of flyering and questionnairing.

I was thinking/praying about mission week and I got thinking about Gideon (I am using the Message: Solo devotions [thank you Paul and Val! Awesome Christmas pressie] and I'd read about Gideon this week). God could have used an army of 32 000 Israelites to beat the Midianites but He used 300! Three hundred. That's almost how many people sit in my lecture theatre each day. And how did they do it? With horns, clay jars and torches.

God did this to remind the Israelites that this was HIS victory, not theirs - verse two says:

The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.

So often we forget that what we require God's strength for everything.

"With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
Mark 10:27

This (meaning mission week, mission in general) is God's work. It's His Strength that achieves it. And it is His victory. ("In God we make our boast all day long" - Psalm 44 v 8).

This is our verse/theme for the week. (And the design of the hoodies! Which I am wearing as I type this).

Labels: Cardiff, church, CU, faith, God, uni, worship