Sunday 11th October
Can’t remember if I went to swing dancing today. Don’t think I did because I was starting to do my old headless chicken routine getting ready for next weekend.
Anyway, what I do remember from my notes is that we had another two really good sermons. The first one was about Windows & Walls. Basically, the devil will get you to a good thing to stop you doing the best thing and he’ll absolutely love you if you don’t think. It’s possible for Christians to be lied to and for us to believe the lie. One lie that Christians fall for is that they can add to their salvation which is a load of rubbish, otherwise everything Jesus did was a worthless endeavour, yet it’s so easy to think we have to do the right thing or God is just going to smash us like bugs.
I think this all stemmed from the current popular belief that there’s no such thing as truth (is that true?!), or at least it isn’t an absolute anymore.
Daniel Ralph (speaker) pointed out that the first of the Ten Commandments is to do with the mind and the rest are all behavioural. OK, we’re not bound by the Law because we’re under the New Covenant, but his point was that if you’re not thinking like a Christian, then you’re probably not living like one either.
Basically, we need to look at the words that God has given us so that we can see through the windows in the walls that the devil’s built i.e. know the truth that God has given us so we don’t get fooled by the lies of the world.
The evening service was taken by Derek Burnside – who taught on the 18-30’s holiday this year and will forever be remembered for cheating appallingly on The Great Adventure (at least by me). On a more important note, he is a really good teacher and he’s doing a series on the Holy Spirit this week which I’m really excited about because I’ve never had teaching on that before.
His talk was on Nehemiah 4. Nehemiah was a key player in the then latest stage of God’s rescue plan of gathering lost, scattered, sin-ridden people and bringing them back home (to Jerusalem). That’s basically our job. Nehemiah was building a wall to help that, we’re helping build the church so we need to learn the same lessons that Nehemiah had to learn.
He pointed out that halfway marks can be dangerous points – the initial excitement and drive has worn off and though we’re aware of the progress that’s been made, we’re all too aware of what’s left. Having started but not finished a lot of writing, I can heartily agree with that.
Just as what Nehemiah was doing was worth attacking because there were outside forces that didn’t want to see God’s people restored, what we’re doing is so important that it’s worth attacking for the same reason. John Stott realised that the devil’s tactics haven’t changed. If we’re ridiculed, it’s because people are angry and people don’t get angry unless they’re worried. When we’re ridiculed it’s easy to just put our heads down and hope it goes away, but instead we should pray for those people because in ridiculing God’s work, they’re mocking God which is a pretty dangerous place to be in. If we’re discouraged and take the lies of the enemy seriously, then we need to have faith and remember that we’re on the winning team.
Derek pointed out more attacks and counter-attacks that he didn’t have time to explain fully, but he was very encouraging. Everyone here is tooling themselves up to do the most important thing a human being can do and we will be attacked, but Jesus is more powerful. BRILLIANT!!!
Saturday, 7 November 2009
CEILIDH!!!
Saturday 10th October
Kendal today. I’ve been to Kendal before with Filipa, but amazingly we managed to miss the Chocolate House!! I think my chocolate radar must have been malfunctioning that day or something. Anyway . . .
I didn’t realise how close we were to Kendal. I think it only took half an hour or so to get there. Sue and Kim drove us in the minibuses and I was most intrigued when they mentioned the aforementioned Chocolate House. I wonder why . . . ? So I ended up hanging out with Brooke (Australian roommate), Julie (American) and Lisete who is Estonian. First port of call was tourist information where we found out how to get to the castle and more importantly the chocolate shop. Before we visited there though, I introduced everyone to a wonderful little place called Thornton’s. Can you believe they’d never been in one before? I can’t tell you how hard it is educating everyone! J
We trekked up to the castle – emphasis on ‘trekked’. Clearly I haven’t walked up Kiln Lane in a while because that hill was hard work!! The walk along the river was nice, although not a patch on Hebden Bridge! The castle was great fun though. We wandered around the hill it’s built on for a while (managed to get lost) and the views were great even though the day was a bit overcast. The castle was the family home of Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s last wife. It’s a bit of a ruin, mostly grass inside, but the walls and parts of the buildings have been preserved so you still get a feel for the place. It was great fun clambering along the walls and in and out of the buildings.
We climbed back down – which was soooooooo much easier than going up – and headed to a church and a museum but decided we didn’t fancy paying to go in the latter and since time wasn’t as much on our side as we’d like, we just headed for the chocolate shop. I think it’s one of the oldest chocolate houses in Britain and the girls were all wearing period clothes. We went and sat up in the chocolate loft which was very cosy – actually, the whole place was! – where there were wall hangings showing the whole chocolate making process, from planting to harvesting etc. They had sooooo many different flavours of hot chocolate and just as many different chocolate cakes. I think I had a King’s Ransom and a King’s Delight because they couldn’t make me a Dungeon. They were all named like that, after 17th century characters. I remember Brooke had a Scurvy Knave just because of the name! It was basically an orange flavour hot chocolate. The Dungeon that I wanted was a dark hot chocolate with dark chocolate sprinkled on top but I had to settle for a rich hot chocolate with marshmallows – the King’s Delight. The King’s ransom was a triple chocolate cake: two layers of sponge cake with chocolate mousse in between made up half the cake, then the top half was chocolate mousse again and the whole thing was covered in dark chocolate chips. The others had the hot chocolate fudge cake which I was very tempted to try, but I didn’t want to be too much of a piggy-wig. It took a few mouthfuls to get used to real chocolate, but it was REALLY good once I was used to it. Total chocolate hit.
After we’d eaten – must get the before and after photos off Brooke – we went down below the café (top floor – chocolate loft; ground floor – café; basement – chocolate shop) and had a look at all the goodies that for sale. I didn’t know Guerlain did dipping chocolate! The chocolate wellies – actually wellies with pictures of chocolates on, not the other kind – were very tempting but the whole place felt a little too expensive for comfort. It was all really good quality stuff though and probably would have been worth it. But I was happy enough getting fig biscuits and rich tea biscuits from Home & Bargain.
Still can’t believe we missed that first time around!!
The evening’s entertainment . . .
CEILIDH!!!!
For those of you who don’t know, the promise of a Ceilidh was the reason why I went to Capernwray in the first place. My mum was flipping through the holiday brochure and she sounded very keen on a few of them. Then I was flipping through, came to the 18-30’s section, saw Ceilidh on the timetable and decided I’d go. Then I looked at the rest of it and it sounded good as well. I’ve already been to one Ceilidh because I did that holiday again this year, but they put one on for the students as well! WAHOOOO!!!!
Unlike on the holiday, hardly anyone got dressed up, but I did for the fun of it. It didn’t go on quite as long because they’re a bit stricter about lock up etc. But we still started with the Virginia Reel, did the Gay Gordon’s for far too long! We danced the Macarena as usual and the Cha Cha slide. Then we did my personal favourite, Strip the Willow, which I was so chuffed about. It was great fun doing it with so many people – kept running into everyone in the Gay Gordon’s and the lines for Strip the Willow were so long! Dougie ended it after that with the Virginia Reel again and Auld Lang Syne. I think he and I were the only ones who knew to run into the middle and out again at the end, but it was a lot of fun. Then there was a bit of random dancing for the unofficial ending.
Oh, it was a great evening! Hopefully we’ll get another one although Dougie doesn’t think it’ll be this term. Still, there’s another two coming . . .
Kendal today. I’ve been to Kendal before with Filipa, but amazingly we managed to miss the Chocolate House!! I think my chocolate radar must have been malfunctioning that day or something. Anyway . . .
I didn’t realise how close we were to Kendal. I think it only took half an hour or so to get there. Sue and Kim drove us in the minibuses and I was most intrigued when they mentioned the aforementioned Chocolate House. I wonder why . . . ? So I ended up hanging out with Brooke (Australian roommate), Julie (American) and Lisete who is Estonian. First port of call was tourist information where we found out how to get to the castle and more importantly the chocolate shop. Before we visited there though, I introduced everyone to a wonderful little place called Thornton’s. Can you believe they’d never been in one before? I can’t tell you how hard it is educating everyone! J
We trekked up to the castle – emphasis on ‘trekked’. Clearly I haven’t walked up Kiln Lane in a while because that hill was hard work!! The walk along the river was nice, although not a patch on Hebden Bridge! The castle was great fun though. We wandered around the hill it’s built on for a while (managed to get lost) and the views were great even though the day was a bit overcast. The castle was the family home of Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s last wife. It’s a bit of a ruin, mostly grass inside, but the walls and parts of the buildings have been preserved so you still get a feel for the place. It was great fun clambering along the walls and in and out of the buildings.
We climbed back down – which was soooooooo much easier than going up – and headed to a church and a museum but decided we didn’t fancy paying to go in the latter and since time wasn’t as much on our side as we’d like, we just headed for the chocolate shop. I think it’s one of the oldest chocolate houses in Britain and the girls were all wearing period clothes. We went and sat up in the chocolate loft which was very cosy – actually, the whole place was! – where there were wall hangings showing the whole chocolate making process, from planting to harvesting etc. They had sooooo many different flavours of hot chocolate and just as many different chocolate cakes. I think I had a King’s Ransom and a King’s Delight because they couldn’t make me a Dungeon. They were all named like that, after 17th century characters. I remember Brooke had a Scurvy Knave just because of the name! It was basically an orange flavour hot chocolate. The Dungeon that I wanted was a dark hot chocolate with dark chocolate sprinkled on top but I had to settle for a rich hot chocolate with marshmallows – the King’s Delight. The King’s ransom was a triple chocolate cake: two layers of sponge cake with chocolate mousse in between made up half the cake, then the top half was chocolate mousse again and the whole thing was covered in dark chocolate chips. The others had the hot chocolate fudge cake which I was very tempted to try, but I didn’t want to be too much of a piggy-wig. It took a few mouthfuls to get used to real chocolate, but it was REALLY good once I was used to it. Total chocolate hit.
After we’d eaten – must get the before and after photos off Brooke – we went down below the café (top floor – chocolate loft; ground floor – café; basement – chocolate shop) and had a look at all the goodies that for sale. I didn’t know Guerlain did dipping chocolate! The chocolate wellies – actually wellies with pictures of chocolates on, not the other kind – were very tempting but the whole place felt a little too expensive for comfort. It was all really good quality stuff though and probably would have been worth it. But I was happy enough getting fig biscuits and rich tea biscuits from Home & Bargain.
Still can’t believe we missed that first time around!!
The evening’s entertainment . . .
CEILIDH!!!!
For those of you who don’t know, the promise of a Ceilidh was the reason why I went to Capernwray in the first place. My mum was flipping through the holiday brochure and she sounded very keen on a few of them. Then I was flipping through, came to the 18-30’s section, saw Ceilidh on the timetable and decided I’d go. Then I looked at the rest of it and it sounded good as well. I’ve already been to one Ceilidh because I did that holiday again this year, but they put one on for the students as well! WAHOOOO!!!!
Unlike on the holiday, hardly anyone got dressed up, but I did for the fun of it. It didn’t go on quite as long because they’re a bit stricter about lock up etc. But we still started with the Virginia Reel, did the Gay Gordon’s for far too long! We danced the Macarena as usual and the Cha Cha slide. Then we did my personal favourite, Strip the Willow, which I was so chuffed about. It was great fun doing it with so many people – kept running into everyone in the Gay Gordon’s and the lines for Strip the Willow were so long! Dougie ended it after that with the Virginia Reel again and Auld Lang Syne. I think he and I were the only ones who knew to run into the middle and out again at the end, but it was a lot of fun. Then there was a bit of random dancing for the unofficial ending.
Oh, it was a great evening! Hopefully we’ll get another one although Dougie doesn’t think it’ll be this term. Still, there’s another two coming . . .
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Sauciness
Friday 09th October
Had my first work morning today. I was one of the team assigned to the kitchen so I had to go a whole day without seeing Henry, woe is me!! (sobs) It was kind of fun hanging out in the kitchen. That dishwasher’s enormous!! The other girls were quite lively and there was a nice atmosphere as we were cleaning. Apparently we get the same duty for two work mornings and then we get moved around. I’m hoping that means that next week, I’ll be on the other side of the kitchen, just for variety’s sake. Oh, when Graih (housekeeper) was giving us the run down on what cleaning supplies to use where, I finally found out what all the old newspapers are used for. Capernwray gets two newspapers everyday and they either go for recycling or on the pile in the cleaning room. They’re used for drying windows once they’ve been washed. They don’t leave any streak marks because the paper absorbs all the water and the only thing you have to watch out for is ink coming off on the frames. And it did work really well!
Naomi (from church) sent me a card on Tuesday which arrived today and put a great big Cheshire cat grin on my face. It’s now clipped into my diary along with the other fun things I’ve had in my pigeonhole. Just to cheer me up should I need it.
This evening we had the Capernwray Story: a history of Capernwray as told by Mark Thomas (MD), Major Ian Thomas (Founder), a very old & dead guy whose name I can’t remember but owned the hall in the 19th century, and his maid. Confused? Good. That was the point.
Mark started the story in 1066 with the Norman Conquest and various areas of land being given to French nobles, one of whom was the guy the Martons were descended from. When it got to the point where Capernwray was bought into the Marton estate, Mark took off his jumper (which generated quite the response from the crowd!), put on a half mask with top hat and a shirt front and jacket. Add the walking stick (which he held upside down), and the picture was hilariously complete! I think he was supposed to be John Marton. Then when he’d finished welcoming us to the hall, he went off because he had some business to attend to, then out came Sue dressed as the maid who’d been in the pantry with Butler Bill!! I think she must have forgotten she was at Bible School because she mentioned that quite a few times. Oh wait, she was at the hall as it was then, so it wasn’t a Bible school. That would explain why she gave us a vocal tour of the house as was.
Then Mark came back in dressed in Major Thomas’ uniform and told Sue off because it was 1946 and she was supposed to be dead! So she promptly ran off to find Butler Bill again. Anyway, then Mark took over and told the story of Capernwray being founded by Major Thomas – well, actually he started with how Major Thomas met Mrs. Thomas (before she was Mrs. Thomas, in case anyone was wondering/being finickety).
The talk ended with an old video that was filmed in the 60’s (I’m guessing this is where some of my readers will start insisting that isn’t old, but in terms of film, yes it is!). It was originally a silent film that was meant to be promotional material for the holidays. But one of the teachers who used to come to Capernwray did a voiceover that completely took the mickey out of it – and it was fairly cheesy in places anyway! The voiceover was recorded in the 90’s (I think) so we got both. Actually, it was so funny and everyone was laughing so much that I think we missed half of it! I wonder if we can persuade Mark to show us again . . . ?
Had my first work morning today. I was one of the team assigned to the kitchen so I had to go a whole day without seeing Henry, woe is me!! (sobs) It was kind of fun hanging out in the kitchen. That dishwasher’s enormous!! The other girls were quite lively and there was a nice atmosphere as we were cleaning. Apparently we get the same duty for two work mornings and then we get moved around. I’m hoping that means that next week, I’ll be on the other side of the kitchen, just for variety’s sake. Oh, when Graih (housekeeper) was giving us the run down on what cleaning supplies to use where, I finally found out what all the old newspapers are used for. Capernwray gets two newspapers everyday and they either go for recycling or on the pile in the cleaning room. They’re used for drying windows once they’ve been washed. They don’t leave any streak marks because the paper absorbs all the water and the only thing you have to watch out for is ink coming off on the frames. And it did work really well!
Naomi (from church) sent me a card on Tuesday which arrived today and put a great big Cheshire cat grin on my face. It’s now clipped into my diary along with the other fun things I’ve had in my pigeonhole. Just to cheer me up should I need it.
This evening we had the Capernwray Story: a history of Capernwray as told by Mark Thomas (MD), Major Ian Thomas (Founder), a very old & dead guy whose name I can’t remember but owned the hall in the 19th century, and his maid. Confused? Good. That was the point.
Mark started the story in 1066 with the Norman Conquest and various areas of land being given to French nobles, one of whom was the guy the Martons were descended from. When it got to the point where Capernwray was bought into the Marton estate, Mark took off his jumper (which generated quite the response from the crowd!), put on a half mask with top hat and a shirt front and jacket. Add the walking stick (which he held upside down), and the picture was hilariously complete! I think he was supposed to be John Marton. Then when he’d finished welcoming us to the hall, he went off because he had some business to attend to, then out came Sue dressed as the maid who’d been in the pantry with Butler Bill!! I think she must have forgotten she was at Bible School because she mentioned that quite a few times. Oh wait, she was at the hall as it was then, so it wasn’t a Bible school. That would explain why she gave us a vocal tour of the house as was.
Then Mark came back in dressed in Major Thomas’ uniform and told Sue off because it was 1946 and she was supposed to be dead! So she promptly ran off to find Butler Bill again. Anyway, then Mark took over and told the story of Capernwray being founded by Major Thomas – well, actually he started with how Major Thomas met Mrs. Thomas (before she was Mrs. Thomas, in case anyone was wondering/being finickety).
The talk ended with an old video that was filmed in the 60’s (I’m guessing this is where some of my readers will start insisting that isn’t old, but in terms of film, yes it is!). It was originally a silent film that was meant to be promotional material for the holidays. But one of the teachers who used to come to Capernwray did a voiceover that completely took the mickey out of it – and it was fairly cheesy in places anyway! The voiceover was recorded in the 90’s (I think) so we got both. Actually, it was so funny and everyone was laughing so much that I think we missed half of it! I wonder if we can persuade Mark to show us again . . . ?
Exciting Day
Thursday 08th October
The Transforming Friendship series finished today. Shame really, I was enjoying it and there are loads more encounters Rob could have done. Mind you, I suppose there’s lots of series that could go on for the whole year. Two sessions before the coffee break, both on the woman of Samaria who was pretty well the complete opposite of Nicodemus but they were both looking for the same things. On the surface, the encounter Jesus has with her appears to be very natural, but because He was working to a divine timetable, it was actually a divine appointment. God wanted her to meet Jesus, even though it seemed like He was just having a breather.
After the break, we had our first visit by ‘missionaries’. Actually, this group came first because they fall into evangelism/outreach/missionary categories so they’d potentially have been a bit confusing in amongst a bunch of missionaries. They were from SWYM – South-West Youth Mission. They do camps, youth work, schools work, all sorts of stuff working with young people in the south west of England and they do training courses to help people get into youth ministry – sort of like Capernwray but with an extra, more specific goal at the end. (Mum, you’d better sit down.) It actually sounded so good and got me so excited, I’ve asked them for more information and I’ve got a lot to pray about now!
The last session of the Transforming Friendship was about the pool of Bethsaida which Rob used to look at healthy and unhealthy Christians – those whose spiritual condition is significantly less than God’s plan for them at their age and stage of Christian life. When Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethsaida, it was with what seemed like a crazy command: he told a paralysed man to pick up his mat and walk. It wasn’t crazy though because “Whenever the Lord tells you to do something that you cannot do, at that moment He creates the ability to respond.” – which frankly is not just thought-provoking but very challenging.
After this we had announcements – where Charity announced that we’re having a CEILIDH ON SATURDAY!!!! – and Sue announced that we needed to find out who our secret sisters were. At this point, the boys were all very confused – until she kicked them out because it was a girl thing. We had to go and collect a name from one of the RA’s as we left the hall. Wouldn’t you know it? I managed to get my own name. Gave it back and I now have a proper secret sister to pray for & encourage anonymously. My secret sister (the one who’s doing it for me) seems to be pretty keen – I had a note in my pigeon hole this afternoon! I don’t have a clue who she is but I’m liking her already.
Oh, curry, naan and rice today followed by jam sponge and custard at lunch; then fish fingers and curly chips for tea. I don’t know what everyone was on about when they said the food here was alright but it wasn’t brilliant. IT’S FAN-FLIPPIN’-TASTIC!!!
This evening was the moment everyone had been dreading: giving testimonies (duh-de-duh!!) Although apparently, it wasn’t everyone who’d been dreading it because three people had volunteered beforehand to give theirs. Then after that, people kept shooting their hands up, so the time disappeared before we knew it and Carolyn (outreach person) didn’t have to put her hand in the bucket once.
Of course, the first thing she did in the next lecture was put her hand in the bucket with great ceremony. She soon pulled it out and everyone groaned at what a rotten joke that was! We were supposed to have our worship/Old Testament reading session, but instead Carolyn gave us a few bits of information about giving testimonies about outreach in general. I think that’s because a team was going on a three-day outreach and they’d given us a demonstration of the drama they were going to use in a school assembly. It was a fun portrayal of Jesus calming the storm with quite an effective trick for getting children to learn how to be quiet on cue – hey, if it worked on us, it’s probably going to work on them!
The Transforming Friendship series finished today. Shame really, I was enjoying it and there are loads more encounters Rob could have done. Mind you, I suppose there’s lots of series that could go on for the whole year. Two sessions before the coffee break, both on the woman of Samaria who was pretty well the complete opposite of Nicodemus but they were both looking for the same things. On the surface, the encounter Jesus has with her appears to be very natural, but because He was working to a divine timetable, it was actually a divine appointment. God wanted her to meet Jesus, even though it seemed like He was just having a breather.
After the break, we had our first visit by ‘missionaries’. Actually, this group came first because they fall into evangelism/outreach/missionary categories so they’d potentially have been a bit confusing in amongst a bunch of missionaries. They were from SWYM – South-West Youth Mission. They do camps, youth work, schools work, all sorts of stuff working with young people in the south west of England and they do training courses to help people get into youth ministry – sort of like Capernwray but with an extra, more specific goal at the end. (Mum, you’d better sit down.) It actually sounded so good and got me so excited, I’ve asked them for more information and I’ve got a lot to pray about now!
The last session of the Transforming Friendship was about the pool of Bethsaida which Rob used to look at healthy and unhealthy Christians – those whose spiritual condition is significantly less than God’s plan for them at their age and stage of Christian life. When Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethsaida, it was with what seemed like a crazy command: he told a paralysed man to pick up his mat and walk. It wasn’t crazy though because “Whenever the Lord tells you to do something that you cannot do, at that moment He creates the ability to respond.” – which frankly is not just thought-provoking but very challenging.
After this we had announcements – where Charity announced that we’re having a CEILIDH ON SATURDAY!!!! – and Sue announced that we needed to find out who our secret sisters were. At this point, the boys were all very confused – until she kicked them out because it was a girl thing. We had to go and collect a name from one of the RA’s as we left the hall. Wouldn’t you know it? I managed to get my own name. Gave it back and I now have a proper secret sister to pray for & encourage anonymously. My secret sister (the one who’s doing it for me) seems to be pretty keen – I had a note in my pigeon hole this afternoon! I don’t have a clue who she is but I’m liking her already.
Oh, curry, naan and rice today followed by jam sponge and custard at lunch; then fish fingers and curly chips for tea. I don’t know what everyone was on about when they said the food here was alright but it wasn’t brilliant. IT’S FAN-FLIPPIN’-TASTIC!!!
This evening was the moment everyone had been dreading: giving testimonies (duh-de-duh!!) Although apparently, it wasn’t everyone who’d been dreading it because three people had volunteered beforehand to give theirs. Then after that, people kept shooting their hands up, so the time disappeared before we knew it and Carolyn (outreach person) didn’t have to put her hand in the bucket once.
Of course, the first thing she did in the next lecture was put her hand in the bucket with great ceremony. She soon pulled it out and everyone groaned at what a rotten joke that was! We were supposed to have our worship/Old Testament reading session, but instead Carolyn gave us a few bits of information about giving testimonies about outreach in general. I think that’s because a team was going on a three-day outreach and they’d given us a demonstration of the drama they were going to use in a school assembly. It was a fun portrayal of Jesus calming the storm with quite an effective trick for getting children to learn how to be quiet on cue – hey, if it worked on us, it’s probably going to work on them!
Sunday, 11 October 2009
Flabbergasting Nobblement
Wednesday 07th October
Mother, be warned: one of the topics for discussion last night in the prep room was: chat up lines.
Was your father a boxer? Because you’re a knock out.
Do you like raisins?
Why do you ask?
Do you fancy a date?
Do you work in a library? Because I’d like to check you out!
In case you hadn’t worked it out, the topic was BAD chat-up lines. So I shared some of the Christian ones that the holiday started with such as “Nice Bible!” “Your bible looks heavy; do you want me to help carry it?” “I didn’t know angels flew this low.” “Excuse me; I think one of your ribs belongs to me.” (for the guys’ usage). It was a very educational holiday this year, by the way!
Family group was fun – not the social night or being invaded (that was a one off) – this time it was an actual family group. Stefan and Hanna, the two staff members who are kind of running it with Mark and his wife. They did the session on trust and started it with that game where you close your eyes, fall back and (hope that) the person behind you catches you. Only with this one, they didn’t just catch you, they pushed you back up and you fell in another direction and the people in the circle caught you. A couple of people ended up falling over, but I think that was owing to over-enthusiastic pushing rather than inability/refusal to catch. Then Hanna brought out a very lovely, very dopey-looking sheep to illustrate the point that we are sheep and we need to/can trust our Shepherd.
After that I got all confused by the lectures. They put the new week’s timetable up on a Saturday and I put everything in my diary so I know where I’m up to. We were supposed to have another Transforming Friendship lecture now that Rob was back from Canada but instead we got ‘Getting the best out of Bible School’ with Ian Ellershaw which we weren’t meant to get until tomorrow. So that confuddlement did very strange things to my poor little vacuum (the one between my ears, not Henry – who’s very well if you were wondering). Aside from some practical bits and pieces which were mostly common sense, Ian took the image of restoring a house and used it to represent our time at Capernwray. Some of us are in the blueprint stage: knowing God’s there, planning life around Jesus but there’s nothing solid, no real foundation. Some are in the falling apart stage: knowing God really well but things have started to deteriorate because we’ve allowed things to take the place of Jesus – He’s started to fade and the worries of the world have taken over. Others are at the ‘rotten inside’ stage where things look OK, but inside lacks reality. Each picture was finished with Ian saying that Jesus is ready to build, restore or refurbish. I thought that was a great way of looking at it, but I was confused again: is it possible to be all three?
Rob was looking at actual encounters with Jesus in his series. Today was Nicodemus. I didn’t realise before, but Rob pointed out that the crowds in the bit before Nicodemus’ visit were following Jesus, but they weren’t really committing to Him, so He didn’t commit to them. Nicodemus wanted unrestricted, uninterrupted one-on-one time with Jesus because He was more serious about wanting to commit to Jesus. Jesus was both sensitive to Nicodemus by using language and illustrations he understood, and straight with him by not pulling any punches.
It was during the first of those last two points that Rob compared God with an old Mac as opposed to an old Amstrad computer. Amstrads (the black screens with the green writing) you effectively had to be a computer programmer to work the things. Macs were simple, easy to understand graphic user interfaces that hid a load of very sophisticated and complex programming. Jesus used language and parables that His audience understood and could relate to and God always talks to people in language they’ll understand. Can’t say I’ve ever heard that illustration before though!
Today was a bit of a weird day outside of lectures. Carolyn nobbled me about what outreaches I’d signed up for, asked if I’d be interested in doing children’s work and the next thing I know, I’ve been assigned an outreach that starts tonight! There’s just two of us helping out at the little church down the road. We’re helping with a youth club that’s aimed at primary school children and it’s run by two girls, one of whom I met last year on the holiday. It was great fun! I got to be a big kid again and do all the songs with the actions and colour in a name badge and play games . . . and I get to do that every week!
The only catch to the outreach is that it cuts into one of our evening lectures, so I missed one half of our last Introduction to the Bible this evening, which meant that when Mark was going on about hermeneutics and stuff like that, I didn’t have a clue what he was on about. Looking forward to playing catch-up! (Groans!)
Other weird thing: I showed Viv (pastoral worker) my stories when we went to hers for tea – well, I gave her a disc with them on that she’s going to look at – and she was very encouraging about me being a writer, giving me lots of practical advice. She also mentioned Sean Callaghan who is doing the optional seminars which I think I’ve already mentioned. She said that he was the person to talk to because he’s much better at that sort of thing than her (she’s had her first book published this year). So at lunch, she and Sean ended up sitting at my table and it wasn’t long before she pointed me out as the one who wanted to be a writer. So Sean was asking me all sorts of questions about my stories, gave me his e-mail address so I could send them to him; and he wanted to know if I’d be interested in going into schools to read them to children if he arranged it? Bit weird. Hugely encouraging. Utterly flabbergasting. (I cannot believe my computer knows that word.)
Mother, be warned: one of the topics for discussion last night in the prep room was: chat up lines.
Was your father a boxer? Because you’re a knock out.
Do you like raisins?
Why do you ask?
Do you fancy a date?
Do you work in a library? Because I’d like to check you out!
In case you hadn’t worked it out, the topic was BAD chat-up lines. So I shared some of the Christian ones that the holiday started with such as “Nice Bible!” “Your bible looks heavy; do you want me to help carry it?” “I didn’t know angels flew this low.” “Excuse me; I think one of your ribs belongs to me.” (for the guys’ usage). It was a very educational holiday this year, by the way!
Family group was fun – not the social night or being invaded (that was a one off) – this time it was an actual family group. Stefan and Hanna, the two staff members who are kind of running it with Mark and his wife. They did the session on trust and started it with that game where you close your eyes, fall back and (hope that) the person behind you catches you. Only with this one, they didn’t just catch you, they pushed you back up and you fell in another direction and the people in the circle caught you. A couple of people ended up falling over, but I think that was owing to over-enthusiastic pushing rather than inability/refusal to catch. Then Hanna brought out a very lovely, very dopey-looking sheep to illustrate the point that we are sheep and we need to/can trust our Shepherd.
After that I got all confused by the lectures. They put the new week’s timetable up on a Saturday and I put everything in my diary so I know where I’m up to. We were supposed to have another Transforming Friendship lecture now that Rob was back from Canada but instead we got ‘Getting the best out of Bible School’ with Ian Ellershaw which we weren’t meant to get until tomorrow. So that confuddlement did very strange things to my poor little vacuum (the one between my ears, not Henry – who’s very well if you were wondering). Aside from some practical bits and pieces which were mostly common sense, Ian took the image of restoring a house and used it to represent our time at Capernwray. Some of us are in the blueprint stage: knowing God’s there, planning life around Jesus but there’s nothing solid, no real foundation. Some are in the falling apart stage: knowing God really well but things have started to deteriorate because we’ve allowed things to take the place of Jesus – He’s started to fade and the worries of the world have taken over. Others are at the ‘rotten inside’ stage where things look OK, but inside lacks reality. Each picture was finished with Ian saying that Jesus is ready to build, restore or refurbish. I thought that was a great way of looking at it, but I was confused again: is it possible to be all three?
Rob was looking at actual encounters with Jesus in his series. Today was Nicodemus. I didn’t realise before, but Rob pointed out that the crowds in the bit before Nicodemus’ visit were following Jesus, but they weren’t really committing to Him, so He didn’t commit to them. Nicodemus wanted unrestricted, uninterrupted one-on-one time with Jesus because He was more serious about wanting to commit to Jesus. Jesus was both sensitive to Nicodemus by using language and illustrations he understood, and straight with him by not pulling any punches.
It was during the first of those last two points that Rob compared God with an old Mac as opposed to an old Amstrad computer. Amstrads (the black screens with the green writing) you effectively had to be a computer programmer to work the things. Macs were simple, easy to understand graphic user interfaces that hid a load of very sophisticated and complex programming. Jesus used language and parables that His audience understood and could relate to and God always talks to people in language they’ll understand. Can’t say I’ve ever heard that illustration before though!
Today was a bit of a weird day outside of lectures. Carolyn nobbled me about what outreaches I’d signed up for, asked if I’d be interested in doing children’s work and the next thing I know, I’ve been assigned an outreach that starts tonight! There’s just two of us helping out at the little church down the road. We’re helping with a youth club that’s aimed at primary school children and it’s run by two girls, one of whom I met last year on the holiday. It was great fun! I got to be a big kid again and do all the songs with the actions and colour in a name badge and play games . . . and I get to do that every week!
The only catch to the outreach is that it cuts into one of our evening lectures, so I missed one half of our last Introduction to the Bible this evening, which meant that when Mark was going on about hermeneutics and stuff like that, I didn’t have a clue what he was on about. Looking forward to playing catch-up! (Groans!)
Other weird thing: I showed Viv (pastoral worker) my stories when we went to hers for tea – well, I gave her a disc with them on that she’s going to look at – and she was very encouraging about me being a writer, giving me lots of practical advice. She also mentioned Sean Callaghan who is doing the optional seminars which I think I’ve already mentioned. She said that he was the person to talk to because he’s much better at that sort of thing than her (she’s had her first book published this year). So at lunch, she and Sean ended up sitting at my table and it wasn’t long before she pointed me out as the one who wanted to be a writer. So Sean was asking me all sorts of questions about my stories, gave me his e-mail address so I could send them to him; and he wanted to know if I’d be interested in going into schools to read them to children if he arranged it? Bit weird. Hugely encouraging. Utterly flabbergasting. (I cannot believe my computer knows that word.)
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Time for Tea
Tuesday 6th October
Curry today!! John is officially jealous because we’re getting it twice this week. Man, it was nice!! And we had naan bread and extremely nice basmati rice. I have a very happy tummy as I’m writing this. Oh! And we get cannelloni for tea, so I’m going to have a very, very happy tummy tonight!!
I’ve noticed that I seem to be using a lot of exclamation marks lately, but what the hey! I’m enjoying myself!!
More walking through the OT, more actions, more craziness. Bought the review cards that Paul brought. There’s one for each book of the Bible with a picture on the front to represent the book and help you remember the key theme of its story, and then there’s blurb on the back to explain the major points. Some of the jokes in the pictures are BAD, but they’re so bad they make me giggle. Also bought a book that will (hopefully) help me understand the Bible more as we have to read it. It’s one of those books that will take you through the Bible in a year, but I’m starting January in October and backdating it to September so date-wise it’s not going to make any sense. Hopefully that’s the only area where it can be said.
Mark’s really making us think in his Introduction to the Bible series! All about the nature and character of God as revealed in the Bible. I’m not surprised we got into the nitty-gritty of theology the other day – he doesn’t half ask for it! He had to cut the second of his sessions short today because he was busy answering people’s questions. It’s very challenging stuff – and not just on an intellectual level.
I am officially gutted.
After the announcements the British Interactive Group had to meet with Bill (Resident Assistant who helped think up the un-auction). It turns out that they’re planning to have a Brit night where we have games and songs and all sorts of very British stuff going on as the evening’s activity. Guess when it is? Friday 16th. When I’ll be in Sicily. I HAVE TO MISS BRITISH NIGHT!!!
OK, that’s a bit disappointing, but I can get people to take pictures and tell me about it – and hope that we do another one in Spring School. Let’s face it: nothing short of the Second Coming would make me miss my brother’s wedding.
John, remind me again why you couldn’t move it up a couple of months? NB I am joking so please don’t take my moaning seriously.
We had cannelloni for tea as I mentioned. My only complaint is that there wasn’t nearly enough to make my tummy completely happy, but I still managed to get seconds so it was alright.
I managed to get started on my reading assignment. It’s a book called ‘Alive in Christ’ by Charles Price who used to be principal here. From what I’ve read so far it’s coming across as a combination of Transforming Friendship and Introduction to the Bible – so a pretty good book thus far. We’ve already had two Raiders of the Lost Ark references and a couple of jokes about his wife. Plus good teaching. I’ll write more when I’ve done my book report and have a more complete clue as to what’s going on.
Have to do my testimonies tomorrow. I think they’re due on Thursday. Still working on managing my time, hence the old last-minute routine. But they are officially on my mental to-do list for tomorrow.
Tea was really nice. Viv and Trevor live about 5 miles away in a lovely cottage. We had tea and scones with jam and cream on and just nattered. Viv led and kept the conversation going but it was just general chatting about each of us and she included everyone. Then Trevor came in and ate the last scone. He’s a funny chappy.
Viv told us that Spring School is vastly different to Winter School. The students tend to be older because working people can take eight weeks off work but not two terms. She also told us when people are likely to start becoming couples, but for the sake of Capernwray’s good name, I won’t dwell on that. Mum, stop panicking!
We had our last two sessions on Walk Through the Old Testament. I can now (supposedly, though it might be a bit sketchy in places) sign my way through the storyline of the Old Testament. The method pulls out 77 events in the timeline and we have actions to prompt a reminder. Paul took us through where everything else fits into the scheme of things as well which was handy – and he even taught us an easy way of remembering when and who each prophet was prophesying to. That method doesn’t include the order they’re in – I’ll have to read them for that.
Paul said something this evening that’s really been striking me in the last few days, though he put it into words tonight: we’re in an unreal position right now. This year we are living in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of people who want to read and talk about the Bible. As I’m writing this, a bunch of guys are talking about Genesis and I’ve heard and even had conversations in this last week and a bit about the Bible with random people who I still don’t know all that well. Next year, most of us won’t be in that position, so make the most out of it while we can.
Something similar struck me this evening: I saw the remnants of a really nice sunset on my way down to the conference hall and remembered the heavens declare the glory of the Lord, so I said thank You to Him for that bit of glory. A few minutes later I realised I’d forgotten a couple of things (typical!) so I went back to my room. On my way, I passed a bunch of people who were just looking at and admiring the sunset. I’m surrounded by like-minded people, roughly my own age for the first time in a long time, only now it’s 24/7.
THANK YOU GOD!!!!!
Curry today!! John is officially jealous because we’re getting it twice this week. Man, it was nice!! And we had naan bread and extremely nice basmati rice. I have a very happy tummy as I’m writing this. Oh! And we get cannelloni for tea, so I’m going to have a very, very happy tummy tonight!!
I’ve noticed that I seem to be using a lot of exclamation marks lately, but what the hey! I’m enjoying myself!!
More walking through the OT, more actions, more craziness. Bought the review cards that Paul brought. There’s one for each book of the Bible with a picture on the front to represent the book and help you remember the key theme of its story, and then there’s blurb on the back to explain the major points. Some of the jokes in the pictures are BAD, but they’re so bad they make me giggle. Also bought a book that will (hopefully) help me understand the Bible more as we have to read it. It’s one of those books that will take you through the Bible in a year, but I’m starting January in October and backdating it to September so date-wise it’s not going to make any sense. Hopefully that’s the only area where it can be said.
Mark’s really making us think in his Introduction to the Bible series! All about the nature and character of God as revealed in the Bible. I’m not surprised we got into the nitty-gritty of theology the other day – he doesn’t half ask for it! He had to cut the second of his sessions short today because he was busy answering people’s questions. It’s very challenging stuff – and not just on an intellectual level.
I am officially gutted.
After the announcements the British Interactive Group had to meet with Bill (Resident Assistant who helped think up the un-auction). It turns out that they’re planning to have a Brit night where we have games and songs and all sorts of very British stuff going on as the evening’s activity. Guess when it is? Friday 16th. When I’ll be in Sicily. I HAVE TO MISS BRITISH NIGHT!!!
OK, that’s a bit disappointing, but I can get people to take pictures and tell me about it – and hope that we do another one in Spring School. Let’s face it: nothing short of the Second Coming would make me miss my brother’s wedding.
John, remind me again why you couldn’t move it up a couple of months? NB I am joking so please don’t take my moaning seriously.
We had cannelloni for tea as I mentioned. My only complaint is that there wasn’t nearly enough to make my tummy completely happy, but I still managed to get seconds so it was alright.
I managed to get started on my reading assignment. It’s a book called ‘Alive in Christ’ by Charles Price who used to be principal here. From what I’ve read so far it’s coming across as a combination of Transforming Friendship and Introduction to the Bible – so a pretty good book thus far. We’ve already had two Raiders of the Lost Ark references and a couple of jokes about his wife. Plus good teaching. I’ll write more when I’ve done my book report and have a more complete clue as to what’s going on.
Have to do my testimonies tomorrow. I think they’re due on Thursday. Still working on managing my time, hence the old last-minute routine. But they are officially on my mental to-do list for tomorrow.
Tea was really nice. Viv and Trevor live about 5 miles away in a lovely cottage. We had tea and scones with jam and cream on and just nattered. Viv led and kept the conversation going but it was just general chatting about each of us and she included everyone. Then Trevor came in and ate the last scone. He’s a funny chappy.
Viv told us that Spring School is vastly different to Winter School. The students tend to be older because working people can take eight weeks off work but not two terms. She also told us when people are likely to start becoming couples, but for the sake of Capernwray’s good name, I won’t dwell on that. Mum, stop panicking!
We had our last two sessions on Walk Through the Old Testament. I can now (supposedly, though it might be a bit sketchy in places) sign my way through the storyline of the Old Testament. The method pulls out 77 events in the timeline and we have actions to prompt a reminder. Paul took us through where everything else fits into the scheme of things as well which was handy – and he even taught us an easy way of remembering when and who each prophet was prophesying to. That method doesn’t include the order they’re in – I’ll have to read them for that.
Paul said something this evening that’s really been striking me in the last few days, though he put it into words tonight: we’re in an unreal position right now. This year we are living in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of people who want to read and talk about the Bible. As I’m writing this, a bunch of guys are talking about Genesis and I’ve heard and even had conversations in this last week and a bit about the Bible with random people who I still don’t know all that well. Next year, most of us won’t be in that position, so make the most out of it while we can.
Something similar struck me this evening: I saw the remnants of a really nice sunset on my way down to the conference hall and remembered the heavens declare the glory of the Lord, so I said thank You to Him for that bit of glory. A few minutes later I realised I’d forgotten a couple of things (typical!) so I went back to my room. On my way, I passed a bunch of people who were just looking at and admiring the sunset. I’m surrounded by like-minded people, roughly my own age for the first time in a long time, only now it’s 24/7.
THANK YOU GOD!!!!!
More Craziness
Monday 5th October
Breakfast at 7:30. Alarm went off at 7. Snooze went off at 7:05 Dragged myself out of bed at 7:28. Had to wake up most of the room as well. It was good fun last night, but yet again, we’ve decided we REALLY need to go to bed earlier.
Not too tired, but I think it is going to be a struggle to stay awake through some lectures.
Speaking of lectures: we had two on a walk through the Old Testament. It’s basically an overview of the OT, looking at some of the major characters and events so that we can see how everything fits together chronologically, geographically, contextually etc. The general message at the beginning was: you don’t have to write anything. Which actually turned out to be pretty accurate! OK, I took some notes and Paul took the mickey out of the folks who were, but never mind! He’s teaching us words and actions to remember the major points in the Bible. In two 45 minute sessions, we managed to get through an introduction, Genesis and up to the ten plagues in Exodus. Not bad going, eh?
Oh, there was an announcement that since we’d done swing dancing, they were going to teach us Klassikal (sic) ballet, one which had been choreographed by Marco Tomass (Capernwray MD). This announcement was delivered by Trevor Patterson (pastoral worker) whilst wearing one of those inflatable sumo suits, a pink paper tutu with gold skirt and a crown complete with wig. The Irish really do have a fantastic sense of humour!!
Went with Liesbeth up the tower because we finally managed to get the key on a day when that mythical glowing orb that freaks me out was in the sky. The views were as wonderful as I remember. Checked the post and I’ve been invited out to afternoon tea tomorrow at Viv Patterson’s – she’s one of the two pastoral workers. She’s having all the girls and age groups round at some point or other, but it should be fun. She was very encouraging after I stood up on the first Sunday and said I wanted to be a writer, so I’m looking forward to that.
We had a taster session by an(other!) Irishman called Sean . . . didn’t quite catch his surname. He’s doing an optional series of lectures on Christianity in relation to other religions or something like that. They’re optional but after next week we need to decide whether or not to commit to them. Based on the taster session – which was called “There’s a Jedi in our spare room” – I think I’ll probably be committing to the series.
The day finished with two more lectures on the Old Testament. We finished at the end of the Book of Ruth but that was actually pretty frustrating because the action for Ruth also includes another character which Paul is going to tell us about tomorrow; so each time we ran through the actions, we’d all be very enthusiastic but then we’d get to Ruth and come up short. Still, it’s an incentive to go back tomorrow, I suppose!
Managed to get a reasonably early night – I think the trick is to turn the light off. That’s a pretty good hint to anyone coming in what time it is! May have to try it in future but we’ll see how we go. Holly managed to get locked in the castle again! She keeps phoning home but staying there past lock-up so she has to hunt around trying to find either someone or a door that hasn’t been done yet. I am so glad I’m in the same time zone as the peeps I phone.
Breakfast at 7:30. Alarm went off at 7. Snooze went off at 7:05 Dragged myself out of bed at 7:28. Had to wake up most of the room as well. It was good fun last night, but yet again, we’ve decided we REALLY need to go to bed earlier.
Not too tired, but I think it is going to be a struggle to stay awake through some lectures.
Speaking of lectures: we had two on a walk through the Old Testament. It’s basically an overview of the OT, looking at some of the major characters and events so that we can see how everything fits together chronologically, geographically, contextually etc. The general message at the beginning was: you don’t have to write anything. Which actually turned out to be pretty accurate! OK, I took some notes and Paul took the mickey out of the folks who were, but never mind! He’s teaching us words and actions to remember the major points in the Bible. In two 45 minute sessions, we managed to get through an introduction, Genesis and up to the ten plagues in Exodus. Not bad going, eh?
Oh, there was an announcement that since we’d done swing dancing, they were going to teach us Klassikal (sic) ballet, one which had been choreographed by Marco Tomass (Capernwray MD). This announcement was delivered by Trevor Patterson (pastoral worker) whilst wearing one of those inflatable sumo suits, a pink paper tutu with gold skirt and a crown complete with wig. The Irish really do have a fantastic sense of humour!!
Went with Liesbeth up the tower because we finally managed to get the key on a day when that mythical glowing orb that freaks me out was in the sky. The views were as wonderful as I remember. Checked the post and I’ve been invited out to afternoon tea tomorrow at Viv Patterson’s – she’s one of the two pastoral workers. She’s having all the girls and age groups round at some point or other, but it should be fun. She was very encouraging after I stood up on the first Sunday and said I wanted to be a writer, so I’m looking forward to that.
We had a taster session by an(other!) Irishman called Sean . . . didn’t quite catch his surname. He’s doing an optional series of lectures on Christianity in relation to other religions or something like that. They’re optional but after next week we need to decide whether or not to commit to them. Based on the taster session – which was called “There’s a Jedi in our spare room” – I think I’ll probably be committing to the series.
The day finished with two more lectures on the Old Testament. We finished at the end of the Book of Ruth but that was actually pretty frustrating because the action for Ruth also includes another character which Paul is going to tell us about tomorrow; so each time we ran through the actions, we’d all be very enthusiastic but then we’d get to Ruth and come up short. Still, it’s an incentive to go back tomorrow, I suppose!
Managed to get a reasonably early night – I think the trick is to turn the light off. That’s a pretty good hint to anyone coming in what time it is! May have to try it in future but we’ll see how we go. Holly managed to get locked in the castle again! She keeps phoning home but staying there past lock-up so she has to hunt around trying to find either someone or a door that hasn’t been done yet. I am so glad I’m in the same time zone as the peeps I phone.
Forgiveness Again
Sunday 4th October
Wow, there’s nothing like a roast on Sunday!! Suffice to say the food has been up to its usual wonderful standards – thanks Ellen!
Anyway, church was interesting – Ian (Dead of Students) was speaking and he managed to give a talk that I heard last month on the 18-30’s holiday. But it was about forgiveness; it was a good talk then and thankfully nothing has changed.
I especially like the story from Brazil about a young girl who ran away from her shanty town home with dreams of a better life. Her mother, knowing what life on the streets could be like for a pretty, lonely girl went after her. Before she went, she took all her money and went to the drug store and took as many pictures of herself as she could afford. When she got to Rio de Janeiro, she put a picture in every nightclub, bar & hotel that she could find. Eventually the pictures and the money ran out and weeping, the mother had to return home and wait and pray.
One day, the young girl was walking down the stairs of a hotel, her eyes dulled, her face older and wishing that she could go back to the safe, secure pallet she used to sleep on when she saw a familiar face out of the corner of her eye. Going over to the picture of her mother, she took it down and looked on the back where her mother had written: ‘Whatever you have done, whatever you have become; it doesn’t matter. Please come home.’ And that’s the forgiveness God offers us through the cross.
After lunch, two of the American students from Jordan (missionary kids growing up in Jordan) offered Swing dancing lessons, and of course, I went along. I did a little bit of swing dancing because one of the guys at the ceilidh asked me if I wanted to and he gave me a tiny crash course. This was a proper lesson though – well, as proper as you could have in the sports hall with that many people! It definitely helps if you’ve got a partner who knows what they’re doing because it does wonders for your technique. I asked Mary Ann and she said that they’re going to be doing it again next Sunday. So I’m loving this!!
Spent the rest of the afternoon trying to download the video for my interactive group. And it finally worked!! Then I caught up on my Bible reading. I am now officially up to date! (At least until tomorrowJ)
Evening service: one girl gave her testimony and it was an incredible picture of trusting God. I won’t write it because it’s her story and I don’t know that I could do it justice. Then we had a sermon from Paul Keeys who’s doing the Walks Through the Old & New Testaments (we’re getting the OT one on Monday & Tuesday). His sermon was about the Christian’s number one priority which is to love God, which Jesus said was the greatest commandment. I never realised this before, but the first 5 of the Ten Commandments are about loving God and the next 5 are about loving everyone else. Paul commented that as churches, we tend to get those the wrong way round; having loving others as our priority before loving God. But if we love God and show our love for God in all that we do, then we can basically do what we want because if we have a love for God at the heart of all we do, how can we go wrong? NB The message was not: you can do what you want.
Had a good natter over hot chocolate about films and food with Brooke (Australian roommate). Stayed up too late again trying to learn Dutch and being laughed at then getting even by teaching the Dutch girls some very colloquial English. It’s all good fun!
Wow, there’s nothing like a roast on Sunday!! Suffice to say the food has been up to its usual wonderful standards – thanks Ellen!
Anyway, church was interesting – Ian (Dead of Students) was speaking and he managed to give a talk that I heard last month on the 18-30’s holiday. But it was about forgiveness; it was a good talk then and thankfully nothing has changed.
I especially like the story from Brazil about a young girl who ran away from her shanty town home with dreams of a better life. Her mother, knowing what life on the streets could be like for a pretty, lonely girl went after her. Before she went, she took all her money and went to the drug store and took as many pictures of herself as she could afford. When she got to Rio de Janeiro, she put a picture in every nightclub, bar & hotel that she could find. Eventually the pictures and the money ran out and weeping, the mother had to return home and wait and pray.
One day, the young girl was walking down the stairs of a hotel, her eyes dulled, her face older and wishing that she could go back to the safe, secure pallet she used to sleep on when she saw a familiar face out of the corner of her eye. Going over to the picture of her mother, she took it down and looked on the back where her mother had written: ‘Whatever you have done, whatever you have become; it doesn’t matter. Please come home.’ And that’s the forgiveness God offers us through the cross.
After lunch, two of the American students from Jordan (missionary kids growing up in Jordan) offered Swing dancing lessons, and of course, I went along. I did a little bit of swing dancing because one of the guys at the ceilidh asked me if I wanted to and he gave me a tiny crash course. This was a proper lesson though – well, as proper as you could have in the sports hall with that many people! It definitely helps if you’ve got a partner who knows what they’re doing because it does wonders for your technique. I asked Mary Ann and she said that they’re going to be doing it again next Sunday. So I’m loving this!!
Spent the rest of the afternoon trying to download the video for my interactive group. And it finally worked!! Then I caught up on my Bible reading. I am now officially up to date! (At least until tomorrowJ)
Evening service: one girl gave her testimony and it was an incredible picture of trusting God. I won’t write it because it’s her story and I don’t know that I could do it justice. Then we had a sermon from Paul Keeys who’s doing the Walks Through the Old & New Testaments (we’re getting the OT one on Monday & Tuesday). His sermon was about the Christian’s number one priority which is to love God, which Jesus said was the greatest commandment. I never realised this before, but the first 5 of the Ten Commandments are about loving God and the next 5 are about loving everyone else. Paul commented that as churches, we tend to get those the wrong way round; having loving others as our priority before loving God. But if we love God and show our love for God in all that we do, then we can basically do what we want because if we have a love for God at the heart of all we do, how can we go wrong? NB The message was not: you can do what you want.
Had a good natter over hot chocolate about films and food with Brooke (Australian roommate). Stayed up too late again trying to learn Dutch and being laughed at then getting even by teaching the Dutch girls some very colloquial English. It’s all good fun!
Sunday, 4 October 2009
Craziness
Saturday 3rd October
OK, before I get started on what happened today, I’d better wrap up Friday. The weekend starts after lunch on Friday. There is something in the evening which I think we have to go to, but it isn’t long and it isn’t a lecture-type-thingy (to use the technical term). This week it was Family Night, where we met with our family groups and just did crazy stuff.
My family group started with each person showing pictures of their family and talking about them. Some people had actual photos, a few of us had laptops and for those who forgot/didn’t have any, paper was provided and they drew their pictures – which provided a few giggles. Then came the games. The first one was ‘Who am I?’ which is where you have a name stuck on your back and you have to ask yes/no questions to figure out who you are. It was either Bible characters, people who helped put the Bible together like Luther and Guttenberg, or Bible School people. I was Rob Whittaker – not quite the boss! Some of them were pretty tough but we did alright (even if I did help a bit with some good-natured cheating!)
Then it was the Yes/No game where you aren’t allowed to say Yes or No. Amazingly, I ended up with the most number of peas at the end. I think it helped that I sat in my chair and caught people out more rather than trying to strike up too many conversations.
After that . . . I’m not sure what this one was called, so I’ll call it ‘La-di-da’. We were in a circle on the floor with a Jenga piece in front of us and we had to sing (although thankfully we just said) the song: La-di-da, la-di-da, la-di-da-di-da-di-da. On the two la-di-da’s, we picked up the block in front of us and put it down in front of the person next to us, let go then started again with the new block. On the long one, you moved the block on, then back, then on, then back, only letting go on the last ‘di-da’. It took a few go’s before everyone got the hang of it, and the song kept getting faster! It probably sounds more complicated than it is, but it’s great fun – and you really have to concentrate. I was out pretty early on the first time round, but then I got to the last six or so.
Then we played the clapping game where you’re still a circle, hands on the floor but crossed with the person next to you, so you have someone else’s hands directly in front of you. You smack your hand on the ground but the hands have to go in order and you change direction with a double clap. It’s so easy to get out on that one because if you lift a finger out of turn then you’re out!
After this one, the few who knew introduced everyone else to the wonderful world of Chicken Goggles. When I was on holiday a table of people randomly started playing this at dinner one time and I wondered why they were making ninja chicken noises. Again, in a circle. The game starts by everyone holding their hands out in front of them, shaking them and saying with lots of exaggerated enthusiasm ‘Chicken . . . goggles . . . up!’ then you put your hands on your eyes like goggles. Whoever starts pulls on hand away from their eye then back whilst making a chicken noise. If it’s left, it goes left. If it’s right, it goes right. Both goggles skips the next person and you can change direction any time. The chicken noises were hilarious!! Especially the European ones. You do have to concentrate on that game but everyone’s laughing so I think it’s more fun.
After that, we had some food and just nattered. We were going to have smores on the fire, but everyone filled up on Doritos and Penguins, so we’re saving that for another night.
It was great just to hang out with people, do silly things but to be in someone’s home. The girls in my room really seemed to feel that. I don’t mind so much because with having been here before, this place does feel like home to me. But their feelings towards it mean that we’re going to have to travel home one weekend. That should be fun!!
Back to Saturday . . .
It was the trip to Grasmere and walk to Ambleside today. This is the walk that wasn’t a walk anymore but people could do it if they wanted to anyway. Oh! We had a full English for brunch, as well as cereal and fruit options. Cracking way to start any day!! The only thing missing from the breakfast was beans (and bigger plates!) If we’d had beans, it really would have been a full English. It was fantastic anyway though. At breakfast we had an absolutely torrential shower. The rain was coming down at a really flat angle and it was so heavy! One girl (who obviously isn’t used to English weather) stood outside for a few seconds and managed to get completely soaked.
Fortunately the weather cleared up and with the exception of a few showers was actually quite nice. And sunny! It always strikes as a little odd when that big shiny orb thingy in the sky appears and starts blinding and frying me, but in moderation it is rather pleasant. (English humour there in case anyone wonders what I’m on about) Grasmere was a nice little village, a few craft and souvenir shops that reminded me of Hebden Bridge. There was a gingerbread shop that smelled absolutely wonderful and they make it fresh every day. The shop itself was tiny but they had a lot of stuff in there and the girls were wearing caps and aprons like Victorian maids which was lovely. Holly (Canadian roommate) and I wandered towards the lake a bit and got some great pictures.
OK, before I get started on what happened today, I’d better wrap up Friday. The weekend starts after lunch on Friday. There is something in the evening which I think we have to go to, but it isn’t long and it isn’t a lecture-type-thingy (to use the technical term). This week it was Family Night, where we met with our family groups and just did crazy stuff.
My family group started with each person showing pictures of their family and talking about them. Some people had actual photos, a few of us had laptops and for those who forgot/didn’t have any, paper was provided and they drew their pictures – which provided a few giggles. Then came the games. The first one was ‘Who am I?’ which is where you have a name stuck on your back and you have to ask yes/no questions to figure out who you are. It was either Bible characters, people who helped put the Bible together like Luther and Guttenberg, or Bible School people. I was Rob Whittaker – not quite the boss! Some of them were pretty tough but we did alright (even if I did help a bit with some good-natured cheating!)
Then it was the Yes/No game where you aren’t allowed to say Yes or No. Amazingly, I ended up with the most number of peas at the end. I think it helped that I sat in my chair and caught people out more rather than trying to strike up too many conversations.
After that . . . I’m not sure what this one was called, so I’ll call it ‘La-di-da’. We were in a circle on the floor with a Jenga piece in front of us and we had to sing (although thankfully we just said) the song: La-di-da, la-di-da, la-di-da-di-da-di-da. On the two la-di-da’s, we picked up the block in front of us and put it down in front of the person next to us, let go then started again with the new block. On the long one, you moved the block on, then back, then on, then back, only letting go on the last ‘di-da’. It took a few go’s before everyone got the hang of it, and the song kept getting faster! It probably sounds more complicated than it is, but it’s great fun – and you really have to concentrate. I was out pretty early on the first time round, but then I got to the last six or so.
Then we played the clapping game where you’re still a circle, hands on the floor but crossed with the person next to you, so you have someone else’s hands directly in front of you. You smack your hand on the ground but the hands have to go in order and you change direction with a double clap. It’s so easy to get out on that one because if you lift a finger out of turn then you’re out!
After this one, the few who knew introduced everyone else to the wonderful world of Chicken Goggles. When I was on holiday a table of people randomly started playing this at dinner one time and I wondered why they were making ninja chicken noises. Again, in a circle. The game starts by everyone holding their hands out in front of them, shaking them and saying with lots of exaggerated enthusiasm ‘Chicken . . . goggles . . . up!’ then you put your hands on your eyes like goggles. Whoever starts pulls on hand away from their eye then back whilst making a chicken noise. If it’s left, it goes left. If it’s right, it goes right. Both goggles skips the next person and you can change direction any time. The chicken noises were hilarious!! Especially the European ones. You do have to concentrate on that game but everyone’s laughing so I think it’s more fun.
After that, we had some food and just nattered. We were going to have smores on the fire, but everyone filled up on Doritos and Penguins, so we’re saving that for another night.
It was great just to hang out with people, do silly things but to be in someone’s home. The girls in my room really seemed to feel that. I don’t mind so much because with having been here before, this place does feel like home to me. But their feelings towards it mean that we’re going to have to travel home one weekend. That should be fun!!
Back to Saturday . . .
It was the trip to Grasmere and walk to Ambleside today. This is the walk that wasn’t a walk anymore but people could do it if they wanted to anyway. Oh! We had a full English for brunch, as well as cereal and fruit options. Cracking way to start any day!! The only thing missing from the breakfast was beans (and bigger plates!) If we’d had beans, it really would have been a full English. It was fantastic anyway though. At breakfast we had an absolutely torrential shower. The rain was coming down at a really flat angle and it was so heavy! One girl (who obviously isn’t used to English weather) stood outside for a few seconds and managed to get completely soaked.
Fortunately the weather cleared up and with the exception of a few showers was actually quite nice. And sunny! It always strikes as a little odd when that big shiny orb thingy in the sky appears and starts blinding and frying me, but in moderation it is rather pleasant. (English humour there in case anyone wonders what I’m on about) Grasmere was a nice little village, a few craft and souvenir shops that reminded me of Hebden Bridge. There was a gingerbread shop that smelled absolutely wonderful and they make it fresh every day. The shop itself was tiny but they had a lot of stuff in there and the girls were wearing caps and aprons like Victorian maids which was lovely. Holly (Canadian roommate) and I wandered towards the lake a bit and got some great pictures.
Then we got on the coach and drove to Ambleside. Don’t think we managed to get anywhere near the lake (Windermere, if anyone’s wondering), but the chocolate shop made up for that. I was a bit naughty and bought some cinder toffee – but mainly because I’m trying to broaden everyone’s horizons and introduce them to English culture. The fact that I’ve eaten more than anyone is entirely beside the point! Holly needed walking boots so we spent a while trying to find some, but it was alright because I knew English shops and prices, so it was nice to be a help. I think we after that we just saw the more interesting shops then went and had tea in a cute café called The Apple Pie and legged it back to the coach. It was more sightseeing than anything, but the country on the way there and back was incredible. All the non-English students were taking blurry pictures from the coach, but I think they’ll be gorgeous in spite of that.
This evening, we had the ‘Un-Auction’. I found out after the fact that Bill had thought this up with Dougie’s help – Dougie being the chap who came up with ‘The Great Adventure’ that we did on the 18-30’s holiday. NB That involved running around all evening with a mouthful of Skittles that couldn’t be swallowed, running up the tower, me jumping in the swimming pool fully clothed, doing odd things with catapults etc. You have been warned! In an un-auction, you have to bid either down if it’s a timed event or up if it’s more of a counting event and whichever team put in the lowest or highest respectively then had to complete the challenge. If they did it, they got the points, if they didn’t meet their bid, everyone else got points. Simple right? That’s before you find out what the events were.
First event was a team one – no bidding, just whoever’s quickest. We had to get a toilet roll off the roll and onto a team member without tearing it. My team (I think this may have been my fault) tried putting it on a girl like a mummy, but I think the winning teams just pulled it off the roll and piled it on a team member. Which actually makes a lot more sense. Then came the first bidding event: who can down a bottle of coke quickest. The winning team bid 12 seconds and Ben from Virginia managed to do it in 7. He got bonus points for that.
Team event again: who can build a human pyramid quickest. My team didn’t get close to getting one built. Poor Woody (Steven Wood) managed to end up with someone on his back for the second night in a row! His family group did a scavenger hunt and one of the items on their list was a photo of another family group which they had to be in as well; the crazier the photo, the more points they got. Mark Thomas promptly got down on all fours, everyone arranged themselves and Woody was on all fours with a lad standing on his back surfing! Craziness!
The next one was an individual event again. One which would have made me nauseous – I think everyone else on the team concurred because I don’t remember us putting a bid in on this one. Actually, I think my team was far too sensible because we didn’t really put in many bids, we definitely didn’t win individual events and yet we still managed to come third. Not quite sure how that happened. Anyway, back to event number four: making a cup of coffee. In your mouth. The two winning bids had to go head to head. Each person had four cups: one with instant coffee, one with sugar and one with milk. They had to put the sugar in their mouth, and then the milk, then the coffee, swish it round, spit it into the empty cup, and then drink it. Only when their mouth was empty were they finished.
Team event: everyone had to do 10 press-ups then sit back on their chair. I think my team one that one, amazingly. Next individual event was another head to head, although not simultaneous. Each person had a bowl of Tesco’s own brand custard – no expense spared, as Bill said – into which were put five sweets. Using nothing but their mouth, they had to get the sweets out of the bowl and into the washing up tub in whatever time had been bid. And yes, it did look as gross as it sounds – and I like custard!
Team event: everyone had to take their shoes off and put them in the middle of the conference hall, then get them back, put them on and sit back down. Technical hitch: they turned the lights off once all shoes were in the middle. That was truly demented.
Next team event was a lap of the rose garden just outside the conference hall then back into seats. After this, the scores were announced and there was a tie. Cue for the ‘famous Un-Auction Medley!’
The two leading teams had to do this simultaneously and whoever did it first won. First, a team member had to eat a clove of garlic – which stank out the conference hall – then when their mouth was empty, the next person started. They had hold of a broom and they had to do ten circles on the broom. Once they were suitably dizzy, they had to crawl between the legs of the rest of the team and tag the runner. The runner – along with someone carrying two jugs of water – had to do a lap of the rose garden then drink the jugs of water between them. At least one team – and I think it was the winning team! – tipped half the water away. The runner then had to come to the front of the conference hall and eat three (?) dry crackers then blow up a balloon until it burst. When the balloon burst, it was over.
I headed to bed not long after all that. A bunch of people were playing music in the courtyard and dancing. It was funny when Thriller came on – they didn’t seem to know more than a couple of moves of the dance! – because they realised that there was someone in the window watching so we were ‘serenaded’ with a spot of dancing. Again I say, craziness.
Some of the younger ones (wow, I feel old!) seem to have way too much energy. It makes me wonder if they’re going to crash and burn at some point, but they’re still going strong!
I must say though, it is nice being in a room of girls who understand the value of sleep!
Friday, 2 October 2009
First Friday
Friday 2nd October
You’ll probably have noticed all these posts are coming on the same day, and I’m afraid I wrote them with hindsight, so there’s not all that many anecdotes.
Liesbeth (the other Dutch girl in my room) has been smuggling food back to our room from the dining hall after meals. Apparently it was for a rainy day. I told her yesterday that she wouldn’t have long to wait for one of those and today I was proved right. Now it really does feel like home!
Friday’s a bit of a funny day. No duties if you have one in the morning (I hope Henry doesn’t get to sad about not seeing me!) because it’s work morning and seminars. Half the students are on the work mornings where everything in the hall gets a thorough clean. The other half have a seminar and then next week, we swap. I had the seminar today and it was about worship. It was about what worship is, what we should get out of it and what we should gain if we worship together. Then we spent time looking at how to plan a service and what should be in one because at some point or other, we’ll have to plan and do exactly that.
CHIPPY FRIDAY!!
Three guesses what we had for lunch. Although being the only Brit on the table, I was the only one who understood the concept of a chip butty, although on of the German girls was very happy to educated in this most important of culinary arts.
Turns out the walk from Grasmere is now no longer a walk because the forecast for tomorrow is reasonably ropey/terrible. So we’re driving to Grasmere, spending time there then driving to Ambleside and spending the rest of the afternoon there. We still get plenty of fresh air, and the exercise will be much more relaxed (with not quite so much worry of getting lost or separated!)
I’m currently having my last attempt at downloading the video for my interactive group and then next week I’m going to try and organise my time better. I have Italian to learn, Bible reading to do, memory verses to learn, notes to write up and all during the week so I can (hopefully) go on the outings on Saturdays and do writing on Sundays.
Oh! Just remembered. Apparently we’re having something called an ‘Un-Auction’ on Saturday. I have no idea what that is but Ian (dean of students) and Bill (resident assistant) say it will be loads of fun, so it should be interesting. When they were telling us about the activities they’ve got planned for Saturday nights, Scottish dancing was mentioned – at which point they had my full and undivided attention – so I am now a very happy bunny who is waiting with (not much) patience.
Family groups tonight. No idea what we’re doing, but Mark said to bring family photos along. Mark Thomas, by the way – the MD who said we didn’t need Bibles during an Introduction to the Bible lecture!! Oh, this is the same man who refers to our collective mumbled answers to his questions in class as ‘speaking in tongues’. There’s some fantastic characters here!!
You’ll probably have noticed all these posts are coming on the same day, and I’m afraid I wrote them with hindsight, so there’s not all that many anecdotes.
Liesbeth (the other Dutch girl in my room) has been smuggling food back to our room from the dining hall after meals. Apparently it was for a rainy day. I told her yesterday that she wouldn’t have long to wait for one of those and today I was proved right. Now it really does feel like home!
Friday’s a bit of a funny day. No duties if you have one in the morning (I hope Henry doesn’t get to sad about not seeing me!) because it’s work morning and seminars. Half the students are on the work mornings where everything in the hall gets a thorough clean. The other half have a seminar and then next week, we swap. I had the seminar today and it was about worship. It was about what worship is, what we should get out of it and what we should gain if we worship together. Then we spent time looking at how to plan a service and what should be in one because at some point or other, we’ll have to plan and do exactly that.
CHIPPY FRIDAY!!
Three guesses what we had for lunch. Although being the only Brit on the table, I was the only one who understood the concept of a chip butty, although on of the German girls was very happy to educated in this most important of culinary arts.
Turns out the walk from Grasmere is now no longer a walk because the forecast for tomorrow is reasonably ropey/terrible. So we’re driving to Grasmere, spending time there then driving to Ambleside and spending the rest of the afternoon there. We still get plenty of fresh air, and the exercise will be much more relaxed (with not quite so much worry of getting lost or separated!)
I’m currently having my last attempt at downloading the video for my interactive group and then next week I’m going to try and organise my time better. I have Italian to learn, Bible reading to do, memory verses to learn, notes to write up and all during the week so I can (hopefully) go on the outings on Saturdays and do writing on Sundays.
Oh! Just remembered. Apparently we’re having something called an ‘Un-Auction’ on Saturday. I have no idea what that is but Ian (dean of students) and Bill (resident assistant) say it will be loads of fun, so it should be interesting. When they were telling us about the activities they’ve got planned for Saturday nights, Scottish dancing was mentioned – at which point they had my full and undivided attention – so I am now a very happy bunny who is waiting with (not much) patience.
Family groups tonight. No idea what we’re doing, but Mark said to bring family photos along. Mark Thomas, by the way – the MD who said we didn’t need Bibles during an Introduction to the Bible lecture!! Oh, this is the same man who refers to our collective mumbled answers to his questions in class as ‘speaking in tongues’. There’s some fantastic characters here!!
1st Homework
Thursday 1st October
Even moooooooore tired!!
Stayed up talking till roughly the same time again last night! We have resolved to go to sleep earlier. But it’s still good fun.
I got the whole lounge cleaned!! Started as soon as I finished breakfast, so hardly anyone was in the lounge and I didn’t have to wait for Henry. He was a very happy hoover when I finished! And just to make my Mum faint again: I quite enjoyed it today.
We had another session on outreach, all about testimonies. I didn’t realise, but testimonies are very powerful because my testimony is my story. It belongs to me and no one can refute it, which is important because we live in an age where truth is not absolute: what is true for one person may not be considered truth by someone else. Apparently it’s called post-modernism. I could think of a few other words for it, but a) they wouldn’t be allowed on the Capernwray network b) they’d probably result in my blog being taken down c) they’d do nothing for my witness and d) . . . Mum, I’ll let you fill in that particular blank. It was a really practical session – and one that would be helpful for anyone on UBM, OAM or any other outreach missions you can think of. If you want my notes (not typed up at time of writing, but will be soon), let me know!
Downside: we have homework already!! Or castle-work or whatever it’s called here. We get to prepare our testimony, but with different timeframes to work with. Great fun!
Our final session on prayer was about how to pray, as a follow on from the Lord’s Prayer session. If a prayer life becomes stale, Psalms are good for restoring that, because the start with adoration, have a confessional element then thanksgiving and finish with a supplication and more praise. Or at the very least, they contain adoration. The ACTS pattern is the pattern the Lord’s Prayer follows, and it’s what should be in our prayers for a healthy prayer life. Not sure how to summarise that without blogging all my notes.
One of our sessions today, the men went to the lounge and had a session and us girls had a session in the conference hall. For the sake of any men who might read this, I won’t write everything that was said. It was practical information, a caution not to flirt but to develop healthy relationships and then something called Secret Sisters. I have never heard of Secret Sisters before, but it sounds like such a good idea. All the girls are going to get a name on a piece of paper on Monday and that girl will be our secret sister. Each week, at least, we pray for them, try to encourage them whether with a note on their desk or in the pigeon hole, or maybe even a gift. Then at Christmas, we’re going to have a grand unveiling and find out who our secret sister was. It’s all meant to be anonymous, so we DON’T sign anything!!
The rest of the sessions were Introduction to the Bible again where we were looking at why we should read and study the Bible, why we can believe and what will help us understand the Bible and about the Persons of Christ and the Holy Spirit (which came under why we can believe etc.). Somewhere in all there – whilst talking about the Person of Christ – Mark (MD of Capernwray) through in a question for instance, as he likes to do, and then ended up in a twenty minute question and answer session on heaven and hell. The session overran, Mark got more than he bargained for, but it was really good. My attitude to things like that tends to be that if I don’t understand it, I know what I believe and God understands it. But when the questions start, I do love getting answers, so it was a great time.
There was a bonfire last night. I didn’t go though because I had some sleep to catch up on. Not everyone went to it anyway. It was sooooo nice to sleep! Roll on Saturday and my lie-in!
Even moooooooore tired!!
Stayed up talking till roughly the same time again last night! We have resolved to go to sleep earlier. But it’s still good fun.
I got the whole lounge cleaned!! Started as soon as I finished breakfast, so hardly anyone was in the lounge and I didn’t have to wait for Henry. He was a very happy hoover when I finished! And just to make my Mum faint again: I quite enjoyed it today.
We had another session on outreach, all about testimonies. I didn’t realise, but testimonies are very powerful because my testimony is my story. It belongs to me and no one can refute it, which is important because we live in an age where truth is not absolute: what is true for one person may not be considered truth by someone else. Apparently it’s called post-modernism. I could think of a few other words for it, but a) they wouldn’t be allowed on the Capernwray network b) they’d probably result in my blog being taken down c) they’d do nothing for my witness and d) . . . Mum, I’ll let you fill in that particular blank. It was a really practical session – and one that would be helpful for anyone on UBM, OAM or any other outreach missions you can think of. If you want my notes (not typed up at time of writing, but will be soon), let me know!
Downside: we have homework already!! Or castle-work or whatever it’s called here. We get to prepare our testimony, but with different timeframes to work with. Great fun!
Our final session on prayer was about how to pray, as a follow on from the Lord’s Prayer session. If a prayer life becomes stale, Psalms are good for restoring that, because the start with adoration, have a confessional element then thanksgiving and finish with a supplication and more praise. Or at the very least, they contain adoration. The ACTS pattern is the pattern the Lord’s Prayer follows, and it’s what should be in our prayers for a healthy prayer life. Not sure how to summarise that without blogging all my notes.
One of our sessions today, the men went to the lounge and had a session and us girls had a session in the conference hall. For the sake of any men who might read this, I won’t write everything that was said. It was practical information, a caution not to flirt but to develop healthy relationships and then something called Secret Sisters. I have never heard of Secret Sisters before, but it sounds like such a good idea. All the girls are going to get a name on a piece of paper on Monday and that girl will be our secret sister. Each week, at least, we pray for them, try to encourage them whether with a note on their desk or in the pigeon hole, or maybe even a gift. Then at Christmas, we’re going to have a grand unveiling and find out who our secret sister was. It’s all meant to be anonymous, so we DON’T sign anything!!
The rest of the sessions were Introduction to the Bible again where we were looking at why we should read and study the Bible, why we can believe and what will help us understand the Bible and about the Persons of Christ and the Holy Spirit (which came under why we can believe etc.). Somewhere in all there – whilst talking about the Person of Christ – Mark (MD of Capernwray) through in a question for instance, as he likes to do, and then ended up in a twenty minute question and answer session on heaven and hell. The session overran, Mark got more than he bargained for, but it was really good. My attitude to things like that tends to be that if I don’t understand it, I know what I believe and God understands it. But when the questions start, I do love getting answers, so it was a great time.
There was a bonfire last night. I didn’t go though because I had some sleep to catch up on. Not everyone went to it anyway. It was sooooo nice to sleep! Roll on Saturday and my lie-in!
Challenges
Wednesday 30th September.
Soooo tired!! We stayed up talking till about 11:15 or something last night – the ice has finally broken! – in our room. Great fun. Now absolutely shattered.
Went to a meeting today about the interactive groups. We each get a chance to lead our group in pairs, and guess who’s got stuck with leading the UK group on Monday? That’s right, gubbins here who usually runs from public speaking like Usain Bolt – mentally, at any rate. On the plus side, I have an idea and Sofi (the girl I’m leading with) and I managed to get it pretty well worked out reasonably quickly. Now if only I could download the video we want to use . . . Apparently they’re just little discussion groups, we get to do whatever theme or topic we want. We just need to make sure everyone gets involved and we have a prayer time at some point. So why am I still terrified? How much time have you got?
More introductions to the Bible. It started with us being told that we didn’t need our Bibles. This coming from the Managing Director of Capernwray – you can guess the horrified gasps etc. that got! Turns out we had a quiz about the Bible – its content, not the history of it. I didn’t do too bad, but there’s quite a bit that I didn’t know. But that was the point, it was meant to be challenging rather than the sort of test that got marked.
We also got told about the outreach opportunities that will be available this term. The prison ministry sounds amazing. There’s quite a few children’s/young people’s ministries available, quite a few of which are with ‘unchurched’ children. There’s the International Café at Lancaster University which is aimed at international students; an open air in Morecambe; some church events; work with old people and RBC. I quite like the sound of the RBC one: it’s going to work for Radio Bible Class, packing up and sending out evangelistic and Bible study materials worldwide. It sounds like there’s a great atmosphere there and it’s right up my street. Of course, that’s the problem. Carolyn told us all to pray before we signed up, and I think she’d rather we stepped out of our comfort zones. I get the feeling she’s one of the staff members who might push rather than jut encourage or challenge you to get out of it. I mean that in the best possible way!! So, something to pray about.
Soooo tired!! We stayed up talking till about 11:15 or something last night – the ice has finally broken! – in our room. Great fun. Now absolutely shattered.
Went to a meeting today about the interactive groups. We each get a chance to lead our group in pairs, and guess who’s got stuck with leading the UK group on Monday? That’s right, gubbins here who usually runs from public speaking like Usain Bolt – mentally, at any rate. On the plus side, I have an idea and Sofi (the girl I’m leading with) and I managed to get it pretty well worked out reasonably quickly. Now if only I could download the video we want to use . . . Apparently they’re just little discussion groups, we get to do whatever theme or topic we want. We just need to make sure everyone gets involved and we have a prayer time at some point. So why am I still terrified? How much time have you got?
More introductions to the Bible. It started with us being told that we didn’t need our Bibles. This coming from the Managing Director of Capernwray – you can guess the horrified gasps etc. that got! Turns out we had a quiz about the Bible – its content, not the history of it. I didn’t do too bad, but there’s quite a bit that I didn’t know. But that was the point, it was meant to be challenging rather than the sort of test that got marked.
We also got told about the outreach opportunities that will be available this term. The prison ministry sounds amazing. There’s quite a few children’s/young people’s ministries available, quite a few of which are with ‘unchurched’ children. There’s the International Café at Lancaster University which is aimed at international students; an open air in Morecambe; some church events; work with old people and RBC. I quite like the sound of the RBC one: it’s going to work for Radio Bible Class, packing up and sending out evangelistic and Bible study materials worldwide. It sounds like there’s a great atmosphere there and it’s right up my street. Of course, that’s the problem. Carolyn told us all to pray before we signed up, and I think she’d rather we stepped out of our comfort zones. I get the feeling she’s one of the staff members who might push rather than jut encourage or challenge you to get out of it. I mean that in the best possible way!! So, something to pray about.
First lectures
Tuesday 29th September
OK, the whole 7:00 wake up call is going to see my mobile phone/alarm clock going through the window before this year is done. At least in my head, if not reality. I’m just glad we have a porridge pot at breakfast or I would have serious objections about the start of the day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I’m not a morning person. I love mornings – I just wish they came later in the day.
Managed to get more of the lounge cleaned, but I think there was a bit of a jamming session going on, so I missed a spot of vacuuming. Still, Henry does get the library and the main hall, so he does get well fed!
More on the transforming friendship today. It turns out there’s quite a few places in the New Testament where the (utterly inadequate) English word for ‘love’ actually represents the idea of friendship, familial love or the fondness and intimacy a father might have with his son. That was the sort of friendship Jesus had with the tax collectors and sinners, the crowds and his disciples. Though His disciples were followers, they weren’t servants: they were His friends. People often want to be friends with and be in a relationship with Jesus, but they wonder if He wants to be friends with them. He was friends with the lowest and highest circles of society in His day, and all in between. He could relate to anybody! He still can and still wants that.
The focus of the Prayer series today was on Jesus and prayer. He had a dependence on prayer, it was a natural part of His life and routine – as it was with Daniel, to use a human example. He was also submissive to the Father and if we do the same, the Spirit will lead us to what He wants for us and it will be fruitful – but not in our power, in the Spirit. At the end of the book of John, it’s written that the books of the world wouldn’t be enough to contain all that Jesus did, so we only have a very short account of His life, yet it was fruitful because He submitted to the Father and was led by the Spirit. He was a Man of Prayer.
The devil targets prayer so much because the armour of God is put on and held on with prayer. That’s why we have to be driven to pray – the flesh is strong and we will fail otherwise – I know I do.
Then we looked at the Lord’s prayer: how we can approach with boldness, but must remember it’s God we’re speaking to, so not casually; we should submit to His rule as we pray; it contains a commitment to obedience, patience and forgiveness; it shows a dependence on Him for everything – which we are anyway but it’s easy to take Him for granted; the need to be willing to forgive and be forgiven and a dependency on God for where we go.
We also got a bit of an introduction to the Bible and what an amazing book it is. It is the only book that can claim the Author is with you when you read it. We’re getting more on that later in the week.
Went to Carnforth today. Corinne drove some of us – she’s one of my Dutch roommates. – so I finally have the toiletries I managed to forget to bring! It made my day when I discovered that one!
Found out about the trip for Saturday (there’s one every week). We’re going to Grasmere then we’re walking to Ambleside. It’s four miles and will probably take two hours because there’s lots of opportunities for photos, so progress will be slow. For anyone wondering, those two places are on Lake Windermere.
OK, the whole 7:00 wake up call is going to see my mobile phone/alarm clock going through the window before this year is done. At least in my head, if not reality. I’m just glad we have a porridge pot at breakfast or I would have serious objections about the start of the day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I’m not a morning person. I love mornings – I just wish they came later in the day.
Managed to get more of the lounge cleaned, but I think there was a bit of a jamming session going on, so I missed a spot of vacuuming. Still, Henry does get the library and the main hall, so he does get well fed!
More on the transforming friendship today. It turns out there’s quite a few places in the New Testament where the (utterly inadequate) English word for ‘love’ actually represents the idea of friendship, familial love or the fondness and intimacy a father might have with his son. That was the sort of friendship Jesus had with the tax collectors and sinners, the crowds and his disciples. Though His disciples were followers, they weren’t servants: they were His friends. People often want to be friends with and be in a relationship with Jesus, but they wonder if He wants to be friends with them. He was friends with the lowest and highest circles of society in His day, and all in between. He could relate to anybody! He still can and still wants that.
The focus of the Prayer series today was on Jesus and prayer. He had a dependence on prayer, it was a natural part of His life and routine – as it was with Daniel, to use a human example. He was also submissive to the Father and if we do the same, the Spirit will lead us to what He wants for us and it will be fruitful – but not in our power, in the Spirit. At the end of the book of John, it’s written that the books of the world wouldn’t be enough to contain all that Jesus did, so we only have a very short account of His life, yet it was fruitful because He submitted to the Father and was led by the Spirit. He was a Man of Prayer.
The devil targets prayer so much because the armour of God is put on and held on with prayer. That’s why we have to be driven to pray – the flesh is strong and we will fail otherwise – I know I do.
Then we looked at the Lord’s prayer: how we can approach with boldness, but must remember it’s God we’re speaking to, so not casually; we should submit to His rule as we pray; it contains a commitment to obedience, patience and forgiveness; it shows a dependence on Him for everything – which we are anyway but it’s easy to take Him for granted; the need to be willing to forgive and be forgiven and a dependency on God for where we go.
We also got a bit of an introduction to the Bible and what an amazing book it is. It is the only book that can claim the Author is with you when you read it. We’re getting more on that later in the week.
Went to Carnforth today. Corinne drove some of us – she’s one of my Dutch roommates. – so I finally have the toiletries I managed to forget to bring! It made my day when I discovered that one!
Found out about the trip for Saturday (there’s one every week). We’re going to Grasmere then we’re walking to Ambleside. It’s four miles and will probably take two hours because there’s lots of opportunities for photos, so progress will be slow. For anyone wondering, those two places are on Lake Windermere.
Introduction to Bible School
Monday 28th September
Finally learnt when the internet is available, so I know when I can update this thing and e-mail everyone. More importantly, learnt how the day works.
We have four lecture slots in the morning that are 45 minutes, two lots of 50 minutes in the evening and unless there’s duties, we have free time (I think in Spring School, they’ll be in the morning and afternoon and we’ll have the evenings free). One session each day is given to something different. Mondays, we have interactive groups where students from the same part of the world (or in the case of North America, state/province) get together for a devotional time. Tuesdays, we have a session of student-led worship and a chance to catch up on our reading! Wednesday’s we meet with our family groups. Both kinds of groups have about a dozen students and family groups have a couple of staff members assigned to them who are the ‘parents’. I think the idea is that we meet and socialise, get to know each other better, maybe do some kind of studying together – not sure about that last point. Thursdays, we have a slot for World Prayer or a Mission speaker.
That’s Monday to Thursday. Friday’s are work days or seminars. More on that later. From the look of the syllabus in the handbook, we have a few subjects running alongside each other. This week we’ve got an introduction to Bible School – how the place runs, rules, our roles, all the staff. We have two pastoral workers who introduced themselves as our Mum and Dad for the year. The staff are all very loving, friendly and outgoing and it looks like we’ve got a fantastic bunch of people looking after us.
We’re also getting a couple of miniseries, one on The Transforming Friendship which is based on a book of the same name. It’s based on the beliefs that genuine Christianity begins, matures and develops in the context of a personal, deep friendship with Jesus that empowers and transforms our lives and it is very, very easy to pick up all the words about “friendship with Jesus” but actually not to be experiencing that. Basically, walking the walk rather than just talking the talk. Sounds promising.
The other miniseries is on prayer – how to pray and keep a good prayer life. It started with the priority of prayer, how effective a weapon it is and can be in the spiritual warfare we’re engaged in, but also a reminder that we’re not alone: the Holy Spirit searches out our spirit when our words would otherwise be inadequate, then communicates with the great High Priest who is interceding for us. We’ve also looked at some of the hindrances to our prayer lives, and it was very challenging. The devil knows where to attack: our minds. It can be easy to get bogged down in our own unworthiness that we can’t see or let the Holy Spirit work in us. Also what we put in our minds will probably be found in our hearts and spirits, which should be open and poured out in prayer. I know I have a lot of struggles with my mind and once again I found myself thankful that I was here.
Unforgiveness was another issue. It’s very easy to take for granted what Jesus went through on the cross and endured to forgive us. He paid a debt that we would never be able to repay, and yet we very easily have anger towards and refuse to forgive people who have done nothing in comparison. He was separated from the Father that we might be forgiven, and yet how often do we refuse to forgive? There were a few other points, but those were the ones that really struck me.
Turns out my duty for the next few weeks is cleaning the lounge. For those who have never been to Capernwray, the lounge is ENORMOUS!! And it has lots of chairs which have to be put back in the right arrangement and they ALWAYS get moved during the day. On the plus side (if that’s possible!) I’m getting to know Henry very well. Before my mother or anyone else starts planning the wedding, Henry is the vacuum cleaner. Didn’t manage to get all of it done today because Graih, the housekeeper had to explain everything to us. I think there’s going to be some serious frustration involved (chairs keep moving!!) but also a tremendous satisfaction because the room’s so big and whilst it can be a mess, it also looks good when it’s tidy. (At this point, my Mum collapses in shock!)
We also have assignments – reading books and doing reports, producing a tract, some that look like they’re probably essays – memory verses for 16 weeks and two tests on them, a couple of other random tests and we also have to read the entire Old Testament while we’re here.
And I have to learn Italian in the next couple of weeks as well!!!
All in all, looks like we’ve got some very full days, but enough free time to have some chance of surviving!!
I’m in a room just off the courtyard (check out the photos on my facebook page to see what it all looks like, BTW). It’s a new room, so it’s very nice – doesn’t have quite as much storage as the room I was in on the holidays, but I lived in a shoebox at uni, so I’m managing. Said nice room is also en-suite! We have our own shower, toilet and sink. The shower is fantastic!! There’s six of us in the room and the ethnic minority continues: there’s two Dutch, one Canadian, one Australian and one Swiss girl. And me. Graih thought that the older girls would prefer being out in the courtyard away from the teenagers – now you know: I’m old!! – because most of the students seem to have just graduated from high school either this year or last year. Some of them seem to have way too much energy, but we’ve got a good mix.
Finally learnt when the internet is available, so I know when I can update this thing and e-mail everyone. More importantly, learnt how the day works.
We have four lecture slots in the morning that are 45 minutes, two lots of 50 minutes in the evening and unless there’s duties, we have free time (I think in Spring School, they’ll be in the morning and afternoon and we’ll have the evenings free). One session each day is given to something different. Mondays, we have interactive groups where students from the same part of the world (or in the case of North America, state/province) get together for a devotional time. Tuesdays, we have a session of student-led worship and a chance to catch up on our reading! Wednesday’s we meet with our family groups. Both kinds of groups have about a dozen students and family groups have a couple of staff members assigned to them who are the ‘parents’. I think the idea is that we meet and socialise, get to know each other better, maybe do some kind of studying together – not sure about that last point. Thursdays, we have a slot for World Prayer or a Mission speaker.
That’s Monday to Thursday. Friday’s are work days or seminars. More on that later. From the look of the syllabus in the handbook, we have a few subjects running alongside each other. This week we’ve got an introduction to Bible School – how the place runs, rules, our roles, all the staff. We have two pastoral workers who introduced themselves as our Mum and Dad for the year. The staff are all very loving, friendly and outgoing and it looks like we’ve got a fantastic bunch of people looking after us.
We’re also getting a couple of miniseries, one on The Transforming Friendship which is based on a book of the same name. It’s based on the beliefs that genuine Christianity begins, matures and develops in the context of a personal, deep friendship with Jesus that empowers and transforms our lives and it is very, very easy to pick up all the words about “friendship with Jesus” but actually not to be experiencing that. Basically, walking the walk rather than just talking the talk. Sounds promising.
The other miniseries is on prayer – how to pray and keep a good prayer life. It started with the priority of prayer, how effective a weapon it is and can be in the spiritual warfare we’re engaged in, but also a reminder that we’re not alone: the Holy Spirit searches out our spirit when our words would otherwise be inadequate, then communicates with the great High Priest who is interceding for us. We’ve also looked at some of the hindrances to our prayer lives, and it was very challenging. The devil knows where to attack: our minds. It can be easy to get bogged down in our own unworthiness that we can’t see or let the Holy Spirit work in us. Also what we put in our minds will probably be found in our hearts and spirits, which should be open and poured out in prayer. I know I have a lot of struggles with my mind and once again I found myself thankful that I was here.
Unforgiveness was another issue. It’s very easy to take for granted what Jesus went through on the cross and endured to forgive us. He paid a debt that we would never be able to repay, and yet we very easily have anger towards and refuse to forgive people who have done nothing in comparison. He was separated from the Father that we might be forgiven, and yet how often do we refuse to forgive? There were a few other points, but those were the ones that really struck me.
Turns out my duty for the next few weeks is cleaning the lounge. For those who have never been to Capernwray, the lounge is ENORMOUS!! And it has lots of chairs which have to be put back in the right arrangement and they ALWAYS get moved during the day. On the plus side (if that’s possible!) I’m getting to know Henry very well. Before my mother or anyone else starts planning the wedding, Henry is the vacuum cleaner. Didn’t manage to get all of it done today because Graih, the housekeeper had to explain everything to us. I think there’s going to be some serious frustration involved (chairs keep moving!!) but also a tremendous satisfaction because the room’s so big and whilst it can be a mess, it also looks good when it’s tidy. (At this point, my Mum collapses in shock!)
We also have assignments – reading books and doing reports, producing a tract, some that look like they’re probably essays – memory verses for 16 weeks and two tests on them, a couple of other random tests and we also have to read the entire Old Testament while we’re here.
And I have to learn Italian in the next couple of weeks as well!!!
All in all, looks like we’ve got some very full days, but enough free time to have some chance of surviving!!
I’m in a room just off the courtyard (check out the photos on my facebook page to see what it all looks like, BTW). It’s a new room, so it’s very nice – doesn’t have quite as much storage as the room I was in on the holidays, but I lived in a shoebox at uni, so I’m managing. Said nice room is also en-suite! We have our own shower, toilet and sink. The shower is fantastic!! There’s six of us in the room and the ethnic minority continues: there’s two Dutch, one Canadian, one Australian and one Swiss girl. And me. Graih thought that the older girls would prefer being out in the courtyard away from the teenagers – now you know: I’m old!! – because most of the students seem to have just graduated from high school either this year or last year. Some of them seem to have way too much energy, but we’ve got a good mix.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
First Service
Sunday 27th September
Slept very well last night – I think I only woke up once before I should have. It was interesting sharing the bathroom with five other girls. The system appeared to be first come, first served with courtesy thrown in as well. No fallings out though so we’re doing well. Breakfast was . . . crowded. When we arrived for dinner last night, the coach from London hadn’t arrived so a third of the people didn’t come in till partway through. This morning though . . . FULL HOUSE!! Slightly crazy & pretty noisy but the porridge pot was there so I really didn’t mind. Porridge was a bit runnier than on the holidays, but it’s still the best I’ve had – hence the mention.
There’re so many people!! I sat with the girls in my room at breakfast, but there was still at least one person at the table who I’d not spoken to. There’s been new faces nearby each time I’ve sat down and whilst I know I’ll get to know them before very long, it still feels a bit overwhelming – but not in a bad way. I think because I’ve been in situations like this before, like at uni and even here on the holidays, I’m not stressing about learning everyone’s name (fortunately everyone’s been asked to wear a name badge for the first week), just trying to remember the ones I’ve been told.
I’ve already had one offer of a visit to America: one of the girls I sat with at dinner last night said she was from Grand Rapids, Michigan, at which I promptly said I was jealous (in a healthy, Christian way!). My brother and I grew up listening to Uncle Charlie on the Children’s Bible Hour (“Box 1, Grand Rapids, Michigan and the zip is 49501”) and Zondervan and quite a few of the major Christian media companies seem to be based there. When I explained this, I was promptly told I’d have to go and visit. She’d better be careful, or I just might take her up on that!
One of my roommates discovered that she had some post already, so on a whim I went to see if I did. One of the girls who was a volunteer on staff during the 18-30’s week got talking with me on a walk we did on the Sunday and she’d left me a note! It’s now sitting in my bible at the verse that she marked: Psalm 42:11 ‘Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.’ I was downcast before I came – packing was a nightmare (and I discovered last night that I managed to mess it up!) – and my life has been on hold for so long with health issues etc. yet there I was in the days before coming, waiting for life to start happening again. That’s the thing about getting over my depression: my counsellor got me to look at what goes through my mind whenever I have what I lovingly refer to as a meltdown; so now whenever I feel down or life gets on top of me, I look at what’s going on to try and mentally get past it. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with that and it is very practical, it’s relying on myself – which is destined to fail. One of the things I need to learn here is not only to put my hope in God, but my trust as well; and KEEP them there.
Just had the morning service. Services on Sunday, lectures during the week.
Rob Whittaker spoke on John 1:40-42 using a music video by The Killers: Are we human or are we dancers? The song comes from a quote by Hunter S. Thompson ‘America is raising a nation of dancers’ – which wasn’t a complement. People are being raised as marionettes wearing masks: they’re controlled by forces outside of them and are afraid to say ‘this is who I am; this is what I’m struggling with.’
Jesus answers that in verse 42 where He says to Simon:
You are Simon . . . I know who you are – I know you better than you know you; I will explain you to you!
. . . son of John. I know where you are coming from – the good, the bad & the ugly
You will be called Cephas (which when translated, is Peter). I know what I can make you! I can see what you can’t see i.e. the finished product when I start working in your life
This was all punctuated by a Jonny Diaz music video: More Beautiful You – which I couldn’t help wishing I’d seen when I was 14.
I have a stone in my bible case now. There was a stone on each chair when we went in this morning. Carolyn (who runs the outreach) asked the question: how much work would it take to make that stone smooth? Then, how much work would it take to make me smooth? What needs refining in my life? What do I need to learn? Then after communion, the idea was that we give that to God and place our stone at the foot of a large wooden cross that had been set up at the front.
That’s why I came here: there’s a lot that needs working on and refining in my life. Whilst I don’t know all the specifics, God does and I came here to let Him do that and shape me into the person He created me to be.
Carolyn said that the Holy Spirit is a Gentleman and He won’t force His way into our lives: we have to let Him work in us. So I put a stone at the foot of that cross and said ‘here I am God, all Yours,’ now I just have to try and keep that mind frame – hence the stone in my bible cover.
One of the other questions Carolyn asked at the start of the illustration was ‘is there a gift you have that you’ve been hiding and do you need to step out in faith and confidence?’ Answer: yes. So tonight when it’s my turn to say the four things, I will actually be saying: I’m Hannah, I’m from England and before Capernwray I was an Egyptologist working in a bank and when I leave, unless God points in a different direction, I’m going to be a writer. (This is the part where my parents start panicking, but I’ve got a year to work on it and make it happen.) It feels right in the same way that coming to Capernwray felt right.
Rob quoted a friend of his in his talk: ‘If you don’t get something on a Sunday that you can use before you hit the car park – ask for your money back.’
No refunds so far.
Slept very well last night – I think I only woke up once before I should have. It was interesting sharing the bathroom with five other girls. The system appeared to be first come, first served with courtesy thrown in as well. No fallings out though so we’re doing well. Breakfast was . . . crowded. When we arrived for dinner last night, the coach from London hadn’t arrived so a third of the people didn’t come in till partway through. This morning though . . . FULL HOUSE!! Slightly crazy & pretty noisy but the porridge pot was there so I really didn’t mind. Porridge was a bit runnier than on the holidays, but it’s still the best I’ve had – hence the mention.
There’re so many people!! I sat with the girls in my room at breakfast, but there was still at least one person at the table who I’d not spoken to. There’s been new faces nearby each time I’ve sat down and whilst I know I’ll get to know them before very long, it still feels a bit overwhelming – but not in a bad way. I think because I’ve been in situations like this before, like at uni and even here on the holidays, I’m not stressing about learning everyone’s name (fortunately everyone’s been asked to wear a name badge for the first week), just trying to remember the ones I’ve been told.
I’ve already had one offer of a visit to America: one of the girls I sat with at dinner last night said she was from Grand Rapids, Michigan, at which I promptly said I was jealous (in a healthy, Christian way!). My brother and I grew up listening to Uncle Charlie on the Children’s Bible Hour (“Box 1, Grand Rapids, Michigan and the zip is 49501”) and Zondervan and quite a few of the major Christian media companies seem to be based there. When I explained this, I was promptly told I’d have to go and visit. She’d better be careful, or I just might take her up on that!
One of my roommates discovered that she had some post already, so on a whim I went to see if I did. One of the girls who was a volunteer on staff during the 18-30’s week got talking with me on a walk we did on the Sunday and she’d left me a note! It’s now sitting in my bible at the verse that she marked: Psalm 42:11 ‘Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.’ I was downcast before I came – packing was a nightmare (and I discovered last night that I managed to mess it up!) – and my life has been on hold for so long with health issues etc. yet there I was in the days before coming, waiting for life to start happening again. That’s the thing about getting over my depression: my counsellor got me to look at what goes through my mind whenever I have what I lovingly refer to as a meltdown; so now whenever I feel down or life gets on top of me, I look at what’s going on to try and mentally get past it. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with that and it is very practical, it’s relying on myself – which is destined to fail. One of the things I need to learn here is not only to put my hope in God, but my trust as well; and KEEP them there.
Just had the morning service. Services on Sunday, lectures during the week.
Rob Whittaker spoke on John 1:40-42 using a music video by The Killers: Are we human or are we dancers? The song comes from a quote by Hunter S. Thompson ‘America is raising a nation of dancers’ – which wasn’t a complement. People are being raised as marionettes wearing masks: they’re controlled by forces outside of them and are afraid to say ‘this is who I am; this is what I’m struggling with.’
Jesus answers that in verse 42 where He says to Simon:
You are Simon . . . I know who you are – I know you better than you know you; I will explain you to you!
. . . son of John. I know where you are coming from – the good, the bad & the ugly
You will be called Cephas (which when translated, is Peter). I know what I can make you! I can see what you can’t see i.e. the finished product when I start working in your life
This was all punctuated by a Jonny Diaz music video: More Beautiful You – which I couldn’t help wishing I’d seen when I was 14.
I have a stone in my bible case now. There was a stone on each chair when we went in this morning. Carolyn (who runs the outreach) asked the question: how much work would it take to make that stone smooth? Then, how much work would it take to make me smooth? What needs refining in my life? What do I need to learn? Then after communion, the idea was that we give that to God and place our stone at the foot of a large wooden cross that had been set up at the front.
That’s why I came here: there’s a lot that needs working on and refining in my life. Whilst I don’t know all the specifics, God does and I came here to let Him do that and shape me into the person He created me to be.
Carolyn said that the Holy Spirit is a Gentleman and He won’t force His way into our lives: we have to let Him work in us. So I put a stone at the foot of that cross and said ‘here I am God, all Yours,’ now I just have to try and keep that mind frame – hence the stone in my bible cover.
One of the other questions Carolyn asked at the start of the illustration was ‘is there a gift you have that you’ve been hiding and do you need to step out in faith and confidence?’ Answer: yes. So tonight when it’s my turn to say the four things, I will actually be saying: I’m Hannah, I’m from England and before Capernwray I was an Egyptologist working in a bank and when I leave, unless God points in a different direction, I’m going to be a writer. (This is the part where my parents start panicking, but I’ve got a year to work on it and make it happen.) It feels right in the same way that coming to Capernwray felt right.
Rob quoted a friend of his in his talk: ‘If you don’t get something on a Sunday that you can use before you hit the car park – ask for your money back.’
No refunds so far.
First Day
How weird does it sound if I say that this still doesn’t feel real? As I write this, I’m sitting on my bed in my room at Capernwray, thinking back to last night and how it felt unreal.
Saturday 26th September
My parents dropped me off at about four. Dad had never seen the place and one of the last things he said before they left was “It’s a lovely place; I’m glad you’re here.”
I’ve got one of the new rooms around the courtyard, opposite the Beehive. Nice and near the coffee shop, outside of the main house so there’ll be a sense of getting away from it all if I need it (thank you, God!!) and because it’s new, we have our own en-suite bathroom!! Well, it’s more of a shower room because there’s no bath, but anyway – I really need to stop being so finickity!! There’re six of us in this room: two Dutch girls, one Swiss, one Australian and one Canadian if she arrives. No sign at time of writing.
There was a handbook for each of us when we arrived – I finally have more of a clue about the syllabus!! Said handbook also came with two Quality Street (did I mention how much I liked this place?) and a little card written and signed by two of the staff families. I think the ones who signed my card are going to be leading the small groups I’m in.
Rob Whittaker, the principle, gave a bit of a welcome last night in the lounge. Now, the lounge is a pretty big room, very impressive to look at. But when you’re trying to fit 180 students plus a load of the staff into it, it suddenly becomes very cosy. I heard on the holiday that they were expecting 180 for winter school. It turns out we have 18 nationalities (and yes, I am in an ethnic minority – not that I’m complaining!) represented by 123 women and 57 happy men. Rob’s words. The reason we know that’s true is that when he announced there were 123 women, one of the happy men started applauding – to the amusement of all and even agreement of others!
Sitting there, trying to stay conscious (hey, big day and I was tired to begin with!), I wondered why it felt unreal. I think it’s because with it being the first day the schedule was fairly lax, which is a good thing when you’ve got 180 people arriving and settling in at random times during the day. It’s the same on the holidays but I keep forgetting that. When things get going on Monday and maybe even tomorrow, it’ll probably start to feel all too real!
When we meet tomorrow evening, we each have to stand up and say who we are, which country we’re from, what we did before and what we want to do after Capernwray. For those of you who don’t already know: I’m Hannah, I’m from England and before Capernwray I was an Egyptologist working in a bank and when I leave I hope to be a writer – although while I’m here I’m also hoping to get ideas of a more practical fallback option.
Saturday 26th September
My parents dropped me off at about four. Dad had never seen the place and one of the last things he said before they left was “It’s a lovely place; I’m glad you’re here.”
I’ve got one of the new rooms around the courtyard, opposite the Beehive. Nice and near the coffee shop, outside of the main house so there’ll be a sense of getting away from it all if I need it (thank you, God!!) and because it’s new, we have our own en-suite bathroom!! Well, it’s more of a shower room because there’s no bath, but anyway – I really need to stop being so finickity!! There’re six of us in this room: two Dutch girls, one Swiss, one Australian and one Canadian if she arrives. No sign at time of writing.
There was a handbook for each of us when we arrived – I finally have more of a clue about the syllabus!! Said handbook also came with two Quality Street (did I mention how much I liked this place?) and a little card written and signed by two of the staff families. I think the ones who signed my card are going to be leading the small groups I’m in.
Rob Whittaker, the principle, gave a bit of a welcome last night in the lounge. Now, the lounge is a pretty big room, very impressive to look at. But when you’re trying to fit 180 students plus a load of the staff into it, it suddenly becomes very cosy. I heard on the holiday that they were expecting 180 for winter school. It turns out we have 18 nationalities (and yes, I am in an ethnic minority – not that I’m complaining!) represented by 123 women and 57 happy men. Rob’s words. The reason we know that’s true is that when he announced there were 123 women, one of the happy men started applauding – to the amusement of all and even agreement of others!
Sitting there, trying to stay conscious (hey, big day and I was tired to begin with!), I wondered why it felt unreal. I think it’s because with it being the first day the schedule was fairly lax, which is a good thing when you’ve got 180 people arriving and settling in at random times during the day. It’s the same on the holidays but I keep forgetting that. When things get going on Monday and maybe even tomorrow, it’ll probably start to feel all too real!
When we meet tomorrow evening, we each have to stand up and say who we are, which country we’re from, what we did before and what we want to do after Capernwray. For those of you who don’t already know: I’m Hannah, I’m from England and before Capernwray I was an Egyptologist working in a bank and when I leave I hope to be a writer – although while I’m here I’m also hoping to get ideas of a more practical fallback option.
Going to Capernwray still doesn't feel real
Originally written Saturday 9th September - site changed because myspace wasn't allowed on the network.
One week today and I'll be . . . well I don't know exactly what I'll be doing. Maybe hanging out with people, vainly trying to remember the names of the 180 total strangers I'll be living with; maybe sitting in the conference hall being given a run down of what's happening - although at this time of night, I hope not!!; maybe hanging out with my new roommates.
Truth is, I have absolutely no idea what I'll be doing this time next week, but I'll be doing it at Capernwray Hall near Carnforth. Just think, I get to spend the next academic year living in a 19th century country house/mansion/castle - not sure which, but it could probably pass for all of them.
I've spent a good portion of the last couple of nights trying to find the blurb I wrote for my application that explains why I wanted to go. Suppose it's just as well that I couldn't find it - it would have been edited anyway!!
At the start of this month I went on the 18's to 30's holiday at Capernwray last year and had the best holiday of my life. Not only were the activities and the food fantastic, with something to keep me occupied or the chance to chill out whenever I wanted it; but the teaching was exactly what I needed as well. Same thing when I went this year. Anyway, I had such a good time, and when they advertised the bible school itself and it sounded like just what I needed, it was a no-brainer about deciding to go.
Applying was straightforward enough. Then it came to the question: 'why do you want to come to Capernwray?' Boy did I have a list of reasons for that!
For those of you who don't know (which is probably anyone reading this), I've spent the last 11 years picking a fight with depression. Well, actually I spent the first nine of those losing the fight before I was actually diagnosed last February. Until then, I thought it was Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Cliff Notes: got a version of that when I was 13 (thank you SATS exams - so glad they're being ditched now!!), got over it after 15 months, but the symptoms kept coming back, even though the doctors said it didn't do that. NB for the record, being diagnosed with depression made my year - it's not only treatable, but curable which made it a whole lot easier to deal with mentally.
So my health is finally being sorted out. I'm nearly off my anti-depressants. But the years I should have spent learning how to interact with other people as an adult - not to mention look after myself and my home properly - were spent being too tired to lead a normal life. My world consisted of work, sleep and periods of feeling zonked out in between (to use a technical term). I was too ill to make the most of university as well. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy my time there, and part of me thinks I probably would have gone off the rails a bit if I'd been well, but it would have been nice to join more of the societies etc.
Anyway, here I am: 24 years old and finally well enough to live my life. Problem: I DON'T KNOW HOW!!! Solution: Capernwray. I've spent the last months since applying trying not to put all my eggs into a Capernwray-shaped basket, but they seem to have ended up there anyway.
First and foremost: I'm going to Capernwray to try and sort out my relationship with God. I've been a Christian since I was about 7-9ish, I know my way around the Bible, I know the stories, I'm fairly comfortable with the major points of what I believe. But after all these years, I still don't know God very well. I know about Him, but I don't really know Him. I know He's looking after me, but the relationship feels very one-sided - and it's all on His side - and it's all my fault. I need to get to Him and His word better.
Second: I'm going to Capernwray to learn how to look after myself. The days are all structured and whilst there's free time, the students are all required to help maintain the house and grounds as well as day to day cleaning etc. So I can finally get into a routine where I look after myself and learn how to look after a home. (OK, OK, the chances of me living in a castle permanetly are pretty remote, but the skills will be handy!!)
Third: I'm going to Capernwray to learn how to live. Close-quarters with 180 students + staff, all of varying ages, backgrounds and nationalities. I'll have to learn how to be sociable and hang out with people otherwise I'll go out of my mind. Plus there's always things to do (aside from work!), so I'll learn how to make the most of time instead of just giving into sticky-bed-itis.24 and I'm only just starting to live my life. Maybe that's why it doesn't feel real. I can't imagine what that's like.
For my family, my friends, Glenbrook Christian Fellowship who are supporting me, and for anyone who stumbles across my babblings, I'll be keeping this blog (hopefully on a regular basis) to keep a record of my time at Capernwray: to keep the memories and to see how I'm getting on with my three reasons for going.I know I'll have a great time. I know it will be unlike anything I've ever done before.
Beyond that, I have no idea what the next year has in store.
Care to find out? Stay tuned!!
If you want to have a look at and find out about my new home, go to www.capernwray.org and click on Capernwray Hall in England.
One week today and I'll be . . . well I don't know exactly what I'll be doing. Maybe hanging out with people, vainly trying to remember the names of the 180 total strangers I'll be living with; maybe sitting in the conference hall being given a run down of what's happening - although at this time of night, I hope not!!; maybe hanging out with my new roommates.
Truth is, I have absolutely no idea what I'll be doing this time next week, but I'll be doing it at Capernwray Hall near Carnforth. Just think, I get to spend the next academic year living in a 19th century country house/mansion/castle - not sure which, but it could probably pass for all of them.
I've spent a good portion of the last couple of nights trying to find the blurb I wrote for my application that explains why I wanted to go. Suppose it's just as well that I couldn't find it - it would have been edited anyway!!
At the start of this month I went on the 18's to 30's holiday at Capernwray last year and had the best holiday of my life. Not only were the activities and the food fantastic, with something to keep me occupied or the chance to chill out whenever I wanted it; but the teaching was exactly what I needed as well. Same thing when I went this year. Anyway, I had such a good time, and when they advertised the bible school itself and it sounded like just what I needed, it was a no-brainer about deciding to go.
Applying was straightforward enough. Then it came to the question: 'why do you want to come to Capernwray?' Boy did I have a list of reasons for that!
For those of you who don't know (which is probably anyone reading this), I've spent the last 11 years picking a fight with depression. Well, actually I spent the first nine of those losing the fight before I was actually diagnosed last February. Until then, I thought it was Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Cliff Notes: got a version of that when I was 13 (thank you SATS exams - so glad they're being ditched now!!), got over it after 15 months, but the symptoms kept coming back, even though the doctors said it didn't do that. NB for the record, being diagnosed with depression made my year - it's not only treatable, but curable which made it a whole lot easier to deal with mentally.
So my health is finally being sorted out. I'm nearly off my anti-depressants. But the years I should have spent learning how to interact with other people as an adult - not to mention look after myself and my home properly - were spent being too tired to lead a normal life. My world consisted of work, sleep and periods of feeling zonked out in between (to use a technical term). I was too ill to make the most of university as well. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy my time there, and part of me thinks I probably would have gone off the rails a bit if I'd been well, but it would have been nice to join more of the societies etc.
Anyway, here I am: 24 years old and finally well enough to live my life. Problem: I DON'T KNOW HOW!!! Solution: Capernwray. I've spent the last months since applying trying not to put all my eggs into a Capernwray-shaped basket, but they seem to have ended up there anyway.
First and foremost: I'm going to Capernwray to try and sort out my relationship with God. I've been a Christian since I was about 7-9ish, I know my way around the Bible, I know the stories, I'm fairly comfortable with the major points of what I believe. But after all these years, I still don't know God very well. I know about Him, but I don't really know Him. I know He's looking after me, but the relationship feels very one-sided - and it's all on His side - and it's all my fault. I need to get to Him and His word better.
Second: I'm going to Capernwray to learn how to look after myself. The days are all structured and whilst there's free time, the students are all required to help maintain the house and grounds as well as day to day cleaning etc. So I can finally get into a routine where I look after myself and learn how to look after a home. (OK, OK, the chances of me living in a castle permanetly are pretty remote, but the skills will be handy!!)
Third: I'm going to Capernwray to learn how to live. Close-quarters with 180 students + staff, all of varying ages, backgrounds and nationalities. I'll have to learn how to be sociable and hang out with people otherwise I'll go out of my mind. Plus there's always things to do (aside from work!), so I'll learn how to make the most of time instead of just giving into sticky-bed-itis.24 and I'm only just starting to live my life. Maybe that's why it doesn't feel real. I can't imagine what that's like.
For my family, my friends, Glenbrook Christian Fellowship who are supporting me, and for anyone who stumbles across my babblings, I'll be keeping this blog (hopefully on a regular basis) to keep a record of my time at Capernwray: to keep the memories and to see how I'm getting on with my three reasons for going.I know I'll have a great time. I know it will be unlike anything I've ever done before.
Beyond that, I have no idea what the next year has in store.
Care to find out? Stay tuned!!
If you want to have a look at and find out about my new home, go to www.capernwray.org and click on Capernwray Hall in England.
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