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.