Encouragement from the indigenous church

I am a real nerd.

I used to say that I was a real geek, but one of the first conversations I ever had with Tim was about the fact that I wasn't. Geeks are boys who play fantasy role playing games on their computers and own star wars figurines. Nerds are the ones who part their hair in the middle and love maths.

While I part my hair slightly to the side, and I enjoy maths only in moderation (not like my stats loving sister ;), I still think I classify as a nerd. Because I enjoy exams. I love the feeling of getting into to the room, the adrenalin rush that comes as you start writing madly, and that great feeling of relief that comes with the words "pens down". I also enjoy essay writing. The investigation, the time of discovery, seeing your ideas expressed, and best of all the art of the beautifully written concluding paragraph. Don't get me wrong. I am very, very glad to be on holidays. But as much as I procrastinate, when I sit down and actually do work, I love it.

Essays and Exams are heaps more fun now because I'm at Bible College and the process is not just intellectually fascinating but edifying. I know more about 1 Peter from writing an essay on it than I ever learnt from reading it, sitting in Bible studies on it, or hearing preaching of it. Not just knowing in the Western sense but knowing in that real, Biblical, experiential sense. It's a beautiful thing.

My latest essay was concerned with the history of the Aboriginal church, and most particularly how the missionary theories of Roland Allen (a Anglican minister and missionary from the turn of the last century) have impacted the situation here.

So much of the time, when I'm hearing news about the situation of Aboriginal people, its horrible, heart breaking news. What I hear on the news is always suffering. And what's more, the recent history of Indigenous Australia is so terrible. The killings, the attitude that said that this wasn't their land and they weren't even really human. It makes me sick, and it makes me sad. And it makes me sorry, because my ancestors were part of it.

But the blessing of this essay was that while my research showed me all these things, it also showed me so much more. Imperfect missionaries, who despite their mistakes worked so hard to save what was very much at the turn of the century a dying people. Indigenous Australians who heard the gospel and it transformed their lives. People who can't even really read English who nonetheless do their best to understand the one translation of the Bible they have. And most particularly, church communities that run things so differently to the communities that I have been apart of, but who are my brothers and sisters and share with me in the fellowship of the Spirit.

Please pray for the indigenous church. There are so many social issues within this community. But we know a God who can do immeasurably more than we can even imagine.
Belinda

Praying

Dear friends,
Recently I've been feeling a little helpless. I'm very aware that many people I care about are going through hard times. And there sometimes feels like there is nothing I can do. I am someone who likes doing things. Even if a situation is a wait and see situation, if there is something I can do about it, even if its only small, even if it might not make a difference, I want to do something. Sitting on my hands and waiting has never been my strong point. How hard it is when I know that if I was in the same state with people maybe I could at least do something to brighten their day, if I can't actually fix the problem.

But of course, this attitude is all wrong. Because I can pray. Praying, and placing it into the arms of our dear loving father is the best thing that I can do. Its funny how it doesn't always feel that way.

I remember a situation when I was at Monash CU. I met a girl during O-week who had grown up in a Christian home, but wasn't a Christian herself and who had been thinking about the gospel. We had a great chat, and I was really excited about the prospect of meeting with her to talk about Jesus. A week later I called on the number she left me. She had moved, and the relative I spoke to refused to give me her new number. She never turned up again, and I despaired because she needed to hear the gospel. I felt so helpless. So I prayed. For six months I prayed. After six months I bumped into her. Through a church she had joined she had become a Christian and she was so excited to share this with me. And I was reminded again that prayer is not a last resort. Its the most helpful, powerful thing we can do.

So dear friends, know that though I am far away and I can't always serve you in a physical sense, I am praying for you. And please pray for me. I need all the help God can give me to trust him, both with you and with my own circumstances and uncertain future.
love B
PS For the Sydney-siders reading- I am praying for you too, and I am thankful that I can help you in other, less crucial, but still important ways!

Love Languages

As many of you will know, this weekend is my big birthday weekend, as Tim turned 27 on Saturday and my sister turned 26 yesterday. It was hard to be away from Sandy and to not be there to celebrate with her, but hopefully we can do a bit of that when we are in Melbourne next week. Tim's birthday was a lovely day, we had some people from College round, I cooked lots of things that Tim liked, and we ended the night with ice-cream cake and the "hat" game (it appears to be the Sydney version of the name game).

I normally find Tim's birthday a bit stressful, really wanting to make it fun for him, but knowing I'm not always perfect at orchestrating the process. But praise God, my prayers were answered and Tim had a wonderful day. And a big part of this was to do with love languages.

If you've been hiding under a rock (that is no where near Koorong!) you may not have heard about the concept of love languages. It was a concept I'd heard of in the past and dismissed as one of those psudo-psychological fads that got wrapped up with a few out-of-context Bible verses, that really you could take and leave. But I have to say, I've found that book one of the most helpful for my marriage.

The books idea is that everyone has slightly different ways of expressing their love and things which make them feel loved, and they generally fit into 5 categories: Acts of Service (doing nice things), Gifts, words of affirmation, physical touch, and my personal favourite- Quality time.

The first half of the first year Tim and I worked for RMIT CU was a really tough time for me. As well as getting used to a new and emotional job, I also had to get used to a new Tim. Tim, under the pressure of so much people time, spent alot more time on his own. This to me felt like a rejection and I began to wonder things like "Am I just really boring company? Is he sick of me? Do I need to be more entertaining? Are we past the best stage in our marriage and now onto some mundain, putting-up-with-each-other stage?"

But half way through the year I finally bought the love languages book, and it helped me so much. I began to realise that as quality time was my love language, I assumed that Tim wanting Tim alone was all about me. It wasn't. Tim needed space, not because he didn't love being with me, but because he was an introvert who needed some time alone. But I also realised that I had to be really clear with what I needed. Tim could have his space, but I also needed time together- and not time hanging out with students together, or time watching TV together but actually time, talking, sharing, face-to-face. And what a difference it's made to us working that out!

Which brings us back to Saturday. Tim's love language is Gifts. He loves presents. He loves his birthday. So I feel a great deal of pressure to please him. This year he wanted a new pair of shoes, which we finally decided on, on Sunday. But what to give him on the day!

I decided to make a treat luckie dip. Each hour for about 8 hours of the day, Tim could draw one small present (chocolates, a big M, some socks he'd been wanting to get etc) out of his treat luckie dip. Tim just loved it, it wasn't complicated or expessive, but it was very him. And that, coupled with the fact that I was doing lots of "Acts of service" in preparation for company, which he also loved, meant he had a really lovely day.

Tim and I quite enjoy talking to other couples about their love languages and how they go about loving each other well. Our friend Matt from College came up to us and said that he's just discovered a sixth love language. Farting. But he said it didn't seem to be his wife Ros's language because she didn't seem to feel loved when he farted for her ;)

I'm so glad that's not Tim's love language!

The trial of being healthy

Several months ago I talked about Tim and I being on a health kick.

It didn't work. It never works (huge sigh)! So once again I try not to get dispirited as I try again. So far I've managed to give up hot-chocolates and cakes at College, and I'm endeavouring to give up ice-cream and chocolate. Which is good. But it's only a start. So I thought I'd open it up and see a) is anybody still reading ;) and b) does anyone have any particularly recipes for healthy, yummy, cheap meals. Lowish GI is my preference.

And why the picture? Reminds me of the good old days when I could eat ice cream. But really I just like it ;)

Please pray for me. I'm under doctors orders to loose some weight and I do find it a hard process. Pray that I will glorify God in all that I do.

God bless,

Belinda

procrastination

In honour of that great tradition of student procrastination and since I'VE FINISHED STUDYING FOR MY EXAM, YAY! I decided I'd give you a list of things people do and reasons people give for not studying

1) They go on facebook and say they are studying
2) They go on facebook and say they are procrastinating
3) They bake brownies and take them to their neighbours (that's in honor of our friends Ros and Matt- they were great brownies too!)
4) They organise their study notes
5) They plan a study timetable (that's me)
6) They write kids stories about their friends instead of studying(that's me again)
7) They stop studying early the night before the exam because they think if you study too close the exam then its craming and if you cram you don't retain any of the information you learn and you distract yourself from all the studying you did previously so that you actually forget the things you've tried previously to learn and so its really for the benefit of your exam result that you are doing other things instead of studying.


That last ones me. Right now.

Christian Charm students manual

My sister and I have been rather enjoying looking through a quaint little book that Sandy's friend found in an op-shop. It is called "Christian Charm Students Manual". Written in the sixties (can't you tell!), this little book details how you can be charming and beautiful "Inside and Out". It's so funny! There are thrilling entries like "Posing Pointers", "Is my posture lovely", "facial beauty from without", and my personal favourite: "As a Christian Girl, what should be my attitude towards my hair?"

As well as making us laugh- its actually been an interesting exercise in thinking about culture. In the sixties, at least according to this book, to dye your hair was all about drawing inappropriate attention to yourself and a "good Christian girl" wouldn't dream of it. Now we don't even think about it. I wonder what aspects of life we define as very important issues for being godly that are simply our Christian culture setting the norms. It also makes me wonder what real and important values we've thrown out the window simply because our wider culture doesn't see them as important.

I was reminded of this in a discussion over lunch at college about different television shows. Think about the way we watch TV. We cheer when our favourite couple finally sleeps together, we find ourselves hoping that the lie that was told will never be found out, and we celebrate when marriages we didn't like break up. As Christians, is it really appropriate to shut off our moral compass in the name of being entertained?

All interesting questions, much more interesting and relevant than how to have young looking hands! Though we probably shut off our moral compass when we think about beauty too; leting the world dictate what is important in that area also.

And how do I rate in the area of charm? Tim very kindly assured me when he read the charm book that I wasn't at all charming by sixties standards! Hmmm, makes be feel better about tricking him during the tofu incident ;)

Great Vegetable controversy Part 2

Now maybe Legumes aren't vegies (thanks Andrea!).

Maybe this is a ploy by very clever parents

Child: "But I don't like vegetables!"

Very clever parent: "Its not a vegetable darling, its a fruit/legume/root"

Reminds me of the time when Tim and I were on our honeymoon and I convinced him that ginger "bean-curd" would be an excellent choice for dinner- even though I knew he wouldn't agree to it if he knew it was actually tofu. Hehe, the power of a title!

Update on the vegetable controversy

Thanks by the way, Jean, for letting me know that Eggplant is also a fruit- and therefore can't be my new favourite vegetable.

I'd suggest a new favourite vegetable but I'm sure whatever I pick it will probably also be a fruit. Can anyone tell me something that is actually a vegetable- surely once you remove cucumbers, eggplants and tomatoes and their relatives you can't have many options left?

Incidentally- one of the funniest words in the English Language is Legume. My sister Sandy and I used to say it to each other to make each other laugh. Legume. I think they gave it a name that was so amusing because all of the worst vegetables fit into that category and they needed something to make the vegetables feel better about being very healthy but generally gross.
B

Restful days

I've been doing lots of writing and reading today- such fun! I'm so thankful to God that I've decided to make Saturdays a non-studying/relax day. Even though it sometimes makes for a busier week- its so nice to relax and enjoy life and my husband without the guilt hanging over my head of "shouldn't I be doing something productive".

So far today I've read a bit of the "The Art of Fiction Writing" (so interesting!), and done lots and lots of fiction re-reading: all of "The Horse and his Boy" (my favourite of the Narnia series although it always gets left out!), the last chapters of "The Last Battle" and several stories from L.M. Montgomeries "Further Chronicals of Avonlea". One of the most beautiful things about re-reading is that if you have time you can do it really quickly- brushing over the long bits and savoring the best. And you know exactly what you are going to get- which is lovely on a cold Saturday after a stressful week- when all you want to do is read about simple romances, nicely resolved family tentions and talking horses!

And I'm managed to write a first draft of the climatic ending to my fantasy trilogy. Now I just need to write the beginning and the middle of it!
I love Saturdays.

Who, Who, Who?

This week has been a real week of missing Melbourne, of feeling the pull of being out of the lives of people I care about, of longing and praying for family. It has also been a week of watching different people I care about struggled with all kinds of grief and suffering. Its been a week of asking lots of questions to God.

But its also been a week where nothing has felt academic. Where the simple truths of doctrine have come alive: God is a God who does not change, who can't be manipulated by man, that humans very humanity is wrapped up in the God who created them in his image. Where sermons have been real and raw: That God's sovereignty is a blessing because who else would I want to control my life, that we have assurance in Christ, that familiarity with what God is like he should transform our lives. It is a week where Church history has inspired and challenged, where questions have been solved about how best to understand God's word, and where Greek has felt like unwrapping a present rather than solving an equation.

It is a week where questions of why, why, why have been turned on their head. Because its not why, why, why- those questions are not answered until heaven. But it is a question of who, who, who and the answer is Jesus.

And it is a week where I have once again concluded that I have the best husband in the whole-wide-world. A husband who comforts and cares and loves and supports. But most importantly- a husband who always turns my head back to the cross and saviour. When I look at all the uncertainty of life and say: "I'm not strong enough" his answer is not "Yes you are", but "None of us are, but God is".

"The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD,
your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD ?
Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?
In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
he is more awesome than all who surround him.
O LORD God Almighty, who is like you?
You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
You rule over the surging sea;
when its waves mount up, you still them."
Psalm 89:5-9

A new favourite vegetable

I have official changed my favourite vegetable to....wait for it...drum roll...the eggplant.

Perhaps a strange choice- but let me illustrate. An eggplant is versatile because it is not so much the taste itself that is in its power, but the way that it absorbs other flavours. I put it in my Thai-green curry, and my Indian Korma curry. It makes a mean dip flavour and is such a great staple in middle-eastern/Greek cuisine. I even had fried egg-plant at a Japanese restaurant, and it was in that same Japanese Restaurant- mopping up some sort of sweet Japanese mayo with the afore mentioned vegetable- that I realised that it was now at the top of the list.

It used to be the cucumber, but I recently discovered it was technically a fruit (isn't everything!), and besides, since there aren't any cucumbers listening I might as well admit it- eggplant still wins.

I was thinking about vegetables today because I was reading once again Jasper Fforde's "The Fourth Bear"- of which cucumbers play a central role. Jasper Fforde is my favourite author- which is a massive call, but I think he deserves it. I say this with a caution because as much as I love him, he is not every ones cup of tea. He is very weird and not quite logical-and I've had people dislike his books because they don't really make proper sense. His books can't really fit into any genre. They involve very improbably scientific situations- but they aren't Sci-Fi. They are funny, but in a weird- "Belinda thinks it's funny" kind of way. His first series "The Thursday Next" books involve a detective who is in charge of looking at Literature related crimes- inside and outside of Fiction. The "Jack Spratt" series is all about a police department that looks at Nursery Rhyme related crimes.

Jasper Fforde, before starting his Thursday Next series- had been reading up on the Crimean War, and was thinking that would be very interesting in his book- except that his book was set 100 years after the war ended. Then he thought "I'm a fiction writer, I can do anything I want" so he created a 1985 when England was still at War with Russia. From there he created this bizarre alternate universe; where Dodo birds are being genetically re sequenced, time travel is carefully monitored by the government, and some people have the ability to move into the world of fiction. Very, very weird but very, very entertaining

And the best bit was, when me and my fellow groupie friends went to his books signing some four years ago, while I was excited to meet him and perhaps to get to ask him a question (which I did), I figured that I would be disappointed. Surely someone who is so witty and weird in his writing would not be in his personality. But he was! He was funny and clever and fascinating and friendly and I asked him a question about writing which he answered brilliantly. Since then he's always been in my answer for "If you could have dinner with any three people in the world, who would you pick?"

But all this discussion of vegies is making me hunger- and I'm off to the shops, hoping at least one owner is a republican!
B

The Cross

Hi Friends,
I am not having the best of weeks. Just one of those weeks, not that different from the week before, but one where I feel overwhelmed with study, my own sin and my prayers not being answered. God has come through in so many ways this week and yet...I am so glad this week is over.

But today was also the day when me and my friend Jen got to dramatically tell the Crucifixion story. Jen was in tears during her bit- she choked up as she spoke of Pilot who had Jesus crucified purely out of fear of the crowds. And I told of the actual crucifixion. I choked up as I spoke of Jesus breathing his last: him, my God and my king, my saviour and my friend. My perfect, perfect God- and they murdered him like a criminal. It was such an amazing opportunity- and it changed me. And I looked back over my yucky, yucky week and I thought- Jesus died for me. And it was still a bad week, but it was bearable.
His grace is sufficient for me

Look, he is calling for Ellijah!

I peak forward wearily at a massive week of work to be done.

But there is one thing that I have to do that I am very excited by. Our Gospel of Mark lecturer each week gets someone from the class to "story-tell" a part of Marks gospel. And this week, myself and another girl Jen from the class will be combining to 'perform' Mark 15

This has meant that over the last month I have been memorising the crucifixion scene from Mark's perspective. This is an amazing resource to have stored in my brain- think of the benefit of evangelism! But thinking it through and working out how best to express it has thrown me head-long into the text- and I wanted to share some of my findings.

The whole scene is dripping with hidden meaning that those who participate in it (besides Jesus) are oblivious too. The mocking and the death that Jesus previously described was going to happen is seen as a failer by one and all.
Those passing by say:
"So, you would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, come down from that cross and save yourself"
They don't realise that the temple he was talking about was his body- which that the moment was being destroyed
The Chief priest and teachers say:
"He saved others, but he can't even save himself"
Yet it is by staying on that cross that Jesus is able to save people from their sins.

But one aspect of the passage that puzzled me for a while is the curious word mix-up that occurs when Jesus cries out (in Aramaic) "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me".

The people around think he is calling for Elijah (whose name is similar to the word God)- and wait to see if Elijah will come and take him down (from the cross). There is this high point of expectation that Elijah will come to save him - then suddenly Jesus cries out and dies.

As I practiced saying this- I wondered at the movement. The whole of the gospel has been working its way towards the point of this death- and then there is this strange interruption that ends up leaving the death as almost an anti-climax?

But the more I thought about it- the more I realised that by including this aspect of the crucifixion- Mark helps to put us into the shoes of those who were there. They had perhaps heard Jesus, saw his miracles, and heard or believed that he could be the King they had been waiting for. They were puzzling why someone who appeared to have such power would let himself be crucified. They mock or hear others mocking and wonder- why won't he save himself?

Then- as they hear him cry- rather than understanding the meaning of the scripture he quotes (that he is at that moment experiencing the wrath of God over the worlds sin)- they assume this must be the last ditch effort to escape. He cries for Elijah- and surely if he is really God's Messiah Elijah will come and rescue him?

And then he dies. We are left, like those there, to wonder how things could have turned out like this, to assume because Elijah didn't come- that Jesus is in fact a failer.

But Mark doesn't leave it there. The curtain in the temple is torn in two-showing that his death has made a way for people to be in the presence of God. And a centurion, a Gentile- sees the way he died and realised what all those there (laughing at his failer) should have known: "Surely this man was the Son of God".

Praise God that Jesus didn't get down from that cross and save himself. Praise God that in this moment of apparent weakness and failer-that Christ was paying for our own.

I encourage whoever reads this to get out there Bible and read Mark's account. Sit with me at the foot of the cross- be there at that moment of greatest shame and purest glory.

"Oh what a mystery
Meakness and majesty
Bow down and worship
For this is your God
This is your God"