Update – Releasing the Chains Conference

Thanks to everyone who prayed for us in Baguio. We had a really great time. Delegates traveled from across the Philippines for seminars and workshops on how to facilitate Bible studies in their dioceses and parishes. Those who attended had been selected by the national office of the Episcopal church. Each one was a lay leader within their diocese, so we had youth leaders, men’s leaders and women’s leaders. All were very enthusiastic. We looked at topics such as Why Study the Bible?, How to lead a Bible Study and Christian Leadership.

2 Hi-lights stand out for me.

The first was series of biblical meditations we did over the course of a morning. Moving around the cathedral we stopped at various points, listened to Bible readings and prayed for each other. It was very moving watching as the delegates opened up to each other and prayed for each other. There was laughter and also tears, and a strong sense that God was at work.

The second was the commissioning service. The dean kindly loaned us the cathedral for our final service. I preached and Bishop Yamoyam charged those assembled to go and begin new Bible study groups in their home dioceses and deaneries. Each was presented with a certificate and Bible donated by the Philippines Bible Society. For some this will be the first Bible they have owned personally. We then left to return home. For me it was 2 one hour flights, for others, they would be traveling by land see and air, and it would take them 24 hrs to reach their destinations.

Getting ready for the Move

In just less than a week we move house – again. This will be the sixth time we have moved in 2 years (counting stays at various colleges along the way). Not to be recommended. However, we are looking forward to the new place. We will have a garden. An upstairs. The children will have their own rooms, each with a set of bunk beds in them. And there will be a hen house for the chickens. Yep, we now have chickens. We did have six until a week ago, and one day whilst I was away the 5 little ones ganged up on the big one and pecked it to death. Who knew chickens could be so brutal?

Preparations are going ok. It’s just around the corner. We haven’t got much stuff, so there is not a lot to pack. And the children are very excited because they get to run up and down stairs and ride bikes around the garden. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Changing your tires – Filipino style

On the way back from a service this morning I stopped to fill the car tires with air. And realised they were in a shocking state. One had actually worn through the thread. Thus a trip to the garage for a set of new tires was in order.

Here’s how it goes.

Garage man looks at tires. We agree I need a new set. We agree a brand and a style. We agree a price. He guarantees it will be done in 30 mins and I can sit and wait. Garage mans boss comes over. He tells me it will never be done in 30 mins, but I can still sit and wait. Garage man and boss argue, no-one is changing the tires. Against my better judgement I sit and wait. Garage man starts work. 15 mins in he discovers there are only 3 tires of the type I need. Would I like a fourth more expensive one? No thanks. Would I like just 3 new ones? Actually I’d like 4 if that’s possible. Boss comes over. He calls the other store. They have a fourth and will bring it over. Great. I suggest I go home for lunch and they can call me when its ready; they look relieved. I walk home in the blazing sun. The garage call. Its a different brand, is that ok? That’s fine. They call again, it will cost more than we agreed is that ok? Thats ok, just please do the tires. They call again. They have only fitted 3 after all and car is ready for pick up. I go to pick up car, (this has now taken 3 hours). Surprise, they fitted 4 after all; hooray. Also they give me a complimentary umbrella – hooray, the tires cost more than we agreed – booh. I go home. The garage have thoughtfully put the 4 old filthy tires in the back of the car. Sigh. The phone rings. It’s the garage, they have mischarged me, would I return to the store for a partial refund? I’d love to.

5 hours later I have 4 new tires, a new umbrella and a pocket full of change. The kids have 4 old tires to play with. The car interior needs cleaning.

Changing your tires Filipino style.

An Eastern Orthodox, a Catholic, and an Anglican for Trinity Sunday

Preparing for Sunday I came across these:

‘There is in God genuine diversity as well as true unity. The Christian God is not just a unit but a union, not just unity but community. There is in God something analogous to “society”. He is not a single person loving himself alone, not a self contained monad or “the One”. He is triunity: three equal persons, each one dwelling in the other two by virtue of an unceasing movement of mutual love. Amo ergo sum. I love therefore I am.’

Kallistos Ware – The Orthodox Way (Revised Edition) 1979 St Vladimirs Seminary Press p27

‘The perception of God as Father and Son and Spirit is very clear in the New Testament… we have evidence of members of the early Christian community attempting to give an account of their experience of God and the faith that had come to birth in them. They were overwhelmed by their sense of God as Father. As they asked themselves about Jesus, they found themselves unable to avoid the conclusion that he was divine, as well as truly  a man. And they pondered deeply on their experience of the Spirit which came on them and, as they believed, made them new.’

Roderick Strange (Great name) – The Catholic Faith 1996 DLT p180

‘It would be a mistake to give the impression that Christian doctrine of God is a matter of clever intellectual word games or mind games. For Christians it’s always a love-game: God’s love for the world calling out an answering love from us. enabling us to discover that God not only happens to love us (as though this was simply one aspect of his character) but that he is love itself… Indeed some have suggested that one way of understanding the Spirit is to see the Spirit as the personal love which the Father has for the Son and the Son for the Father – and that we are invited, by being indwelt by the Spirit, to have a share, ourselves, in this inner and loving life of God… ‘the one who searches human hearts’, writes Paul, ‘knows what the Spirit is thinking, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people according to God’s will’ (Romans 8.27). ‘The heart-searcher’; there is a divine name to ponder.’

Tom Wright – Simply Christian – 2006 SPCK p118