"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give
the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and
respect" (1 Pet 3:15)
Where has September gone?? I can't believe that already the shops are filling up with their Christmas merchandise. Maybe I'm just getting old - but I wish time would just slow up a little. Enjoying life too much for it to fly past!
Been a busy month (thus the lack of posts!). Both kids have had chicken-pox - not at the same time of course - that would have been too easy! It was our wedding anniversary on the 7th - and we were given money to go out for a nice meal and just haven't had the time to as yet (unless you call Frankie & Benny's on the day itself a "nice meal" - followed by "The Time Travellers Wife" at the cinema (not my choice!). Supposedly the book is better than the movie - will take folks' word for it!!)
Most
of this month I've been spending my spare time writing an assignment
for my Masters degree. Is due today - and was sent off in good time -
so that is me now finished
my first module - has only taken 5 years - not bad eh?? Shocking!
Have also started a second Masters which is going better - basically
because it's a structured course with deadlines - I need deadlines!!
Work has been good, but busy. The group of guys that have been coming to the Chaplaincy groups are not exactly convinced Christians - and so tend to question/contradict/ask me to justify everything I say - I can't even get through a sermon at the service without interruption. I don't mind really - but it can be mentally draining! And can be hard to keep the "gentleness and respect" part of the passage above - maybe that's why Peter said it!! I find myself having to defend the church for a lot of her faults (my faults). Was even told by one guy yesterday that I'm not really a Christian because I don't do enough for those leaving the prison without a home (including him!!) and if I was a real Christian I would be taking them to my house! Maybe he has a point. Wealth is a big issue to them - why are Christians so wealthy if Jesus tells us to give it away? Why is the church not doing more for the poor? The drugs addicts? It is easy for me to get defensive and explain about things that are happening - but sometimes I leave wondering whether Jesus would agree more with them than me! Anyway - keep me in your prayers folk - really appreciate them - and desperately need them.(Now I need to go off and find out more as to why the Gospel of Thomas isn't trusted by the Church - where do the guys get to know about all this stuff!!??)
Praying for you!
Posted by: Sheena | October 01, 2009 at 08:00 PM
- Was even told by one guy yesterday that I'm not really a Christian because I don't do enough for those leaving the prison without a home (including him!!) and if I was a real Christian I would be taking them to my house! -
Yeah, I've been told that as well. So I ask the bloke if he would be happy for me to have him in the same room with the child sex offenders who can't find housing anywhere else. And don't forget that I've been a chaplain for several years so there are 73 men sharing the house with me and they are not all very appreciative of the privacy of anybody else.
Oh yeah, I also work as chaplain to the local psychiatric hospital and some of our patients have no home to go to, so ...
Posted by: Kim Miller | March 19, 2010 at 10:19 AM