Thanks to the leaders so much for organising our special program and taking care of us. However.. the one downside to last year was.. I didn't feel like we had a lot of fellowship all together. I spent a lot of time with my cabin.. but not a lot with other people. And we hardly ever spoke to the guys coz their cabins were like on the other side of ours.. whereas last year they were just down the hall. But that's alright.. we need time apart *wink*. But it did seem like we spent a lot of time in our little groups instead of all together in one.. but guess you can't expect much.
Workshop #1: Interpreting the Bible
Excellent! Darwin taught us how we can read the Bible for all it's worth. I was kinda looking forward to this workshop coz I'd been having trouble with interpreting the Bible. Like.. how do you know what it's saying.. how do you know it's saying this and not that.. what's the right interpretation!?! Well... the answers are all in the Bible! We got a whole list of questions that you should go through when reading a passage.. if you really would like to understand it. Kind of like what you do in English. The important things were like... reading it's immediate context.. what happens in the previous few chapters and the next few chapters. Are there any OT references? If there are... look up those references and read them in context. And guys... a Study Bible really helps!! If I wrote down all the questions to go through, this post would be way too long so.. if you wanna see or get a copy.. I think you can just ask Darwin.. he might be able to give you one. I need to get another copy off him lol.. I seem to have misplaced mine.. as I do many things.. *ashamed*
We learnt something amazing about Matthew 4:1-11! Amazing! I would never have thought of it.. and reading his gospel will never be the same for me. If you're interested.. ask me.. or anyone else that did the workshop. Also supposed to read Jeremiah 29:10-14 which is often misinterpreted. But we didn't have time.. so I had a read of it last night.. it was awesome like... reading the Bible will never be the same again! It's so fun now.. really.. it's just so amazing and like... the answers are all there! It's really enhanced reading the Bible for me.. it'll never be the same.
Two books were also recommended that I really want to read now. God's Big Picture and How to Read the Bible for All it's worth.
Workshop #2: What does the Bible say about...
Questions and Answers. I was actually expecting that it'd be the time where you could ask hard questions and stuff.. but it was actually supposed to be for easy questions.. but oh well.. anyway.. it was a good session.
It was a toss up for me between this workshop and Unworthy but not Worthless coz that is something that I'd always wondered about.. but it was already full.. but thanks to Paols.. I got something out of it anyway.. just wanna repeat again.. God does not love us because we are valuable; we are valuable because God loves us. That really hit me. The world is always telling us to believe in our self.. to have self confidence.. self esteem.. etc etc. Not saying that being a christian means that you don't have those things. But it's different for us because... we don't have confidence in ourselves.. in our abilities and our worth. We have confidence that God loves us.. despite our unworthiness.. and that's what makes us valuable. Not that we are particularly great people.. but that because God loves us.. we are given value. Reminds me of this great song called Beautiful by Bethany Dillon (who has a new album coming out soon! Yay! I've been anticipating it.. go to her website for a preview of her new single):
I was so unique
Now I feel skin deep
Count on the makeup to cover it all
Crying myself to sleep
Because I cannot keep their attention
Thought I could be strong
But it’s killing me
Does someone hear my cry
I’m dying for new life
I want to be beautiful
And make you stand in awe
Look inside my heart
And be amazed
I want to hear you say
Who I am is quite enough
Just want to be worthy of love
And beautiful
Sometimes I wish I was someone other than me
Fighting to make the mirror happy
Trying to find whatever is missing
Won’t you help me back to glory
You make me beautiful
You make me stand in awe
You step inside my heart
And I am amazed
I love to hear You say
Who I am is quite enough
You make me worthy of love
And beautiful
I think that pretty much sums it all up.
Sam's Talks: The Call to Discipleship and The Cost of Discipleship
The Second talk especially hit me. What does it mean to be a christian? Is it all about following rules, being a good person, finding a purpose for life. No.. it's not about all those things.. but becoming a christian does mean that you will experience those things. But being a christian is really all about relationship! It's about being in a right relationship with God.. because at the moment.. our relationship is pretty screwed up because of our active rebellion against God.. so.. becoming a christian is about making it right as it should be.
So what does it mean to be in a relationship with God? Well it's just like every other relationship. There are benefits.. and there are costs. Every relationship requires sacrifice. Some people will say that.. being a christian means sacrificing your freedom.. you have to go to church.. to pray.. to read the Bible.. follow all the rules!
When you have a bf or gf.. you are not only in a relationship with them... but you also have to get along with their friends and family. Well.. being in a relationship with God also means that you need to have a relationship with God's family.. and they are your fellow christians. That's why we go to church and have fellowship with one another. Not because it'll make us "godly" and not to be "religious".
When you have a bf or gf.. you will obviously need to communicate with them. Well.. being in a relationship with God means communicating with Him.. and that's what prayer is. Once again.. not the way we can be "godly" or "religious".. but something you'd naturally do in any relationship.. communication that is. However... it's not just words that you speak.. like something you chant everyday.. no.. it's personal.. it's from the heart.
When you have a bf or gf.. you'd want to get to know them better. Being in a relationship with God is the same. The way we can get to know God is by reading the Bible. Once again.. not being "godly" or "religious". Getting to know the other half of your relationship should not be a chore.. but something that you really wish to do.
When you have a bf or gf... you will make sacrifices. There might be some bad habits that your bf/gf doesn't like about you.. like foul language, being a lazy-good-for-nothing, flirting with other guys/girls.. and you make those changes because 1) you love your bf/gf.. and 2) it's for your own good anyway. Changes will be made when you become a christian.. your old life is gone.. your new life has begun. But it's not something you HAVE to do.. but something that you WANT to do because you love God because He loved you first.. and He only has your best interests at heart.
Those are all the misconceptions about the cost of becoming a christian.. but the real cost is that we have to put God first.. above all things.. above your own selfish desires.. against the world especially. It's a scary choice... but it's one that we all have to make. You can't get the best of both worlds.. it's just not possible.
I'd like to end with a quote.. that really touched me this weekend. It's by Jim Elliot - a missionary to the Auca Indians in Ecuador who was killed on arrival there. The Aucas where cannibals and ate him alive. At the time his wife was Elisabeth Elliot, author of Passion and Purity and Let Me Be a Woman which are both excellent books. Jim gave up his life to serve God.. not something that he was forced to do.. but something that he wanted to do. Not saying that we should all go to Ecuador and be eaten alive.. but that.. there are sacrifices that we all have to make... but in the end.. it'll all be worth it.
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
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