Evaluation

Had a chance to take some time out yesterday to evaluate the last academic year and to just grab some space to think. After all I said about over reflecting recently it seemed rather ironic that this time that I booked in some time ago was now here.

I spent a lot of my time as I often do when on retreat just walking (I have the blisters today to prove it). It was great to again think back upon my life over the past years and notice God's guiding hand over the incidents, activities and relationships.

Things personally have changed dramatically, new job, new houses, new wife, new people. It hasn't been an easy year in many ways as I continue to try to explore and process so many new and old attitudes and thoughts around faith and Christ. It often feels like to much to deal with as I look at, read about and appreciate so much of the emerging church movement but work within a more traditional form which I still feel 100% called to. In amongst all of this I do feel as though I am learning a lot about leadership, youth and community work. I feel confused but strong if that makes any sense at all, I am enjoying the journey more than ever but just want to as always create those nice boxes to place things in. But as Tony Cant has always said 'God wont be put in boxes, He will always break out of them.'

As a Christian I am called to be radical, to live life in a sense of 'Dangerous Wonder' as Mike Yaconelli so aptly put it. It seems a default position within me to go back to what is 'normal' and 'comfortable', things that don't upset the status quo. I've been told I have teachable heart which I've always taken as being a good thing, I just need some time to digest so I don't get indigestion.

Spent some time reading yesterday (actually quite a lot of time). I am currently reading the classic 'Christianity Rediscovered' by Vinscent Donovan which is fantastic and is challenging my thinking and presentation of the Gospel profoundly. I am also reading Tom Wright's commentary on Hebrews which is also great as it's not a book I have studied before in much detail. The final book on the go is 'The Last Battle', C.S Lewis' final effort in the Narnia Chronicles which I have been working my way through over the past 6 months.

The last year in my ministry here at WHBC has flown by rapidly, we have done so much in many ways and so little in others. I am happy with the direction that our youth work is now taking and there are exciting possibilities and opportunities ahead. I need to try and stick close to Gods leading as the amount of things that we could do has potential to get out of hand.

My prayer for this next academic year is that I will continue to learn to be a better follower, husband, missionary and friend to those near and far away.

My ramblings have been long, contradictory and un/in eloquent and filled with messy thinking and probably messy theology but I gain comfort knowing that I'm not the only person journeying.

God Bless

Lew