What are you hoping for this Christmas, before we get to Christmas Day we have a period the Church calls Advent, which literally means ‘coming’, so Christmas is coming…..during Advent we might open an advent calendar. In our digital age we can do this via twitter or online (click the links) – who knows what you might discover.  But waiting and hoping are two really quite difficult things but good things are most certainly worth waiting for.

So Christmas is coming and how are you going to prepare, is it going to be all about what bargains you can get down the shops, or what food you can dream of cooking and eating. Maybe it is a dread of the arguments you might have, the loved ones you are going to miss, or the sense of isolation you might experience at Christmas.  So Christmas is coming and in order to prepare can I suggest the following:

1. Take some time to think about how you can make Christmas special for someone else that doesn’t involve spending vast quantities of money…who you might not even know.

2. Try out the online advent calendar from December 1st

3. Come along to one of the university Christmas Celebrations.

I know that’s not many tips – but I reckon if you do these three you never know it might be quite transformative! Have a good advent, Christmas is coming….

By Stephen Heap (Baptist Times Newsweek) It is great when something good happens. It’s even better when it is good and big enough to dominate the news bulletins. When it is good, big, full of prayer, ingenuity, courage and love, better still!  Maybe it was the coming together of all those things and more which moved some to tears when those Chilean miners were skilfully brought up that narrow way. They journeyed from darkness to light and donned their jackets emblazoned with ‘Thanks be to God’.

It was in itself a tremendous good news story.  It was also fascinating to see how the Chilean people used their ingenuity and technical skill and, at the same time, fervently said their prayers. For them, seemingly, both were part of life, without any sense of contradiction.

Nearer to home, the news was more mixed. The report by Lord Browne into University Funding and Student Support was published. Immediately there were headlines about increased student debt. It was enough to put the fear of the bank manager into prospective students. No doubt all the newspaper accounts were absolutely accurate; what else would they be? However, it did seem at times as if any good news in Lord Browne’s recommendations was hidden in the small print on inside pages. READ More

Maybe it was coming to University, maybe that was your big step – or maybe now you’re at University, coming along to a society, or out with friends, or maybe daring to come along to 5pm on Wednesdays to find out about the Christian faith.

This week I got to speak at a pudding party – yes how hard it is being a chaplain getting to speak at pudding parties…. Anyway I was asked to speak on my time in Hong Kong working with Jackie Pullinger.  Well Jackie aged 23 with help of some older wiser Christians got on a boat that went around the world, and had decided to get off where God told her. She ended up in Hong Kong and after several years of serving others with kindness, people finally began asking her why she was there.  God then began working in the lives of those she was helping, whether that was drug addicts, people on the streets, or simply people that knew they needed God’s help.  She’s still there over 40 years later, a faithful servant of God. I was asked last night what made me aged 18 dare to go out and work with Jackie. For me it did take courage, but I wanted to see God at work in people in a way that made a difference. For me I think was only a small step, although it was also a big step, because I discovered God wants to use someone like me, and here I am all these years later, serving God, and serving a community (a very different one to the one in Hong Kong) but nevertheless a community that needs God just as much.  So what will it take for you to step out, to follow that voice that calls you out of comfort, to a place you never thought you’d go. It might be on your doorstep or it might be thousands of miles away.  This week at 5pm (Wednesdays at 5pm) we’ve got Barbara Rainbow coming to talk about the work she does in the summer with an orphanage in India – so do come along – it might just be the first step of many…

So the hand can’t tell the eye to get lost, because we need the eye to see, and the eye can’t tell the foot to take a walk because we need our feet.

It’s an amazing truth, and today on the 2nd day of freshers how true this is going to be. You might have arrived, and in your halls are all kinds of other people, but they all go to make up the University, each person contributes something important.

But also it reminds us that we might be important but we’re not so important that we can’t do with out our neighbour, our fellow course member.

Paul is writing this to a bunch of people who are trying to follow Jesus, and one of the things they seem to be good at is arguing. Mainly over who’s the most important there, and Paul’s reply is that well you’re all important, but none of you are so important you can’t do with out your neighbour.

So don’t put yourself down, you’re needed in this place, but don’t big yourself up so much you get lost.  Take a chance to appreciate all those who are around you, take time to see what you can give to them, and what they can give to you, you might be surprised.

Take care Tamsin.

‘Faith is believing what you don’t see, whereas Religion is where you can’t believe what you are seeing’.

When do we exercise faith? At a basic level we need faith when we switch on the light – that we still have electricity. Faith when we go to the supermarket – that there will be food.  For us I think because for our everyday needs faith is always fulfilled, it can be difficult to then exercise faith where maybe we feel we are still waiting.

So Hebrews 11:29-12:2 I think from these sections we can draw out four aspects of faith.

• Faith is adventurous (Read the story of Rahab)
• Faith is diverse (not one size fits all – all six men mentioned by the writer are all different, showed faith in different ways and had different faults)
• Faith is courageous (leads people to suffer for what they believe)
• Faith is patient (all those mentioned in Hebrews didn’t receive the promise – but still had faith – sometimes we have to wait)

How do we grow our faith?

So the writer of Hebrews takes us on into Chapter 12 and tells us to be encouraged by the faith of those who have gone before, and pictures the life we are living like a race.  I always think of a marathon here and how along the marathon people crowd the road cheering on the runners.  I think this is the picture, there are crowds of people cheering us on who have gone before us, who know we can make it, and know the race is worth finishing. (That’s a little aside).

If we have chosen to run this race what advice do we need? The writer recommends two things. Strip down and start running and get rid of

1. What hinders – the word means weight, a heavy burden. Throw off the heavy burdens we carry.
2. Parasitic sins that so easily entangles – I have visions of weeds taking root.

First let go of the burdens we carry.

Actually for this I recommend reading Keith Hitchman’s blog, our burdens may not be the same but I love the idea that we need to let go of burdens that stop us seeing Jesus, whatever they may be.

Second Throw off SIN.

The spiritual athlete must throw off the sin which clings so closely – before we know where we are we have been tripped up and hurled to the ground in a race which had all the possibilities of triumphant victory.

One of my favourite programmes is Desperate Housewives, I have most of them on DVD. One of the characters Gabrielle Solice is in a rather empty marriage, and she ends up having an affair. Her husband is in prison and she goes to visit him with a anniversary card, and when he’s not that pleased, she objects, but he says their marriage is a bit of sham. She says why, and he raises the affair, she says maybe if he had paid her attention she wouldn’t have had an affair. They argue and he basically tells her she has not said sorry, that her sorry always has a but, always has if only, always has an excuse.  She leaves and some days later returns after a revelation, and sits and tells him she’s sorry, with no buts. He leans forward and tells her this is the best anniversary present he has ever had. The problem with sin is it clings so closely so often we don’t even recognise it as sin, or we don’t want to recognise it as sin.  Sometimes we might blame God for all sorts of things, or make up excuses as to why we don’t do this and that, and then I think we get afraid because God must be really angry with us. But as imperfect as this picture is, I think when we genuinely realise we’ve made a mess and simply tell that to God, I think he is like the Gabrielle’s husband, saying to us, ‘that’s the best present I’ve ever had’.

Learning to say sorry without any buts is a huge deal but I think when we do it gets rid of the sin that clings so close.

Tuesday 2nd to Friday 5th March 2010

Maybe the Busy Person’s Retreat is for you. From March 2nd to March 5th the Chaplaincy is offering a retreat of a very different kind; this is not your normal retreat where you go away for a few days, this is a retreat catering to you in your everyday working or studying life. A Busy Person’s Retreat is an on-campus retreat, for busy people who would like to connect with or refresh their spiritual life.

A RETREAT EXPERIENCE ON-CAMPUS

A Busy Person’s Retreat is an on-campus retreat, for people who would like to deepen their prayer life and develop their faith amid a busy schedule.

What is the Purpose of a Busy Person’s Retreat?

To provide a retreat experience without having to leave home for the weekend.
To offer the experience of a Spiritual Companion to journey and pray with.
To offer four days of prayer and reflection.
To experience a community that is both nurturing and prayerful

Each person during the three days will be given a spiritual companion to journey with them for 30 minutes each day. The spiritual companions are from the Christian faith tradition but will be deeply respectful of each person’s beliefs. If you are interested but want to ask questions then please feel free to get in touch. There is more information about the role of the spiritual companions inside the information booklet.

If you sign up on the retreat you will be given a booklet, which will guide you through the three days with questions and resources to read and listen to.  We suggest that you take approximately 30 minutes on your own each day, using the booklet, and then another 30 minutes with your companion.

The spiritual companions will be able to travel to each campus.  If you need to meet them before or after your work or lectures, or during your lunch break, times to meet can be agreed with them.

If you are not of the Christian Faith but would like to join us, then please do get in touch, we will endeavour to help you, whether that is through providing a specific faith advisor as a guide, or someone who will be able to help you where you are. Please get in touch, we’d love to help you.

What time does it start and finish?

The retreat begins on Tuesday 2nd March in the evening at 7.30pm in CEAL (top floor) on FCH campus and will end on Friday 5th March at 7.30pm in the evening. The evening events are not compulsory but have been a super way to begin and end the time if you are able to join us.  Then on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday you find a time which will work for you and your companion to meet up.

To find out more you can download a leaflet on this page or go to our website www.glos.ac.uk/chaplaincy or email chaplaincy@glos.ac.uk

Book online here

Email chaplaincy@glos.ac.uk for more information.

By Leigh Reilly

12/2

Imagine you couldn’t use your hands. How would you do your papers or type?

It would be hard but not impossible. People take these kinds of things for granted. Or what about you could not talk, it would be extremely difficult to speak and I used to have a difficult time speaking but now my speech is getting better. It still needs work and I am working hard. I have a wonderful ability in writing so I use that to my advantage. I use my writing ability and have perfected it over the years, only thing is my grammar is horrible when I write because I usually just write and not think about the other stuff. But grammar is not that important as long as I get my point across.  In fact I am trying to write a novel about my experiences. Not that I do not want to talk but a lot of people are not patient and they just like to finish my sentences for me and that is something I hate, and that is why I am quiet most of the time. I am not shy, I would say I am more reflective. In fact, I am more outgoing than shy and people do not realize this because they do not want to get to know me. People automatically assume I am slow which is a wrong assumption, I am not slow, I am careful and people do not understand. I hate that they assume and think I am dumb when I am very wise and knowledgeable but people just are too busy to get to know me so they assume I am all these things. I know I am more slow here but that is only because I don’t want to fall but at home I am outgoing and not shy in fact I am not slow because I know what is and isn’t there.

Everyone has some sort of weakness, mine though is physical. I know I am different and for the most part I embrace my difference and give inspiration to others.  I have my days which I feel I can’t do anything but I know this is wrong because I can do so many things; I can do all things though Christ who strengthens me; Phil. 4:13. I am just slower and do things in a different way and not that this is wrong just different. People are fearful and afraid of difference so they make every excuse to avoid me.  I feel like I have an advantage over other people even though they do not think I do because I have all my future planned out already. I do have an ability that God has given me and that is perseverance and determination at the most difficult time. God might have given me this physical challenge but I do not see it as a challenge as other people do. Some people look at me and think I cannot do things but this is not true and I feel they are missing out on knowing a great person but they just see the physical and are superficial about it.

2^nd Corinthians 12 7-10- Read it first then I will tell you what I think

Paul says that in times of weakness the Lord gives you strength. I have learned to rely on the Lord more so now than when I lived at home. The Lord gave me this weakness because I was the only person who could handle this unique situation but now the Lord is fulfilling his promise of healing me from this weakness. Even though I do not think I will get 100% better. Nothing is impossible with God; Luke 1:37; so I might be 100% soon. However I am perfectly happy the way I am because the Lord gives me strength when I am weak.  Paul says that his weakness is a messenger from Satan and I have thought about this time and again and friends from school have agreed with this because Satan did not want me to tell others about God so he put in my head that I cannot do this and what’s worse is that Satan knew that I still wanted to tell others about Jesus which is why he took my voice for twenty years but now I have a voice and it is because Jesus intervened and defeated Satan for me and I do not have to worry anymore, just focus on my healing process. I am being healed but it is taking a while because I have been walking like this since I was 5 and ‘stuttering’ since I was 7. Jesus is teaching me patience and I learn something new I can do every day and that is only Jesus helping me and giving me strength I still have so much work I need to do but through my Jesus, my Father and Savior I am able to get through this for a few more years now.

My physical challenge is not so much of a problem even though a lot of people see it as a problem which is ok because I am able to show them that it is not a problem. I see this also as a God given gift because people see me as someone who can’t but I show them I can and that can only come from God.  A prime example of this, people assumed I could not drive or succeed in school. No one believed in me except my grandparents and one of my friends when I was in high school. High School was a terrible time for me because no one understood me and thus bullied and picked on me because they did not have Jesus in their lives and could not see Jesus made me like this for a reason. And that reason is to be an inspiration to all and to teach people love and compassion. A lot of people though do not understand, my friends at home, I am very blessed with them because my family is not the best and my friends are my family.  I preserve and a lot of people also will give up after the first or second try. God has given me gifts that a lot of people do not have and so what if I have this small challenge because spiritually and mentally I am advanced. I feel that being advanced in my spirituality and mentality is a gift because a lot of people are lost and they are not wise and do not have common sense.

Come and find out more on Monday December 7th, 7.30pm at the University Chapel. Here for the Uni site and more details. If we don’t see you have a good last two weeks of term.