Within a day of landing on these shores I experienced American life in microcosm - pancakes for breakfast followed by ice-cream cake for lunch. This set the trend for the remainder of the 8 weeks - an 8 weeks that has left me needing new trousers for more than just aesthetic reasons.
My primary task during this internship was to lead the Adult Bible Study. When I hear the words "bible study" together I picture a homely setting with a few people gathered around discussing a passage of Scripture. The "leader" is simply a facilitator of discussion, perhaps even saying the least of anyone in the room. When I hear the word "Adult" I think...oh, never mind. Anyway, this was not that kind of Bible Study...and certainly not that kind either.
The set-up was more akin to a classroom. Roughly 40 chairs were placed in a small room in the church building, all pointing towards the whiteboard where my words of wisdom would be scribbled in that awful handwriting that has plagued me since I first picked up a pencil. I was, for all intents and purposes, a teacher...but without the paid summer holidays, of course. (ooh...burn!)
Fearing that this would be so, I had gone to the best teacher I know for some advice. He simply said this: "If you want to encourage people to learn, learn to encourage." This is what I've tried to do from week 1 to week 8. (I've also tried to steal as many of his thoughts as possible and pass them off as my own, but that's not important right now.)
It was my intention to go through the whole of Colossians (it is, after all, only four chapters long), but things did not work out quite that way. I averaged roughly 3 verses a week, trying to get not only at the heart of the letter, but at the heart of the Christian life in general. Words such as "hope" and "gospel" were almost given full classes to themselves, because our thinking can be so fuzzy even when it comes to these basics. Other words, such as "indeed" and "for", were not given such extensive treatment. (I was very selective, you know.)
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I wasn't sure how that first class was going to go, but the same Spirit that was in Paul as he wrote this letter to the Colossians was and is still at work in bringing the words to life...or perhaps bringing us to life. I worked hard in preparing the lessons, but I knew my work would be in vain if God's presence wasn't present. Thankfully, it was.
The reality of teaching (from the Bible) is that almost all of what you say will be quickly forgotten. But in the midst of the soon-to-be-forgotten clutter of words, there may just be one sentence uttered that makes a real difference; that takes root and bears good fruit. Hours of preparation, an hour of teaching, is worth it for that 20 seconds. No question.
Next up - Senior's Chapel
My primary task during this internship was to lead the Adult Bible Study. When I hear the words "bible study" together I picture a homely setting with a few people gathered around discussing a passage of Scripture. The "leader" is simply a facilitator of discussion, perhaps even saying the least of anyone in the room. When I hear the word "Adult" I think...oh, never mind. Anyway, this was not that kind of Bible Study...and certainly not that kind either.
The set-up was more akin to a classroom. Roughly 40 chairs were placed in a small room in the church building, all pointing towards the whiteboard where my words of wisdom would be scribbled in that awful handwriting that has plagued me since I first picked up a pencil. I was, for all intents and purposes, a teacher...but without the paid summer holidays, of course. (ooh...burn!)
Fearing that this would be so, I had gone to the best teacher I know for some advice. He simply said this: "If you want to encourage people to learn, learn to encourage." This is what I've tried to do from week 1 to week 8. (I've also tried to steal as many of his thoughts as possible and pass them off as my own, but that's not important right now.)
It was my intention to go through the whole of Colossians (it is, after all, only four chapters long), but things did not work out quite that way. I averaged roughly 3 verses a week, trying to get not only at the heart of the letter, but at the heart of the Christian life in general. Words such as "hope" and "gospel" were almost given full classes to themselves, because our thinking can be so fuzzy even when it comes to these basics. Other words, such as "indeed" and "for", were not given such extensive treatment. (I was very selective, you know.)
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I wasn't sure how that first class was going to go, but the same Spirit that was in Paul as he wrote this letter to the Colossians was and is still at work in bringing the words to life...or perhaps bringing us to life. I worked hard in preparing the lessons, but I knew my work would be in vain if God's presence wasn't present. Thankfully, it was.
The reality of teaching (from the Bible) is that almost all of what you say will be quickly forgotten. But in the midst of the soon-to-be-forgotten clutter of words, there may just be one sentence uttered that makes a real difference; that takes root and bears good fruit. Hours of preparation, an hour of teaching, is worth it for that 20 seconds. No question.
Next up - Senior's Chapel
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