Pre-holiday ponderings...

 

This time, in 2 days, God-willing I will be back in that little strange shaped country called England. I thought it might be appropriate to write a short blog entry looking back over the past months - pondering and giving thanks for all God has taught me. There is of course far too much to mention, however here are a few things that spring to mind.

1. Stamps

Very early on in my Greek adventures I encountered something which to this day remains a mystery - stamps. No, not the stamps we use to send letters, but the kind of stamps that reveal if something is authentic or not. I hadn't foreseen how long it would take to do what appeared on the surface a very simple process.

However upon reflection, after meeting many refugees, I now know that being an EU citizen, I actually have it easy. Some people I've met have been waiting years for certain documents, it makes my 3 weeks seems like nothing!



2. Church

Before arriving in Athens, I always knew that I wanted to find a church where I could both belong and serve. During my first two weeks I was thankful for fellowship at the Glyfada Christian Centre. I did however decide to commit to the 2nd Greek Evangelical Church, mainly due to already knowing people from the church, but also it being a little closer to home. I've been really enjoying getting to know people and helping with the feeding ministry on a Thursday. Today we had a special Christmas meal surprise for the guests. Instead of serving the food outside, we invited over 100 people into the church for a meal, Christmas music and also to hear the Christmas message. I had the pleasure of being able to play the piano (it's a Yamaha - my favourite), and even did a few boogie-woogie numbers which was fun! It has been encouraging to hear how God has grown (and continues to grow) the ministry, but also a privilege to serve and learn from all those involved.

3. Helping Hands

Every Tuesday, I go to help serve over 100 refugees a meal at the Helping Hands centre in Omonia (part of Athens). This has been an incredible experience and as mentioned above, just being with the team has been a pleasure and a privilege. What I have discovered from helping with this ministry is that there is real joy to be found in the small areas of ministry.

Sometimes we allow ourselves to think that it is all about delivering the perfect sermon, or planting a thriving church and all these things are good and praiseworthy, but there is great joy to be found in simply handing a refugee a bowl of spaghetti Bolognese. We never know in that moment what part we might be playing in God's great plan for that person's life.


4. School

I am very thankful for my teaching position at the language school. Not only have they been very welcoming, they have also been very patient with me as I settle into the new teaching role. It has also been a pleasure getting to know all the children (and there have been many). I teach a wide age range (8 - 15) so I can't say there isn't variety in what I am doing. The majority of my classes have been a delight to teach and although there have been challenges along the way, I am learning much from the experience.

One of the highlights of the first term has to be an essay I marked from a boy (14yrs I think) who has struggled a bit and produced at a low level in his writing. As I was marking the term tests I almost jumped for joy when I started to read his essay and found some real improvements. I'm now looking forward to the Christmas break and hoping to return fresh and ready for the new term in January.



5. Friends

Over the last few months I have met many people from all different walks of life which has been a real blessing. There have been many Americans, numerous Brits, lovely Albanians and of course an abundance of Greeks. I could add many more nationalities to this list! One thing I think God is teaching me, is that part of the way he is going to change me is through his people. This is why belonging to a church is so important and valuable. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, but I'm finding that being with other believers has been an essential part in the exposing and the repairing of my sinful heart. The writer to the Hebrews (10:24-25) says:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
   
I trust that when (God-willing) I return on the 4th January, there will be many more experiences to be had, and many more lessons to be learnt. I keep saying to friends and colleagues, that most of what I have learnt has come from making mistakes! I'm trying to tell my students this too! I'd like to end this blog entry by sharing with you three things that I can honestly say leave me extremely puzzled.

1. Greek traffic lights - the green man is flashing yet cars (turning left/right) are still allowed to approach with caution (but there's a green man?). All my childhood training thrown out of the window with this one.

2. Motorbikes on the pavement - ok so this kind of makes sense because parking is not the most easiest of motoring tasks. It is however a little unnerving when you're walking on a footpath being approached by a motorbike (or is that just me?).

3. Stamps 

See you all soon!

Cro

One day, two Christmas performances...

 

As the Christmas holidays make their ever speedy approach, I write this blog entry in a somewhat relieved and reflective manner. It has been some week! Today was the big day of my school's Christmas performance. Note to self - when you organise a Christmas performance, ensure you have at least three months of rehearsals. However, after only three weeks, I think our children did a very good job indeed! Ok so Mary wasn't in when the Angel Gabriel visited, and another angel didn't show up at all during one scene, yet on the whole, everyone seemed to have a fun time and surely that's what's important. This has been one of the more challenging weeks as I continue to adjust to the education system in Greece. I am thankful for understanding work colleagues and see it all as a good learning experience. Only 6 days now until I fly back to England for Christmas where I am sure there will be much to reflect on concerning the past four months.

The final song of the big performance!

I can already look back and see how God is teaching me and showing me more of the riches of His abundant grace. This has come through many difficult experiences (mostly cross cultural related), but also through timely moments in reading His living word and also reading many other Christian books. I've also found that God brings into your life people (especially His people) who grow not only to be loving and supportive friends, but also important people in the process by which God uses to change us. This is an uncomfortable blessing at times, but one for which I am extremely grateful and know is deeply valuable as I seek His kingdom and righteousness. I am able to say that I have been blessed now in two countries with such friends.

The Nutcracker was a cracking night!
(get it?)

In the midst of this rather hectic week I was however able to escape for an evening of culture of the most highest form. I went with some friends to see 'The Nutcracker'. It's the first time I've been to the ballet and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I'm unable to make any technical dance related comments, all I can say is that some of the women must have extremely painful toes by the end of the night.

The highlight for me has to be how the colour, music and dancing all communicate so clearly a variety of emotions. From fear to relief, happiness to sadness, hope to despair, it really was a pleasure to watch.


This evening I was treated to another performance this time by the Sunday school groups from my church. It was great and especially good to be able to support some friends I have made since living in Athens. The nativity was slightly re-invented with a sweep of the Genesis narrative introducing all the major characters that point us to Jesus. I have to confess that I wasn't able to understand most of it but it was still good to be there.

Christmas performance at my church

My Greek is slightly improving but I am by no means there yet - and probably never will be there (wherever there is). And so I look forward to posting a pre-flght-to-England blog very soon, and of course catching up with family and friends where I can.

Please continue to pray for:

1. My work in the school - that I learn from mistakes and experiences and remain diligent and focussed in my work,

2. My personal walk with Jesus. That I remember that He is all I need - it's all about Him.

3. A good, joyful, restful, fun filled Christmas break.

4. Apostolis / lady from the coffee shop / my neighbours / colleagues - that I may in some way be able to live so they see something of Christ. Ultimately that God would draw them to Himself.   

Soup theology...

Whilst preparing my soup, a thought occurred to me (or rather a picture). Recently I've been thinking about the redemptive purposes of the mundane and how God uses every moment of every day to transform us into the people he has purposed us to be. Firstly, redemption is the act of buying something back, and by his sacrificial death, Jesus Christ paid for our redemption. However, what has this got to do with soup I hear you say? Bear with me.
 

Seeing as soup is a new found activity in my life (not one I'm going to win any prizes for I might add), I started to think about the question - why? Why do we make soup? Perhaps you get enjoyment out of all the preparation i.e. chopping vegetables and other ingredients. Or maybe it's the fact that you can make a massive shed load which lasts a decade. Whatever the reason, I think we all know that the main reason we make soup is to eat it! Nobody to my knowledge serves soup and then prevents the recipients from eating it (to my knowledge). No, in all the work that goes into preparing, chopping and cooking, there is an end result to be delighted in, to be enjoyed, to be eaten! In all the blood (literally in my case although it was only a minor wound), sweat and tears (no tears thankfully), we look ahead to the finished product, the end result. I think that's why homemade soup is so much more enjoyable than soup from a tin can. 

 

I can't think I've ever tucked into a steaming bowl of Heinz tomato and said "ahhhhhh this is absolutely amazing!" (if you know of a moment please correct me). Yet how easily I would settle for the quick, easy instant-ness of tin can soup, compared to the timely, long, arduous process of the homemade. And so it is with us. If you are a believer in Christ, one of God's chosen people, then you are being prepared. For what? To be delighted in, to be enjoyed. Yet change will not happen overnight as so many of us would choose. In His Sovereignty, God takes what may be mundane, what may seem far removed from His redemptive purposes, and in His divine wisdom uses it all for our good and for His glory. 

Paul in his letter to the Ephesians says:

 

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

                                                                                                                 Ephesians 1:11-12

One day we will be there! It may take a long time, there may be much chopping, spilt blood and shed tears along the way, but God has a plan and will do whatever it takes to change us into the people he has purposed us to be. And on that day, as wonderfully pictured through the prophet Zephaniah, there will be much rejoicing among the redeemed.

 

The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. 

 

                                                                                                                     Zephaniah 3:17

Where Life Is To Be Found | Paul David Tripp

Seeing as I recommended his book, I thought I'd post this video. Although in this clip he is speaking on the subject of suffering, I think there is some overlap with regards to the book and this sermon. Mainly on the area of 'life' - i.e. created things are not to become our life - life is to be found only in the Creator!

All nations...

The gospel truly is for all nations. At the end of Matthew's gospel, we hear those familiar words of Jesus - 'Therefore go and make disciples of all nations...'. I was privileged this evening to see something of this in action. I was invited to speak at a new Albanian church plant in Piraeus (south of Athens). As mentioned in the previous blog, I know the pastor from one of the mid-week ministries I help with at the 2nd church. I was unsure what to expect but was warmly greeted at the train station by the pastor and some of the church members. Already I could sense the excitement of this new church and had the pleasure of speaking with one Albanian men about his faith and desire to live a changed life for God.

When we arrived at the church building, a small but suitable space for the meeting, it wasn't until after about 45minutes of chatting with coffee and tea that we started the service (although you could say the service had already begun). To begin with we sang some songs (in Albanian) - I tried to follow and at one point, the lady sat next to me commented with surprise 'you speak Albanian'. Even though I couldn't understand what we were singing, you can't help but get caught up in the praise of the God of all nations.

After about four songs, I was invited to speak and by God's grace the sermon seemed to come across well, especially with regards to speaking with a translator. There wasn't enough time to do the passages from Isaiah 53 and Mark 15 justice, but my two points were 1. On the cross Jesus was our substitute. 2. On the cross Jesus opened a way to God. Please pray that these awesome truths from God's word would work in the hearts of those at the church.

I have just returned home from my fellowship group and again it was another good time. We've finished listening to the sermons from 1 Peter and will have a think about what to do next. Give thanks to God for all these opportunities he has given me to grow in my understanding of who he is, and above all to grow in my love for him.       

Transforming grace...

Another week has come to an end. It is amazing to think that there are now only three weeks left until the Christmas break. Overall, it has been a good week with regards to teaching with only a few challenges to contend with. I do feel knowing all the names of my children helps with regards to classroom management, although having over 100 has meant I've only just about got there. Most of my classes are a real pleasure to teach and I was greeted by a message on my board saying 'love you mrs jonathan'. It's the thought that counts! As you can imagine the rehearsals for the Christmas performance are in full swing, and I have to confess I'm quite enjoying trying to help the kids do drama. There have been some funny moments but I won't give too much away. You'll have to wait until the production is out on DVD!

On Thursday, it was great to see a Syrian family (mother, two sons) back at the feeding programme. We had not seen them for almost over a month and so it was good to be able to catch up. I spoke to the eldest son for most of the time and I would value your prayers for them. At the moment they are seeking to travel to Norway but it is proving tricky with the Greek authorities requesting paperwork. Added to this is the priority list where they are by no means near the top. Please pray for them and especially that over the weeks I might be able to have good conversations that point them to Jesus.

It has been a somewhat productive weekend which has involved a shopping trip to Carrefour, a few house jobs, marking, Greek homework and ... wait for it ... pumpkin soup! I came across half a pumpkin which I bought for just over 3 euros! I am delighted to inform you that my Greek yoghurt experiment prompted me to keep things simple and so after about three hours of cooking potato and pumpkin on a low heat, I ended up with quite a nice soup! I did however discover that pumpkins are quite big so my fridge is now pretty much just a pumpkin cupboard.

Pumpkin (bargain)

Tomorrow I am looking forward to church where we will God-willing hear more of his amazing gospel. The last few sermons have all been about 'justification by faith' so it has been a real treat. I've also enjoyed meeting with a few people in the evenings to listen to a sermon and pray.

As well as these exciting activities, I have been invited to speak at an Albanian church in Piraeus (south of Athens). I have got to know the Pastor through one of the ministries I help out with and he asked if I'd like to come and join them one Sunday. Please pray for me in this that I am faithful, clear and that I speak for God's glory. I've decided to speak about the cross from Isaiah 53 and Mark 15.

Finally, I wanted to end this blog post with a book recommendation. If I was still the bookstall apprentice then this would be all over the shelves like a plague. It is a book by Paul Tripp called 'Sex & Money: Pleasures that Leave You Empty and Grace that Satisfies'. Now from the title it is probably one of those books you'd not want too many people to see you reading, but too be honest it is so good, I really couldn't care less. According to my kindle I'm 99% through the book so nearly at the end! Although Tripp hones in on the areas of sex and money, I think that there is much more to the book then you at first might think. He faithfully and Biblically exposes and diagnoses the root of all our problems and struggles and leaves you seeing and savouring the only solution - Jesus. Now I don't have time to do the book justice so I would just say - go read it! However here is a little extract about 99% into the book:

The created world was designed to point you to where your heart will find its contentment and rest: in God and God alone. The sex-money insanity that harms and/or destroys our lives is the result of seeking from creation what can only be found at the foot of the Creator.

I think Tripp is right when he says, 'It is only the riches of grace that satisfy my heart'. God's transforming grace!   

Christmas at Carrefour

Home comforts...

Strange as it may sound, I'm actually enjoying having a few gloomy rainy days - feels just like England. Ok so today it was 20oC but the temperatures are starting to drop and I've been warned that Athens can get rather cold - although I've yet to experience this extreme. A friend in church mentioned a joke someone made about English weather being somewhat apologetic, compared with the Greek weather being, well, let's just say, if it rains - it rains! From the picture above you might recognise another home comfort - fish and chips. Apparently these restaurants are extremely rare and so when a friend arranged a post-church outing, I wasn't going to miss this opportunity.

Today it was the feeding programme at the 'helping hands' centre and I enjoyed serving with the team and talking with some of the refugees. There was one small family (a dad and two sons) who I was able to speak with, although this was in Greek so conversation topics were slightly limited. It was great to see all the Christmas decorations up and next week the centre is holding Christmas parties over the week. Sadly because I work in the evenings I won't be able to attend, but this would be an area for prayer. It would be great to pray that this would be the first time someone comes to know why the Christmas story is the best news in the world.

Talking of Christmas stories, we had our first proper rehearsal for our school performance last Friday. I am slightly nervous that the actual performance is only two and a half weeks away! There is still lots to do so please pray, pray, pray! One of my children were a little displeased that they were a shepherd and not a king, we tried to say how the shepherds were very special and were actually the first people to be visited by the angels. Anyway, we press on. At least I don't have any donkeys to deal with!  

Helping hands...

Every Tuesday I join the 'helping hands' team to serve a good meal to around 140 refugees. It is always a fun time and a pleasure to be a part of the team even if it's only for a few hours. There is a real commitment behind all the work that goes on within the ministry, and it's exciting to see how God has grown the ministry and is working in the lives of the staff team, volunteers and visiting refugees. One of the highlights for me is meeting volunteer teams from churches across the globe. Currently a team from Nebraska has been serving and it has been great getting to know them. As you can see from the pictures, there is much preparation to be done before the refugees arrive. It takes just under 1 hour and a half to make the salad and whilst this is being done, the hot meal (chicken and chips or spaghetti Bolognese for example) is being prepared. At around 11:30am the team all meet together for a Bible devotion and a time of prayer. The refugees arrive at 12:00pm and by 12:45pm we are ready to serve the meal.

Salad being prepared...

Salad ready to go...

It then takes around 30 minutes to serve all the refugees before sitting down to eat a meal with one of the tables. Today I was able to talk to a lady (because she spoke good English) about her experiences. I was with another volunteer and we were saddened to hear about how she risked her life and the life of her family to flee Afghanistan. You hear the stories about 40 refugees crammed into a boat the size of a dining table, and this was very much the case for this lady. She spoke of her fear that she, her husband and children would not survive the treacherous journey from Turkey to Greece. It's difficult to imagine what one must be feeling when they are wedged in a boat drifting on the pitch black Mediterranean not knowing if they are sinking or not.

The dining room - this picture only
shows half the room.

After the meal at around 2pm there is a Bible study where all are welcome but only a small number stay. However one person out of the one hundred and forty is precious in the sight of God. One of the members of the American team shared a story that illustrates just how important it is not to lose perspective, especially when you are attempting to reach out to such large numbers of people. I think it is adapted from a poem called The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley (1907-1977). It goes something like this:

While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water. He came closer still and called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”

The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”

To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”

Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, “But, young man, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one.”  

As I go about my daily life, please pray with me that I would have a similar attitude to that of the young man in the story. When playing sardines on the metro, I could be the only person who prays for that man or women next to me (invading my personal space). When teaching English to the children, I might be the only Christian they ever meet. Someone made the difference to me 7 years ago when I first came to know Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. What can I do to make a difference to someone over the next few days?      

I don't believe it...

apparently Greek yoghurt doesn't go with everything! I discovered this to my peril when I attempted to make pumpkin and red cabbage soup. However despite not having a masher, blender and pretty much everything else you need for making soup, I was determined to give it a go. Things were looking good until I reached for the Greek yoghurt. "It will work", I said to myself, oh how wrong I was. Still, at least now my next attempt will be one step towards pumpkin and red cabbage soup perfection! As well as soup making, my weekend was both relaxing and informative as I made the most of free time to rest, read and mark homework. It is great to see some of my children making good progress in their writing. On Friday, it felt like something had clicked and I'm beginning to feel more in the rhythm of teaching. Each day is still very much a learning experience but when isn't it?

Pumpkin, red cabbage and honey
oh... and Greek yoghurt made a
late appearance...

In other news I've finished watching Inspector Morse, so now it's on to Inspector Lewis. If you've not seen the final episode of Morse it's definitely worth seeing. John Thaw was an incredible actor and plays a stunning final performance. Other weekend activities included visiting Carrefour (of course) and reading a book on child psychology (which is rather interesting).

On Sunday after church, I went for lunch with two friends and their mother. It was a great time and in proper Greek style we didn't leave the restaurant until 4pm. It was then a long journey home by car due to roads being blocked because of expected protests. Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the 1973 student uprising against Greece's former military dictatorship. More than 16,000 Greeks marched through the streets of Athens to protest against austerity and mark the anniversary of the student uprising against the former ruling military junta. This meant that many of the key metro stations were closed and the road outside my apartment was blocked off. Not very good when you want to travel to a Bible study in another part of the city.I was thankful however for being able to get a taxi to and from the Bible study and when I arrived home, there was no sign of any riots. I think the protests started and finished without any major trouble. 

As a new week begins, I take with me into it the main point from the Sunday night sermon/Bible study - "Live for God's glory and the good of others". We are enjoying listening to some cracking sermons by Steve Timmis from the book of 1 Peter. I found myself today asking - am I living for God's glory and the good of others? It's a good thought to have and an exposing one when I dig deep and realise how quick I am to live for my glory and the good of me!

I will be with the 'helping hands' ministry team tomorrow so will look forward to sharing more news on that soon. Please continue to pray that I make the most of the opportunities God has given me 'now' to serve Him.

Amazing grace...

Another Sunday, and like last week, I found myself leaving church in amazement at the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that the gospel of Christ is the most valuable thing anyone could ever own, yet like any prized possession, it is not long before the shine begins to wane and the dust begins to settle. Over these past two weeks, I have begun to realise just how deep, rich and vast the gospel really is. It is as if someone has come along and rebuffed the shine and blown away the dust. I make this observation not that I may be seen and lifted up but that Christ may be seen for who he really is and exalted to the highest place. What was the truth that hit me afresh today? It was the shocking, scandalous news that my acceptance before God has absolutely nothing to do with me. I don't know if you've ever asked yourself the question - why will God accept me?

I found myself convicted of how easy it is to drift into thinking that my good works count for something. That my efforts, my progress in spiritual disciplines such as reading the Bible and prayer are somehow twisting the divine hand of God in my favour but this is nonsense. If my works and efforts were needed in order for me to be saved, then why did Christ have to die. For some of my sin? No, the liberating truth of the gospel is that I am accepted by God completely and only on the basis of what Jesus did on the cross. My salvation has nothing to do with me. As Paul says in Romans 3:24 - all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Therefore the person who accepts this amazing grace and acknowledges that only faith in Christ is needed in order to know forgiveness and friendship with God, need no longer live in fear. Why? Because we can stop trying to please God and start resting in the truth that he is already pleased with us because of Jesus. The reality is that even on my 'best days' as a Christian, my good works and deeds are not enough. In his book 'The Disciplines of Grace', Jerry Bridges puts it like this:

“Our worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.”

This is as the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2 - the gift of God - and what is the right response to being given any gift? Thankfulness. Nothing more nothing less.  

It begins...

This evening we are holding the auditions for the Christmas performance. I think I'm just about ready but really have no idea what to expect. There are just over 20 parts to distribute but everyone will have some involvement. I think my top priority is to try and avoid any tears from disappointed children who wanted to be the 'chief angel'.

Today I decided to stay at home this morning as I was not feeling great. I think the rest was needed but I would very much value your prayers for this evening and tomorrow. It seems that the changeable Athens weather is causing a few people to get ill. Yesterday we had some rain storms which was rather exciting (I like thunder and lightning) but it was followed by quite a humid afternoon. I was thankful for my chair man (as in the man who has made me a chair) lending me his umbrella. So long as my table arrives today I will get my new furniture this evening.

After a very tiring week last week, I have felt very upheld over the last few days. My Monday was particularly busy however at 7pm, about to start my final lesson of the day, I was still awake! Thank you for your prayers.

I wanted to share a thought, that is, something I have been thinking about especially at the end of that tiring week. The question - what's the point?

Now first let me assure you that everything is absolutely fine and I'm not having some kind of break down, but it's a good question isn't it? When you stop and think about the everydayness of life, I began to see even more clearly that without the existence of God, there really is no point. If this world just happened and there was no initial purpose for it to begin, the inescapable reality is that every accolade that I've been striving to achieve, every possession that I've been fixated on owning, every dream, every success, every failure, everything was for nothing. My everydayness endeavours will be long forgotten in how ever many years to come.

The writer of Ecclesiastes puts the question like this - what does the worker gain from his toil? (Ecc 3:9). But if God is there (and I believe He is), this dramatically changes how I view my everyday life for the very presence of a Creator means there is a purpose for the world and everything in it. In Ecclesiastes we read how 'He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time. He also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.'       

Do you see the conflict in this verse? God has made everything beautiful 'in its time'. We live in a world of temporary pleasures and are surrounded by things that do not endure. Yet, not only has God made everything beautiful 'in its time' - he has also 'set eternity in the hearts of men'. In other words, we were built for eternity. Nothing that this world offers can satisfy our hearts because they were never meant to. We were built to live not for created things but for the Creator. And so, because there is a God suddenly my everyday pursuits have meaning. They may appear insignificant and mundane but because God is there, I know He is working out a greater plan and mysteriously includes me in His eternal purposes. I may be but a knot on the back of the tapestry of life, but one day as I stand back to view the tapestry as a whole it will look beautiful indeed.

I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. (Ecc 3:14).   

To end this slightly rambled thought, there is a picture called 'the pale blue dot'. When I first saw it I was blown away by that moment of realising how small I am in the universe.

It is a picture of Earth taken from a record distance of about 6 billion kilometers (3.7 billion miles). Although I don't agree with his views on God and Christianity, Carl Sagan reflecting on the image said: From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of any particular interest. But for us, it's different. Consider again that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. 

I think the psalmist got it right when he said:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19:1).

More stamps...

Yes that's right. I discovered recently that I required a further number and stamp and so it was another journey to add this to my growing collection. I shouldn't grumble because I know that for non-EU citizens, the red tape is even more extensive. I also know that culturally this is how things roll in Greece and so it's wrong to expect everything to be like England. This morning was another opportunity to practice 'crossing cultures' when my attempts to pay in a cheque were unsuccessful as I needed proof of identification (i.e. passport or residents permit). Biting my tongue and smiling at the cashier I went home to retrieve such items before returning to complete the task. To be honest, it really is no trouble when you consider all the other things happening around the world. As I waited in the bank, I found myself wondering if these are the light and momentary troubles the apostle Paul was talking about in 2 Corinthians 4. It's such a good couple of verses I'll put them here:

¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Now without having much time to confidently say this is the case, I do feel that these little moments of trouble are ideal opportunities to remember the bigger picture of life. All my 'head-in-hands' moments are in some way achieving for me an eternal glory. Therefore Paul says, we are to fix our eyes not on temporary things (that so easily weigh us down), but on eternal things (pleasures forevermore kept in heaven until the coming of Christ). 

Talking of things to come, you may be aware that I have been charged with the responsibility of organising a Christmas performance at my school. This was something I wanted to do and I see it as not only a fun experience for the children, but also a great way to share the good news of Jesus.

Preparations for the event are in full swing and as you can see from the picture we have the most wonderful venue. I would very much value your prayers as I put this performance together with the help of a colleagues. There will be much expectation from the parents and the school owner. I am optimistic that all will be fine, which is probably why it's good for me to have a colleague alongside pointing out the things I am likely to forget. Who knows, this could be the next big thing. Coming to a cinema near you! Nativity 3 danger in the Frontisteria!

I always leave school on Friday with a smile. I have probably one of the most enjoyable classes at the very end of the day. In fact all my classes on Friday are great fun to teach, and the students are all very keen and ready to learn. Please continue to pray for me to be diligent in my work and especially have energy for each class. I think tiredness over this week has caused me to get behind on marking so I'm planning devote part of my day tomorrow to this. I'm sure there will be an ideal coffee shop for such an endeavour.

One of my classes having fun learning
directions. Note I've managed to
get Oxford on the map.

Some weekend reading material

Επέτειος του "'Οχι" - Anniversary of the "No"

Today is Οχι (no) day! It is a national holiday to commemorate the rejection by Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas (in power from August 4, 1936, until January 29, 1941) of the ultimatum made by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on October 28, 1940. It is a day filled with street parades, lots of Greek flags and of course, it provides a good opportunity to enjoy a day off work. This morning I enjoyed a walk towards Syntagma square to watch one of the parades in action. Nearby, the site of the Acropolis was too good to resist a closer look. I do love walking around that part of Athens, there are so many little streets to explore.

View of Athens taken near the Acropolis.  

This weekend has probably been one of the best since arriving in Athens just over two months ago. I really enjoyed visiting Mount Parnitha on Saturday with some friends. It was a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and also a really fun time.

I was also thankful for another blessed time with my church family, and the sermon was a crystal clear presentation of the gospel, something I needed (and still need) to hear. It really was like a treasure had once again been discovered and made me realise just how quickly we turn the gospel into a boring piece of cardboard when it truly is a nugget of pure gold! And then today I have enjoyed a wander around Athens, a glimpse at Οχι day celebrations, but will need to make time for my Greek homework at some point this afternoon. 

The Panathinaiko Stadium.
 Hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896

A view of Lykavittos.

After just over two months of being in Athens there is so much to be thankful to God for. I am learning much from the experience and know that there are still many more experiences to come.

A few prayer pointers:
1. Give thanks that I am feeling more settled in my job and life in general.
2. Give thanks for some great friends who have been very supportive as I adjust to life in Athens.
3. Pray that I would grow in my love for Jesus and make the most of opportunities to witness for him.      

I believe in a God who _______.

I don't know what word you would use to fill in the blank, maybe you don't even believe in a God. For me, there are so many words to choose from but sitting here, feeling inspired by the sermon this morning, I'll pick only six - 'saved us from ALL our sins'. Two words are key amongst these six and they are 'saved' (past simple - Jesus has died and has risen and is alive now) and 'ALL' (in capitals because it means every single one, 100%, past, present and future sins). Grasp the true meaning of this and it should completely transform our view of God, ourselves and other people. Sometimes I think we live as though we believe in a God who saved us from SOME of our sins. OK Jesus died for me on the cross, but I still have to work my way to heaven. I still live as though my good deeds will count. The truth of the gospel is so far removed from this it is mind-blowingly offensive yet staggeringly beautiful news. Before I share a verse from the Bible that helps explain this (one of many), I wanted to share something that I reflected on earlier this morning.

Over the last eight years I have been receiving emails through my Hotmail account, and during this time have only deleted junk or unwanted emails (don't ask me why). This means that I have a stored inbox of emails dating back to late 2005. Why do I mention this? It is because pre-June (approx) 2006, I would not have called myself a Christian and certainly would have been unable to fill in the blank on this blog-post. An email I sent to my Christianity Explored leaders reveals something of what was going on in my mind (and heart) at this time:

Hello! How are you? Its Jon here from your Christianity explored group.
Thank you once again for all the advice and help that you have given me over
the last few weeks on the course. I am very thankful to you and Laura. My
main questions are all based around the same theme and are partly to do with
my lack of knowledge over the Bible. I have spent alot of my time studying
science and evolution (particularly human evolution) and I have always been
used to looking at physical evidence e.g. fossils, and base a lot of my
beliefs on what I can see and touch.

Although I have been brought up around Christianity I have never thought
about what that actually means. I used to go to church and didn't really
think about what I was singing or reading off the sheet. I've only recently
had the opportunity to learn about Christianity. I hope you don't mind me
giving you this background info. Here are some of my main questions. I feel
like I am getting closer to some answers and realise that I can never know
everything.

Who wrote Genesis and when was it written?

Did the people in Genesis 5 really live for hundreds of years?

Can a Christian believe that evolution was a tool used by God?

Some of the oldest Homo sapien fossils have been dated to over 150,000
years, could Adam and Eve have been part of that small group in Africa?

Can we trust Matthew, Mark, Luke and John's words?

Why did Jesus command people not to tell others of his miracles? e.g. Mark
5:43, 7:36. wouldn't it have strengthened peoples belief in him?

 I hope that you don't mind looking at these questions, I understand that
some of them are very difficult to answer. I don't want to put any pressure
on you. I'm sure I could think of some more. Thanks for taking the time to
read this e-mail. I might see you on Sunday, however I am viewing a house in
Gloucester at 14:30 so might not make it back in time. If I don't see you
Sunday have a good weekend and I will see you next Tuesday. Thanks again!

Regards,
Jon  

What strikes me most about this email is that I have completely missed the point of Christianity. Not to say that questions are irrelevant. It is important to think and ask 'why?' questions (I still do). Also not to say that you have to dismiss science in order to be a Christian. But what I mean, is that I had very much a 'doing things to know God' version of Christianity in mind.  Yet, after hearing the gospel, the news that I am a sinner (I push God out of my life and live as though he's not there), the consequence, I deserve his anger and punishment (death), yet God still loves me, so much so that he would send a saviour into the world, his only Son to die for me. Suddenly the song of my heart is fixed upon a different tune. There is a God - who saved me - from ALL my sins. Looking back, I can now see that it is realising this truth and believing in Jesus that makes the above email seem so far removed from my current experience. It is not that my questions are unimportant, it is that I have found someone vastly more important. The BIG IF that underlines everything is - IF Jesus is who he says he is, why do you still not believe?

There are many Bible verses to choose from but I think Paul says it just right in his letter to the Colossians when he said:

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.

Speaking to believers Paul says 'you were' alienated - but now 'he has' reconciled you - and how? By my effort? By my good works? By my achievements? No, 'by Christ's physical body'.

There is nothing I need to do, there is nothing I can do except believe in God's one and only Son. The one who saved us from ALL our sins. I now know that on the 19th May 2005 when I sent the above email, this was the truth that I was missing. I always assumed that if there was a God, knowing him was all about my performance, and that one day he would weigh up the good and bad and say either yep your in, or no go to hell. This however is not the Christian message! Even if I did try, try and try again, I would never be able to reach God's standards, he is perfect and holy. Yet there was one person who did, Jesus. It was Jesus, who in his perfection and sinlessness, took my sin (ALL of it) and suffered the consequence of it, death. And to prove that the debt I owed was paid in full, he rose from the dead. He did all this to present me holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. 

The wonderful news of knowing that I have been saved from ALL my sin, is that there is now nothing left for me to do to be saved, I am free to love God, serve God and love and serve others. Ever so slowly, by God's grace, I am seeing that because I have nothing to prove to God I also have nothing to prove to other people, and what a remarkable remedy this is. God knows me completely and yet he still accepts me in Christ Jesus. He has freed me up to live for him alone and with this glorious news I should be truly thankful! 

Cable car fun!

 



More cable car fun!

   

'The chocolate is liked by me'...

I am now nearing the two month mark of life in Athens (4 days time). Each new day brings fresh challenges but equally fresh opportunities to trust God and learn more from what that day brings forth. So far I am beginning to feel more settled in my teaching job and I do have some really fantastic students. Yesterday one of my children (12yrs old I think) told me that he wasn't having a good day but he was looking forward to my lesson because they are fun. It is always a real pleasure to teach when those you are teaching are keen and enthusiastic (makes my job a lot easier!). However sadly, this is not always the case and I'm starting to see my job as a kind of learning facilitator. Enter my classroom and dare to think you are not going to learn! I might be annoying but you'll thank me in a years time. I would value your prayers as I will be giving my students some tests to see how they are doing (in some ways this will also show how I am doing) - please pray on that I continue to work well with each class and just do what I can to help them learn English.

It was another good time at the 'helping hands' ministry and I enjoyed talking with a younger boy today who is planning on going to Germany with his family next month. Give thanks that God is raising up Christians in Germany with a heart for refugees. It has been great to get to know some German volunteers who have come to Athens to serve with the ministry and it looks as though fruitful connections are being made. It still amazes how many times I meet people who have some connection with people I know in Oxford.

My local bakery of delights...

I will be helping with the feeding ministry at my church on Thursday and I'm particularly praying for a family from Syria who I'm getting to know a bit. It is hard to have deep conversations due to language barriers but please pray that as I show an interest in their lives, out of friendship might come an interest, on their part, about why I'm involved with the church. When talking with refugees it certainly reminds you how much we can take for granted. I think last week, after witnessing the younger brother of this family put on shoes that were far too small, I left realising just how much I should be thankful with what I already have. Sometimes maybe we're too quick to want the next thing and then the next thing.

Greek lessons are going well and I'm starting to feel a bit more confident when in conversations. Still a long way to go but the grammar is slowly making sense although I discovered recently that when saying 'I like' about something, the noun (thing that you are talking about) becomes the subject of the sentence so literally you are saying for example - 'the chocolate is liked by me' - which in English would be 'I like chocolate'. It's all Greek to me - literally! Still I was asked on the metro for directions by two people so must be starting to blend in some how. Still have my obvious British moments though!

In other news I am thankful for the purchase of an armchair and a small table for my living room. Everyday I walk past this shop on the way to work and so decided to go in and talk to the owner. He was very friendly and in the end after discussing what I wanted, gave me 20euros off the total price. I kind of wanted more but there is an economic crisis happening so it didn't seem fair to haggle too much. It should be ready in a weeks time to collect.

One more thing, please pray for a man who I met in a nearby off-licence. After helping me choose some wine we had a good conversation and ended talking about spiritual things. I said I would give him a book to read (which he clearly didn't want) however tonight (as promised) I stopped by on my way home to give him a copy of Luke's gospel. If you have a moment please pray that he would read it and by God's grace see the real Jesus. As the Bible says - faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ. He now holds the word of Christ in his hands and so let's prayer that by God's power he comes to repentance and faith.

T-shirt disagreement...

It was another great time at the 'helping hands' ministry, serving a meal to over 100 refugees from Afghanistan. Although it is hard to hold conversations due to limited English, I did have a good chat with one of the refugees who is hoping to travel to Italy next week before finally making the journey to Germany. As you may have seen on the news recently, these journeys are treacherous and also cost a great deal of money. We pray each week that the refugees will come to know Jesus the only name under heaven by which we must be saved!

At school, it was a much better Tuesday in comparison to last week. One of my classes which are somewhat challenging were much better today praise God. This week I was ready for them and my classroom management strategies seemed to work. The other class I have on Tuesday are a delight to teach and I rewarded them with some post-lesson Haribo. Using sweets with school children is something of an art I am finding. If you get it wrong then it can back fire when all your class are saying 'haribo, haribo!'. But get it right and the results can be very positive indeed.

Post-lesson reward...
6 children + Haribo + 30 seconds =

On my way back from the 'helping hands' ministry, I spotted something on the metro which made me cry out with a big noooooo inside. It was something which in many ways sums up the growing thought about what life is all about. What was it? It was a T-shirt. A big T-shirt, with big writing saying - 'Life is all about creating yourself'. I disagree with this because I think it creates two problems. 1. Life becomes all about me. And when it becomes all about me, not only do I lose sight of God (the true creator), other people become obstacles in my way, competitors rather then people to serve and love. In Ecclesiastes 7:29 - the writer puts it like this - God created mankind upright,
    but they have gone in search of many schemes.
 
2. It doesn't work. What happens if I fail? What happens if the thing I've been creating (job, family, money etc) doesn't go as planned or worse is taken from me? Only when I start to see material things, my life and the lives of those around me as good gifts from God the creator, will I have my life in correct perspective. We were created to worship the creator not his creations - yet we exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen (Romans 1:25). And so, I don't normally have disagreements with items of fashion but I thought this one needed consideration. Life isn't about creating myself, it's about knowing God, the one who created me and gave me life, not so I could serve myself, but so I could serve him and others. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).      

Να' σαι καλά...

It was a good weekend with lots of things to be thankful for. There isn't time to mention everything (of course) but here is a short glimpse at two things. Saturday evening I attended the 'unite to impact' event, an evening with the purpose of bringing a wide variety of churches across Athens together for a night or worship and prayer. The evening did just that and it was great to see around 300 (I think) people, from different nationalities and church traditions, all joining together to sing praise to God and pray for many nations across the globe. I was able to help with stewarding people as they arrived, which also proved a good opportunity to get to know fellow stewards / brothers and sisters in Christ. Overall it was a good evening and I think it achieved what it set out to do.    

Unite for Impact - worship & prayer night

On Sunday, after the church service, many people made the journey to an area of Athens in the south for an afternoon of fellowship together. We were blessed with some amazing weather and the whole afternoon was a really fun and enjoyable time. To begin with we played some football, and then enjoyed some amazing home made Greek food!

I sat with some of the older members of the congregation over lunch which I think they thought was a bit odd. Anyhow, I tried to talk to them and get to know them a bit which I think they appreciated. A second football match commenced post-lunch where I played in goal and kept a clean sheet! OK so the opposition didn't have a shot on target but it still counts. There was then a time to pray and finally enjoy some Greek dessert and coffee!

Sunday evening marked the start of a 'small group' style Bible group that I'm a part of. This was a really great time and we are planning to listen to and discuss some sermons on 1 Peter and then pray for each other.
Give thanks for this as I'm sure it will be a really valuable part of my week helping me to grow spiritually and also get to know friends along the way.

And so, it is the start of another week! Monday's are always my busiest day but thankfully today went much better than last week praise God. I'm beginning to learn more about what certain classes need when it comes to delivering the lessons. It is quite interesting how two classes, who are supposedly having exactly the same lesson, are completely different. Some children are very pro active whilst others expect you to do all the work for them (sorry not going to happen).       

(new phrase alert)
Να' σαι καλά.
Na' sai kalá.
Take care / be well

Two paths, one destination...

At the feeding ministry today, I was thankful for being able to get to know one of the Syrian refugees. His story is one of hardship and pain, and his journey, has been a long one to say the least. The man I spoke to is 28 and was born in the same year as me, only 3 days apart. It's staggering to think of how our two paths have weaved and turned over the years until finally meeting at this point earlier today. One thing I know is that although we may not share the same path, we do share the same destination, for we will all stand before God's judgement seat (Romans 14:10). He is not a believer and so please pray that he might hear and receive the good news of salvation in Christ!

Syrian refugees face a hard and life threatening decision. Flee their country and seek refuge in a new country with the possibility of death, or stay in their native land and suffer the terrors of war and the possibility of death. It's not much of a choice really is it? My friend, his brother and mother made the decision to flee and after a day, they had made it via a smuggler to Turkey. They then waited until they could sail from Turkey to Kos, and then endured the journey from Kos to Athens. After a year in Athens they are hoping to finally live in Norway where the father of the family is living after seeking asylum at an earlier date. In the end it always seems to come down to three things - money, paperwork and timing. Many refugees seeking to enter Europe don't have the greatest of prospects when it comes to either of these three things.

An optimistic outlook for
the week ahead!

Please pray that I would continue to have good opportunities speaking to people both Greek and non-Greek. I asked my Syrian friend what he believes when it comes to God and his answer was one that I expected to hear. 'I am a Muslim, you are Christian. Our two religions are different but I respect you.' Please pray that he comes to see who Jesus is and why he is the only Lord and Saviour.

The weather in Athens appears to be improving although we did have a spot of rain today. I was just getting myself ready for the cold temperatures, when all of a sudden I see this weather report in the Metro (right). Never mind!

Give thanks that today was another good day at the school. Both my classes were a delight and the lessons went well and to plan! One of my students even left the classroom saying 'thanks for a great lesson'. I've started putting some 'relaxing' classical music on when I get them to do work - it seems to help create a calming atmosphere but if anything it makes me feel more relaxed! I can't believe that another week has gone by. This weekend is going to be busy as I'm helping with a prayer and worship night in one of Athens stadiums. It is an exciting event as a large number of churches across Athens will be meeting to sing praise to God and pray for the city. I am helping set up and steward on the night which should be fun and another great way to get to know people from church. I will leave you with the news that my clock from England after one month of doing nothing has started working! It is a radio clock and so 'tunes itself' - hence why it's two hours slow! Anyway nice to have a little piece of England in my living room.

English clock, English time...