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