Cafe Church Talk: Wisdom for Life - Work

Tumble out of bed
and stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
and yawn and stretch and try to come to life.
Jump in the shower
and the blood starts pumpin’
out on the streets, the traffic starts jumpin’
for folks like me on the job from 9 to 5.
Workin’ 9 to 5
what a way to make a livin’
barely gettin’ by
it’s all takin’ and no givin’
They just use your mind
and they never give you credit
It’s enough to drive you
crazy if you let it.

That’s what Dolly Parton thinks about working 9 to 5. But what does God think about work? And what wisdom does he give us about work in the book of Proverbs? That’s what we’re asking tonight. But before we get to the specifics of Proverbs, let’s set out the grand context of work in God’s world.

On Sunday mornings we’ve been working our way through the opening chapters of Genesis. And there, we’ve discovered that work is an essential element of God’s world. Work isn’t just something that came in after the fall, as part of the curse on mankind. No, work existed before the fall, part of the original creation mandate - but that work was then cursed because of Adam and Eve’s sin.

So in Genesis 1, the command is to ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’ (Gen 1:28). And in Genesis 2, Adam is placed in the Garden of Eden ‘to work it and take care of it.’ (Gen 2:15)

Even if Adam and Eve had never rebelled, they still would have been working. But now, in this paradise-lost world, we find that: ‘Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground...’ (Gen 3:17-19).

It’s because of this curse that we find that work can be frustrating, or painful. It’s why we experience (or see others experiencing) the Sunday night blues, or Monday-itis. The weekend has passed, and another week at work approaches. (Apologies if this is bringing on a case of the Sunday night blues right now...)

So how should we go about our work? Is God interested in that? Has he anything to say about work? Well, on the tables, you have a little booklet of all the collected wisdom about work from the book of Proverbs. As you can see, God has quite a bit to say about work - in lots of different ways.

First of all, there are some of the proverbs that encourage and motivate work. They draw out the contrast between working and not working. So consider 10:4 where it says ‘Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.’ Or 12:11 which says ‘Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.’ And there are a few more similar proverbs.

When we read these proverbs, and the Book of Proverbs in general, we need to remember that these are probabilities, not promises. Perhaps you know of someone who worked hard, but didn’t reap the rewards. Or someone who was lazy but came into a fortune through some other means - inheritance or lottery win or something else. Proverbs is an observation of how life normally goes; of what you can usually expect. So generally, those who work are better off than those who don’t bother working.

And so Proverbs wants to motivate us to work. And throughout the book, Proverbs calls on a particular type of person to work. Even in the verses that are before you, you can see that time and time again, the sluggard is addressed.

The sluggard is the one who can’t really be bothered to do very much. In 26:13-16, there are excuses for not going out to work - ‘There’s a lion in the road!’ It’s too dangerous to go out. And so he’s happy to turn on his bed, like a door turns on its hinges. Roll over for a second sleep. But he’s so sluggish that he buries his hand in the dish, too lazy to lift his spoon to eat his porridge or cornflakes.

Now those are humorous characterisations, but there is a serious side too to sluggardliness. They don’t plough in season, then at harvest time, there’s nothing there when they go to look at their field. (20:4). Instead, everyone passing by sees thorns and weeds, and the stone wall in ruins. It’s serious because there was no social security system; no universal credit or Craigavon foodbank. So: ‘A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.’ (24:33-34).

Rather, the sluggard is called to look at the ant. It works, and stores provisions, and gets itself ready for the winter. It’s wiser than the sluggard! Could there be sluggardly ways in some of us?

Perhaps, though, some of us are more in danger of the opposite extreme - not underwork, but overwork. Of always being on; always working, and never resting. Never finding time for Sabbath, for rest and refreshment. The creation pattern (before the fall!) was six days work and one day of rest. Do we think that we can go 24/7, 7 days a week, without needing rest? That wouldn’t be very wise.


So now that we’re motivated to work, and not be sluggardly, how should we go about our work? There’s a collection of proverbs that show that God wants us to have integrity in our work - we should be fair and just. So at 11:1 we find: ‘The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favour with him.’ By contrast, at 16:11 ‘Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of his making.’ Again in chapter 20 (verses 10 and 23) there are references to differing weights.

The picture is of buying and selling grain, using the balancing scales. So if you have two different weights - they both say 1 kilogram, but one actually weighs 900grams, then you’d be making more money than the grain you were selling. It would be dishonest.

You may not use weights and scales in your work - but are there ways you could be dishonest? Things that you can get away with and nobody realises? Even if no one else realises, God sees, and God knows. God is looking for integrity and fairness in our work.

We see the perfect wisdom of God for work in the person and work of the Lord Jesus. For the majority of his life, he worked as a carpenter, in Joseph’s family business. Through that, and through his ministry, he completed everything he was to do; so that in John 17 he can say to God the Father: ‘I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.’ (Jn 17:4). In Jesus we see what it is to work, and to work wisely and well.

Our Saviour is also our example. As Paul writes to the Colossians: ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.’

Doesn’t that sum up what Proverbs is teaching us? In all we do, in whatever job we’re working, we are working for the Lord. So let’s work in a way that will please him.

This talk was given at the Cafe Church in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 13th October 2019.

Book Review: Do More Better

Tim Challies makes a big claim at the start of this little book. When I read it, I was dubious, but here it is: 'I believe this book can improve your life. This is a bold claim, I know, but the book would not be worth my time writing, or your time reading, if I did not believe it. I wrote this because I want you to do more better and because I believe you can.'

I must confess that I'm not really into the 'productivity' mindset. Having read Matt Perman's book 'What's Best Next' last summer, it slightly scared me to find such highly motivated, always on, never resting enthusiasm. Perhaps it was a difference of personality, but 'What's Best Next' wasn't best for me. So when I heard that Tim Challies had written and released a productivity book, I approached it with trepidation. Having availed of the offer of a free PDF review copy for bloggers, and having read the opening claim, I almost switched the Kindle off. But I kept going, and I'm glad I did. I even think it might have made a difference in my life and work in the week since I've read it, and it has the potential to do even more even better in the future. If it can do that with someone once described as 'so laidback he's horizontal' then Do More Better could help you as well.

Tim Challies lays out the foundations for the book by describing how it came about. Having invested lots of time and energy into productivity, because he loves 'to make the best use of my time and energy', he is 'constantly fine-tuning the ideas, tools, and systems that help [him] to remain that way.' The book is a sharing of what he has discovered, by opening up his life to demonstrate how his system works. But before he gets to the system, he first covers the essential foundation of productivity - knowing your purpose. This first chapter unfolds the vision of purpose - why God made us (to bring glory to God), and how we bring glory to God (by doing good works). Good works are defined as 'deeds done for the glory of God and the benefit of other people.'

It's a good place to start, but as I read it, I wondered was this a book only for Christians? Especially since he states: 'But when God saved you, he gave you a heart that longs to do good for others.' Now, later on he does explain the Gospel, and outlines how you can be saved, but in this initial chapter, it did appear to be limited in its approach. It wasn't the only issue I encountered in the chapter. Several times there were statements that seemed quite simplistic, or un-nuanced. The first was 'Good works, then, are any and all of those deeds you do for the benefit of others.' The second was like it: 'There is no task in life that cannot be done for God's glory' - to which I typed in my kindle 'really?' Setting aside my doubts and having made it through the chapter, the foundational purpose is found to be: 'to glorify God by doing good to others.'

Chapter two asks how we can do this in our everyday life, recognising that it isn't always easy. The 'lifelong struggle to be and to remain productive' is because of three main reasons - laziness, busyness and the 'mean combination of thorns and thistles.' Through this chapter, he considers the sluggard of Proverbs, the equal and opposite problem of busyness which does lots but doesn't achieve anything that counts; and the thorns and thistles of the Genesis 3 curse - 'the punishment was not work itself, but the difficulty that would not accompany work.' This was a helpful diagnostic chapter, and one which helped the reader to locate their own unique approach to life and work, and what might need done about it!

From chapter three onwards, Challies becomes more practical and more hands-on. There's even some homework, as the reader is called to Define your Responsibilities. The audit helps to summarise the various areas of responsibility, such as home, work, church, hobbies, projects, and to tease out the main tasks of each. Chapter four builds on this, by inviting you to State your mission as you allocate your scarce resource of time and make difficult decisions. The pursuit of productivity is refined by the helpful saying: 'Your primary pursuit in productivity is not doing more things, but doing more good.' He advises that the way to do this is the slow 'yes' and the quick 'no' to things that do or don't fit the mission statement of your life.

Chapter five begins to introduce what some would have expected from the opening chapter - Choose your Tools Having journeyed with him thus far, it makes sense to only begin to talk tools and procedures at this stage. His focus is on software tools, but it's about finding what works. His system boils down to this: 'Effective productivity depends upon three tools and the relationship between them: task management tool; scheduling tool; and information tool.' The chapter then outlines the programs and apps he uses, along with alternatives for each, depending on personal preference.

His shortlist is: task management tool - Todoist; scheduling tool - Google Calendar; and information tool - Evernote. The guiding principle for what goes where is 'a home for everything, and like goes with like.' The rest of the book follows an outline of what each bit of the system does, and how to set up and begin to use each of the three tools. But the key to effective productivity is to use them together, in connection with each other. His tip to doing this is to daily plan, and then execute - to review, decide and plan, and then actually get on and do the work. Tim outlines the way he does this, through a daily review, and a weekly review.

All in all, it was an interesting book to read, and as I was reading it, I was thinking to myself that it was too complicated to put into practice. But then I thought I would give it a go. It would beat my current system of trying to remember the things I had to do (and forgetting some). I already use Evernote, and had dabbled with Google Calendar. So I decided to be more intentional with my Evernoting, switch to using the Google calendar on my phone (which links in to Facebook and the church website diary anyway), and download Todoist. Just to see. And now I haven't looked back.

My to-do list and reminders are contained in Todoist, and my productivity graph is rising each day as things get done. My calendar is always with me, and is working better than my Moleskine diary (I never thought I'd say that!). And the information I need is stored in Evernote (and Dropbox). I'm still working on email inbox zero, but I'm getting there. So perhaps the book has made a difference in my worklife. My system is working, and I'm feeling on top of what needs to be done. For that, and for the free PDF review copy of Do More Better, thank you Tim Challies!

Sermon: Luke 10: 38-42 Mary and Martha

Something I always find fascinating is the fact that brothers and sisters can turn out so differently. From the same father and mother can come very different people and personalities. So, for example, I have one brother, Neil, who has dirty fair hair, and is much more sporty than I am. We grew up in the same house, but are very different indeed. Watching family dynamics is interesting - how siblings get on together, whether they complement or contradict each other, spotting similarities and discovering differences.

For that special kind of people watching, the home of Mary and Martha (and Lazarus) must have been an interesting case study. Martha is probably older, she’s the one whose house it is, she’s the one who takes responsibility for the household, making arrangements and catering and all the rest. Mary, based on these verses, seems to be a different sort of woman altogether.

If you’re a Martha type, you might think of Mary as lazy, or workshy, certainly not fulfilling her duties or helping with her share of the work. If you’re a Mary type, you probably think Martha’s a bit uptight; Mary is just relaxed and wanting to make sure her guests are put at ease, chatting and being sociable.

We get an insight into the family because of their special guest. On Sunday mornings we’ve been following Jesus along the road up to Jerusalem. Tonight, we’re rewinding a little bit (as we intended to cover these verses in January). Jesus has arrived in their village, so Martha invites him in. And Martha is stressed.

I wonder how things work in your house if you’re having guests round for dinner or to stay. There’s maybe cleaning to be done; the floor hoovered and surfaces polished and dusted; the food needs to be prepared; the bathroom sparkling. The preparations may start weeks beforehand to make sure all is ready for the visitors.

Martha is in the thick of it, getting everything ready. Imagine her like a cartoon character with about twenty arms all doing something, trying to keep on top of all that has to be done. Her glasses are steamed up from checking the oven, and when the steam clears, she realises that she’s on her own in the kitchen. They have a very very important visitor, but Mary has abandoned her. So she goes looking for Mary, only to find her sitting at Jesus’ feet. It’s well for her can sit down, Martha thinks to herself. Mary has found the time to sit and listen to his teaching.

It seems so unfair. Martha working her fingers to the bone while lady muck sits listening to Jesus? Martyr Martha is doing all the work, and I do feel sorry for her. You see, I reckon that the Protestant work ethic makes us identify with Martha. We almost feel guilty if we sit down for a wee while, knowing there’s always something we could be getting on with.

Some of us even take pride in our busyness and non-stop-ness (if that’s a word)! I’ve even heard clergy colleagues complaining (or boasting, I’m never sure which) that they haven’t had a day off in over twelve weeks. It’s as if we’re meant to congratulate them on their hard work.

I know that there are some mornings where I look at the list of things I’ve to do that day, that I just launch straight in. The sooner I start, the sooner I might get a couple finished. After all, it all depends on me, doesn’t it? Have you ever found yourself thinking the same? I’ve so much to do, I’ll have to get it all done. It’s nearly made worse when you see the Mary types who don’t get worked up about work. It’s not fair.

So Martha takes the bull by the horns. She tackles Jesus. ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ Jesus, you see Mary sitting at your feet, but you’re not telling her to help. You’re encouraging her to be lazy. So sort yourself out, and sort her out as well!

Now if you were Jesus, how would you respond? Right Mary, break time is over, away back to work? But that’s not what Jesus says. ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’

Martha was distracted, anxious and troubled in her service for the Lord. She wanted to make sure everything was right for him. She was doing things for him, but she missed the one necessary thing. He was right there. She could be with him. She could spend time with him, but instead she chose to busy herself (and annoy herself) for him.

It’s good to serve the Lord. But there is something better - being with the Lord. Mary had chosen the good portion. She chose the thing that was best. The Lord Jesus was in her home, so she wanted to get the most out of that experience, sitting at his feet, listening to his teaching. She may not have realised, but Jesus was on his way up to Jerusalem. He was heading for the cross. How precious to have Jesus in her home, teaching her, speaking with her. And to think she could have missed out, like Martha, distracted by things that seemed to be important or urgent, things that may have been good, but not the best.

Now you might be thinking, well, it was all right for her. She had Jesus coming to her house, speaking to her, teaching her. Could we have the same? Just think what we have. We have the Spirit of Jesus living inside us. We have the teaching of Jesus written down, and the whole of the Bible is about him. We have this, in our own language. We have this access, any time, all the time. We have the opportunity to be like Mary, to sit at Jesus’ feet.

Bible reading isn’t a duty to be done, something you have to do, something to feel guilty about if you miss a day or two. Rather, Bible reading is a privilege. We get to do it (rather than we’ve got to do it). We get to read about Jesus, listen to his teaching, spend time in his presence. Surely we would want to do this?

Yet it’s so easy to be like Martha. Distracted. Caught up in the busyness of things to be done - even things for the Lord that we forget to be with the Lord. Perhaps we need to schedule times to spend with Jesus - make an appointment, mark out time in your diary; you may need to work hard at not working to carve out time from your activities.

In Acts 4, the Jewish council have Peter and John on trial because they were preaching the name of Jesus. The council were the high & mighty religious people. They tried Peter and John and found they were uneducated, common men. So how could they turn Jerusalem upside down with their boldness of preaching and healing? ‘They recognised that they had been with Jesus.’ They were able to do things for Jesus because they had spent time with Jesus.

For the Marthas among us, learn from Mary, as he sits at Jesus’ feet, and listens to his teaching. Savour the moments and find in them the strength to do what needs to be done.

This sermon was preached at the evening service in Aghavea Hall on Sunday 1st March 2015.

Sermon Audio: Ephesians 6: 1-9

On Sunday morning I was preaching on slaves and masters from Ephesians 6, applying it to our work situations - a little appraisal before you head off on your summer holidays. Paul reminds us that we're all Slaves of Christ.

Sermon: Ephesians 6: 1-9 Slaves of Christ

We’re coming up to the time of year when one of the big things to talk about is: ‘where are you going on holiday?’ I know that perhaps the farmers are coming into their busiest time, but for many, a week or two’s worth of holidays are on the horizon, and if you closed your eyes, you could already imagine yourself on that beach, or by that pool - that is, until you get soaked by the latest shower.

This morning, as we listen in to the Apostle Paul addressing the church in Ephesus - and by extension, addressing us as well - he’s continuing to give instructions on what it will look like to live as a Christian. A fortnight ago, we heard him tackle the issue of marriage - of husband and wife loving and submitting, in that picture of Christ and the church. But now, Paul turns to home life in a different sense - that of children and parents, before coming to the way slaves and masters should relate as Christians.

We’ve already (in the children’s talk) thought about children and parents, so let’s focus in these few minutes about slaves and masters. Now, I know that you’re not an actual slave - although it might feel like it at times as you’re called upon to do any number of tasks at the one time, dealing with bosses and colleagues and numerous demands - but what Paul says here will help us think about our work, and how we should work as Christians.

But before we get into the text, it’s helpful to remember that work is a part of God’s creation - it’s a good thing in God’s purposes for us. Adam and Eve weren’t created to sit on their bottoms and do nothing - they were created to tend the Garden of Eden. That work has been frustrated by weeds and heavy toil through the curse of the fall, when sin entered the world, but God blesses our work. And as we’ll see, we’re not just Christians on a Sunday morning when we’re wearing our best clothes - we’re all full time Christian workers, in whatever job we find ourselves in.

You’re not just in your particular job to pay the bills (as the alternative seven dwarves song would claim: ‘I owe, I owe, it’s off to work I go...’) - but you’re there in order to be a Christian witness to your colleagues, bosses, and customers.

Perhaps with the holidays approaching, this morning can be like your annual appraisal - your chance to review how you’re performing at work; whether your faith is on display in the factory or the farmyard.

Verse 5: ‘Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart.’ Paul says that we should work hard, obeying commands, doing what the boss wants us to do (obviously so long as it’s legal!), in singleness of heart - giving your all to the job.

In fact, he goes on to spell out what that means in verse 6: ‘not only while being watched, and in order to please them.’ My first job was in a little corner shop in Dromore. I worked there part time for about six years. The owner of the shop lived outside the town and would pop in every so often to pick up something or just on his way past. Some of the people I worked with would be very lazy, doing little; until suddenly, they would spot the boss’ jeep or Jackie would walk in, and it was as if they were the Duracell bunny - working very hard for the duration of his stay - and then they went back to their laziness again. They were only obeying whilst being watched!

I wonder are you like that? Will you get on with a job, or do you need to have someone watching you? You see, as I’ve already said, we’re full time Christians, not part time Christians - so our work must be an expression of our faith. It’s why Paul says that we should obey ‘as you obey Christ’ (5). You’re not just working for your boss; you’re working for Christ.

Would it make a difference to the way you went about your work tomorrow if you were to see the Lord Jesus in the manager’s office rather than your boss? Would you work harder? The Lord Jesus sees all that you do - the time spent on personal business, the lingering in the toilet, the extra five minutes over lunch, getting clocked in or out by someone else.

Do your colleagues realise that there’s something different about you, because you’re a Christian? Would they see you working hard because you realise you’re working for the Lord, you’re a slave of Christ, obeying his command?

Paul says that we are to render service with enthusiasm, knowing that the Lord who sees is the one who repays - ‘knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free.’ (8) Isn’t that the point of our Gospel reading, where the slaves are entrusted with the master’s goods and left to get on with it? The faithful servant obeys, working without the master’s eye on him, and receives the reward for the work - but the lazy servant is cast out.

We’re not good in order to win God’s favour - we already have it, because of his love and grace and mercy (see chapters 1 and 2). But in the middle of chapter 2 we were reminded that God saved us to be ‘created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.’ (2:10).

Now you might have noticed that Paul addresses both wives and husbands; both children and parents; so now here he addresses not just slaves, but also masters. Verse 9: ‘And masters, do the same to them.’ That is, work enthusiastically, for the Lord, and do good. He expands it by saying ‘Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality.’

You may be a manager or a boss, you might have people working for you, but you’re not in ultimate control. Don’t threaten them - remember that you too are the slave of the Master, to whom you will answer; who shows no favour towards managers.

Near the end of the staff appraisal form there is normally a box which asks about your action plan. Having reviewed your performance, what will you change? How will you seek to improve in your work?

In this appraisal, we’ve been reminded that what we believe is expressed in how we behave - others may slack at work because they’re only there to put the hours in and take the money, whether or not they like the boss. But for the Christian, we’re reminded that Jesus is Lord of all - of every part of our lives, not just the Sunday bit - and so as we work, we’re serving him.

Are there things that need to change? Will you have to work harder? Perhaps you’re confronted with your failure - even today God’s grace is available, as you confess your sin and repent (turn around) and change.

The approval of our earthly manager can be important, but nothing will beat hearing those words from the Master in heaven: ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave... enter into the joy of your master.’

This sermon was preached in Aghavea Parish Church on Sunday 1st July 2012.

The Best Job in the World?

Over at the BBC, there's a report about a man who has landed "the best job in the world." In case you're interested, it's the position of caretaker on a tropical island off Australia's Great Barrier Reef. It's a six-month contract, with a salary of £73,500, and the other perks include a beach house, swimming pool and golf cart.

The job description requires Ben Southall "to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel, make friends with the locals and generally enjoy the tropical Queensland climate and lifestyle".

But the question has to be asked - it is really the world's best job?

What better than studying God's word, teaching God's word, and sharing people's lives in the good times and the sad, helping them to come to faith and grow more like Jesus, and preparing them for heaven? Give me this any day rather than life on a tropical island. The six months will soon come to an end, but the effects of our labour in the Lord stretch throughout eternity.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Being Organised

Something I'm determined to work on in this new year is to get my study into order. For this past wee while, things have been all over the place - books sitting everywhere except on the shelves, clutter on the floor, and piles of papers where I should be able to see my desk.

My excuse is that I know where everything is when it's like this - if it was tidy, then I wouldn't know where anything was. But this morning it has become serious. On Friday when I started work again, I made a list of the various talks and studies I've to do over the next couple of weeks so that I know what I'm working towards, and the various deadlines.

All good. Until this morning, when I couldn't find the list! Oops! Good job I have most of it committed to memory, and I know what's on this week. Tidying and studying both essential tasks to be done...

Piecing It Together

Just a very quick post. Since my last updates on the Curacy List etc, there have been some exciting developments. We're now less than a week away until the interviews. I'm having four interviews - two on Thursday, one on Friday, and one on Monday, and am looking forward to them.

However, the most exciting news is that Lynsey is coming home. Yes, that's right, she has been accepted for a job in Northern Ireland! Now we she has to rank the available possibilities and hope that the hospitals and parishes are near each other. But it's great that she has got into Northern Ireland - as someone said, the pieces of the jigsaw are all coming together well!

Keep praying for us, as we make important choices in the coming weeks.

Goodbye Newtownstewart

And so, the end is near, and now I face my final curtain...

Today is now my last day in work, and my last day in the village of Newtownstewart. Last night I was packing, and well, to be brutally honest, I started crying. So many memories in everything I lifted to put into boxes, and the complete realisation that this is the end of my time here... That finished any hope of packing last night.

So I was up early-ish this morning, and have the car loaded up now with stuff. I'll have one more journey westwards tomorrow or Monday just to bring the bike and whatever stuff is in the kitchen - plates, cutlery etc... And just like a good Shakespeare play where the weather reflects the mood of what is going on, today it is raining. Constant, heavy rain.

I didn't realise just how much I loved this place, and this job until now...

But God who has called me, is faithful, and has wonderful plans for me in Dublin and beyond - and there is pain in giving up things that are comfortable and familiar, but it the way of the cross, it is the way of God's people - because the blessings that lie ahead far outweigh what I could ever possibly have by being stubborn and remaining here.

Abraham was called by God to go to a place he did not know - at least I know I'm bound for Dublin. Abraham was called by God to give up his son, the one who the covenant would be brought through - I'm only giving up a flat and moving to a new place of security and dwelling.

A big thank you to the person who provided me with Proverbs 4:18:

THE PATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS LIKE THE FIRST GLEAM OF DAWN, SHINING EVER BRIGHTER TILL THE FULL DAY OF LIGHT.

And so I begin on the path to Dublin... Here goes!

I'm leaving Newtownstewart - AAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!

This is going to sound really silly, but it is only today that it has finally hit me that I am leaving Newtownstewart so soon. It was only when I went into the Post Office (which is also a men's clothes shop, furniture shop, hardware, fancy goods, and undertaker business and more stuff that I either haven't seen or can't remember) and was squaring up the remainder of the rent with my landlord that it hit me. Then later on, when I was back in the PO, and one of the staff wished me all the best in case she didn't see me again before I left.

I am gonna miss this place so much. From the flat (yes, even the flat with the regular return of mice, and the at times dodgy shower, and the 4 bedrooms and the heating system and the coin box electric meter), and Finlay's supermarket for the morning paper, and the quiet life of a wee village, and the view of the Sperrins from my desk, and the friends I have made with my colleagues - Stephanie, Ken, Pauline and Hazlett, as well as the committee and members - the victims who have suffered so much in this part of the world. All coming to an end.

I'll be sad to go. And yet, a part of me is ready to move on, to see what is around the next corner, because I know that I am going in the power of God - he has called me (I believe) to the ministry of the word, and I go to follow his call. So I'm well excited about Dublin and all that lies beyond there! Here goes...!

The End is Nigh!

Well, it seems that my end in Newtownstewart is coming sooner than expected - possibly as early as tomorrow. It seems that I have to use up all my holidays before the end of June, and, with time worked up as well, that means tomorrow is my last in the office.

And there's been no word on the summer research project we were hoping for, so I could be finished completely and looking a summer job. Any ideas anyone?

But it also means, more concerningly, that I won't be online as much at all, with no more broadband (not being in the office), and not having the work laptop (as the computer at home is busted). So for the next wee while, we might be on a reduced posting blog... but we'll see what happens. Keep checking anyway for the latest updates...

History

It's amazing how small things can become huge things, without any expectation, and how those same things can bring pleasure.

When I started in West Tyrone Voice, my boss, Hazlett Lynch, asked me to design an Irish History class, lasting four weeks, that would explode some of the myths and help our people to understand their history a bit better. We couldn't think of a title for it, so used the general descriptive title of: 'Historical Awareness Course'. That week we were putting together a training survey, as I was new in post and trying to guage the level of interest among our members in a variety of courses and training.

So I set about designing and researching the Historical Awareness Course, which would look at four topics - The Ulster Plantation, The Williamite Wars, The 1798 Rebellion, and The Ulster Crisis. Who knew if anyone would come along...

Well, the first course finished, and even before it did, there were requests in for another course... which we complied with. But, because it was four weeks and there was such a lot of material to get through, the students asked could it be extended, with more time devoted to specific periods? So, that course was lengthened to about 7 weeks.

Now, in 2005, we seem to have grown the historical element of the training beyond all recognition. Tonight is session 5 in the Course being run in Newtownstewart, in which we are looking at the 'green grassy slopes of the Boyne', Aughrim, and the Penal Laws. We also have been awarded funding by the Community Relations Council to publish a book based on the material of the course and my hard research - this is being read by CRC at present, and will hopefully soon be available for publication and then purchase!

Also through CRC Funding, we are pleased to announce that we will be running a shortened course of 5 weeks in Mid-Ulster. This will begin on 2nd June, for 5 Thursday nights, so watch this space for more details, and wee reports on how it is going.

Computers...

Once again, Thursday night finds me in the computer suite of Grange Court, in Newtownstewart, in the ECDL class through work. We’re now on spreadsheets, which seems to be not too bad, but I’m a wee bit ahead of the class, so have time to write a wee posting for the blog.

And, without wishing to jump the gun, so far there haven’t been any mishaps with the computers breaking down tonight yet. But then, we’ve only been here for an hour, and there isn’t the pressure of exams tonight. I just hope that when I next have to do a test, the computer doesn’t break down again, like the last time…

Nights like these are not nights you want to be sitting in a computer suite – tonight is even nicer than last night, with bright sun, and quite warm. Having said that, though, it’s cool enough with a bit of wind. Let’s hope that it continues to the weekend, with various things happening – Saturday is an Antiques and Collectibles Fair in the Cathedral Hall in Dromore, as well as the May Fair in Dromore Square (the first time this has happened), and the Mayor’s Parade in Lisburn. Then on Sunday, there’s a big day of prayer happening at the Stormont estate, although not everyone has been entirely happy about it. Last week there was a letter in the Newsletter from a Presbyterian minister in Moy who said he couldn’t endorse it, given that the participants have different understandings of prayer. Also this weekend there is a flower festival in St John’s Church, Dromara. No doubt I’ll end up going to that on Sunday – mum and granny like looking at the flowers, and I’m a bit nosy to see what other churches are like, and how they are laid out (e.g. sound systems and such like). This will be the first flower festival I’ve been to this year, but I’m sure there’ll be other ones before the end of the summer.

Moving on up...

Things were fun in the office this morning, with a bit of furniture moving, as we consolidate the operation from two offices into one. The office now is looking a bit of a mess, with one cabinet in particular sitting at an odd angle in the middle of the floor, but we will get it all sorted soon enough!

But all this thinking of moving reminds me that my time here is short... today 5 months will be my first week at College, with all the challenges it will bring. I've been in contact with some of the other people who will be starting, and I think it's fair to say we're looking forward to it all, but with just a bit of trepidation.

There will be big changes, going from a job to being a student again; moving from a wee tiny village in the countryside, to living and studying in the big city of Dublin; moving from living alone in a flat, to being amongst thirty or so other people in the halls; from having a steady wage to living on the grants available; and many others I can't think of at present!

But it is very exciting, believing this to be what and where God wants me to be, and walking in his paths; learning more about him, and some ways in which to share the faith with those around us in our new parishes; growing and developing in my faith, and hopefully laying aside those things that hold me back, or cause me to stumble all too frequently. But I find hope and encouragement in this verse: 'being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 1:6)

Even so, Lord, have your way with me, and lead me on!