Phil Halstead writes...
Good Morning! I trust that you’ve had a blessed long weekend! I’d like to spotlight this morning a watershed moment that took place in Mary Magdalene’s life when she encountered Jesus in The Bible – Jesus DVD that I recently watched with our daughter, Aimee.
In the film, Jesus’ mother introduced Mary Magdalene to Jesus. Jesus replied, “I know Mary.” Mary Magdalene sighed and said, “I’m a prostitute, Jesus.” Jesus looked straight into her eyes and lovingly answered, “You were; once; a long time ago.” Isn’t that a magnificent response! Doesn’t it capture Jesus’ heart so well? That was a long time ago. In Jesus, chronological time changes, slates are cleaned, fresh beginnings emerge, and new days dawn. Gone are the labels, lies, errors, and sins that have previously defined us; present is the one who alone can truly define us.
Scripture confirms the film’s message: God goes to extraordinary lengths to encourage people to repent; in fact, no matter how or where people sin, God seems to search for sinners and extend the possibility of forgiveness to them in the hope that fellowship may be restored. MacArthur puts it this way: “God is not at all a reluctant Savior.”
Because of her encounter with Jesus, Mary trusted Jesus. She grasped that trust “is not blind certitude” for droughts often occur and life can be hard. Rather, her trust equated to “a willingness to enter the dance of life with eyes wide open.” (Phillips, 2010, p. 167).
Why do I mention this today? Well, perhaps some of us have had a long weekend that has not been as successful as we’d wished it might have been. Perhaps we’re struggling with labels or pasts that conspire to impede our progress this week. Or perhaps it’s a case of we’d never have chosen our past pain, but nonetheless they are our pasts and God seems to be at work in them.
If this sounds like you, why not take a moment to look into Jesus’ eyes and receive a life-giving word from him as Mary did. As St. Gregory of Nyssa says, “For the one who runs towards the Lord, there is no lack of space. The one who ascends never stops going from beginning to beginning, by beginnings that never cease” And if this sense is missing the first thing to check is one’s prayer life. That is the hallowed space where we run toward the Lord, that verdant place of listening prayer where new beginnings come into view. By looking afresh to Jesus, we might find the freedom and grace to trust him to help us through the next days and finish the semester well.
And if you’re not presently struggling in these areas, why not take a moment to look into Jesus’ eyes, give him thanks, and wait for his life-giving words to you. Such actions will go a long way in helping you to have a good morning.
7 June 2011 Semester 1
TUESDAY 7th
Community Worship 11:15am-12pm
Facilitated by Andrew Cox and Simon Newbould
Speaker: Phil Halstead Phil 2:19-24
After Dinner Mints @ lunch
Ants Watts is a pastor at Spreydon Baptist church. He has a huge heart for radical discipleship and social justice. This is reflected in his life, leadership and his challenging call to comfortable New Zealand Christians.
WEDNESDAY 8th
Prayer for our hurting world
12:40-1:00pm
Come and join us as we intercede for our hurting world over the next 6 weeks.
June 8 The Displaced
UPCOMING EVENTS
16 June Church and Environment Day at Carey Baptist College
16 June Book Launch at Carey-Laidlaw Graduate School
25 June Children of Divorced and the Promise of Despair Course
PRAYER for our Hurting World
We begin a series of interceding for our hurting world. Come along on Wednesdays at 12.40 at the Chapel as we pray together. All are welcome!
POSTGRADUATE DEVELOPMENTS
We lodged an application for Postgraduate Diploma and Master of Applied Theology qualifications in April. We are waiting on NZQA approval processes, including a panel recommendation. In the meantime we are planning for 2012 on the basis that approval will come through. In so planning, we want to get as much feedback as possible from potential students for these programs and courses, whether your future study would be in 2012 or much later. If you are, even remotely likely to be a possible student, could you email me: laurie@carey.ac.nz. I will then send you a survey form which asks questions such as to how you would rate the proposed courses for next year and other courses to follow, the number of course you might do in a year, your other thoughts etc. I’d love you to email me and do the survey. It will only take five minutes. I await your email!
Laurie Guy
CHRISTIAN ETHICS
Christian Ethics course MB 641: This course was set down to be taught by Mick Duncan. Since this arrangement was made Mick has moved from part-time to adjunct lecturer at Carey and begun a pastorate at Manurewa. He has indicated that work pressures will prevent him lecturing this course in 2011. However, the course will still go ahead. Myk Habets, who taught this course previously, has stepped into the gap and will be lecturer for this course in the second semester. Laurie Guy
UNDERSTANDING AND INTERROGATING CULTURE
An exciting development and important notice from Phil Halstead for all students enrolled in Semester Two's MB630 Understanding and Interrogating Culture: I am pleased to be able to inform you that the important and stimulating Maori component of the Understanding & Interrogating Course will be held as a block course on Friday evening the 5th of August (6:30-9:30pm) and Saturday the 6th of August (9:30am to 4:30pm). This new format will enable students to experience Maori Culture in a deeper fashion than spreading the input over three consecutive weeks. It will also enable a number of distant students to attend the block course. For further information, please contact Phil at phil.halstead@carey.ac.nz
CHILDREN OF DIVORCED AND THE PROMISE OF DESPAIR
This one day training course with Dr Andrew Root, Associate Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary, St Paul’s, USA, is on Saturday 25 June from 9.00 am – 4.00 pm, here at Carey Baptist College.
The course explores the impact of divorce on young people and how we can journey alongside them, especially as youth leaders. Promise of despair explores the hope that the church has to offer those who are struggling with death and despair in their many forms, from broken relationships to lost jobs to the seeming lack of meaning in contemporary culture.
Check out http://www.pym.org.nz/oneday/ in order to register
INVITATION
You are warmly invited to the Laidlaw Carey Graduate School launch of our new book.
“THE GOSPEL AND THE LAND OF PROMISE”..... Edited by Tim Bulkeley, Tim Meadowcroft, Philip Church, and Peter Walker.
WHEN...THURSDAY 16th June 7.00pm in the
WHERE...Deane memorial Library at Laidlaw College 80 Central Park Drive Henderson.
There will be light refreshments.
Please RSVP by 10 June to Rebecca Little rlittle@laidlaw.ac.nz Phone 837 9791
(Please see the notice on the pin board at Carey Baptist College (in hallway)
FROM THE LIBRARY
Library access on Saturdays
Swipe card required for Saturdays in order to enter the library. Please knock if you are unable to enter.
Late nights
The library will be open until 8pm on the following days:
Tuesday 7 June
Wednesday 8 June
Thursday 9 June
Monday 13 June
Tuesday 14 June
Wednesday 15 June
REENROLMENTS
Reenrolments for returning students needs to be completed by Wednesday 22 June (you can however change your enrolment up until 18th July without incurring any $$ penalty).
COURSE EVALUATION
please complete and return your Course Evaluation Forms which should be in your course notes to Neroli (Academic Registrar) by the end of semester one – Friday 24th June.
CAREY PRAYER CHAIN
We’re keen to offer faithful, daily prayer for students, lecturers and friends/family – please email your requests to carey.prayer@gmail.com or anonymously in Nigel Irwin’s pigeon hole if you wish. And if you’d like to join the prayer-chain, let me (Nigel) know. James 5:16, Phil 4:6