The faculty lounge at Carey always has Meal Mates on offer (I think they are Laurie’s favourites), and whenever I take one—I normally opt for the chockie bikies—I am transported to another time. We always had Meal Mates in the house when I was growing up, I guess because they are cheap and compared to chocolate biscuits, good for you. The salty-crunch of a Meal Mate instantly transposes me to sunny New Zealand summers having fun at the beach (if Himitangi and Foxton can reasonably be called beaches!), to hours of fun soccer practice on the back lawn, to memories of family—I have an ideal family who love me and care for me, mum and dad spent time with my sister and me, and generally we all had fun hang’in out together—I am transported to a happy place and a happy time.
A similar thing happens at other times too. Certain photographs take me to places of fun and significance, here I am thinking of my honeymoon photos in Nepal, or pictures of my first motorbike, the one I bought the day I left school, to pictures of me and some mates from High School, or photos of my children. Reading The Chronicles of Narnia does it for me every time as well. The sparse prose of Lewis provides just enough detail to take you to another realm—Narnia—but not enough detail to expunge the imaginative elements we each bring to the experience. Along with the characters and creatures of Narnia I cry, I laugh, I feel brave and cowardly, but most of all I am drawn, inexorably, to a higher plane, a greater existence, a new level of being. I am drawn “furthering in and further up,” as Lewis would say.
The other place and time this happens to me is when reading the Gospel. In the Bible and in good theology I am instantly drawn to a higher, more luminous, more real, more solid, more powerful, more meaningful place. In Lewis-like fashion I am filled with a sense that there is more to life than what we see and hear around us now, there is more to relationships than what we can get out of them, there is more to the meaning of our life than possessions, power, or prestige. The Spirit does this in me. Christ does this to me. The Father does this with me. That is a significant reason I am a theologian, a preacher, a participant in meaningful human relationships, a Chrisitan. We were created for more, for life in its fullness, for glory and immortality. Gospel—Good News—Amen!
TUESDAY 2nd
Community Worship 11:15am-12noon
Facilitated by Geoff Dixon and Matthew Gordon
Speaker: Ash Barker
After Dinner Mints @ lunch
Ash Barker is the founding director of Urban Neighbours Of Hope, which began in Springvale (Melbourne) in 1993 and now has chapters of workers loving God and neighbours in some of the neediest urban neighbourhoods in Melbourne, Sydney and Bangkok. Ash with Anji have two children and have lived and served Christ in the largest slum in Bangkok since April 1st 2002.
WEDNESDAY 3rd
Principal's Call to Prayer
12:40-1:00pm
Charles keenly invites you to join with him and other staff members to pray in regard to the appointment of two new Biblical Study Academics @ Carey. This is an exciting time for us as a college and we must seek God’s leading.
UPCOMING EVENTS
15-19 August Library Week
ART WEEK –
An annual event when we can celebrate our own creativity.
This week is Art Week. Take the time to look around the college, in corridors, and reception area. Feel free to connect with the creator (if they are named) on what they have done and why.
Week Three
Thank you for completing your duty this week. For students on dishes Tuesdays and Wednesdays, thanks for taking on this task which is the heavier task out of all the duties. The good thing is that you now only have to do the duty once fortnightly, thanks to other students coming forward to assist. You have received the duty list in your pigeon hole, therefore please would you take special note of whether you are on an EVEN or ODD week, PLEASE REPLACE YOURSELF IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO COMPLETE YOUR DUTY ON ANY GIVEN DAY. Thanks so much.
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