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To those interested who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
At church last Sunday I heard one of the coolest metaphors for utilitarian
Christianity's view of God (Christians who are "Christians" because of
what they get out of it): God, the divine vending machine. Maybe that's
not new to you but it was quite appropriate an analogy and I enjoyed it.
Tokai Community Church is doing a series on Jeremiah in the morning and
Job in the evening this term and the Bible studies are doing topical Bible
studies on elements from the Apostles Creed and none of that is the right
currency for the divine vending machine.
Courses at college are almost all intense and full semester courses. That
means, this term very few of our assignments are due but next term we're
going to be hammered by them if we haven't got a good head start. SRC
Elections are coming up which means my term as Residence Representative
is, and I say this with relief, fast coming to an end. It does mean that
in addition to praying that I correctly manage my time you can pray for
next year's SRC (they really have a huge role behind the scenes). I will
probably still be here next year, I've just handed in my "Application for
Continuation" form to do honours here next year with a bunch of my
classmates which is an exciting prospect. Please keep my future in your
prayers though and ask God to help me pick a research topic wisely. I'm
also in the process of applying for a bursary for next year, one of the
sections of the application asks for a few names of people who may be
willing to support me (or the college in general) and so I thought I'd ask
here if you are willing to have your name put there. The support can be
any amount, I just need to know in the next week or two. This is another
item regarding which I'd appreciate your prayer. Honours is, as I have
said an exciting thought as is the rest of the semester, though it is
quite daunting (as my degree is around the corner) and yet these too;
whether I attend every chapel, hand in every assignment and graduate magna
cum laude this is still not the appropriate currency for the divine
vending machine.
Over the long weekend I didn't do much work, I had lots of fellowship
though. A few of us went to support a girl from college on Saturday
afternoon in a dance competition (in which she absolutely dominated,
winning ballroom and latin). On Monday I went out with other friends to
Stellenbosch which was a good time and on Tuesday we had a birthday party
for one of the guys who will be staying for honours. I think one of the
biggest changes I have noticed in myself since coming to college is that I
have come to value relationships far more highly. In Work of Christ at the
beginning of the year we were shown that unity and mere friendship are
through Christ. Even being a good friend though is not a currency that
works in the divine vending machine.
Perhaps part of the problem becomes that there is no "divine vending
machine": it is a false understanding of God and the way He operates. We
don't put something in, like being a good friend or good student or good
Christian and, thereby, get something out. Rather, God in His grace gives
us every good and perfect gift - an important truth in an age of nominal
Christianity and the kind of mystic ideas that would have us believe we
can manipulate God into doing what we want.
Please pray that our lives conform to His will rather than us trying to
manipulate Him. I've put some prayer requests through the news, the future
(including post-Honours), time management (as always), wisdom for research
topic, next year's SRC and I think that's it. That's all that comes to
mind. Thanks for enduring another long newsletter.
In Christ,
James Cuénod
--
James, a bondslave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
http://www.rekindle.co.za
