If its Ownby it must be Thursday

So, i think Christian Unions are great! There was a time, maybe ten minutes this evening, after i'd dropped the PA off for our main meeting and took a walk to the library quickly when i was a bit worried. Maybe i'd only been so concerned with on-campus mission because whilst i was on committee i had to be, maybe it had been so automatic i hadn't really questioned it. Oh no! No no no. It was great to continue serving RUCU this evening. Going to the wonderfully named Ownby, where 25% of the new committee and our tech guy currently reside, then back to campus, then to the music centre to pick up steve to play bass, and then down to drews to pick up his guitar. A totally different type of service to the type i've been involved in recently, but still an honour to be able to do. And Tom and Kat really did a fine job in leading their first meeting.

Ian Hesketh from St Saviors Christian Centre took us through Romans 3:1-9. Two things really struck me. First, that we have a real responsibility to 'press on' with our walk. Not to rely on our families, or tradition or anything else to see us right with God. To rely on nothing but Jesus. And definately not to become complacent in our walsk with God. We must pray to be blessed so that we can be a blessing, not to make our lives easier or to make ourselves look good. The second part concerned Paul's response to the question of whether God's grace and righteousness can be made to look better when we sin. What nonsense! How can our perfect, holy God ever be pleased when we sin? Or be made to look good by our sin? I'd have to wholeheartedly agree with Paul when he says that the condemnation of the people that peddle such nonsense is just.
What is equally exciting is the number of CEx guests who were there this evening. I reckon at least four or five, which know sounds like a small number, but is probably about a third of the unbelieving people who come on the course. Please, please bust a gut in prayer for these people. I've got no doubt that the Gospel of our God is bright enough and powerful enough to shine into their hearts, we just need the faith to believe it.

Its pretty amazing that God would choose to work out his salvation plan amongst us. On bright, clear, sunny days like these the beauty of God in His creation really hhits me. Yeh, it was freezing, but totally worth being outside to appreciate slightly more of God. Even this evening, outside Dave, Tom and Andy's house, looking up to the sky, seeing the dark blues against the whiteness of the moon and stars. Amazing. And what we see now is described as only a dim reflection. Amazing!