Easter memorial

"It was now about the sixth hour and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. ... But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things." Gospel of Luke, chapter 23 vv 44-46, 49.

Tonight (Friday) we have a combined service with the Reformed Church and the Catholic Church to remember how Christ gave his life for us. May all your memorial services be profoundly moving and inspire you to honour God in all you do.

What goes down must go up ....

If only I could be so joyful as this person as I'm riding along!

So how is my training going, you ask ?

I've now done more than 400 kms counting the exercise bike. But I'm supposed to do 1000 km before being really ready for the Ardéchoise. "Sigh!"  8 weeks to go so that makes 77 km per week to do !

Last week I decided to pedal to Annonay to attend a conference on Loss and Mourning. I arranged to stay overnight with Christian friends and to return "en vélo" the next day. It's 45 km one way.

Well ! whatever did I get myself into ??? I had bike bags to contain a change of clothes and some pick-me-ups. Pascal volunteered to be back-up team. I had 4 hours to get there, knowing that others before me with less weight and no bags had managed to do it in 2 1/2 hours.  Here are some of my reflections ...

- what goes down must go up! Never get too relieved when you have some downhill to do because you know you are going to have to go back up on the return trip!

- but make the most of the downhill to catch your breath, move your arms and shoulders, drink and stand up on the pedals to relieve a sore bottom!

- hold your tummy in when the cars and other bike riders go past!

- watch out for nettles when you make toilet stops.

- don't eat too much before leaving.

- don't expect to have time or energy or the balance to admire the country side as you pedal.

- how do you sit up straight on a bike, take your hands off the handle bars and ride along???

- God, it's now that you are supposed to get behind me and push ! 

- God, if you really want to encourage me, you'll give me angels' wings right now!

- God, do you know of a way to lose 10 kg in a short time without risk !???

A tip for missionaries in cross-cultural situations : you know you have fully adapted to your host country when you talk to yourself in your second language and not in your mother tongue during the most painful moments of climbing up those hills !! :)

To cut a long story short : I did 21 km of up hill and reached the highest point of the trip way over the time schedule, shaking and tired (did I mention I had a head wind as well ??). I phoned Pascal to come and transport me the next 10 km or so because I wasn't going to make it in time and he turned up 5 minutes later! He'd anticipated the need and had been stalking me in the car !

He let me off 7 km before my goal and I got to my host's house, a shower, a rest and a conference. A big night's sleep before heading back the next day. Same problem with added fatigue - got the the highest point, called Pascal, rendez-vous made and I launched into a 10 km downhill stretch - I DESERVED THAT 10 KM DOWNHILL STRETCH!!!! and Pascal was waiting with coffee at the start of the next climb.

I managed to do 70 km in 2 days and when I saw the climbs I had had to do I did feel some pride in my achievement, but I really don't think I'll make the 80 km ride for the Ardéchoise. I've just spent 5 days recovering!!!

Anyway, I'm going to keep training. I'm actually starting to enjoy riding. And I want to achieve something major for my 50th birthday. One of the fruits of the Spirit is PERSEVERANCE ! It's the same word in French! Paul was talking about persevering in the faith, but I think it can apply to my goal because it's a spiritual lesson for me. Think of all the images I can use when describing our spiritual walk !

Here is a cartoon by a famous Belgian personality Guy Deluck :

The Cat says "If I really had to ride at my own rhythm .... I wouldn't move at all !"

If we Christians weren't challenged to progress in our faith through teaching, life experiences and even through suffering, we would never advance. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who accompanies us through it all - our teacher, guide, comforter, encourager, prompter. We are called to continue the race, to advance in maturity, to serve the Kingdom's purposes. We must persevere. We have to rely on God to do it. We know we will get there in the end. Praise the Lord !!

Secularism

France is having identity problems again - these questions arise around election times. Religious expression has always been very difficult in a public setting, although religious freedom is a reality. 

With 5 - 10% of the French population (according to whose figures you use) being considered Muslim and with varying degrees of "practising", the French are confronted with the idea of identity. What is French ? Who are the French ? Sometimes I think the real question behind the commentaries about migrants and people who are French-born but of different origine is : to whom does this country belong ? A very pertinent question because you can be born here, but you don't necessarily have the right to be here in some people's eyes. If this country physically belongs to you, then you have the right (normally) to decide what happens to the land and in this land. That is what is called DEMOCRACY.  But many French are very possessive of their land and cultural inheritance and find it hard to share the responsibility of decision-making.

I'm still coming to an understanding of the mentality of people living here in our country area of Ardèche. I mix with people who have been here and whose families own land for generations and for centuries. They are very independant-minded and self-sufficient. I get the feeling that they were pretty much left to themselves for centuries (albeit under the control of local lords and ladies and often the Catholic Church), but in this last century, with the advent of modernisation, they can no longer stay 'hidden' in the hills. The outside world has caught up with them. People here are very slow to change, because they really need to be convinced of the benefit of the change and because their rhythm of life is so in tune with the seasons. 

I will probably never ask for French citizenship because of this idea of belonging to the land and the land belonging to my family. Pascal's family hasn't owned any land or property for a couple of generations. Do I feel more connected with Australian land ? Yes, even though I have no chance of owning any. But my family has been physically connected with the land since my great-great-grandfather John emigrated to Australia in 1850s. 

I won't enter into a discussion about Aboriginal Land Rights - I'm not up to date with any of it.

Sometimes I wonder where we should retire to ? Pascal would be willing to move to Australia, but doesn't it usually depend on where your children end up ???

It just brings home to me ('scuse the pun!) how much we Christians should have more of an eternal perspective on things. We are just pilgrims on this Earth for the time allotted to us. I often feel the lack of real roots in a country (although I do feel a link with Scotland through my Findlay family history) and I often admire the deep sense of belonging many Europeans have about their home land. I console myself with the image of a place being prepared for me in my Father's House. Yet in the here and now, my identity is rooted in that of Christ my Lord and Saviour. That's where I belong. That's where I am best.

In limbo

Three of my appointments with women were cancelled this week and I suddenly find myself in limbo. I get psyched up for each encounter, I prepare the material, I organise my family life and then anticipate the moment when we launch into the Word of God and get fed ! I love it when we explore what the Scriptures show of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. And I love it when we find some relevance to our lives today. Some of the most precious moments are when we pray together.

We often use the telephone for these meetings, but last Tuesday I took the bike to ride to Catherine's 18 km away. It's part of my "getting fit for the Ardèchoise" campaign. Nearly killed me ! Plus my chain was slipping. Catherine walked out to meet me (thank God for mobile phones, too!) and wheeled the bike to her house. She offered me a shower and a good meal. I recovered and we were able to talk about witnessing to our neighbours and had a great time of prayer outside on the grass in the sun. Spring is blossoming all around us at the moment.

Then back on the bike in fear and trembling, but it was like I had wings and made it back up the hills. Then there was a long down hill ride to Lamastre. Pascal was sending me encouraging SMS s but I didn't want to stop pedaling to read them!!

And here I am in limbo again - so I've caught up on my birthday e-cards, my address lists and now my blog. I am procrastinating a little because I really should get on to our newsletter. Oh well - next time someone cancels ....

ALPHA

The Alpha Course is going strong here in France. It is such an encouragement after years of trying different approaches to evangelism and witnessing in a strongly Catholic-culture country which is also militantly secular.

Yet, did you know that Alpha France was started by and is powered by the Catholic Revival movement ?

Thank God, He knew the best way to bring people back to Him. The Protestants wouldn't have had nearly the same impact and their efforts would have stayed marginal. However, right from the start of Alpha in France, more than half of the groups being created were in Protestant and Evangelical churches.

Alpha has now adapted the Marriage Course and the Youth Course to French context.  Apparently there were around 600 Alpha Courses operating during the year.

It's reviving the Catholic parishes and providing a much needed boost to many churches.

Recently there have been a number of calls to improve on the Christian concept of leadership (servant leadership) and to work on training and mentoring. Alpha France has started courses on that aspect also - a vital aspect of any church life and one that has been neglected in general in French churches.

Pascal and I have the desire to work on a Church council member information and training session to use within our Union (and our region). We lack the time to develop it, but Pascal has already worked on it for one of his churches. We have the blessing of our Regional Group, but we need time .... May God lead us in this also.