It may sound
unbelievable but I feel sad this is my last module before I graduate this
year. I know I could expect a time of great
fellowship, catching up and making new friends aside from learning more about
God in Romans class but somehow, that didn’t comfort me…I’m feeling a little
melancholy as I type this…
Nevertheless,
as usual, here are the takeovers I am bringing with me from Romans class 2013 -
The Learning
a. Faith – Faith definitely has a part in ensuring my salvation. It is on me to continue in faith in my
Christian walk but my faith cannot save me.
It is actually my faith in God’s faith that saves me. It is God’s faith which I had responded to
and appropriate in my life.
b. Love – is my love for God big enough to keep holding on to Him and not
walk away in the face of problems, discouragement and persecution or is it
God’s love that sustains me instead? I
find it difficult to keep the habit of journaling but Wendy’s suggestion to
drop ‘blessing notes’ into a jar sounds very appealing. I am going to buy a pretty candy jar and
coloured papers which I will use to jot down the times of trials and blessings
and the many times God delivered me – not just to encourage me for fresh
seasons of difficult times but as a constant reminder of how GREAT God’s love
is. And I want always to be ready to
share with others how He has always stood by me and send angels to care for me and
encourage me.
c. Lifestyle – Christianity is not a religion. It is a lifestyle. What does my life speak of and does it reflect
Christ in my life? Famous quote now by
Bro Casey ‘We can say many things but what does my life say?’ What does my life tell others about
Jesus? I will have to constantly remind
myself that Jesus’ reputation is in my hands and how others see me will
perceive who my God is. I may be the
only Christ these people will ever get to see.
While I preach God’s love, does this love really dwell in me and does it
bring people closer to God or further away? So, ‘who is the Jesus others see in me today’
is the question I will ask myself at the end of each day.
d.
Structural
Diagramming
I must admit
this is not my first attempt at Structural Diagramming. In fact, I have sat through 2 lessons by Sis
Davina and one by Bro Casey yet, with each lesson, I learn more about the
complexities of English grammar and sentence structures. I always marvel at the clarity of the message
once the structure has been set out and this time is no exception. Each time I am greatly motivated to do
Structural Diagramming on my own but regretfully, I have not managed any. So right now I am telling myself I MUST! I
MUST put this ‘skill’ into practise. So if anyone asks if I have picked up any
practical skill from Bible college, I will be able to say ‘Structural
Diagramming’! HAHA!
The Openness
Many fight
shy of sharing very personal and painful experiences with others, not to
mention in a class when you are the lecturer.
This is the second time I hear Bro Casey’s sad story. The first time was at BI module and for a
completely different context. That was a
class of ‘newbies’ I believe, not people Bro Casey knew or had known for long
but still, he opened up and shared this very personal life experience with us. It can remain a sad story but he chose to use
this testimony to assure us of God’s love and His faithfulness and to celebrate
God’s goodness. Thank you once again, Bro
Casey. Your story truly is a testimony
to God’s faithfulness and His control over everything. I am touched and encouraged by your
ministering words.
The People
Great team
members and camaraderie that is spontaneous and genuine. Everything fell nicely into place – the ideas
and suggestions, the work that needed to be done. For instance, during classroom discussions,
Cecilia automatically took on the role of scribe being the only one without a
notebook or data plan. As our fingers
flew across the keyboards, she put pen to paper. All willingly made efforts to come for
discussions, be it earlier before lessons commence or beyond class days. There was this sense of accountability and
responsibility towards self, each other and as a group which made working
together such a joy! Funny and warm and
enthusiastic and love all throw in. What more can one ask for of a group
collaboration? Kudos to Group ONE!
The classmates!
How not to blog about them? Largely,
many are familiar faces but friendships with some have been forged even
stronger. We found out who loves playing
pool, who is the only child in the family and of course, who are still very
available! We prayed about eyes, travel schedules and a door, yes! This is the
beauty of being in a community of love.
Let love abound everywhere God places us. Remember Romans, and remember Romans 12:9-13, remember
the said scriptures and remember that true and sincere love is seen in and
through actions. Kudos to Class of
Romans 2013!
Bro Casey
and Sis Davina, once again, thank you for your love and life examples. You
come not only as lecturers but also as friends. You not only teach to enrich our minds and
ensure we get straight ‘As’ (Hear! Hear!), you teach to touch our hearts and
souls as well. I enjoy the sessions especially
where we have to be simple and clear in our explanation of the Scriptures so
they can be easily understood by pre-believers. It was fun guessing what you were looking out
for! Love you both!
The Reflection
The
reflection papers speak to me greatly. This
time, the Spiritual Exercises were not merely assignments but questions that
made me do a self-check on the basis and commitment of my faith. Question 4 in the second Spiritual Exercise especially
made me look and relook at my Christian walk. Let me paraphrase my answer – ‘I understand the
‘commitment of faith’ as going beyond my saying ‘yes’ to God’s
gospel-invitation. Since we are called
to make disciples of all nations, I am therefore a disciple of Christ. And Jesus’ disciple not just one who spreads
His teachings but is first and foremost, one who embraces His teachings in his/
her life.’ This is a challenge for me to
examine my life if I am indeed a doer and not only a hearer or a reader of His Word.
Time flies
and there is only more class to close of Romans Class 2013. See you all tomorrow and thank you for a
wonderful learning experience. God bless
you all!
