Summary of My Time

When I first heard about the Covenanter Theological Institute (CTI) program, I was sitting in class like normal.  Then an older student came in, more or less randomly as far as I was concerned, and began talking about the CTI program.  Apparently, it was an opportunity to study abroad in Scotland for a semester.  Pretty strangely, I immediately felt that God strongly wanted me to go on that trip for my next semester.  I prayed about it and decided that same night that I would follow it through and see where God led.  Everything fell in place financially and academically.  On January 10, 2009, I left New York and arrived with Christy Lear, the other student who signed up for the program this semester, in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Now that I am at the end of my time here, I am really glad that I listened to God. 

The people in the Airdrie Reformed Presbyterian Church have all been amazing.  From the first time I attended church service there they all made me feel welcome, like I was one their own college age kids.  The pastor, Andrew Quigley, got us involved pretty quickly in the church’s Mutual Encouragement Times (METs), a weekly small-group style Bible study.  Almost every week, members of the congregation would come to take Christy and me out to see different parts of Scotland.  Some of those sites were important to the history of the Scottish Reformers.  Others were just natural beauties.  The main point, however, was not the sites themselves; it was that the church members were willing to take time out of their day, sometimes multiple times, to chauffeur two teens around all of Scotland.  It was great of them to do so, and I am really thankful for everyone who did that for us.

The other part of the church body I enjoyed, possibly even more, was getting involved with the Church’s Covenant Youth (CY), their version of a youth group.  Pretty much right off the bat, we got involved with the CY by participating with them in their various activities.  The members, some of whom are my age and older, were very friendly toward us Americans and accepted us as part of the gang rather quickly.   This meant a lot to me since I tend to be fairly shy when first getting to know people.  I have made some good friends among these people, and I am sorry to leave them. Additionally, it was good that I was able to interact with the CY as much as I did, since I am majoring in Youth Ministry.  It was especially good that I was able to assist my roommate, David Duly, in leading the young guys in a MET and seeing them interact with God’s Word.

Some of the most important things that I learned were discovered in the classroom, studying.  True, one usually expects to learn things when s/he sits in a small room with little more than theology and Christian living books to occupy one’s time, but it was more than that.  For me, it was not so much that I was learning things that could be filed away; it was that much of what I learned was either immediately applicable to my life or helped me to better understand what someone who claims to be a Christian should believe or do. Some of it were things that specifically Reformed Presbyterians believe, but this was a surprisingly small amount.  Much of it, such as what God is like and the condition of Mankind, is pretty clearly stated in the Bible.  Do I understand or agree with every last detail?  No.  But my time studying has caused me to think.  I am really grateful to Pastor Andrew and Dick Knodel for making me think in the class they taught Christy and me in. 

Really briefly, I want to take some time to specifically thank a few people. First, there is Andrew.  He got me involved in starting to read my Bible regularly, besides teaching us.  Next, I want to mention Beth Bogue.  She does a lot for everyone around the church and has been like a big sister for me, Christy, and pretty much everyone in the CY.  Finally, I want to thank my roommate and best friend here, David Duly.  The two of us have shared some great times and some deep conversations.  Thanks for everything, Bro.

I have benefited greatly from my time in Scotland.  I believe Christy has as well, and, apparently, so have most of the students who have been on the CTI program. I would highly recommend that anyone who is interested going on this trip take the opportunity. Even if you do not agree with everything theologically, God can still cause you to grow here. Is that not what we as Christians should seek to do, anyways?

Jonathan Key

Final Thoughts

I’ve had a lot of experiences in life for a kid who is only nineteen years of age.  God’s taught me many things through experiences such as growing up in my Church, public school, playing sports, working, having many health issues, and the experience of travelling, either due to mission trips or family trips.  I know that ‘maturing’ as a person and in Christ is a process, but there have been mile markers in my past that stick out and remind me of the things God has and is teaching me.  Studying abroad in Scotland is one of the milestones among the many experiences.  I have significantly grown spiritually in a very short time while living in Airdrie, Scotland.  The program, the materials that are read, learning a new culture, and living independently physically, yet completely dependent on God, have all contributed to making the Semester in Scotland a true blessing. 

The program itself is ‘out of the box.’  It is designed for students to take the opportunity to stop worrying about tests and papers.  Instead they are able to read, process, apply, and live out literature that revolves around the Word of God.  An opportunity such as reading books based on God’s Word can only result in spiritual growth.  That is exactly what happened to me.  I read twelve books about theology, evangelism (individually and church wide), Covenanter history, youth ministry, missions, and most importantly, spiritual disciplines.  But I did not simply read the words, I processed them.  I’ve never scribbled so much in a book in a productive manner ever before.  Studying here has completely changed how I view learning.  I no longer was learning for grades, but was learning so I could, in return, use that knowledge to honor God by the way I thought and lived.  I was able to read in the morning, process in class in the afternoon, apply it to my life, and then live it out in two ways: the programs within the Church and the rugby team I played on.  Being able to apply what I’ve learned in order to live it, compared to learning it for a good grade, made all the difference for my life while living in Scotland and my life for years to come. 

The Church received Jon and I as family in Christ - open arms.  We were housed, fed, and cultured by the willingness and efforts of the people of the congregation, motivated by the love of Christ.  I had the privilege to be involved in the Moms and Tots (0-5 yr old), Covenanter Kids (5-preteen), and CY (teens) ministries.  Not only do I love serving because it keeps my focus on Christ instead of myself, but this also allowed me to integrate into the Church.  I have made great friendships here; many of which were part of the spiritual growth process.  Getting to know other Christian teens who grew up in this culture was very encouraging both in my time spent with the rugby team as well as when I got home.  Since true devoted Christians are rare in Scotland, I have come to appreciate the Christian community with which God has blessed me in America.  For the Christians I’ve come to know and love in Airdrie, I look forward to hearing about how God uses them in Scotland in the future. 

I’ve mentioned ‘the rugby team’ a few times now, so let me explain the second way God had me live out what I was learning.  I play rugby for Geneva.  So, naturally, I wanted to continue to play, and what better place then Scotland, a country that’s been playing the sport for years.  Therefore, while in Scotland I played rugby for the University of Glasgow Women’s Rugby Football Club.  Every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday I went from class to the train, train to the subway, the subway to the university, the university bus to the training fields, trained and then did the whole trip in reverse.  I must admit that my original intention of taking part in a rugby team was for my own physical benefit, but that quickly changed.  God used it for my spiritual benefit.  After my first practice, it was clear that I was the only Christian in the midst of about thirty girls.  Those girls became real people with a real need of the gospel. 

Looking back on the last four months I have realized how much God has used studying in Scotland in my life.  I have changed since January 9th 2009, when I arrived in Scotland.  I am still the same person - same general likes and dislikes, but my relationship with God has changed; it has positively grown.  I will return to Geneva and go back to learning under deadlines and grades, but those elements will no longer be the motivation of my learning.  I’ve always liked to do my best work in school in order to honor God, now I can take that one step further.  I will continue to learn and do the school work in order to honor God, but I will also take time to process what I have just learned – I will apply it to my life and then I will live it out.  That lesson by itself is worth coming to Scotland to study- not to mention the numerous personal spiritual lessons one learns.  This program has been a blessing to me.  I was given the opportunity, and through the Holy Spirit took it, to read, process, apply, and live books based on God’s Word.  Going home will be a transition back into my life in American culture, but the spiritual lessons that I’ve learned will apply to my life anywhere, anytime - that is why the Semester in Scotland program is a milestone in my life. 

Christy Lear

Mission

This week, Airdrie Church had its annual Mission Week.  Basically, all the church members invite their unsaved friends and family to come during the week to a series of special services given by Andrew.   This includes the door-to door work that we did with the GO team in putting leaflets through people’s mail slots.

The overall topic of the week was “Who is Jesus and why does this matter?” Andrew put a lot time and effort into his sermons, so much so that we weren’t able to do any seminars this week.   He did a great job, though.   I think he said what God needed him to say.  He said some hard things, but also was inviting with the Gospel.   I wish that there were a few more services like that in the US at times.

Also, I was impressed with the attitude of the congregation.  Everyone seems very positive about results.  Everyone got involved however they could.  There’s a trust in God to use the mission to His purpose.   Immediate results would be nice, yes, but they don’t seem to be required.  I haven’t seen an attitude quite like it before, and, I’ve got to say, it’s very infectious.

Jon Key

Spring Break

This week, in terms of apparent enjoyment, has been one of the most prominent.  Christy and I were given a week of break from school!  No reading or classes required, and, if we could arrange what we needed, we were allowed to travel to wherever we wished.

Christy’s mother and grandmother came over from the States at the end of last week to visit, and they all went traveling this week.  I believe that they were visiting a castle, and they also spent a few days in London.

For my part, I spent a few days not doing much but catching up on some sleep and doing some reading for fun. Monday and Thursday, though, I did a lot of traveling.  On Monday, I went into Edinburgh by train.  Most of that day was spent wandering and looking around the city.  Also I followed CTI tradition and bought a kilt. 

Thursday was even better for traveling.  With a lot of help from wise, old Tim, I booked a train ticket and took a day trip to York, England.  Not as prominent as London, but it was a great trip and a lovely city.  Even the train ride itself was pretty good, despite being very long.  It’s been a great week.

Jon Key

The Update

The last few weeks have gone fast due to the trip to Northern Ireland and Spring Break from the 30^th till the 4^th.  In the days between the time in Northern Ireland and on holiday, Jon and I continued our studies. 

Tuesday, after reading in the morning, we went out with Graham to a lovely old town called Culross.  Culross is five hundred years old!  It still has cobblestone roadways and Holland-inspired houses.  Here is an  interesting fact about the roads: down the center of the road large stones were used for the laying of the road, these stones were significantly easier to walk on compared to the right or left of the road that was built out of smaller stones that made the walk rough.   The history behind this is: if you had money and paid taxes then you were allowed to walk down the center of the road walking pleasantly on the larger stone pathway, but if you did not have enough money to pay taxes then you were not allowed to walk on the larger stones, instead you were forced to make do with the bumpy road made out of smaller stones.  The houses were surprisingly bright in color and had roofs that reminded me of roofs that you would find in a country such as Spain; this was due to the Holland inspiration of the architecture.  After a wee walk around Culross, we hopped back in the car and went to a park that was paid for by Andrew Carnegie, a rich millionaire from the States.

Wednesday I had an all day rugby tournament that went well.  We played three games- lost the first two but finished well by beating Stirling University in our last game. 

Thursday morning my mom and grandma arrived at the airport, so Beth and I went to pick them up, and that afternoon we had our last class till after break.

Friday, mums and tots took place as normal.  Play-doh was the main event this week.  In Covenant Kids Club we went over the miracle of Jesus healing two blind men in Matthew 9: 27.  To finish the day up Paul Wright from Ulster came over and blessed us with a talk on the significance of Christ’s actions on the cross.  Over the weekend I got to show my mom around Airdrie and Glasgow while my grandma was visiting her cousin in Northern Ireland.  Over break my mom, grandma, and I made our way down to London while Jon visited Edinburgh and York.

This week is a normal study week until the Go team (a group of people from Northern Ireland) comes over to help pass out flyers for our mission week (a week that has sermons during the week in the evenings).

 

Holiday was fun but it is good to be back.

 

Christy Lear

 

 

Northern Ireland

This blog is incredibly overdue.   Well, we were busy over the weekend.   Sue me.

Anyhoo, last week, Beth, Christy, and I went to Northern Ireland for a conference about John Calvin.   Since neither Christy nor I had been to Northern Ireland before, this was also a great chance to do some site-seeing.

The conference itself was pretty good.  It mentioned some misconceptions about Calvin and cleared them up.  The speakers also talked about Calvin’s views on certain topics.  I don’t remember all of them, but the thing that stuck out to me the most was that Calvin kept in close contact with the churches that he was partnered with.  He would send letters occasionally to encourage other pastors to keep up their work, or correct them as needed.  It struck me that in the modern day, churches are very independent of one another and don’t seem to have much contact outside of certain events. Maybe this should be changed, though I’m not sure how.

As for site-seeing, we visited a couple of places, each amazing in its own way.  I liked best Dunluce Castle, a castle built by a Scottish clan (I believe it was the MacDonalds).  Though little more than a ruin, it was still amazing to look at.  Also, White Rocks beach was awesome, too.  The beach was beautiful, and the sea was lovely.  I’m really thankful that, except for the last day, we had great weather, perfect for touring.  Though I kinda wish the wind could’ve waited just one more day.  Then I wouldn’t have gotten seasick on the boat ride back.

Jonathan Key

 

 

 

8 Weeks

Wow, this is the 8th blog that Christy and I have written.  That means that we’ve officially been here for 8 weeks, half of the time that we are here for.   Hmm…It doesn’t really feel like we’ve been in Scotland for two months, but obviously we have.   Time flies. 

For the last few weeks, we’ve been reading, among other things, about the person of Jesus Christ and the qualities He had.   Contrary to some religions and heresies, the Bible teaches that Jesus was fully divine and possessed all of God’s power, yet fully human and able to experience all the things we do.    HOW this is possible, I don’t truly understand.   But if the Bible says that Jesus was fully God and fully human, that’s good enough for me.

For our trip this Wednesday, Jimmy Fisher and his daughter, Debbie, took us to the People’s Palace in Glasgow and Summerlee in Coatbridge, both of which are museums.   While we were in Coatbridge, we went on a quick tour into an old coal mine that was used when mining was still a major business.  The conditions of the mine were depressingly poor by today’s standards, and I really feel bad for the men who had to work in them.

Christy and I have been helping some of the CY members with Kid’s Club, a ministry for the wee kids in the Church.   This Friday was interesting because Christy and I were assigned to teach the lesson, Christy with the older kids, me with the younger ones.   Based on the fact that none of the other leaders told us never to come back afterwards, I suppose we did well enough.

Jon Key

 

Rugby!

This week we continued our normal schedule of reading in the mornings and classes in the afternoon.  After an eventful week last week, it was going to be a fairly normal week- at least so I thought.  Tuesday afternoon I caught the stomach bug that was going around.  Wednesday I slept all day, recovering from being ill, but Jon somehow avoided getting sick and went to the Kelvingrove art gallery and museum with Graham.  He said that he enjoyed the skeletal structures and models the most because they demonstrated God’s power.  Thursday the bug passed, and the week ended normally.  Class on Thursday was great.  The things we’re going over in class are foundational ideas, but are so critical in our understanding of who God is – which in turns effects our understanding of who we are.  Friday morning the church hall was packed with mums and tots.  By Friday evening the hall was buzzing again with the Covenant Kids program.  In this program the kids are learning about the miracles of Jesus Christ.  This week we went over the healing of the ten lepers, but only one came back to thank Jesus praising God.  The night didn’t end there.  George Johnston came over from Northern Ireland to talk to us teens about being in the world, but not of it by looking at the verse Romans 12:2.  Saturday I had a rare opportunity to go to Murrayfield Stadium and watch the six nations rugby match with my rugby team (Scotland 26- Italy 6).  It was definitely one of the coolest things to see the professionals play.  It was very exciting and left me in need for rest on the Lord’s Day.    

Christy Lear

 

Covenanter Tour

This week at CTI, we did something a little different.  Instead of spending most mornings reading for four hours and then discussing it in class, we went in depth with one subject in particular: Covenanting History.  Our friend from church, Jimmy Fisher, and his daughter, Hayley, joined us for the week.

On Monday Andrew gave us a relatively quick view of the history of the Covenanters, covering all the major events that occurred and the important names that had a factor during those times. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we went to a large number of sites such as where important events like martyrdoms occurred, or where battles were fought, and memorials to people who lived during those times.  We went to a lot of different places including St. Andrews, Edinburgh, Bothwell, and Muirkirk.

It made me sad to think of all the people who were killed for their faith back in the 15-1600s.  All of those people killed because a few men decided that that they wanted to be head over the church and wouldn’t tolerate anyone who didn’t give them that.  The people who died were mostly simple men and women who loved God more than they feared men, and they paid for that with their lives.  Yet, it’s encouraging for me.  They were simple people who wanted God’s glory to be seen and that’s my desire, too.  I think that to be that dedicated to God is an amazing thing, and that’s what I wish to always pursue.

Jon Key

It’s Been A Month…Already!?

Monday was a normal day: reading from 9-1, lunch break, and then our theology class with Andrew.  Normally I have rugby from 6:30-8:30, but it was cancelled because the pitch was frozen.  I hung out at my flat and caught up on some John Piper sermons; Jon went to his MET. 

Tuesday – more reading, which I think is getting better and better- CTI will turn you into a reader.  Dick and Susan returned to Scotland, so Jon and I had our first class with Dick.  It was different than with Andrew, but still very good. We discussed modernity in the Church along with why it’s important to know how to defend what you believe.  That night for dinner I got to show off my cooking skills.  Beth is such a good cook, but I wanted to cook for her so Beth, Jon, David, and I had dinner.  Afterwards Jon went to his Gaelic lessons while the rest of us watched a film. 

Wednesday we ended reading early in order for Sam to take us to Edinburgh.  Sam walked us around town introducing us to many possible future Saturday events.  He showed us where the art museums are, the national bank of Scotland museum, the Edinburgh Castle, the Scottish parliament building, he showed us the main streets of Princess Street and George Street, the house of John Knox, and finally we went in the Edinburgh Cathedral.  Sam treated us to a nice Italian dinner to end the day. 

Thursday contained more good reading and a great class in the afternoon.  After class I rushed off to rugby practice.  It was a more intense practice then normally, but very fun.  After practice I hung out with some girls on the team to celebrate a birthday.  It was the first time I felt like I connected with the girls, so it was one of my favorite nights. 

Friday I had class with Beth and then took a nap, had kids club, and then for CY we had pizza and watched the film Iron Man. 

Today I volunteered again at Salvation Army for the morning, did some cleaning around the flat, watched the England vs. Wales rugby game over at the Quigley’s house, and then Jon and I finished the day by cleaning up the Church.

Overall, I love studying over here. It’s already been an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Christy Lear