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

Life in Scotland

Life has continued to be fairly similar to our previous weeks.  We’re going over books in class, and Andrew helps us to understand what we’re reading and asks questions to make us think deeper about what it means to us and how we should relate to life in the church.  Much of it is stuff that’s core to being a Christian, but I’d never learned before such as the characteristics of God, so I’m enjoying reading, even if I don’t understand all of it. 

This week has been pretty neat because I’ve started doing some stuff that I’m loving.  For one, Andrew has started Christy, David, and I on our own Bible Studies.  I’m doing a chapter of Proverbs and Psalms each day, and it’s really starting to help my walk with God.  Also, thanks to Beth, I was able to start taking Gaelic lessons in Airdrie.  I’ve only had one lesson so far, and I didn’t pick up much that I can put here (pronunciation and spelling is vastly different from English), but it’s a lot of fun and the people are friendly.

For our trip this week, Jimmy Fisher took David, Christy, and I to a small village called New Lanark.  It was founded by a man named Robert Owens as a place where the lower class of people could have a pretty good life.  Most of the jobs were based around a cotton mill built by Owens. Owens himself was a pretty decent man who came up with ideas and labor practices that improved the existing situation including how women and children are treated in the working place. 

Hanging out with the CY kids is also a lot fun.  Besides spending time with them for play, David and I are leading some of the boys, Tristan, Josh, and Connor, in a weekly Bible study. It’s a little hard because I don’t feel like I’m doing much, but the boys are having a good time learning and discussing what we read.  It’s very encouraging to see kids so interested in learning about God’s Word.

Jon Key

For Christ’s Crown and Covenant: The Third Week

This week was full of activity.  It is the first week that I actually felt 100% “settled in”.  Class began to get more specific and personal as we started the book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney, which made class all the better.  I never thought of myself as a reader, but reading for about 4 hours on weekday mornings is very easily addictive.  I find myself reading books for fun during the weekend free hours to relax.  What a great habit.

            Wednesday, Graham, an man from the Church, took us to Loch Lomond.  What a beautiful place.  The town of Luss had little cottages with garden gnomes decorating the bare, winter, flower beds.  The Loch was surrounded by tall, snow-kissed mountains and many sheep farms.  Jon and I enjoyed Graham’s history lesson about the Viking’s relationship to the Loch.  Apparently it was quite often invaded by Vikings.  In the words of the Scots, it was a “lovely” place.

              Rugby keeps me busy Monday and Thursday afternoon and evening, so before I knew it Friday was here.  Mums and Tots was very fun this week.  I am starting to learn and even remember some of the kid’s names while I read books and play with play dough with them.  That afternoon Jon and I had the privilege to help out a family of the Church by doing some ironing and cleaning floors.  From there we went straight to setting up and having Kids Club where we talked about Jesus’ first miracle of turning water into wine.  The night finished up by going out to Starbucks with CY (the youth group).  I discovered that there is something just as good as black coffee…lattes.

            Saturday was full for me this week. I got to volunteer at the Salvation Army Clothes Store for a majority of the day.  It was a great experience meeting and working with the ladies that ran the shop and seeing people in need benefiting from the organization.

            Sunday was a well needed and enjoyed day of rest.  Pastor Andrew preached with sincerity about the need of Godly parenting through Proverbs 1 in the morning.  That afternoon, Jon, David, Tim, Stephen, and I were blessed by the hospitality of the Alexander family.  After a full meal, a time of chatting, and some rest, Pastor Andrew preached on Jesus and Bartimaeus (Mark 10: 46, Luke 18: 35).  God reminded us through Pastor Andrew that we are in need because we are dead, and dead people can’t make themselves alive, so we must cling to Jesus; He is our only opportunity to be made alive.  What a great message; for salvation and sanctification. 

Christy Lear