Machen Week

This week began with Dewi's birthday, which went off well. It's been back to school week for the boys adn for me the week has been dominated by attendance at four and a half days of lectures in the John Owen Centre. Steve Nichols gave us an excellent introduction to J Machen Gresham the founder of Westminster Theological Seminary, who run the course with the JOC. Six of us attended (Miguel, San Heung, Mark, Gary and Findlay - all from different nations) - two of us just auditing. It was a real privilege to investigate the background to Machen's life and his writings. Steve is the author of a fine introduction to Machen as well as other books. It was good to benefit fom his wisdom both in and out of the classroom. I had attended his previous lectues on Jonathan Edwards and greatly enjoyed them too. I'd met the others attending before and it was good to renew fellowship with them and, as ever, with the Evesons.

Everything else had to be squeezed into the hours outside the lectures, which included keeping up with e-mails, a pastoral visit, completing the newsletter, making a poster, our Wednesday night meeting (I'd prepared the message beforehand), a meeting about our children's work which needed to be minuted and preparation for and involvement in our Friday night work with children and young people which started yesterday with around 25 coming along (we looked at John 14:6). Preparation for Sunday has been difficult but we're making good progress so far.