Hello! It feels good to be back. I took a break for Easter, just so I could not write for a while. I think it's important to not push writing, so that it's a chore, but encourage and foster, so it becomes a challenge and discipline. In there, there is a key distinction. Maybe I'll elaborate on that someday.
So I have had the craziest week and a half in ages. It's half past midnight, which means I've actually only been back at Uni for 6 days, but it feels like a good few weeks. It's good that I'm back into the full swing of things. Last week (feels so long ago!) my one and only brother got engaged to his girlfriend Christina, so that's been amazingly happy times, and I'm very proud of him and very excited for him. The Watkins clan is small, there are 6 of us in our extended family, and 2 of those aren't Watkinses. So, 4 Watkinses, now soon 5. This is a growth rate of 25%pa, which is good by any standards.
This week as well I had 2 essays due. Actually, to go back a bit, the engagement thing was fun, because Ben had been asking me for some while if I'd go and celebrate it at his house, and I told him I couldn't because of work, money, time, etc. Turns out I could, and did, and surprised him! I think I won some good brother points there. And got to hang out with Christina, who is awesome. She's so cool. We will one day surprise Ben, sit on him, and read Foucault at him until he taps out, and it will be amazing.
Anyway, essays. 2000 words on Vietnam, 2000 words on conceptualising the world in regions, due Wednesday and Thursday respectively. In all honesty, I only began work on them in earnest a few days before I got back, so it's my own fault. Also, I preached a short (well, 20 minutes... that's long if you're a Baptist) sermon this morning, which I had to prepare for, out of a text that wasn't obvious to exegete. My "thing" is that everything is about Jesus, everything is the gospel, and when I say my thing, it's not really my thing; it's Spurgeon's thing, it's Lloyd-Jones's thing, it's Calvin's thing, it's Luther's thing, it's Jesus' thing. My text given to preach on was the story of David and Goliath. So I spent a lot of time in prayer and preparation for preaching it as a gospel, Christ-boasting, cross-centred sermon. I'll paste my notes up soon, that's a different story.
Yet, the thing I've found in all of this mass chaos, is I've been so content. I was chatting about this with Poppy, my coursemate. I don't think I've had this much work to do since Uni began - on top of essays are readings, ongoing research projects and looming future deadlines. But at the same, I don't think I've been this relaxed or had this much fun. I've been out most nights (Monday, clubbing, ace, Tuesday, Alpha, ace - 107 guests!, Wednesday, stayed in, Thursday, played bass at Students meeting, etc), and I've managed to do my work and do it well. All of this to say: this is Reformed theology in action.
Orthodoxy by definition should lead to orthopraxis, that is, right doctrine should lead to right practice, if not, we've failed. And I think my week has been a living example of the beautiful Reformed doctrine of the five solas:
1. Sola Fide (By Faith Alone). This week, I have had deadlines looming, and choices to make. For example, I decided to take on preaching job, even though I knew this week was busy. But I was confident that God was telling me to do it, so I had to trust in him. When writing essays, I had to trust in him that he would provide me with arguments and words and eloquance...
2. Sola Gratia (By Grace Alone), all of which not came from works or earning it, through hard prayer or holy living, but as a grace of God, freely given gift of time, energy, passion, ability, strength, wisdom, courage, etc. When I could not cope with work in my own strength, it got dealt with! It was an act of God's grace upon my life. Which in turn, could not happen except...
3. Sola Scriptura (By Scriputre Alone) through the revealed God of the Bible. Because I know God is faithful to his word, to provide for his people when they call out in distress, that those who look to him are radiant, (Psalm 34), I could trust him for all my academic and other needs. The perspicuity and sufficiency of scripture give confidence to hold fast, to...
4. Solo Christo (Through Christ Alone) JESUS. The only way that a combination of faith and grace, as revealed in Scripture, could bring me to the Father, who satisfies my needs, provides me with seas to paddle in and ice creams to eat, and a substitutionary penal atonement in Christ. It is in the risen power of Christ Jesus, who has then given the Holy Spirit to me as helper, that I was able to accomplish anything this week. It was only through the revelation of Jesus Christ that anything I did had any significance or meaning. And that is to say,
5. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone). All of the above, as an act of worship to God my Father, acceptable through the blood of Jesus Christ, emboldened by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And now, I'm off to sleep sola gratia, sola fide, solo Christo, sola scriptura, soli Deo gloria, amen.
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