The seven "I AM"

During my visit to Taiwan in February, I went into an art exhibition in Taipei with the artwork “Who are you?” That piece of work left a significant impression in my mind. Around that time, I heard a sermon where the speaker said, “at the same time as asking God the question “who am I?” we should also be asking God “who are You?””

The WSCCC CP10 church had a series of seven “I AM” sermons from the book of John between March and April. 

http://wsccc.org.au/cp10/sermons/

According to John’s Gospel, “I AM”:

1.       The Word who became flesh (John 1:1-14)
2.       The bread of life (John 6:35)
3.       The light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5)
4.       The gate/ Good Shepherd (John 10:1-21)
5.       The resurrection and the life (John 11:25)
6.       The way, truth and life (John 14:1-14)
7.       The true vine (John 15:1-8)

Rev Chadd Hafer reminds us not just know these things, but to think about how we are to respond as we realise who Jesus is.

On Good Friday, the sermon is on the seven paradoxes of Easter.

1.       The good shepherd becomes the Passover Lamb. (John 10:11; John 1:29; Isaiah 53:7)
2.       The light of the world was arrested, betrayed, tried and died in darkness. Everything happened before the rooster crows. (John 1:5; John 13:30; John 18:3)
3.       What is truth? The truth was falsely tried and convicted. (John 19:37-38)
4.       God's only son replaces ‘a son of the Father’ Barabbas. Release Jesus or Barabbas? The name Barabbas in Hebrew means ‘a son of the Father,’ a religious name. Jesus is taking the place of God's guilty children. (John 18:40)
5.       Jesus the living water thirsts: to fulfil the Scripture (Psalm 22). He said “I thirst” in the middle of the crucifixion (John 19:28).
6.       ‘The resurrection and the life’ dies. “It is finished!” And bowing his head, he gave up his Spirit. (John 19:30)
7.       The Bread of Life and the True Vine. Jesus broke the bread as his body (Matthew 26:26). The first miracle is Jesus turning water into wine (John 2:1-11). The guards pierced Jesus’ side and water came out. (John 19:33-37)

(As an aside, Mona Lisa Florist and Café, which is close to the church, has some pretty reasonably priced coffee and flowers!)

Christ Church Lavender Bay

24March, 2019

Visited Christ Church Lavender Bay for the first time today. This is the church I will be getting married at later this year. Coincidentally bumped into the person who reformed Australia’s gun laws in 1996! Many associations quickly popped into my mind because the Christchurch massacre had only happened about a week prior, and Christchurch was the place where my fiancé did most of his secondary schoolings.

"With God all things are possible."

The speaker in chaplain CD we were listening to in the car said this on the way to the church. Then we read this verse in the bible reading in the church. Then the preacher said this again in his preaching!

6April, 2019

Got invited to “the Gathering,” a monthly outreach at Christ Church Lavender Bay, by Rev. Edwards from Christ Church Lavender Bay, who will be our marriage celebrant. Bumped into another sister from my fiancé’s church who got married in this church. What an coincidence. This gathering is quite a pleasant gathering to bring non-believer friends to, as the atmosphere is pretty relaxed.

7April, 2019

The adventure is about to begin!

A huge “shipwreck” photo was the first thing I saw as soon as we stepped into the office of Rev. Edwards at Christ Church Lavender Bay on Sunday to fill out the notice of intended marriage! Turns out it wasn’t a shipwreck, but a sailing race. There was also a life saving buoy on the wall. Turns out Rev. Edwards used to work as a sailor! This inevitably made me think of the “City of Sails,” Auckland, where I lived during secondary school.

The following day, I got notified that the clinic I am working in will be closed for renovation in late May/early June, so I will be jobless for a week or two. This made me thought about a medical short missions opportunity I heard about earlier in the year. There was no quota for my fiancé, so I told God I won’t apply for this trip unless something unusual happens. I guess something has happened, and when I enquired with the organisation again, they still have one quota left for a medical doctor. Looks like this adventure is destined to happen this year!