Diary of an Apprentice - Week 4

 

Hannah O'Donnell, 29^th October 2021

Hi everyone, I'm back to update you on my last few weeks!

I've been pretty manageably busy recently; youth work, preparing talks, NWP in Leyland, preparing for GGANG (the girls' bible study I'm setting up), volunteering at Cornerstone Bookshop, putting together social media posts, going to a Rend Collective concert, having a few days of family holiday, meetings, meetings and a couple more meetings! I've really enjoyed my last few weeks. 

Rather than bore you to death with the minute details of everything I've been up to recently, I thought it would be nice to find out what I'm enjoying most as the ministry apprentice so far, and what I enjoyed most about this week...

So, this week, I've really really enjoyed attending the North West Partnership (NWP). It takes a lot of concentration for long (-ish!) periods of time, that I struggle with a lot, but it is also extremely exciting and interesting getting to learn more about the mind-blowing intricacies of God's Word - something I've never done before.

Last week, we were learning about the Patriarchs of Israel: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But we were looking into how these three Fathers of the Jewish people were foreshadowing the coming of Jesus and how salvation through works is disproved:

• Abraham - he was promised by God that he would have many descendants. This is a story we all know very well, but we are often quick to pass over verse 12 of chapter 15 which reveals that Abram fell into a 'deep sleep' of ' dreadful darkness' after he is promised as many descendants as there are stars in the sky (15v5). At the NWP it was pointed out that this could be pointing to the darkness that fell once Jesus died on the cross (Mark 15v33)... A clear show that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
• Isaac - he was taken by Abraham to be sacrificed under the Lord's instruction. This is a story that we all know very well, but we are often quick to pass over verse 6 of chapter 22 which reveals that Isaac had to carry the wood - that he was going to be sacrificed on - himself, up to the top of Mount Moriah. This is very blatantly paralleling the story of Jesus making his way to Golgotha, forced to carry his wooden cross that he was going to be sacrificed on (Mark 15v21). Carrying the burden of the sins of the whole of humanity... A clear show that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
• Jacob - he tricked Isaac into giving him Esau's birthright. This is a story that we all know very well, but we are often quick to pass over the idea that it isn't always the 'good guy' that is chosen to fulfill God's promises. Jacob was the descendant of Abraham, used to continue the line of God's people, even though he was wicked. This proves that it isn't through the merit of our good works that God blesses us and fulfills his promises to us, but rather through his boundless mercy and grace... A clear show that we cannot be saved through our own works, but only through the power of God.

More widely, in the apprenticeship as a whole, I'm really enjoying the opportunity to meet new people. Meeting new people is something I find particularly terrifying and difficult, but this job is really forcing me to rely on the Lord that he will provide kind and welcoming people to help me to feel comfortable reaching out. Thank you, Jesus!

Hannah's fact of the week
I am a vegan, I love eating really tasty plant-based food! But it also means I'm a bit of a pain at restaurants, meals I've been invited to and in day to day snacking... :(  Regardless, I would recommend a plant-based diet to anyone and everyone!!!! It's so much more than leaves and tasteless veg, there are endless vegan recipes to relish in. I challenge you this week to eat one vegan meal! (It helps the planet so much too YAY).