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Greetings.........

When I last wrote for the website I had almost completed my latest assignment work looking at Ezekiel. That has now been finished and at our tutor group last month we had opportunity to share a discussion around that book of the Old Testament.

We then moved on to look at that part of the syllabus known as 'The Intertestamental period and the Apocalyptic writings'

Now, I have got to say the title alone frightened the life out of me! 'Intertestamental' and 'Apocalyptic' are very difficult to say and spell let alone understand!!

But I have found it to be a very fascinating journey. I firstly needed to acquire a bible that had the 'Apocrypha' included in it and that, thankfully, fell off the Vicarage study shelf, thank you Michael, you will get it back!

So I ploughed my through the 15 'books' of the Apocrypha from 1 Esdras to 2nd Maccabees and through the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament digging, delving and researching in order to find sufficient background material to support my answers to the questions set.

As a result I now have a greater understanding why Alexander was 'so great', and why Daniel's images of heaven speak of the Kingship and Sovereignty of God. I am also now more aware of the rich heritage of the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots, Scribes and Levites (to name a few).

My main complaint with this module was that it was too short, only two and half weeks to prepare, but we have such a magnificent resource in the Bible with so much to learn from it and about it, that time for me will always be an issue!! I should have started this when I was twenty, however the Holy Spirit had not enlightened me at that point!

And so I now move on from the Old Testament to begin looking at the New, and the subject for my next module?.......'Who is Jesus?' Now, I thought I knew the answer to that one, but I'm certain my tutor will take me to places I have not been before in that regard!!

I also have my first 'assessed sermon' event at the 6.30 Evening Service on Sunday April 10th. On that evening we will be joined by my assessor, Ruth Woodward a reader from Formby, whose task will be to 'mark me out of ten' so to speak! (You may already be aware that we are privileged to have our very own a 'reader assessor' at St Mary's in Nan Williams. Nan carries out the same task for other reader trainees throughout the Diocese, and of course we also have Roy, reader of long standing. No pressure there then!! ), so I suppose I will be doubly blessed and assessed on April 10th!

So can I ask you to make the effort............

and be somewhere else that night , (please!!)

Most importantly, - Keep on praying!!

God Bless Alan S