Robin Peake

Well the match was naturally disappointing in most areas, except that it slapped some sense into those optimists I had been bumping into.

Frankly, I was just glad to get there. Day started with a 5.30 start to make a 7.15 train to Wien/Vienna. Now I knew I had to change trains once...I just wasn't sure when. But being the common sensical person that I am, I worked out that the train I knew I was going to get had a final destination of a major city and surely all trains to Vienna would leave from a major city. Good thinking. As it turns out, that major city turned out to be Innsbruck which inconveniently is situated in the West, as opposed the East, which was my desired direction. It wasn't too big a hurdle to overcome, as I was able to spend 10 Euros to take me back to Worgl (the stop I should have got off at, which sleep deprived me of even noticing) and onto Vienna from there, arriving at 2.30, a few hours later than originally scheduled. But still in plenty of time to get the 1 hour train at 3.30 to Bratislava for the 9pm kick off. Except. The 1 hour train was 1 hour and a half. And the 9pm kick off was a sleepy brain induced lie. Kick off was at 5.30pm. Having discovered this through the joys of text messaging, that meant I had 30 minutes to get from the train station to the hostel to drop off my bags to find the stadium to find some guy called Kyle from cyberspace who had kindly collected my ticket and would be waiting for me...somewhere. Fortunately Eastern European Taxi Drivers tend to be in training for when NASCAR decides to branch out over here, so Speedy Gonzalez and me completed our ambitious to do list across half the city in record time, meaning I did indeed meet a very relieved Kyle and got to see kick off, something that had previously only seemed a pipe dream.

And so began the traditional meeting-people-you-never-see-elsewhere-except-at-Northern-Ireland-away-matches shenanigans. Stephen from school who I have only seen since in Vienna, Liechtenstein and now Bratislava along with Josh who I didn't recognise due to his face resembling Mother Hubbard's broom. Then Chris who I first met at the friendly in Finland. After the match I hopped from one reacquaintance to another. Nolers from the Happy Days fanzine, Mark who I met up with for an under-19 game in Belgium, cousin Mark who goes to too many of these games, Grumpy Barry from the OWC forum having his usual swipe at Nigel Worthington and 4-5-1. Sunday continued the trend, starting with Big Rab in the morning for his in depth post match analysis, then onto John from Uni
(who asked me if I was going into final year - An innocent enough question usually, but not so much when we are in the same class...His people skills need honing). This evening I bumped into Capper from CU and then Richard who I once bought a ticket for the world cup off a couple of years ago.

It's like my own travelling family. And who says travelling alone is lonesome? - Anything but!

As for the match itself, you can read the match reports. I thought it was a grand wee exercise, that we did well in spells, that we aren't as bad as everyone around me seems to be making out.

Today was a reasonably productive day, including being all cultural and stuff. I did something I have never done in all the cities I have been to in Europe, and that was go to a museum. It was quite good too. Had a whirlwind tour of 20th Century Slovakia which was interesting, especially some of the photographs and uniforms from WW1. Other elvels were not so interesting. Tried just taking a peek into the History of Natural Life section, only to find my retreat blocked by an over zealous tour guide who insisted I continue round the one way system to the exit. It was sch a big section too, I felt sure that there were at least 75 new species discovered by the time I passed my last stuffed bird and found my way back to the exit.

Went up to the castle too, which offers beautiful views over the city and the Danube. Faffed about through town, passed some market stalls and considered getting presents but decided against it upon discovering I had to pay for them.

Spent this evening in the company of Daniel, an editor of one of the biggest newspapers in Slovakia who I got in touch with from Couchsurfing. Had some genuine Slovak food at a refreshingly low genuine Slovak price. Had some good chats with him, despite his annoyance that I know more people in his home city than he does.

Back at the hostel now, feeling trapped in these shoes, having been barefoot for the best part of the last 7 weeks. Fly out around lunchtime tomorrow and get back home.

Looking forward to:
Tea from a teapot
The Sea
Seeing the Dark Knight (hope it's in the cinema)
Being busy

So, my last blog for this summer

Thank you for tuning in Mum

Friday night, sitting at the computer desk I have made my own for the last 7 weeks and listening to shrieks of European laughter from the three girls who have only recently discovered 'Friends'

Today was a good day. I slept til around 1.30 missing this mornings final class. In the afternoon we had a commissioning service. It was a great time of singing praises and praying for each other as we try and take what we have learnt and apply it into our different lives. Was very encouraging...and it was a great way to end our time here.

It's taken me 30 minutes to type that up. Damn Friends

This week we studied Revelation in the morning. It was really good actually. It's a book I don't enjoy but it was taught really well, helping us to further understand how to read apocalyptic.

In the afternoons we studied Media. I found it hard to engage with, but there were some great tips for watching films and soap operas.

Waking up in about 5 hours time to get the train to Vienna, and then heading on to Bratislava for the match. Kick off is either 4.30pm or 9pm. Not sure which!

Week 6 has been a good week of learning, mainly due to the afternoon sessions on politics.

Morning sessions were on Galatians. I found the first two days really quite interesting and engaging, but found it difficult after that. It was just far too deep for me and was going way over my head. I'm not a theologian, and I have no desire to be. So I switched off alot, took the nuggets that were there and wrote a letter, and did some other things productive that made it look like I was taking notes. Or slept in completely like I did on Friday

Afternoons were a totally different kettle of fish. Julia (of the European Evangelical Alliance) who was taking us was very engaging and very good at keeping us on track. We looked at reasons for getting involved as well as things to be wary of. Looked at Secularism, the EU, Pluralism, Gay Rights, Abortion and Lobbying. Particularly enjoyed the lobbying tips, and have put a few of those into effect over the past week re this football anthem debate and the new stadium debacle.

Had another quiz on Thursday night which went well. Good Craic. Last night was good banter to. It was dubbed the mother of all parties. For people who actually are cool and go to parties I'm sure it was anything but, but for Christians it was good bant. Had some games organised by Dani and Iryna which were good fun, did a bit of Waltzing and then did some Irish Dances! Did Strip the Willow (not technically Irish, but they're not to know) some heel and toe one which I actually know and a game that I call Tipperary. Managed to get the music and lights outside so there was plenty of room for it. A really good night's craic

Intended on going to Salzburg today. Decided against it. Got up, had some breakfast, back in bed by 10am and up again at 4.30pm. Productive day indeed....

Next week studying Revelation (eugh) in the mornings and Media in the afternoons.

Leaving on Saturday for Bratislava for the match

The Waltz

Irish Jig

The one word to characterise this week would be unproductivity. Only went running twice, havent spent much time in personal reading and have been faffinf about online on Facebook too much and going to bed too late.

Mornings were spent looking at Luke. Was a different approach used by Stuart, but got some real gems from it. Afternoons were supposed to be looking at contemporary economics for three days, but we ended up having a two day introduction on genetics and origins, and only had one day for the juicy stuff, which was a real shame

However next week brings politics, and I am convinced it will be amazing

An arts conference began here last Wednesday, which is good news for us because the standard of food has rocketed. So we're making the most of our 7 days of feast, storing some away for 7 days of famine after it.

Have had Environment seminars Friday evening and most of yesterday. They were being taken by a pair of right hippies from Oxford. The man is the spit of Bilbo Baggins. But they were some of the best seminars we have had, really structured and informative. Has been quite terrifying though, daunting and overwhelming. The whole thing of climate change can easily fill you with a sense of dispair. e.g. Expect around 150 million refugees by 2050 from Bangladesh and other areas which will be under the sea by then

A big sigh indeed

Went for a hike today. Well I went for a walk and a sleep. Was refreshing, and nice to get out into the lovely area around here

The talk that I gave yesterday was on Luke 19, and the story of Zacchaeus. It was to be an Evangelistic talk. It was not a particularly hard talk to prepare for, not many difficult words and the context was fairly simple, having been stepped in the New Testament from a child. But I found my message, my core point absolutely gut wrenching.

The others in the group took different ways of approaching it. I took a very simple, and I believe truthful message from it, and especially from verses 9 and 10

"And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost"

Rather than repeat what I said, I'll just copy and paste. I'm in the habit of writing out everything I want to say word for word. It helps me gauge the time it will take, and also ensures that I say what I wanted to say, and dont forget things.

So here's part of my talk below

What can we learn from Zacchaeus’ reaction to all this? Let’s take a wee minute just to clarify a few terms that are used here. Jesus says “Today salvation has come to this house.” What does this mean? What is salvation? Well, salvation is simply being saved. You will often hear a Christian say, “I’m saved.” From what? (gently) From spending eternity after death without God. PAUSE Let’s not wrap it up in glossy wrapping paper, let’s be faithful to what the Bible teaches, because I would be doing you a great disservice if I wasn’t. The Bible teaches very clearly that there is a Heaven and that there is a Hell. And the Bible also teaches that to be saved from eternity without Jesus, without God, in other words to be saved from Hell, there is only one way – Jesus Christ. Look in the Bible and you will find no other option for what happens after death. It says clearly that there is Heaven, and there is Hell.
I don’t particularly like speaking this message, because it seems so black and white, so harsh, and so unfair. But I also feel that if I believe the truthfulness of the Bible, then I need to impart that truth to you, and it’s up to you what you decide to do with it. As I’ve said before, go. Read the Bible. Discover it for yourself. PAUSE
As part of my preparation for this talk, I sent a copy of it to a friend, Katie, who isn’t a follower of Jesus, as an email, and she had this to say when we chatted on MSN:
You need to be careful. It looks like you are implying the only way to heaven is through Jesus, so u gotta like believe u can be saved by him and read the bible and abide by it

This is exactly what I am implying! I want to be clear about this and faithful to the Bible. According to the Bible, the ONLY way of salvation is through Jesus Christ. I wrote this back to Katie;

I believe the bible, and its teaching that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. Now, if I fully believe that, and I know you don’t know Jesus, and I care for you. Would I not want to tell you that, because according to what I believe you are going to hell? So, how could I believe what the Bible teaches, and love you, truly love you, without telling you?

I am not preaching this because I find it fun. Please understand where I am coming from, because if I truly believe the Bible and this message, then surely from my point of view it is vital to tell those people that I love about it. For me to talk to you only about heaven would not be faithful to what I believe, and would show that I do not care enough for you to share my convictions.

One of the guys in my group asked if the msn conversation was made up! The cheek! It's very true, and really highlighted to me how much pluralism thinking has infiltrated people's understanding of what I see to be the key truths of the gospel

Although we were only doing this in peer groups, and I was speaking to a handful of Christians, I still found this very hard to say. And I think it is because of my culture, and my natural reaction to that

Go to Lisburn, on a Saturday afternoon, and I'm sure they're still there, and in other towns up and down the country. The old men on boxes with megaphones and sandwich boards, driving business away from the area, thrusting leaflets into your hand, and preaching a message of Hell, Fire and Brimstone, or as it is coined, Turn or Burn.

This can be effective, but I also believe it can be destructive, especially to those onlookers who do not know any Christians as cool as me, and so they come up with their own conclusions on what kind of people we are.

As a result, many Christians, like myself, do not wish to identify with this particular brand of Christianity, because of the negative connotations it creates. Often we find ourselves put in a box because of our faith, and trying to break down people's assumptions of who we are.

So we naturally swerve the other way. And so do so in our preaching, and in our sharing with people what we believe. We become tolerant. We water down the message. And we talk about Heaven, but dont mention Hell, because it may put people off, or offend them.

And so what in effect are we doing? We're only telling them a partial truth. And a partial truth is not truth. And so our message loses much of its appeal or offense. I use both these terms, for Paul writes in his second letter to the Corinthians

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing to one a fragrance from death to death to the other a fragrance from life to life.

And so yes, Heaven and Hell and no option of a fence to sit on offends people in our pluralistic society, which says find your own way to heaven, just be good, be yourself and don't involve others.

But also, what is there to attract people, if we do not offer the truth, which is radically different from anything else on offer? Do we not believe enough in the power of the truth to tell them? Do we not - and this is key - do we not love them enough to tell them?

It churns my stomach to speak it. I would need more guts to preach that talk for real.

But I've also realised that by not sharing the whole truth, it distorts our own perception of what it is we believe.

Be faithful stewards of God's word

Some pictures below of morning fog running through the valley under the castle. Absolutely stunning.