A LIFE WORTH LIVING
A DIARY OF THE SPRING O5 COURSE

This course is run as a follow-up to the Business Alpha course. It is primarily for people who have done Alpha, whether they have come to faith yet or not. However, it is also an opportunity for anyone at all to attend a spiritually refreshing series of lunchtimes. The group meets over a soup and sandwich lunch in the beautiful Lindisfarne Room of St Cuthbert's Church to discuss a book by Nicky Gumbel. The book is a study of Paul's letter to the Philippians. What follows is a diary of the weekly discussions, written by Fiona Fleming of Standard Life and offered each week to all the participants by email. This service is particularly appreciated by those who cannot make the lunchtime in any given week. Other facilitators on the course, in addition to Iain Archibald, Consultant to OASIS, were Michael Craig and Ian Kirkpatrick, both of Standard Life (the latter now retired), Zoe Anderson of Martin Currie, and Richard Allen of Keillar Recruitment.

Introductory Session

Our introductory session was simply a time to renew old acquaintances, get to know people we hadn't met before and to outline the shape of the course. We got a map of the Mediterranean in the first century, to see the location of places like Jerusalem, Rome and Philippi. The book "A Life Worth Living" is based on a letter of the Apostle Paul to a new Christian community in Philippi, a city with historical, commercial and political significance - not unlike modern day Edinburgh. Philippi was the first place in what is today Europe to hear the Gospel. The first European church was a real mix of people, including as it did a business woman called Lydia with her household, a poor slave girl, and a prison officer and his family. Paul's purpose in writing the letter was basically to encourage these new Christians. He speaks of God finishing the good work that he (God) has begun in them.

Chapter 1 - New Heart

Monday 24 January is according to many newspapers and journalists the most depressing day of the year. However, evidence to counter this claim was to be found at the first formal meeting of our Life Worth Living 2005 course where there were plenty of smiles and humour. (Yes, Michael told a joke - an opportunity for us to hear his suave accent!).

After Michael's warm introduction and reading of Philippians Chapter 1 verses 3 to 11, he summarised the passage by saying that Paul wanted to encourage his readers to have Jesus' heart. Michael then left us with the question of whether Jesus' love was relevant for 21st century Edinburgh - just to get us started in our table discussions...

For some, this question triggered thoughts about those who had rejected acting in a loving manner and who displayed a negative and bitter attitude towards life. Thinking about this made us wonder if such attitudes may also cause others to respond in a similar fashion, with the consequence of a downward spiral of unhappiness. So we considered if there were attitudes we could cultivate which could reverse or stop such a decline. We thought that being thankful is important, as Paul is in this section of the letter. It may be that we need to be more thankful for the things we take for granted.

Being thankful was also considered at other tables where this thankfulness was seen not as an attitude that implied a request for further gifts but as, more simply, an appreciation of the good we enjoy. Being thankful could also be seen as a challenge to focus less on ourselves and more on others - putting them first .This may lead to practical actions, ie helping others, which in turn tends to bring joy - where joy is seen as being more than happiness.

Conversations also touched on the topic of going through hard times and how such experiences can mean that you see the world from a different perspective and so are enabled to encourage others.

Some of us wondered what a person with Jesus' heart would be like. Probably considerate, kind and patient. But then maybe Jesus was the most balanced human being who has ever lived, so can we ever match his benchmark? Is it humanly possible to do so?

As ever, lots to be mulling over....

Chapter 2 - New Purpose

Another week flew by and it was time once again to join friends at St Cuthbert's for the second Life Worth Living meeting.

Iain kicked things off with the customary joke - not that we really needed an ice-breaker as conversations were already well underway at the tables, but it did give me an easy start at the front (it was my turn to do the opening talk).

The key feature which stood out for me was Paul's amazing attitude to circumstances: he was a prisoner in chains but still with such a zest for life! It led me to question what motivates us. What in fact motivates and satisfies us and what do we think about life-long goals such as Paul had? And so it was over to the tables for discussion.

Some considered a few of the activities which may bring temporary happiness - eg alcohol and theme parks. Perhaps I should say more about theme parks in case it's not obvious: the excitement and fun of these places only exist in the parks and once you're offsite the fun is only a memory. This led to thoughts about the pursuit of happiness - a goal for many in our world. Paul seemed to have found something more, which we thought was joy. We felt that joy was a more internal and longer lasting state than happiness.

We also wondered how our society might change if we followed the principle shown in the film "Pay Forward". The idea in this film is that instead of giving to the person who has served you, you give to others who have done nothing for you, ie you pay forward.

We also wondered if our Western world and all its responsibilities and complexities had made our search for satisfaction harder. Would we find satisfaction / contentment more readily if we had less? But we also recognised that even if we were living more simply we would still have responsibilities and issues to face.

For others the discussions turned to the setting of goals. For most people these tended to be largely short-term ones. One or two of us wondered if the setting of goals was a good thing, given that we may fail to meet them. So perhaps a more positive approach would be to aim to go "towards" goals.

Two tables looked at the example Paul sets of using all circumstances to tell others about Jesus and how for many of us the Christian faith is not even discussed in the workplace. We may know all sorts of things about our colleagues, eg which football team they support, and they know lots of things about us - but what about any religious / spiritual aspect to our lives? This point led to the challenge that possibly we should be more open in discussions at work. However, it was recognised that this is not always easy, as it can often mean leaving our comfort zone. It was felt that perhaps the best way to really talk about our faith is once a friendship of trust has been established. However, we can still be willing to take opportunities to talk to others rather than just waiting for a chance occasion - ie we can chose to be proactive!!

Chapter 3 - New Attitude

Well, we gathered on a lovely if slightly chilly afternoon to consider the next section from Philippians. This week Ian Kirkpatrick got the session going with a memorable joke about a granny's driving experience. He then summarised what we had covered over the past three weeks and introduced this week's subject: having an attitude like that of Jesus and unity between Christians.

One table conversation got started by considering the thought that being unselfish seems to go against nature and that the selfish attitude therefore needs to be unlearned as we get older. Indeed, it could be that seeking to be unselfish and serve others comes more easily as we get older, more mature. Perhaps as we get more practice. We also felt that the younger we are exposed to the idea of putting others first, possibly in a Christian home, then the more this unselfish attitude surfaces.

Another conversation looked at the points Nicky Gumbel made about stars and servants and concluded that an attitude focused on wealth, success and fame is not a stable approach for a fulfilled life.

We also wondered about the effect of positive thinking and will-power to become more conscious of others and their needs. Was this enough? Well, all too often this doesn't work, nor do all the self-help books that are currently in bookshops. A conclusion was that it is Jesus who makes the difference in us and the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Another discussion looked at having right attitudes in the workplace and how we actually apply these there. Perhaps this involves a recognition of seeing ourselves and others as God sees us, and aiming to make the most of each situation. Paul encourages us to be humble but what does this really mean in practice? One suggestion was to use our talents but not in ways that draw attention to ourselves.

Others were challenged by the concept of vain conceit - aware that we often long to be recognised for our work and seen as respected experts in what we do. This led to wondering if this could be a misguided aim if we don't first seek the way that God would have us focus on our work. We also considered the challenge of considering how easy it would be to take the step of giving credit and praise to others to highlight their good work, even if it placed our own in the shadows.

We also thought about Christian unity and how the media tend to zero in on the issues which cause division and never report the signs of unity that do exist, because such stories are not deemed to be newsworthy.

Chapter 4 - New Responsibilities

One table looked at society's focus on individual human rights and questioned whether people conveniently forgot that with 'rights' come 'responsibilities'. This led to a discussion about the relationship between management and staff in the workplace and the recent historic tendency for it to be 'parent / child' in nature. This relationship was also seen as a means of corporate control over the behaviours and attitudes of the workforce - quite unlike the relationship we have with our Father in heaven. However, it would also appear that this is changing and increasingly there is more of an 'adult / adult' nature to the relationships between staff and workers. The introduction of tools such as Q12 has encouraged this. This conversation concluded by considering the responsibilities of each of us as individuals (particularly as Christians) to do the 'right thing' and take personal responsibility for our work outputs and not simply sit back and 'do only as we are told and no more'.

Others thought about some of us perhaps being in the wrong vocation and 'wasting our lives' . However, it was pointed out that we can have a great deal of influence wherever we are, although often there may be no tangible evidence of this until much later. This particular group was unanimous in the view that as Christians we should in some sense be noticeably different - but in a positive way and not one which makes us appear to be 'oddballs' or 'pious Percys'! This was seen as not being easy, particularly when an organisation tends to be driven by short-term cash flows for its survival. In the end, we are each driven by our conscience and perhaps this is our best indicator of whether or not we are following God's will.

Chapter 5 - New Friendships

Despite the unpredictable weather a good crowd came today for the next Life Worth Living session. Richard got us off to a good start by introducing this week's subject of friendship. But before I go much further, I would like to extend an invitation to join some friends from the course who are meeting on Thursday 24th February at 5.30 pm in the Traverse Bar - another opportunity to get know each other. They are also meeting on Monday 7th March, same time and place.

So how did our conversations on friendships go?

One discussion started off by considering the difference between our relationships with close family members and good friends. We acknowledged the fact that there is usually some common factor which underlies our friendships - perhaps a common interest or set of values. We also felt that we choose to make friendships, whereas this isn't the case with family relationships. However, if you have family members who are also good friends, then this is something special. We also recognised the importance of friends to us. They can make a real difference to our lives, perhaps especially so in today's society where family members may often be separated by many miles. This led to a consideration of the ways we like to keep in touch - some preferring the immediacy of the phone whereas others like the convenience of email. It was also good to know that with certain friends we don't need to be in touch frequently to enjoy a good friendship. We also thought about how being friends with someone does leave you vulnerable and that it hurts when a friendship ends.

Each group did consider friendship from a Christian perspective. Some briefly considered friendship with God, which was felt to be true and possible but certainly not a "matey" sort of relationship. Others felt that a friendship between Christians tended to be in a different league from ordinary friendship. However, though there is a real potential for this, it is not always guaranteed. It was felt that a church environment can foster these friendships but it can also, due to the size of congregations, mean that a new member may not meet others straight away. Comments were made that sometimes the best way to make strong friendships in a church context is through small groups (often known as cell groups or house/home groups). Indeed, it was said that this smaller group can be particularly important when going through difficult times - times when perhaps friendship is most important to us.

Some examined the different levels of friendship - how some friendships can be very close and others not so.

A final thought: do we have real friends in our workplaces, or merely colleagues?

Chapter 6: New Confidence

Our topic for this week was new confidence and it was Zoe who got us started this afternoon. She talked about how we can have confidence in an unchanging God and how that has been true for her over the past challenging nine months or so.

For one group this sparked a conversation about where was God in difficult circumstances and led to the reminder that often other people's suffering can make us reassess our own. It was felt too that difficulties can enable us to develop a deeper understanding and awareness.

So what about Paul in his difficult circumstances? - his amazing attitude, his confidence in God. Although his circumstances were dire, he was still able to trust God to work things out. This we thought was perhaps a real challenge for us when we are facing our own dire circumstances, like redundancy.

In a similar vein, others thought about the importance of confidence in God. This, it was viewed, is something that we must preserve and keep protected from things that hinder our belief in God. This led to consideration of how we can maintain this confidence. It was suggested that it can be achieved by keeping our eyes on God and consciously walking with him. Also by being aware that there are often people, thoughts and circumstances that can keep us from this.

Others talked about the distinction between self-confidence and over-confidence. Perhaps not an easy one to answer. We acknowledged that in our workplaces we often have to appear confident, even when we are not. We also felt that being nervous about a situation was different to lacking confidence: you can be nervous about facing a large audience but have confidence in the message you have to deliver. The manner of our delivery is important, as it can influence whether we are seen as being self-confident, or over-confident and perhaps proud.

Chapter 7: New Ambitions

Well, it was another lovely and quite warm afternoon in Edinburgh when we gathered for this further instalment of the LWL course. It was again my turn to open. After I highlighted a few points about the two types of ambition Paul talks about in Philippians Chapter 3, we got down to our discussions.

For some this lead to a conversation about whether ambition was a good or a bad thing. It was noticed that without ambition certain things might never have happened, like getting to the moon! So it was felt that ambition can be a good thing: it motivates us to achieve, which can often be of direct or indirect benefit to others. Ambition is therefore important.

On the other side, it was recognised that ambition can lead us to act in our own interests, possibly impacting on others adversely. People whose focus is on self- satisfaction can very often create a poor impression on others.

The question was asked if we can be successful in business whilst still retaining our ethics. Can we really reach the top by playing a "fair game"?

Still thinking about work, we considered situations where our working environment is such that it causes conflict with our ambition to do the right thing and so can result in people feeling compelled to move on. It was felt that, though such times can be difficult, they are preferable to the compromise of following the terms of those we work with rather than the terms that God sets for us. Working in the Police was mentioned as one such area where it can be difficult to work successfully and yet retain our ethics fully.

We also wondered if people without ambition are also without hope.

Chapter 8: New Resources

We were treated this lunchtime to some live music from Terry who opened our time together by playing "The nearness of you" on the piano. Then Michael gave us a brief but comprehensive summary of Philippians Chapter 4 verses 1-9 and he left us with the challenge to think about where we want to be in the next ten years spiritually…

This isn't an easy question and it was admitted that in the busyness of life setting goals and finding the time to take steps to meet them is also not easy. However, it was recognised that we don't want to stagnate spiritually. So some of the themes which emerged as we considered this further included: being more fruitful in what we do, and being open to change and new things. This led to thoughts about our families growing older - how will we help them in their lives through our own? Some of us wanted to have a stronger foundation of faith so that we would be more resilient in the challenges that we may face. Others recognised that it is also important that we keep focused on God as our spiritual walk goes on and time goes by - to make sure that we hold tightly to knowing Jesus.

In the verses we were looking at, Paul urges two ladies in particular to work together in unity. It was felt that disunity can be very damaging both within Christian circles and seen from the outside looking in. Perhaps it can even turn people away from churches.

Still thinking about Christian friends, as we did earlier in the course, they are often very special. We value people we trust and respect and who we feel really understand us, as they know where we are coming from and so can be very encouraging. This led to thoughts that we often pick up habits and attitudes from our friends, both good and sometimes not so wholesome.

It was mentioned in connection with Christian role models that we do well to remember that they too are "work in progress" / "under construction", and so should not be expected to be perfect.

Michael reminded us of the quote in the book that, "We are not what we think we are, but what we think, we are." This struck a chord with many of us.

So, as ever, lots to be mulling over.

Chapter 9: New Generosity

I can hardly believe that this is my last summary from the course. The weeks have flown by amidst some great conversations. It has been wonderful seeing you and getting to know some of you. We do hope that you will want and be able to get along to other OASIS events.

So what did we talk about this week? Well, Iain gave the introduction, giving examples of people he has known who have shown much generosity.

One table considered examples of people known to give much to others and the results of such actions. This led to thinking about how giving generously could involve what a person has rather than what a person has not - so eg those with little money can give of their time and talents.

But staying with the topic of giving financially, the question was posed: is this something that should be done silently with only God's knowledge, or can it be done openly as an example to encourage others? It was felt that very generous Christians are often reluctantly exposed for their kindness and that they themselves are somewhat humble. We talked about how Christians as a group face a tightrope of giving quietly and therefore going unnoticed by non-Christians - or of doing so openly but risking the perception of being considered smug givers. Another interesting point was made that it is sometimes those who are least able who give the most generously. The conversation also touched on giving away 10% as a biblical guideline which it was acknowledged is far more challenging for some than for others.

Another question which we considered was: can you think of an instance where you or someone you know "imitated" God as it were and gave extra-generously? This proved to be quite a challenge. However, people who may fit this bill are those who give up well remunerated work in order to serve Jesus, without necessarily knowing initially what they will end up doing.

I do hope that you have enjoyed the course and that these brief summaries have been useful.

Hoping to see you all again soon.

Fiona Fleming

Concluding Remarks

First of all, a huge "thank you" to Fiona for so succinctly recording and meshing together the discussions of all the groups. Our thanks also to all the other facilitators who helped to make the course so successful. I know Iain and I enjoyed the course a lot.
Secondly, although this most successful course has ended, we do not need to lose contact with one another. On the first Wednesday of the month there is First Wednesday where we can look at specific issues of work and faith. On the third Wednesday of the month there is Reflective Worship where we can take time out to be still and reflect. Both these sessions are at the standard time of 12.45 for 1pm with a 1.45 finish. Finally, we look forward to attending and helping out on the next Business Alpha Course in the autumn.

Meantime, of course, there is always email and telephone contact. Where some of us have felt a special affinity, no doubt we will be meeting up for lunch now and then. I like to imagine dozens of little clusters of people around the business world supporting each other on their spiritual journeys.

God bless.

Janice