The number seven is the fourth prime number (after two, three and five) but is also known as a lucky prime, a happy number and a safe prime. It is a number that has certain significances in mathematics – if only anyone but mathematicians could understand them! For us simple folk, we know that a heptagon is a shape with seven sides, and those interested in probability, the number seven has a 6 in 36 chance of being rolled (1/6) with two dice, which is the greatest of any of the possible numbers. 
 
In Classical Antiquity, the number seven appears many times, for instance, the seven deadly sins, which in Christianity we call the cardinal sins. There are seven wonders of the ancient world and Seven Hills of Rome and Istanbul.  According to legend, there were seven kings of Rome, beginning with Romulus who founded the city in 753 BC. There are seven days of the week, seven colours in the rainbow, seven seas, seven continents, and the list goes on.
 
In the Bible, the number seven is reportedly used 735 times, 54 of which are in Revelation. If we were to include words such as “sevenfold” and “seventh”, the total becomes 860 references. Already it appears the number seven must have some importance in scripture. 
 
It is believed the number seven represents completeness and perfection. God rested on the seventh day when he was happy with the world he had created, which is why we have seven days in a week, the seventh day being the Sabbath – the day God rested. In the Book of Genesis, the word “created” is used seven times when describing God’s work and, according to some Jewish traditions, God created Adam on the first day of Tishri, the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar (if you are interested, this equates to 26thSeptember 3760 BC). 
 
Originally, the entire Bible, both Old and New Testaments, were divided into seven sections. These were the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels (and Acts), the General Epistles, the Epistles of Paul, and the book of Revelation. 
 
In the Gospels, Jesus is recorded performing miracles seven times on the Sabbath:

1. Jesus healed a man with a withered hand in the synagogue (Matthew 12:9)
2. At Capernaum, he cast a demon out of a possessed man (Mark 1:21)
3. Jesus healed Peter’s wife of a fever (Mark 1:29)
4. Jesus released a demon from a woman who had suffered for eighteen years (Luke 13:11)
5. At a Pharisee’s house, Jesus healed a man with dropsy (Luke 14:2)
6. A disabled man is healed at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:8-9)
7. Jesus healed a blind man at the pool of Siloam (John 9:14)

 
In the book of Hebrews written by the apostle Paul, he uses seven different titles for Christ:

1. Heir of all Things
2. Captain of our Salvation
3. Apostle
4. Author of Salvation
5. Forerunner
6. High Priest
7. Author and Finisher of our Faith

 
Let’s look at a handful of examples where the number seven is actually used:

• Revelation 1:4 (NIV): “John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia…”
• Deuteronomy 15:9 (NIV): “… ‘The Seventh year, the year for cancelling debts, is near’ …”
• Genesis 8:4 (NIV): “and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.”
• 2 Kings 5:10 (NIV): “Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, ‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed’”
• Leviticus 4:6 (NIV): “He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary.”
• Genesis 4:15 (NIV): “But the Lord said to him, ‘Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.’ Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.”
• Genesis 4:24 (NIV): “If Cain is avengedseven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.”
• Genesis 7:2 (NIV): “Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate…”
• Genesis 41:29-30 (NIV): “Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them …”
• Joshua 6:8 (NIV): “When Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward …”
• 1 Samuel 16:10 (NIV): “Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.’”
• 2 Kings 4:35 (NIV): “…The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.”
• Proverbs 9:1 (NIV): “Wisdom had built her house; she has set up its seven pillars.”
• Matthew 15:34 (NIV): “’How many loaves do you have?’ Jesus asked. ‘Seven,’ they replied, ‘and a few small fish.’”
• Luke 8:2 (NIV): “and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out.”
• Acts 6:3 (NIV): “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are know to be full of the spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them”

… And there are many, many more.
 
Just by looking at theses example we can see that the number seven is important, although its connection to completeness and perfection is never actually mentioned in the Bible, that has been inferred at a later date. 
 
Since there are so many instances of the number seven, I cannot mention them all but I will leave you with a few more important examples:

• Matthew 13 mentions seven parables of Jesus
• Seven of the Psalms are ascribed to David
• In the book of Revelation, there are seven stars, seven churches, seven angels, seven seals, seven plagues and seven thunders
• Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:
  • Wisdom
  • Understanding
  • Counsel
  • Fortitude
  • Knowledge
  • Piety
  • Fear of the Lord
• The are seven suicides mentioned in the Bible
• Seven Virtues
  • Chastity
  • Temperance
  • Charity
  • Diligence
  • Kindness
  • Patience
  • Humility

In mathematics, the number six is important for all sorts of reasons, the simplest being it is the only number that is both the sum and the product of three consecutive positive numbers (1+2+3=6; 1x2x3=6). It is the smallest perfect number and Granville number – which would need an entire essay to try and explain – as well as a congruent number, a unitary perfect number, a primary pseudo perfect number, a harmonic divisor number and a superior highly composite number. I am not a mathematician so I have no idea what any of that means but it sounds important.
 
The number six can be represented by the Greek prefix Hex and the Latin prefix Sex, therefore, we have words to describe things that can be grouped in sixes: a hexagon is a shape with six sides; a sextet is a group of six musicians; and a group of six babies delivered in one birth are sextuplets. There is even a term called “sexy numbers” that refers to prime numbers that are six digits away from each other, for instance 5 and 11 … who knew?
 
A standard guitar has six strings and most woodwind instruments have six basic holes or keys. The Star of David has six points. The cells of a beehive are six sided (hexagonal). Six is the atomic number of carbon. Insects have six legs. There are six sides of a cube. As you can see, there are lots of instances of the number six in our lives, but what about in the Bible?
 
According to Genesis, God created man on the sixth day. Some scholars claim that the number six represents human weakness and sin, which is why man was subjected to six days labour and only one day of rest. Similarly, in Exodus 21:2, the law states, “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything.” (NIV) This is also comparable to Leviticus 25:3-4 (NIV): For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of Sabbath rest, a Sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.”
 
The number six is also representative of Satan. In Revelation 13:18, the number of “the beast” is recorded as 666. One source states this symbolises the best system mankind could produce under the influence of Satan. They claim that Satan influences three areas of human life: economic, religious and governmental. When 666 is multiplied by 7 it equals 4662, which depicts man's total imperfection under the devil. When the digitals are added, 4 + 6 + 6 + 2 = 18; and 18 divided by 3 is 6.
 
There are a number of instances the number six or groups of six are mentioned in the Bible. Here are a few:
 

• Revelation 4:8 (NIV): “ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings.”
• Joshua 6:3 (NIV): “March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.”
• Ezekiel 41:5 (NIV): “Then he measured the wall of the temple; it was six cubits thick …”
• Isaiah 6:2 (NIV): “Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.”
• Ezekiel 46:4 (NIV): “The burnt offering the prince brings to the Lord on the Sabbath day is to be six male lambs and a ram, all without defect.”
• Genesis 30:20 (NIV): “Then Leah said, ‘God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honour, because I have borne him six sons.’”
• Deuteronomy 16:8 (NIV): “For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the Lord your God and do no work.”
• Judges 12:7 (NIV): “Jephthah led Israel six years.”
• The Bible mentions earthquakes six times: Exodus 19:18; 1 Kings 19:11; Amos 1:1, Matthew 27:54; Matthew 28:2; and Acts 16:26.
• Jesus was accused six times of being demon possessed: Mark 3:22, John 7:20; John 8:48; John 8:52; John 10:20; and Luke 11:15).
• Christ was asked to prove who he was and the claims he made six times: Matthew 12:38; Matthew 16:1; Matthew 24:3; Luke 11:16; John 2:18; John 6:30).
• Six people are recorded stating that Jesus was innocent against the charges that led to his crucifixion: Pontius Pilate (Luke 23:14), Herod (Luke 23:15); Judas (Matthew 27:3); Pontius Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27:19); the thief on the cross (Luke 23:41) and a Roman Centurion (Luke 23:47). 

 
It is difficult to determine whether there is any significance in the use of the number six in the Bible. Some may be connected to the number of days in the creation story and others the number of the devil, but it is unlikely that these entire instances relate to one or the other. What do you think?

The number five occurs numerous times throughout our everyday lives and we probably do not even register it. We have five fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot. We have five senses: smell, touch, taste, sight and hearing. There are five rings in the Olympic logo and five players in a basketball team. The number five was Coco Chanel’s lucky number, hence Chanel No.5. 
 
The number five is reportedly mentioned 318 times in the Bible and, according to some interpretations, the Bible states there are five big mysteries in the world: the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Creation and the Redemption. 
 
The first five books of the Old Testament are labelled the Pentateuch, and some people refer to the first five books of the New Testament as the New Testament Pentateuch.Although there are only four gospels, the fifth book, the Book of Acts, also discusses the teachings of Jesus. 
 
The Psalms can be divided into five sections, mimicking the five-fold division of the Pentateuch. The Book of Lamentations, written by Jeremiah, has five chapters. There are five books of the Bible that only have one chapter: Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John and Jude.
 
The Apostle John wrote five books: the Gospel of John, the three Epistles of John and the Book of Revelation. Likewise, it is believed that Moses wrote the five books that make up the Pentateuch. 
 
According to tradition, Jesus Christ received five wounds during his Crucifixion. The Flagellation of Christ, the Crown of Thorns, causes these wounds, as well as the nails in his hands, the nails through his feet, and the lance that pierced his side to prove he was dead. 
 
Some believe the number five represents God’s Grace, which is what the fifth book of the Bible Deuteronomy focuses upon. As a result, there could be a significance behind the number’s usage throughout the Bible, however, since there are so many occurrences, it is likely many of these are coincidences. I have not searched for all 318 incidences of the number five but here are a few more examples over and above the ones I have already mentioned:
 

• John 4:18 (NIV):  “The fact is, you have had fivehusbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.”
• 2 Corinthians 11:24 (NIV): “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.”
• John 5:2 (NIV): “Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.”
• 1 Samuel 17:40 (NIV): “Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.”
• 1 Samuel 21:3 (NIV): “Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”
• Matthew 14:17 (NIV): “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

 
There are also multiples of five that occur frequently throughout scripture. 
 

• Leviticus 25:10 (NIV): “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan.”
• Numbers 8:23-25 (NIV): The Lord said to Moses, “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.”
• Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (NIV):  “If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay her father fifty shekels of silver.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:6 (NIV): “After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.”
• Matthew 14:21 (NIV): “The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.” The feeding of the 5000 is also written about in Mark, Luke and John. 
• Acts 4:4 (NIV): “But many who heard the message “believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.”

 
Are these examples significant or do you think they are coincidences? I would be interested to hear what you think. Also, can you think of any other examples worth mentioning?

There are lots of instances of groups of four in our everyday lives, for instance, classical elements (earth, air, fire, water); suits in a deck of cards; members of The Beatles; Ninja Turtles… (children will know who they are). 
 
Some theologians claim that the number four is associated with creation. As is believed, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. These theologians, however, consider the fourth day of creation to be one of the most important. 
 
“And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.” – Genesis 1:14-19 (NIV)
 
The fourth day of creation is the day God completed the material universe. By creating the sun to divide the day and night, He also invented a way to record time. There are 24 hours in a day – a number that is divisible by four – and four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. 
 
Continuing on the lines of creation, the fourth of the Ten Commandments mentioned in Exodus 20:9-11 is to remember to keep God’s holy Sabbath day – the day he rested after creating world during the previous six days.
 
There are many more examples of the number four appearing in the Bible that do not have a direct correlation with the creation story. Whether these instances are significant due to the importance of the number four at the beginning of the world or just mere coincidence is debatable. Here are a handful of examples I have found: 

• There are four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).
• Genesis 2:10 (NIV): “A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters.” These were the rivers Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel and the Euphrates. 
• Eve, the first woman, is referenced only four times: Genesis 3:20, Genesis 4:1, 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 1 Timothy 2:13.
• John 19:23 (NIV): “When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining.”
• The four witnesses of God on earth are miracles, wonders, signs and gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 2:4)
• Rainbows are referenced four times in scripture: Genesis 9; Ezekiel 1:28; Revelation 4:3; and Revelation 10:1.
• In Ezekiel’s well-known “wheel in the middle of a wheel” vision, he sees four living creatures transporting a throne with four sides and four wheels. Each of the living creatures (Cherubim) has four faces (the face of a man, lion, ox and eagle) and four wings. Ezekiel 1, 10.
• 2 Kings 7:3 (NIV): “And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?”
• Luke 19:8 (KJV): “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”
• John 11:17 (NIV) “On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.”
• The Tetragrammaton (YHWH) is the four-letter name of God.
• The Book of Revelation talks about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

 
Undoubtedly, I have missed many examples. Can you think of some? What do you think the significance of the number four is in the Bible if any?

In modern society, people tend to group things in sets of three, for instance, the Rule of Three (Latin: omne trium perfectum) in which things, whether good or bad, come in threes.  The number three has been considered by mathematicians to be a perfect numeral. When three is multiplied by any number, the sum of the resulting digits will also be a multiple of three. For instance, 3 x 24 = 72, (7 + 2 = 9), 9 is divisible by three; and 3 x 5446 = 16338, (1+6+3+3+8 = 21), 21 is divisible by three. This process only occurs with the number three. 
 
Some sources claim the number three is used 467 times in the Bible and other sources claim there are more. There are 27 books in the New Testament, which, using the process mentioned above, is a number divisible by three. It is also the result of 3 x 3 x 3 or 3 to the power of three. 
 
Many things in the Christian faith come in sets of three, for instance, the Holy Trinity (“tri” meaning three) that is an amalgamation of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Also, God is considered to have three attributes: omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence. There are considered to be three Patriarchs: Abel, Enoch and Noah, and after the Great Flood, three righteous Father’s: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel)
 
Most significant, perhaps, were the three days Christ lay dead until his Resurrection: “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’” (Matthew 27:63, NIV) Prior to this, Jesus had prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest (Matthew 26:36-46) and, during hiscrucifixion, darkness covered the land for three hours. Matthew 27:45 (NIV) “From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.”
 
At Christmas time, our Nativity plays usually feature three Wise Men or Magi. The Bible, however, does not state how many of magi visited the infant Jesus, however, they brought with them three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. 
 
Let’s take a look at the other examples of the number three I have found:

• Three people witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration on Mount Hermon. “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” (Matthew 17:1 NIV)
• Paul quoted directly from three Greek poets. Epimenides and Aratus in Acts 17:28; Menander in 1 Corinthians 15:33; and Epimenides once again in Titus 1:12.
• In Genesis 12, God gave Israel three gifts: his law, the land of their inheritance, and their calling.
• The Bible only mentions the names of three angels: Archangel Michael (Jude 9 NIV), Gabriel (Luke 1:19 NIV) and Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12 KJV). There is a fourth, Raphael, but he is only mentioned in the Apocrypha (Tobit). 
• Revelation 21:13 (KJV): “On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.”
• Revelation 16:13-14 (NIV): “Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.”
• Exodus 10:22 (NIV): “So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days.”
• Genesis 6:10 (NIV): “Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.”
• Matthew 12:40 (NIV): “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
• In Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus was tempted three times by the devil while he was fasting for forty days in the Judaean desert. 
• All four Gospels record that Saint Peter denied Jesus three times, and in John 21, Peter affirmed his faith in Jesus three times. 
• There are three Synoptic Gospel (Matthew, Mark and Luke) and three epistles of John.
• In Acts 9, Paul the Apostle was blinded for three days during his conversion to Christianity. 

 
Do you have any other Biblical examples of the number three? What do you think the significance is if any?

The number two is the smallest prime number (discounting one) and also the only even prime number. All even numbers are divisible by two, which makes it sound like a very special number. There is a famous saying “all things come in pairs,” and in the Bible, the number two represents a union or, sometimes, a division. For example, a man and woman are made one in marriage. This begins with Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:23-24:
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
The Bible is split into two testaments, the Old and the New. As we know, this divides the Bible into the events before Jesus’ birth and those that came after. The agreements or covenants God made with mankind are also divided into old and new. 
 
There are too many mentions of the number two in the Bible to write about and most of them are insignificant. So let’s look at a few that relate to union or division:

• Mark 6:7 (NIV): “Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.”
• Titus 3:10 (NIV): “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.”
• Genesis 1:16 (NIV): “God made twogreat lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.”
• Genesis 7:2 (NIV): “Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate”
• Deuteronomy 17:6 (NIV): “On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.”
• Revelation 19:20 (NIV): “But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur.”
• Revelation 20:13 (NIV): “The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.” This is known as the Second Death. 

 
Finally, some facts about the Bible involving the number two:

• The word God appears in every book of the Bible except two: Esther and the Song of Solomon.
• The shortest verse in the King James Version of the Bible contains just two words: “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)
• The Book of Haggai only contains two chapters. 

As I mentioned in my post about the significance of the 153 fish in the passage from John 21:1-9, I am interested in looking into the importance of other numbers in the Bible. 
 
The number one, in a way, is the most important number in the Bible. As a prime number, it is only divisible by itself and yet it is needed to compose all other existing numerals. In the Bible, it symbolises unity and supremacy, the oneness of God. To quote Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (NIV)
 
The number one also describes the relationship between God and Jesus: “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30 NIV) By Jesus making one sacrifice, albeit a considerable one, he has made forgiveness possible for all our sins. Jesus is also described as the one mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) and the one shepherd (John 10:16) – the bridge between mankind and God.
 
Now, it would be daft and nigh on impossible to list every instance of the number one in the Bible so I will stick to what I think are the interesting facts. 

• There are five books of the Bible that only have one chapter: 2 John, 3 John, Philemon, Jude and Obadiah.  
• In the King James Version, there are a few words that only appear once, for example:
  • Reverend (Psalm 111:9)
  • Grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5)
  • Eternity (Isaiah 57:15)
  • Lukewarm (Revelation 3:16)
• The Sabbath was the first thing to be designated as Holy (Genesis 2:1-3)
• Adam was the first man (Genesis 2)
• Abraham was the first prophet (Genesis 20:7)
• The first Commandment is “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3 NIV)
• Before Jesus started his ministry, only one instance is recorded of him speaking. “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49 NIV)
• Jesus’ first public message involved a reading of Isaiah 61:1-2, proclaiming a message about hope for a brighter future. 
• Colossians 1:15 (NIV): “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:20 (NIV): “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
• Several times in the Book of Revelation, Jesus is referred to as the Alpha, which is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. 
• Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV): “The is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all in all.”

 
I leave you with one final fact; the Bible was the first book to be produced using a printing press, which was produced by Johann Guttenberg in 1456. 

​On the 13th April 2019, Gants Hill United Reformed Church hosted the Women of Faith and Power's seminar on Mental Health and Wellbeing. It was a most successful day chaired by Reverend Alexandra Guest with key speakers sharing their experiences on a range of subjects from depression and eating disorders to caring for carers. I thought you might like a synopsis of what was discussed.

Paul McGregor, the author of Man Up, Man Down, told us that suicide for under 48-year-olds is the biggest killer. He shared his own personal story, and from this has concluded that there is power in being vulnerable and that sharing your story can be very therapeutic. For him, his breakthrough came when he met Anne and found he could really talk to and open up to her in a most positive way. Anne has not been able to do this for others, and so reminds us to keep on looking for that person or persons with whom you can share your story. You have to understand that is okay being vulnerable but also, that when you are ill, you are not alone. When suicidal, you have tunnel vision, you believe the world is better off without you, you feel you are a burden, but by knowing you are loved and you have a purpose, you will start your road to recovery. Seeking professional advice and allowing yourself space, you can be transformed.

Karen Tullet spoke about depression and said the best way out was medication, exercise and therapy, in particularly Cognitive Behavourial Therapy (CBT), which converts negative into positive thoughts. There are many examples in the Bible of prophets having forms of depression, not least Elijah (1 Kings 19), David (2 Samuel 12:15-23), Jonah (Jonah 4:3), Job (various instance, including Job 2:9, Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:14), and Jesus himself (Luke 22:44), where he sweats blood. Karen reminded us that we have a Saviour who understands our pain. She also pointed out that as carers, we have to ensure we look after ourselves and our relationship with God by absorbing love and care, so that we emit good quality support. 

Henry Townsend spoke about his own mixture of difficulties but started by offering everyone a hug, and those who did not mind their personal space being invaded in such a way felt that hugs helped. He reminded us that humans need connection, a holding space where they can feel supported and explore their vulnerabilities. His recovery came through creativity and in his metal workshop, he was able to create items of beauty. He can now train others in the use of imagination, creativity, building confidence and maintaining vision. He highlighted how helpful his dog was in offering unconditional love, always being there for him no matter his mood. 

Katherine Gould and I spoke about eating disorders, and whilst I focused on my own experience of nearly twenty years in supporting people during my ministry, Katherine spoke about her work as a counsellor and the organisation Taste Life. Katherine took us through various eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder. She advised that it is only when the person admits they need help that any productive work can be done. Progress is normally very slow progress and so she introduced us to organisations that can help, such as BEAT, MIND and Taste Life. My own contribution was, that as a carer or supporter, you have to be one hundred per cent committed to helping that person, being unjudgemental and offering support and love over months, even years. 

Jonathan Clarke, director of Premiere Lifeline, spoke about care for the carers. The pressure on carers to take on too much and feeling embarrassed to say "I need a break," was a major concern. Many carers are exhausted because they also have full-time jobs, their own houses to look after and their own lives to lead. Another difficult issue is the stigma of a family unable to cope in caring for somebody in need. There is a strong belief that you should not show weakness and be strong for the person you care for. This often results in the carer needing as much help as the person for whom they are caring. The main message is, therefore, to look after yourself, to relax, to let off steam, to have somebody you can talk to, who can support you; and there was a role for churches in identifying when carers need help. Churches must not be afraid to confront situations, which loving families perhaps are unable to see. 

The day finished with a question and answer session, which was lively and demonstrated how successful the day was. 

Prayer holds in tension two thoughts; firstly, that if you ask, God will provide; secondly, we submit ourselves to God's sovereign will by saying "let your will be done". It is good to pray because it develops a relationship with God. We start to build dependence and, by praying, we are submitting ourselves to God's will. We align our thoughts with God's, so we do not ask for ourselves, we ask for those things we believe are in line with what God wants. There is something spiritual by intentionally, out of habit, praying to God on purpose and it creates an intimacy based on knowing God always wants the best for you. It builds our character, it allows us to articulate our feelings and it is a gift, which sometimes means we are changed and transformed because of our prayers. It allows us an openness to God to listen to what God wants to say to us.

There is another tension whereby God has given us free will, which means we can do what we want, and yet we know, ultimately, God is in control. We are not puppets, we make our own decisions and are accountable for the actions that we take; and yet, God is in control. We pray in this freedom and space between our free will and God's will ultimately being fulfilled. 

Why pray? God demands it, Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer as a perfect model, it brings us closer to God. It aligns our thoughts with God and it allows God, even though he knows everything about us, to be aware of our concerns. By continual prayer, we are transformed. There are too many examples of prayers being answered for us not to use this spiritual communication to talk to a loving God who cares about us.