Walking the walk
We sometimes think it is we who choose to be Christians and practise medicine, but that is not true, John Wyatt told an audience of over 400 at the 2014 CMF Student Conference at Swanwick.
Introducing the theme 'Walking the Walk', looking at ethical issues confronting us in medicine, he said: 'The fact is that before the world began, before the big bang, God the Father saw you and loved you and decided to call you into existence in his sovereign, loving wisdom. He has prepared work especially for you to do … at this particular and confusing time in world history.'
He recalled how 43 years ago as a first year student attending a conference at Swanwick he experienced a 'real sense of God calling me in a different direction'. He said he was praying 'that as something special happened in my life 43 years ago, it will happen for some of you'.
Attendees heard Bible readings on the Letter to the Colossians from Mark Meynell, senior minister (training) at All Souls, Langham Place in London. Colossians, he declared, was 'a scandalous text'. It is just as 'unpalatable' today as it was when first written because its exclusive claims about the uniqueness and deity of Christ 'unrelentingly collide with most modern-day assumptions'.
It is always encouraging when large groups of students attend. This year the biggest delegation was from Imperial College, London: 33 in all. But the conference is perhaps even more important to Christian students who feel very isolated: 'I just loved seeing and meeting so many Christian medical students,' commented a student who is obviously starved for contacts with Christians at her particular medical school. 'Now I know I'm not totally on my own!'
Among the seminar themes were practical responses to abortion (Celia Wyatt), prayer (Matt Lillicrap) and anorexia (author Emma Scrivener).
There was time to relax as well as learn. Manchester students, with help from internationals from Denmark and the Czech Republic, emerged as quiz champions, having managed to upstage London which had won several years in a row. This is the last time the Student Conference will meet at Swanwick. Next year the venue is Yarnfield Park Conference Centre in Stone, Staffs.
Target gets closer
We are truly thankful to God for a magnificent response by members and friends to the CMF Development Plan appeal. When the appeal was launched in Easter 2011 the target set was a challenging £700,000. As this issue of CMF News went to press we had received £564,635, with a further £135,365 needed to reach the target. We will shortly be writing to all our members asking their help to get this project across the line. Pray that people who have already given will see the point of helping complete the task.
CMF partners new DLS production
Abig thank you to CMF members who worked hard to contribute 60 'thoughts' for The Doctor's Life Support (DLS) project which will be launched at the ICMDA World Congress in Rotterdam in July. DLS is a much-loved daily reading experience. Instead of producing a whole year of readings the new edition will cover half a year, with a further edition to follow. So we are open to receiving more contributions. Email john.martin@cmf.org.uk for templates.
'Corrie' suicide sparks media frenzy
Hayley Cropper's emotional suicide on Coronation Street in January created a media storm. CMF (with Care Not Killing) found itself in the spotlight. Peter Saunders and Andrew Fergusson gave ten media interviews in total, with Andrew fielding a Radio 5 Live phone-in, and Peter appearing live on ITV's 'Daybreak' programme. Most of the interviews can be heard again on the CMF website: www.cmf.org.uk
