Blog
I spent an afternoon this last week, digging up lawn to make space for a vegetable garden. I'm at the beginning of this journey, but have learned a few things so far: It wasn't a very big patch of lawn, but I have a renewed respect for people whose daily work involves digging. And I totally get it when they feel the need to lean on their spades for a bit ...
Every year the Methodist Church of Southern Africa gathers for Conference and this year our leaders are meeting in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape (the Connexional Executive is meeting this week and Conference itself begins next week). It is a very busy time and normally all our Connexional leaders have their heads down focused on a long agenda, but this week our Presiding Bishop, Rev Pumla Nzimande, took the time to write to the church in response to news reports of the violent deaths of at least eight women on the East Rand.
Some years ago, I had been swimming on a Saturday and found that my ears were all blocked up by pool water, to such an extent that I could barely hear anything. The problem sorted itself out by Monday, but I still needed to preach and lead services on the Sunday... It was such a disorienting experience being among people with such limited hearing and a real, albeit brief taste of the struggles that people with hearing challenges face every day.
I know it's only a machine, but recently my car has felt so human. A few times, on especially cold mornings, it has stubbornly refused to start. My mechanic says it's how old starter motors often behave in the cold. On such mornings, it looks like there is no life at all in the car, but actually the engine and battery are just fine and all it takes to get going is a little push :)
Our district ministers met for three days this week at the Marianhill Monastery where we were taken through several sessions led by two addiction counsellors. I assumed I already had a decent understanding of the issues around substance abuse, but there was so much to learn about the disease of addiction and the typical recovery journeys of addicts and their families. Both facilitators were themselves in recovery and it was really refreshing to hear their openness about a condition that often still has a stigma attached to it.
I've been reading Will Guidara's excellent book "Unreasonable hospitality" which tells the story of how his restaurant in New York won the title of best restaurant in the world, by focusing not just on the quality of their food, but especially on surprising guests with incredibly thoughtful hospitality. Guidara says that every organisation can learn from their experience, refuse to settle for what is, and choose to delight the people they serve by going above and far beyond expectations.
This last Thursday was the anniversary of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a Moravian community in Germany which launched a non-stop prayer meeting that would continue for one hundred years! If you know your Methodist history you may remember that this same Moravian community, under the leadership of Count Nicolaus von Zinzendorf had a profound formative influence on John Wesley and the Methodist movement.
In ancient Israel on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) the High Priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem - the sacred space where it was understood he would stand in the very presence of God.
Our pastoral caring team met this week. We spent time reflecting on the caring work that is happening at WMC: pastoral visits (please let the office know if you or someone else needs a visit or call), intercessory prayer (in the Staying Connected and after services), birthday calls, flower deliveries, bereavement care, home communion, meal support. Please contact the office if you'd like to be involved in any of these.
If you've been following the progress of the Springbok rugby team over the last few years, one of the things you will hear being said all the time by other nations is how envious they are of the incredible depth of talent that South Africa has to draw on.