Blog
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.
The church is a community unlike any other. Years ago author and scholar CS Lewis wrote that: "When I first became a Christian, I thought that I could do it on my own, by retiring to my rooms and reading theology, and I wouldn’t go to the churches and Gospel Halls. I disliked very much their hymns, which I considered to be fifth-rate poems set to sixth-rate music."
It's always a good sign to see lots on the go on the church property and this Saturday we have an especially busy morning planned here. If you're reading this on Friday (when it gets sent out via WhatsApp), you still have a chance to join us - there's pretty much something for everyone: :)
Thank you to all who have continued to so generously respond to our appeal in support of vulnerable foreign nationals in our city over the last week - this has been a wonderful, practical expression of love and humanity. On Monday, our Superintendent Minister, Rev Nshimbi will be picking up and arranging distribution of what we have collected.
The borough of Ealing in West London has had an annual problem with flooded streets after heavy rainfall. The area borders on an urban wetland and the municipal authorities first considered a complex and expensive engineering proposal involving the construction of a reservoir to deal with the overflow.
This weekend, we are cheering on Ephi, Erwin and Garth who will be jogging to Maritzburg for most of Sunday. And for those of you who manage to find your way through the traffic challenges on Sunday (or who give up and join us online) we are exploring our next deadly sin: appropriately for us non-Comrades runners, sloth - what someone has called "a sleepy sort of vice".
A reviewer of JRR Tolkien's classic fantasy books once wrote; "The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and those who are going to read them." Wouldn't you love to have that said about something you wrote?