Blog
It's been six years since we hosted an Alpha course at WMC and we're excited to be offering one again! The course will take place on Tuesday evenings at 18h30 and start on 16 September.
In a recent service we reflected on the story of Jesus in the home of Mary and Martha. We recognised that we all know how to go into Martha-mode - active, busy, getting things done, but that in our distracted world, it is increasingly difficult to go into Mary-mode, where we stop, quieten ourselves and give our full attention to God.
There are many things that could be said about the apostle Peter. He was impulsive, he often opened his mouth before engaging his mind and he really dropped the ball on the night Jesus was betrayed and handed over for trial. But by the end of his life, St Peter is remembered as the courageous and inspiring first leader of the church (Catholics would say the first Pope).
My daily readings are taking me through the book of Leviticus at the moment. On one level, these detailed instructions about ritual offerings to God seem worlds apart from our daily reality (don't expect to see the carcass of a bull being burned on the altar this Sunday ...).
We're just back from a very relaxing 10 days away with family. Unfortunately it coincided with Samson being on leave too, so our staff and leaders have to cover all sorts of practical tasks in our absence - thank you to all who have stepped up and helped out!
John Wesley said once that "Reading Christians are growing Christians. When Christians cease to read, they cease to grow." Of course, he lived in a time when books didn't have to compete with screens, but he's definitely got a point. Being intentional about reading is planning for growth.
"Do you trust God with your life?" That was the question someone put to me the other day. Well, you don't need a fancy theological degree to know that the right answer is "yes, of course I do" and I was nodding before the question was finished. "Yes, but, do you really?" came the reply. It is a question worth wrestling with, isn't it? In the midst of the challenges we face each day, what does it look like to trust God?
I was looking through a book of prayers this week written for all kinds of occasions. The collection is called "Every moment holy" and the author is making the key point that even the most ordinary parts of the day can be sacred. So, by way of example, the book contains a prayer called "a liturgy for laundering" :) Every moment is holy.
Quaker philosopher Elton Trueblood once said that "*Churchgoer* is a vulgar, ignorant word. It should never be used. You can't go to church. You are the church, wherever you go." If he's right, the only day of the week when Westville Methodist Church's address is 38 Jan Hofmeyr Road is Sunday. The rest of the time, our church is in the world - caring for families, working, playing, being good neighbours.
Research conducted some years ago found that the average person will meet 2.8 new people per day, meaning that at the end of a normal lifespan we will have crossed paths with some 80 000 people! If you're an introvert, looking at that figure might require you to sit down and take a few deep breaths :)