That's All Folks (For Now)

I’m on leave from Christmas Day, so I won’t be ministering for a while, and there’s not likely to be much news about urban ministry. This blog will be back on the 25th of January. To readers and friends, have a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year. OBSERVATION: The purpose of my blog has been simply to record the events of urban ministry "live and unplugged". Mostly I have sought to limit the expression of any views to those which are closely tied to praxis. For those who don’t see the rankings, my blog is currently No. 8 among South African Christian blogs.

A Nun's Halo

I paid my annual Christmas visits to the elderly and sick today. H., who has advanced cancer, said to me: “A Catholic nun came to see me. She had a halo.” I said, “What kind of a halo? Was it glowing?” H. said, “It was glowing. It looked just the way it does in those icons. I didn’t know what this was, so I reached out to try and touch it. But there was nothing there to touch.” She said, “When I told the nun why I was reaching out like that, she got very emotional.” OBSERVATION: So perhaps halos have some basis in experience. Thanks to http://www.rusicon.ru/ for the photo.

"If You Make It Here ..."

There was a new shop assistant at an upmarket store. She was looking “black as thunder”. I said to her, “There’s a saying here: If you make it here, you’ll make it anywhere.” Another shop assistant burst out laughing. She said, “I’ve heard exactly those words! It’s true! It’s true!” OBSERVATION: There’s something about our area which is vicious. This spirit was in our Church when I first arrived. After the initial shock, I made it a priority to tackle it.

Unstolen Star

The photo shows the (as yet unstolen) star on our Church’s Christmas tree. One of our members said to me: "Reverend, if you don't see the star, you must know that it isn't stolen! I've just put it away for safekeeping!" OBSERVATION: For another post (among many) on theft in Church, see Theft Again.

Things Left Undone

This is a sad illustration of “a minister’s work is never done”. I go on leave in two days’ time. These are notes (see photo) taken from my pockets: members to be contacted, records of conversations, prayer requests, administrative notes, and so on. I routinely set aside time to work through such notes, to consolidate them so that I’m left with just one sheet to work off. OBSERVATION: But this pile, unfortunately, won’t get attention before I go on leave. I estimate that it is 150 layers deep. For another post on this, see http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2008/10/regrouping.html.

50% Black / 50% White

Our Church leadership is exactly 50% Black / 50% White (if one excludes me). And while I say this on my blog, in principle I do not refer to race in our Church at all. I consistently "erase" it (as an issue). Mostly, I erase it from this blog, too. Personally, I consider this "erasure" to be a key to our multiculturalism. Another important key is the priesthood of believers. OBSERVATION: There are perhaps three possible approaches to race/ethnicity/culture: celebrate it, level it, or erase it. We take the latter approach. (See my other blog: http://leadershipsouth.blogspot.com/2008/01/approaches-to-culture.html).

Ministry And Crime

A good friend of mine, fellow blogger Rev. Rick Dugan of Cyprus (http://honest2blog.wordpress.com/), recently wrote about blogging and confidentiality. I added: “There are other problems, too. I find that I’m dealing [in ministry] with actionable or criminal offences all the time”. OBSERVATION: But how true was this? I decided to check my blog. I found that, during the past month, I referred to nine criminal offences on this blog which were “immediate to my ministry”. Urban ministry and crime, it would seem to me, are in a sense close to each other. One needs to blog with care about such incidents, and some remain off this blog. (The photo shows a police officer, last week, ordering me to turn off my camera)!

Church North And South

Recently someone asked me what the difference is between the Church in the Global North and the Church in the Global South. One can only speak very generally, but here are some thoughts, which I post, perhaps, with more bravado than I should: The North tends to focus more on values, the South more on faith. The North tends to be more rationalistic, the South more spiritualistic. The North tends to be more controlling, the South more chaotic. The North tends to believe “we can do it”, the South tends to “plough on”. The North tends to have a greater stock of experience, the South tends to lack basic skills. The North tends to be more open to the South, the South more dismissive of the North. The North seems less aware of the South, the South more aware of the North. OBSERVATION: Further input on this one would be welcome.

Serendipitous Moments

A special privilege of ministry is serendipitous moments like this. The young man in the photo (I know him through the Church) urged me to try out Wii this morning. He said, “No, not like this. Like this.” I said, “What would really interest me is the electronics” (my hobby). So he gave me a basic run-down of the technical side. OBSERVATION: Examples of other serendipitous moments: a spin in a Triumph sports car, a tour of a restaurant kitchen, an outing on a tugboat, tickets to an exhibition.

Zero Tolerance

Our Church has close to zero tolerance for drifters and beggars hanging out at the Church gate. On occasion, this may not be understood by visitors. A post two days ago (see “Attempted Murder”) highlights one of the hazards. Such people may be violent (there have been several incidents of violence in our street, which include murder). Further, beggars may be exploited by “minders” (ruthless overseers who stake out their turf, i.e. they may not be begging primarily for themselves). Frequently they seriously disrupt people’s sleep (and so their functioning) through their night-time fracas. And there are a few reasons besides. The police and social services strongly discourage giving to people in the street -- they claim that it is misguided sympathy which destroys their efforts at rehabilitation. OBSERVATION: At the same time, our Church routinely assists the poor “in constructive contexts”, whether directly or by assisting local shelters.

Introducing ...

F. (see photo) is a much loved member of our congregation, an experienced accountant, and a professional composer/singer. He has a jovial nature, and a deep faith. He fled Zimbabwe, where his family is “hungering”. No sooner did he have a roof over his head here than he was displaced by xenophobic riots. It took him most of a year to find a job, in a city saturated with refugees. Our Church paid for a training course, and I backed him with a recommendation. He's in a more stable situation now -- but even so, he earns just R1500 a month ($5 / €4 a day), as a griller. This is not enough to cover expenses in a safe part of town (foreigners are still at risk), so he shares a room. He jokes: “Only gravediggers start at the top!” OBSERVATION: The story of F. is typical of several people in our Church. For more on the outbreak of the xenophobia, see e.g. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/migrants-flee-south-africa-as-wave-of-violence-spreads-to-cape-town-833588.html.

Sin And Redemption

Here's something that is largely unstated on this blog. It came to mind as I prepared for our Service of Nine Lessons and Carols this Sunday. For the service, I gave two members of the congregation suggested prayers to say. In doing so, I selected prayers which have a clear emphasis on sin and redemption. This emphasis, in fact, runs throughout the prayers and sermons in our Church. OBSERVATION: Yet this should not be mistaken for what I have seen described as “one-dimensional evangelicalism”. Generally speaking, I don’t think that, in the turmoil of our society, we CAN become one-dimensional. Salvation means a revolution of everything.

Attempted Murder

I called in at the Church this morning to find the street swarming with police. They shouted: "No pictures! No pictures!" (I've clipped out identifiable features from this photo). A young man had been severely wounded. I took a closer look and said, "Is he alive?" A police inspector said, "He's alive." Someone else said, "He's in a coma." I said, "I know this man." A police officer said, "So do we." OBSERVATION: The police were waiting for an ambulance -- which had been called even before they arrived about half an hour earlier. This young man has made an appearance in a few of my posts, e.g. http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2008/09/one-day-at-optometrists.html.

Fleeing The Demons

A deacon and I called a member of staff “onto the carpet” this week -- for a “discussion among friends” (for now). He was, as an example, turning up an hour late for work. When he came to see us, he was wearing amulets around his wrists and ankles. I said, “What are those for?” He said, “To protect me. But it’s a secret.” During our meeting, he suddenly seemed to take severe fright. He covered his eyes with his hands and thrashed about, then he began to shudder. He ran into the Church, and told another member of staff, D.: “The demons can’t get me in here.” OBSERVATION: D. said to me, “Do you think there are demons? I think there are.”

Christmas Giftlets

It is my custom, at Christmas and Easter, to give each of our Church leadership giftlets. Here are gifts lined up for them for Sunday. They are small Swiss chocolates -- reindeer and (for life deacons) Father Christmases. OBSERVATION: “Giftlet” isn’t a recognised word, but what else does one call "a little gift”?

Three-Wheelers Aplenty

I am one of a growing number of people in Cape Town to drive a three-wheeler. What many people don’t know is that there are thousands of models in production -- running off petrol/gas, compressed natural gas (CNG), and battery power. The Chinese in particular are fantastic for their variety, inventiveness, and low prices. Take a look, for instance, at http://www.alibaba.com/catalogs/121888/Tricycles.html. OBSERVATION: Many three-wheelers are clones of my own -- an Italian design that has stood the test of time. The three-wheeler in the photo (not a clone of mine) is Chinese, electric, and carries two passengers.

Church Sit-Out / Lock-Out

I witnessed a major incident at a local Church this week. It was a sit-out, someone said. It was a lock-out, said someone else. Just pray, said another. According to a city newspaper, it was both a sit-out and a lock-out (http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=139&art_id=vn20081215112450853C983659). OBSERVATION: I think it’s often hard to know the truth about Churches without having an intimate knowledge of them -- their dynamics seem unique. However, it surely doesn’t help that this minister has "sailed very close to the wind" (see the link). He's suspended from ministry -- though his suspension is suspended -- because he pleaded guilty to a criminal offence.

Stalling On Marriage

It’s not always the man who stalls when it comes to marriage. A young couple came to see me, with their child. They wanted to discuss a problem in their relationship. When I discovered that she was resisting marriage (her partner wanted to marry her), I asked her why. She said, “I was hoping you wouldn’t ask that question!” and she burst into tears. OBSERVATION: The reason, in a word, was “neglect”. She didn’t know whether she could continue indefinitely with a partner who was fixated with his career. Curiously, her partner had great compassion for the family life of his staff. I said, “Do you see the inconsistency?”

Tumultuous Service

The funeral service I conducted earlier this week was perhaps the most tumultuous of my career. Before the service, friends of the family requested that we remove someone by force. I said, “Find someone to do it” (there were plenty of muscular young men about). This was then passed on as: “Reverend orders that we remove this person!” During the service, a man audaciously tried to seize control at the front. I switched off the sound, and two men muscled him off the altar (there were a few blows). Others, too, were stopped on their way to the front. After the service, there was a fist-fight at the Church gate. I didn't need to try to take charge of all this -- there were others protecting the plan. OBSERVATION: It shouldn’t be thought, therefore, that this was not a “satisfying service”. I think it was. The photo shows a “marshal” closing the coffin at the end of the service.

Baby Talk

I keep in touch with missionaries in various places. They send me e-mails, newsletters, and photos. Here’s one of my favourite photos. You can click on it to enlarge a little.

Chinese

An (underground) missionary in China wrote to me how desperately he was struggling with Chinese. I found a free translation service, and wrote to him, "您的中国人怎么进步？" His wife wrote back: "Thomas, Is this you? Have you learned Chinese? Were you trying to say, 'Has your Chinese improved?' If so, it should say 您的汉语进步了吗？" OBSERVATION: Nice try!

Helicopter Chase

The husband of T., who attends our Church, was dealing in drugs. This week, the police stopped him at a road-block – but he sped away. The police gave chase. He wasn't winning, so he jumped out of the car, and made a (at first successful) get-away on foot. But the police called in a helicopter -- and caught him. OBSERVATION: Here's the part you don't see in the movies: I said to T., “Did you know he was doing this?” She said, “Yes.” T. said, “What am I going to do now? I don’t know. And our boy. How will I put him through school? Where do I get the rent? the food? clothes? My husband brought home the money. This is very serious. I’m getting older. I think I need to get serious about God.” I said, “I think so, too.”

Tenderness In Death

This was a touching moment I didn’t expect (see photo). At the close of the funeral service (see the previous post), the girlfriend of the deceased asked whether we could open the coffin. I said, “You need to ask Mama [the deceased’s mother].” Mama said yes. Several mourners filed past the coffin first. Then the girlfriend stepped up. A look of pure delight came over her face as she looked into the coffin (you can click on the photo to enlarge it). She tenderly held out her hand to stroke the deceased’s face. The usher (on the right) grabbed her forearm, and the spell was broken. She stepped down.

Funeral Now

A man asked me this morning, “Would you conduct a funeral, Sir?” I said, “When?” He said, “The hearse is on its way, Sir -- and the mourners, too. I apologise, Sir, for giving such short notice.” I was standing there in “workman’s clothes”, so I jumped in my three-wheeler to go and get a suit on -- and grab some notes. OBSERVATION: Don't try this at home -- the mourners were lucky to have a funeral when they arrived! It was an African National Congress (ANC) functionary, who died of meningitis. The ANC went out of their way to thank me.

Own Transport = One-Third

A lot of Churches are heavily dependent on transport to make them work. I would estimate that just one-third of our congregation have a car (down from 40% in 2005), and half our leadership do. OBSERVATION: This mostly rules out evening activities, when public transport is thin and the streets are unsafe. It tends to rule out camps or retreats or outings. It means that the Church is regularly (weekly) approached for lifts. And since public transport mostly has no schedule here, it contributes to making appointments hit and miss (not to speak of people getting to Church on time)! One of the most common expressions in our Church is: “If I can get a lift ...” The photo shows me with my Rolls Royce (actually, my neighbour’s).

Hearing Both Sides

A woman came to see me in my vestry. She said, “My [teenage] son has suddenly become aggressive. He's not himself.” However, that's about as far as her story went. I asked if I could see the son as well. We called him on a cell-phone. When he arrived, he said, “We just moved from a house to a one-room flat.” Well, that explained a thing or two. OBSERVATION: I’m wary of seeing only one person where two are involved. This is not just for the sake of the facts, but a lot may depend on a person’s ability to tell a story, their priorities in the telling of it, their perspectives -- and if both of them are there, one can see the dynamics, too. Besides, one wants to proceed in a way that will be most helpful. (And for more troublesome situations, the Bible reminds: “The first to present his case seems right ...”).

Fifteen Years

A Church member, a young(ish) wife and mother, said to me: “I’m thirty-five today, but I’m horrified to realise that I’ll be fifty in fifteen years’ time!” OBSERVATION: Fifteen years (the time that I’ve been in this Church) can mean vast changes in people's lives. A (then) 8-year-old girl is now a university graduate. A (then) 62-year-old professional is now almost 80. In the meantime, the girl was the victim of brutal crime, the old man survived revolutionary surgery. And take myself ... But that’s another story.

Christmas Exodus

As Christmas approaches, many people in our Church return to their family homes, and many go on holiday/vacation. Last year our deaconess E. (see photo) had 28 family members in her home in Cape Town. This year the family is to descend on the isolated town of Uniondale, where her mother lives. She said, “My mother is 92 now, and she can’t come all the way here.” OBSERVATION: Half of our leadership has temporarily left us, and I would estimate that one-third of the congregation will go. However, we may see a lot of tourists and visitors in Church. See http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2008/01/baffling-trends.html for another minister's reaction to "the exodus".

Electronics Editors

I have had the privilege, through my electronics writing, of getting to know the world’s leading electronics editors. My meetings with them were true highlights. OBSERVATION: The photo shows me with Mike Kenward (he’s on the left). I consider him to be the greatest electronics editor of the past generation. To follow the electronics trail on this blog, click on the "Electronics" category top left.

Private Services

I’m called upon about once a year to conduct a “private” service for someone -- just me and them. Most recently, a Xhosa member asked me for a service in memory of her husband. I said to her at the altar: “Tell me something you remember about him.” She said: “He said to me, ‘When I’m gone, I want you to be here every Sunday, and to sit where we sit now.’” OBSERVATION: And that’s what she has done. For a private service of a different sort, see http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2008/11/adultery.html.

Dinner Date

I had a dinner date with the head of another (non-Christian) religious movement. During the course of the dinner, the restaurant kept serving up more alcohol for her. She unravelled before my eyes. She spoke continually of suicide, and was deeply afraid that people in her own movement would put a knife in her back. She said, “Oh Thomas, you don't know how much I need help.” She said, “I need Jesus.” She paged frantically through a black book, but her attention never settled on a page. She became (to me) incoherent, and finally her head fell on her plate. I apologised to the waitress. She said sweetly, “That's OK!” as if it happened every night. OBSERVATION: In view of the fact that this person is oh-so-together in public (in the media), this leads me to think differently of religious leaders.

God's Provision

I went to see a congregant, H., at Nazareth House Hospice tonight -- a Roman Catholic hospice in Cape Town (i.e. a place for the dying). I said to H.: “Remember the conversation we had a year ago? You had just taken ill, and you didn’t know where another month’s rent was coming from. God did what I said He would.” She said: “And I have the money up front that I need for my care.” OBSERVATION: I think the Roman Catholic care is very good. I took this photo at the nearby chapel.

Gathering History

How often does your car get bumped? Over the past year, mine’s been bumped once every four months, and only one person owned up -- the wife! Here’s one of the bumps (see photo). There were also two acts of vandalism: someone wrote on it with a sharp object, and someone else would seem to have hit it from above with a rod or pipe. OBSERVATION: In my view, it gives one’s vehicle a history, and makes it a product of its time and place.

Tussle Over A Bible

We sell 50% subsidised Bibles -- but not everyone wants them for the best reasons. Subsidised Bibles have a resale value. In fact, why buy them if you can steal them? After Church had emptied out, a young man hung around and grabbed a Bible. Our “bouncer” said, “Young man, give me that Bible, and leave. We’re closing up now.” He handed over the Bible, and walked out of the door. Then suddenly he turned around, charged back through the door, grabbed a Bible, and tried to run out again. Our bouncer tussled with him for a moment -- and got the Bible.

Attempted Suicide

A congregant attempted suicide this week. He said, “I closed all the garage doors. I got in my car. I started the engine. I fell asleep. I would have been gone. But my young son knocked on the door of the car. It was God who stopped me.” OBSERVATION: There are a few basics in remedying such a situation, and they all come down to reducing the strain (which I sought to do here). It is, however, a multi-pronged affair, and a trusting relationship with God must be central to that. Just recently I reported another "divine rescue" at http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2008/11/suicide-talk.html. But don't count on it!

Moonrise Over My Turf

Here’s a photo of the moon rising over “my turf” last night (this is not in fact the shekinah glow of our Church, which lies a little to the left of the moon). OBSERVATION: By some accounts, Sea Point is South Africa’s most densely populated suburb, though I doubt that there are reliable enough statistics to back up this or any other claim.

Fitness And Death

This one’s “from my files”. This is L., a South African celebrity I married. She was found dead at home, slumped backwards over her computer keyboard. OBSERVATION: One would think that one would slump forwards over one’s keyboard. I’m not sure that the results of the post-mortem were made public. However, she was training for the Iron Man Competition when she died, and overtraining was suspected (see http://www.health24.com/fitness/Specific_Sports/16-2175-2181-2277,37535.asp). She tackled everything with tremendous discipline.

From Home To Care

One of life’s most difficult moments is moving a family member from home into care. I am never for it, but the realities of our society may so dictate. One of a minister’s duties, at such times, may be to facilitate a decision. This morning a daughter, H., informed her mother that they were considering putting her into frail care. I asked H., “How did your mother respond?” H. said, “She put her head down.” So I went to meet with them. The old woman was, however, remarkably gracious and pragmatic about it. She said, “I can see that the family are struggling. When do I go?” The daughter struggled not to cry. OBSERVATION: Sometimes the move to care proves all one’s apprehensions wrong, but sometimes it goes badly. It is hard to predict.

Our Secretary's "Hod Had"

Our Church groundsman (see photo) called me this morning: “Your secretary has a hod had.” I said, “What are you saying, N.? Has she got a hard heart or a hot head?” He said, “She has a HOT HEAD! [pause] It gets me down.” Our secretary shouted in the background: “That’s because I’m BUSY!” I said, "N., don't take it to heart." OBSERVATION: Our secretary needs to get office work done, and the challenges can be considerable -- it's like trying to walk with an egg on a teaspooon through a Mardi Gras.

A Deacon's Lapse

Our congregation includes both rich and poor, and sometimes their lives intersect. One of our members worked in the home of one of our deacons. She reported to me that our deacon’s girlfriend had moved in with him (various choice details included). Before I had a chance to really contemplate the fact, several members were in revolt -- interestingly, all of them having done the same thing in the past. I asked to see our deacon. I said, “Are you aware that this is incompatible with being a deacon?” He said that he did not have a good conscience about it, and resigned. I accepted -- but urged him to stay with the Church -- this would remain confidential, and we’d work it out pastorally. Then I had fury from another quarter. Why had I cut off a competent young man in judgement? We needed precisely such people in the Church. I addressed this -- stating the facts (for instance, that he himself felt convicted), and our attitude to various aspects of the situation -- and it blew over. But our deacon left us.

Carnival And Church

Just as we were scheduled to begin a Church service last week, the local carnival passed by. People poured out of the Church to see the carnival. The service was delayed. OBSERVATION: I took this photo of the carnival (so the service would have been delayed anyway)!

Ships At Anchor

From time to time, large ships anchor off our suburb, and dramatically change the view. I took this photo earlier this week. OBSERVATION: If I’d had a fish-eye lens, this photo would have captured several more vessels.

Debt Of Thanks

A perennial problem of ministry is that I feel I owe a great debt of thanks to so many people for so many things. There are so many thank-yous I'd need to convey, and there isn’t nearly the time to convey them. Related to this, there are so many occasions where I would like to convey to people: “Well done,” or “Be encouraged.” OBSERVATION: So I try wherever possible to express my thanks or approval on the spot, rather than seeking to chase people up afterwards.

Deepest Blessing Through Trial

I spoke to an old man at one of the functions I have attended this Christmas season. He was a faithful churchgoer at his own Church. He said, “During my career, I didn’t miss a day of work. But I’ve never been as ill as I have been since I retired. Yet I’m content. And I keep a positive attitude. Do you think that’s right?” I said, “You are greatly blessed. However, I would add the spiritual perspective. God is doing deep work with you, and He will work a blessing through this. Often people tell me that their deepest blessing came through their deepest trial” (and I shared an example that we both knew). OBSERVATION: Notice the dynamic. The Holy Spirit has done His work in this man’s life (contentment, a positive attitude), and yet the old man does not see his trials in spiritual / Biblical terms. This would seem to be common.

Carols By Candlelight

This one’s for “good measure” -- another photo of our service of Carols by Candlelight, to give the overall impression. OBSERVATION: I took this photo towards the end of the service. At the start, the Church was relatively empty. This is typical of our Church -- it fills up during the service. If we had offered free pudding afterwards (see http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2008/12/overrun.html) our numbers might have swelled enormously in the closing minutes. This was one of the complaints about that idea!

Cat-Nap At The Office

Speaking of the office (the previous post), this is what one calls a cat-nap at the office. I came back to my desk to find this. OBSERVATION: This is my home office. I speak variously of three or four offices as "office".

Avoiding The Office

There are various reasons for avoiding the office. I spend as little time there as I need to. Usually it is, in our secretary’s words, “an absolute maaaadhouse”! This morning, though, I had twenty minutes without interruption. We both commented on it. I only got stopped on the way out. Someone said to me, “Do you know Pretty Boy?” (a gangster). I said, “Yes.” He said, “He confessed on TV to procuring boys for a professor. Isn't he as guilty as the professor?” I said, “If he’s telling the truth.” OBSERVATION: My knowledge of Pretty Boy is close enough to doubt his confession -- but that would need another post.

Friends Flee Away

I visited a psychiatric hospital with a woman -- to see her father. But she wouldn’t enter the building. I said, “Have you been here before?” She said, “No, I haven’t. I can’t handle this. I can’t do it.” OBSERVATION: Where there is serious physical or mental illness, family and friends may flee away. They won’t go near. This deeply distresses people sometimes, particularly when they are not aware of this phenomenon. This is something I often come across -- although it’s not always the case. The relationship between father and daughter, in this case, seemed to be sound before his admission, and he wasn't in too bad a way.

Proxy Baptism

On Sunday I baptised this couple's child. They are unmarried, and she is in her teens. So why did I do it? The answer is (this is what it really comes down to), the grandparents stood proxy for them. They took primary responsibility for the vow: "We promise to bring up this child as a Christian child, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." The grandparents have, in fact, brought much goodness and stability to this situation. OBSERVATION: See http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2007/09/doctrine.html for our "United Church" approach to baptism.

Do Please Write Again

My e-mail program (Outlook Express) refused to download even one more e-mail from the server. It was a case of one too many, and it collapsed under the weight of them all. Outlook Express could be resurrected only by "lopping off" about a thousand e-mails first. OBSERVATION: If you are awaiting a reply from me, your e-mail was likely lost. Apologies for this. Would you like to e-mail me again? (The good news is that nearly 70,000 e-mails were retrieved -- phew).

Leadership Backlash

Cyberfriend Jenny asks some questions about the loss of five leaders in our Church, which I briefly referred to under "Crippled / Renewed Ministry" below. This happened under my present ministry, nearly ten years ago. There had been a hard battle for the "soul" of our Church, and our leadership won out. In the long term, this proved to be of great benefit to the Church. However, in the short term there was what the leadership literature refers to as "leadership backlash". OBSERVATION: The ostensive reason for our leaders' resignations was that they no longer believed in Congregationalism (they felt that a congregation was not competent to govern a Church). However, there may have been an unspoken reason: the earlier battle had worn me out. This revealed my weaknesses, and left me with little energy for new things.

"Religious Bias"

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof. B.D. Reddy began graduation proceedings at the University of Cape Town today by wishing guests Eid Mubarak, a Muslim greeting which is reserved for Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr (marking the period of Ramadaan). He failed to wish anyone a blessed Advent, a period of similar duration, which is evident all over the city. OBSERVATION: I asked a group of people what they thought to Prof. Reddy’s opening words (no leading question). The consensus was: inappropriate, or "religious bias", and this at the crowning of the academic year. Prof. Reddy is on the right of the photo.

School's Out

Son M. graduated today with a B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science) at the University of Cape Town. OBSERVATION: When African students were called up to be capped, there was ululating, shouts, and applause. When other students were called up, there was just applause. It was a joyous and somewhat noisy occasion. I chose this photo because it gives a good “sense of the occasion”.

Unselfconscious

A. (see photo) is undergoing chemotherapy. I "bumped into her" on the Church premises. She lifted her hat, and said, "Reverend, look what's happened to my hair!" and she giggled. It was all gone -- except for streaks of it. I said, "I like your style! Most people would be too self-conscious."

Crippled / Renewed Ministry

A local minister recently lost eight members of staff. He attributed this to a troublemaker who destroyed the spirit on his team. Personally, I admire this minister -- he is mature, sincere, long-serving, and competent -- and he has disciplinary procedures in place. I am somewhat surprised that this could happen to him -- and yet I think that such matters are never predictable or “humanly manageable”. Spiritual warfare never is. OBSERVATION: My personal best (ten years ago) was the loss of five Church leaders at one time -- although my Church is a smaller one, so I might be the real champion! In our situation, this led to a renewed Church over a period of about two years. However, I have a close knowledge of a similar situation which crippled a ministry for many years. What makes the difference? Perhaps you might like to comment.

Overrun

In the past, we used to offer free pudding after events such as our Carols by Candlelight (see below). However, our success ran away with us. Whenever I announced free pudding, we were overrun. Now it’s free cookies instead (see photo). OBSERVATION: But I’m disappointed. Free cookies are not like free pudding -- and personally, what’s so bad about being overrun? On the other hand, free pudding does mean greater effort.

New Angle

Here’s another photo of the Salvation Army conducting our service of Carols by Candlelight (I wanted a new perspective in my photography -- admittedly there’s not much of the Salvation Army to see here)! OBSERVATION: I used to conduct this service myself every year, then someone had the bright idea of inviting the Salvation Army. They are popular, and do very good charity work (we send them away with a donation every year). About all I need to do now is welcome everybody.

Planting A Seed

We had the Salvation Army at our Church tonight, presenting Carols by Candlelight. The conductor invited this young girl from our Sunday School (see photo) to take over the conducting of the orchestra for a while. He said she had been so helpful before the service. He said, “You never know, we might plant a seed.” OBSERVATION: I like that. We seek to do this, too. In fact, we should do it more often.

What's In A Name

Here’s a somewhat audacious example of the exploitation of a name. You search for my name, and get Christmas offers -- and my name is boldly displayed on the page. OBSERVATION: I’m one of a handful of people who invented new genres of metal detector, along with Alexander Graham Bell, Gerhard Fisher, and Eric Foster (see e.g. http://www.siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_101343/article.html and http://www.circuitdb.com/circuits/id/127). It's my hobby -- or was, before my academic supervisor got hold of me! There's a greater interest in that side of me than there is in my blog (currently dipping in and out of the South African Religion Top 10). An example of a web page which has a predilection for my name is http://www.encyclocentral.com/Thomas_Scarborough_Metal_Detector-tags.html.

Advent Explained

Most Sundays, we hand out a sermon outline in Church, on a small piece of coloured paper. This has been popular. On the back, we usually put news of the Church worldwide, or something of spiritual encouragement, or something educational or (sometimes) apologetic. It is always designed to be upbuilding. I just completed the back of the sermon outline for tomorrow -- this time it's a brief description of what the period of Advent is about. Here it is -- you can click on it to enlarge.

Urban Tease

I walked into a local shop. It was empty, and I found myself alone at the counter with the comely Indian shopkeeper. She said, “Pastor, haven’t you thought of running away and doing something naughty?” She gazed into my eyes. OBSERVATION: Usually, I am not too slow at repartee, but in this case, I was speechless! (which reminds me of this one: http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2007/08/minister-propositioned.html).

When Darkness Falls

A woman called me last night: “Reverend, I don’t know what it is when darkness falls. Everything seems to fall apart.” I asked her whether she experienced this during the day. She said, “No, I’m FINE during the day!” I said, “Your body winds down when darkness falls -- and you no longer have your work to distract your thoughts. It’s important to try to be rid of all thoughts that centre on self, and the best way to do that is to deliberately hand them over to the Lord.” OBSERVATION: However, to identify thoughts which revolve around self may be an art that takes some learning. See also http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2008/05/wheel-of-balance.html.

Love Hard Pressed

A minister friend e-mailed me this morning: “Three legged tables are good. Tripods are good. But motorised tri-wheelers need to be banned from the planet. Especially if they’re red.” OBSERVATION: He considers that my three-wheeler lacks “dignity ... decorum”. Alas, there still are areas where brotherly love is hard pressed. (The photo shows my sadly maligned Bajaj pickup parked in a nearby township).

Treasurer On The World Stage

Here’s our Church treasurer G. -- taken last Sunday, when he gave his Finance report. This is not the treasurer of an ordinary urban Church you see here. He’s a treasurer on the world stage. He speaks about the stock exchange, national infrastructure, political confidence, interest rates, sub-prime, the Big Three -- all in magnificently concise terms -- as he sets the local Church in context. OBSERVATION: In his own words, in the area of finance “we are very fortunate ... we continue to be blessed”. Proof again that a Church’s finances don’t follow the rules of the world -- either for good or for bad.

Gratitude to Africa

I have the sense that there is a deep sense of gratitude, if not joy, in our Church towards our “international” African members, because they have helped us discover the spiritual riches of Africa, and have afforded us the privilege of getting to know them as equals and friends. OBSERVATION: Within South Africa, there has been more of a sense of alienation, and this persists to this day, though not so much with the younger generation.

Dreaming Of A Ferrari

A local minister received a BMW as a gift. Earlier this week I was teasing him about it. Then I dreamt that someone gave me a Ferrari. I felt so embarrassed. I didn’t know how I would explain this -- not least to my minister friend. Not only that, but what was I going to DO with this albatross? Thanks to http://carwallpapers01.blogspot.com/ for the photo.

Poverty Relief

I spent some time today writing up our “Christmas charity list”. One might call it “poverty relief”. I wrote up a list of sixteen individuals or families, and our deacons may well amend this list. Nearly all of those on the list are closely involved with our Church. Nearly all are hardworking people, yet barely able to support themselves and their families. It is really a pleasure to help them, as they are fine people. For the poorest among them, our charity would amount to about a month’s rent. OBSERVATION: Two of those on the list are pastors in our area, who are faithful in hardship, and doing good work. I previously posted two hearty notes of gratitude we received: http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2008/03/redirected-charity.html and http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2008/01/friend-in-need.html.

Clothes Or Bible ?

An old man was admitted to our local hospital this week -- just a bit shaken after being attacked and robbed of everything -- including his clothes. The hospital opened their “Samaritan cupboard”, and presented him with new clothes. He said, “Clothes? I don’t want clothes! They stole my Bible!” Fortunately the hospital had a small stock of Bibles -- supplied by our Church. OBSERVATION: See http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2008/11/end-of-freeze.html for a little more on the Bibles.

Sense of Dread

This week, three years ago, I was to appear in court on trumped up criminal charges, and the worst-case scenario would have been very serious. This week, I intended to reveal on my blog how it was done, i.e. how I was framed (though not, at this point, why). Yet as I wrote, a sense of dread came over me, and I abandoned my ambition. OBSERVATION: I was exonerated less than 24 hours to trial. Instead of standing in court, I addressed our Women’s Association Christmas party -- and they knew nothing of it. For a previous post on this, see Framed. A tip for readers: don't mess wid da big boys.

Quieter Youth

Here are some of our Youth jostling for a photo. When they held devotions in the sanctuary last week, I said to one of our Youth leaders: “They’re unusually quiet tonight.” She said, “Oh yes. The older ones have got used to this now, and the newer ones follow their lead.” OBSERVATION: It started very differently. See http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com/2008/03/church-training.html.

First Photo

It’s been in the pipeline for most of this year, yet only this week did I first see a photo of our Canadian intern (“apprentice”) P. who will start with us in the middle of January. OBSERVATION: The first comment that any of our members made about the photo was the uniquely Afrikaans “Ag moeder.” For those not familiar with Afrikaans, it’s the kind of thing one says about a puppy-dog or a new-born baby. P. could capitalise on this!

Top Three Teachings

I asked my Bible study group members to list their three most important Bible teachings, and to explain one -- which they did last night. I have combined their answers here. The top three: salvation through Jesus, love for others, and the attributes of God. Other teachings: the divinity of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, the results of sin, the need for repentance, God’s grace, the fundamental importance of faith, the resurrection of Christ, the Second Coming, God’s judgements (including the Last Judgement), God's blessings, the existence of evil and Satan, the hope of eternal life, good works through faith, and the priesthood of believers. OBSERVATION: I think this is quite an impressive assortment for ordinary Church people, and the explanations were really lively. Several members of the group said we should do this kind of thing more often.

Ministry Through Weakness

When I addressed our Women's Association this morning (see an earlier post), I handed out copies of a short biography of Isaac Watts (it's at http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/bwatts5.html). There was such demand that I needed to make additional copies. OBSERVATION: What struck me about the biography was Watts’ extreme emotional and physical weakness as minister -- yet he ministered for 46 years in the same Church. There was, I think, an understanding of ministry in those days that often is not to be found today.

Baby You Can't Drive My Car

My “car” has what is known as a “crashbox” gearbox. In fact it has two. Almost all modern cars, by comparison, have a synchronised transmission, which means that it’s hard to ruin the gearbox. When I first bought one of these vehicles, I bought a demo, and both gearboxes were ruined (they were fixed under guarantee). So if anyone asks to drive my car, they should be familiar with a crashbox. OBSERVATION: One of my two gearboxes provides four gears in reverse.

Women's Celebration

This morning I addressed our Women’s Association “Christmas party” -- an annual tradition. That’s wife M. on the left, introducing me. OBSERVATION: I thanked them for their contribution to the Church, and based my message on pioneering hymnwriter Isaac Watts’ hymn “Joy to the World” -- a simple yet profound hymn. See Women's Association for a little more on this group.

Celestial Conjunction

Those in the Northern Hemisphere will not be able to see this tonight -- the conjunction of the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter in the Western sky. OBSERVATION: The full orb of the moon is visible here through reflected light from the Earth. Click on the photo to enlarge a little.

Suffering Leads To Witness

I recently completed a series of sermons on the book of Obadiah. The closing verses prophesy that Judah, after its suffering, will “possess the land” beyond its borders. This is how I interpreted it: “When God's people suffer, this leads ultimately to witness. Where there is no suffering -- where Christians live cushy lives -- God's people tend to remain weak and lukewarm and ineffective. Where there is suffering, God's chosen people become serious about God, they know more about His greatness and His glory, and they begin to have an impact for God's kingdom.” OBSERVATION: I believe this is true of our congregation, many of whom have experienced turmoil and trauma.

Beginning To Realise

This is Z. (see photo). She comes from a poor family in Zimbabwe. She enrolled for a degree course at a local university. I said, “How then did you fund your studies?” She said, “I had no funding at all. Every year, at the beginning of the year, I cried and prayed, cried and prayed. Every year, the money appeared, I don’t know from where. I’m beginning to realise that God is behind this." She is graduating this year -- and has funding to continue.

Caregiver

There’s a “personality” in our congregation who has grown very old, and suddenly she’s become worryingly ill. Her daughter, H., has been caring for her (I went to see them both last night). I said to H., “Just plod on, and trust God.” H. said, “If it were so simple. My mother can’t breathe, and she has panic attacks. It’s 24/7 now. I don’t know how serious it is. Am I over-reacting? under-reacting? Am I doing the right thing? the wrong thing? Will she die? I don’t know if the doctors know what they are doing. I think I’m at the end of what I can endure.” OBSERVATION: I immediately put her in touch with an experienced caregiver.