Sunday, January 31, 2010

Culpable Popularity

A long-serving minister in the area preached his last sermon. One of his congregation told me: “He is very popular. People adore him.” Another told me: “You can count the people in his Church on your fingers.” OBSERVATION: Assuming both to be true, it might seem a feather in his cap to move on with the reputation as "a great guy". But I would consider that he failed to do what he needed to. While not every Church must grow, ministers are not called upon to be popular at the expense of the Kingdom. I think one of our deacons got it right: “He was kept in check by elderly members. It killed the Church.”

DRC / NGK Napier


I've made it an interest to reflect something of local Churches on this blog. This is another ostentatious DRC (Dutch Reformed Church). It was built in 1838, after a dispute among members of a neighbouring village (Bredasdorp) who were disgruntled about plans for a Church there. So they moved 16km/10mi west, and built this. In the same year, the Boers crossed the Vaal River. This Church in Napier is built in the form of a Greek cross with teak interior and a beautiful pipe organ. OBSERVATION: Personally, I think this is the best photo of the Church on the Internet. You may click on it to enlarge to “double VGA” (870k).

Friday, January 29, 2010

DR Church B'Bos


This is the DRC (or NGK, in Afrikaans) in Baardskeerdersbos (B’Bos for short), near Elim, near the southern tip of Africa -- a fairly isolated village. I took the photos from opposite ends of the Church, and you may click on them to enlarge (about 80k size). Note the inset, the foundation stone, which seems to contradict all the dates I have seen on the Internet. The drape in front of the pulpit says (translated): “God is Love”. OBSERVATION: The dirt road through B'Bos was terrible. On a score of A to F (for complete Fail), I'd give it a D. I had to change down to first gear to negotiate some of it.

Monday, January 25, 2010

DRC Bredasdorp


Yesterday I attended the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC, or NGK) in Bredasdorp – another thriving Church (see photo). In fact, the Church held two services side by side: “formal” and “informal”. Ds. Hough was a fearless preacher. He said we do not praise God for earthly, temporary benefits, but for higher reasons. He said: “If you are in Church for your own benefit [voorspoed] ... you are cursed by God!” OBSERVATION: Yet I was disturbed by the cultural homogeneity of this Church, in the midst of a mixed society. The reason: one cannot reap a fulness of blessing like this. I believe the priesthood of believers (which the NGK does not have) would overcome this. Click on the photo to enlarge to VGA.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Anglican Church Caledon


Here's a photo of the much-loved Holy Trinity Anglican Church of Caledon, a town about 130km/80mi east of Cape Town. It was built around 1850 (I don't have the exact year) under Bishop Gray and his influential wife. According to one website, "the modest scale, details and cost of these [village] churches, as well as frequent use of local stone, gives them a unity of style". These Churches generally have bell-turrets rather than towers, and follow Early English style. They often have thatched rooves. You may click on the photo to enlarge to VGA.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

A Cat's Life


To end the day, here's my first blog photo taken with my new Leica camera. It's son M.'s cat, Mowgli. She was rescued by the SPCA from one of Cape Town's toughest neighbourhoods, Grassy Park, and now lives on the luxurious Atlantic coast. It's a cat's life.

Baptismal Regeneration


On Sunday I attended the Roman Catholic Church in my own suburb, Sea Point (see photo). This was another Church that was packed. The message was: are you making progress with the calling God gave you? OBSERVATION: I received a Diocesan handout on entering. It said: "Most of us cannot remember the day of our baptism given that we were still babies. Nevertheless, every baptised person has been born again by water and the Holy Spirit ..." This is of course the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. It is rather antithetical to the teaching of our own Church, namely that a direct encounter with God is essential.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Anglican Church


I also attended the Anglican Church in Bredasdorp last Sunday (see photo). As you see, the Church is generally alive and well in these parts. I found that there was a strange irreverence about this Church. For instance, I stood next to the man who said the benediction. He said, without pause: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost amen now where the devil did he [presumably the priest] put that thing?" OBSERVATION: The Communion wine was excellent -- Calitzdorp Ruby Port, if my experience serves me correctly! You may click on the photo to enlarge to VGA. Note the thatch roof -- and the multicultural congregation.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Hope And Strength


Though I'm on leave for most of January, I might drop a post or two as I have opportunity. This is the VGK (in English: Uniting Reformed Church) which I attended on Sunday in Bredasdorp, a village at the southern tip of Africa. The basic theme of the sermon was that Christ overcomes -- not least when we are at the far side of of our own hope or strength. In short, God is an interventionist God -- of foresight, power, and tender mercy. OBSERVATION: This resonated with me, as it is a fundamental emphasis of our own Church. In the VGK on Sunday, though, it was put across somewhat mystically, while the preaching and testimonies in our Church seem to be more "hands on". This VGK was built in 1961, and the architect is W. de W. Bronkhorst. You may click on the image to enlarge to VGA.