"Thank You, Reverend"

Recently I wrote about a teenager in our Church, T., who had a dreadful accident. She was in a coma for a week. I saw her today -- and saw the first real signs of life. She could speak -- rather, she could whisper. She could move her limbs, too -- with effort. She was weak, and she had lost a lot of weight. She turned on her pillow, and she whispered something -- not looking at me. I said, "What did you say?" She whispered, "Thank you, Reverend." For a photo of T., which I posted a year ago, see Teenage Prayer. OBSERVATION: For those who didn't see previous posts, it seems that some youngsters were "dicing" at high speed. T. was a passenger in one of those cars. It hit a tree.

"Babies All"

I met a local minister this morning -- to discover that he is an ex local minister. He said, "To tell you the truth, I was worn out. I asked my denomination to release me from this ministry. They [the congregation] were babies all. They sucked me dry. It was their messed-up personal lives. I had nothing more to give, and there was nothing to receive." OBSERVATION: That's what ministry could be in this area, very easily.

Aggressive Woman

A woman was hitching a lift into our suburb. I pulled over. She jumped into the car. I asked her where she was going. She said, "Business or pleasure?" I said, "Listen, I'm offering you a lift." She said, "Business or pleasure, it's the same!" I said, "Won't you get out, please." She said, "No! I won't! Where you gonna take me?" I said, "Get out." OBSERVATION: Aggressive woman!

The Flowers Plot

It's a plot. Wife M. very much likes to have flowers around. Since she has fallen ill, she has never been short of a bouquet. Not only that, but the flowers arrive at our door so neatly spaced out that there is neither over-supply nor under-supply. I suspect something! OBSERVATION: We expected her to be admitted to hospital yesterday. However, tests showed that her (not great) condition had, for the first time in months, not continued its rapid decline (that is, with the exception of being "jacked up" with blood transfusions in between). They sent her home. She was pleased. And I was pleased to see her pleased.

Supervision Tips The Scales

I'm setting aside some time tonight to write a paper for the theological journal Conspectus. I have not been keen to write the paper. While it is important subject matter (Christian leadership), it does not fascinate me. However, what tipped the scales for me was that Conspectus offered me supervision in writing it, under an excellent supervisor. That is very valuable to me.

Ayrshire Dairy

Earlier this year, I visited this Ayrshire dairy in an isolated valley. The whole operation was explained to me backwards. Among other things, the farmer said: "We put Blacks in the dairy. They have a natural talent when it comes to handling animals. We put Coloureds in the fields. They are good at overseeing the land."

Surprise Choice

A father and husband asked me for advice. His wife had left him, and he had come across a letter written by his young son, unposted. Among other things, it said: "Oh mother I cannot live without you. I may die without you. My dear mother please ..." What to do? I gave him four suggestions, and was surprised which one he picked up: send the letter to mother. OBSERVATION: One of my "basic thoughts" when dealing with such problems is: does everyone understand the whole picture? That is why this was among my suggestions.

Stripped Of Membership

Rarely do we "strip" a Church member of their membership. We did this week, as one of our members had married two wives. In theory, this may not seem too bad. In practice, it led to grief. We gave our member a year to set his life in order, without result. OBSERVATION: The bigamy is illegal, too. (Mostly, membership simply lapses, rather than being annulled).

Just A Picture

This one's "just a picture". Time for cell-phone switch-off before finding a seat in Church. I walk the aisles before a service, then make my way to the vestry (the door in the background) five or ten minutes before a service. I took this photo just before that.

When Counsel Bites

Counsellors must know the experience. I find that counsel I give to congregants "bites" sooner than counsel I give to non-congregants. I suspect that, with congregants, trust and authority have already been established on the part of the counsellor. OBSERVATION: Some counsellors use "authority tricks", presumably to speed up the "lag" there is where trust and authority have not been adequately established. Tricks I know: issue simple commands, use tabu language/actions, rant about one's status, use emotive questions, speak prophetically -- and so on. I seldom use these tricks myself, and only one or two of them. (I find nothing on this subject on the Internet -- I'd be interested if anyone can).

Missing From Church

After yesterday morning's service, a member came to drop off a meal for us. She said: "There were some people missing from Church today." Wife M. commented: "I'll tell you who else has been missing ..." The "missing" list grew longer. I said: "Ours is a very unstable Church. If I were to think about who is missing, I wouldn't sleep at night -- not one night a week!" OBSERVATION: This may be typical of urban ministry. Our last estimate was that about one-third of our Church's "core" turns over every year (never mind the rest). Yet I noted in my annual (AGM) Pastoral Report yesterday: "While our Church has, as usual, experienced a high turnover and 'instability', the Lord has continually replenished our numbers." Incidentally, the Church was full yesterday -- in spite of (it seemed to me) my personal struggles during the week (see A Matter Of Survival).

Church In Frontier Territory

I have described South Africa as "frontier territory". It is not, I think, a settled or stable democracy in the same way as are most democracies of the West. As far as our Church is concerned, this means that we stumble from crisis to crisis where Church intersects with government, whether local or national. Just last year, our Church was exempted from rates. We thought we had vanquished this not insignificant problem. However, part of our property (our manse/rectory) is not joined to the rest. Today we learned that, according to a new decision, we shall pay rates on this property. OBSERVATION: This is no small issue, as such rates could cost us up to 10% of annual budget. And probably, this does not affect our Church alone. For another example of this kind of "frontier territory" challenge, see Tax Shock.

Paper Plane

This is hardly the most newsworthy thing that happened today. I was poised to open our Church Meeting (our highest executive) when a large paper plane flew across the hall and hit my desk. With my camera ever at the ready, I caught the culprits (pictured) coming to retrieve their plane. Someone bustled them out. OBSERVATION: A perfect example of the "benign chaos" of our Church. (Yes, "bustle" is an intransitive verb -- or it was, until this post).

Digital Photo Database

I have owned ten digital cameras. Two "expired", I gave four of them away, and I returned one to the manufacturer. I used a few of these cameras to illustrate articles that I wrote. This makes the web page PBase Camera Database particularly interesting to me. Here, one can look at example photos of virtually any digital camera. If I had known of this web page sooner, I might have made some better choices. OBSERVATION: One of my favourite digital cameras was an early Sony Mavica -- a great camera. A surprise was a cheap Samsung I bought -- great value for money. And my current Leica is a pleasure.

Misty Morning

.Here's another rare sunrise shot, taken by myself. It's rare because it's rare for me to be up at that time! It's our suburb of Sea Point, shrouded in mist as it often is. Our Church is close to the skyscraper on the far left. On the far right is a large public swimming bath.

Church (Not Business) Reports

In the morning, I shall be chairing the Church Meeting, the highest executive in a Congregational Church. We begin the meeting with Church reports. These are not, however, the same as business or news reports. According to a statement that we have on every agenda, they "bear testimony to the Lord's activity among us". This is the emphasis. OBSERVATION: There is good reason for starting our meetings with such "testimony". In the New Testament, one finds that decisions were taken after just such reports. For instance: "The whole assembly fell silent as they listened [to what] God had done among the Gentiles ... Then the apostles decided ..." (Acts 15). Personally, I think that such God-centred reports change something before the decisions are made. Mere business or news reports would not do the same.

Prof. Kunhiyop

This is a photo of me in conversation with Prof. Sam Kunhiyop. I admit that there isn't terribly much of me in it. Sam heads the postgraduate school of SATS, a leading evangelical seminary in Africa (over 4,000 students enrolled). He kindly gave me personal advice during my studies, although he wasn't obliged to. A soft-spoken, humorous, kindly man, he is the author of African Christian Ethics and one of the authors of the Africa Bible Commentary.

Rid Of Upset

I conducted a memorial service yesterday morning. At the end of the service, a family member came to me, and said with conviction: "Now I'm rid of my upset!" OBSERVATION: It's a curious phenomenon. It's just a service, yet I find that this is so often what it does. It brings closure and peace and blessing.

LM3909 Replacement

I have a four-page "spread" in next month's Everyday Practical Electronics (EPE) magazine -- previously published in Silicon Chip (SC) magazine. It's an LM3909 replacement module -- that is, it does what a very popular chip once did -- only better. However, EPE and SC broke with my original concept, by spreading it out on a 5cm by 6cm PCB. My original design (pictured) intended for the new "LM3909" be built on top of a 16-pin DIL socket -- in other words, little larger than the original. So here, for interest, is my original idea (pictured) -- but for copyright reasons, you'll need to refer to EPE or SC magazines for the details of how the circuit works. OBSERVATION: My original idea would require a little ingenuity to implement -- but no problem for an electronics engineer.

Surviving Power Failure

Apparently Cape Town's nuclear reactor is down -- again. This means that I have my first opportunity to test my "bomb proof" power backup under real conditions (pictured). It's a simple, trouble-free system -- a car/automobile battery (in the background), topped up with an automatic charger. When the power goes down, this powers an electronic inverter (foreground). This could keep my office going for a day and a half -- as it has been for the last hour.

Methodist Muslim Meeting

A Methodist Church asked us if they could hire one of our halls for a fund-raising event. The event arrived -- and was packed out with Muslims in Muslim garb. Either the Methodist Church is not quite what it used to be, or there was something going on here. The next day, Mohammed and Rashied of the Methodist Church called us, asking us if they could hire the hall again. We asked them to put their request on a Methodist Church letterhead.

A Matter Of Survival

Lately, ministry has become a matter of survival for me. Usually, my question for ministry is: "How shall I arrange my priorities?" Lately it has been: "What do I need to do to survive?" Two things have changed in recent weeks. Son M. left us for studies at the other side of the world. He was becoming increasingly helpful and compassionate in a tough situation, and now he is gone. And then, wife M. has fairly rapidly declined during the past few weeks (she has bone marrow cancer). Yesterday it was a question of will-she-won't-she be admitted to hospital again. The hospital couldn't decide. As it happened, she wasn't admitted, but she almost certainly will be before another week is through (and they likely will revive her again). Add to this my emotional weariness. But I need to add that I'm glad that I can help her.

Berg River Moonrise

I stumbled upon this photo that I took of a moonrise over the Berg River swamp/wetland, about 150km/90mi north of Cape Town -- where I have gone to rest and write in the past. I waited in black darkness, surrounded by eerie noises. At this moment, the moon appeared above the fog. You may click on the photo to enlarge to VGA.

Opportunist

Here's a typical example of how I implement the priesthood of believers (ministry by all) in our Church. I had a membership interview this afternoon, and I asked the candidate, a young woman: "Do you have any special gift or talent?" She said decisively: "Singing!" I said, "What kind of singing?" She said, "Choir singing -- or if there aren't enough people, a quartet." I said, "Solo?" She said, "Yes, that too." I said, "Would you sing on Sunday? It would introduce you to the members." She said, "Yes. I could sing in Chichewa. I could sing in English." I said, "Both?" "Yes," she said. OBSERVATION: I am the opportunist in this regard -- it's a mindset.

Hefty Man

I went to visit a hefty man in hospital. He was in a coma. Two nurses were trying to move him from his bed to a stretcher. They tried to grab his legs, his arms, while cradling his head -- they tried to roll him -- but they were stuck. He was too much for them. They said, "Reverend, help!" So we decided to slide him across on a strong hospital sheet. That got the job done. All in a day's work ...

Father K.

I took this photo of a good friend, Father K., at Hartebeespoortdam, in the north of South Africa. Perhaps he is looking cheerful here because he is not lost (for much of our outing, he was)! The photo showcases my compact Leica's magnificent lens. You wouldn't get such a shot with any compact camera.

My Changing Sermons

I do use old sermons -- but when I do, I rewrite them completely. I doubt that 10% of an original remains the same. It's interesting to note, though, what changes as the years roll on: 1. Language. My language is now greatly simplified. It is more colloquial, too. 2. Structure. My structure, too, is greatly simplified. There are also less detours from my text. 3. Experience. Scripture is now woven together a lot more with experience. Earlier sermons were more in the "ideas" realm. 4. Apologetics. I used to use apologetics frequently. Now I tend to let the Word speak "as is". And 5. my sermons now refer far more to a wonderful God whose presence makes everything different. In earlier sermons, I didn't always raise my vision that high.

Smiling Broadly

One can never smile too broadly. That's one thing I've learnt from the members of this Church. Forget the wrinkles, the missing teeth, the double chin. The smile is worth much more. The photo shows our elder C. on our return flight from Gauteng this weekend.

"A Woman Must Be Silent"

I routinely answer questions in my Minister's Bible Study group -- although often I hold the answers over to the next session, so that I can do some look-up first. Last night I answered a question about the verse: "A woman must be silent." First we read the verse, to refresh our memories. A man in the group responded with obvious enthusiasm: "On Sunday, we've had to shut a few of them up already!" There was laughter all round. OBSERVATION: Whether the New Testament Church had this problem is a matter of debate. We certainly do! It's nattering in the pews that I'm referring to.

Popular Posts

I was puzzled by the large number of hits on my blog of late. I turned to Google for illumination. Predictably, my post Gum Trees heads the popularity stakes -- it's about the most meaningless post on my blog. Second on the list is Emergent Church. That was not a bad post, I thought, and received the thumbs-up from an emergent theologian. Third on the list is Law And Grace: Praxis. That was an important point for me. And finally (again predictably), Capuchin Cat is in fourth place -- the nameless cat with a squint.

Ingredients Of Vitality

In a recent post, I referred to Transcendence as a vital ingredient of a viable or thriving urban Church. Wife M. has referred to this as "opening heaven" for people. Commenting on that post, M. considered that two things have been vital to our Church: 1. Loving and caring. A few people have had a special gift for this, and it has been catching. And 2. Faithfulness and endurance. The success of much of our work may be put down to no small number of very dedicated people. OBSERVATION: I think that M. is right. At the same time, I don't think I would put these factors at the top of my list, as I see them as having their roots elsewhere. Maybe more on this in another post.

Intensive Care

I visited young T. in Intensive Care today -- still on life support, but with her eyes open, and blinking. According to the sister, T. was responding to me (I couldn't be sure). This young girl's near-fatal accident has been an occasion of grief for me. I said to T.: "You poor thing. All these pipes and wires, and you can't even speak." The sister said: "We want to take her off life support this afternoon. Then she can talk." OBSERVATION: However, T. is still in a serious way. See also my recent post Teenage Trauma.

Franciscan Homily

.I attended a Franciscan mass on Sunday (pictured). The service was held in several languages, mostly African, with African drums and hearty singing. The priest who delivered the homily said: "If you don't treat Lent seriously, you'll stay in the grave. You won't rise with Christ." I said to another priest: "Didn't that seem to you like salvation by works?" He replied: "That message would have been more appropriate before Lent, not at the end of it."

Reasons For Blog Transparency

There are a number of good reasons why there should be transparency in the Christian blogosphere, not least with regard to bloggers' identity: 1. Veracity. If people know who I am, it is likely that what I write about (say) urban ministry is true. 2. Background. If people know who I am, they will be better able to assess whether I speak from experience or training, and how this may reflect on what I write. 3. Accountability. If people know who I am, there is a better chance that I shall be accountable to my Church community, not to speak of anyone else. 4. If people know who I am, they may approach me simply and directly if blog content poses a problem, without needing to take a public or official detour. 5. Spiritual principle. Scripture does not favour secrecy, but continually emphasises the need to walk in the light. And 6. Sincerity. If one is ready to be known, then one is ready personally to stand up for what one says. OBSERVATION: Several of the above points would rest on clear biblical principle.

My Supervisor

This one's a tribute to my academic supervisor, Dr. Vincent Atterbury (on the right of the photo). Fuller Theological Seminary in the USA taught me many things, but they did not teach me rigour. I was unprepared for studies at the South African Theological Seminary. With this in mind, uppermost in my mind when I think of Vincent (as he is to me) is the fact that he looked at my potential at the beginning, not my actual competence (this is not always the case with supervisors, or seminaries). Also, he taught me the rigour that I so much needed and wanted. His competence as a supervisor is proved by my excellent results. To give an example (I'm not quoting verbatim), I sent him a draft of my thesis, saying: "Here's a completed draft. Now you can see it in full." He turned straight to the bibliography, and spotted an error. He returned it, saying, "It needs to be perfect. Then I'll look at it."

Gravitas And "Scoffers"

I don't know what it is about my friends. There was a certain gravitas to my graduation ceremony at the weekend -- with the exception of my friends. I accused them (jokingly) of scoffing -- but they scoffed at that. They claimed that the only thing they were scoffing was the food. What I really meant was that they were rowdy. Everybody else's friends were well behaved. The photo shows me shortly before the ceremony began.

Capuchin Cat

First things first, about my stay at a Capuchin (Franciscan) monastery this weekend. This is a stray cat that the monks took in. I asked one of the monks: "What's its name?" He looked stunned. He said: "A name! My goodness! It hasn't got a name!" OBSERVATION: This is what happens when one doesn't have women around. One might suggest "Squinty". You may click on the photo to enlarge to VGA.

Best Insurance Policy

Son M. said recently, "I tell you, the best insurance policy is the Church! Floods? Earthquake? War? Cancer? No money for studies? They've got it all covered!" OBSERVATION: This, I think, is not far from the truth -- when a Church is functioning at its best, and when the "insured" are sincere and dedicated members.

My Host

My host this weekend is Father K. (pictured), a Franciscan (Capuchin) monk. Until last year, he headed the order in Southern Africa as Vice-Provincial. I'll be at the monastery tonight. I look forward to that. OBSERVATION: I like to experiment with camera angles -- as you see!

Another Con

A woman named Vanessa called one of our elderly members, S. (I don't know who Vanessa is). She told S. that I had set up an appointment at S.'s flat, for the three of us, to request R400 assistance. I would motivate the need. The appointed time arrived, but I didn't turn up (I had no knowledge of an appointment). Vanessa pleaded distress that I should have forgotten. S. gave Vanessa R200. OBSERVATION: But how did Vanessa obtain enough information for the con, and how did she fool security downstairs?

Evangelistic Booklet

Our Church leadership tasked me with writing our own evangelistic booklet this week. I wrote a draft, then checked several such booklets for balance. There are two things that need changing in ours: 1. Language. I know of no existing booklet which uses language simple enough for the people I deal with on a regular basis. And 2. Simplicity. In this day, one needs a punchy booklet that will bring conviction, not treastises to be read at leisure. OBSERVATION: I find it helpful that our leadership tasks me with things. It keeps me on track.

To Be Shared

Tomorrow morning I fly to the north of our country for my graduation -- to take place later in the day. I thought that graduation is something to be shared, so I invited an elder along (pictured). I'm pleased he'll be there. He'll be our roving photographer. 120 students are graduating, 12 with postgraduate degrees (which includes me). The seminary (SATS) is a leading evangelical seminary in Southern Africa, with over 4,000 students enrolled.

"Very-Very Beezee"

I called a Roman Catholic priest tonight. Someone with a French accent picked up the phone. He said, "Father is very-very beezee! He cannot speak to you now!" I tried again an hour later. It was Father himself on the line. He said: "Oh, I was in the garden!" Afterwards I e-mailed him: "You should have [that man] as your full-time PA. He'll have Rome impressed in no time."

Transcendence

Visitors to our Church continually express surprise that an urban Church like ours should be viable -- or thriving, depending on the week. On this blog, I have sought to give some of the reasons why. A crucial ingredient is, I think, a strong emphasis on transcendence. This seems hard to describe, but it means "outside the range of". When you meet God, and walk with God, you continually experience, and reckon with, things that are outside the range of ordinary experience. OBSERVATION: Some theologians reject this. One said that nothing comes "through the skylight". We say that it does.

Soul Survivor

Several years ago, there was a massacre on our Church block. A friend of mine was killed, together with eight other young men. One man survived -- with two bullets to the head. He identified the attackers. If one ever wondered whether there might be anything redemptive in such a situation, last week I stumbled upon this statement by the survivor: Soul Survivor.

Cape Town: Photo

I applied a Retinex filter to this photo. I took it from the Vincent Palotti Hospital this evening, at sunset. You see the hill in the distance, to the right? Our Church is situated behind that hill (Signal Hill). Then, just off-centre to the left is Devil's Peak. Legend has it that Van Hunks smoked a pipe with the devil there. Table Mountain is behind Devil's Peak.

"Little Darlings"

Here are some of the much-loved hooligans of our Church Youth -- posing for a cell-phone camera. One of our Youth leaders refers to them routinely as "the little darlings" -- which raises a few smiles. OBSERVATION: We consider it a great privilege to minister to these mostly un-Churched youth. They are great fun. To read about this group's beginnings, see No Plan.

Sunrise In Sea Point

.This one's just a pretty picture. It shows our suburb at dawn -- completely unaltered. Our Church is situated just to the right of that tallest skyscraper at the left, in the distance. This is Cape Town's most densely populated area -- the Atlantic Area.

Emergent Church

Non-theologians, skip this one. One thing that annoyed me about a certain nameless blog is that, in cavalier fashion, it lumped me together with Emergent Church. That was way off the mark. Having studied under leading "emergent" professors, I think I know what "emergent" is (it is, incidentally, not the same as "emerging" -- a far broader term). "Emergent" has a long history. A pivotal figure is Teilhard de Chardin. He spoke of a purposive kind of evolution -- rather than random evolution, or natural selection. This is called "emergent evolution". Chardin therefore spoke about "mankind in its march" towards "peace". Now apply this to the Church. An "emergent Church" is moving forward with “impelling force” towards "shalom" (Chuck van Engen). That is, there is a purpose to the world, which is evolving towards a finer future -- and the "covenant community" is at the forefront of that. This is typically presented as a form of post-millennialism. An important aspect of this is what was famously referred to by Lesslie Newbigin as "no privatized eschatology". In other words, we are not saved privately, but collectively, through the Emergent Church. OBSERVATION: Normally, I stay close to praxis on this blog. However, I've been "put on the spot" with this issue. The photo shows one of my professors, Ryan Bolger, an expert on emergent / emerging Church.

Dealing With Differences

It was a curious Minister's Bible Study I held tonight. Several of the great "poles of opinion" came up (yet without contention). One of the group said: "How should we think about these things? Healing, predestination, women in leadership -- and totally different views?" I said, "My closest friend in ministry [he has since emigrated] held the opposite view to me on women in leadership -- and he still does. I think that God smiles on him with humour, and says, 'I'll show you ...'" One of the group interrupted me, wagging a finger: "I'll show you a thing or two!" I said, "No. 'I'll show you what wonderful things I can do through you, in spite of your quirky views.'" OBSERVATION: It is crucial, I think, to see what God is doing in His Church by His grace -- not to focus on human foibles, whether of action or of thought. That is what it means to live by faith, not by sight. This does not mean that truth does not matter -- yet an appreciation of God's gracious working serves to cover the differences as God's people more and more approach the "unity of faith". Some Churches have the "privilege" of like-minded congregations. Ours is a huge pot-pourri of traditions, histories, cultures, ages, Christian maturity -- as was the case, I think, in the New Testament Church.

Embarrassing Moment

An old friend came to bring words of comfort to wife M. today (she is ill with cancer). I said, "Oh, that was good! I should have written it down! I should have recorded it! You should say it again!" Our guest said, "It's straight from the Bible, Thomas." Son M. added, "Even I knew that!" OBSERVATION: At least I know a good quote when I hear one.

Teenage Trauma

A lovely teenage girl in our Church -- she has led our prayers in Church on Sunday mornings -- suffered a serious car / automobile accident on Saturday (see News24 -- I'm told that the youngster driving the car had been "dicing" with another). I found her in Intensive Care -- on life support, and under constant watch. I really had not expected her to be in such a terrible condition. I was shocked. Her mother had spoken to me so gently when she told me the news. I touched her. I spoke to her. She didn't respond. I said to the nursing sister, "Is she sedated? Has she responded?" Both true. I said a prayer for her, walked out of ICU, and cried -- and still cry.

Best Seminary Courses

I must have done a hundred courses at seminary / university. I got to thinking which were the best of them -- purely subjectively, that is -- in terms of how deeply they influenced me and profited me. No. 1 (I consider) was a course on Communication through UNISA -- Prof. Marthinus van Schoor. It profoundly influenced me, although I barely passed it. No. 2 was a course at the FETA -- I forget what it was "billed" as -- about recognising presuppositions -- Prof. Francis Schaeffer. I find myself thinking in those terms to this day. No. 3 is not an easy call. Perhaps a course on Mentoring at FTS -- Prof. Bobby Clinton. He gave us a strong experiential component, too. (Note that professors are often the "shadows" behind the courses, and not much hands-on). OBSERVATION: Strangely, none of these are "stock" courses at seminary. I would recommend them, if students can find them.

Farewell, Son

Leica cameras are known for good portraits. Here's one of son M. This past Sunday, he said farewell to our Church, ahead of a Master's degree programme at Durham University in the UK. OBSERVATION: Although his mother is in a precarious condition -- it's quite possible that he won't see her again -- we have both said to him: "Go. Pursue your career." And so the little kid who dug up things in the garden is embarking on the finest education in archaeology.

VIP Box? No Thanks

I received a private invitation today to join Angus Buchan, Graham Power, and various luminaries "in the VIP box" next week (55,000 Christians are expected for a gathering at the Cape Town Stadium). I replied, "I do feel honoured ..." However, I declined. Someone said, "What? It's about networking, Thomas! Networking!" OBSERVATION: It's also about peace. Why do I need the stress of a VIP box in my life? Also, I know my priorities in life. It would not seem to include VIP boxes at stadiums.

Blog In Russian

Well, this was a surprise. I stumbled upon my blog in Russian today (see image). I can even tell you what it says. It says: "I'm free, free at last! I finally got rid of Windows." OBSERVATION: Russians not seldom look in on my designs. They are very innovative -- Russians, that is!
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NOTE: This is not in fact Russian, but Serbian. See the comments on this post. Thanks to Serbian reader Jare.

Free At Last!

I'm free, free at last! I finally got rid of Windows. My home office has been converted to Linux. However, I consider that I would have saved myself a lot of trouble if I had just set my old Windows box aside, and accessed it on an "as needed" basis instead of trying to transfer the data. OBSERVATION: I estimated that Windows was wasting a full day of my time every month, not to speak of the frustration. Linux promises to do what it has already done on my portable computer, where it has been a delight. It is slick, intuitive, and unproblematic. The photo shows the man who set me free.

Besieged Again

Yesterday morning I found myself continually besieged. A group of people was waiting for me after Church as I greeted people at the Church door. I said, "Sorry, I have a meeting now [in the vestry]." I came out of the vestry, only to be confronted by a group of people outside the vestry door. I said, "I need to talk to members now." I emerged from that, only to be surrounded again. I said, "I really need to get into the office now." I emerged from the office, only to be besieged again. And then, on my way out of the Church gate, I was stopped again. I said to one young man, in one of my less charitable moments: "I'm a minister, not a bank." To crown it all, I then entered a shop to buy a cooldrink, and was confronted again. In fact, even before the service yesterday morning, people were pressing me. OBSERVATION: There's little I can do for all-comers who want charity. The Church has a resolution in place that I may only assist congregants, unless I can justify exceptional circumstances. I said to one young man yesterday morning: "We don't have the capacity to help anyone and everyone." And yet they come.

Reviewing Discerning The World

I recently commented on a post which referred to the blog Discerning The World. My comment was intended as humorous -- I quoted a remark that someone made to me, namely that being a crank might explain why you're number one on the Internet. Having been in the number one spot myself, in the very same forum, I need hardly say more. I was poking fun at myself as much as anybody else. So, there was no ill intent. Having said this, however, in response to recent remarks about me on Discerning The World, I have placed a request with the relevant bodies for a review of the same.

BFO With Wobbulator

Talk about a wobble causing a flutter. After referring to a wobbulator in one of my posts, I received a number of requests to explain it. Surprisingly, I don't see much about wobbulators on the Internet -- so, I'll offer a circuit which employs a wobbulator -- a BFO metal detector that I designed (pictured). In a comparison with six commercial designs of the 60's and 70's (before BFO went out of fashion), it out-performed four. But first, the wobbulator. A BFO metal detector uses two high frequencies running side by side (oscillators IC1.A and IC1.E in this case, which both run at about 250kHz). One of these frequencies (IC1.E) shifts when metal is picked up, while the other (IC1.A) remains the same, and so a difference frequency is created. This, one hears in a pair of headphones. That's the theory, anyway. In practice, however, there's a thing called frequency lock, where those two frequencies "lock on" to one another -- they get stuck to each other like magnets (I'll omit the reasons here). The difference frequency thus fails to materialise until the difference is comparatively large. It's a nuisance, because it may severely affect sensitivity, and it is not easy to overcome. However, a wobbulator, since it introduces a wobble into one of the frequencies, unsettles the frequency lock, and may do a lot to "bust out of it". OBSERVATION: A wobbulator might benefit almost any kind of detection circuit -- including the Matchless Metal Locator recently described on this blog. IC1, in this circuit, should ideally be a CD40106BCN or a HEF40106BP to obtain optimum performance -- otherwise R3 may need some alteration. The potentiometers' metal cans would ideally be wired to 0V. Click on the image to enlarge. The details of the coil are at Tri-Coil.
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NOTE: You may re-publish this design, on condition that you acknowledge the designer (Thomas Scarborough) and this blog (http://thomasscarborough.blogspot.com).

Tri-Coil

This is a description of the coil that accompanies my BFO With Wobbulator design. It needs to be emphasised, though, that this is an "off the wall" experimental design -- just to test various concepts. The detector uses a triple, concentric coil, with the three coils being wired in series as shown, with 33swg (30awg/0.254mm) enamelled copper wire. A tri-coil vastly improves the detector's response to small metal items. Each coil is bound with insulating tape, then individually wound with a Faraday shield, made of strips of tin-foil, and bound once more with insulating tape. Each Faraday shield should cover all but about 5% of the circumference of a coil, thus leaving a gap between the start and finish of the shield. All three shields are wired to 0V. The coils are fixed to a non-metallic base plate. Screened two-core audio cable is used to connect the tri-coil to the circuit, with the screen being attached to the Faraday shield. A single coil of 100 turns 150mm dia. may also be used.

Harvest Service

We held our annual Harvest Festival service today. After the service, we distributed the produce among the poor in our own congregation. What is left will be donated to shelters. OBSERVATION: Do you recognise the fruit and vegetables typical of our area?

Argus Cycle Tour

The Argus Cycle Tour -- the world's largest individually timed cycle race -- went speeding through our suburb today. Many Churches close during the tour as road access is cut off. Ours didn't seem much affected. The finish line is 2km/1¼mi north of our Church.

First Woman

The world's first ever woman denominational head was a member of our Church. Apart from Catherine Booth, that is, who headed the Salvation Army together with her husband. Emilie Solomon was the head of the Congregational Union of South Africa, and the plaque (pictured) marks where she sat in our Church. OBSERVATION: While I don't have a written record of this, I was taught this by those who went before me, and I am confident that it is true. You may click on the photo to enlarge. I "equalised" it so that the inscription may be more easily read.

Natural Course

We considered this week whether we should begin to take formal steps to (potentially) dismiss a member of staff. The problem was "impressive" dereliction of duty. But we decided in and around our leadership meeting that our employee was unravelling to the extent that we should let this run its natural course. This was an issue we wouldn't need to force. OBSERVATION: Sadly, we know where this started. Our member of staff suffered a near-fatal accident, and while he made a gradual physical recovery, his psyche did not repair.

Sacrificed To The Task

Ministers in South Africa are said to have a tendency to be task-driven rather than people-driven. Recently a member of another Church's staff described to me her disappointment that she had been neglected as soon as it was "mission accomplished". Seeking to provide some perspective, I wrote to her that her minister was "the professional minister who has a task to do ... The good side of that is that such ministers are not too much snared by the personal dynamics and politics that sometimes go on in Churches, and so may be very effective ... The downside is that they [do this] at the expense of deeper relationships or sensitivity to individuals. He's a man on a mission, and what's important to him is what's important to the mission." OBSERVATION: Ideally, I think, one should find a balance between the task and thoughtful consideration of people - although it's a balance that so easily tips too far to the one side or the other.

Converting To Linux [2]

The installation of Linux (Ubuntu 9.1) on my new computer system was swift and flawless. The technician commented (I wrote it down): "I'm quite impressed with it. You install it, and everything is running!" (well isn't that what should happen with an operating system)? Since then I installed several classy software packages (all free), and it all went flawlessly. However, conversion was held up for hours (this gave the technician a few smiles) because Windows was sluggish in yielding my old data. He needs to return to that tomorrow. OBSERVATION: The image shows my new desktop a moment ago. It's such a big change, as my computer is such a big part of my life -- it seems rather like waking up to a different marriage partner, or a different home. I already know the Linux experience from my Linux (Fedora 8) portable computers -- slick and clean.

Lethal Force

If you ever wondered whether society depends on lethal force for its existence, here's something to contemplate (see photo). I was with son M. this morning. This man was prowling around a bank with an automatic weapon -- and a pistol. I said, "Oh, look. A photo opportunity!" Son M. said, "I wouldn't advise it!" (I took the photo backwards under my arm). OBSERVATION: Our society is armed to the hilt -- though not in the same kind of way as e.g. the USA.

Not My Solution

A crucial office-bearer in the Church said to me this week: "I don't know if I can do this any more [due to overload]. I'm thinking of giving notice of my resignation at the end of the year. But I know it's not a good time for you to seek a solution." I said, "I wouldn't see it as my solution -- to go tearing about trying to find it myself. I'd see it as the congregation's solution. We'd need to find it together." OBSERVATION: However, I'll immediately be giving this the attention that I can -- and that it deserves.

"Worst Moments"

Our president, earlier this year, started his State of the Nation address on the wrong page. People joked about the state of the president. Ministers will know the feeling, as they all must have their own story of a "worst moment". One of my more memorable moments was when my sermon notes slipped off the pulpit and fluttered down into the organ pit below. They may still be there today. On that day, though, I was saved by the fact that I had a copy close to hand. (I rely heavily on notes). OBSERVATION: And another one: at my "inaugural" service in my first Church, I announced four out of four hymns wrong.

Converting To Linux

At this very moment, my home office is being converted to Linux (and a new system unit). The man who is doing it (pictured) is one of the mainstays of the media department at our local Pentecostal Church. He has been tremendously helpful to our Church. For the sake of his fans and admirers, this photo is in VGA resolution. Click on it to download if desired.

Serious Illness In Our Home

I could see what was coming. And yet, as it unfolded, I was deeply upset. I was greatly distressed. I woke up in the mornings, and the world seemed dark. Fortunately, that is past. My sleep dried up, too. That has not returned. Some nights now, I sleep just four or five hours, and I cannot help myself. I am not worried. I am not anxious. I don't have an agenda, as people sometimes do in such situations. I have peace. Even joy. Wife M., too, has peace. Even joy. In spite of distress. A minister's wife came round to see us. She said afterwards: "There was such peace in your home." OBSERVATION: In December, wife M. was diagnosed with (in simple terms) bone marrow cancer, in an advanced stage. I thought twice about posting this, but it seemed to be the post (among a few in store) most meaningful to me now.

Recounting A Tragedy

Our Church indirectly made headlines today. A few years ago, a young woman was killed at our Church's perimeter wall. Yesterday, her mother told the story to President Zuma. Here's what happened (my inside story, as I heard it). A man high on drugs got into a truck and drove it down the Main Road here at enormous speed -- then right outside our Church he hit three teenage girls in a car, collided with our Church wall -- and the truck exploded in a fireball. One girl, Ashley, was killed (click on the newspaper snippet for more), another was in a coma, and a third came off with only a scratch. The truck driver ran straight into the arms of the police. Our caretaker ran into the Church, sat down, and cried. One of our Church members was at the scene -- trained in CPR. He tried to resuscitate Ashley, but he gave up. A bystander was furious that he’d quit. Our member said, “She’s dead! She’s completely dead!” The bystander wouldn’t have it. Our member continued to try to resuscitate her, but didn’t succeed. OBSERVATION: Megan, I am happy for you that you had the opportunity to speak to the President.

"You Gotta Help Me"

I had just spent an hour and a half in meetings in my vestry yesterday, when a freckle-faced young woman "collared" me at the Church door. She said, "I need counselling. I'm not in a good space. You gotta help me. I need peace of mind." She looked angry. She tried to push her way into the Church. I said, "No. Make an appointment with my secretary." OBSERVATION: I was tired. I was "wiped out".

Hermanus Anglican

This is St. Peter's Anglican Church in Hermanus, a major coastal town about 100km/60mi east of Cape Town. The foundation stone is dated 1933. The tower was built in 1937. The tower makes the Church more typically English in style, as Anglican Churches in South Africa usually have a bell turret instead of a tower. You may click on the photo to enlarge to 70k.

Law And Grace: Praxis

A continual emphasis I have in our Church is that we need to see all of Church life from the point of view of what God is doing, not what man is doing. To put it another way, one needs to judge things according to grace in the Church (God's grace), not law (God's law). One needs to ask: "What is God doing here in His grace -- in spite of people's sin?" Not: "What are people doing here in terms of the law -- in spite God's holiness?" This is where the struggle between law and grace makes contact with the way that a Church sees itself and functions. OBSERVATION: Those who trouble the ministry of a Church frequently judge it by the law, rather than seeing it as a means of grace -- and may in fact be blind to grace. In terms of the law, ministry must come short. See also Leadership Is Grace.

Urban Beauty Tip

Here's an urban beauty tip for all the beauty-conscious women out there. I learnt it this morning. You need to enter an office -- somewhere, anywhere -- and swipe a bottle of correction fluid. This will provide beautiful white nails -- all the more impressive with a dark complexion -- or a nice match, perhaps, for clerical attire? It would surely go together nicely with a clerical collar, and provide a perfect solution on a clerical budget. (But Congregationalists wouldn't swipe it).

Cooking Plan

With wife M. being poorly, the Church soon got together a "Cooking Plan". M. has said, "I don't know what we would have done without it." Today we received an e-mail (we had thanked for a magnificent meal): "My mom was the cook in charge on Friday! Z. and I were simply 'Mr Delivery'. However, brace yourself, it’s our turn this Friday. ... It makes us feel as if we are helping in a small way. It really is our pleasure to do this!" OBSERVATION: And recently it was a special pleasure to learn that a neighbouring Church jumped in on the plan.

Matchless Metal Locator

This is one of my best super-simple metal detector designs, which a publisher generously donated to the public. Before this design came along, induction balance (IB) metal detectors typically used 50-100 components. The simplicity was achieved through several tricks -- but in summary, I stripped out the usual analogue electronics. Copyright restrictions prevent me from publishing the design on my blog, but it may be downloaded free here: Matchless Metal Locator. OBSERVATION: What I can offer on my blog is nearly ten years of hindsight. I would now improve the design, most importantly, by increasing the battery voltage to 12V or 15V, and using a 9V regulator. This would greatly assist stability. The biasing around IC1 pins 8 and 12 could be simplified by combining VR1 and VR2 in one 500k component. And if I had the chance, I would like to apply a wobbulator to the IC1b input circuitry. This has been a popular design. It went into production in Australia, in two versions.

Sunday School

A Swiss tourist took this photo of children cleaning up typical post-Sunday School chaos on a Sunday morning. M., on the right, is one of our Sunday School teachers -- clearly in a good mood after her lesson. OBSERVATION: We are privileged to have teachers who really love the children, and feel called to their task.

Trouble-Shooting

I was called out last night to intervene in a marriage crisis. The situation involved (in part) rage and destruction. The session began in a highly charged atmosphere -- someone sitting in walked out because they couldn't stand the tension. The situation took a long time to settle down. A breakthrough point was where I asked each partner to tell me what marriage is about. The husband said a few commonplace things -- but when the wife spoke, I heard in my mind: demand. It's about demand. I tackled that directly. I said, "Jesus said you cannot be my disciple unless you lose your life [not an accurate quote]. One of the first places that happens is in marriage." OBSERVATION: But that's condensing a whole hour into a hundred words. I had things to say to both of them.

Looking Forward

There are two things I really look forward to this week: Finally, I am to replace my wretched Windows desktop computer with a Linux system (I have already used Linux for some time for computing on the move). And I am to receive a new pair of spectacles -- designed by me. I like my design -- although the optometrist thought they were out of the ordinary. OBSERVATION: Well of course -- if they were ordinary I could have picked them off the shelf.

Visiting Preacher Problems

Yesterday's post was "Visiting Preachers". This one's about visiting preachers as problems. The biggest problem by far is the visiting preacher who goes profligately over time. We tell them the time that they've got. We ask them whether they need help to keep time. Yet they go over time, and not seldom freely announce it: "I know I've been given 20 minutes, but I'm sure you'll give me the permission to ..." In my view, that is both disrespectful and dishonest. Although I don't have the final say, without an apology, they are off my list. Seldom do we experience a problem with quality -- I think that usually a preacher's reputation precedes them. And rarely -- but it does happen -- a visiting preacher may see this as the ideal Trojan Horse opportunity. For instance, we had an internationally renowned preacher in our Church who packed out the Church -- and used the opportunity to take fire at our core tenets (Congregational government, in this case). Last year he asked to come back. We didn't take long to reach a decision: "No."

Samuel Külling

I'm recalling a few memorable moments with famous Christians. Professor Samuel Külling (pictured) was a distinguished Old Testament scholar and influential rector -- and one of my professors. I had taken a tram to a lecture, and the tram broke down. Prof. Külling was waiting for me at the top of a long flight of stairs. He spoke the terrifying words (in German): "Mr. Scarborough, you are late!" I said: "Professor, the tram broke down." He said: "In future, Mr. Scarborough, you will take the earlier tram!" OBSERVATION: It seems rather sobering what one does remember of influential people -- I remember little else that Prof. Külling said. Except the Hebrew word toledoth -- that was really important to him! Thanks to http://www.kwasizabantu.com/ for the photo.

A Son Of God

At the moment, I am holding membership interviews. I asked one young man: "If God asked you why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?" He said, "I am a son of God." I said, "When did you become a son of God?" He said, "I was born a son of God." This immediately revealed a poor understanding of his relationship with God. I explained it to him, and he said he wanted to commit his life to Christ -- which he did. OBSERVATION: The Congregational Church was founded as a so-called Believers' Church, so that the first requirement for membership is saving faith.

Gum Trees

In some parts of South Africa, the Australian gum tree is about the only tree that will grow. However, we have just a few species here, unlike the fabulous variety one finds in Australia. Some locals hate gum trees with a passion -- aliens that should be eradicated. The photo shows an avenue of gum trees I photographed in front of an abandoned farmstead. You may click on the photo to enlarge to VGA.

Visiting Preachers

Visiting preachers often ask me: "What should I preach about?" While I don't tell them what to preach, I say: "Encourage the saints. Upbuild the saints." This week, a visiting preacher asked me whether her topic might be discouraging. I said, "If you preach about the Lord, it will be impossible to say anything discouraging." That is, encouragement and upbuilding have everything to do with a focus on the Lord. OBSERVATION: However, an old lecturer of mine rightly said that a congregation may be distressed, yet at the same time upbuilt.

Letter And Spirit

We instructed an office-bearer of our Church to write an official letter on behalf of the Church. However, our office-bearer really does not have a grip on English grammar and spelling. He showed me the letter he had written, and asked my opinion. It would have taken me a while to correct the letter. But I thought it had such heart, and spiritual power. I said, "This letter is great." OBSERVATION: In fact, it might be even greater for the flaws, because they prove it is "the real thing". Proof again that what matters in the Church is not the letter, but the spirit?

Give Me Love

Give me love
Give me love
Give me peace on earth
Give me light
Give me life
Keep me free from birth
Give me hope
Help me cope, with this heavy load ...
................George Harrison/John Lennon
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OBSERVATION: This song expresses aspirations that I think are high in my life -- and alive in my life -- in spite of finding myself in a context similar to that expressed in that last line. But I don't know what Harrison / Lennon meant by "Keep me free from birth", as I see so many people enslaved in a so-called "free" society. Click Give Me Love to play it -- if you have broadband (for perspective: only 10% of African Internet users have broadband).

Hospital Again

I wondered in a recent post whether wife M. would make it to her next check-up. She did in a way -- except she wasn't strong enough to go. I hadn't thought of that. Well today she made it -- and was admitted to hospital -- in a poorer condition than when she was admitted three weeks ago. All being well, they'll (literally) give her a new lease on life. OBSERVATION: I picked the flower from a hedge in the hospital garden. But it was banned from the ward.

Cactus Flowers

For good measure, here's another photo of cactus flowers in the Agulhas district (Africa's southernmost district). These flowers bloom for less than a day. The photo was taken in the afternoon of the same day that they first bloomed. The sepals are curling around the petals to bind them shut. See Cactus Flower to see what one looks like in the morning. You may click on the photo to enlarge to VGA.

Famous Among Felons

I went to see the optometrist this morning, to fit some (self-designed) spectacles. People waved at me through the shop-front. Then a man stopped in his tracks and "gave me the evil eye". I said to the optometrist: "Who's he staring at? You? Me?" She said (the man still staring), "You're famous!" I hesitated. She said, "I guess you're just not famous in the right kind of way!" OBSERVATION: There is a class of people that seems to have a fixation with a minister, and not exactly of the reassuring kind. I couldn't decide if I knew him or not.

Moral Dilemmas

This week, two Youth leaders told me a story (an old one). A student, in desperation, prays to the Lord for financial intervention. She stands at a bus stop behind a professor. As the professor boards the bus, his wallet drops onto the pavement / sidewalk. She picks it up. Is this an answer to prayer? or a temptation from Satan? I said, "Are you saying that you can't work this one out?" Our Youth leaders said, "That's right." I said, "It seems obvious to me. You do what is right. You give the professor his wallet back. Then you trust God to do something amazing." OBSERVATION: It is surprising, though, how often similar situations come up. For instance: "Lord, help me to get this refugee visa." Then an official steps up and asks for a bribe. Or one prays for a roof over one's head. Then someone produces a form: "You've got a room. You just need to back-date this." (It gets worse -- but so much for one post).

Alumnus Times Eight

I have the curious boast that I am an alumnus of eight universities and seminaries. At least, this means that I was registered at eight -- I passed anything only at six. I was reminded of this today when I received an invitation as an almunus of the University of Cape Town (UCT), where I passed sweet nothing. OBSERVATION: While this might sound impressive, it does mean that I was a bit erratic! Anyway, maybe I'm an expert on seminaries now -- even if it's a bit hazy to me what they taught. (An alumnus is strictly someone who graduated -- however, in US English, it's also someone who attended).

Testimonies In Practice

Where there is a profound conversion, I generally have two "rules of thumb" regarding public testimony: 1. let the person share it first in a Church group, then with the Church, and 2. look first for abiding fruit of conversion. One may argue that a person should make immediate public confession and be baptised. In my experience, there have been too many people who did that, but did not prove themselves thereafter (I am not sure how to reconcile this with the New Testament pattern). In our situation, we even have people who fake conversion if they believe they will derive some material benefit from it. OBSERVATION: Our Church generally plans public testimonies, rather than putting people up impromptu. I think this guarantees the quality of a testimony, and in fact broadens the "pool" of testimonies, where the impromptu approach might favour a certain kind of person.

3x2 Versus 4x4

With a 3x2, who needs a 4x4? This is my 3x2 in action on a challenging section of road (that's me in the cab). OBSERVATION: Actually, my 3x2 is not good in mud or soft earth, as it has narrow tyres (see Stuck In Mud). However, it’s easy enough to dig out, as it does not weigh very much.

Plan In Crisis

I needed to deal with a crisis today. Our treasurer hadn't delivered our 2010-2011 financial plan, and we were out of time for a Church-wide launch. What should I do? I decided to trust God to prosper the Church, not to panic -- and to seek consensus (a "weight of authority") in forthcoming meetings on our "ground-rules". Our accountant disagreed. I should do some crisis management, and deliver the plan myself, today. She handed me the figures I needed (hundreds of them). So I figured out a plan -- at first arriving at a rather stunning R80,000 (12%) budget deficit for 2010-2011 -- then I rearranged the figures to wipe it all out -- which had me quite pleased (earlier in my ministry here, I was hands-on with the plan, so I am able to do this). At that very moment, our treasurer delivered the plan. OBSERVATION: A disciplined plan was, in my view, part of our Church's financial recovery in the 1990's (for details, see My Beginnings). So I don't want to take risks with it.

Counselling Urban Toughs

Urban counselling so often means dealing with "urban toughs". If not toughs, then worldly-wise individuals. It's a battle-field that involves violence, abuse, hard-heartedness, deception, selfishness, stupidity, criminal acts, and more. An urban minister is therefore accustomed to going in "all guns blazing". But then there really are some beautiful, shy, gentle souls out there -- which one can easily forget, or momentarily overlook. OBSERVATION: A while back, I counselled a young woman. When I sought to establish "where we were at", she put her hands over her face and peeped at me through her fingers. I realised then that she wasn't the average "urban tough".

Bredasdorp Anglican Church

The photos show All Saints Anglican Church in Bredasdorp, from opposite ends. Bredasdorp lies in the southernmost district of Africa, and according to Collins Maps has between 10,000 and 20,000 inhabitants. The Church was built in 1861. Although I attended this Church (see Anglican Church) I have no further information on it. You may click on the photos to enlarge to 130k.

Dealing With Cultural / Traditional Diversity

The question of Christmas came up in my Bible study tonight (should we celebrate it or not). I quoted Romans 14:6: "He who regards one day as special does so to the Lord." If therefore you want to praise God through Christmas, good on yer (as the Aussies say). OBSERVATION: This is a core principle in our Church -- being so culturally diverse, and incorporating such different Christian traditions. We apply the principle very broadly. Whether it is prayers, or dress, or song, or even sacraments, the core question is: is it done to the Lord? Then we cherish it, unless there is very good reason not to.

Church Newsletter

This morning I tackle our monthly Church newsletter. With every newsletter, I seek to do two things: 1. to focus on "what we are most basically about", and 2. to share the most important news. Usually, I scan earlier newsletters for perspective. This morning, it seemed as though there were a thousand things to write about. Finally I settled on one. OBSERVATION: The newsletter is, I think, an important part of keeping our focus. It is not just incidental.

Marriage In Sickness

Wife M. said to me last week: "Take care of yourself. Don't let anything happen to you. If it did, I'd jump in my grave and pull the soil over me." Loving care in serious illness is not what one gets married for -- in fact, it surely doesn't cross one's mind. But imagine the alternative. Pink Floyd sang of "just another sad old man, all alone and dying of cancer hey hey". OBSERVATION: Two weeks ago, M. got a boost with a blood transfusion, but neither of us would be surprised if, on her check-up this week, they would put her into hospital again. We are not sure she will make it to the check-up. (The transfusions have not been "holding").

Daredevil

So what is it that one's dearest do on Youth camp? This is a file photo from a camp that our Church held for youngsters in their early teens. One teenager took this photo of another. OBSERVATION: In the years which followed, this youngster (pictured) struggled with drug addiction. In this connection, she appears in another post: Faked Overdose.

Robber Fly

I snapped this Picture-Winged Robber Fly in our back yard this morning (using filler flash). It is the first time I have seen one. In fact this one is way, way out of its normal range. It shouldn't be here. One normally finds it in the north-east of the country. Its speciality is snatching spiders from their webs -- and one thinks spiders catch flies! You may enlarge the photo to 40k by clicking on it.

Losing Members

I have heard it said that one can lose up to 10% of one's Church membership through a crisis, and not to worry, it's within normal bounds. More than 10%, and you could have a real problem on your hands. OBSERVATION: The theory is reassuring, but the reality may be harrowing. Ten years ago, our Church came close to the 10% mark, which included the resignation of half our leadership. But looking back, the Church wasn't at risk as much as the minister. Within about a year, the Church had recovered its losses, and was actually "in a better place". Such times require faith that "I will build my Church" (Matt 16:18).

My “Passable” Blog

A long-serving minister looked over the Christian blogs in the South African blogosphere, he told me (amatomu.com) -- yet they were all (quote) “selfish and self-absorbed”. Such blogging was "not a healthy activity". My own blog, by comparison, was “passable”. OBSERVATION: I would hope, too, that my blog has managed to stay out of the "lunatic" category. At least it would be a lunacy that is tied to real ministry. (I can hear our secretary saying: "It's lunacy all right").