Three-Wheeler [Cons]

Here are my first impressions (the doubtful ones) of my Mahindra Alfa three-wheeler: ▪ It is very sluggish (it is a simple diesel engine) ▪ It handles like a barge (it lacks convincing roadholding) ▪ It has a terrible turning radius (3.5 metres/yards) ▪ I doubt that it will be waterproof in rainy weather ▪ The paintwork is too thin ▪ And, not least (because this comes into it), the distributor (dealer) was really poor. The photo shows a minister friend today correcting the seat-belt they put in. You may click on it for VGA.

Three-Wheeler [Pros]

Here are my first impressions (the good ones, in this post) of my new Mahindra Alfa three-wheeler: ▪ The vehicle is very strongly built ("like a tank", says a mechanic) ▪ It solidly handles bumps and potholes in the road ▪ I like the hand-lock (as opposed to hand-brake) ▪ I like the unusual (vintage style) windows ▪ It has a pleasant gear-change ▪ It promises to be very fuel efficient (using at most one-quarter more fuel than a scooter) ▪ It carries half a ton ▪ Its modular design promises to make servicing unproblematic ▪ It comes at a good price ▪ There's room for a passenger in the cab if needed ▪ And (I like this) it judders like an earthquake. Three-Wheeler [Cons] coming soon ...

Me And The Bomb

I landed on the shores of what is today the Kiribati Republic three years after the last H-Bomb test. It mattered little to me as a boy -- however, in later years, islanders told me stories of people falling sick, and nobody had ever researched it. In the neighbouring Marshall Islands, I waded from Rita to Ejit, where the Bikini Islanders had been resettled -- and I met Bikini Islanders. The USA compensated 15% of the national population there for personal injury -- however, locals put the percentage of the injured very much higher. A local told me that, as a little girl, she saw the flash of an H-bomb on the horizon. She had had many tumours removed since. In short, as I discovered the story of the H-bombs, I was deeply shocked. I had not understood the magnitude of what happened. It makes me cry to think of it today. OBSERVATION: Two images stay with me in particular. The first, of the wind turning, and children seeing glitter falling on the lagoon. They ran into the water and laughed and played with the glitter. The second, millions of birds -- many of them rare and precious -- wiped out in the tests on Kiritimati. They were blinded by the flash, and mostly died of starvation.

Failure Of Faith

Further to a theme that has run through my posts during the past week ... Over the years I have increasingly come to the conviction that where I suffer a failure of wisdom, or a failure of conduct, this was a failure of faith. If I had had faith, it would not have happened -- and the first thing I tend to blame myself for is a failure of faith. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, commenting on a priest who aspired to be a saint, said: "I would rather have faith."

Indian Finish

One has to admire the finish on Indian vehicles. This is the rubber (pictured) at the corner of a door on my new Mahindra pickup (it comes with quality control certification). The welding is noteworthy, too. One has to pity the poor Japanese for all the time and energy they squander on gratuitous precision. And think of the money that can be saved. Not only this, but I know a man whose entire day was ruined when somebody put a cut in his Toyota's door-rubber. Such things make a Mahindra owner smile. OBSERVATION: My Mahindra (without local delivery charge) is one-quarter of the price of a Toyota pickup, and two-fifths the price of a Chana (and, one might add, does one-quarter / two-fifths the speed)!

Crispy Duck

Step aside Nigella Lawson. Wife M. bought a duck for Christmas, but she was indisposed, and unable to roast it. She referred me to Nigella Lawson's Recipe. I took out the giblets and cut off that flap -- but at that point, I lost focus, and abandoned Nigella. I modestly covered the duck inside and out with Aromat (a salty seasoning). I poured as much Ruby Port (young Port) into the inside as would go. I pre-heated the oven to 180ºC (360ºF), deposited the duck on a rack, and left it for 3½ hours. This turned out superb Crispy Duck, which was met with critical acclaim. OBSERVATION: Should anyone ask, the definitive name for it is Canard Croustillant à la Scarborough.

Wrong Target

One of our congregation was trained as a member of South Africa's elite troops. Three young men cornered him with knives, outside our local Presbyterian Church. He hit one of them so hard that he dropped to the pavement / sidewalk and didn't get up again. The police picked him up where he lay. The other two fled. OBSERVATION: There could be a few morals to this story. Among them: a) Nobody messes wid our congregation, or b) Be careful straying too close to a Presbyterian Church?

Neo-Legalism In Ministry

A few days ago, I noted the view that we should copy Christ, and this because the resurrection proves that He is the one to be copied. I said then that the problem is ability. This is a problem in ministry, too. Ministers lose the freedom to be able to say: "Of course, I am weak in every way, but look what God's grace has done through me." Instead, they are crushed by the weight of self-imposed responsibility and people's expectations. This is what wife M. found through her doctoral dissertation on women missionaries. OBSERVATION: Again, I am not proposing to set aside the example of Christ, but I am indeed saying that we should beware of "neo-legalism". (See also Dealing With Slander).

Gear Ratios

This one's about the all-important subject of gear ratios. This is the third three-wheeler I have owned (pictured). But it was only with the second one that I understood the apparent madness of Indian gear ratios. For example, a Chevy Corvette has a first gear ratio of about 3.0. A VW Beetle about 3.6. A BMW Mini about 3.3. By way of contrast, my present Mahindra Alfa has a first gear ratio of 31.5! This translates to very slow speed in first gear, and gives it tremendous pull -- but that's not all that it's about. It was when I hit an extraordinarily bad road (the R27 to Nooitgedacht) that I understood. That extreme gear ratio means that one can crawl over corrugations and rock outcrops and potholes with tight control.

Cum Laude vs. GPA

I sat down and did some calculations -- before the final stretch of my MA in LA. I calculated that I had 85.2% in hand, with four-fifths of the degree complete -- so, cum laude (sometimes called distinction) seemed assured. With the sun rising in my heart, I asked the seminary what they required for cum laude. They replied: "cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude and the like are not part of the system." Instead, they will give me a number with a decimal point -- called a GPA (Grade Point Average). OBSERVATION: The Bolsheviks! In South Africa we have a standardised degree classification system, where cum laude is 75%. 75% would appear on my US certificate as 54.0.

Pew Ledge Purpose

If you've ever wondered what the ledge is for at the back of a Church pew, I found the answer yesterday in our local Presbyterian Church, where I went to worship. It's the place where one rests one's weary feet (see photo).

Shifting Focus (Somewhat)

I am on leave now for a month -- but since I am unlikely to go away, I'll continue my blog. I thought I'd shift its focus (somewhat) for the month -- making observations about theological trends I need to study through Fuller, my new Indian microcar, and interesting experiences that made an impression on me in my life ... and doubtless a few nonsensities.

Thief-Proof

One thing about Indian three-wheelers, they would seem to be pretty thief-proof -- simply because thieves wouldn't know how to drive them away (see also Can Fix Can't Drive). There are two methods of starting my new vehicle. One is a rope-start. One ties a knot in a rope, twists it clockwise around a pulley under the load-bed, and yanks it. The other is electric start (see photo). First one raises the blue decompression lever (bottom right). Then one cranks the engine with the key (top left). Then one drops the decompression lever -- and as soon as there is ignition, one turns off the key. Then one waits 20 seconds before putting the engine into gear. To turn off the engine, one changes into neutral, waits 20 seconds, then raises the red stop lever (bottom right). (The black lever in the middle engages the vehicle's four reverse gears).

Time To Prepare

L. came to see me yesterday. She had discovered that she had AIDS. She said: "My boyfriend was sleeping around. Everywhere! He was the only man I had." She said: "Don't talk to me, Father. I am already dead." I said: "Listen, L. Some people die, and they never knew they would die. Then they stand before the Lord. But you, you have time to prepare yourself to enter His presence."

O Holy Night

A member and her two daughters (pictured) sang O Holy Night in our Christmas service this morning. This is a challenging piece, but they did well together. I came down from the pulpit so that I could see them -- and I took this snap.

The Imam's Wife

I met a local Imam's wife, her head covered with a characteristic black shawl. She said to me with a smile: "Have a blessed Christmas, Reverend, and may everything you touch in the New Year be a success." She said: "Are you also on 24-hour call? It's 24-hour call in our home."

Home Alone

Wife M. and I usually celebrate Christmas together on Christmas Eve. Today I said: "Maybe we can have a small picnic at your bedside. I'll light a candle and read the Christmas story." She said: "Maybe I can get up." However, it didn't seem likely. In fact, an hour later I took her to the Emergency section at the hospital. They immediately admitted her. She jumped the whole queue. OBSERVATION: I think both of us couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. We both joked with the hospital staff. Both of us, I think, are relieved that the chaos has lifted -- for now.
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NOTE: M. was discharged Christmas Day, in a more manageable condition -- but she's to be re-admitted after the Christmas weekend, when the hospital is back in gear.

Merry Christmas To Me

My Christmas present to me is the Mahindra Alfa pickup. It is a diesel three-wheeler. A minister friend came along with me today to take delivery. His hobby is mechanics -- and once he finished third in his category in the Roof of Africa rally. I asked him what he thought. He said: "It's designed like a Volkswagen Beetle. It will last forever." That's him looking into the engine -- situated under the load bed. It's a very interesting vehicle. More in future posts.

78th In The Queue

Here is a story that is not untypical. A congregant had major surgery last month. Five days after being discharged from hospital, she returned for a check-up. She was weak and in great pain. But she was 78th in the queue. She said she estimated that it would take two days before she was called up. However, after a few hours, they told her that they had put her in the wrong queue. She joined another queue, which was just about as long, and waited a few hours -- but they took her out of the queue and attended to her because she was looking "really dead". The next step was the hospital dispensary. Here, she was 868th in the queue. But after an hour, a kind soul offered to take her out of there and buy the medication at a regular chemist.

The Ability To Model Christ

In my experience, it is fairly common in the Global North to consider that Jesus Christ is "our model", and that "God's confirmation" of this is His resurrection from the dead (I am quoting Stanley Grenz). However, there would seem to be the assumption here that a model is someone we are able to ... well, model. This is more difficult to believe in the midst of the turmoil of ministry in Africa. There are external forces which destroy people, and there are internal forces which destroy people. In the midst of such a world, to speak of being able to model anything so often seems meaningless. OBSERVATION: This is not to minimise the importance of the example of Christ, but rather to re-contextualise it -- which is more than can be put into one short post.

St. Margaret's Anglican

For the first time in a long time, here is a photo of a local Church -- St. Margaret's Anglican Church, Cape Town. It stands in the midst of the ugly, nondescript suburb of Parow. It is interesting to note the typical Anglican bell-turret, thatched roof, and modest architecture.

Breach Of Contract

My motor vehicle dealer informed me today that my new three-wheeler was not ready for delivery as per contract. But in South Africa, if one says: "That's OK, we'll let it pass," this may well mark the beginning of a descent into chaos. What to do? I cancelled the contract, and asked for my deposit back. The sales manager called me and offered me a "cash back". He said: "Will you extend the contract then?" I said no. I would bring a witness in two days' time, to prove that the contract had been breached. OBSERVATION: Of course, my witness may see a vehicle ready for delivery.

Missed Post

I missed my usual morning post, as wife M. was in no small trouble. She is "somewhat settled" now. See Tough Weeks.

I Saw Her ...

"Well she looked at me, and I, I could see, that before too long I'd fall in love with her ... when I saw her standin' there". Today I was introduced to my new microcar, in person. At least I should say, I was introduced to most of her. They had freighted it down from Johannesburg -- yet had left several parts behind -- in particular the nose section. Yesterday's blog post was prophetic! For a delightful ad of my new vehicle (however, mine is the Pickup version) see this Mahindra Showreel (pictured). It is a (sneakily) comparative ad.

Seven Pillars Of A Healthy Church

Several years ago, I preached on the Seven Pillars of a Healthy Church. In a nutshell, I focused then on the purpose of the Church: missions, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, love, worship, and unity. These emphases were not bad -- they were sound -- and they didn't impede the Church. Yet today, I see that there clearly has been a shift in emphasis in my preaching. Now I would put at the top of the list God Himself and His attributes.

Microcar Passion

As a little boy, I fell in love with microcars -- which in those days were all over the streets of the FRG. Now I am big, and I can own and drive my very own! In fact, I am to have a new one delivered this week (famous last words -- knowing business in Cape Town). Microcars embody such art, such genius, such passion -- and such folly, sometimes. Take a look at this one. Isn't she lovely? It's a 1968 Empolino Milano -- such simplicity, such austerity, and such a well thought out design. It's just fantastic. OBSERVATION: See the Atlanta Microcar Museum for a wonderful photographic tour of classic microcars.

Self-Contradictory Theologians

I find that theologians in North America, in particular, frequently give the appearance of being bafflingly self-contradictory. I fail to understand it. Here's an example, by a theologian named Placher -- taken from three consecutive pages of a kind of systematic theology. He writes: "Europeans and North Americans can no longer take ourselves for granted as the mainstream of theology ... The authors of the [this] book ... all come from North America" (that's nineteen of them). OBSERVATION: One might let such comments pass, if the book made fair reference to theologians outside of Europe and North America. However, such theologians would not seem to fill even one percent of the book's index. The point here is not the marginalisation of Africa. The point is the apparent self-contradiction. This is just one example among many.

Police Banter

It was funny, sitting in our local police station yesterday. Here were some of the comments I overheard: "Stop that! Your cell-phone ring-tone is bourgeois!" "We need a patrol car to the bottom of St. John's Road. The problem is et cetera et cetera et ceteraaa!" "I met my quota of five-thousand arrests this month." "Ma'am, this kind of charge is bound to get lost. But they do pop up again at amazing moments." OBSERVATION: I have no doubt that one could quickly fill a book. (The police in our area, incidentally, have been winning).

Christmas Packages

It is a great pleasure for me, at Christmas time, to hand out Christmas "packages" to needy members -- here pictured on my vestry desk this morning. This year, the packages averaged R550 each ($80/€50). While this may not seem like much, it is enough in some cases to pay a month's rent. OBSERVATION: This is funded by a bequest that the Church receives every year. The most typical recipient is a hard-working member who is struggling to survive.

Church Caretakers! [5]

Our Church needed a new caretaker. Being a Church, our leadership wanted to ensure that the new caretaker was of sound character and reputation. A meeting was held with an applicant and his wife (or so it was thought). The question was put to the applicant (ultimately he was appointed): "Are you married?" He answered confidently: "Yes." The question was repeated for his partner: "Are you married?" The answer was: "Yes." However, only after he was appointed was it discovered that they were indeed both married -- but not to each other!

When Information Is Lifted

I had expected my Internet Service Provider (ISP) to get back to me this week with the ultimate solution to my security woes. They did get back to me -- but suggested that I hire a personal security consultant, and consider notifying the police. This afternoon, therefore, I met with detectives, and finally laid charges (see my recent post Cyber-Theft). OBSERVATION: A major purpose here is to protect others from exposure. Now that I have laid charges, anyone who reveals information that I hold faces arrest. The police in the USA are also considering charges -- so far there is a registered complaint there. Generally speaking, if information is lifted from your Church, lay charges to protect those whose privacy or security could be compromised.

Character Traits As Sin

A question in my Minister's Bible Study group was whether character traits may be sin. This was a perceptive question I think, and important, for a number of reasons. Sin is so often seen as a "surface feature". For instance, one might think that one has banished sin e.g. by telling the truth now, or by cleansing one's home. And yet there may be an ocean of sin underneath, which is represented by character traits that take a lifetime to renew. Examples may be e.g. self-centredness, or impatience, or the failure to trust God. OBSERVATION: Such a view would both deepen the reality of sin, and the wonder of justification by faith.

Ruling The Empire

A committee of four (myself included) met tonight with an employee for a "serious talk". It was necessary that we enumerate some faults. But in the case of three out of the four members of the committee, one by one, he turned the charges around 180 degrees, and levelled precisely the same against us. I said to him: "Do you realise what you are doing?" Afterwards I said to one of the committee: "David said his sins were more than the hairs of his head, but he still ruled the empire. We'll do the same." OBSERVATION: This may be a devastating tactic for those who are not familiar with it. But it's one of the things I look out for first.

Indestructible Glass

A stained glass expert came to look at the stained glass in our Church -- for insurance purposes. He said: "A Church may be completely destroyed, yet the stained glass will survive. It happened during the Second World War." OBSERVATION: I'm not too sure of that. And even if the glass survives, it must be a major undertaking to piece it all together again. Also, bombs are not the only hazard. This image of Christ in our Church has chisel marks at the back of it where a thief tried to remove it. Hence the grid which you see behind it -- put in place during my ministry here.

Why Burnout

Ministry burnout has been studied systematically -- but here's a single experience. A minister suffered burnout. Happily, it was temporary. I asked him to jot down the reasons why it happened. Here they are: 1. He was anxious someone would "catch out" his weakness, 2. He felt guilty that he was not performing as he should, 3. He felt he had to "fake it" because he was low, and 4. God Himself seemed like a taskmaster. OBSERVATION: I think this is a classic -- hence its appearance on my blog. The answer to this is that ministry is not about me, and it doesn't depend on me. I am nothing, and I freely admit that. But God Himself does wonderful things through nothing.

Crumbling Stonework [3D]

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It seemed like a good idea 114 years ago -- to build our Church of Table Mountain sandstone. Now it looks a little worrying. Experts have suggested, as I understand it, that we soak the whole Church in plastic. But imagine the cost. Notice -- particularly at the bottom left and top right of this photo -- how the stone has separated from the cement -- and it crumbles to the touch. OBSERVATION: The photo is in 3-D. Lazily squint your eyes until the images overlap and snap together. You may click on the photo(s) for 820k resolution and enhanced 3-D.

Adulation

A woman said to me this morning: "What's wrong with your leg, Father?" I said that I'd had an operation. She said: "You must take care of yourself, Father. Do it because of me. Because I love you, Father. You always tell me to take care of me. Now you must take care of you." OBSERVATION: I was there for her in tragedy -- times three.

Time Lag

There's a strange phenomenon in Churches: members are generally very clever as judges of character, and in assessing situations -- yet they are generally a lot slower than the minister. Sometimes they may be a whole year or two slower. OBSERVATION: I'm not sure that this can be put down to the amount of information people have. I'm not sure what to put it down to. Sometimes this may be a problem, when members don't see what the minister sees -- yet.

Women's Association

Twice a year, I address our Women's Association: at the beginning of the year, and (today) before Christmas. I use it as an opportunity to thank the group (an important group in our Church), and usually as a time to focus on Biblical or Church basics -- "back to basics", as it were. OBSERVATION: You'll see some red hats in this photo. Each year, there's some strange requirement such as this. Today's event included gift giving, hymn singing, pass-the-parcel, and eats -- and a little forward planning.

Tough Weeks

The past week or two were tough. They took it out of me. And in our service last Sunday, I got emotional. I got stuck. There is little I hate as much as drawing attention to myself. Wife M. has bone marrow cancer. Over the past year, she has three or four times declined to a point which is generally considered critical ("panic values"). The strange thing is, she is now some way above critical, yet things have been looking not unlike critical. The photo shows her the last time she made it to Church -- 5 December.

No Two-Bit Operation

One thing about the Church -- I don't approach it as a two-bit operation. I consider that if that's the way one treats the Church, that's what one may get. By two-bit operation, I mean an operation that tends to reckon in terms of people: the values people hold, people-pleasing, how many people we have, how people relate to each other, and so on. But it's more expansive than that. It's far more grand than that. It's as big as God Himself. OBSERVATION: Yet by this I don't mean that it's "cosmic" in its dimensions, as some theologies do.

Children's Bibles

It's been a while since I have reported on Missions and Evangelism in our Church. We decided yesterday to buy fifty children's Bibles for the children of our Youth and Sunday School. The choice fell on the One Year Children's Bible by Rhona Davies from Tyndale Publishers. In the spirit of William Tyndale, it is not merely a "story book" as so many children's Bibles are. It is a straight translation in kiddies' language. Personally, I really like it (especially where King Eglon gets killed).

Bold Scholarship

I have been doing some required reading on eschatology (the Last Things) for my MA. I have learnt so much. I have learnt that Moses lived before Abraham. I have learnt that God became the Creator after the Exodus. The boldness of the scholarship impresses, too. A single citation from 1936. The reassurance that this is "undoubtedly" so.

"Another Time"

There are some days -- occasional days -- where I have a whole string of meetings -- formal, informal, and private. Some of these can be intense. At the end of it, I may not be interested in anyone who's chancing their luck to get another meeting. Recently, two young men had waited for me nearly an hour. I walked past them, and said: "Not today." With hindsight, I could have done better. In my finer moments, I try to stop for everyone, and to say at least: "I'm finished for today. There's a limit to the things I can deal with, you understand? Come again, I'll be happy to see you another time."

Cyber-Theft

Last month I suffered what they call "cyber-theft" -- which was confirmed by experts. However, the experts, without a subpoena, would do little more than confirm it. The realisation dawned on me that I was stymied. This morning, in a meeting with our elders, I shared what kind of information might (or might not) now be "out there". They advised me to give priority to laying charges -- to protect the information. OBSERVATION: However, this is not as simple as reporting e.g. "My TV was stolen." For a similar, but simpler situation, see Criminal Charges.

Pining For Chaos

Last year, I had a Canadian assistant, or trainee (intern, they called him). Here's an as-yet-unpublished shot of him. He wrote to me this week: "I don't know what to do without the chaos of Sea Point [our suburb], nothing else really quite compares." OBSERVATION: However, I have good news for him. In an important sense, I created the chaos -- in the Church, at any rate. So can he, wherever he goes!

The Church Wrecker's Guide

I wrote the Church Wrecker's Guide, which is "out there" on the Internet (a curious title by a minister, I admit). A minister in the USA wrote to me this week: "I wanted to thank you for your observations. More needs to be said on this type of person. When you're the minister in the middle of all this, it can be quite confusing and isolating. Again, thank you, very much." OBSERVATION: The Guide was an inspired piece which however looks unfinished to me. It needs expanding -- and some concrete examples. I think some would read it and say: "Dang, that's what we're dealing with!"

To Flash Or Not To Flash

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To flash or not to flash? In Church, one often needs to take photos without a flash, and not all digital cameras are up to that. Yet even where a flash may be used, I normally don't. These two photos illustrate the point. The photo on the left is taken with a flash, the photo on the right without. The trouble with turning the flash off is that the photo blurs more easily, or contains more noise. OBSERVATION: The story behind these photos is that we received these fine young men into Church membership on Sunday. Our Church Meeting recently appointed both of them as Youth leaders (we now have a team of five). They come from the beautiful city of Pointe Noire.

"No Faith In God"

I told one of our members this week that wife M. had been in decline, and that I wondered whether she would make it (hold out) to a hospital appointment. Our member said: "You are the minister, and you have no faith in God!" I said: "We need to draw a careful distinction here. There is faith in outcomes, and there is faith in God. Faith in outcomes is faith that it will come out like this, or come out like that. Faith in God is to trust in the power and goodness of God no matter what."

Muslim Shopkeeper

Opposite our Church gate, there is a "corner shop". The shopkeeper is a Muslim. Last week he came across the street to see me -- obviously upset. He said: "There was a man dancing in front of my shop! Dancing! Dancing! Dancing! In the middle of my shop entrance!" He said: "You worship in a Church. I worship in a mosque. But we need to work together!" I saw him then talking to security personnel at his shop entrance. I was still on crutches last week, but I hobbled across the street. I told them, in front of the shopkeeper, that I supported the shopkeeper's concern, and thanked them for their help.

Small Sunday School

There was a time in our suburb where, I would think, most Sunday Schools (Children's Churches) closed down. It was simply part of the life cycle of an urban area. Our own Sunday School kept going because of one faithful woman, who is now an Elder in the Church (see also Keep Going). This photo probably shows most of our Sunday School children today. Although they are not many, we do important work with them -- and I feel that they make a vital contribution to the Church, far greater than their numbers. OBSERVATION: Our Youth Group, on the other hand, is very much larger -- yet we have not succeeded in incorporating them in our Sunday worship. But that's OK. We are privileged to have a thriving ministry to the Youth, whatever form it may take.

Do Not Disturb

One of our staff was contentious about a leadership decision (arising from a contravention of policy). A member called me about it. He had told our staff member not to comply with the leadership decision. I said words to this effect: “Apart from the issue, this is causing me trouble that I could do without, and that tells me that this is not an acceptable situation.” OBSERVATION: While the Church does not revolve around my personal comfort, I take some decisions chiefly on the basis of whether a situation is causing a disturbance in the Church (see also Preacher Stand-Off). It's possible that this one will lead to a disciplinary hearing.

Seven-Year-Old's Diary

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I made a very interesting discovery this week -- a diary that I wrote (typed!) at seven years of age (see an entry above). If you ever wondered how much you remember of your childhood, this was interesting. I distinctly remembered one-quarter of my diary entries, and vaguely remembered another quarter -- forty-three years later. I had not imagined that I still carry all that within me.

Performance Anxiety

There is a powerful assumption behind my ministry which I find really does make all the difference. I find this to be a fairly common assumption in Southern Africa -- yet have seldom come across it in the Global North. That is that the Holy Spirit supernaturally transforms even sin-tainted, worthless, and weak efforts on the part of a minister, to make them effectual. This would have something in common with the means of grace in Calvinistic theology. In fact, a century ago, it was not uncommon for ministry itself to be regarded as a means of grace. I agree with that view. OBSERVATION: It is a powerful assumption because, among other things, it removes performance anxiety and self-recrimination on the basis of the Divine.

Contra Linux

I have been using versions of Linux for nearly three years. Linux is presented as the ultimate operating system: its stability, security, and speed -- and lately, ease of use -- with masses of quality, free software. That's all true. However, when that Big Thing happens, as it did to me recently, Linux (Ubuntu) security wasn't up to it, and re-installation failed, with the loss of masses of data. Because I trusted Linux more than Windows, I wasn't ready for that. Not only that. Linux Ubuntu has a fantastic help forum -- supported by Ubuntu. If one has any ordinary kind of problem -- even the extra-ordinary -- one receives almost immediate assistance: try this, try this. But again, just let that Big Thing happen, and one's Ubuntu helpers seem to turn into cowboys: try this, try this -- and one's system, in incremental stages, meanders ever farther from its original pristine condition -- until there is no cowboy left who is able to reverse one out of the mess. In helping me to configure my firewall, for instance, Ubuntu configured me out of the the help forum!

Church Of Joy

Our elder C. took this photo during our Sunday School Prize-Giving yesterday morning. Isn't it a happy photo? That's one of our teachers in the background. I'm putting this one on my blog because I hope it will share some of the reason why I derive continual joy and encouragement from this congregation. But we all derive that from the Lord. Click on it to enlarge to VGA.

Books That Hurt

I am reading various American and European books on how one should do Church. They are required reading for my (latest) postgraduate degree. I said to wife M.: "I'm worried that these books will hurt my ministry." She said: "They won't harm your theology." I said: "No, that's not what I mean. I'm worried that they will dampen my enthusiasm." She said: "As long as you are in the midst of our people, they won't do that."

Salvation Army

Here's a photo of the Salvation Army last night -- tuning up on arrival. It was a more raucous service than usual. A crowd of urban youngsters turned up -- and they are "something else". The Salvation Army asked me if they should invite them to sing a hymn with them at the front. I said that was a great idea but I wasn't sure they'd know any hymns. One of the youngsters immediately grabbed the microphone at the front, and said: "One, two!" From there it all went downhill -- but it was great fun, and they received enthusiastic applause.

Carols By Candlelight

My blog has the subtitle "A Window On Urban Ministry ..." Here's a window (a photo) on our Carols by Candlelight this evening. During my ministry, it has become an annual tradition for the Salvation Army to lead the service, and we love them in every way. I simply open the service and close it. I applied a Retinex filter -- a quick way of "illuminating" a dark scene. You may click on the photo to enlarge to VGA.

Money Pressure

A husband asked his wife to put her signature to the transfer of a very large sum of money. She came to see me. She said that she didn't feel comfortable with it, she didn't understand it -- and she wondered whether this might imperil their marriage. In fact, after our meeting, she stalled in providing her signature, and her husband trashed their home in a rage. OBSERVATION: But she had signing power -- and that is power. I said that, ordinarily, one would respectfully seek consensus as a couple. I suggested that the best way forward would be for both of them to meet with an impartial expert who could put things in perspective. Also, I said that I couldn't see the need (in this case) to press the matter so -- if one had a faith perspective.

Beginning Of The Beast

Ultimately (see previous posts), my office went down under a fantastic on-line attack. If one does a projection of the figures which were obtained among the many times that my logger collapsed under the strain, it was millions of attacks. I hired a technician -- the chief technician of a Pentecostal Church. He stared intently at my computer screen, and said: "This is the beginning of Big Brother! This is the beginning of the Beast!" OBSERVATION: I won't say just yet what he saw, as this is a story still "in the making".

BFO Metal Detector [3]

I realised that one of my most radical designs is "out there", all over the Internet, yet doesn't appear on my own blog. So here it is. Before I appeared on the scene, the simplest metal detectors (even those requiring a complementary AM radio) were much more complex than this. This digital approach was my first "super simple" design -- then I further simplified it with an analog approach -- see BFO Metal Detector [1]. Finally I hit on the BB idea -- a self-contained "super simple" design -- see BB Metal Detector. You may click on this image to enlarge to 170k. See BFO Metal Detector [2] for another coil, which is just as suitable as the one described here, only there's more detail. Happy hunting!

Angels Dancing

I took part, this morning, in a funeral service. There were five ministers present that I could see -- one of them being me. One of these ministers had been present when I performed the "last rites" last week for the dying man. He addressed the congregation. He said excitedly (in Afrikaans): "When Rev. Scarborough served Holy Communion at the bedside, I saw lights dancing over [the deceased]!" He thrust his arms in the air and wiggled his fingers. He said: "It was the angels coming to fetch him! It was the token of God's grace!"

Putting My Foot Down

Yesterday, for the first time since my surgery on Monday, I was able to walk about ten paces without crutches -- gently, slowly. I said to our secretary on the phone: "I am putting my foot down!" But she said that, with statements like that, I was bound to put my foot in it.

"I'm Still Standing"

Wife M. e-mailed me this photo this morning, which bears the caption: "This has been one hell of a year but, I'M STILL STANDING!" OBSERVATION: It was shortly before Christmas last year that M. was diagnosed with advanced bone marrow cancer. A specialist, last month, called her a "miracle girl". I said to the congregation that, if anyone is still wondering when prayers will be answered, they already have been.

Beyond The Tempest

I have been involved, from the spiritual side, in what might be described as a grievous situation which has made headline news. What I have sought to do behind the scenes is to set aside the tempest, and to seek to get to grips with the major spiritual truths that apply -- to do a grand tour, as it were, of Reformation theology, in a prayerful way.

Happy Couple

I spotted this couple standing at the edge of a riot (see Police Under Siege), in a remote South African village. I thought they looked so happy together. I asked them for a photo. I took it into the sun -- but perhaps that adds to the atmosphere. You may click on it to enlarge to VGA.

My First Proposal

My first ever proposal in the ministry (to the Church leadership) was that the Church should purchase a photocopier. It seemed a sure thing for a first proposal, and I had carefully rehearsed the reasons. We had the money, we needed the copier, we were outsourcing -- and then I read out a passage by an eminent Church growth expert on the vital need for duplication. But my proposal was turned down unanimously. It was unceremoniously dismissed. I was traumatised. What had happened? OBSERVATION: Today my proposal might still not make it, but I'd do a few things differently -- and I'd think differently, too. I wouldn't be so formal about it, but would "argue" it in a personable way. Back then I felt that a minister's dignity didn't permit "shop-floor talk". And I wouldn't feel today (as I did then) that the proposal was so important. There are a lot of things a Church doesn't need, to be a Church -- and decision here or decision there, the Spirit does His mighty work. I'd also see more clearly, today, that a decision about a photocopier is dependent on deeper things -- and it's those deeper things that need the work. Ultimately someone else (not me) proposed that we purchase a photocopier -- as if it was their very own idea! -- and we did.

Pentecostalish

I have been studying comparative ecclesiology (different ways of doing Church). Our Church belongs to the so-called Free Church model, and I have described it in the column on the left as "a mix between traditionalist and friendly chaos". However, what has come as quite a surprise to me is that we bear the marks of Pentecostalism through and through -- to a greater or lesser degree. There are just a few notable exceptions, e.g. our de-emphasis (but not exclusion) of tongues, healing, and the dramatic. Commonalities include a) beliefs regarding justification, sanctification, and the Last Days, b) policy regarding the autonomy of the local Church, the priority of the Body, and the priesthood of believers, and c) praxis regarding the Divine presence, an emphasis on lived experience, a flexible liturgy, maximum participation, and indigenous principles. OBSERVATION: One thing about Pentecostalism is: it works -- growing from zero to a quarter of the Church worldwide in a century -- not to speak of the Charismatic movement.

Climbing Companions

For good measure, here's another photo from my "Big Zero Birthday" mountain climb earlier this year. These are my three climbing companions. Behind them somewhere, below, is our Church. In the background is the famous / notorious Robben Island. OBSERVATION: (The V-sign is for Victory -- it has different meanings in different parts of the world).