Tuesday, July 30, 2013
All Aboard
Monday, July 29, 2013
Scrimping
Recently I came across what must be the ultimate example of scrimping in the Church. I was handed an invitation to a service that had been printed on the back of the Government Gazette -- sliced into four -- that is, four invitations per page of the Government Gazette. OBSERVATION: Personally, I hate scrimping in the Church. For me, it signals a lack of faith -- and with a lack of faith, a lack of freedom. On the other hand, a Church wants to be responsible.
Pretty Picture
Consulent Ministry
It's a new week -- and it's the week that I/we (the wife and I) begin a new Consulent Ministry. "Consulent" is a rare word which basically means oversight. And it's something new to me: a small town in the semi-desert, where English is spoken by a minority. The majority language is my wife's mother tongue (though not her mother's mother tongue -- however, let's not get complicated) ... Once a month, we shall travel up to ten hours (return trip) into the Beyond. While I know little about my/our new pastorate, they have been very kind, and excited about our coming, and my thoughts have been occupied with the priorities for a new ministry.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Surprise Package
Today I attended the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Central Cape Town. Pastor Arthur Becker (visiting -- pictured) preached about the Pearl of Great Price. He began with a history of Pastor Jacob Döhne, who through sacrifice, deprivation, and tragedy built up a mission station from nothing -- only to see it destroyed by his own people -- and fled. Pastor Albert Kropf abandoned privilege and position to rebuild the ruins -- only to experience the same. Pastor Becker then drew parallels to Paul. OBSERVATION: He preached a wonderfully simple, thoughtful, powerful sermon -- about how "our priorities change" when we enter the Kingdom of God. For an old man, he was a surprise package I would want to hear again.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
The Loan Of People
Something that twice worked very well in my ministries was "the loan of people". In my first ministry -- a Church Plant -- our home Church loaned the Church Plant a few people to guarantee a minimum attendance. In my third ministry -- a ten-year suburban ministry -- our morning service loaned a new evening service (as best I remember) thirty people -- at least, thirty people committed themselves to attending in the evening. I consider those "loans" to have been crucial -- like the water one uses to prime a pump.
Meadow Theft
Friday, July 26, 2013
Mission Critical English
In urban ministry, I have considered Plain English to be mission critical -- or as close as it gets. This would not typically be the case in suburban or rural ministry. To put it another way: I believe that a lack of Plain English may tip the balance against urban ministry -- although the Lord can use anything. The reason for this is the cosmopolitan nature of urban congregations. OBSERVATION: I myself therefore practiced Plain English in a number of ways. See the next post for more.
Two Cabins
Thursday, July 25, 2013
My First Pastorate
I rediscovered my first resignation yesterday -- written in 1982. My first pastorate was a Church Plant. Here is the resignation, to the members, slightly condensed:
"One-and-a-half years ago, the General Secretary entrusted me with the task of establishing a new Fellowship. This proved to be demanding work, and just over a year ago, a colleague came to share in the task. A new situation has arisen. I have again been entrusted with the sole charge of the Fellowship, as my colleague is retiring for reasons of ill health. To those present, we thank you for a job well done in sharing in the ministry of the Fellowship. Thank you for your dedication and sacrifice. Thank you for attending and for contributing to our Fellowship's existence and its atmosphere."
OBSERVATION: It would seem that the problem was overload, both for me and my colleague. It was a pleasant little Church. The organist, now in her eighties, still contacts me from time to time, as does my old colleague.
"One-and-a-half years ago, the General Secretary entrusted me with the task of establishing a new Fellowship. This proved to be demanding work, and just over a year ago, a colleague came to share in the task. A new situation has arisen. I have again been entrusted with the sole charge of the Fellowship, as my colleague is retiring for reasons of ill health. To those present, we thank you for a job well done in sharing in the ministry of the Fellowship. Thank you for your dedication and sacrifice. Thank you for attending and for contributing to our Fellowship's existence and its atmosphere."
OBSERVATION: It would seem that the problem was overload, both for me and my colleague. It was a pleasant little Church. The organist, now in her eighties, still contacts me from time to time, as does my old colleague.
Half-Ton Pickup
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Gargantuan Task
My wife and I have been tackling the task of moving on from my present ministry. So I set aside the last month to rearrange my life after nearly 20 years. It might seem hard to imagine why, but this was just doable, thanks to God -- with a few loose ends yet to tie up. Now we have set aside the next month for winding up the household (although we have not been idle). I did an assessment this morning. Our house contains more than 120 items of furniture, more than half of them heavy: that is, tables, bookshelves, sofas, and so on. This excludes about 25 built-in cabinets or cupboards, which also need to be unpacked. "Gargantuan" would seem to be the word for the task. OBSERVATION: It all began in the 60's, when crates were packed a world away in the mission -- then stored (and still stored) here. From then on until now the house accumulated goods, for more than 40 years.
A Staff For Purity
I attended a local Church where the men greeted the women by extending to them a staff -- and the women responded by grasping the staff. An elder explained to me that this was in the interests of decency and purity. He put his hand on my arm. He said: "You see, you might touch a woman like this. Next thing she turns, and you touch her like this. That is why we use a staff."
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Calculating Sustainability
Both my MA and MTh studies had much to do with ministry dropout -- or sustainability, to put it positively. Ministry is tough, and so one may expect, on average, a halving of survival every ten years -- or worse, in the case of urban ministry. Here is how to calculate one's average chances of survival in ministry (bearing in mind that my formula is based on US statistics):
. . . . ▪ a = the year you started (e.g. 2007)
. . . . ▪ b = the current year
. . . . ▪ c = b - a (the years you have served)
. . . . ▪ c ÷ 10 = d
. . . . ▪ d + 1 = y
. . . . ▪ z= 2^y (or 2 xy y).
. . . . ▪ z ÷ 2 = e
. . . . ▪ 100 ÷ e = x
x, then, is your percentage chance of survival -- in my case about 11% over all the years, or 26% for my present / outgoing ministry. To put it simply, there is 89% chance that I would now be a plumber or a grocer, etc. OBSERVATION: However, I am not in favour of the notions of "sustainability" and "dropout", in their present forms. Perhaps I shall address that in another post. I myself continue now in a new, consulent ministry.
. . . . ▪ a = the year you started (e.g. 2007)
. . . . ▪ b = the current year
. . . . ▪ c = b - a (the years you have served)
. . . . ▪ c ÷ 10 = d
. . . . ▪ d + 1 = y
. . . . ▪ z= 2^y (or 2 xy y).
. . . . ▪ z ÷ 2 = e
. . . . ▪ 100 ÷ e = x
x, then, is your percentage chance of survival -- in my case about 11% over all the years, or 26% for my present / outgoing ministry. To put it simply, there is 89% chance that I would now be a plumber or a grocer, etc. OBSERVATION: However, I am not in favour of the notions of "sustainability" and "dropout", in their present forms. Perhaps I shall address that in another post. I myself continue now in a new, consulent ministry.
Tesselaarsdal
Alas, Poor Wife
Alas, poor wife. My dear love suffered a nasty accident at work last week -- second degree burns to her wrist. Second degree burns are where the skin slides off. She complains little about such things, and remains cheerful as ever. OBSERVATION: The chemist has been very helpful. With a devolution of medical care in our country, the chemists can be very good.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Academic Pursuits
Recently I blogged that a theological paper of mine was "rejected". Today I pored over the reviewers' notes more carefully. Actually, it was not truly rejected. They could see that I was aiming for "a new proposal rivalling other existing and well-argued approaches" to Christian ethics. However, my paper needed a lot of work -- "considerable revision". OBSERVATION: Usually I summon the will to do the "considerable revision", after absorbing the "rebuff". Much of my writing success has come through persistence. (I share my academic pursuits and labours here partly because this may be useful to others).
Ladybird
Urban Ministry Motivation
Speaking to an urban minister last night, he said that when it comes to urban ministry: "Do it unto the Lord, or you'll run a mile!" OBSERVATION: This is what calling is about. Doing it unto the Lord is also what preserves one from disillusionment or disappointment -- a big problem in urban ministry in particular.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Tesselaarsdal Plot
Thanks to God, wife E. and I took possession of a plot today, in Tesselaarsdal -- the one place on earth we may now call our own. I loved it the moment I saw it, and I was the first of many more to register an interest in it. It has thickets of white poplar trees (the ones that have shed their leaves here) and black wattle trees, a meadow, and a stream running through it (see the photo). Tesselaarsdal is one of the last undeveloped villages within two hours of Cape Town. You may click on the photo to enlarge to 120k. More in a future post.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Chasing Symptoms
I was experiencing swelling in one foot -- yet cause could not be found. This week a specialist took a look. He said the foot was twisting. But why was it twisting? Some ligaments had given in. But why had they given in? The likely explanation was: a classic problem with the nervous system. OBSERVATION: I pretty much overlook such pronouncements. The body is a vessel for achieving purposes, not an end in itself.
Popular Posts
It has always seemed impossible to predict which posts will be popular on my blog. However, it would seem that lightweight posts without any particular significance are good contenders -- and posts which address deep and abiding themes. Apart from my electronics posts, which generally top the charts, Blogger shows my most popular posts as (in the last month) Women Workers, (in the last week) Gardens Presbyterian, and (in the last day) Universal Sundial.
Händel's Organ Music
I much enjoy Händel's organ music -- I find it both very inventive and very peaceful. Here is an extract from his (click here) Water Music as an example, on Youtube -- with a brief introduction by Diane Bish. Händel's music is not dull like Bach's -- with apologies to Bach fans (I suppose there must be some, somewhere). But I am more familiar with Händel in echoing cathedrals -- I miss the echo in this recording.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Universal Sundial
Spiritual Riches In Diversity
In ministry, I have sought to achieve a diverse spiritual input in Sunday services: old and young, male and female, rich and poor, new believers and mature, an even-handed cultural mix -- as well as input from the wider (outside) Church. What goes largely unseen, though, is the considerable thought and effort that is required behind the scenes to achieve this. There are all kinds of things that play into many hit-and-miss efforts. OBSERVATION: What this is about, above all, is being spiritually well-rounded -- rather than being PC, which I think has little to do with Church. There are great spiritual riches in diversity -- and, a certain kind of joy. I believe it is crucial to the health of the Church. And not only in Sunday services.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Flashback 1968
Isaiah 29:20-21
For the ruthless will come to an end,
And the scorner will be finished,
Indeed all who are intent on evil will be cut off;
Who cause a person to be indicted by a word,
And ensnare him, who adjudicates at the gate,
And defraud the one in the right with meaningless arguments.
Isaiah 29:20-21 NASB..
NOTE: I usually put posts up and am asked (though seldom) to take them down. This one was a case of the reverse: I took this one down (on a personal whim, as I often do), then was asked to put it back up. So here it is again.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Spreading My Wings
I have been finding (I hope) my style and place in transferring my writing to "deeper themes" in theology and philosophy. This week I considered early one morning how I might further reduce my focus of publications -- but with the purpose of successfully "spreading my wings" beyond today's roost. I previously narrowed my attentions to some fifty publications, then about ten -- and in the process (in dealing with a few) got a better idea of "the scene". Here are some of the things which matter to me now: 1. Are they academically reputable? 2. Do they make a comfortable fit with my preferred style of writing? 3. Do they have open access? And 4. are they helpful academically? Will they lend a hand? OBSERVATION: Not everyone would feel the same way, though, on all of these points.
Mali South
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Acting On An Intuition
I was due to do a major financial transaction this week -- a seemingly safe one, with a well known institution -- involving about a third of my total means. As a habit in ministry, I have routinely sought to discern the spirit of a thing -- but the spirit I discerned here was not right. I showed the papers to an independent financial consultant. He said: "Your gut feel is correct. Don't do it." So I took a different route. OBSERVATION: Not that I had a gut feel about the financial aspect of it. I had an intuition about the atmosphere.
Monday, July 15, 2013
The Poverty Trap
In my counselling, I continually come across what is called the Poverty Trap. That is, people are "locked in" to their social status, and are unable to escape. However, I find that this works all the way up and down the social strata. "Where is your ID?" Poverty trap. "Show us your credit card." Poverty trap. "You need R10 000 combined salary." Poverty trap (so to speak). "Send us three years' IT3B's." Poverty trap. OBSERVATION: Much of this may be, or may seem to be, justified. However, the reality is, there is a Poverty Trap, and it may be powerful.
Salt & Pepper
Sunday, July 14, 2013
D-Grade Phone
I was counselling a couple recently when she pulled out a Blackberry. I said to her husband: "Do you have a Blackberry, too?" He said: "No, I have a D-grade phone." I said (pulling out mine): "What's a D-grade phone? Like this?" He said: "That's not even a D-grade phone." OBSERVATION: Mine is elegant in its simplicity.
Gardens Presbyterian
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Adversity In Advice
This is an intuition that I have about ministry -- I believe it would be true. I have done a lot of pastoral counselling (that is, thousands of sessions), and have found that, particularly if the counselling has dealt with -- call it deep guilt -- then this may convert into anger against the counsellor between about one and three years later. However, this is by far not always the case (see Special For Life). OBSERVATION: Here I think there may be big differences in pastoral counselling and clinical counselling -- but so much for one post.
Thundering Elsewhere
I received a note yesterday from a man who served as Consulent Minister during my present / past ministry in my absence: "We have just heard ... that you have resigned from Seapoint. I am really sad to hear this as you had a very successful and Spirit led ministry there for many years ... We will continue to pray for you as you take this next step in ministry and thunder in some other part of Capetown in your three wheeler diesel. We have one near us and it is the noisiest machine that I have ever heard on the road." (See similar comments on this blog -- I shall graciously reserve comment on the three-wheeler)!
Friday, July 12, 2013
About Fallacy
I find that a frequent problem in academia is fallacy. The fallacies may be so subtle that nobody picks them up. Here are some simple (non-academic) examples of fallacy, so that one may have an idea what fallacies are: 1: The chances that there will be a bomb on my flight are one in a million. The chances that there will be two bombs on my flight are one in a billion. Therefore, I shall be safer if I take a bomb on board. 2: If the Mayoress had personally watered my garden, then my garden would not have died in the summer heat. My garden died in the summer heat. Therefore the Mayoress is personally at fault. (She is! Or can you disprove this?)
The Manse
This must be the nicest impression I have of the manse, where I have lived for most of my life. That's my Mahindra three-wheeler in the driveway. My future address is already known, although occupancy lies yet in the future (watch this space). You may click on the photo to enlarge.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Ya Win Some Ya Lose Some
I had a theological paper rejected today. Basically it was thought to be too "preliminary" -- or I might say, a pastiche -- although there sometimes is a place for that. Also, it was thought to be conceptually "false". OBSERVATION: Yet with regard to the concept, I trust my instinct. In 2011, I received a response to a paper, about a concept: "Absolutely not." However, in 2013 the same concept was accepted and published as avant garde, and is now popular. Academics rejected it, academics accepted it.
Infidelity
I have counselled many couples for infidelity or (more commonly) peccadillos. Typically, those committing the sin will not look past the sin in itself, or the risk of STD's. In reality, however, the unthought-of consequences are legion, and beyond what could be foretold. And this is where my post shall end, so as not to strike terror into people on this fine sunny morning in Cape Town.
Monday, July 8, 2013
From A Successor
I received many messages and calls on my resignation -- and visits and invitations out. This message (right) has a special significance for me, as it comes from the man who is now Senior Pastor of my old Church -- posted here with kind permission. You may click on it to enlarge.
Synagogue Director
One of the more flamboyant characters of our area was ex synagogue director Ian H. Maltz, Esquire. He and I were friends -- I even built him a metal detector once. This was his business card (pictured). I am told that he left for reason of "one or more of the above" (click on it to enlarge).
Design Philosophy
I was discussing design philosophy with an acquaintance this week. When designing electronics in particular, my style has always been: just do it. I find that many people want to have the perfect idea before they go. I have taken an intuition and 1. first proved the concept, then 2. refined it. So I have first sought any result at all from my experiments, then pushed the boundaries. When I designed the battery-less wind-up torch / flashlight in 2000, I got just three seconds of light out of the first prototype. This said to me ah, it will work. The design which is soon to be published in EPE Magazine (see the previous post) will provide half an hour's reading light off 10 seconds' wind.
FET Regulator
FET regulators are elegant devices which keep output voltage steady while input voltage drops -- yet they are as much an art as a science to develop. Everyday Practical Electronics (EPE), a British magazine, is soon to publish a design of mine -- a battery-less Wind-Up Torch / Flashlight -- at the core of which lies a FET regulator. This regulator took me weeks to develop. OBSERVATION: In fact, I first developed this torch / flashlight for the Americans, years ago -- but there is a difference in what the Americans and the British appreciate. The publisher shouldn't mind that I show the block diagram above -- it doesn't "let the cat out of the bag" as to detail, and might awaken interest in the article.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
St. John Anglican
This is a fish-eye view of St. John Anglican Church in central Cape Town. It is a warm and friendly Church -- usually far fuller than this -- I am guessing that the winter school holidays / vacation affected attendance here. OBSERVATION: I was late, and said to two sidesmen on the steps: "Taking a smoke break, are we?" They took me quite seriously: "Oooh no no no."
Anselm Again
I am pleased to note that, in less than two days, my article on Anselm has skyrocketed in the rankings. This in spite of there being "an enormous literature on the material". I am not (yet) the acknowledged author -- the article is so far attributed only to "Thomas". If one Googles something like "Restatement of Anselm's Ontological Argument", it beats every other restatement there is. OBSERVATION: Son Matthew calls me a laatlammetjie -- in Afrikaans, a lamb born after the lambing season. There are quite a few of those, though.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Hedgerow (Beautified)
Anselm's Argument
Friday, July 5, 2013
SMS Advertising
History Unearthed
Packing books today -- of which there are several thousand in my home -- I came across a history of my old Church St. David's Congregational. It closes with the close of my ten-year ministry at the turn of 1993 / 1994: "Every major task we have set our hands to in the last 10 years has succeeded. All new groups, all new services, and all new financial undertakings have been blessed by the Lord." Then follow a few "people statistics": Church attendance increased from an average 45 to 150 (200+ peak), and the Church roll increased from 98 to 172 families. OBSERVATION: Yet interestingly, more than half of the original 98 families were lost over ten years. (I am now more "guarded", though, about what was achieved during my ministry there).
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Reviving A Netbook
A month ago I plugged Puppy Linux into my six-year-old netbook computer. Puppy Linux is often used to revive old computers. Here's what may be reported a month later. My netbook is again compatible with large, high-resolution external monitors (see the image). It is again compatible with today's Internet. And I like the way that one can click on that orange "target" button, and Puppy Linux is ready with all applications and files to unplug, put in one's pocket, and conjure up on another computer. Puppy Linux is good enough for me to continue to use it a month later. I find that it has a few limitations, though: its standard software repository is modest, its file system is a little awkward, its residing in memory has both pros and cons: it may mean extraordinary speed, or it may become sluggish -- and it may not work with recent hardware.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
My Resignation
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Women Workers
Monday, July 1, 2013
Christ Or Jesus
There are two ways that the Christian leader may view Jesus Christ: as the object of faith, or as the model of leadership. Prof. Martha Stortz makes the distinction between faith in Christ and imitation of Jesus. Dietrich Bonhoeffer made the distinction between having faith and seeking sainthood -- and he wrote: "I would rather have faith." OBSERVATION: Stortz points out: "The demands of an ethic of imitation promise burnout" -- and I think she is right. Christian leadership author Leighton Ford (the brother-in-law of Billy Graham, and Honorary Life Chairman of Lausanne) saw the problem. He wrote in his well known book of 1991: “How can the leadership of Jesus be good news for us? If we are not what he is, then is his leadership not a model of despair?” (It was an unanswered question in the book -- he and I incidentally corresponded over his leadership approach).
Shoelaces
Since my boyhood -- since I started wearing shoes (I was in the mission, without shoes) -- people have told me that I ought to tie my shoelaces. I have pointed out that my untied shoelaces have never done me any harm. However, yesterday I finally got into a spot. I jumped into my three-wheeler and slammed the door. All the controls -- decompression, clutch, throttle, and so on -- are hand-controlled. Only the brakes are foot-controlled, and the hand-brake out of reach while driving. I had slammed the door on a shoelace -- and when I needed to brake, I was in trouble. It was with difficulty that I pulled my foot from the door to work the brake. OBSERVATION: So children, be good and tie your shoelaces ...
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