Which way should I face when I pray?

Which way should I face when I pray?!

This is only the 2nd time in my life that I have stayed in a hotel which shows the direction to face when one praying. The last time was also in Malaysia.

So, the arrow on the roof points the direction Mecca - is that correct?

Even if they call me mad! Keeping it together.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to do many personality profile tests, skills inventories, and aptitude measurement tests.  Of course each one of these has had some form of bias built into it. However, there have also been some common threads that run throughout all of the results.

Let me share some of those here:

1.  I am a people's person.  The Meyers Briggs test suggests that I am strongly extroverted - I get my energy from people (and in my case more people give more energy).  I love being with people!  I love to hear all about them and share myself with them in return.

2.  I am an 'activist' in the sense that I get behind causes and try to get others in joining me to get things done.  Some tests call this kind of personality an 'influencer' - someone who discovers movements, causes or ideas and then influences others to follow the same path.  Whether it is a social cause, an event, an idea or some new technology I am constantly acting like an 'evangelist'.  I am far more likely to see the positive elements of persons, movements and technologies than others, and I will extol those virtues to others.  Over the years I have encouraged people to join Churches, accept Christ's love and grace, use Apple Macs, take up cycling, start blogging, attend events, start writing, fight for causes, read certain books... I'm an activist at heart!

3.  I am non-conformist by nature.  I tend towards the 'thin spaces' in my thought life and choices I am not afraid to be 'out front on my own'.  I know others who feel insecure when they are not understood, or if they feel that they don't fit the prevIling mindset.  I prefer to think, dress, talk, act and live a little differently.  Sure, this can lead to bring misunderstood or judged.  But, it's the way I'm wired!  It has also been a great blessing.  There is much less competition for space where I am!  Most people clamour for the middle.  I have had many blessed opportunities as a result writing, thinking and acting upon uncommon things.  I am thankful for this trait.

4.  Another aspect of my personality that frequently features is that of 'bridge building'.  I often connect people, ideas, groups etc., from very different perspectives with one another.  It is a joy to see new opportunities emerge for others, new ideas come to the fore, and new relationships form where persons may not have connected or met.  It takes some effort to do this - often people distrust one another, or hold such rigid convictions about their point of view, or the perspective of another that it takes some time, grace and effort to facilitate a safe engagement and a trusted space for encounter. But in the end it is worth it.

In short, I have come to understand that part of my ministry - an aspect that runs throughout most of my life regardless of the task I'm performing, the place in which I work, and the persons among whom I work, is this:  I am radically inclusive.

I have a strong desire to bring people together in Jesus Christ - there are none of us that do not require grace.  There are none of us that are free from weakness.  There are none of us who are not loved by God.

And so, while some try to exclude I have discovered that I have a natural propensity to include.  While some try to build up walls, I have a supernatural desire to deconstruct them.  Whether you are liberal or conservative, a proponent of the social Gospel or an evangelical, it doesn't matter, there is enough space for all of us in Christ's love.  

This is something that I can live for!  I'm wired for it!  I am radically inclusive!

One of the things that I have noticed is that we tend towards accepting people who are like us and look away from those who are different.  Liberals are inclusive of those who share our views, whilst conservatives are inclusive of those who share their views.  This is not the way of Christ!  It is only a few steps from rejection the position of another, to rejecting the other.  We have so many examples of this in history from which we can learn.

Even when they call us mad, when they call us subversives and communists and all the epithets they put on us, we know we only preach the subversive witness of the Beatitudes, which have turned everything upside down.
- Archbishop Oscar Romero, an advocate for the poor and marginalized, was assassinated thirty years ago today while giving Mass in El Salvador.

So, I want to invite you to allow the grace of Christ to give you love for those who are different from yourself.  Ask God to help you to love those persons, even as God loves them.  

Today I heard that the President of El Salvador has apologized for the assassination of Arch Bishop Romero.  The visuals of El Salvador showed how this Christian man has inspired Catholics, evangelicals, politicians, and even people of different faiths.  There is something of the Spirit of Christ that is at work through his legacy of love.  I find him truly inspiring.  I first came to hear about Bishop Romero when my friend Dr Larry Kaufman (the head of the Redemptrist order in South Africa) gave me the book 'Romero' when I was doing some graduate study at Rhodes University.  I read it during lent 1996 - it transformed my theology and my life!

Here I am in Malaysia, a different geographical location, a different culture(s), a different climate, and even some different expressions of Christianity - it is my joy to work towards building an inclusive Christian community! [citation needed] ;-) It is wonderful!  Thank you for the hospitality - I LOVE being back in this place among these wonderful people.  

We're here for two days and then head to Singapore for some speaking engagements and meetings, and then to Hong Kong before heading home!!

Seminari Theoloji Malaysia - new friends, learning, and teaching

Yesterday I made a new friend, Rev. Sivin Kit, he is a theologian, and pastor, and to our amazement we found that we have so many things in common! Rev. Kit kindly collected me from Kuala Lumpur at the end of the MPC to bring me to the 'Seminari theoloji Malaysia'. He is a past graduate of the seminary, and now serves as a Lutheran pastor in KL.

As Sivin and I talked I was amazed to discover just how many things we have in common as persons (for one thing we're the same age, but for another we are both avid bloggers! Please take a look at Sivin's blog here: Sivin Kit's Garden. Sivin is also the co-ordinator for 'emergent Malaysia', a network of pastors and laity that are engaged in the conversations of the emergent Church movement. He knows so much more about both the theology, and the ideals, of this movement than I do! What is more, Sivin hosted Brian Mclaren on his visit to Malaysia (I even got to eat in the same restaurant as they ate!) Thanks Sivin for your hospitality, friendship, and patient engagement with me!

The Methodist Prayer Convention ended on a spectacular note on Sunday with a mass worship service of 13 000 Methodists in one of the local stadiums in Kuala Lumpur. This is the first time in the history of Malaysia (a Muslim country) that such a large gathering of Christians has met. The service was wonderful with a diversity of cultures (Malay, Chinese, Tamil, English, and many others) represented both in cultural items and in the liturgy and worship. Bishop Hwa Yung, whom I have come to regard very highly, preached a very challenging charge to us on how we can be faithful to live by faith in challenging circumstances, just as Abraham did. I am greatly encouraged by the conviction, spirituality, and social concern of the Malaysian Methodist Church. It is a very exciting place to be, and of course there are so many wonderful people! I look forward to spending an eternity with these wonderful sisters and brothers in Christ's presence.

Yesterday Sivin collected me to come and do some teaching at STM. A group of 20 or so faculty (for our South African readers, that means lecturers / Professors), alumni, and Masters / Doctoral students, gathered for the day's workshop. I lead two sessions:

• Social holiness as Christian perfection - the Methodist Church of Southern Africa’s (MCSA’s) response to oppression and violence in Southern Africa. This presentation concentrated more on the contextual history of Southern Africa, and traced both the effects of colonialism and apartheid on society, and charted the MCSA's response to these social phenomena.
• An Outcomes Based Education (OBE) approach to equipping clergy and laity for ministries of social holiness (‘A Christ healed Africa for the healing of the nations’). This second session was more practical, examining how the MCSA's training processes have sought to equip clergy and laity for the ministry of 'social holiness'.

If you're interested you can download the Powerpoint slides for the two presentations here:
STM Powerpoint.ppt (6MB).

I was so pleased at the incredible discussion and interaction that resulted from the presentations - it would seem that we share many commonalities between South Africa and Malaysia. Issues of race, discrimination, and of course also the issues of poverty, corruption, systemic and social struggles, and a host of other similarities were discussed.

I have included one or two photographs taken by Sivin. Those of you from South Africa will recognise the photo of me doing the 'buffalo hour' posture - afternoon sessions are pretty much the same the world over! A nice lunch, a warm afternoon, and a droning spearker's voice (that's me) set most people's heads nodding! Ha ha! Thanks Sivin for these great reminders of the time with the group.

I have made some wonderful friends here, Dr Ezra Kok (the principal of STM, who studied New Testament under J Dunn at Durham, pictured on the left of the photo below), Mr Cheeseng Yip (a theologian and business man who is the general manager of the seminary, and my gracious host), and Rev Dr Albert Walters (a past faculty member of the seminary, and now an Anglican Parish priest in KL).

Today I will be taking a trip out to the historic city of Malacca. The grave of St Francis Xavier is still in that city, and it has Dutch, Portuguese, and of course many local historical connections.

Well, it is almost time to come home. I have so missed Megie, Courts, and Liam!!!!

I lave Malaysia on Wednesday evening and fly to Singapore, from there I fly to Johannesburg. Upon arrival I head straight for a meeting with Dean Greg Jones (the Dean of the Duke Divinity school) at our Presiding Bishop's office, and then on to a wedding rehearsal out at Muldersdrift for my friends Doctors Andrew and Susan!

My health is good, my spirits are up, and I am looking forward to being home!

'Merdeka' and miracles in Malaysia

Please forgive me for not posting any updates on my Malaysia visit sooner. Whilst my time in Oxford was busy (starting with the first session at 7am and ending with the last session after 10pm), my Malaysian trip has been even busier! Not only do we start early and finish late, but there is also a 6 hour time difference between here and South Africa. So, I stay up until after midnight to phone Megie, Courts and Liam (when it is midnight here it is 6pm there). The long and the short of it is that I have been capitalizing on my ability to get by on about 4 hours of sleep a night. Those who know me know that 4 hours is just about as much as my A.D.D. body cope with... Anything more than that and I start to feel sluggish.

Well, my time in Malaysia has been remarkable. I flew in via Singapore (which is the same route as I took to South Korea last year). However, the Malaysian Church is so different from the Church in South Korea! I have felt very much at home here. This is not only because of the magnificent hospitality of Bishop Hwa Yung and his team (not to mention that I am staying in an incredible hotel in Kuala Lumpur - the photo above is taken from my balcony and shows the inland wave pool of the Sunway Spa and resort), but also because the Malaysian Methodist Church has such a similar history to that of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. Both our Churches come from Methodism in Britain. Both our contexts have a rich and varied racial spread, and both contexts have significant contextual challenges.

Whilst the Church in South Africa struggles with issues relating to poverty and HIV / AIDS, the Church in Malaysia faces the challenge of being Christian in a Muslim nation. Less that 8% of the 26 Million people in Malaysia are Christian. The Methodist conference at which I am speaking has about 4000 Methodists from the 6 annual conferences, and one mission conference, of Malaysia. Here's a photo of the main hall in which we're meeting for our plenary sessions.

Last night I did my first session in the plenary. It was extremely well received. There is such an openness to the gospel of Christ, and such a longing to see society transformed and renewed to reflect the values of justice, mercy, equity, wholeness and grace, which are central to the Kingdom of God. I had a 30 minute slot (translated from English into Chinese and Tamil) in which I spoke about the Transformation / Global day of prayer movement that combines:

• 10 days of ecumenical fasting and praying for change, renewal, and God's blessing in society.
• a one day gathering (often in large stadiums or churches) where persons gather to pray, repent, and witness to the unity of the Christian faith (there is an eschatological dimension to this of course - having to pray together for 10 days, and having to organise an event at which there may be 30 000 or 40 000 people soon teaches us that we have more in common with each other than what we have a distinctive difference). This event takes place on Pentecost Sunday each year.
  
• 90 days of blessing, ministry, and service that follow the prayer event. Here the Church has an opportunity to be an answer to its prayers. The emphasis is on using the 90 days after Pentecost to try and address some of the practical issues that the community is struggling with (e.g., feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, rebuilding schools, blessing the elderly, building homes for the homeless etc.)
  

I have found a great deal of resonance with the balance between prayer (showing that true life, and new beginnings are ultimately reliant on the God who makes all things new), and Christian social action (showing that as Christians we have the incredible responsibility, and privilege, or matching our personal piety with social holiness - i.e., we need to become the instruments that God uses to bring about change and transformation in society). For me, this is the way in which the Gospel is made real, it relies upon God, yet it expects active human participation in God's mission in the world. Today I will be doing a two hour workshop with 1000 people. I hope that it will convince many of the the balance that is needed between personal piety and social holiness. God is glorified by our devotion to God, and our devotion to God's will for the world.

Yesterday was a national public holiday here in Malaysia - it is called Merdeka day. Merdeka means liberation, freedom, and independence. The Malaysian nation celebrated 50 years of independence from Britain on the 31st of August. The Celebrations outside our hotel where magnificent!! Here's a picture of the fire works that went off at midnight on the 30th. It was loud and spectacular!

I have experienced God's Merdeka among these wonderful Christian people. We can learn a great deal about racial diversity and religious tolerance from our Malaysian sisters and brothers. Of course there are some things that they can learn from us as well.

I always enjoy new contexts, and particularly meeting new people! Here's a photo that was taken yesterday. In it you can see Bishop Hwa Yung (I am seated to his right). Tomorrow the Bishop will lead a service in a local stadium for about 13 000 Methodists. It will be largest Christian gathering of its kind in the history of Malaysia. This is significant in a Muslim country!

On Monday I will travel to STM to spend some time with the academic faculty and students of the Methodist Seminary - I will be speaking on the role of the Methodist Church in South Africa in working against Apartheid, and dealing with violence and oppression in society. I hope to be able to blog some more in the next few days.

Please keep Megie, Courts, Liam and I in your prayers. All four of us have been sick with flu in the last two weeks.

General relativity and time travel, or should that read 'relatively little time, generally, before one travels'?

On Monday I will be making my way to Christ Church, Oxford University, with Prof Neville Richardson. and our Presiding Bishop, Ivan Abrahams, to attend a conference, do some teaching, and deliver a paper at the Oxford institute.

I shall also be visiting our friends at Wesley house in Cambridge (although don't mention either visit to the other party... I believe there has been a rather fierce rivalry since the 13th century!).

To read more about the Oxford Institute you can click here:

http://www.oxford-institute.org/

I return to South Africa for my daughter"s birthday and some important meetings, and then have a chance to speak at a Methodist conference in Malaysia, and to visit and teach at STM, the Malaysian seminary. You can read about that conference here.

These are all very exciting events! I certainly feel unworthy, yet truly honoured, to be a part of such august and distinguished events! I will, of course, miss my family (however, Skype video does help!)

As usual I'll post pictures, podcasts, and thoughts here. So please do check back if you're interested.

In all of my research and preparation for these trips I have rediscovered the truth of Albert Eienstein's theory of relativity - time is truly relative, mostly time is inversely proportionate to the number of tasks one has to do before international travel. Oh well, I'll sleep on the flight!

Be patient with me - I promise to post more content soon! As for the value of that content... Well that's relative i.e., my relatives think it's great everyone else is bored to tears ;-)

Loved and blessing,

Dion (Tshwane South Africa)