Babysitting, flexibility and life. If you can't bend you may just break.

I had a little revelation yesterday, nothing too profound, just a thought.  You know, life is a lot like babysitting!  

One of the struggles that we have encountered in our move this week is the fact that I am pretty useless when it comes to unpacking, moving things, and carrying anything around.  My crutches leave me rather helpless in the department where husbands normally excel...  So, my saint of a wife Megie has been bearing the brunt of getting us settled into our new home.  Together with that Little Liam has been rather unsettled for the last week and a bit.  It is quite understandable.  We have been stressed, and babies are quite sensitive to that.  But, over and above that, he has watched his whole world get packed into boxes, his movement has been restricted, his regular patterns and habits have been disturbed and he has had to spend quite a bit of time being told that he should not touch this or that, and not go here or there.  The long and the short of it is that I have done my best to keep him occupied while Megie tackles the boxes.  Liam doesn't seem to find me nearly as interesting (or useful) as his mom!  When he is with her he is quite happy just to be on her lap or hip.  When he is with me, however, he needs to entertained!

We have a number of 'props' and toys that keep him occupied.  However, I have come to understand that his attention span is about as short as that of his old dad.  Every few minutes the activity needs to change, or otherwise he goes off in search of his mom!  What keeps him occupied now will not necessarily keep him occupied in 5 minutes time.  Flexibility and novelty seem to be the keys to successful babysitting!

Well, that was the source of my revelation.  

Here I am a 36 year old doctoral graduate who has spent his adult life in ministry of one form or another (except for some time as a conscript in the South African Army, and far too many years at University).  Mid life for contemporary males is 36 years old (I'm not sure if you've ever done the Math on this!  They say that the average age at which a relatively healthy, white, South African Male dies, at this point in time, is 72 years old.  Divide 72 in half and you have 36, my exact age.  Mid life....)  Mid life is an extraordinary time!  It has caused me to reflect on what I spend my hours and days doing.  The previous 36 years have passed like a flash!  Sure, there have been very many incredible, rewarding, life altering, consciousness raising, Christ loving, moments... But boy it has passed way too quickly.  So, what shall I do with the next 36 years (which I hope to live to the full...  I should make it to 72 years old if I don't ride my scooter to often...)?

That was when I realised that flexibility and novelty are key to getting the best out of life and living.  Sure, one needs stability, and one must capitalise on what one knows (it would be stupid for me NOT to do something in theology, science, ministry etc.)... But, within those parameters one needs to have COURAGE to dare to do new things, and FLEXIBILITY to be able to role with the changes.

If you cannot venture with courage you will quickly become stagnant and stale.  And, if you cannot be flexible you will very quickly break under the pressure of an ever changing life.

How courageous are you?  How flexible and open to change are you?  These might just be two keys to greater fulfillment and blessing life!

Thinking outside the box... It sure changes one's perspective on life!

Well, our removal company arrived at 17h00 yesterday to offload our 'stuff'... They were supposed to get here in the morning but they were running late. So, once they had squeezed the truck into our driveway they started the process of unloading our belongings (even my BMW 650GS and my Vespa were on the truck). They left at about 21h30. So, today we start unpacking.

There is something comforting about knowing that all of one's possessions are in the house (even though they're boxed ans wrapped). Last night Courtney and Liam slept on their beds, Megie and I slept on our mattress (there was not enough space for our bed among the boxes).

It's another lovely day in paradise!

Here's Liam in a box. Thinking outside of the box helps, but keeping a 16 month old in a box while one is trying to unpack helps even more!

Happy to be home!

Here's little Liam enjoying our new home!

We had such a lovely 'send off' at the College on Friday - I will miss my friends (both staff and students) so much! It feels quite strange not to be at Chapel at 7h15 on a Tuesday morning. I have been thinking about the college all morning. In my prayers I have asked the Lord will take care of everything that needs to be done for the sake of the students, and also to help lighten the load that Neville, Dix, and Ruth will bear until they find a replacement to fill my post.

Our farewell service at Bryanston Methodist Church was also very emotional! I cannot tell you how much I will miss our family there. That community has left an incredible impression upon us! They loved us, showed us such acceptance and care, and helped us to develop our discipleship of Jesus. It is truly a remarkable Church. I was constantly amazed that I should have the privelage to minister there.

Well, now we're back home! We had 6 incredible years of ministry here in Somerset West (a year of which was spent in Stellenbosch when I was doing my doctorate there). As we drove through Stellenbosch last night it just felt so familiar, so wonderful to be back!

Today our belongings will arrive just after lunch and the big job of unpacking will start. We will take a break just before sunset to take a walk on the beach (well, I'll sit on the side... My crutches don't cope too well on beach sand! Ha ha!)

We've arrived!

We arrived in Somerset West this evening after a pleasant drive from JHB. We left Bryanston where we stayed for the weekend with Megie's sister, at 4h00 and arrived in Somerset West at 21h30. That's a 17 and a half hour drive (if my tired brain is doing the Math correctly)! My friend Pete Grassow was an absolute star! He drove my car most of the way, I only drove for about two hours from Richmond to somewhere just past Beaufort West (when Pete drove Megie's car so that she could have a little sleep). It still amazes me that we have such a dear friend who would fly to JHB in order to help us drive back to Cape Town! Thank you Pete! What would we have done without you! Your willingness to serve, your care, kindness and friendship, are such a blessed encouragement!

When we arrived at our new home in Somerset West our friends Andre and Michelle Boer were waiting for us! This was another incredible expression of care and love! They had made a bed for Megie and I to sleep on this evening, and another for Courtney to use, there was Pizza, tea, coffee and some coke, and a whole stack of bright baloons! We feel so much at home already.

Tonight I give thanks to God for safe travels. I give thanks for my wonderful wife Megie and all her hard work, dedication, and love. I thank God for good friends such as Pete, Andre and Michelle. I thank God for our new home. I thank God for new opportunities, and for the blessing of all that is past! I thank God for the students and staff of John Wesley College, and for our family and friends at the Bryanston Methodist Church - we are loved so much more than we could ever deserve! Thank you Lord!

Now, it's time to sleep! Tomorrow the removal truck arrives and we start the job of unpacking our stuff! More news and pictures to follow soon.

Thanks for all your love and prayers!

Somewhere between Richmond and Beaufort West

We're on the road to Cape Town today! This photo was taken in 'middle South Africa', somewhere between Richmond (a one horse town where the horse up and left), and Beaufort West. Surprisingly it is quite green out here. They must have had some rain recently. That is my good wife, Megan's, car in front. My good friend Pete flew up to Johannesburg to help us drive. Right now he's driving with Megie and Courtney and myself are in my car. 600 km's to go!

Goodbye Pretoria, hello Cape Town!

It is a lovely day in Pretoria today! As you can see from this picture. The weather is great, the sun is out, and there is just a gentle breeze to keep the heat at bay. Today we say goodbye to Pretoria and begin the move to Cape Town. It will be a gradual move since I have a wedding and a final service in Bryanston on Saturday and Sunday respectively. So, while our belongings hit the long road today (1419 km's to be exact), we shall only follow on Monday.

Pretoria has been a fantastic city in which to live! The weather is great, there is a lot to do, it is very green, there's lots of space, and within a few minutes you're out in the countryside. Sure there are some issues with safety and crime (we had an attempted car hi-jacking in 2004, a 'smash and grab' in 2005, and two break ins (even though we live right across the road from the 'Scorpions's (South Africa's version of the FBI) headquarters). However, there are much worse areas for crime and safety in Gauteng (and the Cape), for example the East Rand where we have a friend who has endured 4 car hi-jackings in the last few years).

I will confess, however, that we're looking forward the beauty of Cape Town. The weather is not quite as temperate (jokingly, Cape Town is like a baby - if it's not wet, it's windy!), but the scenery is great, the beaches are fantastic, the mountains are breathtaking, and we have many, many, good friends.

It's moving time!

Yup, it's moving time. We are so fortunate that the removal company is packing for us (a first time experience)! I feel quite helpless on crutches - but at least we know that all of our belongings are safe, and will arrive in Somerset West (Cape Town) safely. I have felt quite tense about the whole move simply because we are normally all packed about a week in advance. However, by last night our home had only 3 packed boxes! Today it's a different story as you can see.

Well, seaside living, mountain air, and of course, the 'mother of all cities' - Cape Town.

The Body of Christ loving itself through its members...

I cannot imagine how persons in contemporary society cope with the pressures, demands, expectations, disappointments, struggles - and of course the joys, celebrations, and events of thanksgiving - without being part of a Church community!

Yesterday I posted about how low I was feeling as our move approached, more and more just seemed to be piling up, and we needed support, encouragement and prayer. The response to that call for help was amazing!

I had a number of encouraging text messages and emails, quite a few phone calls, and some wonderfully practical offers of help! Thanks Juan and Mark for your willingness to help us with Wendy!

Some (who shall remain nameless by choice) put us in touch with a very kind (and gentle) lawyer! So, he (the lawyer) phoned the managing agent of the complex that had decided we could not bring our little dog Wendy to simply request copies of the constitution and rules and regulations - no veiled threats, no pressure, just a request to see what the current legal position was. Within minutes the very difficult woman who had been so rude to Megan changed her mind about our little dog! It would seem that there was no authority to deny our request, and that her rude and dismissive demeanor was uncalled for.

SO, praise the Lord, Wendy the dog gets to go to Cape Town with us!

Moreover, I got a phone call from the Managing Director of Volkswagen SA's office to sort out my car... At last! So, when I get to Somerset West it will be taken to VW there and hopefully rectified once and for all!

Two things have struck me in this process:

1. Why is it necessary to revert to calling on 'the big guns' to get things done that should be done as a matter of courtesy and common decency? Has our recognition of our common humanity (and the miracle that every person, regardless of race, title, standing or position in society, is created in the image of Almighty God!) been so eroded by greed, selfishness and abuse that we forget to treat one another with dignity and care? I wish for God's Kingdom of 'eternal Shalom' (a peace that passes all understanding), where we can be truly human with one another. A place where I don't have to be 'Doctor Forster' to get things done. A place where we don't have to call a lawyer just to ensure that we get treated just and fairly. A place where trust and common decency means that you don't have to go the managing director of a firm to get something fixed that you have already paid for. I long for that Kingdom. And, because I long for it, I shall work for it! Matthew 6:10 says "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". Now that's something I can live for, that's something I can spend the rest of my days doing!
2. The second thing that I realised is that until this perfect utopia comes to pass, I shall certainly need some support and care! And, of course, I shall need to offer support and care to those who suffer under the imperfection of our common reality. There is a line in one of the prayers of the Walk to Emmaus spiritual directors' handbook which says something like "Today you have witnessed the miracle of the body of Christ loving itself through its members...". Anyone who has been a spiritual director more often than me will certain know the prayer well. It expresses what we are experiencing, and what we have experienced today - the love of Christ, through the body of Christ!

So, thank you. Thank you sisters and brothers for your prayers, and for your practical care. Tonight I rest with an easier heart.

Tomorrow the removal company arrives to pack our home and my office... Then, on Monday we drive to the promised land! A land where there is plentiful rain to keep the grass green and the vines growing. A land where the is plentiful wind to blow away the germs. A land where the scenery is breathtaking, and where God's Rugby team (the Stormers) play Rugby. A land that has the 'mother' of all cities and the 'flattest' of all mountains - Cape Town, here we come.

Technorati tags: lawyers, Christian Love, The Walk to Emmaus, Cape Town, gratitude, thanksgiving

Lord, please give me a break! No, not one like that...

Today I had to take a few minutes out of the last minute rush around as we prepare for our move to Cape Town to pray a short little prayer - I simply prayed 'Lord, please give me a break'.

I can tell you that Megie and I are feeling quite stretched at the moment.

Moving is a stressful enterprise at the best of times, but when you have one partner in the marriage on crutches, and one child in the household with special medical needs, moving takes on a whole new dimension. I have to pay loving tribute to Megan, my ONLY wife of 14 years. She has taken up the slack, borne up under the pressure, and ensured that between having me in hospital, and Liam with his 4th bout of tonsillitis in as many weeks, we are ready to move when the removals company arrives on Thursday to 'deal with our belongings'.

Today, however, we received another bit of running interference... A month ago when we signed the contract for the home that we shall be renting in Somerset West, we followed the complex rules, as stipulated by Aida properties, so that we could have our pet doggie 'Wendy' with us. The rules stipulated that one may have one pet dog (tick), not too large (tick), and that one must apply in writing (tick), and have the permission of the owners if one is a tenant (tick). Everything was sorted out for our new (temporary) home. You see, even though we own a small townhouse in Somerset West, we cannot move into it ourselves. First, because SMALL is the operative word in the description 'small townhouse' - the small townhouse in question only has two bedrooms (we are four persons), and it has no garage and only space to park one car (we have two cars, a Vespa (praise the Lord), and a BMW motorcycle). Second, we could not move in there because we have a tenant, a good one at that, who lives in the small townhouse.

So, we sought a place to stay, turning down many cheaper, and more suitable complexes and free standing houses, in order to find a place where we could keep our little doggie Wendy.

Today, however, a very obnoxious managing agent told Megan that our request had been summarily denied, and that tenants are no longer allowed to have pets in the complex (the right to a single dog is only open to 'owners'), and that this rule had changed a year ago (even though the contract that they leasing agent had supplied us gave us the full procedure listed above). The contract that we signed clearly stipulated that we were allowed to have our dog if we applied for her, which we did. Moreover, to tell us on Tuesday, when we move on Thursday, that we cannot bring out pet is simply heartless!

Sometimes I think that we (and I include myself in the collective 'we') forget that rules affect the real lives of real people... Compassion, just a little compassion.

So, I prayed 'Lord, please GIVE ME A BREAK!' I feel helpless. I cannot carry a box, drive a car, or even walk without crutches because of the 'break' to my leg... I feel like I have been getting a lot of 'breaks' like that lately. I need encouragement, help, and solutions.

Tonight I shall have to tell my 8 year old daughter that we cannot take our dog with us to Cape Town... Then, in the next 3 days I need to find a good home for Wendy. I don't know how I am going to do it? 'Lord, please give me a break!'

Oh, and did I mention that my car which has been back to Hatfield VW too many times to count (for the same electrical fault) broke down on the way home from Church last night...!?

We've already been enslaved by technology... Is this the future?

The fact that you're reading this post means that you are in some way compromised by technology! I can bet that if you're reading a blog you also do internet banking, own a cell phone, drive a car (perhaps use GPS), and communicate via a 'social network' (like facebook, myspace, or twitter). I'm also fairly certain that you rely on your digital television broadcast for entertainment. Some of us book our flights online, keep our diaries up to date, and even keep track of our social lives online... Except of course when the power goes out...

Yup, if you're anything like me there is no sense in denying that your life is ALREADY largely given over to technology that makes things easier, faster, and more orderly. However, I guess there is a fine line between using technology to help one, and giving technology more authority and merit than it should have over our lives (as this humorous 'Onion' video shows!)

Have a blessed family day! Don't switch on that computer, cell phone, mircowave oven, TV, car... Heck, just live in the Northern Suburbs of JHB, Eskom will ensure that you are completely technology free... I guess there are SOME blessings to power outages in Southern Africa! ;-)

Technorati tags: technology, human slaves, The Matrix, Load shedding is GREAT, Eskom

A Johannesburg sunset! I'll miss Jozi... Here's the annoucnement about our future ministry.

A blessed Easter to all!

The wonder of Christ's resurrection has such rich and blessed consequences for us all! I shall be preaching about these tonight at Bryanston Methodist Church (my second last service at BMC).

Of course we know that we can trust His promise that our sins are forgiven, we can know with certainty that we share in His gift of eternal life, and we can have the joy or participating with Him in sharing the gift of newness of life with others. What could be more blessed than knowing that we have true life, that this true and blessed life is intended to get better and last for eternity, and that we have a purpose in life - not only to be blessed, but to find ways of bringing blessing to others! It makes life worth living!

A quick not about the photograph in this picture. Yesterday we had a 'family event' in Johannesburg. Megie's cousins, aunts and uncles, all came together. There were 30 adults and a horde of children. It was wonderful to be together as a family! We caught up with people we should never have lost touch with, and we also had a chance to say our good bye's. This picture was taken from the porch of cousing Jackie's house in Northcliff - I shall miss to Jozi skyline! Although, I do look forward to living on the slopes of the Helderberg mountains with a sea view of False Bay in just over a week! Cape Town (well, Somerset West), here we come!!

The theme of 'new beginnings' runs throughout the Easter message. Easter was a new beginning for our Lord, it was a new beginning for his disciples, and of course it meant a new beginning for all of history and creation!

The Forster family (Megan, Courtney, Liam and I) are also facing a new beginning in just over a week's time! On Thursday this coming week Biddulphs removals will be coming to pack up our belongings. I have a wedding at St Stithians school in Johannesburg on Saturday, on Sunday I shall preach my final sermon at Bryanston, and then my good friend Pete Grassow (an absolute SAINT of God) will be arriving on a 5pm flight to drive to Cape Town in my car (Megie, Courtney and Liam will be in convoy with us in Megie's car) - as an aside, I cannot tell you what friendships such as those with Pete mean to me! It was a real concern to know that we have two cars to get to Cape Town, and I am still on crutches unable to drive (although I have driven to the office this last week - but that is just one gear change (500meters)). How wonderful to know that we have friends such as these! Thank you Pete!

So, what are we heading for in Cape Town? Well, here's a copy of the email that we sent to the Methodist Ministers email list. It explains it all:

First, let me wish all of you Christ's richest blessing this Easter. I pray that your Church's services, and other ministries, will be filled with depth and that many will come to know the love and blessing of our saviour through your ministry during this season of Christ's passion.

Second, I wanted to write a brief note to express my gratitude to the MCSA and EMMU, and share some news about my own ministry going forward.

Some of you may have heard that I am moving from John Wesley College and the Education for Ministry and Mission Unit at the end of this month (March). My moving is a matter of choice, and is motivated by a sense of calling to move in a new direction in ministry. The move has been in the pipeline for about two years now. However, the decision to move was made in December last year. I have not been able to talk about up to this point since the pastoral commission for secondment
first had to run its course. That is done, and so here is some news.

I have had the privilege of serving our Church as the dean of our seminary for the last 4 and a bit years. This has been a time of incredible growth and learning for me and I am grateful to the Church for trusting me with the responsibility of forming our student ministers. I pray that I have left some small (positive) mark on the
lives and ministries of a few of those wonderful servants. I have many fond memories of my ministry in EMMU, and of course as with any position, there have also been some struggles and hardships. I wish the Unit and the Church every blessing and success with the new Seth Mokitimi seminary, and trust that we will go from strength to strength as we train our ministers for effective, Christ led, Spirit empowered, ministry in Southern Africa. I am grateful to Neville Richardson, Dix
Sibeko, Ruth Jonas, Mantso Matsepe, Victor Tshangela, Charmaine Morgan, and Sidwell Mokgothu - each of them has been a blessing to our Church, and a great encouragement to me, over the past 4 years. The small team that makes up the full-time EMMU staff does an incredible amount of work under fairly trying conditions. When one considers that almost half of all of our active ministers in the MCSA are ministers in training, one can begin to understand the importance of
this critical task within our Church's ministry.

I must also express my thanks to the clergy and members of the Bryanston Methodist Church where I have been a member, and had the joy of preaching (almost weekly), for the past four years. I shall so miss BMC - it has been a source of incredible blessing and growth. It truly is one of the remarkable Churches in our denomination. We have much to be proud of!

From the 7th of April I shall be starting a new chapter in my own ministry - I will be working with the International Transformation Network (and particularly closely with my friend Graham Power, a Methodist lay person who has developed a remarkable ministry in recent years) based in Cape Town. My ministry will entail working in three primary areas:

1. Working among business and government leaders throughout the world, "building prototypes of transformation in government, education, business, communities, cities and nations across the world." - http://www.itnafrica.com/

2. With Church leaders and among local Churches in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe in the Global Day of Prayer, helping to foster prayer based ecumenical transformation and healing. Specifically helping the GDOP to further transition from a single day event towards an ongoing process of healing and transformation (i.e., helping to capitalize on the relationships and co-operation in communities, that arise from planning the single day prayer event, to set up community based projects that address the greatest needs in that context,
particularly focussing on projects that bring about healing and transformation such as HIV / AIDS work, economic empowerment and development, reconciliation, etc. - http://www.globaldayofprayer.com/

3. Assisting in the facilitation, and participating in the run up to the next Lausanne Conference on World Evangelism and Mission that is to take place in Cape Town in 2010 - http://www.lausanne.org/ This is the third time that this conference has met since 1974, (first in Lausanne in 1974, then in Manilla in 1989, and next in Cape Town in 2010).

Together with this I shall also continue to write (please keep your eyes and ears open for two very exciting books that Wessel Bentley and I have worked on that will be launched by SYNOD this year!) The first book is a challenging theology of Wesleyan and Methodist Mission (among the authors are Dr Stanley Mogoba, Bp Gavin Taylor, Rev KK Ketshabile, Rev Kevin Light, Rev Gcobani Vika, Prof Joan Millard (Jackson), Rev Peter Grassow, Dr Sol Jacob, and myself...) Second we
have a book that seeks to address some of the 'hot topics' of our context such as the same sex debate, issues of women and feminism, lay ministries, issues of the environment, youth, African interpretations of scripture, leadership and succession in the Church, creative approaches to worship, mission and postmodernism... (among the authors are Rev Mantso Matsepe, Dr Wessel Bentley, Rev Ruth Jonas, Rev Debbie van de Laar, Rev Mogomotsi Diutwileng, Rev John van de Laar, Rev Madika Sibeko, Rev Sox Leleki, Rev Kevin Light, and myself...). We hope that both these books will be available by SYNOD this year! So please do keep a lookout for these great books by our own ministers and theologians! It is my intention to continue with such projects that will enrich our denomination and scholarship in Southern African Christianity. Please keep an eye on my website http://www.spirituality.org.za (see the 'books and resources' section) for information on future publications.

Please could I ask you to keep the Unit, the College, and our family in your prayers as we face the changes that lie ahead?

So, that's our exciting news! I can't tell you how excited we are about the ministry opportunities that lie ahead! I asked to be released to do this ministry two years ago and was not given the freedom to do so. Now, at last, the time has come! It will mean a fair amount of travel (throughout South Africa, Africa, and the world). I start with a trip to Israel in May. Please could you pray for my healing and swift recovery! I need to be able to walk without crutches by then!
As for Megie, Courts, (and of course Liam) they are so excited about the move back to Somerset West. Somerset West is a very special place for us - not only is it the city in which Courtney was born, it was also our home for 6 years when I was a minister at Coronation Ave Methodist Church. We have many close friends in that area, and many wonderful memories of our time there. We shall be renting a house to start with (even though we own a small town-house in Somerset West), and then depending on how our finances work out we would love to be able to buy a more suitable family home.

So! That's our news! It is incredibly exciting and a most incredible opportunity! Thanks for your patience!

A sucker for punishment... editing a paper on Greek Grammatical inconsistencies in John 1:1...

I have been a research associate and lecturer in the Department of New Testament at the University of Pretoria for some years now. I shall continue to serve in this capacity even once I move to Cape Town at the end of this month.

One of the roles that I perform is to edit the academic papers and books (see for example this book on John's Gospel that I edited for Professor van der Watt last year)... Since the majority of the scholars at UP at Afrikaans speaking, my role is to read their books and articles and do a language edit (fix up the grammar, add nuanced English language that picks up on the subtlety of the English vernacular). However, it is not possible to do so without paying attention to the whole of the article or book at hand - most often this requires quite a lot of Greek and Hebrew!!

Now, my Greek is not too bad... I have taught Greek for a few years in the past, and of course teaching a subject is the best way to learn it... But sometimes it does become a little daunting.

Take a look at what I am dealing with this morning....

Lord help!