This has to be one of the best Simpsons clips ever! It kind of reminds me of 'The emperors new clothes'! ha ha! OK, so who wants a Macbook Air, an iPhone and an iMac... Drop me a line, after watching this video I may just send you mine... I have seen the light! I'm going to get a Window$ Vi$sta machine! I want viruses, I want slow startup times, I want ugly, I want to move from the Mac!
This morning's reflection comes from a a few 'Christmas' greetings and reflections that I was asked to write for various newsletters and publications.
In short, I find it a blessing to be a part of a Church tradition that follows the 'seasons' of the Christian faith (currently we are in Advent, as the video explains). It helps me to be constantly mindful of God's intentional interaction with humanity and all of creation. In particular, I have been mindful of the fact that advent, epiphany, and Easter are all connected to one another through a common, gracious, strand - the saving love of Jesus Christ.
Here's the video:
The text that is mentioned in this one:
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
Here's a sneak preview of my Radio Program for this week on Radio Pulpit: 'Preparing for the coming of Christ' download the MP3 (6MB). It follows the same theme and may give some ideas for an advent talk or sermon.
I would love to hear your thoughts, insights, and feedback. What does Christmas mean to you?
Working in a largely secular environment has been such an incredible joy and blessing! I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to face the challenge of having to "give an account of the hope that lives within me" 1 Pet 3:15. I am surrounded every day by many persons do who not know the peace and joy of being in Christ. And, so it is a privelage to be able to bring Kingdom values, Gospel grace, and the nature and attitude of Christ (Phil 2:5) to bear on the individuals and systems that I relate to.
I wrote some time ago of my 'awakening' to the general view that successful business persons have of the average pastor. It was a shock to learn that I was viewed as largely irrelevant, something of a failure (since I could not provide many of the secular 'proofs' of success (i.e., money, power, status, possessions). It is clear that the measure of a man (so to speak) is quite different in the business world!) I have taken much time to pray about the emotions that this judgement has evoked. First, I faced the pressure to consider changing the values that I hold dear in order to comply with the 'new' value system that was being pressed upon me. But, as I prayed, read the scriptures, and took time to allow God's Spirit to work within me, I realised that I needed to amend some of my perceptions (particularly those that are related to my 'ego' - for example, what does it matter if I don't measure up to the standards of worldly success?), but I also realised that I had a wonderful opportunity to impact, encounter, and gently change the corruption of some of the perceptions of those who judge me and other pastors.
You see, the Jesus I serve, love, and know, does his best to find people in the 'thin places' of life and bring them into the centre. This Jesus is born in a stable, not a palace, he studies a trade, and does not enter a profession, he lives like a pauper, not like a prince, and he dies with the outcasts, not with the acclaimed. There is a sense in which the Gospels portray a picture of Christ (the Messiah, the King, the Lord) as a counter cultural figure... As the narrative of the suffering servant in Isaiah puts it, he was despised and rejected by people:
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isaiah 53:3.
This week I sat in on a number of meetings in which remuneration, leave, and working conditions were central to our discussions. My point of departure was to emphasise that no amount of financial reward can compensate for balance and family. You see there is a difference between opulence and survival. I work among some people who will leave home early and arrive home late in order to make ends meet, but I also know some (and I am one of those) who will spend the extra hour or 'few' to gain more than is necessary (whether the gain comes from a form of financial reward, or the acclaim and recognition of one's peers). I know that the Christ whom I love and serve would never bless a transaction where precious family time is 'purchased' by one's employer!
Of course this does not mean that one is entitled to offer less than one's best at work. The Christian employee should be above reproach in the reasonable standards of efficiency, dedication, quality, and commitment. But, it was a difficult argument to make. As I tried to convince those in authority that perhaps we should re-negotiate compensation in order to allow some greater measure of flexibility for staff to connect with their families there was not a lot of support! But, this is part of my ministry! Christ deserves not only to be glorified and blessed by the persons who love him, but also by the economic and social systems within which they live and work.
I found the little quote below quite challenging...
Lead me from death to life, from falsehood to truth. Lead me from despair to hope, from fear to trust. Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace. Let peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe. Peace, peace, peace.
What a lovely evening! Just look at the view from Courtnet's school field where the Beaumont school children presented a wonderful Christmas carol service. We enjoyed the picnic, the time with friends and family, and the opportunity to be reminded (in a fresh way) of the message of Christ's love. -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Pinpoint, and is believed to be clean.
This morning I reflected on Psalm 139 (esp. vv 13-16). I am still amazed that the God of the whole Universe would find any pleasure and joy in my life! But, this passage inspired the reflection below...
No interesting cars on the way to work today! So what do you think? What is God's dream for your life, and how can you achieve it?
I live a very privelaged life, I am frequently aware of it (perhaps not often enough!) Today, on world AIDS day (the 20th anniversary of this killer disease) I was in Khayelithsa. I left feeling humbled, challenged and encouraged...
Being an extrovert it is not all that difficult to 'live my life in public'. I know that there are some who wish to set up fairly strict boundaries around themselves. I am not in that place. There are various reasons for that... Perhaps one of them is simply that I want to be authentic. I know who I am, what weaknesses I have, what I struggle with, and how I find joy, blessing, and life, in spite of those. It would be untrue to project another picture of myself, and my life, to people whom I hope to encounter in truth and love.
So, today you'll find me a little 'battle weary'. I have been traveling extensively over the last few weeks, and now I'm in final sprint for the finish line. Part of my work, as some would know, is overseeing the work two sizable charitable trusts. Each one disburses fair amounts of money. This is a good thing since it facilitates hope, it supports good works that require a bit of finance to get even better, and of course it also allows for new transforming initiatives to be birthed so that our nation, and ultimately the world, can become reflective of the values of Christ and grace of God's Kingdom. We work very hard to make sure that we are good stewards of what God has entrusted to us, both in terms of the financial resources that we have to share, but also in terms of our influence, time, and energy.
There are so many wonderful projects on the go - just yesterday I received a report from a group that we are assisting in the Boland area who work with children that suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome, two days ago I met with a group of social entrepreneurial projects in one of the poorest communities in the Cape - we are financing the establishment and growth of a number of businesses and social ventures (such as clinics, creches, skills development centers etc.) That same night I attended a dinner for Eagle's Rising, a social upliftment program that takes abused and disadvantaged youths and does restorative work and self esteem and skills development with them to prepare them for healthy integration into the South African workforce. Last night I attended a dinner for an incredible seminary that trains young people for ministry in the visual and communicative arts... It's all good stuff! It helps to change the climate of hope within our nation, it brings renewal, establishes justice, it reconstructs the lives of individuals and communities, and it helps to prevent future abuse, brokenness, and suffering.
In the midst of all of this I have been mediating necessary and destructive conflicts in two 'societies' (that's the name that Methodists use to refer to a Church community) in our area. Since I am perceived to be neutral I have been called upon to facilitate some measure of healing and reconciliation between the communities and their respective pastors. It is a complex, emotional, and disheartening process.
It leaves me wondering why the Church is dysfunctional, yet community organizations (some of which only have very tentative links to the Church) are doing so much good? Perhaps it is the energy of working towards a common cause that give the community organizations the ability to function with very little conflict? Alternatively, perhaps it is simply that the Church fosters real and honest relationships at a much deeper level, and that will naturally lead to real and significant encounters between people (both good and bad)? I'm not entirely sure.
However, one thing that has become increasing clear to me is that there is a strong need to recognise that WORSHIP is no longer the 'sole mandate' of the traditional Christian Church community. Yes, I appreciate how significant it is when Christ loving, sincere disciples, gather together to praise God in song, to be challenged and changed by liturgy, prayer and sacred and symbolic activity... I do pray that it would never end, and that one would find more creative, more engaging, more life changing instances of this!
YET, I am becoming increasingly aware that for many of the Christians I am encountering worship is something altogether different. It is about finding ways of declaring and celebrating God's worth WITHIN the ambit of regular, everyday, life. It takes place outside of the walls of the church building.
It is a little like the relationship between poetry and prose... Poetry is beautiful, it inspires, it has its place. Yet, it is a little removed from the regular patterns of speech. Prose on the other has a strong narrative element, it is much closer to rhythms of everyday life, and so it has an equally valid place and special kind of beauty.
So, during this busy week (with an equally busy weekend ahead) I have tried to practice the worship of prose, as I've rejoiced at the wonderful work that ordinary people are doing in their everyday lives. God has been worshiped as people have cared for mothers and babies, God has been worshiped as young people have been loved, restored, and prepared for integration into society. God has been worshiped as medicines have been dispensed and minds have been opened. God has been worshiped as fields have been built for children to play.
God is being worshiped through work... Here's a little reflection on the way to work. By the way, keep your eyes open for an Audi R8 that enters the scene on the way to the office!
Remember, we need BOTH poetry and prose! I look forward to preaching and sharing in worship at my local Church this Sunday, but, on Monday I look forward to 'keeping the worship switch on'!
Tonight I have the great joy of attending the Pneumatix year end function at Suikerbossie Restuarant in Cape Town. I have done many weddings in this lovely setting in years gone by. Tonight, however, I'm here to celebrate the hard work of Cois, Corne, and their staff. Pneumatix is a seminary that trains young people for ministry in the arts see http://ww.pnxglobal.com I serve as a trustee on their board. -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Pinpoint, and is believed to be clean.
Yesterday I received two very challenging emails. Each one touched my heart in a deeply significant way. So, this morning I set aside my regular devotional material (A guide to prayer for Ministers and other servants from the Upper Room) and reflected upon, and prayed about, these two emails.
I thought I would share them with you.
First, there is an email from one of my past students, Rev Paul Oosthuizen. It was deeply challenging in relation to Christmas and the cholera outbreak right on our Northern border in Zimbabwe.
"A Christ healed Africa for the Healing of the Nations"
I was rereading Sheldon's "In his Steps" and was struck by the poignant moment of a young man falling down in church of hunger an desperation. Are we those who speak of Christ but do not follow Christ. Do we adore Christ as a means of avoiding following him.
Pictures and stories of the crisis in Zim just do not make sense in the light of our Methodist call and vision- many have criticized Mbeki and others for their quiet diplomacy- but looking at the start of Advent and my own preparation for Christmas I have just wondered what kind of silent Diplomacy I practice- my own silent diplomacy with evil, my own selfish self-interest in food and pleasure whilst others climb border fences to access medication and food.
What will it mean to be Methodist this Christmas- can I stand in the pulpit and preach a sermon celebrating Jesus entering this world in human form whilst humanity has become so inhumane and indifferent? I don't know what I will preach maybe I must be silent.
I am a probationer at college about to enter station and there is a sense of impotence in being unable to shape and form a community into a response to this crisis. There is sense that the Mission Congress and Mission statement may well be rendered meaningless this Christmas for me. We have congregations with wallets loaded with Christmas bonus', calenders crammed with leave and I wonder if these resources will simply be used as if we are no different from those we do not proclaim Christ.
Can I ask that maybe each of us this Sunday at the start of Advent just take 5 minutes and open a conversation from the pulpit and wonder with our congregations what a Christian response might look like. Maybe invite our Bishops to co-ordinate a concerted response- rehydration packs cost cents, drips, medicine and doctors a bit more.
Merry Christmas Second, was this reflection from Verse and Voice (the sojourners email daily thought).
Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. - Ezekiel 34:2-4
An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.
Make of it what you will! You are loved, and the end is here.
Tomorrow I fly to Johannesburg for two days of moderating final examination scripts with a colleague from Cambridge (Dr Adrian Chatfield). I feel that the weekends are too short, it would seem, to catch up with my loved ones and friends.
So, the end is near... But, it looks better than I anticipated! Before I fly tomorrow I shall be eating lunch with a few close friends at our home! Friendship, Fellowship and Fine times!
I'm in a pensive mood. It's been quite a year thus far! Lots of great stuff, and a few not so good things (I still walk with a limp!) I am, however, looking forward to a short break over Christmas!
Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 8:27AM 
