Fixed (sort of!)

I've managed to sort out the problem, although I'm sure there's an easier way to do these things than to re-create the entire template...

Help! I've broken something on my blog!

It seems that when I removed the Google Ads from the blog, I deleted something else as well, resulting in the sidebar being pushed right down to the bottom of the page.

Can any "blog-savvy" folk out there tell me how to fix it?

Some light reading...

I've recently read quite a cool book by John Martin called "Curate's Egg", which is aptly titled given the origin of the term from which the book's title was taken.

According to Wikipedia, the expression "a curate's egg" originally meant something that is partly good and partly bad, but as a result is entirely spoilt. The phrase derives from a cartoon entitled "True Humility" originally published in Punch on 9 November 1895, depicting a timid-looking curate taking breakfast in his bishop's house. The bishop says, "I'm afraid you've got a bad egg, Mr Jones", to which the curate replies, "Oh, no, my Lord, I assure you that parts of it are excellent!"

The book, which is a collection of anecdotes from various probationer ministers concerning their early years in ministry, is aptly titled in that contrary to the idealistic view of ministry held by many candidates (myself included until fairly recently), many a "rude awakening" lies in store for the unwary probationer. The female probationers, in particular, seem to have a rough time of it, citing ongoing battles against prejudice towards female clergy - not only from members of the congregation, but (sadly) mainly from their male colleagues in ministry.

There are however some amusing anecdotes, particularly where probationers make a hash of things. I can particularly identify with the young curate who got the words of one of the liturgies mixed up, as one day (to my acute embarrassment) I got two of the lines of the Lord's Prayer switched around. Somehow I never seem to have this problem when singing it - maybe because we tend to sing it a lot slower, perhaps, thereby allowing my brain to keep up?

Going back to the title of the book, the original interpretation of the expression seemed to be that an egg cannot be "artly" bad, any more than a woman cannot be a "little bit" pregnant! However, the modern meaning is more along the lines that the "excellent" parts of the egg compensate enough for the "bad" parts to render complaints inappropriate. I would like to think that in ministry (as in all walks of life), the "excellent" parts more than compensate for the occasional "bad egg", and this view is reflected in the book.

Certainly none of the contributors thereto felt that ministry was so "bad" that they would rather do something else, although one or two needed a change of station in order to move forward.

The most gratifying part of the book for me was the realisation that ministers make as many mistakes as "ordinary" people do - a huge relief for me, given the number of mistakes that I have made in the course of what was actually quite a successful career in accounting and financial management. I will no doubt make many more during the course of my ministry, and I pray that, like in many of the anecdotes contained in the book, the "powers that be" to whom I will serve under in the Methodist Church will show understanding, care, and the occasional "flat hand to the side of my head" as I discover how to fulfil this awesome call that God has placed on my life to minister in His Name.

"Curate's Egg" is apparently out of print, although Amazon.co.uk does seem to be able to source some second-hand copies.

Reflections on the year ahead

In previous posts I have shared my excitement and gratitude to God for the fact that I have received a posting for Phase One, the first part of my training to become a minister of The Methodist Church of Southern Africa.

But make no mistake - next year will bring major change for me, and I'm not only talking about the fact that my initial posting to Zwide was changed to Uitenhage. As an aside, apparently this is a fairly common occurrence in the MCSA as stations are juggled between Synod and Conference each year, and according to colleagues, things can still change after Conference. One colleague even mentioned the possibility of the removal truck turning left instead of right, indicating that the "powers that be" have changed their minds once again (that one surely MUST be an exaggeration?!).

But more seriously, the biggest adjustment will be leaving my family behind in Johannesburg. This has been an extremely difficult decision that my family has had to make, but a necessary one given that my 10 year-old son is currently in Grade 4. Since probationers can be relocated as much as four times in five years, it doesn't take rocket science to understand what a disruptive impact this would have on James' schooling.

While my new Superintendent was somewhat taken aback when I informed him that my family wouldn't be joining me next year, understandably he is in no position to offer me any guarantee that I will remain in one place during my entire probation. Still, the upside for the Circuit is that they will be able to rent out their four-bedroomed manse for next year, since I will be occupying their one-bedroomed flat during my stay there. At least I will, in this way, be "paying my way" as the rent will hopefully cover my stipend and other costs as a Phase One rather than this having to come out of the Circuit budget.

I also understand the Church's concern regarding ministers who are separated from their families, and are looking at ways to reduce this phenomenon. In the case of probationers, there is no easy answer to this one since serving in different congregations and contexts is an important part of our training. It is also unknown whether one would be going to college in second year, since while it is the stated aim of the MCSA to make residential seminary training a core part of a minister's probation, finances do not (at this stage) allow for all probationers to attend college and many would complete their full probation in Circuit appointments.

For that matter, I'm not sure if all probationers would necessarily want to go to college, and it seems that the older you are when candidating, the more reluctant you would be to go. One of my fellow candidates has already expressed her reservations about the possibility of being sent to college, and if I had to be perfectly honest, I too would prefer to remain in a Circuit. This is probably because I'll be turning 40 next year, and given that I have a family, the idea of being a full-time student at this stage of my life has limited appeal.

However, this does not mean that I am anti-college per se, and I'm sure my attitude would be far different if I was 20 years younger. Still, if the MCSA decides that I am to attend college in 2010, then so be it - my promise before Synod that "I will go to whichever Circuit I am sent" must include ANY station if it is to be real - even including college!

But that's still some time off. My immediate concern is getting through 2009, becoming used to life as an "appie" minister, and - most challenging of all - living without my family. Thankfully I have been blessed with a two-month contract from my former employer, which came totally out of the blue. It pays well, and will allow me to put aside some money to supplement my income from next year. Probably a fair chunk of these funds will go towards bus fares for my family to come and spend some time with me. James already wants me to teach him how to surf (although with my double-left-footed sense of balance, that could be rather interesting!).

It'll be a bit like bachelorhood all over again, which is probably not the worst thing given that I'll be working in a Circuit, studying, and attending lectures. But make no mistake - when you've been a husband for 17 years and a father for 10, you get quite attached to those special people God has entrusted you with, and being apart is going to be tough!

And I'm not talking about the domestic tasks such as cooking, washing, and cleaning, either - these things I can do, and if all else fails, there are places where you can get your clothes washed and ironed, and your belly fed. Drive a broom or vacuum cleaner occasionally, spritz some furniture polish once in a while, and generally keep the place tidy, and that side will be reasonably sorted. But chatting to my wife on Skype is not the same as whispering "sweet nothings" in her ear, and "electronic hugs" sent to my son are no substitute for the real thing.

Ah well ... at least there are school holidays to look forward to!

Google Ads - not one of my better ideas

If you are reading this post, you will probably notice that the "Ads by Google" pane is no more.

I could no longer reconcile myself to the idea of advertising items in French, losing weight, possibly sending readers to spam sites, and the like. The only ad I ever saw that was remotely Christian was a somewhat persistent one for Rhema Church Cape Town.

I also "made" the grand sum of 11 US cents from the few ads that were clicked on (Google does not make payments of less than $10, apparently - fair enough, given the admin involved).

So that was an experiment that did not quite turn out as I had hoped. Live and learn, I guess...

Crash! I'm not superstitious, but...

Apparently there are two types of people who ride motorcycles - those who have already fallen off, and those who are still going to fall off one day.

Last week, I found out the hard way that my trusty Vuka doesn't like loose gravel. Thankfully I wasn't going too fast, and my right knee and elbow managed to save the bike from any serious damage. There is also no permanent damage to me either, but dropping to one knee to receive Communion this past Sunday must have looked a little strange to some of the people (a strange initiation ritual for probationer ministers, perhaps?).

Anyway, I've finally bought myself my own piece of tar, so now that I've got that out of the way, I can get on with my life...

Still going to the Eastern Cape, but a slight change of plan...

My first reaction when informed "unofficially" that I have been stationed for 2009 was one of absolute delight that I have in fact been stationed. "Where" doesn't matter, since after all it is only 3 months since I stood before Synod and promised that I would go wherever the Church sends me.

However, I was surprised but pleased to receive a telephone call from the Bishop of the Grahamstown District this morning, welcoming me in advance to his District and informing me that the Superintendent of the Circuit to which I am to be posted will be contacting me in due course.

However, it looks like there is a slight change of plan (I'd been warned to get used to this from the Methodist Church of Southern Africa!). Although I had previously indicated that I had been provisionally posted to the Eastern Cape, I did not specify where as it was not yet official. I had originally been earmarked for Zwide, according to my "unofficial source" here in Jo'burg, but when the Bishop contacted me, he informed me that I have actually been stationed in Uitenhage.

The map extract is of the Eastern Cape area, with Port Elizabeth being the coastal city. The large blue bit to the south is the sea which, to my 10 year-old son, is all that matters!

This, of course, is still not "official" as stations still need to be confirmed at Conference later this month, but with the Bishop and Circuit Superintendent contacting me for my details, confirmation is getting ever closer...