The hardest night of my ministry thus far

Shortly before New Year I visited some members of my new congregation in hospital.

One particular lady stood out: Feisty, full of beans, and with a delightfully wicked sense of humour. She spoke about how she hates hospitals (a sentiment I share wholeheartedly) and wanted to go home. Of the three I visited that day, she was the one I expected to see in church the next time I preached at St George's (which is tomorrow).

To my surprise I received a call on Thursday evening from one of the stewards, who informed me that this lady had undergone emergency surgery and had been moved to intensive care. However, nothing in his voice conveyed any indication that things were critical, so I told him that I would visit him the next morning (which was yesterday).

When I got to the hospital, I don't know which one of us was more shocked to see the other - her, because of the sight of me in short pants (I spent yesterday moving cupboards around and putting up notice boards in our church's new offices, which would have made long trousers and Tupperware rather uncomfortable), or me, as I saw her with an oxygen mask and more tubes than I normally see under the bonnet of my bakkie! Still, even though the mask hindered her speech markedly, she still sounded upbeat as she told me the nature of her operation.

I prayed with her, and promised to visit again next week.

However, just as I was about to crawl into bed at about 10 last night, I received a frantic call from the steward: "The family's here at the hospital - we need you". Still hot and sticky, I got dressed and got down there as quickly as possible.

When I arrived, we shared a short time of prayer with the family while we waited for the nursing staff to finish what they were doing, and then we were called in. I sensed immediately that something was not good because normally the hospital only allows two visitors into the ICU at a time, but this time the nursing staff insisted that the whole family be present - nearly 20 of us in total. The nursing sister then told her husband those dreaded words: "We've done all we can - there's nothing more that we can do", and a number of family members broke down in sobs. It took every fibre in my being not to break down with them in their grief, since after all, as their minister they were looking to me for strength and comfort.

But it was when the machine's pulse indicator went suddenly from 81 to zero that we knew that it was all over. And that's when I really experienced the power of God in people's eyes as her husband said goodbye to her in one of the most moving prayers I have ever heard anyone pray. The other pastor who was present (representing a number of the children who were members of his congregation) and I then joined together in a prayer, committing her to the open, welcoming arms of Jesus.

We then left the hospital and went home with the family, where I shared a few words based on Jesus' last moments on the cross, followed by a time of prayer.

I'm still not sure how I managed to ride home shortly after midnight, as my thoughts were in turmoil. Once again I felt completely useless as a minister, for nothing that I said would bring back their beloved wife, mother, and friend. I only pray that my prayers, words from Scripture, and my presence were a source of comfort to a hurting family who, although they firmly believe that she is in heaven with Jesus, will understandably grieve at her passing.

I'm finding out fast that much of ministry is (a) extremely difficult, and (b) involves just "being there" for one's congregation.

Buddies!

Here is a pic of my son James and I sharing a "father / son" moment in my little flat in Uitenhage. Doesn't he have great taste in clothes? Man, I'm going to miss him SO much...

"We have come to worship Him..."

My first "official" service at Emmanuel Methodist Church, one of the two congregations forming what we refer to as the "Northern Societies". This morning's message was about the Magi who were led by the star to see the baby Jesus.

I had fun blowing one or two misconceptions out of the water, such as the fact that the Bible doesn't actually say that there were THREE wise men. Sure, we may sing the Christmas carol "We Three Kings", and there were three different gifts mentioned, so we tend to assume that the number of visitors was also three.

But the whole point of my message, which was based on Matthew 2:1-12, had nothing to do with whether they were three, or men, or wise - the point was their purpose: "Where is the One Who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east, and we have come to worship Him".

I challenged the congregation with these six words: "We have come to worship Him". Why do we go to church? Unless "we have come to worship Him", we have wasted our time.

Anyway, I thought I would also share some pics of the Emmanuel church building with my fellow bloggers...

This is the inside of the church. I would guess that it holds about 200 - 250 people. This morning it was about 80% full. Not bad for this time of the year!




















Here is Emmanuel from the outside. Straightforward and functional - just like a good Methodist Church should be!




















Check out this pulpit! By the time I had ascended it, I was so high up it felt like being back in Joburg!

2009 Lectionary

MCSA%20Lectionary%202009%20-%20preliminary%20%282-page%29.pdf

As promised towards the end of last year, I am once again making the Lectionary available in a 2-page format. If you have one of those fancy photocopiers that can do back-to-back, you can have the full year's lectionary on one page - far more convenient than lugging a ?Yearbook around with you.

Speaking of which, I haven't received my 2009 Yearbook as yet (I'm not sure whether they are available or not - they could well have already been posted out, bit I'll only know next week when our Church office re-opens). I have based this one on the Revised Common Lectionary, which the MCSA follows. However, there may be one or two minor changes, which I will check once the new Yearbook is out. In the meantime this one may be of use to ministers and Local Preachers in preparing their sermons for the next few weeks.

I can however guarantee that January is correct, since it was taken from the 2008 Yearbook! (hee hee)

Happy New Year!

May 2009 be a blessed year for all of you!

(Click here for a special New Year greeting)
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Reflecting on Christmas

I have been trying for the last three hours to reflect on what Christmas 2008 has meant to me, and it has proved to be a most difficult task.

The major change this year has been being in a different place to previous years, having already relocated to my Phase One station in Uitenhage. In previous years Christmas has always been an "at home" affair for my family, and it's not since our honeymoon some 17 years ago that my wife and I have spent Christmas anywhere but at "home".

I need to however place the word "home" in perspective. For my wife, son, and mother, "home" is still going to be Joburg for the near-foreseeable future until such point my moves become less frequent than they are in the early phases of probation. Yet I am somewhat torn in my sense of "home", for if home is meant to be where the heart is, then in family terms "home" will be in Joburg, yet in ministry terms "home" is here in Uitenhage - for the next year, at least.

The other thing that seemed a bit strange this year is that for so many years my local church has been like the pub in "Cheers" - a place "where everybody knows your name". While I have already met quite a few people since arriving here about 2 weeks ago, for the most part my presence at the two services we attended yesterday were punctuated by "who's that" and "is that the new Phase One" being heard around the sanctuary. While the minister who conducted the services did introduce me, I am just a guy with a piece of Tupperware around his neck to most people at this stage.

I've also been extremely slack with presents this year. While my Mom was easy to buy for (Il Divo has just released a CD), and I took the easy way out with my son by giving him some cash (towards a book, a Nintendo Wii game, or whatever), I haven't as yet got anything for my better half!

Last night I had a weird dream involving mostly friends from school. It's as though subconsciously I have re-wound my life 23 years, as I try to put my life into some form of perspective. While many of those school friends would have known that I wanted to become an accountant (one of whom was responsible for the pineapple brew that I refer to in my blog profile), very few know that I have entered the ministry. I would wager that most would probably be shocked!

Now I'm sure that most of you who have stayed with me thus far in ploughing through this post must be asking: "Well, okay, he's a minister, therefore presumably he's a Christian, so where's the 'spiritual bit'? No quotes from Scripture, or lengthy discourses on the Christmas Day sermon?" Well, to be honest, this year it hasn't really "felt" like Christmas to me, probably because of all the changes that are taking place in my life right now.

But one of the things that was mentioned in yesterday's message is that, unlike the words to "Silent Night" may seem to indicate, all was NOT calm when Jesus came to the earth. A young woman becomes pregnant, and despite her child having beeen conceived by the Holy Spirit, she would still have had to deal with the taunts and stigma of one who became pregnant before her wedding day. Then the government decided to conduct a census, forcing the young family to travel just as Mary's pregnancy reached an advanced stage. Then, as she was about to give birth, Bethlehem resembled Durban Beach on New Year's Day and there was no room to be found for love or money. The barn in which the baby Jesus was born was probably not the serene image presented in most nativity scenes - cows, sheep, and goats are NOT the quietest creatures around! Then to add insult to injury, Herod reacts to the perceived threat to his earthly throne in the most dramatic way possible by issuing an order to have all infant boys killed, resulting in another relocation (this time to Egypt)!

So for me, the message of Christmas 2008 is not "silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright" (although I normally love singing this carol). Rather, this year Jesus has once again made Himself real to me by showing that in the midst of chaos and turmoil, that's the moment that He chooses to reveal His presence. Just over 2000 years ago, this presence was in the form of a humble child, born into chaos, to become not only the greatest teacher the world has ever known, but also "the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world".

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for being there in the midst of chaos.

Vee-double-you-an-mee...

No visit to Uitenhage is complete without taking a trip to the Volkswagen factory, and particularly their stunning museum. Admission is however ridiculously expensive - R5 for adults, and R2 for kids and pensioners (great value for those of us on a Phase One stipend!).

Here are some pics from Veedubland...

Check out this cool 50s-style roadhouse, where you could get an "Elvis Burger" for R1.50 if the place was open...

















This 1972 Beetle was kept in storage by its original owner, before being purchased for the museum by VW South Africa. It has a geniune 931 km on the clock. My offer of R10 000 was turned down...
















Check out this cool beach buggy. I gotta get me one of these!


















Camping in a Volksiebus


















Q is NOT going to like this...