Urban Ministry Live And Unplugged

Missions Spending

2012-02-15T06:30:00.004+02:00

At our last leadership meeting, we decided to spend up all of our Missions budget before the (financial) year is through. Several thousand rands will go to each of the following: 1. Sending children to Christian camp. 2. Supporting theological students. And 3. sponsoring devotional booklets. OBSERVATION: A deaconess holds the Missions portfolio on our leadership. She made two recommendations, of which one appears in the list above (her second recommendation may be taken up in the coming year). Our leadership contributed the other two.

Geestelike Gewoel

2012-02-14T07:54:00.005+02:00

As son M. left home yesterday, he said to me: "You need to deal with this stuff every day! Some people only experience it once in their lifetime!" He found it hard to put into words, what he was saying. I suggested that he was referring to (Afrikaans) geestelike gewoel -- a kind of spiritual warfare in which one frequently gets caught in the crossfire.

Flown The Nest

2012-02-14T06:25:00.008+02:00

A month ago, son M. returned from postgraduate studies in Europe. How to manage his homecoming? I said he could stay with me while he got some rest, found his feet, then set up on his own. Yesterday he moved to his own "pad", with the help of my three-wheel pickup (pictured) -- and I loaned him some furniture. I said: "You're in the shadow of The Ritz!" (which he is). He said: "With emphasis on shadow, Thomas."

Precious Research

2012-02-13T12:23:00.009+02:00

I have been floundering, as to what to do with my late wife's research. It is precious research. I have received several rejection slips from publishers (all said it's the economy) -- however one made me an offer out of the blue (I myself rejected that) -- and one invited a submission (I shelved that). Last week, though, something out of the ordinary caught my imagination. I was invited to submit a single copy of her research for display at a Mennonite centennial. If I prepare one display copy, I might as well set up a mechanism to produce infinite copies on demand -- the effort being about the same. I have in mind to commission an African artist for the cover -- something I've done before for my electronics work.

Lllandudno Church

2012-02-13T08:18:00.007+02:00

This is Llandudno Church. Llandudno is a bay about 16km/10mi south of Cape Town. The mountain is Little Lion's Head. Son M. and I tried to climb this once, but were defeated by the "easy" uppermost rockface. The photo is a combination of three wide-angle shots. You may click on it for 120k.

Office Secretaries

2012-02-13T06:38:00.009+02:00

I have had really warm relationships with the office secretaries who were appointed under my ministr(ies) -- our present secretary included. I mean, these relationships have continued to be warm to this day -- we became friends. This has been one of the good things of ministry. There have been a few exceptions -- like the secretary who dropped the photocopier (which is what I happen to remember her for most)! and the secretary who checked out with the cash. OBSERVATION: Why the warm relationships? What comes to mind is entrusting them with their job, and having a larger transparency with them than with others. (And I tried to obey them).

Feeding Time

2012-02-12T12:47:00.004+02:00

This is feeding time at our Youth. Every week, we feed our Youth. Mostly it's just a snack, but they clearly enjoy this time. About once a term (four times a year), we give them a special treat -- and sometimes someone will sponsor something, e.g. pizza all round.

Prediction

2012-02-12T11:45:00.002+02:00

I e-mailed someone a prediction recently: "My leadership articles will be rejected in the USA, but published outside the USA less than a week after I submit." Now the question is, why was my prediction correct? It could be a fluke of course. However, I suspect not. I suspect that it has to do with dynamics within the USA. (The articles are now on the Australian website John Mark Ministries).

How Much Read?

2012-02-11T19:49:00.010+02:00

How much does my blog get read? Possibly 50,000-plus posts a month -- that I know of. But it's difficult to say really, because posts -- even my whole blog -- get fed to places I don't keep track of. Also, statistics vary. According to amatomu.com, my blog receives about 3,500 visits a month. Yet that is more than double of what SiteMeter reports -- which is my public stats. Anyway, one may multiply 3,500 by two for pages read -- which equals 7,000 pages a month. And from that one arrives at the 50,000-plus figure (if a visit runs into two pages, one had to scan fifteen posts before clicking Older Posts).

Llandudno Beach

2012-02-11T15:00:00.008+02:00

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Here's a panoramic shot of Llandudno Beach, about 10km/6mi south of our Church. On the left in the distance is Llandudno Peninsula. One can walk to the end of the peninsula, in part through narrow crevices. That's my friend E. in the photo. You may click on the photo to enlarge to 50k.

"Satan Is Busy"

2012-02-11T06:37:00.003+02:00

Somebody said with reference to my ministry this week: "Satan is busy." Curiously, a minister needs to be upbeat at the same time -- to be a spiritual encouragement to the flock -- and ministers don't always accomplish that, when Satan is busy. Thanks to God, I've survived with my humour intact, more or less.

Youth Powwow

2012-02-10T21:21:00.006+02:00

Our Youth work is thriving, yet we have a significant problem finding supervision that covers the whole event each week. It is a typically urban problem -- our leaders' work hours are unpredictable. Tonight I held a meeting with the leadership. We decided on a kind of fall-back procedure: 1. First appeal to the congregation for volunteers. Failing which 2. draw up a "responsibility roster" -- with a rule as to how to swap responsibility for the event. Failing which 3. scale back the Youth work. The photo shows one of our Youth leaders tonight with prankish youngsters.

Published

2012-02-10T07:56:00.007+02:00

Today my leadership research was published, for the first time in popular form, on a leading Christian website: John Mark Ministries. At the time of posting, it is the lead article there. It was previously published academically in Conspectus. OBSERVATION: The trick was to take a great tangle of research and put it simply in a few pages.

Ostrich Capital

2012-02-10T06:30:00.002+02:00

I took this photo last month in Oudtshoorn, the "ostrich capital of the world" -- about 350km/220mi east of Cape Town. These street sellers were selling ostrich eggs and ostrich feathers in various forms. You may click on the photo to enlarge to 160k.

Down Came A Spider ...

2012-02-09T12:27:00.007+02:00

My friend and I were reclining in my yard this morning when down came a ... mighty impressive bug, and sat down beside her, and induced her to change seats. I believe it is a Longhorn Beetle, although I am not sure which one. You may click on the image to enlarge to 120k.

Trust

2012-02-09T06:31:00.003+02:00

A recurring theme in counselling is trust. How can I trust him/her? What's the proof? I take the line: On the one hand, trust is deeply important. On the other hand, in a sense, one can't trust any human being. But one can trust God. Joseph couldn't trust his brothers. But he could trust God. And so a lot of issues of trust, while they are important, are in a larger sense not that important -- because I trust God's never-failing goodness towards me. OBSERVATION: This post was prompted by a circular I received this week: "When trust is broken, it is the end of the relationship."

Our Suburb

2012-02-08T17:17:00.004+02:00

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For good measure, here's a panoramic shot of our suburb Sea Point, looking east on a moonlit night. Our Church is behind high-rises towards the left of the photograph, in the distance. This is a 15-second exposure. It may be enlarged to 80k by clicking on it.

Time Chewed Up

2012-02-08T13:33:00.007+02:00

I decided to call in at the Church office this morning to plan the Sunday service. If only things were that simple. Lightning had (apparently) killed the Church's electronic sign, could I take a look? And what was happening with my preaching plan? (it did look a bit muddled to me). And my visitation plan? (we put a few things in place). Then someone wanted advice about a wedding. Not to speak of several things besides. My visit chewed up four times as much time as I anticipated. This is typical.

Writing Ambitions

2012-02-08T06:35:00.005+02:00

During the past few years, I have made considerable efforts to transfer my writing to theology and philosophy (from technical writing, mostly). I have had some success, though not of the kind that is really important to me. This year, I am making sweeping changes in my approach: 1. I am writing how I think it should be done (not necessarily to other people's rules), 2. I am aspiring to a blizzard of quantity (so far, producing many times faster than I did last year), 3. I am retreating from cumbersome, formal approaches to publishers (preferring informal routes instead), and 4. By and large, I am ditching my academic advisors (their scholarly wisdom was being rejected just like mine). OBSERVATION: Not that my previous work was in vain. It laid a good groundwork, and opened some doors.

Production Model

2012-02-07T18:04:00.028+02:00

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Most of my electronic designs are copyrighted -- and frequently the copyrights have formed the basis of patents -- but not by me. To put it simply, people take my ideas, and put them into production. They don't need to ask me, as I don't hold any patents. I am delighted when I discover that another of my ideas has gone into production -- and this (above) sure looks like one of mine. The photo on the left shows me playing with a prototype robot I designed and built -- published in Australia and the UK. The photo on the right shows a brand new product -- the PICAXE 20X2 Microbot. Both have independently powered front wheels and a swivel-wheel at the back, both have a bump-bar, and both use a PICAXE microprocessor for control (that is, their "brains" are closely related) -- apart from many other similarities. OBSERVATION: However, the Microbot has added some very interesting options, and the engineering is superb. These are amazingly clever little beasties -- they have a computer inside.

The Ability To "Crash"

2012-02-07T06:28:00.005+02:00

There are some ministers who are blessed with the amazing ability to "crash" as soon as they are tired. It might be seen as a weakness, yet it may be a saving grace. I am one of those who usually should have crashed long before he realised it, although I crash much sooner now than I did in my early ministry -- because, I think, I am more attuned to my "state of being" now, and have a greater sense of God being in my ministry. OBSERVATION: My Canadian assistant in 2009 had the tendency to "crash" much faster than me. I said it might be his saving grace.

Look Of Bliss

2012-02-06T19:17:00.008+02:00

I find that Cape Town's central bus station is a particularly good place for interesting or atmospheric photos. I snapped this woman with a baby last week, picking up her baggage after an all-night journey. What caught my eye was the look of bliss on her face. The photo, taken in low light (ISO 400, 0.1 s) is in VGA if you click on it.

Hair-Raising Ride

2012-02-06T06:33:00.005+02:00

Last month I travelled as a passenger in a car / automobile in the Eastern Cape. We went tearing at 130km/h over 100km/h roads with deep ditches at both sides, dodging any number of pot-holes. There were signs all over warning of stray cows. The car had nearly 500,000km on the clock, and the suspension kept hitting bottom (the car was fully loaded). Stopped in a road-block, a traffic officer knocked on the driver's window, but it couldn't be wound down (we were waved on). I am told, though, that this was not an unfavourable situation, as things go.

Financial Recovery

2012-02-05T21:13:00.014+02:00

Our Church has seen an extraordinary financial recovery this year (that's the financial year, March to February). If we had continued the trend of our first half year, we would miss our budget by nearly 20% this year -- a disaster. Based on the last time I checked, ten months into the year, I doubt that our income will fall short of annual budget. However, it rained on our parade a little -- after a long appeal process, the state decided to tax our Church. But that's another story. OBSERVATION: It was terra incognita this year. We had just lost the minister's wife, the minister himself was "knocked for a six", and the economy was down.

One Year

2012-02-05T10:05:00.001+02:00

Today marks one year since E. and I first discussed my late wife's instruction -- before she died -- that we should get together. E. and I had a two-hour meeting that day. After that, it was several months before we had what one might think of as our first date. Today, E. and I are very much an item. I thank God for the instruction, and I thank God for E. The photo shows E. and me walking recently on a farm. At least, that's our shadows in the sunset.

Marriage Challenges

2012-02-04T18:28:00.003+02:00

Married couples may not dream of the challenges that lie ahead for them. Here's an example. A couple in our Church went walking, and their daughter stepped on a nail. It was a small puncture, and it didn't worry her much. Her mother said they should take her to the doctor. Her father said it was nothing, they should let it be. The girl died, and the marriage ended.

Oldest Church Member

2012-02-04T10:56:00.006+02:00

I went to see our oldest Church member this morning. I asked her whether she had enjoyed her 104th birthday. She said with a smile: "Don't talk to me about birthdays! I've had enough!" The photo shows me congratulating her on her 100th birthday. She was strong then. She is very frail now.

Commentary On Our Church

2012-02-04T06:33:00.003+02:00

I have commented on many Churches on my blog. This week someone pointed me to a blog that comments on mine -- see Happy Easter From Cape Town. Our Church is thought to be "normal". It is "very mixed", yet has "a lot of elderly white people". The minister is described as "very evangelic". OBSERVATION: From an actual count that we did in 2007, our Church was 26% elderly (all races). The term "very evangelic" is intriguing. This surely ought to read "very angelic". (That post has a factual error -- my mother was born in Stettin in (then) Germany).

Snooping

2012-02-03T10:41:00.009+02:00

I have a problem with snooping at the Church -- to the extent that I move more sensitive calls and conversations elsewhere. The problem is awkward to address (and I have sought to address it). Nor is it imagined. For example, I decided to relocate a counselling session from the vestry to a hall, and the snooping relocated.

Lutheran Church Vestry

2012-02-03T06:37:00.003+02:00

Being at a loss as to what to post this morning, here's a photo of the vestry of the Strand Street Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cape Town. I asked our people: Why can't I have a blue velvet divan, to rest my weary bones? Why doesn't my vestry look like this? Our secretary considered: "Yours is more homely."

A Beauty Abstracted

2012-02-02T16:15:00.008+02:00

This one's just a pretty picture. I was sitting opposite this girl at a feast. It had been a long, hot day, and she was ... abstracted. It was difficult to get an undisturbed shot of her, as other children were vying for the attentions of my camera. One can see the blurred fingers of one of them at the top left of this frame. The photo is in VGA if you click on it. See also Young Beauty.

The Focus

2012-02-02T07:08:00.010+02:00

I consider that the Lord is the crucial focus for ministry. It all begins with Him and who He is and how He acts. So last Sunday I preached on Psalm 23 -- and I pointed out that the psalm begins with: "The Lord ..." This coming Sunday I shall preach on the Lord's Prayer -- and I shall point out that the prayer begins with: "Our Father ..." OBSERVATION: Not seldom, this focus is essentially lost in Churches. The focus drifts elsewhere.

Finding My Feet

2012-02-01T21:08:00.006+02:00

I have had two or three ... call them spiritual struggles in finding my feet at work again -- all related: 1. Finding a sense of priority as I survey the seemingly vast number of things I could be devoting my energies to. 2. Knowing how to respond to unexpected things that continually jump into my path. And perhaps also 3. Discerning the level of care required in my work vs. gains in time.

What Is It?

2012-02-01T06:33:00.003+02:00

There was a debate, in the hills, as to what my vehicle was. Was it a pickup? A motorbike? A little truck? and so on. After the discussion had gone round and round a few times, an old man took a three-year-old boy by the hand, and led him down a path to my vehicle. He asked: "What is it?" The boy said: "Go!" -- which was short for "Gogga," the Afrikaans / Khoisan word for "bug". People found it a great joke.

Warrant For My Arrest

2012-01-31T14:43:00.012+02:00

According to different versions of the story I was told this morning, a warrant would be issued -- or may in fact have been issued -- for my arrest this week. This was not my doing -- it came about because authorities lost some papers, apparently between a municipal office and a provincial office. I lost most of the morning seeking to cancel the arrest warrant. Finally a municipal official e-mailed me that the lost papers had been found: "I has given all the information to cancel the warrant". OBSERVATION: If only people would do their job. What was particularly worrying about this is that I only found out about the warrant by chance.

Can't All Be Done

2012-01-30T19:53:00.005+02:00

My first week back at work this year was close to unremitting pressure, with my time mapped out virtually all the way through -- only to deal with the basics. And as I greeted the congregation at the Church door on Sunday, my programme needed to accommodate considerably more. OBSERVATION: Today is my day off, and I haven't thought about how I'll arrange the week to come. It does not look as though it can all be done. At least the Church isn't dead.

Hillsong Sound Level

2012-01-30T06:33:00.009+02:00

My new 2012 hobby is to discover the noisiest Church in town. So I kicked off with Hillsong last night. They are clearly in the championship league. The sound level frequently exceeded 110 decibels, and hit a top reading of 116.6 decibels. But I was seated in the back row -- so looking at the sound sources, and applying the inverse square law, it is safe to say that many congregants were exposed to well over 120 decibels. What does this mean? Firstly, the sound level is staggering. It is (at times) louder than a 747 passenger jet on take-off. Damage to one's hearing may occur within seconds. It is several hundred times the limit in draft provincial legislation PN14. OBSERVATION: My interest here is not a serious one -- it's just a fun new hobby. Let me not discourage anyone from attending Hillsong -- but do take ear-plugs along to avoid near-certain damage to your ears. Incidentally I did an IEC 61672 Class 2 measurement with acoustic C-weighting. My calculated maximum for Hillsong is 122.6 decibels. See also Hillsong Cape Town.

Baptisms For The Elderly

2012-01-29T12:41:00.015+02:00

This morning I conducted several baptisms for the elderly -- a very special occasion (see photo). Where one is dealing with the elderly, one may not necessarily baptise by full submersion. Then a different mode of baptism is used -- still using water -- as was done today. OBSERVATION: One of the candidates said she would come even if she had to be carried to the front. Still she was too weak to make it.

Legalism vs. Piety

2012-01-29T06:34:00.004+02:00

I minister in a multi-cultural Church. With this in mind, I find that congregants of European origin have more of a tendency to legalism, while congregants of African origin have more of a tendency to piety. There is a difference, although I find it hard to put into words. I find also that piety is more often perceived as proof of salvation than legalism is.

African Millipede

2012-01-28T20:36:00.008+02:00

For good measure, here's another photo of a Giant African Millipede, again photographed in the Karoo semi-desert. They may grow to be more than a foot long -- and may be kept as pets, although they often excrete an irritant when handled. A common sight, they are fast-moving creatures. You may click on the photo for VGA.

Death And Resurrection

2012-01-28T12:53:00.002+02:00

I have wondered whether it needs to be regarded as a spiritual law that one's Church and ministry will be saved from certain death, several times, over the course of one's ministry. OBSERVATION: If this is this case, then one surely needs faith in a God of resurrection power. With anything less, all will seem lost -- if not be lost.

Counselling Sessions

2012-01-28T06:31:00.005+02:00

Some time ago I decided to explore what percentage of our congregation I had counselled. I was surprised to find that I had counselled about one-third. Also, the majority of these sessions dealt with life-changing moments. Some sessions were of course just "bouncing things off the minister". OBSERVATION: Therefore I consider that counselling is an important aspect of my ministry, and I give it priority. Perhaps I'll reflect in a future post on the relationship between my training and actually doing it.

Fruit Platter

2012-01-27T19:46:00.004+02:00

My friend E. made a marvellous fruit platter for son M.'s homecoming party tonight (he's back from postgraduate studies in England). Her fruit platter was a smash hit. The proof? It's in the photo.

India 1 | Japan 0

2012-01-27T11:01:00.023+02:00

I was driving my (Indian) three-wheeler on our Main Road this morning. Suddenly a (Japanese) taxi drove backwards -- to pick up a passenger. We collided. The taxi sustained some damage (see the photo), while my three-wheeler's nose section buckled then bounced back into shape. The taxi driver jumped out and shouted: "Why you no hoot?!" OBSERVATION: In fact I did hoot. Why he no turn his boom-boxes down?

Xhosa Booklet

2012-01-27T06:36:00.003+02:00

Our Church recently had an evangelistic booklet translated into Xhosa. Xhosa is an agglutinative language, therefore it tends to have some very long words: angasishukumisa, wawungabalaselanga, obungunaphakade, to give some examples. Not only does this require a lot of hyphenation in our booklet, but even with the hyphenation, justified margins are not practical. OBSERVATION: Personally, I think that when it is ready this will be the best evangelistic booklet available in Xhosa. Xhosa is one of Cape Town's three major languages.

Prince Alfred's Pass

2012-01-26T17:43:00.007+02:00

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This is the little known Prince Alfred's Pass -- a panoramic shot that I took between Avontuur and De Vlugt (or Die Vlug) looking south. I hadn't intended to put it on my blog until someone said how impressive it was -- and this isn't the impressive part. You can see somebody else's more hair-raising photo at TravelPod.

The Purpose Of This Blog

2012-01-26T12:36:00.006+02:00

I have noted on this blog that it is not intended as a Church blog, although I know that Church members do look in. One of its core purposes -- reflected in the left-hand margin -- is that it "may be an encouragement to other ministers". Feedback confirms that it is. This week I received a message from a minister: "I’m constantly amazed at how your daily posts resonate so soundly with me and the varied challenges I face." OBSERVATION: (And where the blog is not an encouragement, it might serve as a cautionary tale)!

Unspoken Fundamentals

2012-01-26T06:37:00.006+02:00

Many things may go unspoken in Churches -- one of them being a Church's fundamental approach to its finances. Most basically, there are two approaches. The first is to say: "This is how things should be financially," and to work the finances to the plan. The second is to say: "This is how things are financially," and to adapt the plan to the finances. The first is the mature approach. The second may represent an abdication of responsibility by the Church, and often goes along with comments e.g. "The minister should recruit more members" or "We just can't afford to pay him / her medical aid." OBSERVATION: Of course, there will be some overlap: to some extent, one needs to take account of how things are and of how they should be -- and then, faith will enter the picture, too. Last week I picked up this envelope (pictured) in a Baptist Church. This is obviously the first approach.

Latest Design

2012-01-25T06:42:00.011+02:00

Yesterday I received the latest (February) edition of EPE magazine. This contains my first electronic design in a long time -- a sensitive, stable, minimalist metal detector. It has a few twists in the tail, among them two unorthodox search oscillators, an uncommon method of heterodyning, and the use of mutual inductance for detection (the Beat Balance principle). OBSERVATION: For those in my home town, the magazine will soon be on sale at the Waterfront CNA. You'll find my name elsewhere in the magazine, too.

But Was It Work?

2012-01-25T06:36:00.003+02:00

It was my first day back at work yesterday, after my annual leave. I sifted through many hundreds of pages of paperwork -- much of it to do with people, tasks, or events which could require my attention. I also perused a good deal of spiritual material in order to gain a picture of how I would approach Sunday's service and sermon. But was it work? It seemed merely to be about work, rather than work itself. It surely was important.

Prayers Answered?

2012-01-24T13:18:00.006+02:00

Some years ago, one of our Church's youth leaders told our youth to pray that they would find a R10 note in the Church garden. Then she sent them into the garden to look. Their prayers were answered -- or so they saw it. OBSERVATION: Needless to say, this incident raises various questions -- one of them being whether God would even make Himself vulnerable to such a situation.

Flower Girl

2012-01-24T06:33:00.004+02:00

Facing the challenge of getting back to work this morning after my annual leave, here is a simple blog post. I snapped this mother preparing her daughter to be a flower girl for a wedding. At the very moment that I took the photo, her mother said: "Smile!" You may click on the photo to enlarge to VGA.

New Hobby

2012-01-23T19:25:00.005+02:00

I decided on a new hobby for 2012 -- to discover the noisiest Church in Cape Town. This will require a (pricy) digital sound level meter with capture and hold, which I obtained today. Any tips re Churches would be welcome. OBSERVATION: Last year, my new hobby was to determine once and for all which is the steepest street in Cape Town (see Steepest Street: Low-Down).

Off Air

2012-01-23T13:12:00.006+02:00

There was an attempt to take down my blog today -- and briefly it was "off air". But now, why not make friendly contact with the author? There's an e-mail address under my Profile. Or one may leave comments on the blog itself. In the past, I have tended to give readers' reservations the benefit of the doubt. Someone commented on this incident, with a smile: "Do they know what else is out there?"

Giving A Patient A Prognosis

2012-01-23T08:20:00.011+02:00

Doctors, these days, are very reluctant to give patients a prognosis -- far too reluctant, I would say. From one point of view, this is understandable, as the time of death is uncertain, and one can easily make a mistake. It is also an emotionally explosive issue. So people not seldom turn to the minister -- as a woman did last year. I said she really couldn't rely on anything I said, and I told her why, but "It could be six weeks, maybe three." She said: "That's a bit depressing." Then she told me that she was getting better. She died four weeks later. OBSERVATION: After the prognosis, I received a lovely welcome from her in hospital -- and while I can't be sure, my intuition is that she was deeply grateful for my prognosis. It can make a big difference in people's lives, for the good (see Predicting Death).

St. John Anglican

2012-01-22T12:17:00.011+02:00

I attended three Churches this morning -- one of them the Anglican Church of St. John in Central Cape Town (pictured). This was well attended. There was a warm spirit, and much fidgeting, whispering, and smiling in the pews. As with many predominantly (almost exclusively, in this case) Coloured congregations, this one had an extraordinary mix of ages.

Burnout And Faith

2012-01-22T06:31:00.003+02:00

In a recent post, I implied that regular rest was crucial for preventing burnout in ministry. In my experience, though, it would be wrong to suppose that this is the only solution, or even the first solution, as some would seem to think. I believe that faith is the first line of defence: faith that the Church is in God's power, and faith that its opponents are under His control. Take such faith away, and one soon discovers burdens one cannot bear.

Hiring A Wife

2012-01-21T22:18:00.008+02:00

In our area, one may hire a "wife". I first discovered this through counselling, when a hired wife left a man -- and left him impoverished and in emotional tatters. OBSERVATION: A fairly affordable full-time wife might cost R10,000 a month (plus upkeep). Paradoxically, a part-time wife -- say weekdays only, or weekends only -- might cost three times as much. This is because the "wife" then needs her own pad.

French Champagne

2012-01-21T06:38:00.005+02:00

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This week I received a bottle of French champagne from one of my publishers in Europe (see the image). It arrived with a letter signed personally by the publisher, several directors, and several unit heads. OBSERVATION: I'm suspecting that a recent design of mine revived their interest in me -- as well as that of another publisher who granted me Super User status in November. (However, as one says in Afrikaans: "Ek het die lus verloor.")

Transvestites

2012-01-21T06:31:00.007+02:00

I met two transvestites last night, separately. The first told me that an ambulance had picked up a friend of his in the street: "His CD count was too low. He was in hospital for two weeks, but he came out looking worse than when he went in." He wished me an enjoyable holiday / vacation. The second said: "You won't believe how many troubles I have, Father." I said: "Who made your troubles?" He said: "Father, please pray for my sex" (I don't know what he meant). Transvestites are a common sight in our area.

Jealous Wasp

2012-01-20T06:32:00.008+02:00

My friend was stung by a wasp yesterday, while we were on a hike together. It was an unusual situation. We encountered this wasp (pictured) -- which had either killed or anaesthetised the spider, and was dragging it on the path. My friend stepped nimbly around this pair, but as she did so, the wasp momentarily left its prey and stung her.

Leave: Exceptions

2012-01-20T06:30:00.007+02:00

I interrupted my annual leave three times yesterday. I weigh up such situations, and seldom interrupt my leave -- yet I gladly made these exceptions: 1. A congregant was dying (she beamed when she saw me, though she could no longer speak). 2. Two members lost their daughter (I found there was faith and peace in their home). And 3. our secretary e-mailed me that we are to have six baptisms of the elderly on my return (I felt that this was so special that I needed to highlight it).

Church "Clock"

2012-01-19T06:42:00.001+02:00

Here's a Church clock with a difference. In fact, it isn't a clock at all. It indicates a few minutes to midnight, and the words beneath it proclaim: "The Lord cometh" (Jude 1:14). The "clock" is to be found on the steeple of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Haarlem, about 500km / 300mi east of Cape Town.

Powerful Realisations

2012-01-19T06:30:00.004+02:00

The death of my wife left me with a few realisations that deeply changed my view of marriage. 1. It is more of a privilege than one knows to love and serve another person, and to receive the same in return. 2. A marriage partner is not merely a second person in a partnership, but becomes a part of one's own being. And 3. there is much more to a marriage than the "surface" things like compatibility. It goes far deeper than that. OBSERVATION: A farmer said to me last year: "Even if you murder your wife, immediately you say, O gaats! What have I done?!" Maybe he knows -- anyway, this post might seem platitudinal, yet the above were great eye-openers for me, and very much stay with me as I find new love. I know now that my wife understood these things long before I did.

Armed Force

2012-01-18T11:24:00.002+02:00

I have long wanted to sneak a photo of a typical South African scene: heavy weapons in public, handled by edgy security guards. I snapped this one over my shoulder from a Wimpy restaurant table -- to which my lunch partner commented that it's for money or photos that one gets shot. This "gun", although he is doing this in a busy public place, is being relatively discreet, as things go -- but see Guns Drawn.

Leadership Is Influence Is Dropout

2012-01-18T06:30:00.010+02:00

Last night I completed a draft of an article for a US website, titled a little provocatively: Leadership is Influence is Dropout. "Leadership is influence" is the simplest summary of the USA's dominant Christian leadership paradigm. OBSERVATION: Is my writing too revolutionary for the USA? We shall see. But there seem to me to be some obvious facts which present themselves: there is massive dropout from ministry in the USA (95% is widely accepted), and there is a dominant leadership paradigm in the USA ("Leadership is influence"). This paradigm operates within the context of such dropout. The paradigm, therefore, has to be implicated in the dropout.

Old Hymn-Board

2012-01-17T11:43:00.005+02:00

Here's an image with a difference. It's a hymn-board of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Haarlem. It looked as though it was as old as the Church itself, which is 132 years. You may click on the image to enlarge to 100k. OBSERVATION: Churches older than about 120 years are relatively rare in South Africa.

The Purpose Of A Minister's Leave

2012-01-17T06:30:00.003+02:00

There is more than one purpose to a minister's leave. It is a time for spiritual refreshment. It is a time for recouping one's physical and mental energies. It is a time to obtain new perspective. It is a time to (idly) prepare for ministry that lies ahead. It usually is a time for study in one form or another. It is a time for renewing contacts which serve to support ministry. It may be a time for alternative forms of ministry. All these things -- and more -- are important. OBSERVATION: Some Churches fail to understand that ministry is energy-intensive -- to the extent that dropout from ministry is extremely high (see Calculating Ministry Dropout). For this reason alone, a minister's leave is crucial. I think, too, that one needs to keep account of ministers' individual temperaments. What is good for one may not be good for another.

St. George's Cathedral

2012-01-16T06:40:00.005+02:00

Last night I attended Cape Town's St. George's Cathedral (pictured). While this has a reputation for liberalism, the Revd. Michael Twum-Darko preached a message that was packed with Biblical content -- describing in both grand and personal terms the mightiness and faithfulness of God. I thanked him for "a powerful and moving sermon". See also Tumult at the Cathedral.

Invitation

2012-01-16T06:32:00.011+02:00

Recently I received an invitation from a major denomination to join them -- I took this to be an invitation to me personally, rather than our Church. Yet the man they appointed to approach me said: "They've asked the wrong man to invite you! I can't recommend them! But we'd love to have you!" OBSERVATION: (I keep the invitation in mind, and don't treat it lightly -- yet have not decided what to do with it. I would consult our Church leadership, if not our whole Church, before any decision).

In Loving Memory

2012-01-15T21:50:00.007+02:00

Although I was not in my own Church this morning (I am on leave), I sponsored flowers in loving memory of Mirjam -- recently it was the first anniversary of her death. I said that people should take the flowers after the service, and am pleased to hear that churchgoers eagerly helped themselves.

Lutheran Church Haarlem

2012-01-15T06:44:00.010+02:00

Of all the local Churches I have seen, this is a gem, outside and in. It is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Haarlem village, not far from Uniondale. It was consecrated on the 14th of August 1880. An aged former caretaker still tends the garden. He said to me: "I have tended this garden for 37 years. How wonderfully God has blessed me." The image may be enlarged to 80k.

Sniffing Out Guilt

2012-01-15T06:36:00.005+02:00

This one's about something that I find is not uncommon in ministry: there are people who seek to sniff out guilt in a minister. If they find it, then they run with it. Here is, I think, an example. Someone said to me recently: "Someone told me they saw Reverend entering a bottle store [liquor store]!" -- and they gazed into my face. My answer was: "It's quite possible." The "sniffer" looked surprised -- then said: "Of course, Reverend! You may have needed some communion wine! You may have needed a little sherry for a trifle! You may have been buying a cool-drink!" OBSERVATION: Generally speaking, one would be able to find many imperfections in ministers -- or supposed imperfections. One way to deal with sniffers, I think, is to have a healthy sense that God graciously uses flawed people, and not to be hung up on perfection. One does one's best of course, as should every Christian -- nor does this preclude "admission of guilt" sometimes. On occasion, I have given sniffers "short" treatment.

Something Afoot

2012-01-14T19:07:00.006+02:00

I received an e-mail from our secretary today, with photos attached: "This is what can happen when the Minister is away!!" OBSERVATION: The photo shows the biggest of our three halls being painted. When I left, we were on austerity measures. This doesn't look like austerity measures, does it? I replied: "Something is afoot!"

Trendy Theology

2012-01-14T06:32:00.002+02:00

Last week I received a theological journal in the post. It contained a highly speculative piece, which had no identifiable fit with the journal as far as I could see, and the contributor didn't meet the basic requirements for submission (such as citations). But his name was Jürgen Moltmann. OBSERVATION: If, in my own role as Contributing Editor, I passed something like that to my editor, I'd fear for my job. But this is a trendy theologian. That's not to say that it's not a fascinating piece -- but the point here is to offer a glimpse into what tends to happen in academia today. (As a matter of interest, I have met Moltmann, briefly had his son-in-law as a supervisor, and last year had a Moltmann expert as a professor).

Issues Surrounding Confidentiality

2012-01-12T10:44:00.001+02:00

This is the third in a series of posts on confidentiality in ministry. To give some idea of issues I have dealt with: My biggest quandary was when someone informed me he was hiring a hit-man. I did not reveal the information. (Years later, he told me that his time with me had changed his mind). My most awkward moment was when someone revealed to me who was involved in the ransacking of my vestry. I promised confidentiality, yet broke it -- a rare breach. My most disastrous moment was when someone revealed massive embezzlement in a para-statal organisation. I passed on the information, and opened a Pandora's Box of terrors. I consider that my best performance was when someone revealed half a million fraud in a public organisation. I gave them strong support, yet did not become entangled in the affair -- and this is my basic approach today. Examples of smaller things I have not revealed: The woman who assaulted her partner. The lesbian affair. Secret struggles with alcoholism. Expunging a criminal record. And so on. The list is a very long one.

Epic Journey

2012-01-12T06:22:00.002+02:00

Here it is, for all the naysayers out there: proof that I made it with my three-wheeler as far as the Cacadu District in the Eastern Cape. It took me twenty-one hours to my ultimate destination. OBSERVATION: Another three-wheeler passed me in the street today. It looked so frail. But it doesn't feel like that inside the cab.

Praying Mantis

2012-01-11T11:47:00.001+02:00

Spot the praying mantis. This one is Hoplocorypha macra. It is found in drier areas of Africa -- in fact I photographed this one in the Karoo semi-desert. It is an "ambush predator", and rocks from side to side, apparently to discriminate prey. OBSERVATION: In spite of its praying posture, it may not in fact be praying -- although this has never been proved. You may click on the image for 80k detail.

Congratulations Son

2012-01-11T06:44:00.002+02:00

Congratulations to son M. on graduating (later today) with a Master's degree in archaeology, with merit, from Durham University. He says he is "rather nervous". OBSERVATION: Not only did he obtain the degree, but he worked out a way to fund it -- all of it -- with nothing owing at his graduation. No that's not him in the photo, that's his professor -- standing in a neolithic tomb.

Hedgerow Of Roses

2012-01-10T10:08:00.001+02:00

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I have previously blogged on the magnificent hedgerows one may find in South Africa -- very creative sometimes, as traditional European hedgerows may not work. Here is one I found in Misgund, in the Langkloof -- a hedgerow of roses. This was more than two metres / yards high. You may click on the photo to enlarge to 200k.

Class Distinctions

2012-01-10T06:37:00.003+02:00

As a minister, I receive a wide variety of questions surrounding the Christian faith -- and I try to answer them all. Recently, an elderly member asked me why the following verse had been expunged from the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful: "The rich man in his castle / The poor man at his gate / God made them, high and lowly / And ordered their estate." The reason is that this verse could be seen to endorse class distinctions. Whether it did or not is a matter for debate. OBSERVATION: But is it Biblical? How about this: "The Lord sends poverty and wealth. He humbles and He exalts" (1 Sam 2:7).

Kind And Gentle Guidance

2012-01-09T06:43:00.002+02:00

Something that stands out for me as having been special during the year that is past is the way that Church members gave me kind and gentle guidance. I think this is the first time in my ministry that I have experienced this -- or perhaps noticed it. There is the tendency in Churches to treat the minister as a kind of complaints office. I wish one always had the loving care I experienced during 2011 -- and I think that it was just as effective as any hard-nosed approach.

Hillsong Cape Town

2012-01-09T06:32:00.018+02:00

Last night, I attended Hillsong Cape Town (see photo). Here are some impressions. The Church was very well attended, and very well organised -- to the extent, though, of seeming staged. The message, while it was "lite", was spiritually encouraging, and focused on the Lord. There was a strong emphasis on weekday activities, and on generous giving. The congregation was mostly White yuppie, and the leaders, who often elicited responses from the congregation, were all non-South African. Having studied Church leadership, and having formed my own opinions as to what makes a Church work, Hillsong rated highly. Noise levels were extreme.

Super-Heated Posts

2012-01-08T20:10:00.007+02:00

Once in a while, one of my blog posts becomes "super-heated" -- drawing many times as much attention as my top-ranked posts. Two weeks ago (according to Blogger) it was A Wife's Post -- about a conservative wedding address. Two weeks before that it was Spiritual Assault -- about a young woman who experienced spiritual conflict. I hadn't predicted that these posts would receive the attention they did.

Ministers' Meetings

2012-01-08T06:39:00.007+02:00

There are some things I give high priority in ministry, above most other things. One of them is meeting other ministers. This has proved to be one of the greatest blessings of my ministry -- and, I think, one of the secrets of my unusually long tenures. Yesterday, in spite of being on leave, I attended a ministers' meeting. I spoke with various ministers -- about youth ministry, doctrinal toleration, errant deacons, membership standards, leadership paradigms, personal disappointments, and more.

Tomfoolery

2012-01-08T06:22:00.001+02:00

I was in a gathering recently where some men started fooling around with a gun. I saw the opportunity for a good photo, so pulled out my Leica. One of the men leaned back in a chair, gave me an idle look, and said: "My name is Robert Mugabe." I snapped him as he said it, finger on the trigger. This week I had some photos developed -- that one among them. They were interesting photos, so people gathered round a monitor in the shop. Then Mr. Mugabe came up. There was shocked silence. Yet after I had taken that photo, "Mr. Mugabe" squinted at the gun and said: "I don't understand how anyone can kill someone with one of these. Do you?" (It's not the kind of photo for a blog).

Giant Millipede

2012-01-07T06:30:00.000+02:00

At this time of year, thousands if not millions of these critters cross the roads in the Karoo semi-desert – all migrating in the same direction -- it's the Giant African Millipede. I took this photo at 100 ISO, 1/799 sec. A similar photo at 1/24 sec. was blurred, as these millipedes were moving so fast. The photo may be enlarged to 130k.

The Power To Write

2012-01-07T06:25:00.001+02:00

At my peak, I was having one article published about every ten days. But 2011 was a wipe-out. I lost the "power" to write. I had two articles published during the year. In 2012, I hope to get back to writing. Or rather, I pray that I shall regain the "power" to write. At the moment, I am working on an article on semeiotics.

Personal News

2012-01-06T19:07:00.013+02:00

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It occurred to me that I haven't really revealed what I have been up to while on my current leave -- it has been an important part of my life. The year before last, before her death, and in keeping with an ancient (Mennonite) Church tradition, my wife gave me a name. The two of us were relative strangers, yet this has grown into a warm friendship -- not that it didn't require some determination. So I have spent much of my time in an isolated valley in the east, getting to know her clan and her way of life (I have made brief visits before) -- and she has got to know me better in that setting. Earlier this week, the two of us spoke with her parents -- sharing with them where we have come over the past year. At the time of writing, I am again in the city -- but I shall soon return to the valley. After that, it's back to work. My friend is one of the four lovelies in the photo. It shouldn't be hard to figure out which one (click on the photo to enlarge). See also Introductions.

Amalienstein Lutheran

2012-01-06T07:04:00.003+02:00

This is the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Amalienstein, which I visited earlier this week. Amalienstein is a small village to the east of Ladismith, in the Karoo semi-desert. The Church was completed in 1853. Restored fifteen years ago, it is again looking a little woebegone. You may click on the image to enlarge to 80k. (One won't find another shot like this on the Internet -- this is extremely wide angle, inside the perimeter wall).

Why Confidentiality

2012-01-06T06:24:00.012+02:00

Following on from yesterday's post, my personal approach to confidentiality grew through experience (it has changed over the years). One needs to bear in mind, I think, that confidentiality in urban ministry may include some serious situations -- some of which I hope to sketch soon. In most situations (see a recent post), I maintain total confidentiality -- even in fairly extreme situations. The reasons are: 1. Keeping a confidence supports continued ministry, and expands one's wider ministry. 2. Keeping a confidence may protect one from, possibly, huge and terrifying consequences. 3. Keeping a confidence enables one to focus on ministry, not to be sidetracked. 4. The whole world lies in wickedness (1 Jn 5:19), so revealing a confidence is unlikely to be of much value, in fact it may be counterproductive. And 5. Keeping a confidence may evidence faith that God will work a solution.

Hare For Lunch

2012-01-05T08:46:00.001+02:00

Here's another photo of Suuranys Pass -- about half way up. That's my vehicle on the road. At the other side of these mountains, my friend's father caught a wild hare for lunch. Her mother cooked it with the bones -- a tender stew. This comfortably fed four – together with sweet potatoes and rice.

Confidentiality In Ministry

2012-01-05T06:36:00.005+02:00

There are various approaches to confidentiality among Protestant ministers -- a highly controversial issue. In recent years, I have maintained total confidentiality -- even my (late) wife didn't receive confidential information -- in fact, sometimes people assumed that she knew things where she didn't. However, I would now change this. I would include my wife -- for the sake of personal intimacy. On the other hand, some ministers will reveal confidential information -- in particular where they feel that this is for the cleansing of the Church, or should be reported to the authorities. OBSERVATION: I do make some exceptions: 1. where something is beginning to affect the whole Church, 2. where one is dealing with what one might call gossip, and 3. where issues affect myself. Perhaps I shall blog further on the reasons for my approach sometime.

African Jumping Spider

2012-01-04T12:56:00.012+02:00

I photographed this cutesy thing in the Eastern Cape. It is an African Jumping Spider -- recently named one of the "Magnificent Eight Spiders of Africa". In its tiny little mind, it had an obvious fascination with my Leica (which is reflected in its eyes). Eventually it jumped my Leica -- but I jerked out of the way, and it missed. While African Jumping Spiders have a painful bite, they are (most of them) relatively harmless. You may click on the image for 100k detail.

Theologians And The Proletariat

2012-01-04T12:19:00.004+02:00

During the past few weeks, I have listened to about a dozen sermons -- all of them among "the proletariat". What has struck me again and again is the great distance there is between our "people's theology" and the theologians, generally speaking. In fact the proletarian sermons took a few obvious jabs at the theologians. And yet the theologians so often claim to represent or articulate the people's theology. There is something wrong here.

Dominoes

2012-01-04T06:26:00.003+02:00

The photo shows me playing a mean game of dominoes, somewhere in the South African countryside. This game is played with passion. One smashes one's dominoes onto the table, and frequently has heated exchanges with opponents. OBSERVATION: A seasoned player has an incredible ability to size up the whole "board" at a glance.

Suuranys Pass

2012-01-03T22:00:00.006+02:00

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first photo on the Internet of the Suuranys Pass -- a pass about 10km / 6mi long, which runs from Suuranys Farm (behind the camera) to Assegaaibos near Kareedouw, in the Eastern Cape -- described by travel writer Thomas Bulpin as "spectacular". That's my vehicle on the left. You may click on the image to enlarge to 300k.

Our Suburb

2012-01-02T08:27:00.003+02:00

It's been a while since I posted a photo of our suburb, Sea Point. This one is taken from the top of Signal Hill. Our Church is situated slightly to the left of centre here. You may click on the photo to enlarge to VGA.

Church Programme

2012-01-02T06:33:00.002+02:00

This one's "boring but important". Every year around this time we put together a Church Programme for the following year (you may click on the image to enlarge). Our programme is fairly light in comparison with some Churches -- yet ours is an urban Church, so one needs to cope with a kind of social disintegration. This year I put the programme together, then had it checked by a member who has a good eye for it. It will be a "work in progress" throughout 2012.

Replacing Leadership

2012-01-01T06:42:00.006+02:00

Recently I described among friends how I was determined, after a long ministry in my first Church, not to have the albatross of a spiritually moribund leadership over me again. I said off-handedly: "I replaced our leadership" (referring to our larger body of office-bearers in my present Church, about thirty people). Someone commented: "It wasn't that easy." This is true. And it wasn't that simple. Some office-bearers stayed on -- and they were good people. Many found in my arrival a natural opportunity to step out. And indeed, some I pressed out -- and this was, at times, a great struggle. But apart from people vacating positions, perhaps more importantly, I guided the Church to elect spiritually suitable people to fill the empty spaces. I have said again and again that this was one of the best things that I (in fact, we) did in this Church. It has been a blessing.