2 new Deacons and 12 new Priests later ...

The retreat ended well, and the ordinands enjoyed the amount of time that they have had to think and ponder over the pictures of the gospel stories that I printed out for them. Some of them had never seen Jesus depicted as an African before and they really appreciated that. The half hour interview that I had with each of them, when they were able to talk about hurts and fears as well as joys and sorrows, were very valuable. Some are facing huge problems. One deacon-to-be, a single man, .is going to be living miles away from his Rector, in an area where he knows nobody. We talked for a while about how he is going to get support, in an area where internet access is difficult.

After supper on the last night we had a Penitential Service – a form of Confession. I led them through a self examination – the sense of sin here is poor. A senior priest told me a couple of weeks ago that he didn’t think that teenage Confirmation candidates had any sins to confess! They seem to think that sins must be big things – and were surprised that ‘small things’ are just as much sin as murder and theft! After they said the words of the Confession together I went to each in turn and pronounced the absolution signing them on the forehead with the cross. It was very moving, and a couple ended up in tears.  We then broke the silence, and spent over an hour just chatting to each other. It was a brilliant way to end the week. 

 Elias - Jouberton's Deacon -
taking the Oaths on Friday,
witnessed by the Dean.

Friday morning it was off to the Cathedral in Potch for the rehearsal and the Swearing of Oaths, a mere 4 hour exercise! Then for me a dash back to Jouberton to talk to the Confirmation candidates, before returning to Potch for the night. I went to bed tired, and not a little concerned that I still didn’t have a sermon for the Ordination. I was awake at 04.30, but to no avail. With the service beginning at 12 noon, I was beginning to be a little concerned – if not panicky! At 09.30, I remembered that some time ago a child asked me if being a priest is the best way to be a Christian. By 09.45 the sermon was written – thanks be to God!!!

New Deacons, Isaac and Magda

During the service I sat next to Fr Jacques Pieterse, the only white priest in the Diocese, who is at St Mary’s, Potch. Next year the number will be doubled when his Deacon is priested. +Steve does nothing quickly; add that to the difficulty of stopping Africans singing, large numbers of family coming forward to help vest each new Deacon/Priest – and then get back to their places – and it is not surprising that the service finished four and a half hours after it had begun!! It was a wonderful occasion – they were all mine in a very special way. Near the end of the service, one of them made a speech of thanks, and I was presented with a card, a wooden heart and a gift of money. On the heart were the words: “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only a few will leave footprints … (we) love your footprints”. Paper hanky to the fore! After the service all the new priests were giving blessings and I think I managed to get to all of them. I had to remind one that he didn’t have to use the Grace any more, he could do blessings!

Sunday morning it was back to Jouberton and Elias’ first Eucharist. He did much better than I dared hope, and the two big mistakes were my fault, not his. One was a language problem: the other a lack of concentration. I had to baptise 5 people ready for the confirmation next Sunday, and I forgot to bless the water. As I always say “God can cope: it’s only us who can’t! The queue of people waiting for his blessing after the service was endless. He must have been shattered last night.

So today – Monday – I’ve had a restful day, before I throw myself into the final preparations for the Confirmation of 50+ candidates next Sunday!! But more of that at a later date.

For now, thank you for all your prayers for all of us, and especially for me. They were answered in abundance - grace was poured out like the rain that has come down today! Pray now that the newly ordained may be faithful ministers of Christ, and be given grace to withstand the temptations that they will face. Pray too for those to be confirmed this Sunday, that they may live their lives with “a passion for Jesus” that echoes David Beckham’s passion for football.

Retreat - Monday - Thursday (delayed because of lack of internet access)

Tuesday night:

We are 30 hours in and all is going well. All 14 ordinands turned up, and all 14 are still here! The theme of the retreat is ‘The Eucharistic People of God’ – people who are taken, blessed, broken and given (in service). On the whole I think they are understanding what I am saying. However, having just been talking about priesthood as not being primarily about status, I asked one ordinand what he was looking forward to most about being a priest. “Having people say ‘Hello Father’ as I walk down the street” was the reply. I guess you can’t win them all! Of those I have spoken to so far, I am impressed with their desire to pray and to serve God wherever he wants them to be.

At the lunchtime Eucharist today we were joined by an RC priest from a Religious Order. He is part of the governing body in Rome and is visiting members of the Order in South Africa and Madagascar. He not only participated fully in an Anglican Eucharist, but one presided over by a woman!! He howled with laughter when I pointed it out to him. He is keen to come to the Ordination on Saturday to see how we do it.

Rabbuni is the coolest (in temperature) place I have been in since I arrived in South Africa and sleeping here is much easier. You can hear the night sounds of Africa tonight, and the sound of the trains on their way to Cape Town, or Jo’burg. Wonderful.

I have just been out to see what the noises at the end of the corridor were – it was three of the men making sure that I was locked in and safe for the night! Actually, this morning I was so well locked in I couldn’t get out and had to be rescued. When the Director did her final rounds last night she automatically let the Yale go, and turned the other key, forgetting I was inside. So this morning I had to rattle the glass doors as someone passed in order to get them to get the key. It gave added meaning to Ps.81:7, from this morning’s psalm, and gave me a homily for the Eucharist!

(Thursday morning:)

 I’ve been trying to get an internet signal with no success. I’ll try walking around the garden later to see if I can find one. All is still going well. Since we were here two years ago for the Sunday School Training, a barn in the garden has been turned in to a lovely chapel, but there is nothing to absorb sound so everything bounces back off stone walls and the tin roof. Our first service there became a bit of a shouting match – but it gave me an opportunity to talk about what it means to Preside in an act of worship, and the need to be aware of other people if we are truly to worship together.

 

The food here has been excellent – if a little eccentric to British taste. Breakfast today for instance was cereals (OK), and minced beef, scramble egg and fresh tomato!

Yesterday we had a cracker of a thunderstorm – not much rain, but lots of noise. They obviously found it unsettling, so we marched around the chapel singing, ‘We are marching in the love of God’ and dancing. I made up verses relevant to the talk I was about to give and there were smiles on their faces. I am playing CDs during our silent meals and for supper chose the Missa Luba– if you don’t know it, try to get a copy: I got mine in ‘Wax Lyrical(?) in one of those racks with relaxing music. By the next session they had all settled down again and were ready to face the final 24hours.

Talking of which, I must go and get the next talk ready ……. 

A typical Sunday lunch with a retired clergy couple - not!

I thought I was going to a traditional Sunday lunch with a retired priest and his wife. Fr Horace McBride and Lorraine retired from full-time ministry in Christ the King Diocese (part of the city of Jo’burg but not Jo’burg Diocese) to Stilfontein some five years ago. I found what I thought was their home only to see a rank of motorbikes lined up outside. So I decided to go ask for directions, only to hear, “Lorraine, Nita’s arrived”! I had walked into the annual Blessing of the Bikes.

When younger and fitter, Horace had been a biker himself, and he is now Chaplain to the bikers of Gauteng (the area around Jo-burg) Province. For the last three years they have come to Stilfontein near the start of the year and Horace and Lorraine have opened their house to them. Each biker pays R100 towards the cost. Their ladies go free. Today there must have been about 20 of them, but altogether there are around 100. After a good braai, alcohol and tobacco were left in the eating area and we all trouped out for the Blessing of the Bikes and Bikers. One was given an extra blessing, that he might “return next year to cook the braai”!

At 4.45, with everything packed away and the area cleared up, it was time to ‘Saddle up’. There was a lot of revving of engines so that local residents could come out to see the bikes leave, and a little bit of a show for them. All too soon, they had gone – but not before I was given an invitation to next year’s event, and told they would expect me to be riding a ‘Harley’.

It was a noisy affair, with volume levels rising as the alcohol levels in the bottle fell. But everyone was very welcoming, very polite and very friendly.

So yes, your typical Sunday lunch with a retired clergy couple  -  not!

Now it’s full steam ahead for the ordination. The Diocesan Chapter decided to ordain all the candidates, so there are now 12 to be priested. It all seems very last minute to me: O for some organisation – or would that just be too English!

Pictures to go with the earlier blog

 
                                                   Private health care; the surgery is to the left of the pharmacy.  Appointments are needed.

 

The very first clinic in Jouberton, now open 24 hours a day. 

NB the manned security gate, opened for cars of the staff and the very infirm.

 

 

 

 

 

 Another clinic, where people sit outside - and in! - to queue to be seen. The wait can be long, so there is food (bbq chicken feet!) available. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Someone asked what the roads are like. These are the better township roads. Many are 'pothole slaloms'.

In towns the roads are much better - but we don't know we're born with  our UK roads.

 

The Holy Family Church Jouberton.
You can still a little of the tornado damage from 2007
 on the left corner of the tower.

 

Someone asked me to email some of our sun to  you in the UK. Hope the pictures bring joy.
We could do with A LITTLE of your rain.

 

 
 
 
 
 



What a difference a day can make!

The weekend in Potch was wonderful. The Sunday morning at the Cathedral was very good – as far as worship homes away from home, this is my South Africa home. The new Dean has made his mark, and wants the Cathedral to look different from a parish church. So there are now six brass candlesticks adorning the high altar and some smaller one on the side altar. He has also decided to change the blessing the children get at the end of the Communion. Rather than lay hands on them two by two, they are splashed with holy water, as a reminder of their baptism. It is certainly quicker, but the looks on the children’s faces...!

Back home we had a braai in the evening. Tlotlo, Peter and Ritha’s son, is now nearly 18, and living away from home. However he turned up with some friends, and introduced one of the girls to me as his girlfriend. After they had gone, Peter told me how shocked he was when Tlotlo had said that. Ritha was equally surprised, especially as she hadn’t heard him say it. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to me, but Peter explained that when he was younger, he told everything to his oldest sister – even that he wanted to marry Ritha . and later that she was pregnant –and she had to tell his parents. That was the way it was done. I found myself doing some pastoral reassurance!

Because of the lateness of the braai - and the wine I had downed! – I stayed an extra night and drove back to Klerksdorp the next morning. About 10.00 I was working in the parish office, and answered the phone. It was Ruth from the Diocesan Office saying that the Bishop wanted me to move out of St Peter’s House before the end of the day. I went to the Office to talk to +Steve, and then went home to pack and move out. It was not an easy couple of hours!! However, I am now staying with Mpho, who stayed with me 10 years ago, and her husband Vusi, still in Klerksdorp. I am already much happier.

They are looking after their 2 year old niece, who has a nasty cough, and today we went in search of a doctor. We ended up at the oldest clinic in Jouberton, where Mpho’s mother is a nursing sister. There are 4 clinics altogether, but that still means each has a huge clientele. She said that the current training for nurses is all about theory, and the nurses graduate with all the qualifications but no idea about basic nursing practices. She is now 72 and very much needed in the clinic, which is open 24 hour a day. However she does not work nights. She was upset because yesterday she had to deal with a toddler who had pulled a kettle of boiling water over herself. She was taken to the local hospital in Jouberton, but will probably have to go to the burns unit in Jo’berg. Transfer is by ambulance, unless it’s urgent, in which case it’s by government funded helicopter. While we were in Jouberton we visited Mpho’s elderly relative – just 99 years young! About a year ago she broke her femur and her leg is still in plaster, as her bones were too frail to put in pins. She is very deaf, and we eventually got her to understand that I am a priest, but didn’t even begin to try to get her to understand that I don’t speak Afrikaans! I have promised to take her communion tomorrow, on my weekly Home Communion round.

Thursday - this has taken a couple of days to post as there have been internet connection problems. I did the Home Communion round yesterday and am now about halfway through the total list! The 99 year old had been given a sleeping tablet, but insisted on having Communion. Thank goodness the Lord's Prayer says it all! Later I went into town and at last met up with Brenda and handed over some more jumpers - thanks St James'. Today I am at home getting everything ready for the Retreat and the Sunday (day!!) after the Ordination. The Ordination itself will be at 12noon on the 22nd. Pray for the 2 to be made Deacon and the !1 to be priested. Pray too for the one Deacon who will not be ordained priest this time, due to personal matters.

 

I have more photos which I will post now on a separate blog. I'll try to post again soon, but next week I have 14 talks, 13 personal interviews and 4 daily services to deliver and then the Ordination sermon, plus all that I will need for Sunday 23rd, when there will also be baptisms in the main service. So I shan't be short of something to do!! 

 

Salt, Light and Incarnation

It’s Saturday evening and I have had a wonderful day with my friends Peter and Ritha Menyatso. I drove myself to Potchefstroom yesterday. Finding the Mall was OK, but finding their house was a bit more difficult. I had my map, but some of the street names in the centre of town have changed to reflect an African society rather than an Afrikaaner one. Difficult when you are lost!! Still I got here in the end.  Today we have had a lazy day and I have taught Ritha to swim. She is delighted. Even better, the sun has returned. Tomorrow it’s the Cathedral.

Home Communions in Jouberton this week had their moments. We went to an area a long way from the church – too far to walk, and too expensive to travel on the taxi / minibus. I did 10 this week, and that is still only 4 of the 15 areas done. No wonder + Steve says that sometimes a priest has to devote a whole week to doing them. I am not the most patient of drivers if the person directing me is unsure of where to go. My patience was tested!! To my English way of thinking there was not a lot of system to the numbering – we gave upon one house! But everyone was delighted to see us, even though they didn’t know we were coming. In almost every house the first thing that happened was that people produced their money for the church. After the first one, I insisted that we do the Communion first and then deal with money: “Jesus first: then the money” became my constant cry. One old lady said, “But I don’t want to die and not be fully paid up”! One house we went in was dark and very smelly: I was glad to get out. But it occurred to me that the person we visited couldn’t get away. Jesus laid aside his majesty and took human flesh for us, and I couldn’t get away fast enough because of the smell. I came away chastened.

I am now just about sorted for the Retreat – so thanks for all your prayers for that. Every day living has had its challenges – and none of my usual ‘comforters’ are readily available. That has made this visit so good – a chance to relax and unwind.

Tomorrow’s gospel bids us not to hide our light under a bushel and not to lose our saltiness. I’m trying!

Bits of this and bits of that

If I am brown by the time I come home it will be rust and not tan! The much needed rain may have been long in coming, but it is certainly making up for it now. On badly kept roads that means danger. Bad visibility, running water on the roads and puddles of unknown depth. The road from here to Jouberton is full of such hazards.

Friday I was in the Diocesan Office helping Ruth with the website. The other office staff were out. So when Ruth had to go out with the Bishop, guess who was left in charge of the Office!! “We trust you”, said +Steve as he disappeared through the door. Fortunately I wasn’t alone for long. Later in the afternoon I drove out to Jouberton for the PCC meeting only to discover when I got there that it had been cancelled, and no-one had bothered to tell me before I drove out there. Well, I wanted an African experience and that is part of it. It did at least give me a chance to talk to the Confirmation candidates. +Steve had told me that it is compulsory for every candidate to make a personal Confession before confirmation. I told him that would be impossible. There is a large number of candidates and there would be language problems. So we have compromised on a Penitential Service, and I was able to explain to them what that will be.

The Deacons and Rectors day on Saturday went really well. It was held at Alabama, the Coloured location outside Klerksdorp. (In the days of Apartheid, each racial group had its own location – White, African, Coloured (mixed race) and Asian. Today, whilst anyone can in theory live anywhere, the former locations have, for the main part, maintained their identity.) The day began with a Eucharist – all in English – it was if God was providing a feast just for me. We even sang “Guide me O thou great Redeemer”, and on the first Saturday of the six Nations too! I gather Wales beat Italy later in the day – it must have been our singing!!

Archdeacon Marshall Guma was leading the day, which was about the relationship between the Deacons and their Rectors. After his presentation they split into peer groups and then one person from each group reported back. I could have been sitting in a similar group in Lichfield; the issues are just the same. What is not the same is the spread of academic ability. One to be made Deacon has just finished at the theological college. Another left school after Grade 6 in order to provide sustenance for younger siblings. After 10 minutes of trying to explain to this latter that if a reading begins “They took him” you must substitute names so that people know who you are talking about, I gave up! Only when it was explained in Setswana did the message almost get through! Still there is humility, an eagerness to learn and support from the local congregation. That said, the level of theological education of the clergy, and the level of spirituality, is very worrying for the future of the Church here.

Sunday went well and I am beginning to feel at home. However next Sunday, +Steve has asked me to preach and preside at the Cathedral, and the Dean will go to Jouberton.

Monday, at long last, I had a proper day off. I did some non-theological reading, and then spent a few hours with Mpho, who stayed with me ten years ago when she and two others came to Lichfield as part of the Year of Justice and Care activities. We went to visit her husband at work – he is in the development department of one of the local radio stations. It carries a high content of Christian material. When we were there a programme about women’s issues was about to go on air. I met the staff who were on duty, some of whom are Anglicans. After that we took fish and chips back to her house and just lazed around.

Today I had the house to myself, so I made a concerted effort to get material sorted for the Retreat which begins two weeks today. I am pleased with how much I managed to achieve, but getting blocks of time like that is hard. Tomorrow it’s more Home Communions and then the Office to work on the website. Let’s hope today’s sun comes back tomorrow!

Home Communion photos

      

  

This was the first house we went to take Communion - nice house and a lot of family there.

 

A second home in a very different setting. Behind the hangings are the corrugated iron walls - very hot! the first picture was taken form the doorway looking right. The lady in the cassock is a Lay Minister and the man in the white shirt is the churchwarden.

 

This wonderful lady will be 95 in July. Just imagine the changes she has seen in her lifetime!

 

Just looked at the preview and the photos seem to have organised themselves in a manner all their own !! Comments refer to the photos above them - this was three different houses.

 

Thanks for emails and comments - they help enormously.