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!