Tis the season

As part of our family tradition of helping those in need over the Christmas season ( see adventconspiracy.org), this year we decided to help those literally on our doorstep. In Cape Town the homeless and destitute people are often referred to as 'bergies' which literally means 'mountain people' in reference to their only home being Table Mountain. This derogatory term not only undermines their existence but also their plight. Every Thursday for us is trash day, for them it is a chance to scavenge for food and any thing they can sell or use. We often see and hear them outside early in the morning with an old food cart wheeling away anything of value.

So this year, instead of digging through trash, we decided to put together some care packages with non perishable food items and hand it out to them. It was an exercise I expected to last about 30 minutes or so. Instead, within 5 minutes, the homeless gathered outside our door one by one and all the packages had disappeared. Each one destitute, each one in need. As we handed out the packages and wished them well for the most important season of the year, I wondered and hoped if they would get the message. Perhaps the most difficult part of the whole thing was the several rings of our doorbell over the next hour from others who were in need but for whom we had nothing left to give.

Afterwards Emma commented that it was a nice feeling to give them food instead of them having to dig in the bins for it. I am just sorry that she has to live in a world where so many have so little and so few have so much.

It's not too late to join in and make the difference.

Who is really in control?

Many are the plans in the mind of a man,

but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. (Proverbs 19:21 ESV)

Ever have one of those times when a verse you have read over and over in the past suddenly seems to have an all new and relevant meaning in your life? As I pondered over this verse recently it has never seemed more relevant that it does right now. As a Theological educator, PH.D student, pastor and program developer I sometimes feel like all I do is make plans! Sometimes it's a lesson plan, curriculum plan or preaching plan. Other times it is a strategic plan or a writing plan. Usually I quite enjoy the process. My personality lends itself to planning. As the old saying goes ' a failure to plan is to plan for failure'. I have seen the disastrous results of those who have failed to plan. It often results in missed goals, disappointment and worse - bad stewardship of God-given resources. However, sometimes, the plan becomes the end and not the means.

This verse seems to indicate that unless a plan has a direct correlation with the will of God, it will not stand. It may not be a bad plan, it's just not God's plan for you. At the end of the day, his purpose will stand regardless of our meticulous, well thought out and actioned plans. This of course, does not mean that planning is bad or somehow "ungodly". But what it does mean in my view, is that as imperfect people - still unable to perfectly synchronize with the heart of God, we will make plans that will fail. They will fail because they are not God's goal for us. This really ought to be a source of encouragement and take the pressure off somewhat. After having a few months of feeling like my plans are not working out the way I had intended ( and presumed the way God had intended also), I am now confident that his purpose will stand regardless. Phew...

Sounds like a plan!

MetroRail Church?

I have been taking the train to work most days over the last few months and it has been an interesting experience to say the least.

Often it is grossly congested and you feel as though you are being carried along by the crowd as people enter and exit at the various stops. Aside from wondering what kind of disease I may be exposing myself to from the guy who is way inside my personal space, I have gotten to wondering about the correlation between this experience and the one that many experience each week - in  church! It seems as though one of the 'unspoken' rules of riding the train is: 'avert-the-eyes-lest-you-notice-me ' and another; 'even-though-I-am-in-your-face-try-pretend-like-I-don't-exist'. No one looks at you, with our earphones firmly in ear, we pretend like I am the only one here. Engagement carries with it too many risks - what will I say? what will they say? what if I don't understand them? what if they are actually a serial killer? etc etc.

I wonder if that is how some people think about church (minus the serial killer question). Maybe if I don't engage, I can get out unscathed? Maybe if I do what everyone else is doing, even if I don't know why, this will be over soon enough? Tune out, unplug, disengage - and then get out ASAP.

Maybe I am too critical and perhaps am guilty of oversimplifying the issue, but for me, the analogy has some validity. The onus is on us as individual believers to have faith enough to engage even if we are not sure of the results. To trust that as I share my faith, doubts, concerns, victories and sorrows - people may not always get it, but they don't always need to. And that's OK. In Acts 2:44 we read that the first Christians "...had everything in common..." Some have said that this relates to their possessions - IE, "what's mine is yours". But the words used there actually comes from the word koinos (read koinonia) which we most often translate as 'fellowship'. This actually preceded the physical mutual sharing of possessions. True fellowship led to loving action. What did that look like? I am not exactly sure, but I know I would have loved to have been part of it - and maybe I still can.

The metrorail is a lot of things, but fellowship it is not.

A random collection of bodies in the same place at the same time, all trying to avert the eyes and get to their destination as painlessly as possible. 

Did I just describe the railway or your church? Be the difference.

               

Great habits die hard...

This last week saw the passing of one of the best known leadership 'guru's' of the last 20 years or so - Steven Covey. Best known for his book 'the 7 habits of highly effective people' Covey had spent several years on the leadership circuit training CEO's and various leaders the principles of leadership from his materials. Debate in Christian circles has been around whether or not Covey was a true Christian. It is fairly well known that he has a Mormon background which he acknowledges often enough and some would say his principles are 'biblical' in a sense. 

For me, good leadership principles are good principles wherever we may glean them from.

One of the "7 habits" that Covey wrote about was what he called "Sharpening the Saw". This basically was about becoming better at what you do, never settling for a mediocre level, always striving to become more...well, effective. I think that is a great principle that too many "Ministry Professionals" overlook. Too often I have observed people becoming content with being OK at what they do. They can lead OK, preach OK, teach OK - and that is enough. No desire to dig deeper into the faith, figure out why they believe as they do, try to sort through their weaknesses in public ministry and IMPROVE. I don't care who you are, you can always get better and most of us know we need to, deep down. Maybe Covey was wrong about a lot of things - but he kept at it - a quality I wish I would see more often from those entrusted with God's people.   

Moving on...

It is always hard to say goodbye to people and a place that you love. Yet, at the same time, it is exciting to move ahead wondering, hoping, thinking and praying about what lies ahead. The past few weeks have been hard on us as we have had to say goodbye to many friends and the ministry we have loved in Durban. However, settling into CT has been an interesting adventure so far. Tomorrow we hope to sign a lease on a new rental for the next year and we will at least have a place to call home for a while. In the meantime, I have been thrust into the middle of some exciting ideas and plans that will ultimately be for the benefit and training of many more men and women to serve God wherever he would lead them in the future. One door closes and another opens...
Sad to say goodbye indeed, but good to say "hello" to some new friends and possibilities.

Thanks to those many people who have upheld us in prayer and continue to do during this transition time. We continue to covet your prayers in the days ahead.

Serving our great God together...      

Who do you look to?

I got this in the mail yesterday. It reminded me of how urgent I need to be in furthering the cause of the gospel in this community. How many desperate people are going to take “Ashley” up on the offer of help? How many people will be led into darkness because of this ad? What am I doing about it?

Maybe like me, you all to easily become complacent in the truth. You sit on it because you have other things to do, life is busy – other people can figure it out. Pity the other side doesn’t do that too. Our Enemy is looking to devour us and anyone he can get to follow his path. He never stops. Never.

Oh, that thought should awaken me from my lethargy – I hope it does you as well.