The Eight O’Clock
News Read this in COLOUR at www.cck.org.za
April 2015
8 am Service, Christ Church, Kenilworth
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus Imagine re-issuing the song Moon River in Japan under the title ‘Beef Stew’. How bizarre, you say. Well, the Japanese-language song, Ue o Muite Aruko is best known under the alternative title, Sukiyaki, a hot pot dish, with actually nothing to do with the lyrics or the meaning of the song! What struck me more than the title being catchy and recognizable to most English speakers as well as the fact that it reached the Top 100 chart in 1963, was the story that the lyrics tell. When translated into English, the words can be understood in at least three different ways—the mindset of a man facing execution, the thoughts of a person trying to be optimistic about life’s trials or as the story of an ended love affair. The lyrics describe a man who LOOKS UP and whistles while walking so that his tears will not fall. As once again we contemplate the meaning of the resurrection of our Lord this Easter, we are at the same time grappling with the tragedy and horror depicted daily in the news. We cry out to God for the pain and suffering of the world. Where are You, God? Jesus did too, on the cross—He also lifted His eyes heavenward as He cried to God for our sins. Instead of being cast down, let us Turn our eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of the earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His Glory and Grace. CS Lewis in Miracles, writes: Glory, that He triumphed over death: The New Testament writers speak as if Christ's achievement in rising from the dead was the first event of its kind in the whole history of the universe. He is the first fruits, the pioneer of life, He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man. He has met, fought, and beaten the King of Death. Everything is different because He has done so. April 2015 Eight O’Clock News
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CS Lewis, in The Weight of Glory, On Forgiveness, writes: Grace that we are forgiven: To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. ‘But how?’ we ask— ’only by accepting an Invitation from the Living God’. ‘Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee’ (Psalm 50:15). Let us be quick to cry out to Him with humility, sincerity, and faith. He ‘will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them’ (Psalm 145:19). As the man in the Sukiyaki song, no more need we fear death; we can be optimistic despite life’s challenges and we can end the love affair with self. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him, everything else thrown in (CS Lewis, Mere Christianity). Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Cheryl Anderson
Hebrews 12:2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (TNIV) Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.
(The Message, Eugene Peterson)
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Congratulations ! Patrick and Jean Swan with son, Robert and new daughter-in-law, Tara Lawrence, after their wedding on Saturday, 28 March 2015. Robert is serving God as Youth Pastor at Claremont Baptist Church
A Season of Blessing by the Celtic Knitters Recently the church was decked out in the most glorious bunting of lovely baby jerseys and caps, knitted lovingly by ladies from a church in Scotland, and brought to Cape Town by a doctor attending a Palliative Care Conference here and staying with Alan and Penny Barnard. We were invited to add notes of blessing to these little garments to speed them on their way. Last Sunday another blessing arrived—41 beanie caps to keep little heads warm this winter. They were made by a group in Wales and brought out by a colleague of Cathy Ward’s. They are also going to be distributed to poor communities in the rural areas of the Western Cape through Barbara Bowden’s ministry. Some will also go to Home from Home and the Sunday School at Bettaway Church in Delft. Here is a challenge for us at Christ Church—get knitting for children this winter. Let’s also bring in any unwanted jerseys, jackets and rain gear from our wardrobes. - Lindy Tomalon
Taking a Break Our organist and choirmaster, Richard Haigh, has taken a threemonth break from Sunday, 8 March to Sunday, 7 June 2015. Sunday 8 am worship will continue as normal with choir and organ for most weeks, led by Jean Westwood. Please pray for Richard during this season of rest and reflection. - Taryn Galloway April 2015 Eight O’Clock News
Mother Nature’s Sense of Humour This tomato wanted to be a duck
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The River Church The Green Anglicans invited folk to join them for a reflective walk with Jesus in February. A group of 30 people from different denominations met for a River Church experience. We marvelled at the hand of God in Creation, shared His Scriptures and found new meaning in river-inspired poetry. Margie Hare continues the story: ‘I was excited by this fresh expression of church. I have never thought of the church as a building, but rather a community of people gathered to seek God wherever they may find themselves. This should be a place of love, forgiveness, reconciliation, seeking God’s face and of worship and praise to our Creator God. Where better than in the beauty of nature which was so lovingly created by Him for us? As we sat next to the pristine, clear stream of the Liesbeek River, we were encouraged to pick up a small pebble from the river, rub it between our fingers and recall the memories we have of the streams and rivers we have enjoyed. As I asked my Lord Jesus Christ to help me in this, He entered these memories and it became a true healing process for me. Just as this part of the Liesbeek has been lovingly restored, so He came and gently touched upon those areas in my life where rivers had played such a large part. I was born on the edge of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, so I know the importance of water. Some of my youngest memories were of the Okavango Delta where we lived on the banks of the Thamalakane River. Sadness overwhelmed me as I
April 2015 Eight O’Clock News
remembered the little girl on the banks of this great river. Memories of a childhood made sad by an ill parent came flooding back. Jesus gently showed me that He had been with me, even then, and was working out His purposes in my life and clearing out all the ‘dross’. Drops from the pebble rippled the surface of the Liesbeek, spreading outwards as He took me to those other rivers I had enjoyed in my life. Life giving rivers for so many different peoples … the Kavango, Chobe, Zambezi, Kwando, Luangwa, Kafue, Nile and others. I gave grateful thanks to a loving Father who provides in every way for our needs. If only we would share His resources with others and care about them as He has taught us.’
Psalm 24:1-2 The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it The world and all who live in it For He has founded it upon the seas And established it on the rivers… - Margie Hare
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CCK Scattered—Update on Bhutan ‘We completed our training workshop in Bhutan which was attended by judges, prosecutors, investigators as well as bankers, and customs and revenue officials for the first time. To my delight, a Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Natural Resources and Environment Committee of
the National Council also asked to participate in the training after attending the opening ceremony. When I informed him and others about the recent article I wrote about Bhutan for my church newsletter, he immediately asked if I could forward him and his colleagues a copy. Given that three quarters to two thirds of Bhutan is Buddhist, this is a wonderful opportunity to share the Christian faith with the Bhutanese who are truly gentle and friendly people. I will also forward a copy of the article to the Chairperson of the AntiCorruption Committee who impressed me with her integrity and passion for preventing corruption from taking root in the mountainous kingdom of Bhutan.’ - Phyllis Atkinson
From Bhutan to Kuwait From Bhutan to Kuwait— what a different but equally satisfying experience!! (Photograph) - Phyllis (20 March)
Daniel Holgate & The Cricket World Cup ! In the March issue we reported the following: In a wonderful collaboration between Reach for a Dream and the International Cricket Council (courtesy of CEO David Richardson and a Bishops’ teacher) Daniel Holgate (grandson to Mary and Peter) will be flown to Australia and New Zealand in March to attend a cricket match in Auckland and then the World Cup Final match in Melbourne where he, dad David, mom Sharon and younger brother, Ethan, will sit in the President’s box. While in New Zealand, they will visit Chris and Judy’s daughter, Bronwyn, husband Village and their two girls for two nights. Photographs will follow in April News. - Sent in by Judy Jenkins
Update on 30 March 2015 Dear Friends who are so lovingly thinking of our Dear Family ‘Down Under’ this weekend… We just want to let you know that we have been told that tomorrow morning before the Final Cricket Match, Daniel is being interviewed by the TV in Melbourne. Now all we can tell you is that the match starts at 5.30 am, and that from 3.30 am there will be a run-up to the start of the match by various commentators, people etc. Whether that is when Daniel will ‘appear’ we do not know! His interview may only appear much later, or even in a later programme… We know that you will all be asleep, but maybe you could spare him a thought before you shut your eyes tonight—we certainly don’t expect you to wake up at that time! Lots of love, Peter and Mary Holgate April 2015 Eight O’Clock News
(Post-match) ‘Dear Mom and Dad... Had fab time! Were treated like royalty! Fantastic seats with wives and girlfriends of NZ players… Great food! Filming went very well... What a day to remember! Love—Dave, Sharon, Daniel and Ethan.’ - Sent in by Chris Jenkins (Hopefully, photographs in May)
Manyana Spanish singer Julio Iglesias was on UK television with British TV host Anne Diamond. He used the word manyana. Diamond asked him to explain what it meant. He said that the term means: ‘Maybe the job will be done tomorrow; maybe the next day; maybe the day after that; Or perhaps next week; next month; next year. Who really cares?’ The host turned to Albert Yatapingu from the Gumbaingeri aboriginal Tribe who was also on the show. She asked him if there was an equivalent term in his native language. ‘Nah’, he replied. ‘In Australia we don't have a word to describe that degree of urgency.’ - Sent in by Barbara Duncan
Theme Songs For Bible Characters Noah Adam and Eve Lazarus Esther Job Samson Daniel Esau Three Kings Elijah
Raindrops keep falling on my head Strangers in Paradise Second time around I feel pretty Never felt more like singing ‘da blues Hair The lion sleeps tonight Born to be wild When you wish upon a star Up, up and away
- Origin unknown, sent in by Glenda Carmichael (10 am)
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Jesus is our Laminin I recently received an email from several people about the adhesion molecule Laminin. I also attended Rob’s Saturday in March during which he spoke of The Eternal Cross. Both concepts are integral to our understanding of the gospel, so I am including this article which appeared in the April 2010 issue of the News: ‘Duncan McLea preached on Easter Sunday. His sermon was on Jesus’ message to the church at Laodicea: As a nurse I was captivated by Duncan’s quotation from E. Stanley Jones (1884-1973) who said that the personality and way of Jesus are stamped on our nerves, our blood, our tissues, our organs. The personality and way of Jesus are not merely written in the text of Scripture, but into the texture of our being. That got me thinking about Laminin and the DVD, Incredible, by Louie Giglio—which in turn, reminded me of an email I’d received a few weeks ago. It was entitled Shared by an anonymous doctor. He wrote: ‘A couple of days ago I was running on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio... and I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned... But I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway. Louie was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is, how He spoke the universe into being. Then He went on to speak of how this universe-creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint). And I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God’s handiwork. I remember so many times thinking, How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this? Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart— how our loving Creator is also our sustainer. And then I lost my breath—and it wasn't because I was running—it was because he started talking about laminin. I knew about laminin. Here is how Wikipedia describes them: Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue. You see—Laminins are what hold us together, LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what they LOOKED LIKE. But now I do. Here is what the structure of laminin looks like. April 2015 Eight O’Clock News
This is not a 'Christian portrayal' of it. If you look up laminin in any scientific/medical literature, this is what you will see. Amazing. The glue that holds us together, ALL of us, is in the shape of the cross. Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind: He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things HOLD TOGETHER. Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together, one cell to another, by the cross. You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam breathed his first breath!’ - Editor
The Eternal Cross God’s plan of salvation precedes creation and precedes the original act of human rebellion. The Cross was in the heart of God before it was on the hill of Calvary. God in His fullness—Father, Son and Holy Spirit— experiences the Cross. The Cross is there even before the first sin of Adam. Divine grace and God’s plan of redemption precedes His first act of creation (2 Timothy 1:9). Our eternal destiny in Christ was settled even before Adam sinned (Ephesians 1:4). The Cross is the instrument of the new creation and ultimate hope (Colossians 1:19-20). It is fair to say that all of creation is cruciform. [2 Timothy 1:9: (God) who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. Ephesians 1:4: For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. Colossians 1:19-20: For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him (Jesus), and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. Revelation 13:8: All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.] - Rob Taylor
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Fire at Stonehurst 02:37 am SMS: ‘Stonehurst FIRE PLAN. Please standby and prepare for Evacuation. Do Not Leave Yet. Pack bag and have your pets ready. Assembly point will be at the Lifestyle Centre’. In the howling wind, I stood on my balcony and watched the beautiful Steenberg burning. Several fires were being fought at different points and the wind was driving fire closer, precipitating the above SMS to all residents. Burning coals the size of tennis balls were flying towards the house. My most timid cat who would normally jump on the bed, stood at my bedside almost talking, imploring me to come and see. Lying on the bed, still fully clothed I felt her fear. I reassured her that
Joy Klimbashe Joy Klimbashe, who is in his second year studying for the priesthood in Grahamstown has just sent Christ Church some good news. Many people from CCK have been supporting him and would be delighted to hear of his success. He has succeeded in passing all five exams for his second year and has now gone into his final year. I quote from his email to us when giving us the good news: ‘I thought you should know this because this is [due to] your efforts, prayers and fundraisings. I am very grateful—it reminds me of how my late mother was trying hard to see me go to school from nothing that she used to earn as a domestic worker. Unfortunatey she died before she could see the fruits of her efforts.’ - Rhona Kelly, Social Transformation Committee April 2015 Eight O’Clock News
she would not be abandoned—having rescued her and her twin once before as kittens, when abandoned near my tennis club. Martina and Steffi would be safe. I was calmed to a panic and all that seemed important at that moment were our lives and those of our beloved pets. The dogs’ leads were on, the cat baskets at the ready. Laptop and passport seemed necessary. Toothbrush and clean underwear hastily stuffed in a bag (instructions from mom many years ago!). Fortunately, we didn’t have to leave but spent a sleepless, anxious night. ‘Thank You, God, that You protected our beautiful estate with the help of the brave firefighters; thank You that You answered my prayers and calmed my fears. Thank You that You make all things new.’ - Cheryl Anderson
Mother Nature’s Sense of Humour This turnip (L) wanted to be an athlete.
Above: A Potato Chicken
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Breakfast for the Breakfast Team If you have not already shared breakfast with us after the 8 am Service, you are warmly invited to do so on Sunday, 12 April. Every quarter, usually on the Sunday after the school holidays have begun, Wendy Willcox and her team, serve a delicious sit-down breakfast in the Bruce
Evans Room. Muffins, scones, flapjacks, fruit salad and yoghurt, freshly ground coffee and superbly brewed tea, make for a cosy time of fellowship and getting to know one another. You don’t even have to wash up—we do that too! The photographs show the team and their spouses at a
special breakfast hosted by Wendy at her home to thank us (we are only too happy to follow her immaculate instructions as God has blessed her with a wonderful gift of hospitality). The occasion was also to say farewell to Dods and Hilda Brand who were emigrating to Australia to be with their only daughter. A sumptuous hot breakfast was cooked for us by sous chef, Janet Mackay and a good time was had by all. Gals: Wendy Willcox, Hilda Brand, Alison Weston, Sandra Pryce, Barbara Fish, Cheryl Anderson, Phil Rogers, Janet Mackay, Jean van Zyl Smit. [Ronnie Morgan was absent.] Guys: Stan Fish, Roal Van Zyl Smit, Dods Brand, Ed Morgan, John Rogers. [Berkeley and Pam Maytham were in New Zealand. See photograph bottom left] - Cheryl Anderson
The Preacher and the Worship Leader They didn’t get along and one week the preacher preached on commitment and the worship leader announced the closing hymn as ‘I shall not be moved’. The next week the sermon was on giving and the final hymn chosen was ‘Jesus paid it all’. Week three the topic was gossiping and the final hymn selected by the worship leader was ‘I Love to tell the Story’. This was all too much for the preacher and the next * A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because week he announced he was considering resigning. The it was a weapon of math disruption. worship leader led the song ‘Why Not Tonight?’. This was the * Atheism is a non-prophet organization. final straw and the preacher resigned, telling his congregation * I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me. that it was Jesus who had led him there and it was Jesus who * A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was fined for was leading him away at which point the worship leader littering. - Sent in by Alison Kempton-Jones announced the final hymn ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus’. April 2015 Eight O’Clock News
- From Musical Musings: Chris Molyneux #117 (3:15)
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The Church Jesus Prayed For Michael Cassidy’s seminal work—which was written over three decades—is a personal dissection, interpretation and explanation of John 17, the awesome and enigmatic prayer that Jesus prayed for His church shortly before His crucifixion. Having prayed for what His mission was to birth after He had gone to the Father, Jesus led His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. This was their last time together and He meant it to count. After describing the context of the prayer in the first five chapters, Michael identifies the 10 essential elements of this church that Jesus so desired. He observes that Jesus prays for Truth and Holiness, on the one hand and for Unity and Love, on the other and notes the enormous tension that these two poles evoke as that church seeks to honour our Holy God through adherence to the Truth, while at the same time striving to hold those whose viewpoints differ, in bonds of Unity and Love. In between, fall Prayerfulness, Protection, Mission, Joy, Power and Glory and each element is investigated in detail. It’s powerful and heavy stuff, of course, yet Cassidy has a light style. Certainly, it’s the most important Christian book I’ve read. (Available at Resource Centre) - John McPetrie
the phone if you please, of leading him to Christ when he was eighty-eight!...
E Stanley Jones in his classic book The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person, testifies as to how he himself had discovered two absolutes: the Unshakable Kingdom, the Absolute Order; and the Unchanging Person, the Absolute Person. There were two absolutes then, now they have coalesced and have become one. [Thus Jesus could use] interchangeably ’for the kingdom of heaven’s sake’, and ‘for My name’s sake’ [eg Matthew 19:12,29]… We had to see the Kingdom in operation in a person. Jesus is the Kingdom of God taking sandals and walking...
God wants His kingdom order that is out there to be internalised by His Kingdom in here—and within us—as we submit to the kingly rule of Christ both in our personal lives and society… [Editorial comment: A man after my own heart— Michael prays for the SA Cricket team. His wife thinks him a bit heretical. He says, God says we can pray about anything !!] - Ev Els
Extracts—The Church Jesus Prayed For
The Disciples’ Prayer ‘Dear Father always near us, and
Prayer, prayer, prayer, prayer was the perpetual motion and the all-embracing context of His [Jesus] life and living, His preaching and teaching, His healing and exorcising, His death itself, along with His every tender touch upon the lives of broken and damaged people…
Our Lord’s motive in praying and in all He did was to glorify the Father. Ultimately, this has to be our own primary motive in praying. We do not come to God primarily to secure answers for our own shopping list needs… We are endlessly exhorted to ask but if we lose sight of praying and living primarily for the glory of God, then we have lost the primary prayer and life motive reflected here [by] our Lord... John 17:21 and 23: The longing in prayer for unbelievers to come to faith: that the world may believe that You have sent Me… so that the world may know that You have sent Me… This kind of longing needs to be in us and it will play out in our praying for people we know to come to Christ… And in this we should persist: the evangelist DL Moody, for example, prayed for over forty years for two men to come to Christ and eventually both were converted at his funeral. After an evangelistic service in Cambridge when I was an undergraduate, I said to Dr Basil Atkinson, under-librarian of Cambridge University, You must have been thrilled tonight to see those two men from the University library commit their lives to Christ. ‘Yes’, he beamed,… ‘I’ve been praying for those men for thirty-seven years.’ Carol and I prayed for over thirty-five years for her dad to come to faith. Then one day I had the privilege, over April 2015 Eight O’Clock News
filling the heavens May Your name be treasured and loved, May Your rule be completed in us— May Your will be done here on earth In just the way it is done in heaven. Give us today the things we need today, And forgive us our sins and impositions on You As we are forgiving all who in any way offend us. Please don’t put us through trials, But deliver us from everything bad. Because You are the One in charge, And You have all the power, And the glory too is all Yours—forever— Which is just the way we want it ! - Dallas Willard In M Cassidy’s The Church Jesus Prayed For
Willard adds: ‘Just the way we want it is not a bad paraphrase for amen. What is needed at the end of this great prayer is a ringing affirmation of the goodness of God and God’s world. If your nerves can take it you might (occasionally?) try Whoopee ! I imagine God Himself will not mind.’ Editorial Team Tel.
Ev Els
021 696 0336 emichael@iafrica.com
Cheryl Anderson
083 272 1530 canderson@beckman.com