Glory to God In the Highest
The Eight O’Clock
News Read this in COLOUR at www.cck.org.za
December 2014
8 am Service, Christ Church, Richmond Road, Kenilworth
Living with Mystery Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished. Luke 1:45
The prophecy in Isaiah 9:5-6 that a virgin would be with child and give birth to a son and call his name Immanuel caused as much contention and controversy in the Christian world as any passage in the scriptures. But thankfully the artists, poets, musicians and old-fashioned Sunday school teachers keep on summoning us back to the wonder and mystery of this event. While theologians and biblical scholars argue and defy each other’s positions, the artists keep on portraying the mystery figures of angels and halos, stars and auroras of holiness that surrounded the birth. Madonnas continue to be painted, drawn, sculptured in clay and stone. Song writers and poets keep calling us back to the sacred mystery that seems to be an innate longing for us all. The old saintly Elizabeth had no difficulty exulting in the mystery of Mary being the ‘mother of my Lord’. And she blessed the young woman who chose to believe what had been spoken to her in a heavenly visitation. Perhaps that is the key to maintaining mystery in our own lives: the constant, deliberate choice to believe.
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Mary and Elizabeth: to believe. To choose to believe. And to claim for ourselves the mystery of the sacraments, of praise, of worship, of prayer, of liturgy, of community.
Meditation This is the irrational season When love blooms bright and wild. Had Mary been filled with reason, There’d have been no room for the Child. [Madeleine L’Engele] - Extract from Under African Skies by Carolyn Butler
The Arrival of Jesus The arrival of Jesus signalled the beginning of a new
era. God entered history in a personal way, and made it unmistakably clear that He is on our side, doing everything possible to save us. It was all presented and worked out in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. It was, and is, hard to believe— seemingly too good to be true. But one by one, men and women did believe it, believed Jesus was God alive among them and for them. Soon they would realize that He also lived in them. To their great surprise, they found themselves living in a world where God called all the shots—had the first word on everything; had the last word on everything. That meant that everything, quite literally, Reflection everything, had to be re-centred, re-imagined and Interestingly, it is the Apostle Paul who introduces re-thought. the language of mystery into the scriptures, using it to For Jesus is the descent of God to our lives, as they describe divine or heavenly reality which has a hidden are, not the ascent of our lives to God, hoping He or secret meaning, something that is revealed, for might approve when He sees how hard we try. Paul, only in Christ. He speaks freely, over twenty The story of Jesus doesn’t begin with Jesus. God had times, of mystery that was kept secret for long ages, been at work for a long time. Salvation, which is the and the mystery hidden through the ages and main business of Jesus, is an old business. Jesus is the generations and now revealed… always proclaiming coming together in final form of themes and energies Christ as the one who reveals to those who have a and movements that had been set in motion before heart and intent to receive and understand. the foundation of the world. The secret for us seems to be the same as it was for - Introduction to Matthew’s Gospel, E Petersen: The Message December 2014 Eight O’Clock News
I went to London to visit...
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I recently spent three weeks in London with our daughter
Sandra, her husband Steve and their two teenagers, Aidan and Emily. They have just moved house and it was lovely to be able to explore their new environs and live their daily lives with them. Amongst many highlights three stood out—a campus tour of the marvellous Royal Holloway University in Surrey where Aidan hopes to study history next year, a trip “to the beach” and a day in central London where we attended a wonderful service at All Souls Langham Place. Our grandson Aidan is in his second year of A level studies and is under pressure to decide on his future—very hard at 17! By January he has to submit a list of his choice of five universities, the subject he would like to study and his “Personal statement” to motivate his choice! After many anxious hours of internet research he decided that his first choice would be the Royal Holloway where he would like to study ancient history so as to work eventually in a museum as an archivist—poor boy! Up to now he has lived from day to day with his highest thoughts centered on skiing or scouts! However, our campus tour together really inspired him to reach for great heights in his studies, with the promise of a hitherto unimagined future. The university is set in 300 acres of parkland, and the main building, “Founders,” is a vast Victorian edifice which quite takes one’s breath away. The sight of casually dressed, confident looking young people moving around purposefully with books or laptops under their arms was an eye opener to him and he grew more excited by the moment! My own university years came back to me with nostalgic force as we walked around, and I felt it was a great privilege to accompany him. Our trip to the beach started at Whitstable in Kent. In true Brit
style we picnicked on a bleak, bare pebbly beach overlooking a grey sea, with not a soul in sight! What fascinated me was to see, just along the coastline, the town of Herne Bay which is forever engraved on the heart of my family. It was here in the 1950s that my brother Robin, in England to gain work experience, got a job as site engineer during one of the coldest winters on record—the sea December 2014 Eight O’Clock News
actually froze for 300 yards out (and we have newspaper photographs to prove it!). Poor Robin endured agonies of misery, loneliness and home- sickness and famously wrote home to declare bitterly that the only reason anybody stayed in England was that they couldn’t afford the boat fare to leave it! From Whitstable we drove down to lunch at Broadstairs, with its memories of Dickens. Here the sun was shining, the beach sand was soft and brown—and we were overpoweringly aware of the presence of the six fish and chip shops surrounding the beach! I loved it! The journey back to London took in Canterbury with its awe-inspiring cathedral. It was late and a service was in progress but we spent an hour just wandering around the outside marvelling. Sandra and Steve are now planning a weekend visit. On our day in central London I was privileged to see the amazing, historic display of poppies in the moat of the Tower of London. This memorial to the 888 000+ who died in the 1st World War has captured the imagination of the British people, and we’re told that an estimated four million have viewed it. I was struck by the attitude of the people around me—so different from the usual noisy, gawking touristy crowds. Each individually planted ceramic poppy, making up what looked like a river of blood surrounding the entire moat represented a life cut short by the horror of war, and one could not fail to be moved by it. My grandchildren came away very thoughtful. Needless to say I have many more memories— chief amongst them the joy of sharing time with my precious family! It was hard to leave! - Barbara Fish
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Two Ladies from Lausanne Last year I attended the funeral, in Christ Church, of our Lady
from Lausanne, Gabrielle Nye. Swiss images and Swiss music set the scene as the funeral started and the immediate family, of all generations, wore butterflies, as Gabrielle was particularly fond of them. In May last year, we were threading our way through the narrow streets of Venice and came across a window-display, full of butterflies, which immediately reminded us of Gabrielle, one of our favourite ladies in Christ Church. Another Lady from Lausanne is Annie Valloton, the artist who illustrated the Good News Bible, which I am currently using for daily Bible Study. Her life is well described via Wikipedia with delightful images of her teaching Sunday School in Switzerland. The story of how she came to become the illustrator is well told as well. These are my favourite images.
Luke 19:3 Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was a little man and could not see Jesus because of the crowd.
John Rogers
Galatians 6:2 Help carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ.
Matthew 18:12 What do you think a man does who has one hundred sheep and one of them gets lost? He will leave the other ninety-nine grazing on the hillside and go and look for the lost sheep.
John 21:11-12 Jesus said to them, "Come and eat." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord.
December 2014 Eight O’Clock News
Ephesians 4:26 If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day. Philippians 3:14 So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
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Liz Bolligello marries Henry Rodgers Liz (in her own right) but also mother-in-law to Tim Smith, married Hennie on 15 November. She was escorted down the aisle by granddaughter, Beth Bolligello-Smith (daughter of Tim and Nikki), and married by Rob Taylor. Liz’s daughters said, ‘We do’ when asked by Rob, ‘Who gives this woman to be married…?’ Here are some of the photographs to mark this special day, courtesy of Tim and Nikki.
December 2014 Eight O’Clock News
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Wednesday Congregation As the year rapidly draws to a close, we as a congregation
praise and thank God for the many blessings we receive on Wednesdays—great fellowship, teaching, hospitality and all done in a caring spirit. A few members share past, present and future blessings: Beth MacKrill enjoyed an 11-day trip to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Augrabies Falls with the Hounds and the Hares (other members of CCK) in March; in September she enjoyed a five-day trip to the West Coast to see the spring flowers and visit the Thali Thali game reserve.
Tessa Botha (new member—
very welcome) returned to Cape Town a year ago after 20 years in Pretoria. Tessa works as a freelance editor and indexer.
Judy Jenkins: Our daughter’s family from New Zealand are coming to visit in January and our son’s family (UK) are coming at Easter. Their furniture is being moved from Kenya back to the UK in December and Rodney, his wife and children are travelling to New Zealand and will be meeting their cousins for the first time. Bella, our Jack Russell, our much loved companion, is turning seven next week.
Pam Stewart’s youngest son and family visited from Australia and they all went to the Addo National Park for a visit.
Helen Myburgh moved to
Anchusa Court in Meadowridge
and is already happily settled. ‘The Lord has definitely led me here and my family blessed my move amazingly. My room is my sanctuary and the people are very friendly—and there is a good piano for me to play.. The neighbourhood is perfect for shopping and walking. I look forward to being led into the future by the Lord Who has already led me so far.
Nora and Doug Herbert: Looking back over the past years (which included the Duck Pond), we are still one happy family. Nora still teaches blind people to play bowls on Saturday mornings. On 10 October 2014 we celebrated our 61st Wedding Anniversary. (Well done, Nora and Dougy) December 2014 Eight O’Clock News
We all look forward to 2015 with new challenges, changes, opportunities and more people joining us on Wednesdays. - Sent in by Beth Mackrill
A Redhead ? A gorgeous young redhead went into the doctor’s office and said that her body hurt wherever she touched it. ’Impossible’, said the doctor, ’show me where it hurts.’ The redhead touched her left shoulder with her finger—and screamed; she touched her elbow and screamed; then she touched her knee and everywhere she touched, she screamed. The doctor said, ‘You’re not really a redhead, are you?’ ‘No’, she said, ‘I’m really a blonde.’ ‘I thought so’, said the doctor, ‘it hurts everywhere you touch because you’ve broken your finger’ - Sent in by Nora & Dougy Herbert
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Cyril Axelrod: And The Journey Begins
Meditation
South African-born deafblind Roman Catholic priest, Cyril Axelrod, tells his amazing heartwrenching story. It is one of Duncan McLea's favourites and I had to get another copy for the Resource Centre as the first copy, given to Christ Church by our deaf community, is well-worn and much thumbed. His lively face (there are videos on the net) conveys avid communicating skills as he turns toward those speaking to him while an assistant signs for him on his hand. He is no recluse and is socially aware of the great necessity for deaf and deafblind provision. He has travelled widely, setting up centres for these marginalised groups in Europe, America and Asia. At present he is based at Westminster, living independently by himself in a flat with braille computer, telephone and doorbell; he describes himself as a 'modern hermit'. His Jewish upbringing has imprinted such traditions as celebrating the Sabbath which he still does when possible, his life the richer for it. Early in life he turned to the Christian faith when his desire to be a Rabbi was denied him owing to his deafness—the blindness manifested in later years. Today he stands alone as the only practising deafblind priest in the world. - Sent in by Theresa Keay, Resource Centre
When the song of the angel is stilled When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The real work of Christmas begins… To find the lost To heal the broken To feed the hungry To release the prisoner To rebuild the nations To bring peace among brothers and sisters To make music in the heart. – Howard Thurman
The Word was made Visible It was there from the beginning; we have heard it; we have seen it with our own eyes; we looked upon it, and felt it with our own hands: our theme is the Word which gives life. This life was made visible; we have seen it and bear our testimony; we declare to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made visible to us. 1 John 1:2 REB
God is Always Coming...
The Three-Fold Coming And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory … ‘Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me …’ ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! [John 1:14; Revelation 3:20, 22:20]
Cheryl and Ev wish all our readers a blessed Christmas and a God-filled 2015. Thank you for all your contributions and fellowship. December 2014 Eight O’Clock News
God is always coming, and we, like Adam and Eve, hear His footsteps. God is always coming because He is life, And life has the unbridled force of creation. God comes because He is light, And light may not remain hidden. God comes because He is love, And love needs to give of itself. God has always been coming, God is always coming.-
- Carlo Caretto
Editorial Team Tel. Ev Els Cheryl Anderson
e-mail**
021 696 0336 emichael@iafrica.com 083 272 1530 canderson@beckman.com