CCK Eight O'clock News - May 2016

The Eight O’Clock

Come Holy Spirit

News May 2016

In Search of a Way I came across the following piece in a book by Gerard Hughes, In search of a Way, and thought it was just the right piece to dwell upon as we draw ever closer to Pentecost.

Laughter is a grace, which takes us out of ourselves, a kind of ecstasy in which we seem to share in a mind which sees us in our ridiculous tininess and yet does not despise us but laughs in us and with us. Hughes then quotes from a 17th century spiritual writer who was a chaplain to Cromwell: “One saith that laughter is the dance of the spirits, their free-est motion in the harmony, and that the light of the heavens is the laughter of angels (I like that bit). Spiritual joy is the laughter of divine love, of the Eternal Spirit, which is love, in our spirits.”

I really do pray for you that this Pentecost you will be blessed with the gift of more laughter, Holy Spirit laughter, to lighten your world with ‘divine love’.

Another ‘gift’ I pray will come to you this Pentecost is for Peace:

FOR PEACE I awaken to the early morning peace, and I praise You, Lord, for the promise of the morning.

In this new day let my desire for peace become something more than a fond hope, a plaintive song, an emotional high, a political slogan, a patch on my blue jeans.

Let the reality of peace, all of its rich connotations... wholeness and concern, co-operation, selflessness, communion... take root and grow within me.

May I take peace behind the wheel of my automobile, peace into the supermarket, discount store, and coffee shop.

May peace be with me in my work place, setting the boundaries, determining the textures May 2016 Eight O’Clock News

8 am Service, Christ Church, Kenilworth

of all my words and actions.

As I break bread with my family and friends, may that bread become a sacrament of peace.

If I should differ and dispute with those around me, may I differ within the overarching context of the basic regard for the dignity of all your children which is at the heart of all true peace, Lord.

So let this active, all-encompassing power of peace become the source of and the goal of all my living.

And thus, may I know something of that peculiar blessedness You have promised to all true peacemakers through the Prince of Peace.

John Barrie Shepherd

- Wendy Gunn

God is Looking for People...

Through whom He can do the impossible.

What a pity we plan to do only the things we can do by ourselves.

- AW Tozer

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

- John 5:19

“The traditional Jewish teaching method of parables so favoured by Jesus, is the continuance of this commitment to teaching ideas in real-life contexts.”

[John Atkinson, Indelible Connections, p 20.]

God laid down narrative through the stories of Israel.

Jesus does what His Father does and continues the tradition. Now it’s our turn...

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am.

- John 14:12

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Patrick & Jean Swan The Swans were both born in KwaZulu Natal—Patrick on a farm

near Greytown and Jean, famously at Nkandla, where her father was a magistrate. Jean’s mother died when she was only three.

After moving to Swaziland her father remarried and this shy and silent little girl became the youngest of six children. Patrick too, was a shy and solitary child. They both fondly recall the love and support of their grandparents.

Both were sent to boarding school for 12 years. Jean was happy and thrived especially at sport, but Patrick merely endured it describing himself as a loner, un-sporty and friendless. He did however, excel as a marksman, a self-taught mechanic and keen observer of nature. School taught them both self-discipline and to persevere and endure. Patrick went on to study mechanical engineering at Durban Technikon and graduated one of the top students in South Africa. He was qualified as a Certificated Engineer at 27 (the youngest age possible). Meanwhile, Jean did a secretarial course—also at Durban Technikon but five years later— and went on to work as a private secretary.

She married very young and sadly they divorced when Richard was 3. She was a single mother for seven years. God however, had better plans for Patrick and Jean and brought them together, gifting them in their marriage with the love, support and encouragement they had missed so far in life. The Swans moved to Cape Town in 1990. The family grew with the arrival of sons Stuart and Robert, and Jean relished the privilege of being a stay-at-home Mum. Parting advice from their minister in Durban was ‘Find a church there and settle in’, so after settling into their house in Kenilworth this became Jean’s goal.

The first one she found was the ‘pretty stone church’ and on visiting it found it was Harvest Festival with Stuart Wood preaching. By the end of the service she had found her spiritual home and her Saviour. She began to serve at Feeding the Hungry in 1993 (and still does). Her faith grew and blossomed at Beulah (women’s

At Riversong, Cedarberg group) and later the wisdom and compassion that God gives grew at Social Transformation which she now leads. For Patrick an Alpha course helped him understand who Jesus is and that, together with the fellowship and the friendships he has made since becoming a regular at the 8 am service about seven years ago, drew him to commitment. Attending church together has also enhanced both Patrick and Jean’s enjoyment of and commitment to the CCK family. They now enjoy leading a small group together.

Their recipe for marriage and family is ‘Love each other, love the kids and remember God is carrying us all. Pray in difficult situations. Get involved in God’s work—then you will grow.’ They are both particularly pleased that all three sons have committed themselves to Christ. Patrick has been saved three times in neardeath situations—once as a child and twice in recent years—and feels he was saved for a purpose, and to achieve something. In their generosity, humility and compassion they reflect the love of Christ.

- Lindy & Peter Tomalin

Here’s Looking at You, Kid !

These two owl photographs are placed here simply because they bring delight to the Father’s heart—and make the editor take a deep Yahweh breath and thank Him for His creation, His compassion—and His incredible sense of humour.

- Sent in by Denise Wibberley

May 2016 Eight O’Clock News

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Social Transformation Social Transformation used to be affectionately known as

MAP (Ministry Amongst the Poor) but there came a time when this name was inappropriate and so it was renamed Social Transformation. This coincided with the realisation that hand-outs can hurt, and that hand-ups are the way forward.

I took over the ‘chair’ from Lindy Tomalin this year and have been trying to define in my mind just what ST means at CCK and our role as the committee. It is not easy! Here are some ideas from the committee: * Reaching out with a hand-up to those in need or less privileged than ourselves and in so doing making a lasting difference in their lives. * Providing support for ministries and outreach projects where there is a close relationship between that organisation or project and member/s of our congregation. * Helping the poor without ‘hurting’ and without creating a dependency. * From our positions of comfort and security, ST offers opportunities to see what life is like on the other side. Seeing prompts us into action! * Bridging divides based on material possessions, wealth and education. * Changing hearts as lasting change almost always requires change in us. * Responding with compassion * Active engagement The role is easier; we pray for guidance and for the ministries we support, we are stewards of the ST budget, we keep in contact with and visit the ministries, evaluate and meet their requests for help where we can, we organise events for collections of goods or funds. We are a channel for the congregation, providing information to which they can respond. Our decisions are influenced by our hearts and we strive to keep in line with the teaching we get at CCK and by what the Warehouse stands for.

We are currently going through a period of digging deeper and wanting ST to “be more”. We would like to involve more than just the committee; we would like to create awareness of what is going on in Christ Church scattered and to awaken compassion, for us all to find what touches our heart and for us to become passionate and seek to get involved (short or long term) in areas that matter to us. We would like to be good stewards of the CCK budget put in our control.

The more obvious barriers facing social transformation are: Language Finances—every organisation needs funds Pure numbers Finding opportunities and time to personally engage rather than to simply hand over cash (not that we want to minimise the importance of financial aid) The needs are limitless and the resources limited! However, every little success story has a ripple effect in his or her community. As individuals we cannot fix the world’s problems, but we can do something, no matter how seemingly small, towards helping those within our sphere of influence or physical presence, keeping in mind that through God all things are possible and little things can have a big effect.

We are told so often in Scripture to care for the poor. We should May 2016 Eight O’Clock News

bear in mind that there are times when both a hand-out and a hand-up are needed. The challenge is to balance the hand-out ensuring that we are not creating dependency. So we need both - if the hand-out feeds into the hand-up that is good. We have absolutely no idea what it is like to live below the bread-line.

Take a minute to think of some of the challenges faced every day—things we take so for granted, e.g. light to study by ... quiet ... transport ... ablution facilities ... washing and drying clothes in winter ... warmth and ‘coolth’. If your gift can alleviate or address one of the challenges that the poor face on a daily basis, this is life changing.

- Jean Swan

PS: Watch the Notice Board space on the outside Annexe wall—we aim to keep this filled with up to date needs, prayer requests amd happenings.

[L>R Back: Annie Kirke, Janice Prendergast, Di Holmes, Janice Sparg, Lindy Tomalin; Front: Rhona Kelly, Jean Swan.]

Will Vegetarians have a problem with this dish?

Reporter to Pope John XXIII: ‘How many people work at the Vatican?’

Pope John: ‘About half.’

Reporter to Mahatma Gandhi: ‘What do you think of Western civilisation?’

Gandhi: ‘I think it would be a good idea !’

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Mawande & Nwabisa My name is Mawande Gcilitshana and I’m married to Nwabisa.

We both come from Khayelitsha, originally from the Eastern Cape. I was born in a small town called Keiskammahoek, 45 kms west of King William’s Town. My wife is from Port Elizabeth.

We first met back in February 2005 in Khayelitsha. When we met, we both knew that we were in this relationship for a long-term commitment. In September 2005, I moved to Eagles Rising, in Gordon’s Bay, to supervise a garden project which didn’t take off well due to a number of issues.

I fortunately enrolled for the bridging course that Eagles Rising was offering to high school graduates.

Eagles Rising is a Non-Profit Organization that aims to inspire, encourage, teach, equip and mentor students (ages 18-24) through a fulltime one-year resident programme, to believe that the future can be different from the past and that they can significantly impact society. Students from various previously disadvantaged culture groups live and study together in a residential environment.

Students who have completed high school can apply. We have however, taken young people who have not completed their schooling and who could not survive their circumstances if not helped. This is a year of intensive training and preparation for their futures. The training covers Basic Life Skills, Motor Skills Development, Career-Orientated Development, Spiritual Development, Leadership Skills Development and Physical Development.

Students are ministered to in every area of their lives so that they may become whole people who will face their futures with courage and resolution. By the time they leave Eagles Rising they will have applied for and found further education or employment.

This was such a life-changing year for me as a student. It was in July 2006 that I was invited by Eagles Rising’s management to join their staff team on probation for three months after which I was offered a fulltime staff position. When I graduated in 2006, I invited Nwabisa to join the programme for the following year. She too, was part of the 2007 class. Towards the end of 2007, after praying we sought counsel from management whether we should get married.

There was clear support that this was the right route to take. I proposed to Nwabisa in September 2007 in Argentina, Mar del Plata at a conference we had attended. We got married three months later.

It was during my year as a student at Eagles Rising that I was presented with a lot of truth about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I had given my life to the Lord in March 2002, when I was 17 years old.

I enjoyed a good journey with the Lord but had very little support or training about the life of a disciple of Jesus.

My time as a student offered me much depth about how to live out my relationship with Jesus. It was at this time that the Lord convicted me about traditional practices through the visitation of the Holy Spirit while I was praying on my own. Since then the Lord has taken me on a journey of learning to have Him alone as my covenant God through His Son, Jesus.

I began with confession and repentance of those rituals. I took it further—I went and spoke with family and told them that I could no longer be part of the family’s rituals as this does not please our heavenly Father according to scripture. Of course, they did not swallow this one well. They cursed me, saying that the ancestors will turn their backs on me and that I will never have success May 2016 Eight O’Clock News

because I have denied the ancestors—and told me that I was bewitched.

In spite of all that, my love and passion to serve Him grew stronger.

All I wanted was to live out the word of God. I was strongly convicted by 2 Timothy 3:16: ‘All Scripture is Godbreathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately— behaving honourably with personal integrity and moral courage].

It was also during my engagement to Nwabisa that we faced again a difficult path of persecution from both our families as they wanted us to do wedding rituals, such as ilobola (payment of cattle) and umendo. Before we spoke to our families about what kind of marriage service we would like to have, we prayed about this and felt the Lord was saying ‘no’ to these rituals, that we were to model His covenant wedding ceremony. We felt clear instructions from Him that we were not to pay ilobola even though we knew other Christian leaders who have participated in these ceremonies. For us it was about breaking new ground for the kingdom of God. We spoke about it again with each other confirming that we were both sure with whatever challenges that would come because of this decision.

When I met my in-laws about what kind of marriage service we wanted to do, they were very upset. It was after so many meetings of trying to talk us out of our belief that my in-laws beat and cursed my wife that she would never have children because we have not honoured the ancestors by the ilobola ritual, and that they would not attend our wedding if we took this route, because we have shamed them and the community.

Fortunately, both our families came to our wedding without telling us that they were coming. We were so happy that they attended despite the difficult experiences we had with them. After we came back from our honeymoon, my family strongly insisted that we had to do umendo (being dressed in a traditional wear as a new wife) or Nwabisa would not be recognised as a wife in my family. I engaged with my mother about what this umendo really meant—could we do it without getting all the other stuff involved? My mother refused, saying that if we cut out some of the activities within the ritual, it would make the ancestors very angry. It was there that Nwabisa and I further discovered that this is another covenant ritual with ancestors that will keep us bound.

We had to be clear with ourselves as to what legacy we want to leave for our children. We knew from the outset that we cannot live

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a life of being ordinary Christians, drinking from the world’s cup and the cup of the Lord at the same time as in 1 Corinthians 10:21.

We felt strongly in our hearts that we had to set a Godly standard as young as we were at the time and we felt the Holy Spirit empowering us during those times of persecution from our families. Our love and affection for the Lord grew stronger.

Of course, we are not pointing fingers at our families. They themselves did not know the truth! All they knew is what they have been brought up with and they were just perpetuating what they thought was best for us.

We are strongly convicted of this truth that every decision we make to surrender our lives to the King and live a life obedience to Him, has a direct impact on those around us and it leaves a Godly legacy for our children and the generations after them. The greatest reward of our obedience will be for our children—that they will not have to fight the battles we have fought and won by His grace, but that they will build on from our spiritual foundations and build a house of godliness in our generational line.

Our daily devotion to the Lord is for us and those around us (community) and even beyond us—it is for our children’s children.

This is what the gospel of Jesus Christ can achieve in a yielded heart to Him… PS : More about us * Mawande means ‘an expansion or Increase’; * Nwabisa means ‘the one who makes happy’. * Obutsha (4-year old daughter) means ‘new life’. [Taken from the word uBomi-Obutsha.]

‘Hello Rock’ It has always been a dream of John’s to sail on a

small ship on a large ocean (my nightmare), so when our friend Paul Cannon (‘the Voice’) said to us and their friends, the Griffiths, “You have to go to St Helena, its absolutely marvellous, we went and it was wonderful !

We set sail on a beautiful afternoon on Good Friday. How glorious our mountain looks from the sea. Immediately we were chatting to people on deck, who later became good acquaintances. What I had not factored into being trapped on a small ship on a large ocean was that I had a ‘captive audience’ to talk to!

We also had a celebrity on board—Tim Wannacot and his lovely wife Helen. Tim was on the Antique Road Show for many years and more recently, Bargain Hunt. They had a mini Antique Road Show on the Island.

We soon settled into the ship’s routine of entertainment and leisure between meals! “I’m NOT having anything to eat for lunch”, we would tell each other—“but I just might go and have some cheese and biscuits and beef tea and …”

Our dinner table consisted of two St Helenians from Northern Island (mother and daughter) going to granny’s 94th birthday. They were able to give us useful information like “you have to come to Donnie’s on Friday at 5 pm, as everyone goes there for a drink at that time.”

Seated next to me was Rob Roseveare, who on hearing me mention Bulawayo asked what school I went to. “Evelyn”, I replied.

“Oh, I used to go to dances there when I was at Falcon College as a boarder from the UK. Do you happen to know Paul Cannon?

He was my housemaster?”

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* Buhle-Bakhe (15-month old son) means ‘God’s beauty’. * I’m currently working as a Student Manager and 2nd in charge of the organisation while Nwabisa has been working here at Eagles Rising as a receptionist and teacher since 2010. * We are intentionally part of an evangelical church in Khayelitsha as we strongly felt the Lord wanting us to invest there and learn more about this community. * I call Bishop Philip Le Feuvre, ‘Uncle Philip’ and he is one of two mentors in my life. * There’s a growing passion in my heart right now for Khayelitsha.

It’s been a two-year process where I sense the Lord is speaking to me about a strategic approach that I will probably be part of sometime in the future. I’m currently writing the vision down as Habbakuk 2:2-3 says. * The Lord has restored our relationship with both families. We have so much favour concerning them that now both our families ask us for advice with regard to their family challenges. We have shared the gospel with a number of them—both my mother and my mother in-law have surrendered their lives to the Lord and four of our siblings. The Lord has turned our pain into amazing relationships with our families. * Nwabisa and I are just ordinary people desiring to see the kingdom of God and His will made known in our families and the communities we live in. There are still some challenges in both our families that we are praying about. We don’t have it all figured out but we know that God loves all people and wants all people to have an intimate relationship with Him and we desire to be the channel for His love.

[Mawande was part of Bishop Philip le Feuvre’s team on Good Friday.]

The ’small world’ coincidence continued on our return when Rod Palmer asked me if I had enjoyed St Helena, and had I met his schoolmate Rob Roseveare?

Apparently Rod’s parents acted in loco parentis for him when his parents returned to the UK! ’ The highlight of that voyage was a barbecue on the last night, where the amazing chefs put on a spread that was incredible, followed by prizegiving for the winning quiz team (who celebrated with French Champagne!) and everyone joined in the dancing.

On arrival at the 10 x 7 mile historic rock in the South Atlantic Ocean, we said goodbye to some of our acquaintances who were returning home or working on the airport. As promised though, we did meet most of them at Donnie’s for drinks on Friday!

Our time on this beautiful little mountainous island was mainly spent driving to all the historic places of interest, such as Napoleon’s grave and residences, visiting Jonathan the oldest tortoise in the world (170 and still going strong) who resides with his companions in the gracious grounds of Plantation House where the Governor resides and we had a lovely picnic in the peaceful Boer cemetery.

I surprised myself by climbing up and down the 699 steps of Jacob’s Ladder and on the following two days climbed High Hill and Diana’s Peak, plus the High Knoll fortress above the town.

Now I have no excuse to climb my own beautiful mountain.

We took a boat trip up the north and south sides of the island to hopefully see whale sharks and dolphins without much luck, but enjoyed the views and the birds. I nagged the captain to stop so we could swim and eventually he pulled into a cove and guess who was first in? Wow, it was like swimming in a tropical fish tank!

Regrettably the stop was not long enough for our liking. [> P 7]

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A New Life Christine Milligan’s third son, Derick and Elizabeth (in Los Angeles) welcomed a second daughter (still nameless), sister to their 2-year old triplets, Jocelyn, Benjamin and Colin.

They are seen here, with Joy, their carer, examining this new little person.

She was born while the Emerge camp was being held and almost seems like a symbol of a different new life which God is bringing into the life of CCK—how to honour God through Shabbat, Shalom and Social Transformation—in laying down the narrative of our journey with Him. What will become of her and our journey remains to be seen.

Taryn Galloway:

Thoughts on Prayer Rose Clack:

Prayer seems to happen in different ways. Most times there is a sense of being drawn aside in the stillness, sometimes thoughts and situations pop into my mind out of the blue and there are many times when someone passes by and I sense God telling me to pray for that person. I find praying the Psalms very helpful and when I find it difficult to pray, the Lord and I just sit quietly and have a cup of coffee together.

Elizabeth Clack: Prayer for me is very individual. Sometimes it’s looking for and listening to God in nature, community and, conversations. I look and listen for where there are signs of His Kingdom at work and join in prayer.When I see signs of change in the smallest thing, I am always surprised and in awe in how much His and my heart sing when this happens. When prayer is difficult I just say Jesus name, connected—just by His precious name.

Beth Mackrill:

‘And, whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.’ [Matthew 21:22] Such encouraging words which make me want to pray more often, to walk with God as He loves and cares for us and wants us to succeed.

Prayer is a way of communicating with God—to praise and worship Him, share your needs and the needs of others. It is a gift from God and when we see the answers, we enter God’s presence with thanksgiving and worship.

Claire May: Thankfully I have come to realise that as God created us all uniquely, prayer and praying looks different for each one of us. It is often difficult to remember to not compare myself to others who seem to have “better” prayer lives and quiet times. I can still vividly remember praying out loud for the first time, being nervous that my prayers weren’t eloquent enough. Also being taught that when leading groups it was alright to pray simple prayers to encourage others who might be nervous. What I can say for sure is that God answers prayer—though not always in the time frame and way that I initially expected.

Whatever the subject I know that God knows my heart and my thoughts, yet He wants to spend time with me. Little old me— prayer for me means a conversation with my Father in heaven.

Being thankful, praising, being remorseful, asking, listening.

May 2016 Eight O’Clock News

We have all experienced the moment of remembering suddenly that promise we made to pray for somebody. I have often had every intention to spend time with God, laying before Him the needs and difficulties of others—but the busyness of life gets in the way and I forget.

That's when technology can and has really helped! I have installed an app on my phone called 'prayermate' which reminds me when to pray. I can make lists of family, friends and organisations I like to pray for regularly. But technology only goes so far, and I still need to do the praying!

Ascencia Tebbutt:

What to say about Prayer? I am tempted to answer “Just Do It”, as in the Nike slogan. I remember somebody saying at one of our pre-service prayers, that it didn’t matter how we prayed, but that we prayed.

I confess that for much of my adult life I did not pray, although I think that in some particularly painful or stressed situations, I might have sent some unspoken words from deep inside me.

That may be true for many who do not see themselves as having any belief. I always remember seeing television coverage of the people on the streets of New York during the dreadful events of 9/11. Many of them were instinctively calling on God and I think it is a human instinct, or “our most human action”, in the words of Eugene Peterson.

It seems to me now that at the base, or maybe the heart, of prayer, is our image of God and our possible relationship with Him. Since being at Christ Church I have been learning about prayer through specific teaching, through being prayed for and praying for others, through intercessory prayers and special times of prayer. Yet there are undoubtedly times when I struggle with making connection with God, apart from not finding the words.

Many people attest to these ‘dry’ periods.

I have found reading the Bible to be the greatest incentive to prayer. Both the Old and New Testaments are full of accounts of people praying. Jesus is our best example and model, as we know that He often needed to go off alone to pray. A favourite passage is from Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.

For my daily readings I use Encounter with God and the notes on the readings are often very helpful. Presently, in Genesis and Abraham’s dealings with God, Julie Woods comments: “The balance of approaching God as our heavenly Father, but also as God Almighty, is probably one we will never get quite right; some seeing God as remote, others tending towards inappropriate [> P 7]

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‘You are herewith informed that you have met the requirements of the following qualification: Diploma in Theology (SAQA ID: 92059) On behalf of the College of Transfiguration NPC, you are congratulated on this achievement. May the knowledge you acquired be enriching and contribute to success in your current and future ministry.

The awarding of the Diploma in Theology will take place at the St. George & Michael Cathedral, High Street, Grahamstown during the graduation ceremony on Tuesday, 8th of March at 15:00 hrs.’

Joy Klimbashe’s Graduation Well done, Joy & Family !

The qualifications Joy obtained at Cornerstone were not acceptable for him to become

a salary-earning priest, nor have responsibility for his own church. It was decreed that he needed to attend two years of fulltime study in Grahamstown before he could be ‘licenced’ to have his own congregation and earn a salary.

It was a very hard time for him and for his family who obviously had to remain behind in Cape Town. But he did it! He has been assigned as Assistant Priest to All Saints in Somerset West and he and his family have settled in very happily. The Social Transformation Committee is planning to attend a service when he is preaching sometime soon.

- Sent in by Jean Swan

Brothers in an Endless Chain Neil Veitch spent 3½ years on the

Wynberg history while teaching parttime at the school. The purpose of the book was to help celebrate the school's 175th anniversary in 2016 Luckily, Barry Jessop, chairperson of the school's publishing committee and also a member of CCK, was in close contact with him for all of that time, discussing and guiding the [< P 6] familiarity with God. Indeed it is difficult to strike that balance”. I take that as encouragement, as well as the fact that God is merciful and gracious.

Of course, God does not speak only through His Word.

Listening is an important aspect of prayer—perhaps that “burning of our hearts” as experienced by the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. In Matthew 6:7 Jesus also tells His disciples, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words”. Here again the Psalm 46 has the best word, “Be still and know that I am God”.

Lastly, I think it is good to pray with others and I also like to pray for others, through Prayer Ministry and our Prayer Shield.

It is humbling to pray for others and their particular needs. I believe it also draws us together as a community, as we share each other’s burdens. I remember, years ago, being asked by a friend in CCK to pray for her daughter, the only one of her siblings who did not have a child. I prayed and many others did and God certainly answered our prayers when she had triplets!

Perhaps the final and best encouragement is to know that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are always interceding for us. Thank God.

- These thoughts are the result of a conversation at a dinner party given by Margie and Willie Hare to honour women in the church May 2016 Eight O’Clock News

progress of the book. One thousand five hundred copies were printed and it's turned out to be a fitting tribute to this very old Cape Town school.

Three hundred and thirty six pages long, it is full of pictures and 'boxes' of information, making it an easy and informative read, rather than a heavy tome requiring total attention! There have been many people over the years associated with Wynberg Boys' Schools and Christ Church Kenilworth that this new history will make surprising connections amongst them.

[Available at R485 through Mrs Jeanette Muller or Mrs Ann Coltham at Wynberg Boys' High, Herschel Walk Wynberg.]

[< P 5] True to form the good old RMS St Helena gave us something to talk about on the return journey when she stopped with a screech and shudder at 3.30 one morning.

As we approached our beautiful Cape Town we sailed through mist and to the delight of all on deck, witnessed a huge white rainbow.

Then I noticed that I had a coloured rainbow around my shadow on the sea. Soon we were all trying to take photos of our ‘halos’. The weird thing was that you could only see your OWN halo. Have sent the pics off to Chris Smith, The Naked Scientist, in the hopes that he replies with an explanation for this unusual sighting.

So ended a most amazing and totally enjoyable adventure to St Helena and I feel blessed to have been a part of history.

- Janice Prendergast

Catch of the Day !!

The rain was pouring down. And there, standing in front of a big

puddle outside the pub, was an old Irishman, drenched, holding a stick, with a piece of string dangling in the water.

A passer-by stopped and asked, ‘What are you doing?’

‘Fishing’, replied the old man.

Feeling sorry for him, the man says, ‘Come in out of the rain and have a drink with me.’

In the warmth of the pub, as they sip their whiskies, the gentleman cannot resist asking, ‘So how many have you caught today?’

‘You're the eighth’, says the old man...

- Origin unknown, sent in by Belle Divaris

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Why?

Abide With Me

Dear Lord I have so many questions.

Why loneliness, poverty, injustice?

Why evil, pain and death?

Why abuse, divorce, depression?

Why have sad things happened to me?

“I cannot tell you yet, My child You would not understand; You still see only shadows Of the working of My hand.

But look up to these mountains To those bent and twisted strata.

My power did that bending, See the beauty that resulted.

You wonder at those tiny birds Held closely in your hands.

From Poland and from Finland Flown those miles three times.

Mystery of mysteries, yet I planned it Aeons ago. And I know if just one falls.

How about the sky at night With stars you love so dearly— Do they give you news of Me? To help you see more clearly?

How far away are they?

Who keeps them in their patterns?

Theory of relativity Doesn't that prove creation?

Variety of flower and bird You're only just discovering Reveal to you My artist's hand, Prodigality of My loving.

Musician too—I formed bird's song, Set wave and river singing.

Thunder's drum and howl of wind My power o'er landscape flinging.”

Perhaps I am beginning to see You are the source of good.

Sorrow and pain are part of life, Allowed in Your mighty plan.

You are God—I would not have you less— And I cannot fully understand.

Yet Lord, I know Your love That unbelievable humbling When You were ‘obedient unto death’.

Dying in place of evil man To make the impossible happen— That I should walk and talk with You Covered with Your righteousness Where am I then? Always safe.

My trust in You is childlike.

Sorrow, tragedy, death may come But they are not the end.

Your love remains and I am in Your hands.

I do not need now to understand.

May 2016 Eight O’Clock News

- Ca Wood On request with permission from Ca’s family

- David Crowder, Jason Ingram, Matt Maher, Matt Redman

I have a home, eternal home But for now I walk this broken world You walked it first You know our pain But You show hope can rise Again up from the grave Chorus Abide with me abide with me Don't let me fall and don't let go Walk with me and never leave Ever close, God abide with me

There in the night Gethsemane Before the cross, before the nails Overwhelmed alone You prayed You met us in our suffering And bore our shame Chorus Bridge

Oh love that will not ever let me go Love that will not ever let me go You never let me go Love that will not ever let me go

And up ahead eternity We'll weep no more we'll sing for joy Abide with me

Editorial Team Tel. e-mail Ev Els

021 696 0336 emichael@iafrica.com

Cheryl Anderson

083 272 1530 canderson@beckman.com