The Eight O’Clock
News September 2013
8 am Service, Christ Church Richmond Road Kenilworth
Editorial on a Meditation Recently a friend gave me a book of prayers in which I found a meditation by John Henry Newman (1801-1890), which in its entirety is thoughtprovoking, but there was one sentence (my italics) that set me thinking deeply: ‘God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission—I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place while not intending it—if I do but keep His Commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my
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friends, He may throw me among strangers, He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me—still He knows what He is about.’ I have never thought, in so many words, that a person who is ill may be of service to our heavenly Father. Usually the other way around— I’m unable to serve Him because I’m sick ! I wonder whether when a person is ill, those caring for her/him, doctors, nurses, family members, are given the opportunity to show the compassion, love and concern of Jesus? God works in mysterious ways! “Lord, let me be a channel of Your blessing to others. I do not know how You will use my prayers, but I trust You absolutely, that I may play my part in the healing and redeeming work in the world.” [Angela Ashwin] - Wendy Gunn
Vision to stop bridge suicide jumps A 14m high steel cross, dubbed the Cross of Hope was erected opposite Van Staden’s Bridge in mid-July, marking a giant step forward in a campaign to deter suicide jumps from the 140m-high bridge west of Port Elizabeth. ‘We are terribly excited. A huge team of us have put in a lot of blood, sweat, tears, effort and money into it [the cross project] for six solid months’, said project visionary and coordinator, Robbie Hift, after a technical team succeeded in the tricky operation of mounting the cross on top of a steel pedestal that was erected in March.
‘This victory has not come easily. But when God is behind something, somehow a way always comes up, because He is a waymaker. We believe that with God, all things are possible! This cross will be a huge encouragement to all people of all nations who cross the N2 freeway, and as part of that vision it will make people think twice about jumping off that bridge because there is hope in Jesus.’ Since Hift began sharing his God-inspired vision to erect a giant cross opposite Van Staden’s Bridge, many companies and people have rallied behind the project, providing material, equipment and expertise needed to make it happen. The next stage is the construction of a base with 2m high letters spelling Jesus Loves You, solar-powered illumination, security and a project website. - Further information may be obtained at the following link: http://gatewaynews.co.za/cross-of-hope-rises-at-van-stadens-bridge/
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Oh, What a Show! For the first time we have attended the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End without having to purchase a ticket! Every Sunday, the theatre is used by the Hillsong Church and there are four services. We knew that the church originated in Sydney and is very strong on musical praise and worship (I have some of their CDs) but knew very little more. From the moment we stepped into the foyer we were enveloped by the ‘welcomers’ radiating warmth and love. The first young man recently got married to a girl from Port Elizabeth and the second lady told us excitedly that she is about to go to South Africa for the first time (she is in her 60s) to attend a wedding in Cape Town. In response to our questions, they both shared a lot of information about the church and it certainly is on a huge growth path. One of their philosophies is to attract young people to get to know God in a way and place that is comfortable to them. Hence a theatre venue, huge screen visuals, full eight-piece band (very loud—it vibrated in your chest) and young singers leaping about on the stage. The message, given by a visiting pastor from Australia, was Gospel-based and very good. The two hours passed quickly. At each service they have over 2000 people and their membership is almost 12000. Apparently the mother-church in Sydney has 45 000 members. It was a wonderful, uplifting experience and as we were leaving, I had to start avoiding eye contact with people as everyone wanted to hug and bless us. If you are interested, look it up on the web. God is doing wonderful things which is a welcome antidote to all the empty de-consecrated churches in the UK. Is this the way forward? - Pam & Berkeley Maytham
Spring IS on its way… Sent in by Janice Prendergast (To view in colour, read News on website)
Appropriate Attire—Ouch ! One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out Bible. The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and accessories. As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it. As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favour. ‘Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship.’ The old cowboy assured the preacher he would. The next Sunday, he showed up again for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and ignored. The preacher approached the man and said, ‘I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church.’ ‘I did’, replied the old cowboy. ‘If you spoke to God, what did He tell you the proper attire should be for worshipping in here?’, asked the preacher. ‘Well, sir, God told me that He didn't have a clue what I should wear. He said He'd never been in here before.’ - Origin unknown
Out of the Mouths... A nurse on the paediatric ward, before listening to the little ones' chests, would plug the stethoscope into their ears and let them listen to their own heartbeat. Their eyes would always light up with awe, but she never got a response equal to four-year old David 's comment. Gently she tucked the stethoscope into his ears and placed the disc over his heart. Listen, she said, What do you suppose that is? He drew his eyebrows together in a puzzled line and looked up as if lost in the mystery of the strange tap-tap-tapping deep in his chest. Then his face broke out in a wondrous grin and he asked, Is that Jesus knocking? - Origin unknown, Sent in by John & Jan D’Arcy Evans
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I, Spy (Part 2) I need to go back in order to continue (if that makes sense) and fill in on one extremely important part of my life: Two and a half months before I was due to fly to Bangkok to commence my posting, I was invited by a Foreign Office friend to stay with her and her family in Norfolk for the weekend. We were travelling up by train from London and, as it happened, I got to Liverpool Street Station before Judy and set about finding two seats together. It being Friday evening the train was full, and my mission seemed doom to fail. Eventually I did find two seats, side by side, but either side of the aisle. Casting a glance at the occupants of the two window seats I quickly decided to bag the one with the nice looking young chap in his smart suit reading his newspaper. The alternative was a very pimply naval rating, in his ratings kit so Judy was to sit next to him, and like it! The train pulled out, Judy and I headed to the bar for refreshments, the nice man on my right followed us. We returned with our drinks first and, this is the crux, the handsome young man sitting ‘next to me opened the conversation with an ‘excuse me, may I get to my seat please? There is a long queue up there.’ There followed an erudite conversation in that I replied: ‘Yes, you really need a drink when you get there.’ I was impressed by the fact that he opened the newspaper at the ‘seriously difficult mind-bender problem page’ so I whisked out my bright red, very official and smart looking folder entitled, Her Majesty's Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Instructions for personnel embarking on a foreign posting. I left the folder unopened on the table in front of me just to make sure that he could read the title and note the smart gold crest on the front. Thereafter the conversation flowed. He had been to the Far East with the Royal Navy and we had mutual friends. We saw each other three times in London before I went overseas and, when I arrived in Bangkok, wrote to each other by return of post. He came to visit halfway through my posting and I took time off so we could explore together. His name was Robert Maydon! When I returned to the UK in July 1973 we continued to court and married in April 1974. I was half pleased to leave my maiden name behind (Trollope) and adopt a more user friendly one. The irony was not missed
by either the best man or my uncle when it came to the speeches at our wedding. I left the FCO after our marriage and worked in the City. Robert continued with John Lewis Partnership. It was a tough time in the UK with a stagnating economy, 3-day working week, unions striking, jobs being lost and not many opportunities to move along in one's career. Robert started looking around as he had become very frustrated with the status quo. Opportunities presented themselves in, specifically, South Africa. Robert's Dad was born in SA and lived here as a young boy before the family moved back to England. He always had a hankering to return to SA on his retirement. Plans were put in place but, tragically, leukaemia took charge and he did not fulfil his wish. Robert too, had a desire to spend time in SA so the job offer in Johannesburg with Edgars sounded very inviting—especially as we were both flown out here for a recce and loved what we saw. We arrived by sea on the SA Vaal in 1976 and travelled up to Johannesburg by train. We spent 25 very happy and fulfilling years in Bryanston and our three boys were born there. However, our workrelated move to the Cape in 2001 has been enormously rewarding on many fronts. People have been exceptionally kind and friendly; we live in the most beautiful environment and, most importantly CCK found us! We looked at three churches before settling into CCK. The two deciding factors were: that the prayers, on the day we stepped over the portals, were for The City and, notably, the new City Manager (Robert's newly appointed position and the reason for our move down here); and, when Duncan gave Robert his wafer at Communion, he used his name. (Perhaps Duncan had his spies out there?) - Anna Maydon
Happy Birthday, Peter Gillespie, (10 am Usher) 5/9/13 ! Puns Intended... Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent. An invisible man married an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either. - Origin unknown. Sent in by Belle Divaris
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Monty and Marlene Poolman Monty and I joined Christ Church in February 2002. We had just returned to Cape Town after working many years in Johannesburg and the Eastern Cape. Monty had retired and was getting restless to go back to Cape Town. We both grew up in the Southern suburbs and also worked in Cape Town as adults. We loved this beautiful city with a passion and wanted to return to it. Fortunately I managed to get a transfer from the Eastern Cape Department of Health to the Western Cape Department of Health as a manager in the HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis Programme, where I am still working today. Before we left the Eastern Cape we already had links with Christ Church Kenilworth. Duncan performed the marriage ceremony for Monty’s daughter’s wedding in CCK and while still living in East London we attended the christening of his two grandchildren at CCK. It was just pure coincidence that we purchased a townhouse very close to Christ Church and decided to attend a service and see if we wanted to join the church. From day one it felt right and we became regular members of the eight o’ clock service. The big bonus was that we could now walk to church! One of the great highlights for Monty and I was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do a tour to Israel in 2011 with John Atkinson. This tour opened our eyes to the Jewish roots of our Christianity and was very educational as well as spiritual. It is hard to describe the closeness to Jesus I experienced sitting on the shores of Galilee, sharing Communion with our tour group. Monty remains an avid supporter of CMJ to continue his journey of learning more about the Judeo-
Christian Ethic. About five years ago I was asked if I would assist as an usher and it has been a real privilege to meet and greet everyone every third Sunday of the month at the early morning service with my fellow volunteer Sheila Kaschula. We are both qualified professional nurses and enjoyed chatting to each other and assuring everyone that they were in good hands as the ‘nurses’ were on duty. When Sheila informed me that she had resigned from the Welcoming Committee as from the end of July 2013, I also felt that my season as a volunteer as part of the Welcoming Committee had come to an end and requested to hand over to someone else from September 2013. I will now wait and pray for God to show me where He wants to use me next as a volunteer as I continue my spiritual journey at Christ Church, ever striving to deepen my relationship with Jesus. - Marlene Poolman
The Non-Conformist !
Did You Know ? * Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country. 90% of the world's ice covers Antarctica. This ice also represents 70% of all the fresh water in the world. As strange as it sounds however, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average yearly total precipitation is about two inches. Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it is ice), Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.. * Istanbul, Turkey is the only city in the world located on two continents—Europe and Asia. * The term 'The Big Apple' was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930s who used the slang expression 'apple' for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big time—the Big Apple. * There are more Irish in New York City than in Dublin, Ireland; more Italians in New York City than in Rome, Italy; And more Jews in New York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel. * Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests. - Source unknown
Ambiguity... * Atheism is a non-prophet organization. * I went to a bookshop and asked the saleswoman, ‘Where’s the self-help section?’ She said if she told me, ‘It would defeat the purpose.’ - Origin unknown
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Turning 80 For years Stan has enjoyed sending a special poem to people who turned 80—and now he has got there himself! He has always said that he never expected to reach this venerable age. When he was 14 he was run over by a car and very nearly died. He also suffered so badly from childhood asthma that he had to be sent away from home in Durban to a farm school at the tender age of 8, and later to boarding school for his high school years. But he is still with us and we praise the Lord for that! In 1953, while showing interest in mission fields in Nigeria or Kenya, where several of his friends had gone, he was asked to help in the Scripture Union office—and the rest is history. Forty five years later he retired, having found his mission field right here in Cape Town. In those years he ‘did the books’, ran camps and missions, spoke at hundreds of meetings for school and youth groups, started the wholesale book section of S.U. and in the end was the Business Manager of a mission which had expanded hugely since he joined it. Stan has had a passionate interest in many other things over the years. Many people are aware that
there are few people in Cape Town with more cricket statistics at their fingertips! He played enthusiastically till he was 62, and since then has voluntarily helped to administer the game in the Western Province. Not many people know that he once shared a Cricketer of the Month award with Graham Gooch (see page 6)! Needless to say it is his fulltime commitment to his family (he rejoices with me in two sons, two daughters and eight grandchildren), to his church (he has been a dedicated member of Christ Church since 1973) and to his friends (he LOVES people and wishes we could have hired the City Hall to accommodate all of you!) which endears him to everyone. I thank God for my wonderful husband and wish him HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! - Barbara Fish
One of the many parties Stan enjoyed over several weeks. This one was a gathering of the ‘old choir’ of which Stan had been a part and we enjoyed singing numerous hymns and listening to some of Stan’s stories (see page 6).
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small boy, now over six feet tall, who had been the one swept farthest out! He had been so terrified I hesitate to relate the word miracle to any of the that he had quite given up hope of being saved from drowning, but later during camp he had come to be fairly prosaic events which occur at Scripture saved in the eternal sense also. (He responded to Union camps. BUT—at short notice I had been an evening talk on Christ’s Promise to return one asked to fill a gap at a camp for Transvaal boys day). at Southbroom Beach in July 1954. All at once During the past 45 years that he has lived and I found myself in a crisis: a group of small boys brought up his own five children in the USA, he has was being swept out into the ever-treacherous Natal surf, and I feared that it would take a miracle proclaimed that S & V Camps (the old name for S.U. camps) had just the right system! Martin has to save them. It would. It did. And I have never visited Barbara and me twice since 2007—what forgotten it... delightful reunions! In mid-afternoon I walked down onto the beach And the Miracle? That it was my group of large with my tentful of Grades 10-12 boys who’d thugs who were free to descend to the beach while finished their games programme, where to our horror we saw 22 Grades 7-9 boys from the junior all others were still busy with games and other activities. That Jonty, the only camper able to swim camp being swept off their sandbank 10 or 15 m out that far, was one of them. That neither the big out. I suppose I must have prayed, but to be boys nor the small ones panicked, but just quietly honest it seemed that our only hope in that frightening moment was for me to direct the efforts co-operated until all were safe. What a joy to meet of my eight boys in their use of the life-saving reel. Martin Page, that most threatened small boy, after 53 years, in the home of a sister I didn’t even know Paul Reed, leader of the camp, did not know that he had! I shall be forever in debt to God for letting that day’s designated ‘swimming officer’ had been me share in that Miracle. enticed away from the beach while supposedly still - Stan Fish on duty. During the next 30 minutes I witnessed the only Cricketer of the Month physical miracle of all my years at camp. Paul had felt that my large and troublesome 15-17-year The Cricketer of the Month award really happened, but is a -olds needed my more physical approach than bit of a family joke which causes us much mirth. I’ll leave others who were available to fill the gap when a Stan to explain it to you… - Barbara. NOW Stan’s version: senior leader fell out. Photographs show that Mercifully, cricket at the Club level is far more democratic several were BIG, sharing a ceaseless search for than when it reaches the mountain-tops. Graham Gooch mischief, and a keenness to wrestle with me late scored a century in 1st Division, for Green Point Club, I think, into each night! but whether it won the match for them I really can’t remember. Among the eight was Jonty Banks, a qualified Durban life-saver. I handed him the ‘belt’, and sent In contrast, I took 8 wickets for 48 runs (my best ever), and then scored the final 21 runs required for Rygersdal to beat him off to try to reach the small boy whom I could see had been swept farthest out. Then I urged the Paarl in the 3rd Division. Graham won his bag* for being Batsman of the Month, while I carried mine away for being Allremaining seven to do their best to save as many Rounder of the Month. Sometime afterwards my knees as they could from the shallower water, while I handed in their notice, so I passed the bag on to a schoolboy controlled the reel. Amazingly, this group of who had recently joined the Club—he was thrilled to receive troublesome teens pulled in all 21 boys while I it . His mother tells me that he did the noble thing in passing it agonised on the shore. I shall never forget seeing the largest and most aggressive of them emerging on to another scholar after using it for a season or two in England. Democracy rules! with a small boy under each arm! Jonty, meanwhile, was almost out of sight. His amazing [Rygersdal’s 1st team was in 2nd Division at that stage, swim was made all the more difficult by his nowhere near Gooch’s 1st. I captained the 3rd team in 3rd mistake in calling out to each of those whom he Division, so my award, jointly with the later England captain, passed on his way into deeper waters: Hang on, raised great laughs in the Club, not just in the family. Family I’ll be back! Most of them took his words to be an pride was heightened by the fact that Gavin helped, back for a invitation to hang onto the rope, so that in the weekend’s leave from Army camp, taking two outstanding end we found ourselves pulling in seven of them, catches on the boundary, and scoring five runs while batting with the rope extended to its full 400 feet! at No.11. th * The Award was what cricketers call a coffin—a rectangular An amazing sequel: on 4 March 2007 I met hard-plastic suitcase longer than its breadth and able to Martin Page, an American visitor to his sister - Stan Fish Rosemary in her home in Cape Town. He was the contain bat, pads, etc.]
Miracle on a Natal Beach
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SPECIAL BIRTHDAYS (during July– September) (with apologies for late submission!)
Merle Price (13 July) Dods Brand (13 July) Stan Fish (26 July) Wilma Tindall (30 August) Malcolm Sutherland (19 September) Peter Broster (21 September) And
HAPPY 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY To
Alec and Sara Pienaar (28 September)
Frost Flowers ‘This phenomenon is as beautiful as it is rare. A frost flower is created on autumn or early winter mornings when ice in extremely thin layers is pushed out from the stems of plants or occasionally, wood. This extrusion creates wonderful patterns which curl and fold into gorgeous frozen petioles giving it both its name and its appearance. Conditions have to be just right for frost flowers to form. Early winter is the optimum time to come across them—as although the weather conditions must be freezing, it is vital that the ground is not, so water can be sucked up in the stem. As the temperature gets to freezing or just below, the sap in the stem of the plants will expand. As it does so, the outer layer of the stem comes under increasing pressure and microscopically thin cracks, known as linear fissures, begin to form. These will finally give way under the pressure of the sap and split open, forming cracks for the water to come through and then freeze. Water is continuously being drawn up the plant's stem while the ground remains unfrozen. It travels up the plant’s external stem and reaches the split or splits. As it does so, it oozes slowly out and freezes. Yet more water is coming behind it…’ - Source Wikipedia, sent in by Mary Thompson, Kidds Beach, E Cape
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Invitation to Silence and Solitude (by Ruth Hayley Barton)
If you have ever wondered what the point of spending time in silence with God is, then this is the book for you to read! This book is an invitation to the adventure of spiritual transformation in the deepest places of our being, an adventure that will result in greater freedom and authenticity and surrender to God than we have yet experienced. In the foreword to the book, Dallas Willard writes that solitude and silence are the most radical of the spiritual disciplines. He says that we need someone to tell us how to enter silence and solitude, to tell us what will happen when we do, and how we will experience God’s transforming presence. Ruth Hayley Barton tells us all of this and more, writing very honestly from her own experience as she works, studies, and is involved both in church ministry and a busy family life. Barton uses the story of Elijah to explain the journey into silence, so the book is deeply rooted in Scripture. She writes, ‘I have chosen to write about solitude and silence because I believe silence is the most challenging, the most needed and the least experienced spiritual discipline among Evangelical Christians today. We are a very busy, wordy and heady faith tradition. Yet we are desperate to find ways to open ourselves to our God who is, in the end, beyond all our human constructs and human agendas. With all our emphasis on theology and Word, cognition and service—and as important as these are—we are starved for mystery, to know this God as One who is totally Other and to experience reverence in His presence. We are starved for intimacy, to see and feel and know God in the very cells of our being. We are starved for rest, to know God beyond what we can do for Him. We are starved for quiet, to hear the sound of sheer silence that is the presence of God Himself.’ I can highly recommend this book.
Dispensing Grace I have been re-reading Philip Yancey’s book, What’s So Amazing About Grace? The following paragraph has stayed with me. He has been discussing how the ‘world’ does/views/behaves, and how Jesus wants us to live:
‘If the world despises a notorious sinner, the church will love him/her.
If the world cuts off aid to the poor and suffering, the church will offer food and healing. If the world oppresses, the church will raise up the oppressed. If the world shames a social outcast, the church will proclaim God’s reconciling love. If the world seeks profit and self-fulfilment, the church seeks sacrifice and service. If the world demands retribution, the church dispenses grace. If the world splinters into factions, the church joins together in unity. If the world destroys its enemies, the church loves them. That, at least, is the vision of the church in the New Testament: a colony of heaven in a hostile world.’ Are we members of such a colony? - Wendy Gunn
For the Road… Lord, thank You for the diversity of people around us, the ‘Samaritans, Tax collectors, women of disrepute, garbage collectors and street people’ and that we are all beloved by You. Thank You for the opportunities that come our way to interact with one another. I pray we would always look upon each other with respect and do our best to see You in each other, and forgive and help us when we fail to do so. - Wendy Gunn
- Judy Everingham
More Puns...
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I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day, but I couldn't find any. Finally, there was the person who sent 20 different puns to his friends. This was done in the hope that at least 10 of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did. - Origin unknown, sent in by Belle Divaris
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