Back to old clothes and porridge

Home sweet home. I have been back from South Africa for a week now, and feeling happy to be home. Phil and I had a great time in London, and then I went on to South Africa for a week, which was wonderful. Although it was only a week and we didn’t get outside of Johannesburg, it was a special time with family and friends. I think my mom has now truly and fully celebrated her 50th birthday!

Things are busy as usual in Prague, we are mid-semester, so loads of things happening. This week is our final week of our Environmental Month, a month in the first semester during which we focus on a different topic each week relating to the environment. This week is about sustainable development, and we will also be doing some extra work around campus to raise money for Christian Aid’s ‘Present Aid’. We haven’t decided exactly what we’ll be sending and to where, I guess it depends on how much work we do and how much money we raise!

This past Sunday the sermon by Greg Nichols at Sarka Valley Community Church was on the parable of the talents from the Gospel of Matthew. This is a difficult passage, and Greg did a good job of unravelling some of the questions and challenges of the passage, but I still have so many questions. If the ‘Master’ is not Jesus or God, and if the ‘talents’ are not spiritual gifts, then the passage leaves us with a few problems. Not least of which is the closing verse of this parable: “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Matt 25:29, NIV) I don’t actually know what I think this parable is about, but because I don’t know if I like the idea of Jesus/God as the ‘Master’ from this parable, I think that I still have some researching, thinking and discussing to do! Any ideas very welcome!

This Sunday I am leading church. I find this a challenge every time I have the privilege to do it, because I always want to try to do something a little bit different, to make the experience of coming together to worship God and being equipped to be his disciples something fresh and perhaps unexpected. I think that this is because so many times I feel that when we Christians go to church we go through the motions of ‘church’… we sing songs, we hear a sermon, if we’re lucky we might hear the Scriptures being read (but this should not be taken for granted, I have been to a number of churches that only hear the Scripture that is to be preached on). Not that church can always be new, dynamic and exciting… but I feel that we need to at least have the expectation that something different might happen. Or rather, that we won’t just hear, feel, see, sing and do the same things. Its a difficult balance to strike though… to keep the general structure and elements as part of the service, but to also try new things. One of the things that I like about SVCC is that we have a different person leading and preaching each week, but that can also mean that we don’t consistently engage with the same things, we don’t perhaps experiment as we could, and there is no consistent way of developing ideas or new practices. I think that this is a real challenge to us, and its something that I feel each time that I come to lead. I want to try new ways to worship together, but I don’t want to make people feel uncomfortable. Its something that I’ll be thinking and working on this week, and I’m always up for suggestions!

The celebrations continue…

Good evening from sunny South Africa! I’m in Johannesburg with my brother, mom and dad to celebrate (or rather, continue celebrating!) my mom’s 50th birthday! It started on the 23rd October, which is my mom’s actual birthday, when Phil and I flew from Prague to the UK for the first part of my mom’s birthday… the English celebration, which was really great. Now we are in South Africa to have part 2, the South African celebration. In between the two, my dad also took my mom on holiday to two Mozambiquan islands, which I heard was amazing… Matt and I are feeling very envious!

Matt and I arrived on Monday morning to lovely sunny Johannesburg, and we’ve been enjoying the good food and good weather since then.  My dad’s sister, Lesley, also is here, which is wonderful as its been ages since I saw her. She is great, so chilled out and great fun to be around. We’re having a pretty relaxing time… enjoying long chats over tea, lunch by the pool, afternoon strolls to the shops. Yesterday was Matt’s birthday, so we had a family ‘tea party’ at my grandad’s house, which was good fun. My aunty (Mom’s sister) turned up with her 3 babies… her golden retriever, little pavement special, and golden retriever pup. It was kinda chaotic, but the doggies are soo cute! Especially the puppy… he was all fur and fluff… just a little cuddly ball! It was class to catch up with my cousins Jess and Dave, its always nice seeing them again. Matt turned the grand age of 25… he’s getting on now!

Today I had coffee with my oldest friend, Pam (as in, the friend that I’ve had for the longest… we have known each other since we were babies, our mom’s are friends) and then I went back with her to her and her husband’s apartment to have dinner. It was so nice catching up with her and then seeing her husband, Russell too. We had a great time chatting about everything under the sun, and it was just really special to see her and Russell again. It is a special kind of friendship that can last over many many years and many many miles.

Tomorrow will probably be another day of strenous relaxation… Well, I think that my bed is calling me… good night all!