Njube (Visited 24/11/19)

My last visit to Njube was back in 2011, when I had the joy of preaching at a united service hosted by the Njube congregation. It was therefore exciting to be going back.

When we got to Njube, they were towards the end of a Bible Study session, which then led into the service. The service itself started about 11.15, and lasted, somewhat surprisingly, just an hour.  However, it had the enthusiasm and ‘life’ that I remember from my previous visit, probably eight years ago. The service was led by Revd Moyo, the Interim Moderator.

They now have a screen installed which was used to project notices, including a welcome to Revd. Lydia Neshangwe, Presbytery Clerk, and myself, despite the fact that they only knew we were coming this morning, some of the hymns and the readings. This last was good because the projected version of the readings was in English, though they were actually read in Ndebele. Near the beginning Lydia was asked to bring greetings and I followed. I was able to express my appreciation of the welcome and of the obvious unity which we share in Christ. I was glad to bring greetings from the Synod and especially from the church at Maldon, with whom they are twinned. It was a particular joy to be able to bring a monetary gift from Maldon as one of their members had asked me to bring a generous donation. It translated to US$625, which I had put in an envelope. I had agreed with Lydia to present this at the service, and in front of everyone, but not to mention to the amount.

I presented the envelope to the session clerk, who opened the envelope and had the congregation count the money as he pulled out each note and handed it on to someone else. So, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 - and 20 and 5. This was met with great enthusiasm, applause and ‘whooping’. They asked me to pass on their warm thanks and express their appreciation of the twinning relationship.

The rest of the service included the children singing a number of songs, several in English, and reciting memory verses, which was also in English. The choir sang, alongside the mix of hymns, prayers and a powerful sermon, on the theme of thankfulness. Revd. Moyo used both languages, but enough English for me to have a good understanding of what was being said. As usual, we all brought our offerings forward at the appropriate time and at the end, Revd. Moyo and I, and then Lydia went first to the door and everyone followed shaking hands with everyone else, so each person joining the line until we were all in a great circle, in the Zimbabwean/African style and with the choir leading enthusiastic singing as it all proceeded. We then exchanged further greetings and departed. It was good to have been there.

Mbereshi (29 Nov - 2 Dec)

Mbereshi is a long way from Lusaka, almost six hundred miles. It would be quicker and shorter to cut through the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but that would mean leaving the country and re-entering, which was not feasible.

Driver Moses and I left Lusaka at 6.40 am, arriving in Mbereshi at 7.10 pm, with very little stopping en route. When we arrived we were greeted by Alison, torch in hand, as the power was out, part of Zambia’s programme of ‘load shedding’, and leading to considerable interest in solar power and its possibilities. The United Church of Zambia (UCZ) is currently trying to broker a deal that would bring solar farms to a number of communities around the country where they have schools. Alison does not have running water in her house at all. Despite that I had a ‘bucket shower’ with hot water almost immediately.

Alison is the headteacher of Mabel Shaw Girls’ Secondary School. She is a mission partner from the United Reformed Church who has served in Zambia since 1997. Before that she served in the Solomon Isles, and then in Tuvalu, from 1985 to 1987. A trained teacher, her work has always been in schools, but she has been a well respected and experienced headteacher within UCZ schools for a considerable period now.

When I last visited Zambia, and Alison, in December 2017, she was headteacher at the UCZ school at Mwenzo, near to the town of Nakonde, which is situated on the border with Tanzania. Alison had expected to remain at Mwenzo until retirement but, just as she was leaving Zambia to come to the UK on furlough leave was informed that the church wanted her to relocate to Mbereshi as those responsible for such things felt that the school there needed some new leadership and that Alison was the right person to provide this. Initially she was concerned about this request, and so it was good to see that she has settled in so well and feels that she is definitely in the right place.

In the end, despite returning to Zambia in early February, she did not move to Mbereshi until late April. Initially, she had to overcome a range of difficulties but, with good support, especially from her deputy and the local minister, she has settled in well and got on well with addressing the school’s problems, including exam cheating, pregnancies and the catering. I discovered that the girls are often given ‘just cabbage’ to eat. It is supposed to be enhanced by cooking oil and relish, this latter possibly being bits of chicken or fish, though one of the ways the cooks can enhance their income is to fail to add these elements. Of course, key among the problems with which the school struggles are the problems with electricity and water supplies, especially the latter. A large community of girls (around 500 girls, all boarders) really needs significant supplies of water. Water is therefore a major problem and has to be managed carefully. She would like to have a borehole on site.  Load shedding is obviously another problem, and she is very interested in a scheme for solar farms which is being worked on in combination with somebody from the UK.  Mabel Shaw is earmarked as one of the possible sites.

For me, it was particularly interesting to visit Mbereshi as it was originally a mission station of the London Missionary Society, founded by the society in 1900. As well as the school and the church, there is a hospital and, in times past, it was quite an extensive community, with paved roads and street lighting, neither of which survive, apart from the occasional indication of what was once a paved road.

The school is a complex of single storey buildings on a large site. It includes classrooms, dormitories and ancillary buildings. The school is better equipped than was the case at Mwenzo. For instance, there are three science labs, against one, and better equipment. There is a covered area (thatched) somewhere around the centre which tends to get used as a sort of staff room. The library has very few books, and so is currently being used to store Alison’s excess possessions, ready for when she can occupy the head’s house, which is still not available to her. I also saw the kitchens where there are big boiling pots, and the outside kitchen, complete with fire, for when the power is down. 

There is a small cultivated area and they are looking to develop the area under cultivation in order to augment food supplies. The school also currently has some pigs. There is a sports field, a large assembly hall, and a tuck shop.

Alison said that she has an excellent deputy, and some good teachers, though others a bit less so. She does feel that some members of staff will need to be changed, notably on the cooking side. She wants to do various things to improve the school. She has already tightened up significantly on discipline and improved the security over exams, where there was a lot of cheating. Apparently, a lot of girls were upset because teachers were not allowed to invigilate their own subjects in the exams. She has created a strong room to protect exam papers. Because the possibility of cheating was removed, she expects results to be poor, and to go down, this year, but that is a necessary step in improving the school. 

On Sunday we got to the school just before 7.30 am. The girls were gathering in the main hall for morning worship, and the service stared soon after that. The girls themselves led the service, with the various roles allocated. There was a praise group which sang, but no communal singing, prayers - at different points led by different girls, all very “professional”, the readings, which I had chosen, notices, offering, though only a few brought offering forward, and I “preached”.  I also presided at Communion, with about 20/25 girls receiving, those who were confirmed members of UCZ.  At the end the chaplain gave a very nice word of thanks.

The service was shorter than usual, and less singing, probably because Grade 12s would be key, and have gone.

But that let us get to the church in good time.

The service is scheduled for 9, but usually starts at 9.30, which is what happened. We were there in very good time, so had a look at some graves of missionaries which are adjacent to the church. The church is of very traditional construction, built of bricks and with a tiled roof, and, a hundred years old, is beginning to feel its age and may need replacement or extensive repair before too long. Frederic, the minister, has 22 churches, though this is the main one. The service was preceded by Sunday School, happening outside when we arrived. The service itself had lots of praise with different people/groups leading at different points. The offering had everyone coming forward, but directed by a steward. There were readings, notices, prayers.  The language was a mix of Bemba and English - and I preached, Frederic translating as I did so.  The service was just short of two hours.

After worship, Alison, Frederic and I went to one of his other churches. It’s a growing church in a very large village, still under construction. It was interesting because we drove through part of the village to reach the church with traditional thatched dwellings and very rough roads. The church was by a shopping street. The main church has walls and benches but, currently, just canvas covers to give some roof protection.  There is also a small hall. It was good to meet the elders briefly. Lay leadership is key when you are caring for 22 churches!

Vimridge (visited 23 & 25/11/19)

Something over two years ago, the Presbytery realised that they had a large chunk of land on the outskirts of Bulawayo, in an area known as Vimridge, that was lying largely unused. A small portion of it had been squatted but, for the most part, it was simply running wild. The decision was taken to develop a significant agricultural project, the plan being to use it to generate income in order to support ministerial stipends which are often not paid by congregations that are really struggling in the current economic situation. The decision was taken not to evict those who had constructed homes on the land, but to encourage them to become partners in the venture. In fact, those in that situation have been gradually moving away, and the whole piece of land has now been fenced off in order to provide security and to discourage others from doing the same. It is has meant that they are able to employ a security company, which would not be a possibility if the land were not fenced. However, the security bill is high. Some wire was stolen a few weeks ago, though some was recovered, and the wire was cut in one place last night, though nothing taken. The security firm were repairing that. They are thinking of painting the wire as that makes it less attractive to thieves.

The work at Vimridge has advanced significantly over the last two years. As well as the fence, there is now a sign proclaiming it to be Presbyterian property. The amount of cultivation has also greatly increased. One of the popular crops is butternut squash as they find it easy to grow, and producing a good yield. There are several areas being cultivated for this, and one of the tasks for the workers is preparing the ground for planting.. They are also growing maize and gradually developing other crops. Inevitably, one of the main problems is the supply of water, though there is a borehole on site, and they attempt to harvest rainwater. However, they deliberately focus on crops that do not need a great deal of irrigation. However, they are learning as they go along and recently lost a crop of cabbages because of lack of water.

There are now three large canvas greenhouses, increased from just one that was there two years ago. One is currently growing English cucumbers, which are doing well, the second different varieties of pepper and the third has recently produced a large harvest of tomatoes, and is now waiting for a new crop, probably more peppers. Andrew, the farm manager, told me that they were shortly expecting a delivery of ten thousand plants. The enterprise is run by a farm manager, an assistant, and six helpers, but under the direction of Maria, who oversees the project for the Presbytery, and her team. It is still relatively early days, but really good progress is being made.

There is an area where those who live on site can cultivate their own crops - and, just a little way from the main farming area, the chicken project is about to get under way. They have almost completed the first chicken house, which includes space for storage and an office. and so the first batch of chickens (1000) should be introduced soon. The original plan had been to have the first batch ready for selling around Christmas, but it is now looking more like the end of January. It takes six weeks to get them ready for sale. The plan is to, eventually, have nine more chicken runs, so an ability to have 10,000 chickens at a time. The other nine will not require the storage and office section, so will be constructed more easily and cheaply. It will take a while to get there, as the land needs to be cleared and then concrete foundations poured before constructing the chicken houses.  It is important to clear the land as otherwise there is a risk of both snakes and mosquitoes attacking the chickens.  Bio security is important and they will have the chickens separately fenced from everything else.  The plan is to put a temporary fence round the first “house”, so that they can get started and then, initially, the plan would be to plough a lot of the profits back into the expansion. 

The assistant manager told me that they have no problem in selling the produce. They have a supermarket and others as customers, and the problem is more a matter of not being able to satisfy demand. Things are beginning to head towards a peak for Christmas but she does not see selling as an issue. Transport is a bit of a problem as they are a little out of Bulawayo and that can include getting workers to and from Vimbridge. 

Mutare (visited 21/11/19)

It was early breakfast, just after 6 am, today as we were going to Mutare, about 270 km from Harare, so leaving  about 7am. I was travelling with four of the folk from Presbytery and further along we met up with a second car, driven by Paul Neshangwe, which had the General Secretary and Chief Finance Officer of the Uniting Presbyterian Church, here from South Africa, a representative from the Presbyterian Church USA, and the Convenor of the Presbytery Church in Society Committee.

We all arrived in Mutare around 10.30 going to the African Regional Resource Centre, a relatively new Presbytery project which we were there to visit. We were met by Des Becker who, with his wife Sally, heads up the implementation of this new activity. It started as a result of Cyclone Idai and the damage that was caused in the Mutare area. This led to a realisation that there was the gap in the provision of resources to offer a rapid response to such events, which are far from unknown. 

A complex of buildings, a bit like a mini industrial estate, has been made available at a reasonable rent, though the long term hope is that they may be able to buy this set of buildings. We were taken on a tour of the extensive site. Initially it had been hoped to undertake this project in partnership with a few different denominations, but the others who were considering it dropped out leaving the Presbyterians to go it alone, though with plenty of goodwill from others.

The site is effectively divided into two. One half is where the Presbytery folk are developing their work. The other half is let out commercially to companies whose rental supports the project by generating income, though there is a deliberate attempt to encourage companies whose work is complementary to the philosophy of the project to take up the rental opportunities. So, there is one company making window frames, the local Coca Cola distribution centre, and a company who provide the infrastructure for boreholes is about to move in. On the other side of the complex there is some warehouse space where they hope to store non-perishable items that will then be available for rapid response in the event of a disaster, though they are not yet at the stage where they have managed to begin a collection. Another aspect of this initiative is providing space where people can develop skills which will enable them to attain skills and become self-sufficient.

They are looking at partnership in various ways. For example, there is the facility for a fuel station at the front, and the plan is to open this as a source of income generation. There is space for workshops and space for offices.  As well as Des and Sally, there are a number of other local people involved who were present, notably the minister of St Columba’s, Mutare, Everisto Musedza, a friend of mine who translated in the course I taught at Kuwadzana back in 2011.

We then gathered in a meeting which gave us further insights into what is happening.  It is now firmly adopted as a Presbytery project and the officers of the denomination, present from South Africa, were clearly impressed and supportive, encouraging them to write it up in suitable ways and to apply for funding. They are looking at a variety of income generating projects, like the fuel outlet plan. They are very keen to develop the rapid response facility, but do need funding and other support to do so. There is also a lot of work to be done to develop the skills training section, including a question. Being raised by some, as to whether some of that should be located in the communities where the people they seek to help live, rather than on the centre’s site.

However, the biggest need at the moment is for further resourcing. For example, we saw a room where they would like to develop an Internet cafe and in which they are already running classes. At the moment they only have seven laptops available for students, which limits classes to fourteen, if two share a computer. 

Good contacts have been made, not least with the civic authorities.  They have provided poly water piping and solar lights to victims of Cyclone Idai, and would like to purchase more of both for further work. They would also like to engage in water supply issues and the provision of boreholes on their own account. They had hoped to partner with the company that is moving on to the site, but that company has declined that sort of partnership. 

It is an encouraging story, with lots of insight and initiative playing its part, but one that needs a lot of further development. 

Lovemore House (visited 20/11/19)

Every time I visit Lovemore House it is doing something different. The first time I visited it was home to a small group of boys, who would otherwise have been on the streets. I remember how they loved their football. Last time it had become the Presbytery office and a bit of a conference centre, but was somewhat under-used. Now it has become a training centre, though the Presbytery office is still on site.

The building, situated in the Cranbourne area of Harare, out towards the airport is a fair size and in reasonably sized grounds. It is thus a good resource for the Presbytery, who keep reviewing and adapting its use.

This has now become a venue for running short courses for evangelists so that they can gain skills which will help them to generate income, but also offering them something practical to pass on as they engage with communities where people are struggling to make a living.

At the moment they are running four courses, each running for three months. First of all, we visited the cutting and designing students, of whom there are five. They learn how to make simple garments and, like all the others, were enthusiastic about what they are doing. We saw examples of a basic dress, a basic blouse, a basic shirt, basic trousers, and a child’s dress.

Then we went on to look at how the catering course runs. Here there are nine students, the maximum possible for that course.  Again, they learn basic cooking, so cited examples of things they have done with eggs and potatoes, and also talked about cake-making and the likes of scones and donuts, which they had made and taken off to sell.

The third group were the welders, where there were just three. Their big problem is that the electric power is usually switched off during the day, part of Harare’s programme of managing the electricity supply by ‘load shedding’. The centre does have a generator, but it is not working at the moment. 

The fourth group, again of three, were those learning agriculture.  At the moment they are working towards producing a crop of tomatoes, and are preparing the ground for that.  Previously they had grown cabbages and there is a large area where peppers are being grown. All of the students, in all four spheres, would have liked a longer course, but felt that they had benefited from what they had been able to do.

The Presbytery are also considering how they can expand the range of courses.

The Lovemore House programme is now a helpful part of the Presbytery‘ strategy to find ways of being self-sustaining. It is hoped it will provide a small income to the Central (payroll) Fund, but it is also supporting the evangelists in finding ways of supporting themselves.

Contaminating Well

I am reading “Freedom is Coming” by Nick Baines for Advent, looking with him at some of the things that the prophet Isaiah says to this season.

I was particularly struck by a comment in the suggested reading for last Wednesday. The theme was ‘the longer view' and a phrase from Isaiah 40, verse 4: “every valley shall be lifted up.”

Baines talks about how influence spreads, suggesting that it can be other than we think and expect. He uses the notion of ‘contamination’, normally seen negatively, but asks: “Might it be possible that God is less concerned about being contaminated by pagan uncleanness than he is about contaminating the world with grace and mercy and sacrificial love?”

That’s a really good thought.

We can get caught up in concern about the effect of bad influences in all sorts of ways when, actually, our task is to be an influence for good. Is that not what Jesus meant when he calls us to be salt and light? It does not mean that we should ignore or be unconcerned about all the bad stuff, but there is little point in allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed by what we can’t do.

“God’s people are invited – dared, even – to look beyond ‘now’ to a time when what looks unlikely might actually happen, when every valley shall be lifted up and the desert will become fertile and fruitful.”

Come And See (John 15:35-39)

(Reflection given at the Synod Office, Lusaka, United Church of Zambia, 3/12/19)

John 1, verse 39 - Jesus “said to them, “Come and see.” They came with him and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day.” Come and see. What a tremendous invitation when the invitation is from or about Jesus. The same invitation is issued just a few verses later.  Philip has started following Jesus. He finds his friend Nathanael who expresses great doubt about whether Jesus is worth it. Verse 46 of John 1, Nathanael asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip’s response, in that same verse - “Come and see.”

It is what effectively the shepherds said to each other once the angels had announced to them the wonderful news of the birth of Jesus. “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place.” Let us go and see.

In John 4 we have the record of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman beside the well, the woman whom he asked for a drink. But how does that story end up? It is quite a surprising ending in a way. This woman, because of her lifestyle and her reputation, was virtually an outcast in the village. That was why she had gone to the well at a time when nobody would normally be there. But now, after meeting Jesus, she rushes off to speak with those same villagers, and she says to them, come and see. “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done.”

Come and see. This is what we need to do; and this is what we need to invite others to do. Come and see what Jesus has done. 

When the two disciples of John the Baptist found Jesus and were wondering about him, what was the question they asked? Well, it is there in verse 38. They asked him, “Where are you staying?” I find that fascinating - because it is not the question that I would have expected. I would have expected them to ask something like, what do you stand for? What’s your message? What are you looking for from followers? How might you help us? But they don’t say any of that. Instead, they ask: where do you live? Where are you staying? And we might wonder what that has got to do with anything? But actually it has got everything to do with what we need to discover.

One of my favourite writers is the Dutch Roman Catholic priest, Henri Nouwen, who writes on spirituality. Commenting on this passage from John 1, Nouwen says of Jesus here: “He doesn’t say, “Come into my world.” He doesn’t say, “Come, I will change you.” He doesn’t say, “Become my disciples,” “Listen to me,” “Do what I tell you,” “Take up your cross.” No. He says, “Come and see. Look around. Get to know me.” That is the invitation.”

That is so important. It is so easy for us to rush round doing and encouraging all sorts of good things, and they are good things. They are valuable and they contribute a lot - and there are times when that is just what we need to do. But it is too easy for us to neglect that critical thing of just being with Jesus. Come and see. Come and be with me.

The story that leaps to mind is, of course, that of Mary and Martha, when Jesus visited their home. I don’t think one was right and one was wrong. Martha was rushing round doing all sorts of valuable stuff - and the church needs loads of Marthas, those who will take on hundreds and hundreds of different tasks. But I am sure that a critical point in that story is the need for us to discover what Mary had discovered, that sometimes what we need is just to be with Jesus.

Of course, Jesus calls us to follow. Of course, Jesus calls us to do stuff. But that’s not where it starts. Jesus’ first call is, come and be with me. Come to my place, if we might put it that way.

Nouwen again: “This image of God inviting us to his home is used throughout scripture.  The Lord is my house. The Lord is my hiding place. ... The Lord is my refuge. The Lord is my tent. The Lord is my temple. The Lord is my dwelling place. The Lord is my home. The Lord is the place where I want to dwell all the days of my life.”

Jesus wants us to be part of his family; and we manage that by spending time with him. 

So, how do we respond when Jesus invites us to come and see?

Well, I believe that the first important thing is to listen. We should listen to others who point us to Jesus, and we should listen for what God is saying to us. Nathanael may have raised questions, but he found Jesus because he listened to Philip. God often speaks through others.

Then, secondly, we should ask. Where are you staying? It is really important that we should know who Jesus is if we want to follow him. We get to know someone by asking them questions. In a sense it is different, but in another sense it is absolutely the same. Let me put it like this: if you could ask one thing of Jesus, what would it be?

And the third thing is that we need to dwell. The two disciples with whom we started spent the rest of the day with Jesus. It is easy to say that we are too busy to do that. But, in actual fact, it is more likely that we are too busy not to need to find that time. Another word for ‘dwell’ might be ‘abide’; and, as Jesus says in John 15:9 - “abide in my love.”

Reflecting on John's Gospel

I enjoyed reading Peter Brain's "The Knowable God", which he sub-titles as 'a fresh look at the Fourth Gospel'. In the book hge reflects on various aspects and themes in the gospel and I found it fascinating to follow his exploration.

One thing that I found of particular interest was his comment that "in contrast to the Synoptics there are hardly any brief encounters with passing strangers in John. Each episode here is a set-piece, with time to do some character-drawing which allows the reader to become involved and reflect on what the story might mean for them and their life choices." Immediately, one thinks of the likes of the encounter with Nicodemus or that with the Samaritan woman by the well. These are story that say so much when we reflect on them. Brain adds: "There are hardly any brisk parables and healings."  He also points out: "And throiughout it all there are the twelve, loyal yet fearful, those closest to Jesus but who, like the others in the unfolding drama, need to believe in the identity of their leader."

I found the book a helpful reminder of the depths of John's Gospel, and it left me wanting to explore more despite the fact that I think I know its contents well. There is certainly a lot to contribute to thinking about discipleship.

Black Box Thinking

I am intrigued and encouraged by the concept of "Black Box Thinking", as explained in Matthew Syed's book with that title. Syed emphasises the important place of failure in the scheme of things, whatever the 'things' may be. If we use our failings to help us learn, then they can contribute a tremendous amount. As Syed says: "To spatk the imagination and take our insights to their fullest expression, we should not insulate ourselves from failure; rather we should engage with it."

Syed points out that many areas of life try to disguise failure, and refuse to admit it - with disastrous consequences. Of course, things go wrong sometimes, but the best thing to do with that is to learn from it. If we refuse to learn, often by avoiding admitting it, then the likelihood of repetition is high, and we are certainly not taking the opportunity to learn from what has gone wrong. Syed again: "We have to conceptualise (failure) not as dirty and embarrassing, but as bracing and educative. This is the notion we need to instil in our children: that failure is a part of life and learning, and that the desire to avoid it leads to stagnation."

The title - and the concept - comes from the black box in an aeroplane which is designed to record exactly what has happened, so that we may understand what has gone wrong and learn from it. "Failure is inevitable in a complex world. This is precisely why learning from mistakes is so imperative."

The idea can be applied almost anywhere - but that does, of course, include our understanding of our call to be God's people. We are not going to be perfect, despite Jesus' call to us to make that our aim, but we can do our best, and we can learn from those things that we get wrong.

"Errors can be thought of as the gap between what we hoped would happen, and what actually did happen. Cutting-edge organisations are always seeking to close this gap, but in order to do so they have to have a system geared up to take advantage of these learning opportunities."

Visiting Vellore - Anbu Illam

Anbu Illam is a great place. It was one of our early visits the first time I came to Vellore and I was so pleased when I discovered that it was going to be the same this time.

Anbu Illam is the school run by the diocese for children affected by cerebral palsy. The children are aged from 5 to 18 and they currently look after 39. We joined them for Assembly at which we were each presented with a garland. After assembly they went off to their various places and it was extremely moving to see them crawling or using rather less sophisticated mobility aids than would be available in the UK. We then had light refreshments - cake, biscuits, coffee - before going to see round the school. There are three sections - physical, occupational and education and they spend time in each. First, we went to the gym where several children were engaged in exercise. Equipment is relatively basic but usable and used. The staff are very good at encouraging them to push themselves.  We then went to the occupational room, where a number were involved in a variety of activities and we saw some of the things that they have made. Some were colouring, while others were making paper flowers, necklaces and envelopes. It was great to see how they are encouraged to use the abilities that they have and to adapt them to do a variety of things.  We then went and looked at some classrooms, including one where lessons were in progress. They are able to teach the children in very small groups which helps their progress. Abu Illam was a very moving experience as we saw how limited resources are stretched and the way in which dedicated teachers help those with serious handicaps to achieve something worthwhile.

#JesusMovement

It is now a couple of weeks since I went to hear Bishop Michael Curry speak – St. Paul’s Cathedral on 3^rd October – and I am just getting to writing a few notes. It was certainly an energetic and challenging address. His mantra is that we are part of the Jesus Movement and that is the message we need to communicate. People don’t get church, but they do get Jesus. We need to live out his life of love, opening ourselves to others. ‘The opposite of love isn’t hatred. It’s self-centredness. The way of love runs counter to selfish instincts.’

I was particularly struck by his response to a question around the political chaos in the UK, in which he noted that we are not alone, as it seems to be a common phenomenon at the moment, and not least shared in the USA. Asked what he thought God would say, he responded by saying that he thought that God wants to tell us that ‘we can do better’.

Another very key quote was around Jesus’ inclusivity – ‘If bigotry is your game, don’t call about Jesus.’ That was a timely and telling reminder, and one to remember.

He also reminded us, ‘Jesus ain’t dead. He’s still in business!’ and commented, ‘He makes me a better me.’ The address was a great reminder that the Jesus Movement is alive and well and has lots to offer to a society that too often chooses to ignore it.

Visiting Vellore - Christian Medical Centre and Karigiri Hospital

The Christian Medical Centre in Vellore, the hospital founded by Ida Scudder, has a reputation that goes far and wide. Doctors who have worked at Vellore are found around the world and the name is known widely. 

The story of how it all began is stark and well known. One night a Brahmin gentleman knocked on the door and begged her to come and help his wife who was struggling in childbirth. She did not have the skills, and asked him to get her doctor father to attend, but the response was that a man could not possibly attend his wife. The same night two other men came with the same request and the same result. The following morning she was devastated to learn that all three women and their babies had died. She resolved to do something to address the situation and went to the United States to train as a doctor, returning to India, qualified, in 1900.

She started with a tiny clinic, interestingly in the premises now occupied by the Christian Counselling Centre, and we saw the room in which she began her work when we visited there. It was just one bed through which medicines were dispensed. Things moved on quickly. In 1902 she opened a forty-bed hospital in Vellore and, alongside that, cared for the rural population by going out to the villages in a bullock cart, with nurses and medicines. She knew that the real need was to care for the women, and so she began training women in 1909 and founded a school of nursing in 1918. It was not until 1947 that men were admitted to the course and, even today, it is required that the majority of students be women.

Our tour of the hospital started in the history centre and with the story of Dr. Ida, clearly a remarkable woman who died, in Vellore, aged 89, in 1960.

But how amazing that from such beginnings the large and busy hospital that is today’s Christian Medical Centre grew. It seemed chaotic, but it is clearly organised chaos. We visited the labs, paediatrics, maternity, the wards, outpatients, the private wing, the laundry, the chapel, amongst other things. We saw people queuing to pay, but heard how the private segment subsidises what is offered to those who can’t afford medical care. The fans and air-conditioning and private or semi-private rooms offer a more comfortable environment, but it was emphasised that the standard of medical care is the same, regardless of in which part of the hospital the patient is situation. It was remarkable to see the numbers of patients and staff and the large footprint of an extremely busy hospital. It was an important reminder of a hugely beneficial element in the missionary legacy.

Interestingly, a trio of us had started that day worshipping in the chapel at Karigiri Hospital. We were staying, as our main base, in the guestrooms belonging to the hospital and situated in its grounds. We arrived early, though worried that we were late, as we were not sure exactly when the service began. Around 7.30 am people began to arrive, and at 7.40 a period of worship, singing, began. That continued until 8 when the bus arrived with some of the congregation. The biggest part of the congregation was a group of around a couple of dozen trainee nurses, all female and all in white, who sat on mats on the floor in the central part of the chapel, though there were chairs at the back which others used. In the gap between the pre-service worship and the service, several of these young women came over to greet us, making us feel very welcome. The service was led by the Chaplain and most of the singing was in English, though prayers and other elements were in Tamil. The address was brought by one of our number, Fiona, with a Tamil summary by the Chaplain after she had spoken.

After the service we spoke with the Director and the Chairman of the Board, both of whom were present, the latter for a board meeting. The conversation with the Board Chairman was interesting as he was very keen to express appreciation of the care and identity for the Dalit community that had been brought by the missionaries. He said that he saw that as an important expression of a theology of liberation. I found that a fascinating and important insight. I have, in many ways rightly, worked against a background of seeing the British Empire as a damaging imposition on other cultures and peoples. There is no doubt that our colonial past did a great deal of harm and we, with no right to do so, claimed ‘ownership’ of large parts of the globe as the world map was painted red. However, there is another side, and it was moving to hearing it named so specifically and carefully by one of our Indian hosts. I have no doubt that even the missionaries did things that were not entirely good, but their contribution to health, education and recognised the value of the marginalised, and probably a few other things, does have a lot to commend it – and is a useful reminder that this twinning link is about mutual support and learning.

Visiting Vellore - Christian Counselling Centre

One place that I found to be of great interest was the Christian Counselling Centre. This is not run by the Church of South India, but there are very strong links, particularly with the Diocese of Vellore, where it is situated. When we arrived, we were met by the Director, Dr B J Prashantham, who gave us a tour of the complex and told us of its history and current practice. The main house was originally built by the East India Company as a factory and so is spacious and solid. The Centre hosts a wide variety of students from across India and beyond and Dr Prashantham told us something of the different ways in which those who come to the Centre are enabled to consider the theories of counselling in different contexts and with different needs and to engage in its practice. The importance of the placement and its part in understanding how counselling can make a difference is key. Dr Prashantham also talked of the students having three laboratories, the lab of the classroom, the lab of the practical (placement), and the lab of their engagement with each other. He himself has served the Centre for a long time, having originally been appointed by Bishop Lesslie Newbigin, when Bishop of Madras. Trained in counselling in a “western” context, he spoke of the need to be culturally appropriate. The paradigm needed to be shifted from, ‘I think, therefore I am’, to the far more appropriate, ‘I belong, therefore I am’. Founded in 1970, the Centre continues to do important work offering careful leadership in the field of counselling. I was interested that their publicity leaflet quoted my former New Testament teacher from my days in Glasgow, Professor William Barclay – “Even when we are in the mud, we are haunted by the stars.” One interesting room had the walls covered by the evaluations of courses offered by participants – they are encouraged to draw a picture by way of evaluation. There were some fascinating illustrations as participants engaged in the challenge of presenting growth through their course pictorially.

Pay Heed to the People You Meet

This was my brief reflection that was part of the closing worship of the Eastern Synod meeting today (12/10/19). It followed the reading of Mark 6:53-56.

Alastair, I may have remembered the name wrongly, but that doesn’t matter, came into the church in Islington of which I was then minister.  I assumed he had come to “borrow” money, as that was why he usually came, and I hadn’t seen him for a while, and I began to consider whether I would be generous, or whether I ought to be resistant – as he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out, and here I definitely can’t remember, 20, 30 pounds – saying: I have come to repay you, and so he did.  In that inner city location, I often had people coming asking for money or food, but only once was I repaid, one encounter that I didn’t expect to work out as it did.

But move on a few years, and we are in Panama.  We lived in a very interesting street.  We lived next door to the church of which I was minister, a Methodist Church, so that was there.  But it was also one of the main drug dealing streets of Panama City and home to some very interesting characters, quite a few of whom would knock the door from time to time, or, actually, more often, yell from the gate which we usually kept locked.  I remember the day a police shoot out ended up outside our house and damaged our gates.  I have often wished that I had kept the bullet casing that I found in our garden the following day.  Anyhow, these characters would yell to attract my attention, and I got to know a few of them a bit, and would give them, usually, just a bit of coinage.  But, on the day in question, my wife and I were going out in the car and had just got a little way down the street when this rather dishevelled looking character loomed up in front of the car, waving me down.  My wife wondered what on earth was going on.  But I didn’t really, because I knew him.  He was one of my regulars, and I assumed he wanted a little money.  But actually he didn’t.  He just wanted to say hello.  I was somebody who did help him from time to time, and he simply wanted to greet me.   Another encounter that didn’t quite turn out how I initially expected.

I wonder what the people who are mentioned in the last few verses of Mark 6 expected?  What, if anything, were they looking for?  It is interesting that the stress seems to be not on the fact that Jesus healed, though that’s there, but on the large numbers that came looking for him.  His reputation was getting around.  And so, there were those who rushed round the area grabbing those who needed Jesus’ transforming, healing touch. 

And so, I want to just ask three questions: first, are we ready to be surprised by some of the encounters that we have, and especially when we think we have got it clearly worked out what people will do?  Second, what’s our reputation?  What are we known for?  And third, how much effort do we put in – are we willing to put in – to get those whom we know to need Jesus to have the chance of some contact with him?

Visiting Vellore - Church Partnerships

St John's

             

St. John's

It was good to be back in Vellore in July/August, though the notion of India as an assault on the senses quickly returned. Vibrant colours, noise, heat, the smells, many pleasant, others not so appealing. It was nearly four and a half years since I had arrived on my first visit to India and, this time, there was a sense of familiarity as our driver negotiated the traffic of Chennai and we started the journey to Vellore and the guest rooms at Karigriri hospital.

It is impossible to adequately describe the variety of experiences, but one thing that was overwhelming was the welcome and the care with which we were taken where we needed to be. The link between Cambridgeshire Ecumenical Council and the Diocese of Vellore is long established and mutually valued. Having the opportunity to visit is a real journey into the enrichment of experiencing the world church.

As a minister, one of the things I most value in such visits is the opportunity to worship in a different context, which always feel different, and yet there is invariably a real sense of our oneness in Christ. Different members of the group went to different churches.

For me, the first Sunday took me to St John’s Church, Fort, Vellore, where the diocesan link person, Revd. Jared Jebareuben, is the minister. St John’s is an English language church – so I understand everything and enjoyed the opportunity to preach without the need for translation. The hymns were traditional, including some I have not sung for a while – ‘More about Jesus would I know,’ ‘Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face’. I was glad to have the opportunity to share in the administration of Communion, though doing so in cassock and bare feet always feels a little strange.

The second Sunday we were away from the city in the hills at the retreat centre at Yelagiri, and attended the church in the village, Millennium Church, so called because it was built in 2000. Prior to that, the members of the congregation had worshipped in homes, It is a small church, about 10 families, 25-30 people, but often attracting visitors. The service was in Tamil, but there was nobody to translate, so the sermon was in English, and I was assured that most people would understand! After the service, as is typical, we had coffee and conversation, and a number of people came and asked for prayer.

On the third Sunday I was preaching at Rottschaefer Memorial Church, Bernicepuram, Katpadi, where the Revd. Isaac Kadhirvelu, Vice President of the Diocese, is the minister. Apparently this was originally a mission compound and so there are a lot of retired clergy in the area. I find it difficult to estimate how many were present, but perhaps 200-300. This was designated the Sunday for us to visit village churches, but I think our connection with that is that they showed a PowerPoint of their outreach into villages during the service. We started promptly at 8.30 with everything on screens and a large digital clock facing the preacher. It was reasonably easy to follow what was going on though – apart from the sermon – pretty well everything was in Tamil. Revd Isaac gave a translation of the gist of the sermon after I had preached it, having requested a script in advance. The service included an adult baptism, people coming forward for prayer and three offerings. As usually happens, the church was less than half full when the service started, but soon filled up, including the overflow seats to the back and side, and lasted about two and a quarter hours. Afterwards we were made to feel very welcome and I had lots of people coming to me asking for prayer and a blessing, a humbling experience.

Aside from Sundays, we had several other visits to churches, and were able to encounter people as we shared worship and conversation.

A Wednesday evening visit to St Luke’s, Chittoor, where Revd Samuel Babu is pastor, enabled us to meet with the Women’s Fellowship (and a few men). There was lively singing and speeches of welcome, and I learned to be ready for anything as, having thought that one of the others had done the visitors’ bit, the pastor then asked me to bring a reflection. As so often, the ‘service’ was followed by the provision of a meal. I must admit to enjoying the food, not least the chicken biryani that is so often the main feature of church meals, though, despite all the practice of this visit, I still struggle to eat rice with my fingers.

On the second Sunday evening, on the way back from Yelagiri to Vellore, we stopped at Ambur to spend time with the folk at one of the churches there. Again, it was predominantly the Women’s Fellowship who welcomed and shared with us. Many of this congregation had broken away from a Pentecostal Church in order to join the Church of South India, and the lively worship reflected that background. There was also a cultural element, with music and dance and, when the women of our group, were invited to join the dance, I was glad of the cultural conventions of India by which it was very clear that it would be inappropriate for a man to also do so!

One more. One Tuesday evening we were taken to a poorer part of Vellore, and the church where Revd Glory is pastor. Revd Glory is one of the relatively few women pastors in the diocese, and one of the most long-serving – and what a great name for a pastor! One of the traditions in India is the giving of garlands and shawls to honour visitors and others. In this poorer community this pastor, who clearly cared a great deal for her people, had made the garlands with which we were presented. The energy and effort that this congregation put into singing and dance as they sought to introduce us to something of their life, worship and culture was extremely moving, and even a power cut failed to really disrupt them.

The motto of the Church of South India is “That they all may be one”. All we shared chimed well with that brilliant sentiment.

Stories of Saints

When Rowan Williams spoke at the United Reformed Church ministers’ gathering in May 2018, I realised how skilled he was at telling the stories of others and using those to say some really significant and helpful things. On that occasion he told the stories of three women - Maria Skobtsova, Dorothy Day and Madeleine Delbrel - and used an account of their lives and Christian contribution to offer some fascinating insights.

Now, much more briefly, he has put together a collection of stories of Christian lives and uses these to point us to new and familiar Christian insight. The book, entitled “Luminaries” started life in various places and is a compilation, mostly, of addresses and sermons. However, it works, as Williams takes us into the lives of those he described. Starting with St Paul, and it is well worth starting in the Bible in a project like this, and ending in the latter part of the twentieth century with Oscar Romero, he takes us into some great stories of Christians. It is a good reminder that we all have our story, and that stories are worth telling.

There are twenty stories, and each have their insight.

I particularly liked some of what he says about William Tyndale (1494-1536) - “Tyndale was not just a gifted, pithy and entertaining translator; he also had a profound and far-reaching vision of the social order. For Tyndale, God was shown in the world by particular kinds of social relation. The Church is the community of those who live in Godlike relation to one another. The Church is the community of those so overwhelmed by their indebtedness to God’s free grace that they live in a state of glad and grateful indebtedness to one another.”

Diverse Saints

I recently read “Every Tribe”, edited by Sharon Prentis, appropriately sub-titled ‘stories of diverse saints serving a diverse world’. Recognising that the Christian story has often been told in a way that gives priority to white males, this collection of stories seeks to redress the balance by high-lighting a necessarily small selection of ‘saints’ who have made a good contribution to the Christian story, but whose ethnicity is non-white. I agree that these stories need to be told, and allowed to come to the fore and so consider this a valuable contribution. Starting with St George who, as the patron saint of England, is often wrongly depicted as white - he was actually a Palestinian - the book works its way through a dozen stories across a number of centuries and helpfully reflects on the stories.

For instance, of St George it is said: “St George, so often domesticated for narrow nationalistic gains, should instead be seen as a brave man, bold in speaking about the faith and international in his appeal and acceptance, with communities in England sharing this Palestinian Roman saint with many other communities and nationalities around the world.”

One of the other stories comes from the sixteenth century and is of Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin who, in 2001, became canonised as the first saint from the indigenous peoples of the Americas. The book says of him: “Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin’s importance to the people of Mexico, and all those who feel powerless, cannot be under-estimated. He speaks alike in accents that common people going about their business, in the marketplaces and in the tea houses, and those in seats of power in Mexico, can understand. It is the age-old truth: God raises up saints from the most unlikely of places and people.”

These are valuable stories with important lessons - and it is important to remember that behind them there are many others that remain untold.

Listening to God

The second chapter of Barbara Brown Taylor’s “When God is Silent” says this:

“Even now, some Christians have trouble listening to God. Many of us prefer to speak. Our corporate prayers are punctuated with phrases such as “Hear us, Lord” or “Lord, hear our prayer,” as if the burden to listen were on God and not us. We name our concerns, giving God suggestions on what to do about them. What reversal of power might occur if we turned the process around, naming our concerns and asking God to tell us what to do about them? “Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening.”

Yes, indeed, how we need to listen to and for God. We are good at making noise. We need to learn to listen. It seems as though that should be so easy, and yet it just does not seem to work out like that. Let us try to listen more!

Words and Welcome

I have been reading Barbara Brown Taylor’s “When God is Silent”. In the first chapter she explores the power and our use of words, suggesting that we do not always take them as seriously as we should. She points to the eloquence of silence and how that can so easily be shattered by words. She talks of God as Logos, the Word, and how God speaks ‘things’ into being, going on to say “the most dangerous word God ever says is Adam”. Humans are in the ‘image’ of God and are given ‘dominion’ over creation. Those are two really important ideas. Taylor is talking with reference to preaching and emphasises that we need to take our words seriously.

She points out just how often we do not really do that. For example, she talks of how many churches describes themselves as welcoming to one and all. That is something I also hear. Many of the churches I visit are very welcoming, and that is great, but, like Taylor, I suspect that they do not absolutely live up to their claims. She comments: “No church I know is open to everyone. Whom do we think we are fooling? I would so much rather see a sign that says, “We do the best we can,” or better yet, “Christians meet here. Enter at your own risk.”

I think she makes a very good point.

She also talks about the importance of context, about how words change their meaning, about our expanding vocabulary. Let’s take seriously our use of words, but also the challenges of being really welcoming.

Daring Greatly

I discovered Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly, recently completed, to be inspiring reading. She explores confidence and vulnerability in an encouraging way, thus pushing the reader to consider what can be achieved. All such things are a matter of what we do with them.

As she says: “Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement.” Quite so!

As I remember reading somewhere else recently, if you have never failed, you have never done anything. Brown has that like this: “When failure is not an option we can forget about learning, creativity, and innovation.”

She also reminds us: “The most powerful moments of our lives happen when we string together the small flickers of light created by courage, compassion, and connection and see them shine in the darkness of our struggles.”

There is a lot to be said for daring greatly.

Life of the Beloved

Henri Nouwen remains one of my favourite writers. I love his spiritual exploring, and the way in which he engages with those whom he encounters. In “Life of the Beloved” he explores something of how we can discover the spiritual life in our western culture. Nouwen places a high value on friendship. He sees the importance of our mattering to each other.

“The greatest gift my friendship can give to you is the gift of your Belovedness. I can give that gift only insofar as I have claimed it for myself. Isn’t that what friendship is all about: giving to each other the gift of our Belovedness?”

He suggests four words that can offer a challengingly helpful summary of how our relationships should be, four words that remind us of our celebrating the sacrament of Holy Communion.

“To identify the movements of the Spirit in our lives, I have found it helpful to use four words: taken, blessed, broken and given.”

He encourages us to look at our engaging with others in an inclusive way. We tend to be good at exclusion and at erecting barriers. However God’s way is different. We need rather to see the value of each other and rejoice in what each can contribute.

“To be chosen as the Beloved of God is something radically different. Instead of excluding others, it includes others. Instead of rejecting others as less valuable, it accepts others in their own uniqueness. It is not a competitive, but a compassionate choice.”

We need to be ready to receive, not just looking to give. Giving is important, but we miss much of value if we are not ready to accept. A relationship is a two-way enterprise. We also need to accept our imperfections, and recognise that they, along with our achievements, contribute to who we are.

“It has become extremely difficult for us to stop, listen, pay attention and receive gracefully what is offered to us.”

“Our brokenness is so visible and tangible, so concrete and specific, that it is often difficult to believe that there is much to think, speak or write about other than our brokenness.”

But

  … “our brokenness reveals something about who we are. Our sufferings and pains are not simply bothersome interruptions of our lives; rather, they touch us in our uniqueness and our most intimate individuality. The way I am broken tells you something unique about me. The way you are broken tells me something unique about you.”

“Our humanity comes to its fullest bloom in giving. We become beautiful people when we give whatever we can give: a smile, a handshake, a kiss, an embrace, a word of love, a present, a part of our life … all of our life.”

Spiritual Formation

Journey to the Centre of the Soul: A handbook for explorers by Andrew Mayes helps us to reflect on the challenges of relating our spirituality to the world in which we lives. Mayes notes the challenges of a society often in turmoil and placing many demands on our time.  He comments: “we live in a fragmenting world. Even within ourselves, we find ourselves pulled apart, caught up in a multiplicity of tasks, with so little time… caught between the commitment to help build Christian community and the call to solitude; pulled between the ‘desert’ and the ‘city’; falling between ideals of holiness and the reality of our fragility.”

Mayes recognises our desire to make a difference and all that God makes possible.

“The idea of spiritual formation emphasises that in prayer God wants to heal our dividedness, restore our unity, renew our wholeness in Christ. We need to be on the lookout both for signs of fragmentation, inner conflict and tension, and for signs of integration, evidences of things coming together, like the interweaving of strands in a Celtic design.”

“Spiritual formation invites us to be attentive to the impact of our prayer on our lifestyle and our lifestyle’s impact on prayer. It encourages us to explore the links between the way we pray and the way we live—to make connections between our experience in prayer and what happens to us in the world.”

All this is not easy, but it can make a valuable difference.

“Our potential and vocation is to be ignited by the Spirit, engulfed with his fire, radiant and ablaze with the Spirit himself, the divine flame. We need to allow ourselves to be scorched, singed, caressed by such a flame. In what ways have you experienced the fire of the divine Spirit in your life? Has this been a comforting or disturbing experience?”

Changing Churches

I recently read “Better Change in Church: when wholehearted commitment counts” by Rod Street and Nick Cuthbert. Street and Cuthbert offer some interesting and challenging insights on the question of managing change within the church community. Change is one of those things that we all tend to say we want, but many are less certain of the direction when it starts happening. However, change does – inevitably – take place and we need to embrace that, at least when we get it right.

As Street and Cuthbert remind us: “Change is a positive experience when led by God, but not a painless one. Resistance is normal. It is feedback on what people feel they are losing as they change. Leaders need to expect and recognise this. High emotions are normal. Without them people would not be changing. They should not be taken personally if you are the leader. People respond emotionally regardless of whether they are experiencing ‘good’ or ‘bad’ changes.”

One of the important things for church leaders is to help people with change. “Leaders must be able to listen, have open-minded discussions, and remind everyone of the value of what is happening. We have to be able to empathise with people and acknowledge their issues without losing our temper or being worn down.”

Street and Cuthbert identify the question of motives as critical.  I agree. Easily and frequently we focus on what we are doing. That is, of course, important. However, we need to dig deeper and think about what it is that is driving us. “The ‘what’ attracts interest. Yet it is the ‘why’ that attracts passion. ‘What’ attracts consumers. ‘Why’ attracts disciples. ‘What’ creates attraction which is easily lost. ‘Why’ creates loyalty which is hard to lose.”

Change for change’s sake is rarely good and, even more rarely, goes well. Good change does require careful negotiation. It can mean that we need to challenge people, but we certainly also should listen to them. Getting the right changes is always going to be challenging, but we need to remember that it can have immense results. Street and Cuthbert again: “If we give people what they want, we will usually end up being ineffective but if we ask why, then we may end up being very creative. As Henry Ford said, ‘If I had given people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.’”