Thoughts, news and sermons from our Clergy and Missions
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Pentecost 12 - I came to bring fire to the earth : 15 August 2010
You can imagine the young man who was listening to Jesus a couple of weeks ago. Father we don’t have to build bigger barns. We should share the entire crop with our neighbours, especially that family of refugees camped down by the river. You can imagine the Father saying, who has been filling your head with such drivel?
So just looking back at the readings we have had recently in Luke’s Gospel we realize that if we were fairdinkum in following Jesus there would be some heated arguments in our families. Jesus wants us to care for people we don’t know as if they were a brother or sister. He wants us to go beyond our personal safety for total strangers. He wants us to treat our property with ridiculous generosity.
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Africa Air Aldom - 5 August 2010 : 09 August 2010
Greetings Friends,
It’s 2 years today since arriving in Namibia. Seems like the normal place to be these days. And that’s how it should be when you are where God wants you. So despite the “joys” of waiting on another Work Permit, I won’t be packing up soon, I believe. But, I will be packing in October to catch the flying kangaroo in Joburg. -
Africa Air Aldom - 12 July 2010 : 02 August 2010
Greetings Friends,
Well, right now I was to be at Luderitz, on the south-west coast. Instead, I’m sitting at home nursing a cold like half of Windhoek. But Elmo is there busily introducing SU ministry to schools. I read that tonight will be minus 2 here, so any notions that all Africa is always hot and sweaty can now be binned. Those of you watching the World Cup from South Africa will probably have noticed that everyone except the players were well rugged in the cold.
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Pentecost 10 Where is life to be found? : 01 August 2010
In the 21st Century western culture we need to be on guard more than any other generation before us. The two phrases that Jesus used “Take care! Be on your guard” are present tense imperatives. We need to hear, continually be on your guard, continue to Take care.
What can we do so that our possessions don’t posses us like an evil spirit.
I will suggest three things: Give it away; Use what you have graciously; and Spend time with people who have a lot less than you. Your task at morning tea is to suggest things you do to sit lightly with your possessions. -
Pentecost 8 Listening: central to hospitality and discipleship : 20 July 2010
Remember, the main contrast for us today is not Martha’s hospitality and service opposed to Mary’s discipleship. The main contrast is between people who turn their back on God as against those like Mary who are enthralled by every word.
Certainly Martha’s distraction got in the way as they will for us. We can choose to enter into silence and seek to recognize Jesus in people around us. In so doing we will be more like Mary, sitting enthralled at Jesus words. The Gospels will be like a rich banquette for us. -
Go and do likewise : 11 July 2010
We all know the story of the Godd Samaritan so well. It is beautiful, simple and very powerful.
I want to suggest that there are three things for us to take home and reflect on.Firstly, If you feel like the man on the side of the road, know that God is walking over to you to bandage your wounds
Secondly, we are invited to go and do like wise, to be a neighbour. There is a lovely surprise; we will discover it is Jesus lying on the side of the road.
Thirdly, the Priests and Levites among us have just been judged and found guilty.
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Carry no purse, no bag, no sandles : 10 July 2010
So we have a slave girl, Elisha’s servant and Naaman’s own servants contributing to Naaman’s healing and conversion. The powerful kings almost managed to derail the process but the servants created the opportunity for healing and grace. Some how, the empty handed, the unnamed powerless ones brought healing and grace to Naaman. Even Elisha refuses to receive the King’s ransom because he knows that it was God who healed Naaman. So in some sense even Elisha is empty handed and powerless before God.
Jesus says; take no purse, no bag and no sandals. Jesus sends them out like beggars.
I suspect that what is unsaid here is that there is no point going to another from a position of power to bring them good news. Real grace only changes lives when we come empty handed -
Namibia Scripture Union Bible & Prayer 2010 : 24 June 2010
Greetings SU Friend,
Scripture Union Conference has changed to Scripture Union Bible & Prayer
As you are not in Windhoek, we doubt you can come, but could you pray where you are? About the same time??
We commence on Friday this week. Arrive at Shalom Camp Centre between 5 and 6pm.
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Africa Air Aldom - 9 June 2010 : 15 June 2010
Greetings Friends,
Last you heard from me I was in Lusaka, the capital of …………….. (a test for you), travelling with Steve from Sydney. We headed east from there, and next day crossed into Malawi, where they say they are “the warm heart of Africa”. And they could be right, as others also remarked how welcoming the Malawians were. We had a night in the small capital, Lilongwe, then to a campsite on Lake Malawi. I knew SU has been developing a Camp Centre on the lake for some years, but was amazed when told by some locals that it was 200 metres along the beach. It was on the same village’s land!
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Africa Air Aldom - 2 May 2010 : 06 May 2010
Greetings Friends,
Have you been waiting for news? What happened to April? Well, it all got away hurriedly and I decided to pass on May, but instead passed on April. Right now I am on Day 3 of a trek from Victoria Falls to Zanzibar, with Steve from Sydney who has just completed a month volunteering with us at SU Namibia. Right, right now I am sitting in the truck waiting for dinner in the campground in suburban Lusaka, capital of Zambia.