Liz Thomas Inducted as our resident priest

We were very blessed last Sunday when Liz Thomas was inducted as our resident priest at our little chapel by archbishop Ebenezer Ntlali !! She has been serving our community since Margaret has left with gentleness and consideration. We are all happy to know that she is know Official!!

For all the rest of the videos and photos, see here: https://goo.gl/photos/dx6F2n5v5gSS4xxF8

Sermon Sunday 26 February: Is life easy?

This Sunday Norma talked to us about this painful question. She asked us to reflect on.....

• Is life easy in SA?
• Is life easy for us, here in Hogsback?

She related personal stories from her childhood when despite her parents severe health challenges , her father still prayed: "Thank you Father, that You are so good to us......."

So how did he manage that?  Matt 7:24-27 give us the answer.

We know storms here on the mountain: broken trees blocking roads, blocking the pass, blocked gutters, hail that destroy gardens, Tyume tributaries flooding their banks, no electricity.....

Jesus tells the story of a house that had been exposed to such a storm where the rain lashed down and the stream rose while the wind blew against the the house. Yet, it did not give way. Why? It was built on a rock......THE ROCK.

This is the secret that Jesus shared with the crowds on the side of the mountain so many years ago. He wants to share this with us this morning. What does He say?

1.  Build on the rock .......
   Choose your foundation carefully
   Build in good times, while the sun shines and the plaster can dry completely
   In other words: Build in time, don't wait till life becomes difficult, tight, full of worries and anxiety. Build in time.....
   
   
2. Practice daily to withstand hardship
   Doing something over 6 weeks, daily, becomes a natural habit
   If not in practice, hardships will push you over.

Norma shared an anecdote from her personal life: When she was visiting her kids in Denmark last August, Troy, her grandson, got very sick with chickenpox. With his low resistance and immune deficiency, it became an overwhelming infection. As young as he is (3 years old) he asked his father: " Daddy pray for Troy......I am not feeling well"

Because as a family they know where their strength and power lies....in times when life is at its worst, when they are in a critical moment, they know to who & where to turn to.

       3. Stay in touch with the Builder, who maintains everything.....
           walls, roof, Windows foundations

Don't become slack on maintenance. You may think that you have a smart house.....your faith is fine because years ago you gave your life to God......but, it is not enough when the storms come today.

Your maintenance must be in place. Stay in regular touch with the Builder.

Do we choose hardship, suffering, difficult times? Of course not. But why then does God allow these things to happen to us?

Rom. 5: 3 - 4
"....we know that suffering produces perseverance,
perseverance, character
And character hope"

Who is speaking here ? Paul
Does he know what he's referring to? Indeed he does!! He was a man that knows hardship, persecution, suffering .....

• He was unjustly charged with treason. Acts 18:13
• Jews tried to dis-credit him...... Acts 21: 28-29
• He was shipwrecked
• He was beaten
• He was imprisoned in Rome

But.....

He had built in time, on the rock.
He had practiced his faith
He was daily in touch with his Builder

Psalm 1:
The tree that is planted next to the stream ( the water source, the life- giving source)
That tree - grew
- bore fruit
- flourished

Whether there were droughts, hail, storms

Are you planted, built.....on a rock? Then even if life is not easy, you will be safe! 

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, a six week time of reflection and repentance in preparation for Easter. The simple service includes a reading and prayers. The service will provide the opportunity for individuals to have the sign of the cross marked on their forehead in ash as a poignant reminder of our mortality.

'Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return'.

We will also have a time of silent thanksgiving for the life of Lyn and prayers for the family. You are welcome to come to this short service and to participate in whatever way you feel comfortable with.

Time 5pm at St Patrick's Chapel

Neglecting to pray

When did you last pray for Zuma? Or, for that matter RSA, or for the USA with its new president? But the Bible tells us clearly that we should!  Is there nothing that we can do about the big issues - are they beyond us?  We can, and should, pray.

But the little things? What do you do when things are not what you want?  What do you do when we feel that others are wrong?  Do you protest, complain, or worse?  Samuel prayed!

The people of Israel had made a big mistake in asking for a king - they wanted to be like everybody else. But God did not just reject them, and God did not just undo the mistake. God brought good out of the mistake.  An early church father said that God even did that for the first sin, because it gave us Jesus - O felix culpa! (o fortunate sin!  And Samuel prayed!

Do we think that prayer does not matter? Is that what we really think?  Read 2 Chron 7:14, and notice the first word IF   But lack of prayer is SIN

Sin against God - He tells us to pray - do we obey?  Prayerlessness indicates that he is not fully our Lord, which is the basic sin

Sin against others.  if we do not pray, we give less than the best to them

Sin against ourselves. prayerlessness is belittling a blessing.  I have so often seen God blessing in response to prayer.  It is doing and accepting what is not the best.  It results in slowing our spiritual growth.

Even though what he wanted did not happen, Samuel did not cease praying.  God had not answered his prayer?  It was the people who did wrong - they had free will.  He had not sinned, but would if he stopped.

Samuel did not only pray, but also acted. He instructed the people.  He could do this BECAUSE he prayed, and was in touch with God's will.

Do we sin in prayerlessness? Are we concerned for RSA, for the world?  And for our church. We will never see blessing in our church until ....

Prof David T Williams
Theology (retired)

Sermon Sunday 15th January-Faith, hope and love

Our reading for today: 1 Corinthians 13

Do you have a favourite Bible chapter?  Many would choose 1 Corinthians 13.  It concludes with the great three, faith hope and love.

We remember these particularly at this time of Christmas and New Year
            God so loved that He sent His Son
            Do you have hope for a new year?
            Thanks for the rain - God is faithful

The season is a time of change, and we are reminded that we are temporary residents, like Abraham.  We then look for what abides, which must come from the God who is eternal (Mal 3:6).  See 1 Corinthians 13:13.

Faith must be prior, because we are saved through faith. Salvation is essential for hope or love.  Salvation rests on God's faithfulness (Rom 4:20, Heb 11).  There is no other way (Jn 14:6).  Salvation is a GIFT, because He loved us.

So we should be faithful, and reflect what God is like.  Are we reliable?

Hope rests on salvation, so on faith, so on love (Rom 5:3). It is not presumption but confidence.  We have a hope for future, for us and the world, if we are in Christ.  But sadly, so many people ignore death and end of world - they have no hope

So God has a hope, just as we hope for our children. What do you most hope for them?  for real saving faith!

Love of God is shown in incomprehensible, unmerited grace.  Why should he save us?  One reason is that He made us, and so loves like a mother.
So we should love - this is not just liking.  We have love for God shown in seeking to please Him, and for others, in giving (love = charity), not just in the material sense.

Greatest of these is love, because God IS love (1 Jn 4:10).  Can we reflect this in what we are in our salvation?  The attraction of the early Church was the visible love for each other that they showed.

Prof David T Williams
Theology (retired)

Callie Evens News letter

A Blessed Christmas and new year

We received the following message from Rev Margaret for all of us!