So I asked a friend of mine how to collect the seed from my present crop of tomatoes in order to have seeds to plant next season — this is what she told me to do:
“You need to identify the best plant (healthiest, strongest, prettiest, happiest) and on that plant identify the best tomato (same standards as above). Let it ripen on the vine, but not over-ripen.
Pick that tomato, set it on your kitchen counter for a day or two and smile upon it/smile as a result of it. Once it is perfectly ripe, cut it open and remove the seeds into a small bowl. Now eat the rest of it like it’s the gift from God we know it is. Let that small cup of seeds and juice sit on your kitchen counter for a day or two or three, until a layer of mould forms on top. Dispose of that layer of mould, and rinse the seeds clean. I usually get the tomato guts off them, then set to dry on a piece of foil or parchment, trying to spread them out so they don’t dry as a clump.
Once the seeds are dry, free them from the foil or parchment, put them in an envelope, and label (St. Pierre Slicer, and the date). They need to go through a period of being frozen, so here I just keep the envelope in an outbuilding for the winter (to replicate our season) but you can put them in your freezer for a month or two, which would work fine.
Obviously you can do this with more than one tomato, but even just one produces enough seeds to share.”
Oh my — so much to learn from a tomato! To live to nourish others — to die — to rise again (next season). And to think that God has chosen us and smiled lovingly upon all of us … enjoy the taste of that.
Alan
Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life”. In other words, to follow Jesus is to live in a particular way that honours truth more than anything else. Jesus did not say: “I am the way, the peace/provider/safety and the life”. If he had said this then we would be excused for shaping our lives around acquiring peace, material comfort and safety, which is what so many of us do. (We only have to reflect on the content of our prayers to see whether this is true or not.)
The truthful way is the Jesus-way. Therefore the truth-full way is the life-enabling/life-giving/life-receiving/life-creating way. The promise of the Jesus-way or the truth-full way, is LIFE. Truthful living brings life — life before death, and after. And when we experience this life — this abundant life — conceived, laboured and birthed — by truth-full living, then true peace is given to us (even in the midst of conflict), and material comfort becomes more immaterial, while safety is exchanged for salvation — which is (among other things) the liberation from the fear that provokes our need for safety in the first place.
Not only is truth-full living loyalty to Jesus — but it is also the highest loyalty we can offer others, organisations institutions, our country and world, as a whole. With this I conclude with a quote:
“Loyalty that hides problematic conduct is a false loyalty, for it elevates reputation over reality, and esteems image over character. Though we may believe we are acting to protect the institution, in reality we do the institution and individuals far greater damage …” John I. Jenkins
Alan
We have changed the name of “Wednesday Church” to the “Jesus School”. Why? What is in a name after all? Well, to be Church is to be Christ’s body. It is to live as Christ lived — to think, speak and act like Christ as well as to even die and rise again like Christ. In other words to embody Jesus in all things. Now I don’t know about you but I am nowhere near doing that — but in my more fearless moments — I long for that more than anything else. The way I see it is that I may call myself an astronaut all I like — I may even worship the moon and stick pictures of rockets on my bedroom wall and even dress in an astronaut suit — but that does not make me an astronaut. All I am doing when I call myself an astronaut is — well — calling myself an astronaut. Similarly we may call ourselves “Church” but that does not make us Church. Church is a Christ-centered community doing life the Jesus Way — risking being loved and risking loving.
The “Jesus School” reminds us that we will always be students of Jesus and never graduates!
Jesus will be our subject – week in and week out. Quite often we will be going through the gospel text for the previous Sunday.
Our prayer will not only be “Open my mind to understand your ways Jesus”, but also “open my heart to love you more.” We will study together — reading the texts — commentaries about the texts. Bring a bible and note book and let’s go on a journey together. It is for everyone — I promise you every one of us will have something to give and receive. School starts at 7 p.m. every Wednesday — or 6:30 p.m. for 30 minutes of silent-sitting.
Let the term begin, Alan
Picture: ‘WE’ — stands for West End — which is a marginalised suburb in Birmingham Alabama, USA. The Community Church Without Walls started an urban garden which was for me an amazing sign of the Kin-dom, Alan.
Marriage vows are probably the only words that come close to the words of the Covenant Prayer that we will be praying today. To declare both Marriage vows and Covenant prayer one needs more than courage — one needs to be in love! For it is only love that casts out the fear that Marriage vows and Covenant prayer easily provoke.
Like Marriage vows the Covenant prayer expects faithfulness regardless of circumstances. In other words, we commit that our relationship with God is not going to be determined by riches or poverty, sickness or health. In other words, our relationship with God is not a contract that we negotiate with terms and conditions looking after our interests. Rather, it is freely giving-up our own interests because we are so in love that we are willing to trust — and trust fully and forever.
The one great difference between the Covenant prayer and Marriage vows is that we can confidently leave out the “till death us do part”. And this is no small gift. Knowing that we do not have to fear death sets us free to risk loving even more boldly and generously. We are set free to even risk giving our life. Now I know this sounds dramatic — and I guess it is — but it is also very natural and obvious. Think of how a parent would risk their life for the wellbeing of their child. Again we see how love casts out fear — even fear of death.
If we are going to grow in this kind of generous and self-sacrificial Covenant-love towards God we would do well to remember that this is a Covenant PRAYER. Prayer is intimate love-making with God. So before we make decisions to do this or that regarding the Covenant we could commit to making time for prayer trusting fearless action will flow out of this loving intimacy.
Peace, Alan
You have often heard me say that Jesus needed a donkey to get around the city of Jerusalem and Jesus needs donkeys to get around our city of Cape Town. Using the analogy of a donkey to remind us that we are called to be at Jesus’ service — to help him “get around”. To be a worker — humble and persistent (I will leave out stubborn!).
This Wednesday the 25th you are invited to attend a CONGREGATIONAL MEETING to hear afresh the vision we have at CMM and to hear of the many opportunities for each of us to enroll as a donkey.
Please receive this as a personal invitation. EVERYONE is encouraged to attend. If you need transport let Adrienne (at the information desk at the back) know.
One of the signs of a mature Christ-like community is that the “regulars” do not attend for their own sake but for the sake of others —ever making the circle bigger — preventing an inner circle. This is a very important shift. As Jesus said if we want to save our life — we will loose it, but if we are willing to give it up — we will have it giving to us. If we come to worship just for ourselves — we will loose it’s real significance — but if we come open to attend to the needs of others then we will “find it”. In this we discover the great truth that our real need is to care for the needs of others — but we will only learn this mystery of the Gospel when we do so. Yes, some things can only be learnt in the doing.
A CONGREGATIONAL MEETING also allows for free discussion about our life together — raising any issue that happens to be on your heart. If you have any “topics” you would like to discuss please let Adrienne (at the welcome desk at the back of the sanctuary) have them.
Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday, Alan
Image credits: Håkan Dahlström
Normally by this stage in January things are getting back to normal as we find our routine again after the holidays. While the year is still flexible in its youth I encourage you FIX time for silence and service into the pattern of your living.
Silence is a magnifying glass into the soul, i.e. the very essence of who we are. Silence is necessary if we are going to really be attentive to our life and world around us. And attentiveness to life is really the essence of any meaningful spirituality.
Service is the privileged moment for us to attend to God’s dream for this suffering world.
Silence and service need each other. Silence without service can be little more than naval gazing while service without silence can lead to a thoughtless exhausted frenzy. Silence and service should feed off each other as much as they should lead into each other.
One small moment for silence is from 9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. on a Sunday before worship. And then there are so many opportunities for service following the silence. To find out about all these opportunities we will be having a congregational meeting on 25 January at 7 p.m. in our Sanctuary. I look forward to seeing you.
Peace, Alan
Today I share some insights from Nadia Bolz-Weber:
“… while we as people of God are certainly called to feed the hungry and cloth the naked … It can be dangerous when it starts to feel like we are placing ourselves above the world waiting to descend on those below so we can be the “blessing” they’ve been waiting for like it or not. It can so easily become a well-meaning but insidious blend of benevolence and paternalism. It can so easily become pimping the poor so that we can feel like we are being good little Christs for them.
Jesus says I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Which means … Christ comes not in the form of those who feed the hungry but in the hungry being fed. Christ comes not in the form of those who visit the imprisoned but in the imprisoned being cared for. And to be clear, Christ does not come to us AS the poor and hungry. Because as anyone for whom the poor are not an abstraction but actual flesh and blood people knows … the poor and hungry and imprisoned are not a romantic special class of Christ like people. And those who meet their needs are not a romantic special class of Christ like people. We all are equally as Sinful and Saintly as the other. No, Christ comes to us IN the needs of the poor and hungry, needs that are met by another so that the gleaming redemption of God might be known. And we are all the needy and the ones who meet needs. Placing ourselves or anyone else in only one category or another is to tell ourselves the wrong story entirely.”
Peace, Alan
I was given a gift this week — a Christmas present. It was not wrapped up in Christmas paper and it did not come with a card attached. When the gift was being given to me the person did not say: “Happy Christmas”. If you had to ask the person who gave me the Christmas gift: “Have you given Alan a Christmas present?” The answer would be, “no”. But they did — they just don’t know it. And what is more the gift fitted perfectly — it was tailor made for me — one of a kind in all the world. As I said, I was given a very precious Christ-gift this week.
I was given the gift of vulnerability. Vulnerability through open and honest conversation. These days this is quite a rare gift to be given even though it is a gift all of us have to give, as well as being a gift all of us desperately need — although we are perhaps equally afraid of.
The vulnerability I am speaking about is not to be confused with fragility. Weaknesses are spoken about but there is nothing weak about this vulnerability. It takes strength to share ones weakness. It takes courage to stand exposed before another. It takes confidence to strip.
I was reminded again how vulnerability begets vulnerability. I experienced how shared vulnerability can facilitate inner freedom and caring connection.
Humble, gentle, truth-telling and humble, gentle, non-judgmental listening. These are gifts we are all able to gift each other with. They really are the most authentic Christmas gifts. They are not for sale because they are free — may God give us the courage to share them.
Jesus came full of grace and truth … let us do the same. Alan
Each week after we have shared in the benediction I walk to the doors to be available to shake hands with you as you leave. Last Sunday after we had spoken the words of our disturbing benediction (printed below) I was met by a young man who spoke earnestly into my ear. He looked like he had slept rough the night before — perhaps he was homeless I am not sure — I had not seen him before. He was asking me for something. I thought he was asking me for money — and I was about to tell him that I don’t do that — when he even more earnestly repeated his request. This time I heard him clearly. “Pastor please give me the left over bread on the table over there.” He was referring to the remainders of the bread from Holy Communion. I was reminded again of the horror of hunger that companions so many people in this beloved country! And the words of our Benediction of discomfort echoed again …
May God bless us with discomfort,
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our heart.
May God bless us with anger,
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless us with tears,
To shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that we may reach out our hand to comfort them and turn their pain to joy.
And may God bless us with enough foolishness,
To believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done.
Amen.
Remember that we always are need of volunteers after each worship service to help serve Sunday Lunch at the service dining hall on Canterbury Street.
On the 1st Dec. 1834 the Emancipation of the Slaves within the British Empire was announced from the Town House steps on Green Market Square. It actually took another four years for the Slaves in the Cape Colony to be free because the colonial government of the day wanted to give the protesting slave owners time to adapt. Slaves therefore worked as apprentices for their former owners without pay for four more years. Many therefore regard 1st Dec 1838 as the real emancipation Day. This reminds us that freedom was something hard struggled for. We think of William Wilberforce who struggled against slavery for 50 years of his 74 year life. The following speech he made some 42 years before the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act:
Let us not despair; it is a blessed cause, and success, ere long, will crown our exertions. Already we have gained one victory; we have obtained, for these poor creatures, the recognition of their human nature, which, for a while was most shamefully denied. This is the first fruits of our efforts; let us persevere and our triumph will be complete. Never, never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the Christian name, released ourselves from the load of guilt, under which we at present labour, and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic, of which our posterity, looking back to the history of these enlightened times, will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country. [House of Commons, 18 April 1791]
This past week we celebrate (though very late) the new Government plan to counter the AIDS epidemic and thank God for those who persevered in struggle. Let us assist and get ourselves tested – trusting that the truth will set us free. Advent Emancipation. Alan
