Last night we selebrated a Sedar meal, learning about the Jewish tradition and the way Jesus and his disciples would have sellebrated their Seder meal (the last supper) in the upper room. We ate Matzah (unleavened bread) and I read this beautiful poem about it:
It’s only ordinary
Unleavened bread
Ordinary matzah
On an earthen plate
It probably came
From a supermarket shelf
A Manischewitz box
Ordinary matzah
Blessed for Passover
Oh, but when I take it
and cradle it lovingly
In my hands
Break it and bless it
It is for me
Most Holy Bread
Good Friday Bread
Body of the Lamb that was slain
With my cup of Redemption
Communion Bread
Lechem without hametz
Without yeast of sin
Pierced
Striped
Bruised Shrouded afikomen
Hidden
Then resurrected
With glory
I partake
Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
-Maude Carolan
Friday, 21 March 2008
Monday, 11 February 2008
Singleheartedness
Lent is the 40 days before Jesus’ crucifixion (not counting Sundays). In this season of Lent I am reading “Show me the way” by Henri Nouwen that I dear friend gave me as a lent gift. Yesterday’s scripture reading at church was Matt 4:1-10 and verse 10 immediately struck me – serving God with single heartedness (The Message). Reading “Show me the way”, the scripture for Sunday was also Matt 4:10 “The Lord your God is the one to whom you must do homage, him alone you must serve. (New Jerusalem Bible translation). At our church meeting Sunday night we spoke about ensuring that God is number one in your life and we all named different things in each of our lives that come before God. The main obstacle I experience is named Christina. I am my biggest enemy. My desires will and wants often come before God’s desires, will and wants. I am not serving God with single heartedness – in my heart there are many things with which God must “compete”. This lent I want to create more space in my live – my everyday living so that there is more space for God in my heart, mind, soul and life. This is not an easy thing to do though; Henri Nouwen quoted a prayer of abandonment written by Charles de Foucauld. He comments on it by saying that “it seems good to pray this prayer often… I realize that I can never make this prayer come true by my own efforts. But the spirit of Jesus given to me can help me to pray it and grow to its fulfillment. I know that my inner peace depends on my willingness to make this prayer my own.”
Father,
I abandon myself into your hands;
Do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you;
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me,
And in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this,
O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you with all the love
Of my heart,
For I love you, Lord,
And so need to give myself,
To surrender myself into your hands,
Without reserve
And with boundless confidence.
For you are my Father.
Charles de Foucauld
Father,
I abandon myself into your hands;
Do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you;
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me,
And in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this,
O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you with all the love
Of my heart,
For I love you, Lord,
And so need to give myself,
To surrender myself into your hands,
Without reserve
And with boundless confidence.
For you are my Father.
Charles de Foucauld
Saturday, 18 August 2007
a Relaxing weekend...
Gerald and I left Friday morning with two friends for a lovely weekend in the Drakensberg mountains at a lodge I thought lay just after Howick. The trip started off with laughter, snacks , naps, joking, lunch half way… very enjoyable. Just after Howick I started studying the map book – the lodge seemed to be much further than I thought, about 100 km further! Very well, what’s a 100 km’s here or there? Eventually we reached the dirt road turn off, and an enjoyable resting weekend was so close I could almost taste it! Well, about 5 km later we had to pull off and change the tyre – a side wall cut! Out goes all the luggage and after battling to get the spare tyre out and changed, I whip out the wet wipes to clean the dirty hands and off we go!
Unfortunately the next minute disaster struck again… a rock in the road hit the car’s sump – a hole as big as a tennis ball. There we stood – all the oil drained out of the car, fog every where, a very weak cellphone signal and darkness looms around us. We phoned the lodge, two very friendly men came to fetch and tow us to the lodge-thank goodness for good Samaritans!!
So Friday evening did not end to well… Saturday morning early Gerald waked me up looking for my cellphone charger. He had already spoken to our road assist plan people, the insurance people, the Citroen people and have not made much progress. The fact that there was hardly any signal did not help the situation much either. To make a long gruling story short by 12:00 we have not managed to arrange someone to tow the car to a garage or to Jhb, we have not managed to get a rental car, nothing!!! We were pretty much stranded and the stress was starting to get to Gerald. Thank goodness for our good friends who stayed calm and helped us see the lighter side…then a miracle. One of my colleague's (and a great friend) came to the rescue.. Her husband hired a trailer and borrowed his dad’s double cab bakkie and they were on their way to come and fetch us! They arrived at about seven that evening and we had to start our journey back the next morning at seven. Sunday evening at seven we finally walked into our house – home sweet home!!. Tired but strangely happy – the damage was extensive and the costs will probably not be something to smile about but the what is the cost of strangers coming to your rescue at a dark night in the woods, friends cheering you up even though their weekend is also spoiled, and two people giving up their weekend (and study time) to come and tow you (driving 7 hours to get to us, sleeping a few hours and then driving back for 11 odd hours also having to go to work the next day) I'll tell you the cost, it is PRICELESS!!
So Friday evening did not end to well… Saturday morning early Gerald waked me up looking for my cellphone charger. He had already spoken to our road assist plan people, the insurance people, the Citroen people and have not made much progress. The fact that there was hardly any signal did not help the situation much either. To make a long gruling story short by 12:00 we have not managed to arrange someone to tow the car to a garage or to Jhb, we have not managed to get a rental car, nothing!!! We were pretty much stranded and the stress was starting to get to Gerald. Thank goodness for our good friends who stayed calm and helped us see the lighter side…then a miracle. One of my colleague's (and a great friend) came to the rescue.. Her husband hired a trailer and borrowed his dad’s double cab bakkie and they were on their way to come and fetch us! They arrived at about seven that evening and we had to start our journey back the next morning at seven. Sunday evening at seven we finally walked into our house – home sweet home!!. Tired but strangely happy – the damage was extensive and the costs will probably not be something to smile about but the what is the cost of strangers coming to your rescue at a dark night in the woods, friends cheering you up even though their weekend is also spoiled, and two people giving up their weekend (and study time) to come and tow you (driving 7 hours to get to us, sleeping a few hours and then driving back for 11 odd hours also having to go to work the next day) I'll tell you the cost, it is PRICELESS!!
Thursday, 09 August 2007
Proper English...
One of my favourate songs is a song called “What He means” by Just Jinjer. It is such a powerful song – making you think about the wars we’ve had in the past, that we have now. Not only wars like the holocaust, apartheid, but it also makes me think of wars we have in our daily lifes: wars of pride and prejudice…
Pride in thinking you are better than someone, pride in the advantage your education level gives you, pride in the way you look, the way you think, the way you dress and particularly the way you talk. Isn’t it funny how the general thought is that if you cannot speak english fluently and “properly” you are less intellegent? If for instance a german, or any european person for that matter, speaks english in a german or european accent we do not think they are less intelligent but admire them for being able to speak a second language or then, english, well enough for us to understand them.
When an african person however, speaks english with an african accent we think of them to be less intellegent, just because they cannot speak “proper english” and when they do speak it “properly we comment on how beutifully they speak english. I find this to be a tendancy with a lot of white south africans that I come in contact with, but not only towards black south africans, also towards their “own”. whit e south africans not being able to speak english fluently are commonly thought of as farmers or low class!
Towards black south africans the prejudice is even worse, it is only assumed that you do not know what you are talking about and are less intellegent and if you sucseed to have your listener listen to you (I mean realy hear what you are saying) they are surprised at the fact that you actually know what you are talking about!! It also happens that white south africans imitate the “african english accent” when they speak to black south africans thinking that they will understand them better… or just as a way of talking down to them. Why do we do this? I have to ask myself this as well as this thought also occurs in my mind from time to time if I do not guard against it. This is one little part of the war, but isn’t it a great place to start to change your heart and thoughts against “the other”, people different from yourself?
Here is the words of the song:
What he means – Just Jinjer, from their new album , Just Jinjer
If there is Grace in this world
If there is light on this earth
Let us use it, let us see it… starting right now
Can we be down with ourselves?
Respectful and mindful of one
Of one another, your significant other, your sister or brother?
Peach, love more tolerance.
Faith, hope, trust in the same God in whose name we die for,
Take an innocent life for
Well that’s not what He means…
And it doesn’t matter what Book you read
Is tehr relief up ahead?
Cos Judgmentd and hearing await
A weight on our minds to bear
A shame on our heads to wear
Where is salvation now?
Now that we have what we want
Now that we have our wars…
Peach, love more tolerance.
Faith, hope, trust in the same God in whose name we die for,
Take an innocent life for
Well that’s not what He means…
And it doesn’t matter what Book you read
With a little bit of ease and little bit of calm
Acceptance is the key to all we know
What about a stir of compassion and lenience?
What about some understanding?
What about some sympanthy?
Peach, love more tolerance.
Faith, hope, trust in the same God in whose name we die for,
Take an innocent life for
Well that’s not what He means…
And it doesn’t matter what Book you read
Pride in thinking you are better than someone, pride in the advantage your education level gives you, pride in the way you look, the way you think, the way you dress and particularly the way you talk. Isn’t it funny how the general thought is that if you cannot speak english fluently and “properly” you are less intellegent? If for instance a german, or any european person for that matter, speaks english in a german or european accent we do not think they are less intelligent but admire them for being able to speak a second language or then, english, well enough for us to understand them.
When an african person however, speaks english with an african accent we think of them to be less intellegent, just because they cannot speak “proper english” and when they do speak it “properly we comment on how beutifully they speak english. I find this to be a tendancy with a lot of white south africans that I come in contact with, but not only towards black south africans, also towards their “own”. whit e south africans not being able to speak english fluently are commonly thought of as farmers or low class!
Towards black south africans the prejudice is even worse, it is only assumed that you do not know what you are talking about and are less intellegent and if you sucseed to have your listener listen to you (I mean realy hear what you are saying) they are surprised at the fact that you actually know what you are talking about!! It also happens that white south africans imitate the “african english accent” when they speak to black south africans thinking that they will understand them better… or just as a way of talking down to them. Why do we do this? I have to ask myself this as well as this thought also occurs in my mind from time to time if I do not guard against it. This is one little part of the war, but isn’t it a great place to start to change your heart and thoughts against “the other”, people different from yourself?
Here is the words of the song:
What he means – Just Jinjer, from their new album , Just Jinjer
If there is Grace in this world
If there is light on this earth
Let us use it, let us see it… starting right now
Can we be down with ourselves?
Respectful and mindful of one
Of one another, your significant other, your sister or brother?
Peach, love more tolerance.
Faith, hope, trust in the same God in whose name we die for,
Take an innocent life for
Well that’s not what He means…
And it doesn’t matter what Book you read
Is tehr relief up ahead?
Cos Judgmentd and hearing await
A weight on our minds to bear
A shame on our heads to wear
Where is salvation now?
Now that we have what we want
Now that we have our wars…
Peach, love more tolerance.
Faith, hope, trust in the same God in whose name we die for,
Take an innocent life for
Well that’s not what He means…
And it doesn’t matter what Book you read
With a little bit of ease and little bit of calm
Acceptance is the key to all we know
What about a stir of compassion and lenience?
What about some understanding?
What about some sympanthy?
Peach, love more tolerance.
Faith, hope, trust in the same God in whose name we die for,
Take an innocent life for
Well that’s not what He means…
And it doesn’t matter what Book you read
Wednesday, 04 July 2007
This morning as I arrived at work at 06:30 it was still dark and raining! I read the following in my morning devotion and it touched my heart.
As the rain hides the stars,
As the autumn mist hides the hills,
Happenings of my lot
Hide the shining of Thy face from me.
Yet, if I may hold Thy hand
In the darkness,
It is enough;
since I know that,
though I may stumble in my going,
Thou dost not fall.
Alistair Maclean
As the rain hides the stars,
As the autumn mist hides the hills,
Happenings of my lot
Hide the shining of Thy face from me.
Yet, if I may hold Thy hand
In the darkness,
It is enough;
since I know that,
though I may stumble in my going,
Thou dost not fall.
Alistair Maclean
Monday, 02 July 2007
coming close to God
Today was a very frustrating day at the office – our e-mail has been off since Friday and our internet since this morning. I just realised again today how many times per day, or should I say per hour, I check my mail!! It is terrifying… It made me think and reminded me again to plug into God during the day. Firstly I feel ashamed of how little I have been doing it lately, especially as it was one of the things I really wanted to work on this year. But as the year progressed this somewhat slipped through the cracks… But secondly I am glad to be reminded about the reasons why I wanted to “plug into God”. James 4:8 “Come close to God and He will come close to you” I always have God close to me but sometimes I forget and then I am far away from Him. I pray that God will forgive me and that the Holy Spirit will help me to “come close to God”. Seems there are reasons to be glad when the e-mail is down and you can't do ANY work!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
