KEEPING IN TOUCH 2013/3
Dear Friends,
PLEASE READ THIS TO YOUR SESSION AND MAKE THIS AVAILABLE TO THE CONGREGATION
Greetings in the precious name of
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I trust that you are well and
firmly rooted in the grace and love of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.
We are already in August and the
winter seems to be passing. The changing seasons reminds us that life
and experiences are not static but always changing, sometimes for the
good and sometimes the not so good. We need to be assured in all
these encounters that God is present. God never leaves us nor
forsakes us. His presence is faithful and constant even when it
doesn’t look that way. Our faith should not fluctuate according to
the environment but remain focused and steadfast in God. The Psalmist
tells us why we should do this: “Those who trust in the Lord are
like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the
mountain surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both
now and for evermore” (Ps.125: 1-2.) In this we have the
assurance that God will see us through and so in spite of our
circumstances we need to keep putting our hope and trust in God. We
need to believe in our hearts and minds that God has our interest in
his heart even if our prayers are not answered exactly as we expect.
God is good and his love endures forever!
I am pleased to let you know that
we had a very successful Executive Commission in Kimberley in July
this year. We were deeply blessed by the worship, sermons, fellowship
and discussions that took place as we received reports from the
various Assembly Committees. We had a session in which commissioners
were availed the opportunity to have conversations with some of the
committee conveners or representative and to share the work,
concerns, joys and frustrations of congregations. This is something
new that we introduced and it would become a regular feature at the
General Assembly as well. This initiative is in keeping with our
strategy of supporting and developing missional congregations. We
want to relevantly address the challenges and concerns of our
congregations to empower, equip and mobilise them for mission. We are
really keen to support ministry where it matters most, that is, in
congregations and local communities.
Papers, news and pictures are available at http://www.upcsa.org.za/upcsa-exec-comm2013.html
We did face a few challenging
matters at the Executive Commission but we thank God that we managed
to find ways to handle these issues with grace and wisdom. We were
deeply excited by some of the things some of the Assembly Committees
have engaged and are planning to do. No doubt, their reports brought
excitement and joy to discover that God is calling us as the UPCSA to
get in and really get stuck in making disciples, sharing the faith,
addressing societal issues, encouraging worship, reflecting
theologically and biblically on various matters, and seeking unity in
our witness and work together as fellow Presbyterians. We seem to be
entering into a new season in which God is doing some marvelous and
wonderful things amongst us, in us and through us. For more detailed
information on the Executive Commission, committee reports and daily
news from the week in Kimberley please feel free to Google the UPCSA
website.
As we talk about seasons, I am
reminded that there is a time for everything as so clearly expressed
by the writer to the Ecclesiastes in chapter 3 verses 1- 8. At the
Executive Commission it was the time for some ministers to apply for
retirement either by the end of this year or before the next General
Assembly in July 2014. We express our sincere gratitude and thanks to
the following ministers who applied for retirement: the
Revs Geoffrey Jamieson; Dr Roger Tucker, David Glen van Duyker,
Eleanor Gaunt and the Rev General Thanduxolo Mcoteli. We thank God for their years of
faithful service and ministry. Some have been long in the ministry
and others only for a few years but they have each exercised their
calling and service with diligence, loyalty and faithfulness to God.
We thank God for these wonderful servants and pray that they will
enjoy their retirement when the time comes for them to leave the
respective congregations in which they currently serve. We express our thanks and
appreciation to their families and loved ones who have supported them
in ministry through the years in the midst of often making numerous
personal sacrifices and efforts to serve both God and God’s people.
On the ecumenical front, there are
many meetings taking place to work toward a united Christian witness
in South Africa. There are many people who are concerned about the
political, moral, social, spiritual and economic climate in which we
find ourselves. This month we also commemorate the Marikana
anniversary and yet a year later the unrest with labour unions in the
mining industry still continues. It is good to see church leaders now
coming together to actively engage and respond to these issues. In
the same breath, there are many efforts to revive the work of the
SACC which is currently facing serious financial challenges. We are
pleased as the UPCSA to play a vital part and to offer very
significant contributions to the issues we are currently contending
with. Our prayer in all these is that the sovereign presence and
power of God may reign amongst us so that we are not misguided or led
astray by the desires of men and women but by the wisdom and will of
God - God’s good, pleasing and perfect will (Rom. 12: 2).
We continue to pray for Former
President Nelson Mandela who has spent so many days in hospital, now
running into months. We pray that God’s will be done in his life as
we give thanks to God for sparing him to celebrate his 95th
birthday. This remarkable man is a legend and icon not only to South
Africa but the world at large. His ability to forgive, seek
reconciliation, work for peace, stability and equality for all is an
example to be desired and followed. It is a real pity that some of
our politicians and even members of his own family are not walking in
his footsteps and upholding the values he stood for and even
sacrificed many years of his life for in prison. We pray that God may
accord him the necessary grace and dignity in these, what seems to be
the final, days of his life on earth. We pray for his family, friends
and South Africa at this time.
On another note, we think about
our Church, friends and the people of Zimbabwe who just completed
their National Elections. Many people, especially outside of
Zimbabwe, have been praying and hoping, perhaps, for a different
outcome. However, even though there have been reported
irregularities, logistical challenges and questions it seems that the
results reflects the will of the majority of the people who voted,
according to the ruling of the Electoral Officers and the African
Union. It may be that the election results will be contested but let
us continue to give thanks for a generally very peaceful elections
and pray that those in political power will put first the interest of
the poor, needy and suffering in that land rather than that of their
own. Let us continue to pray for the people of Zimbabwe.
Well there is a season for
everything. In which season do you find yourself in your life,
ministry and witness to Jesus Christ? Wherever you are be encouraged,
inspired and filled with hope and thanksgiving. Why? Because God is
in control and he has everything in his hands. God reigns! Isn’t
that all the reason we need to keep believing, trusting and hoping
for a better tomorrow. Winter is here but spring is coming!
So keep on singing, praising and worshiping the King of Glory!
Stay Blessed!
