Saturday, April 12, 2008

A Day of Contrasts

Today has not been a typical 'day in the life of me'. Part was calming, part was rough, part was fun, part was intense - and the next part requires thought, compassion and prayer.

My day started with the Contemplative Prayer group which meets every Saturday from 7.30 - 8.30 - An hour of centering prayer and lectio divina, which realigns us, fills us with peace, and enables us to tackle life in the week ahead knowing that God is within and without and 'conducting the symphony' that we have been called to be a part of.

That was followed by the funeral service, at 10.00 of a 16year old young lad whom we confirmed last year. He died in a terrible car accident on Monday night - one of three youngsters and a dad. There were two survivors. It has had a huge impact on our community. The church was overflowing - over 500 people attended. Evidence of the love for and impact of this young person on many people in his short life. One of the blessings of being in a team ministry, is that it is not just one person who is responsible to handle the difficulties and pain that arise from living in this world. Wessel took the service. I would not have been able to - having journeyed with this young person and seen him grow in faith and commitment, and watched his leadership qualities blossom. Thank you, Wessel, for being the person and the minister that you are - a great blessing.

This afternoon was the joy of my future daughter-in-law's surprise kitchen tea party. Her organizing friends and family managed to keep it a complete surprise for her, and great fun and delicious eats were enjoyed by all present. I took many photos and hope that they turn out OK and are a true reflection of the love we have for her and the joy and blessings we all pray for her.

I left the tea party early in order to join a panel at the Kairos Retreat in Pretoria Women's prison. The panel was there to answer the questions that the residents had concerning prayer. The theme for this weekend has been the Jabez Prayer, and they are given the opportunity during the Saturday of the retreat to write down any questions they have about prayer that they have been too afraid to ask or not had the opportunity to ask. There were three of us on the panel, and we took it in turns to answer the questions and to add to whatever one of us had said. Often there is more lying behind the question than is evident on the surface, so we pray for discernment and trust each other for insights so that we may truly be of help. These retreat weekends, like the Kairos 3 day weekends, are truly a blessing not only to the residents but also to the team members who go into the prison to give of their love and their time.

This evening I have still to complete my sermon for tomorrow. I will be leading the evening service, which many of our youth attend, and am planning that it be a time of healing from the trauma of losing a beloved friend, and reassurance that Jesus is the one in whom we find our rest and peace in the midst of turmoil.

I often ask myself - how do I survive times like these? The answer, as always, is by the grace of God and in endeavouring to 'be present' to each situation encountered just like Jesus was.

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