Winter Sermons

Lesley and I have been steadily preaching around the circuit (for non-Methodists, a "circuit" is a group of Methodist churches close enough to each other to be reached by one minister on horseback over a month of riding).

This poses its challenges, especially when Lesley and I are both planned at the same time at different churches.  Additional issues are when the buildings are frigidly cold (no central heating in Cape Town, folks, so ten degrees centigrade really and truly feels like ten degrees, indoors as well!)  ANd of course, if I miss an appointment at another church, as I did whilst supporting Lesley here as she preached on the egg & scorpion passage in Luke at Church Street Methodist in Wynberg.  Embarrasment!

It is also a huge challenge to preach to such a wide range of congregations.  I spoke in one church recently where the congregation was mourning one son killed in gang warfare, and another paralysed.  In some places it takes serious courage to leave home and walk to church for an evening function.  Last Sunday Lesley had to speak on Isaiah 5 to a congregation that has been at the receiving end of that passage for generations - how to speak a word on God's heart for justice when one comes from a previously advantaged group in South Africa.  Not easy.  

On that same morning I had been asked to illustrate a sermon on Hebrews 12:1-2 by speed-painting a large athletes-and-spectators scene in another circuit.  Opinion was divided - some people wanted to frame the picture and put it up in the church, and others specifically asked the minister to make sure it did NOT get a permanent place in the church building :)

We don't see this work as part of our Serving Strangers brief - this is just us being local Christians, using our gifting for the strengthening of local churches.  Very much an Insider role.  But we do pray that these opportunities to serve will give us opportunities to reach out to those on the fringes of congregations, and to recruit people to the cause of the church existing for those beyond its self-imposed boundaries