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Christmas extra 2007
• Four new priests
• Haven chapel re-dedicated
• Buli Confirmed
Anglican year in verse
Advent tells us Christ is near;
Christmas tells us Christ is here.
In Epiphany we trace
All the glory of his grace.
Forty days we will prepare
With the time of fast and prayer
And, with hearts made penitent,
We may keep a faithful Lent.
Holy week and Easter then
Tell who died and rose again.
Oh that happy Easter Day!
Christ is risen indeed, we say.
Yes and Christ ascended too,
To prepare a place for you.
And so we give him special praise
After those great fifty days.
When he sent the Holy Ghost
On the Feast of Pentecost,
With us ever to abide;
Well may we keep Whitsuntide.
Last of all we humbly sing
Glory unto our God and King,
Glory to the one and Three
On the Feast of Trinity. - Katherine
Four new priests
Four new priests were ordained on Sunday 16 December in the diocese.
 Gill
Bowman, University Chaplain and licensed to St Margaret’s,
Summerstrand, and Lungile Ngcola of Sundays River Valley are both
stipendiary while Thembeka Tom of St Barnabas and St Philip’s,
and Wayne Potgieter of the Good Shepherd Parish are both
self-supporting.
In his sermon at the service, the Suffragan Bishop of Natal, Funginkosi
Mbhele, reminded the four, “You each have a calling because God
has a special purpose for each of you, and he does this by his
grace.” He said they must remain in God’s will by
remembering to have Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer every day, and
went on to say, “This is serious business between you and God ...
those who operate from the hand and presence of God will do
wonders.” He concluded by saying that the Holy Spirit has been
released to us and the new priests must go out in his power “and
be the glory of God.”
The cathedral was almost full for the service and the crowd enjoyed the
beautiful Spiritual renditions by the St Mary’s, Grasslaagte,
Choir.
Pic: Holding their
licences and backed by Bp Bethlehem and Bp Funginkosi Mbhele are Wayne
Potgieter, Lungile Ngcola, Thembeka Tom and Gill Bowman.
 Haven chapel re-dedicated
As part of World AIDS day
commemoration, a service of rededication of the chapel at The House of
Resurrection Haven took place on Friday 30 November.
Bishop Bethlehem was in attendance, and having knocked on the door with
his staff, he sprinkled Holy water on various sections of the chapel.
The chapel had had a make-over when the Union of Jewish Women kindly
sponsored the replacement of the carpet with laminated flooring, and
Christ the King Parish sponsored new blinds. At present there are
29 children and, at times, up to ten adults being cared for at the
Haven.
 Baptisms
Whilst there Bishop Bethlehem baptized eight of the children ranging in
age from 15 years to a baby of four months. A young teenager,
Buli, was among them and looked so full of joy as the Bishop explained
her vows to her in isiXhosa before she took them. Each child has a
Godparent / sponsor who will continue to see that the new
Christians continue to grow in their walk with the Lord. At the
service Bishop Bethlehem said that moral degeneration has taken place
because Christians do not proclaim the Gospel in the market place.
Anointing with oil
After the baptisms Bishop Bethlehem laid hands on Sipambo Ludidi, the
diocesan AIDS co-ordinator, blessing his continued work with the parish
AIDS workers.
The staff, together with Sipambo and Fumanekile Kula, the rector of St
Mary Magdalene, and The Haven children, laid hands on Bishop Bethlehem
for continued healing after his heart operation.
Stop press: Sadly the four
month old baby that was baptized on 30 November died just before
Christmas. iindaba gives thanks for the little life and for those who
loved and cared for this little precious soul at the Haven.
Pics:
1) Bishop Bethlehem, served by Hamish Arendse, sprinkles the Holy Water on the chapel door at the rededication service.
2) Buli
is baptised by Bishop Bethlehem, who was assisted by the rector of St
Mary Magdalene. Looking on is Buli’s Godmother, Sandra Friescke.
3) Bishop Bethlehem and the service were awesome for some, but for others ... ho hum ... !
Buli Confirmed
Having been baptized by Bishop
Bethlehem during November when he rededicated the Haven Chapel, Buli
was brought to him at St Hugh’s on Sunday 16 December to be
confirmed.
Buli, a teenager living at The House of Resurrection Haven, was
full of joy when she knelt before Bishop Bethlehem and listened
intently to all he said. At last in her little life she has peace and
love, away from the horrors and abuse she has known. Now she is a
Child of God and is protected at the Haven.
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