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• The
Bishop writes .....
• Karoo women at
prayer
• Holy Spirit day
• The view from
Pulpit and Pew
• Tag lines
The
Bishop writes ...
Stepping out in faith into the
future
My Dear People of God,
Greetings in the name of Christ, our Lord and Saviour!
As I write this letter two things come to the fore of my thinking as
the media continues to alert us. They give a bleak projection into the
future of our lands in the SADC countries.
First, the xenophobic attacks on foreigners are a great concern.
Initially we all asked the question: Why? The government and some of
its elements blame it on a “third force”. This
remains doubtful, given the facts that surround the spark of such
behaviour in our beautiful country. Attacks on other humans constitute
an act of crime. It has to be condemned in the
strongest possible terms. We cannot have a reversed “apartheid”
attitude of tribalism which kills the principles of UBUNTU and God’s
law of love, acceptance and embrace. Since I was born I have never seen
an alien beaten and burnt to death. The burning of people was a
prohibited action even during the struggle against injustices of the
previous regime.
Why this sudden rage? For those who live in the townships and informal
settlements in this country, this may be no surprise. Four million
refugees at the present moment in the history of any country are not an
easy number to reckon with, given our overstretched and inadequate
resources. The Home Affairs department needs to do better in
controlling the movements of people into this country than it seems to
be doing. The budget on social services has been stretched beyond
limit. Long queues at health services, limited number of staffing, both
of doctors and nurses; lack of proper housing delivery and sanitation;
fraudulent councillors who receive bribes to allocate houses to
foreigners at the expense of the citizens who pay taxes to the
government for good social service delivery; a long wait for houses (in
some cases over 12 years); joblessness, and the list goes on. These are
the root causes of frustration. However, the anger is being misdirected
to foreigners rather than the actual
culprits. Some of the aliens are genuine political asylum seekers. Some
are in search of a better life in the so-called “affluent golden
cities” of South Africa. Some have brought with them skills, and are
contributing favourably to the economy of the land. This is
appreciated, but first things first.
In view of all this, our people have lived with government promises for
a long time. By faith they have been waiting for unfulfilled promises
and dreams. The wealth of the country continues to be enjoyed by the
few. A new “elite” continues to receive substantial increments of 15%,
while the poor working masses of the country get from 3% to 7%. Surely
there is an imbalance here! When shall the gap between the rich and
poor in this country be closed? The denarii should per agreement allow
for a fair wage, supply the needs and give
fulfilment in what we do to all those concerned. For as long as the
government does not aggressively address these imbalances,
discontentment continues to brew and we shall face a turbulent future
in this country. Corruption must be uprooted, together with those who
perpetuate such devilish behaviour. How shall we win this war when we
even suppress units like the Scorpions? We call upon the government to
retain the Scorpions if we are serious about winning the
anti-corruption war.
Secondly, Zimbabwe is a great concern. Those who are supposed to lead
the talks and give direction in redeeming the corrupted freedom in that
land are tight-lipped. The Archbishop of Cape Town and Metropolitan,
observed that President Robert Mugabe runs a “police state”. Can he
still be a hero? Freedom is won for all citizens to better their lives.
There are no select few that should enjoy all the privileges. People of
Zimbabwe are suffering gross violation of their human rights. We call
upon Robert Mugabe to step down and allow
the democratic process to proceed unhindered. In your prayers step out
in an act of faith and bring before God daily this country and Zimbabwe
and all those in leadership. Remember how we called upon God during the
apartheid era and he gave us a smooth, bloodless transition. We worship
a Mighty God who can still give good governance through our prayers,
audible voices and actions in a meaningful way.
Sincerely yours in his service,
Pic: Bishop Bethlehem presents new
deacon,Sipho Bodlani, to the congregation.
Karoo women at
prayer 
[ Lin Middelcote
]
The women of the three Middelburg chapelries - St Barnabas, St Thomas
and St Boniface - recently got together to spend a morning praying and
fellowshipping together. Our deacon,
Anna Plaatjies, shared from Scripture and encouraged us in her message.
We then divided into small groups, praying for the needs and concerns
of each member of the group. This was
a wonderful time of laughing, praying, crying, and drawing closer to
each other and to God through the caring and sensitive ministry of all
the women present. We then moved into a joyful time of praise and
worship in song, and rounded off the morning with a soup and sandwich
lunch.
We all left feeling enriched by the fellowship that we had experienced
with each other, and uplifted by the Holy Spirit who had been so
tangibly present with us.
Holy
Spirit Day
[ Avril McGrath
]
A group from St Francis Church in Jeffreys Bay are currently
participating in the Alpha Course. On Saturday 17 May we spent a very
blessed day at the Artist’s Paradise Farm. This proved to be a perfect
venue for our Alpha Holy Spirit Day and we were able to relax in the
sunshine between sessions.
We were touched by Nicky Gumbel’s anointed teaching and the Holy Spirit
moved among us in
his gentle but very real and loving way.
Every one there was touched as He met us and ministered to our
different needs. We give all the glory to our faithful and loving
Triune God!
The
view from pulpit and pew
-
At last Nicolette Leonard, assistant priest at St
John-the-Baptist in Walmer, has some
positive news. This month she goes to Cape Town where she will be
prepared for a bonemarrow
transplant, as a match has been found. Please continue to pray for her
and her husband
Myron, and pray for a speedy recovery.
-
David Kiviet, rector of St Andrew’s, KwaMagxaki, is
undergoing chemotherapy. He goes to the Provincial Hospital which has a
very good oncology unit. One of the radiographers
in the department is Jenny Musson from St Cuthbert’s in Westbourne
Road. Please continue to pray for David and Noni his wife.
-
The diocese has lost one of the Members of the Order
of the Diocese. Stanley Camphor, a
longstanding member of St Mark and St John in Parkside, died recently.
iindaba, in giving
thanks for his life, commends his family to the prayers of the diocese.
-
iindaba congratulates Rodney Gibson of the Cathedral
who has been appointed the Beggar-in-Chief for The Herald’s Christmas
Cheer Fund. For some years now Rodney has been the treasurer and knows
the ropes, but now he wears his new hat passed down by Robert Ball.
Robert, who worships at St John-the-Baptist, has recently
retired from a distinguished career in journalism. We wish Rodney every
blessing as he encourages the people of Port Elizabeth and beyond to
give generously to bring Christmas Cheer to many who are struggling to
make ends meet. Go for it, Rodney!
-
Congratulations to Joshua Koening, assistant at St
Mary Magdalene, West End, who recently
got his driver’s licence. His visiting will be a great deal easier now,
not having to rely on lifts for most of his visiting.
-
iindaba is sad to report the deaths of:
-
Eleanor Brookes, for many years the diocesan
secretary of the Anglican Women’s Felowship;
-
David Japtha, father of Angela Hambury, a deacon
at St Katharine’s in Uitenhage and
-
Nancy Jacobs, mother of Charles, assistant priest
at the Parish of the Good Shepherd.
-
As their familes mourn their loss, may the Lord
console them with his peace.
-
The third Bishop of Port Elizabeth, †Eric Pike, will
be visiting the diocese at the invitation of †Bethlehem, to confirm
candidates at St John the Baptist in Walmer, as †Bethlehem will be
attending the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem
21 - 29 June. Many other bishops will attend GAFCON, including 107
bishops from Uganda! After
GAFCON, †Bethlehem will join Anglican bishops from all over the world
in Canterbury for the Lambeth Conference, which runs from Thursday 10
July to Sunday 3 August. On the Lambeth Conference, the following is
stated: “Every bishop and spouse coming to the Lambeth and Spouses’
Conference is invited to enjoy the hospitality of an English, Scottish
or Welsh diocese.” Knowing †Bethlehem, if he has a choice, he will
choose the hospitality of a
Scottish diocese, having worked there some years ago. After Lambeth,
†Bethlehem will be
on leave until the end of August.
-
During †Bethlehem’s absence, the Dean, Dudley
Greenshields, will be the Vicar General.
He was licensed as at the Cathedral on Wednesday 11 June and
can be contacted at 042 243 2395 or 082 928 2019.
-
Due to GAFCON, Lambeth and the bishop’s leave, the
confirmation at St Matthew’s, KwaMagxaki, has been moved to 31 August.
Quote: “To try to deny the Trinity endangers your salvation, to try to
comprehend the Trinity endangers your sanity.” - Martin Luther
Tag
lines
You cannot plough through a
field by turning it over in your mind.
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