This time next week I will be on my way to South Africa. Another Big African Adventure which I am really looking forward to. I am spending July and August there and so I thought I would pull out the blog once more to keep everyone updated with what I'm up to.
The opportunity came through the Methodist World Development and Relief Committee, of which I am a member, and which works very closely with Christian Aid. I was offered the chance to go along as a representative of WDRC along with a couple of other denominational church leaders. We will have the chance to visit some of the projects which Christian Aid support in South Africa, aome of which WDRF support. This trip lasts for 10 days, so I figured if I'm going as far as South Africa I might as well make it worth while. So i took the opportunity to make it a placement for my ministerial formation, so along with my tutor and the WDRC officer I put together a placement, which involves, helping at a youth residential run by the Vuleka Trust. I will then spend some time at Phakamisa a ministry of the Pinetown Methodist Church. Some details are still to be put in place which can be a little frustrating and stressful but TIA (that is Africa) something which I am going to have to get used to once more!!
So I am looking forward to this next adventure to another beautiful African country, but most of all I am excited to see what surprises God has up His sleeve this time, and what work he is doing in the people I will be visiting with. So if you want to keep up to date with what I'm doing keep and eye out here and on Facebook and I will try to keep them updated with my big adventure.
I have been using Oswald Chambers 'My Utmost for His Highest' during my devotion time recently and each day there has been a phrase or a thought or something that has really got me thinking and today was no different. But I thought I would share the particular thought that got me thinking today!!
"It is easier to serve or work for God without a vision and without a call, because then you are not bothered by what He requires. Common sense, covered with a layer of Christian emotion, becomes your guide."
My thinking around this is not very clear at the moment, so in a sense I am thinking out loud. Where I'm kind of headed with it is a sense of hiding from God in our service to Him...denying our true calling or even blocking it out and instead deciding ourselves where or what we should do to serve - therefore is that for our own ends and not for God's glory. Yet will He use it to make something good come from it - yes?...because He can.
But then on the flipside my mind goes to why would you bother serving if it wasn't ultimately for God's glory - is that where the 'christian emotion' comes in? Knowing the theories, the words to say, what is expected of a christian...and then doing it!!
Here I want to call in a term used by one of my favourite authors - Terry Pratchett in his discworld series. He writes about a group of witches (its purely for escapism and he is very very funny!!) and Granny Weatherwaxes form of magic is 'headology'...not hocus pocus but instead making someone believe something.
Is it a 'headology theology' of service...our head tells us and convinces us this is what we must do so we do it. Instead of a sacrifice that comes from a sense of compassion for others and wanting to share the gospel message...from the heart.
So is it easier to say that what we are doing is for God than actually listening for the small still voice of God to guide us to the task that he wants us to do. Are we looking for the recognition and taking the glory for ourself instead of directing it towards the One whose name in which we work and who deserves the glory? Are we scared to listen because the job we are asked to do will be too difficult...or even...too menial without any recognition?
I'm not sure if any of this makes any sense...I'm not even sure it makes any sense to me...so I'm just throwing it out there!!!
(Just to note, Oswald Chambers is not suggesting that we serve without a sense of call...it was his leading in to a thought on why we serve...to read a version of the full devotion check it out here)
