The word became flesh and dwelt among us!
Over this advent I will be on sabbatical doing some personal development to improve
my leadership of the Parish and better equip myself for the task of teaching our
community to be disciples of Jesus the Christ in our context of South African in 2019.
I believe that a new culture is required and one that we grow and develop in together,
taking the best of all that we have to offer and combine it to make something new. Jesus taught that we can’t put new wine into old wine-skins ( Matthew 9:17) and so how do we provide new wine-skins, what transformation of our minds is required to lead us through an Exodus, Wilderness and into the promised land experience.
We need to identify our own captivity and see how we have erred like Moses in matters into our own hands (Exodus 2: 11ff) , and we need to hear God’s voice and return to the Lord our God (Hos 6, 12, & 14) and see the burning bush (Exodus 3) and be set free to worship God.
Discipleship goes beyond being set free, we need to journey through our own
wilderness in to the Promised Land. Like the spies (Numbers 13:28ff) we fear what
may lie ahead but we need to be bold and like Caleb, (Numbers 13:30) walk boldly, by
the spirit and march by faith towards the Promised Land. Caleb saw grapes and other
fruit, I see lives bearing fruit to the glory of God. I see people living intentionally to
follow Christ and glorify Him and bring change in our society. But the other spies were
afraid of the Giants and discouraged the people. Let us not be like them and turn back.
We must persevere.
In my life and ministry I find that I desire to be like Caleb – confident in our ability to
overcome, in the Name of Jesus, but I often fear like the other spies, because the Giant
looks so big and I feel so small. But this is the space that we live in and this is where we need to walk by faith.
May Advent be a time that you walk by faith and face the reality of life, see the giants
and the fruit, and trust in God in ever increasing measure.
May Advent be for you a journey of hope, love and joy that fills you with peace.
Be assured of my love and prayers.
Fr. Andrew.
