My sermon for Corpus Christi is now available online at OVI. This sermon begins an exploration on identity, taking into account our Modern heritage and the impact of Postmodernism on our lives and faith, specifically the "Us/Them" dichotomy of Modernism and the implications of a Postmodern approach to faith.
Rennie D
31 May 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
transformation, identity & xenophobia
You will find my thoughts on the relationship between transformation, identity & xenophobia at The Rector's Desk. Have a look!
Rennie D
27 May 2008
Rennie D
27 May 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
fullness of life
Unconditional love, fullness of life: what impossible concepts! According to the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures only Jesus gets this right ... it's a characteristic of the Divine. But it is something that humanity is called to live out, to express in our relationships, to transform our lives. I reflect on this in today's sermon.
Rennie D
13 April 2008
Rennie D
13 April 2008
Sunday, April 06, 2008
encounter with Christ
My sermon for today is available. I have focused on the nature of encounter in the post-Resurrection experience of early Christians, and the means it becomes for transforming our daily lives and our very selves into activists for the Gospel.
Rennie D
6 April 2008
Rennie D
6 April 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
palm sunday
My sermon for Palm Sunday is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10096. Other recent sermons are available at http://www.twango.com/channel/markrdlong.sermons. Today's sermon focuses on Jesus response to his accusers (in Matthew): "They are your words". I focus on the role Scripture plays in Matthew in terms of this response, and the call that it is to us as Anglicans to immerse ourselves in Scripture beyond our times of formal worship.
Rennie D
16 March 2008
Rennie D
16 March 2008
Thursday, March 06, 2008
the creed for a new age
For some time I have searched for a revised version of the Creed that makes sense in the 21st centuary world in which I live. Joan Chittister, in her book In Search of Belief published by Liguori/Triumph (1999; pg 205-209), provides such a Creedal statement. In her book she explores the Apostles' Creed, and expands it in such a way that, in her words, "life speaks to the heart with new timbre for a new age" (pg 205):
I believe in one God
who made us all
and whose divinity infuses all of life
with the sacred.
I believe in the multiple revelations
of that God
alive in every human heart,
expressed in every human culture,
and found in all the wisdoms
of the world.
I believe
that Jesus Christ,
the unique son of God,
is the face of God
on earth
in whom we see best
the divine justice,
divine mercy,
and divine compassion
to which we are all called.
I believe in the Christ
who is One in being with the Creator
and who shows us the presence of God
in everything that is
and calls out the sacred in ourselves.
I believe in Jesus, the Christ
who leads us to the fullness
of human stature,
to what we were meant to become
before all time
and for all other things that were made.
Through Christ
we become new people,
called beyond the consequences
of our brokenness
and lifted to the fullness of life.
By the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the woman Mary,
pure in soul
and single-hearted –
a sign to the ages
of the exalted place
of womankind
in the divine plan
of human salvation.
He grew as we grow
through all the stages of life.
He lived as we live
prey to the pressures of evil
and intent on the good.
He broke no bonds with the world
to which he was bound,
He sinned not.
He never strayed from the mind of God.
He showed us the Way,
lived it for us
suffered from it,
and died because of it
so that we might live
with new heart,
new mind,
and new strength
despite all death
to which we are daily subjected.
For our sake
and for the sake of eternal Truth
he was hounded
harassed
and executed
by those
who were their own gods
and who valued the sacred
in no other.
He suffered so that we might realise
that the spirit in us
can never be killed
whatever price we have to pay
for staying true to the mind of God.
He died
but did not die
because he lives in us
still.
“On the third day” in the tomb
he rose again
in those he left behind
and in each of us as well
to live in hearts
that will not succumb
to the enemies of life.
He changed all life
for all of us thereafter.
he ascended into the life of God
and waits there
for our own ascension
to the life beyond.
He waits there,
judging what has gone before
and what is yet to come
against unending values
and, in behalf of eternal virtue,
for the time when all of life
will be gathered into God,
full of life and light,
steeped in truth.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the breath of God
on earth,
who keeps the Christ vision present
to souls yet in darkness,
gives life
even to hearts now blind.
Infuses energy
into spirits yet weary, isolated,
searching and confused.
The spirit has spoken
to the human heart
through the prophets
and gives new meaning
to the Word
throughout time.
I believe in one
holy and universal church.
Bound together by the holiness of creation
and the holiness of hearts forever true.
I acknowledge the need
to be freed from the compulsions
of my disordered life
and my need for forgiveness
in face of frailty.
I look for life eternal
in ways I cannot dream
and trust
that creation goes on creating
in this world
and in us
forever.
Amen.
Rennie D
6 March 2008
I believe in one God
who made us all
and whose divinity infuses all of life
with the sacred.
I believe in the multiple revelations
of that God
alive in every human heart,
expressed in every human culture,
and found in all the wisdoms
of the world.
I believe
that Jesus Christ,
the unique son of God,
is the face of God
on earth
in whom we see best
the divine justice,
divine mercy,
and divine compassion
to which we are all called.
I believe in the Christ
who is One in being with the Creator
and who shows us the presence of God
in everything that is
and calls out the sacred in ourselves.
I believe in Jesus, the Christ
who leads us to the fullness
of human stature,
to what we were meant to become
before all time
and for all other things that were made.
Through Christ
we become new people,
called beyond the consequences
of our brokenness
and lifted to the fullness of life.
By the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the woman Mary,
pure in soul
and single-hearted –
a sign to the ages
of the exalted place
of womankind
in the divine plan
of human salvation.
He grew as we grow
through all the stages of life.
He lived as we live
prey to the pressures of evil
and intent on the good.
He broke no bonds with the world
to which he was bound,
He sinned not.
He never strayed from the mind of God.
He showed us the Way,
lived it for us
suffered from it,
and died because of it
so that we might live
with new heart,
new mind,
and new strength
despite all death
to which we are daily subjected.
For our sake
and for the sake of eternal Truth
he was hounded
harassed
and executed
by those
who were their own gods
and who valued the sacred
in no other.
He suffered so that we might realise
that the spirit in us
can never be killed
whatever price we have to pay
for staying true to the mind of God.
He died
but did not die
because he lives in us
still.
“On the third day” in the tomb
he rose again
in those he left behind
and in each of us as well
to live in hearts
that will not succumb
to the enemies of life.
He changed all life
for all of us thereafter.
he ascended into the life of God
and waits there
for our own ascension
to the life beyond.
He waits there,
judging what has gone before
and what is yet to come
against unending values
and, in behalf of eternal virtue,
for the time when all of life
will be gathered into God,
full of life and light,
steeped in truth.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the breath of God
on earth,
who keeps the Christ vision present
to souls yet in darkness,
gives life
even to hearts now blind.
Infuses energy
into spirits yet weary, isolated,
searching and confused.
The spirit has spoken
to the human heart
through the prophets
and gives new meaning
to the Word
throughout time.
I believe in one
holy and universal church.
Bound together by the holiness of creation
and the holiness of hearts forever true.
I acknowledge the need
to be freed from the compulsions
of my disordered life
and my need for forgiveness
in face of frailty.
I look for life eternal
in ways I cannot dream
and trust
that creation goes on creating
in this world
and in us
forever.
Amen.
Rennie D
6 March 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
annual report
I haven't blogged for sometime - Christmas Holidays and all! My Annual Report to our Parish Vestry, presented this morning in the sermon slot at both services is available: the script at http://therectorsdesk.blogspot.com/2008/01/rectors-report-to-annual-vestry-2008.html
and an audio file at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10090. It created some emotionally charged discussion at the meeting around the issue of the eurocentric focus of our worship. "Inclusive" and "Flexible" are clearly in the area of VERY UNCOMFORTABLE when used in this context of a growingly diverse cultural congregation!!
Rennie D
27 January 2008
and an audio file at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10090. It created some emotionally charged discussion at the meeting around the issue of the eurocentric focus of our worship. "Inclusive" and "Flexible" are clearly in the area of VERY UNCOMFORTABLE when used in this context of a growingly diverse cultural congregation!!
Rennie D
27 January 2008
Thursday, November 29, 2007
recent rantings
My sermon for Christ the King is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10087. A sermon preached at a Memorial for a young man of 19, Olly Tucker, who died of HCM (hypertrophic cardio myopathy) is availalble at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.other/markrdlong.10088.
Rennie D
29 November 2007
Rennie D
29 November 2007
a new language for a new era
In my latest article for our parish magazine I have commented on the need for a new language, a new way of communicating the Gospel, that makes sense in our 21st century world. This can be found at http://therectorsdesk.blogspot.com/2007/11/december-2007.html.
Rennie D
29 November 2007
Rennie D
29 November 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
towards defining a postmodern faith
I continue my theme from All Saints in today's sermon, which you can find at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10086. In it I reflect on the need to redefine the Christian Faith from a 21st Century worldview if Christianity is going to survive. Quite how one does this will probably be the debate of the century, and cannot be defined overnight or even "overdecade". But it needs to happen.
Rennie D
11 November 2007
Rennie D
11 November 2007
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
towards a postmodern faith
We celebrated All Saints this last Sunday. I used the reading from Jeremiah 31:31-34 as my central theme, that we are called by God to an adult faith and relationship. This is increasingly critical in a postmodern environment where God viewed through the primitive cultural lens of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures often leaves us doubtful of a deeper spiritual reality in an environment where scientific, medical, sociological and psychological perspectives give seemingly more reasonable explanations. This sermon is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10085
Rennie D
6 November 2007
Rennie D
6 November 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
leadership and justice
I focused in today's sermon on leadership, issues of justice, gifting, perseverance and ministry. I do this within the context of our parish election of leadership for 2008, and focus on the nature of leadership being primarily a communal responsibility. An audio copy is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10084.
Rennie D
21 October 2007
Rennie D
21 October 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
recent sermons
Due to a malfunctioning PDA I have recorded few sermons during September and early October. I didn't preach today as my wife, Dawn, returned from an international adventure. Two recent sermons are available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10082 (audio) and http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10083 (Mind Map). Double click on the image for an enlarged version.
Rennie D
14 October 2007
Rennie D
14 October 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
mountain of god
My sermon for this last Sunday is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10081
Rennie D
27 August 2007
Rennie D
27 August 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
what do you require of god?
I haven't uploaded sermons for sometime - largely because I have been on leave and so haven't preached many! My sermon for last week and today are now available. Last week I focused on the question, "What do we require of God?" and this week on "How do we respond to God's response?" Essentially, we are largely aware of what God requires of us, at least in general terms - the Scriptures paint God's requirements in broad strokes. However, what are our expectations of God, and can we dare to think in such terms? When God responds to our expectations, our requirements, do we recognise his response, and how do we react? Click on the highlighted words above and they will direct you to the related sermon.
Rennie D
29 July 2007
Rennie D
29 July 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
port & poetry
It's time once again for Port and Poetry @ Rivermeade. Last year's theme was "Rugby", this year's is "Cricket"... but this is South Africa (Southern Hemisphere) and time for everything other than Cricket. Cricket in July? Perhaps in the cold reaches of the Great North? I have reflected on this theme:
Poetry and Port
an engagement of friends
sharing words head-scratched
borrowed and acknowledged
funny serious rude and prude
laughter Port-enhanced and real
a theme both comical and surreal
Cricket – in July!? when Tennis, Rugby
even Cycling does entrance
with Venus on the rise
and Hunter on the stage
Super XIV won and Tri-Nations lost
a World engagement immanent
our theme: Cricket – in July!?
Yes, Cricket! that game
of gentlemen and rogues
one team in and one team out
eleven men in until they’re out
a ball a bat an umpire or two
bowling batting fielding catching
Yes, Cricket! that mark of Empire!
our theme – in July!
In "researching" this poem I came across the following explanation of the game, one I saw years ago:
The Clear & Understandable Rules of Cricket
You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out. When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been given out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!
Rennie D
21 July 2007
Poetry and Port
an engagement of friends
sharing words head-scratched
borrowed and acknowledged
funny serious rude and prude
laughter Port-enhanced and real
a theme both comical and surreal
Cricket – in July!? when Tennis, Rugby
even Cycling does entrance
with Venus on the rise
and Hunter on the stage
Super XIV won and Tri-Nations lost
a World engagement immanent
our theme: Cricket – in July!?
Yes, Cricket! that game
of gentlemen and rogues
one team in and one team out
eleven men in until they’re out
a ball a bat an umpire or two
bowling batting fielding catching
Yes, Cricket! that mark of Empire!
our theme – in July!
In "researching" this poem I came across the following explanation of the game, one I saw years ago:
The Clear & Understandable Rules of Cricket
You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out. When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been given out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!
Rennie D
21 July 2007
Sunday, July 08, 2007
faith? reason?
A comment on Faith by Terry Goodkind in his novel Chainfire (pg 540); Zedd, the First Wizard, addressing his grandson Richard, the first War Wizard born in three-thousand years, also the Seeker:
“Faith is a device of self-delusion, a sleight of hand done with words and emotions founded on any irrational notion that can be dreamed up. Faith is the attempt to coerce truth to surrender to whim. In simple terms, it is trying to breathe life into a lie by trying to outshine reality with the beauty of wishes. Faith is the refuge of fools, the ignorant, and the deluded, not of thinking, rational men.”
It is a statement that undermines Richard's belief that his wife, Kahlan, the Mother Confessor, is alive despite the fact that no one remembers her, underlined by the reality that at this precise moment in the story they are looking at her decomposed corpse freshly dug up from the below her gravestone in the Confessors Palace graveyard.
The story goes on to prove that Richard's belief is not based in "the beauty of wishes" but in the reality of relationship and memory (and thus also experience), and that reality is not what we see, but what we know to be true. What we see can be manipulated, what we experience cannot? Essentially a negation of the age of reason, and a judgement on those who seek to place reason and faith in opposition. An interesting perspective.
Rennie D
8 July 2007
“Faith is a device of self-delusion, a sleight of hand done with words and emotions founded on any irrational notion that can be dreamed up. Faith is the attempt to coerce truth to surrender to whim. In simple terms, it is trying to breathe life into a lie by trying to outshine reality with the beauty of wishes. Faith is the refuge of fools, the ignorant, and the deluded, not of thinking, rational men.”
It is a statement that undermines Richard's belief that his wife, Kahlan, the Mother Confessor, is alive despite the fact that no one remembers her, underlined by the reality that at this precise moment in the story they are looking at her decomposed corpse freshly dug up from the below her gravestone in the Confessors Palace graveyard.
The story goes on to prove that Richard's belief is not based in "the beauty of wishes" but in the reality of relationship and memory (and thus also experience), and that reality is not what we see, but what we know to be true. What we see can be manipulated, what we experience cannot? Essentially a negation of the age of reason, and a judgement on those who seek to place reason and faith in opposition. An interesting perspective.
Rennie D
8 July 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
trinity and corpus christi: community & relationship
have been a bit forgetful of late, but my sermons for the last two weeks are now availalble: Trinity (with a focus on the nature of God and the nature of "us" as humanity); Corpus Christi (relationship, integrity and accomodation). Please have a listen - click on the highlighted words!
Rennie D
12 June 2007
Rennie D
12 June 2007
Friday, June 01, 2007
further reflections on pentecost
Interpretation of Tongues
I have some background in Pentecostalism (Assembly of God late 70's & early 80's) which sometimes manifests in an Evangelical bent (although my immersion in Anglicanism since birth tends, I like to believe, to keep me grounded in reality). Thus, any thought or conversation around the gift of tongues links me into the early church experience and what is often referred to as "glossolalia". This Pentecost season has drawn me to the Genesis account of Babel, where God confuses language because a common language became a force for human communal self-interest. In the light of this the Acts reading takes on new meaning: it is the gift (lost at Babel) of being able to communicate with all people, restored in order to make God and his activities known, to glorify God and not human community - and thereby gifting us to fulfil the Great Commission.
"Language" Interpretation
Further, my insight this season, is that this gift is not primarily about "foreign" or "angelic" languages, but about interpersonal communication and helping people to understand each other. We often speak the same language but mean very different things, or even more confusingly, only slightly different things. Body language, tone, attitude, worldview, theological outlook - all confuse our communication with each other. This is specifically true in our African context where many of us use the English language to communicate, but because it is often our second, third or even fourth language, our communication is often torpedoed before we even begin. In today's increasingly global, multi and differently cultured environment we need the "Interpretation of Tongues" just to interpret what someone else is saying in the same language! Our backgrounds, experience, insight are all used by God in this particular manifestation of the gifting of God's people by God.
Sermons (click on the highlighted words below)
I have uploaded two sermons, one a more lengthy exposition on my first point above, and the other a briefer reflection shared at the evening Chapel Service at St Alban's College in Pretoria. that reflects more fully on my second point above, with specific reference to parent / teenager miscommunication!
Rennie D
1 June 2007
I have some background in Pentecostalism (Assembly of God late 70's & early 80's) which sometimes manifests in an Evangelical bent (although my immersion in Anglicanism since birth tends, I like to believe, to keep me grounded in reality). Thus, any thought or conversation around the gift of tongues links me into the early church experience and what is often referred to as "glossolalia". This Pentecost season has drawn me to the Genesis account of Babel, where God confuses language because a common language became a force for human communal self-interest. In the light of this the Acts reading takes on new meaning: it is the gift (lost at Babel) of being able to communicate with all people, restored in order to make God and his activities known, to glorify God and not human community - and thereby gifting us to fulfil the Great Commission.
"Language" Interpretation
Further, my insight this season, is that this gift is not primarily about "foreign" or "angelic" languages, but about interpersonal communication and helping people to understand each other. We often speak the same language but mean very different things, or even more confusingly, only slightly different things. Body language, tone, attitude, worldview, theological outlook - all confuse our communication with each other. This is specifically true in our African context where many of us use the English language to communicate, but because it is often our second, third or even fourth language, our communication is often torpedoed before we even begin. In today's increasingly global, multi and differently cultured environment we need the "Interpretation of Tongues" just to interpret what someone else is saying in the same language! Our backgrounds, experience, insight are all used by God in this particular manifestation of the gifting of God's people by God.
Sermons (click on the highlighted words below)
I have uploaded two sermons, one a more lengthy exposition on my first point above, and the other a briefer reflection shared at the evening Chapel Service at St Alban's College in Pretoria. that reflects more fully on my second point above, with specific reference to parent / teenager miscommunication!
Rennie D
1 June 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
church unity
Ascension to Pentecost marks a "week" of prayer of Church Unity. I was invited to briefly address the local Roman Catholic Seminary students on this topic this evening, to pray with them for Church Unity. A real privilege, and most interesting that it is the Catholics reaching out to us. My reflection on this issue is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10066
Rennie D
23 May 2007
Rennie D
23 May 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
the vision is dead?
My Ascention Day sermon can be found at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10065
Rennie D
19 May 2007
Rennie D
19 May 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
the vision is dead! long live the vision!
Today's sermon is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10064
Rennie D
13 May 2007
Rennie D
13 May 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
mystery and certainty
I am in the process of reading John W de Gruchy's book Being Human. de Gruchy reflects on the impact Scripture Union had on his spiritual formation and conversion and compares this experience to "the rather tepid Christianity that many found in their home congregations where the preaching and worship seldom made any connection with our experience" (pg 67). He goes on to say, "This remains true today as many young people - and also not so young - look beyond mainline denominations for a more authentic, lively and meaningful Christian experience. Others again are attracted to more Catholic forms of Christianity, with their apparent certainty of faith and morality, and the mystery and tangibility of their liturgy" (pg 67-68).
If de Gruchy's analysis is correct, then the challenge for the Church is to offer a Faith experience that maintains mystery and certainty in creative juxtaposition. It is this seemingly contradictory mix that develops an environment that is authentic, lively, and meaningful.
Rennie D
9 May 2007
If de Gruchy's analysis is correct, then the challenge for the Church is to offer a Faith experience that maintains mystery and certainty in creative juxtaposition. It is this seemingly contradictory mix that develops an environment that is authentic, lively, and meaningful.
Rennie D
9 May 2007
Monday, May 07, 2007
love your neighbour
My sermon for the fourth Sunday after Easter is availalble at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10063, and focuses on "love your neighbour as yourself" (Leviticus) and "love one another as I have loved you" (John).
Rennie D
7 May 2007
Rennie D
7 May 2007
transfiguration
An interesting poetic perspective on the transfiguration by Edwin Muir: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=178990
Rennie D
7 May 2007
Rennie D
7 May 2007
Friday, May 04, 2007
identity
In my latest "... from the Rector's Desk" in the May edition of our Parish Magazine I reflect on the issue of identity: who I am as a human; who we are in God; who we are as a Parish that uses the word tradition to define a part of who we are. A copy of the article is availalble at http://therectorsdesk.blogspot.com/2007/05/may-2007.html.
Rennie D
4 May 2007
Rennie D
4 May 2007
Thursday, May 03, 2007
union
Brother James is busy archiving my grandmother's lifetime collection of "snaps". This is an interesting perspective on the Union Buildings in Pretoria.Rennie D
3 May 2006
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
photos on flickr
I have recently added some photos to my Flickr "Creation" set on the theme of flowers, animals and scenery. You'll find them at http://www.flickr.com/gp/61024590@N00/t0ku2a
Rennie D
1 May 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
the LORD says!
My apologies to those who like to follow my weekly sermons. Over Easter I somehow never quite got a ful sermon recorded for one reason or another. Herewith, though, my sermon for Easter 3 in which I explore how we can determine God's will in the context of a society that increasingly says "anything goes". Scripture is a good starting point, and those that declare "God says ... !" usually inhibit communities from truly discovering God's will as such a statement closes down communication and intra-community dialogue. This sermon can be found at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10043
Rennie D
29 April 2007
Rennie D
29 April 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
ancient miracles and modern science
An interesting article I came across via Books Inq. Well worth a gander if you are interested in whether or not ancient Biblical miracles have a basis in modern medical science - it appears some do! See http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v21/i4/trees.asp.
Rennie D
19 April 2007
Rennie D
19 April 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
the spiritual life
Joan Chittester comments, helpfully, that:
The spiritual life is not a set of exercises appended to our ordinary routine. Spirituality is not just a matter of joining the closest religious community or parish committee or faith-sharing group.
The spiritual life is ... a complete reordering of our values and our priorities and our lives. Spirituality is that depth of soul that changes our lives and focuses our efforts and leads us to see the world differently than we ever did before.
The Rule of Benedict - Insights for the Ages, pg 151 (edited)
Rennie D
12 April 2007
The spiritual life is not a set of exercises appended to our ordinary routine. Spirituality is not just a matter of joining the closest religious community or parish committee or faith-sharing group.
The spiritual life is ... a complete reordering of our values and our priorities and our lives. Spirituality is that depth of soul that changes our lives and focuses our efforts and leads us to see the world differently than we ever did before.
The Rule of Benedict - Insights for the Ages, pg 151 (edited)
Rennie D
12 April 2007
leadership
Yesterday I had fun spending gift vouchers - plus a lot extra - at Exclusive Books. My purchases included The Definitive Drucker by Elizabeth Haas Edersheim. I found the comments in the introduction (pg 12, 13-15) relating to leadership useful.
Edersheim quotes Peter Drucker as saying, "The most important thing anybody in a leadership position can do is ask what needs to be done. And make sure that what needs to be done is understood [emphasis mine]."
Drucker goes on to comment on why so many people in leadership fail, and makes two comments in this regard:
1) They go by what they want, rather than what needs to be done;
2) The enormous amount of time and effort to make oneself understood - to communicate.
In replying to a question by Edersheim as to how leaders can be certain they know what needs to be done, Drucker emphasised two things: asking and listening [emphasis mine]. And in this regard he is also quoted as saying, "... the right questions don't change as often as the answers do."
Further, and personally I think this is a key function of leadership, Drucker emphasises that we all must step up to the responsibility to manage our way to an optimal tomorrow as "... we are all charged with influencing and managing the changes that will define our future."
Rennie D
12 April 2007
Edersheim quotes Peter Drucker as saying, "The most important thing anybody in a leadership position can do is ask what needs to be done. And make sure that what needs to be done is understood [emphasis mine]."
Drucker goes on to comment on why so many people in leadership fail, and makes two comments in this regard:
1) They go by what they want, rather than what needs to be done;
2) The enormous amount of time and effort to make oneself understood - to communicate.
In replying to a question by Edersheim as to how leaders can be certain they know what needs to be done, Drucker emphasised two things: asking and listening [emphasis mine]. And in this regard he is also quoted as saying, "... the right questions don't change as often as the answers do."
Further, and personally I think this is a key function of leadership, Drucker emphasises that we all must step up to the responsibility to manage our way to an optimal tomorrow as "... we are all charged with influencing and managing the changes that will define our future."
Rennie D
12 April 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
lenten review
The following quote by Joan Chittister (from The Rule of Benedict - Insights for the Ages, pg 146), seems to sum up my Lenten journey this year:
Benedictine spirituality recognises that a thing may become valueless to us before it actually becomes valueless. In that case it is given to someone else in good condition. Benedictine spirituality does not understand a world that is full of gorgeous garbage while the poor lack the basics of life.
Rennie D
11 April 2007
Benedictine spirituality recognises that a thing may become valueless to us before it actually becomes valueless. In that case it is given to someone else in good condition. Benedictine spirituality does not understand a world that is full of gorgeous garbage while the poor lack the basics of life.
Rennie D
11 April 2007
Monday, April 09, 2007
anglican eucharistic theology
An interesting site - there is a comment on our Southern African Eucharistic Theology!
Rennie D
9 April 2007
Rennie D
9 April 2007
Sunday, April 08, 2007
disturb us, lord
This caught my attention:
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
(attributed - Sir Francis Drake -1577 )
Rennie D
8 April 2007
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
(attributed - Sir Francis Drake -1577 )
Rennie D
8 April 2007
Sunday, April 01, 2007
clergy school - a perspective
Diocesan Clergy School, hosted and directed by UNISA, has been an inspiring experience. We have had some outstanding input from various high-calibre academics, including our own Anglican sub-Dean, Prof. Barney Pityana (also vice-Chancellor of UNISA). We have investigated the church’s role in rebuilding our society’s value base, while exploring the diversity of our call in dealing with the various moral challenges all South Africans face, seeking to find ways to reclaim our prophetic voice.
The importance of good ecumenical relationships is critical in allowing the church to speak with “one voice”, rather than with a fragmented denominationalism. Significant to this discussion is the issue of authority, and the Clergy School was asked to recognise four different types: traditional, rational, negotiated, symbolic; that we as Anglicans have a specific perspective on how these aspects influence our praxis, and our understanding of Scripture. The Bible is a consequence and not a cause of Faith, and as Anglicans we question what Scripture means, rather than simply what it says. These perspectives on authority and Scripture impact on our ecumenical relationships. There is a call on us to re-explore the message of Jesus, to regain a radical commitment to the Kingdom of God as put forward by Jesus, and as experienced in the early church, and to be relational – an emphasis on being rather than doing – and not legalistic in our interpretation both of Scripture and Tradition, while also recognising the social and economic relevance of Scripture.
We have been reminded that poverty should remain one of the church’s main preoccupations, that an “option for the poor” is preferential and not exclusive (i.e. not an “option against the rich”), and that transforming the plight of the poor includes the transformation of the wealthy. Sadly, excessive accumulation of monetary and material wealth is mostly at the expense of the poor, and actively ferments poverty. We were asked, “Is inequality ordained by God?” because our lifestyles as Christian people often suggest that it is! Interestingly, while the USA Constitution enshrines “Freedom” as an inalienable human right, our South African Constitution enshrines “Equality”. The lack of genuine equality in South Africa is an active cause of socio-economic domination by a South African elite - increasingly being referred to as the “new apartheid”! Top business structures in this country are still largely in the hands of white people, and despite a growing black middle class this remains an area of grave concern, especially for us as Church. The crisis we face, both as Christians and as South Africans, is that our Constitutional Democracy is deliberately misinterpreted for personal and financial gain. Twelve years into our new democratic society there is no consensus or collective commitment to definitive values, even though key values are enshrined in Constitutional dispensation that include human dignity, human rights and social justice. In South Africa the centre is falling apart as we struggle to maintain the consensus gained in 1994, and this is visible in the corruption, crime and other indicators of moral collapse. As Church, we need to exercise authority in bringing people back to the values of the Gospel and values as defined in the Constitution.
In considering the value-crisis in our society within the context of our Constitution and our Constitutional Democracy, the Clergy School was asked to consider three important questions:
What is it that undermines our Christian values in the communities in which we live?
How do we “hold the centre” as a faith community, individually and collectively?
How do we become effective moral agents?
In answering these questions it was noted that mission happens when the Church is in engagement with the World, and that in order to be effectively engaged we need to develop a moral outlook that is not simplifying or dismissive in attitude, but rather one that builds confidence, assertiveness and freedom. In addition, there is a need to recognise the syncretistic nature of African Christianity – something that is also true of the Western approach to the Christian Faith – if we are to build a new moral base in our society.
Underlying the above is the question, “How do we formulate a Christian society, and how do we influence South African society with this vision?” There are no simple answers, but a partial answer is that we need to own responsibility, backed by an informed personal position refined through public debate. We need to gain a high level of identification and agreement on the issues, and those that are of priority. We need to abandon an “all or nothing” approach in our Biblical interpretation in order to develop a public Theology, including openness to the integration of other societal disciplines (economics, politics …) with our Theological development. We need to acknowledge issues of pronounced patriarchy – men’s oppression of women – and the related pandemic of HIV/AIDS where poor black women in particular suffer: in this regard Biblical interpretation from a patriarchal perspective becomes an obstacle by habitually negating the validity of women’s experience. Once consensus is reached through dialogue, we need to find ways to translate our vision in such a way that it is palatable to a pluralistic society, which often embraces an “anything goes!” approach. We should not allow a concern that such translation will compromise our Christian foundation, for this is unlikely if we seek to uphold the values enshrined in our Constitution in the process.
We were challenged to embrace a pastoral response in interacting with our society, to be bridge-builders, building links between: constitutional rights and religious identity; the judging voices of Christians and those rendered voiceless by religion; fundamentalist/dogmatic voices and those demonised through these judgmental attitudes; fixed forms of traditional morality and fluid internalisation of the best of pluralistic views; the sacred and the profane; hurts of the past and the healing of the future. Essentially a challenge to allow the Church to be the Church, as hard and costly as this will be!
Going forward, we must not underestimate the influence of religion on society – the majority of South Africans claim to be Christian, and many others religious. The task is to move ahead as Church, to regain a progressive voice, and to develop tools that will help individuals to live out their faith. Do we have the courage, as Christians and as Anglicans, to regain our prophetic voice?
Acknowledgement must be given for the high level of academic input received, along with meaningful and stimulating engagement, that has informed the above reflection that contains the helpful insights of the following: Profs D Masoma, R Dolamo, M Masenya, C Landman; Drs J Aristide (President of Haiti), M Naidoo, P Lenka Bula; Canon Prof Martyn Percy and Rev’d Emma Percy. Our grateful thanks to each for their contribution to our week together, and to Bishop Dr J Seoka and Sub-Dean Prof B Pityana for their contribution and vision.
Canon Mark Long
1 April 2007
The importance of good ecumenical relationships is critical in allowing the church to speak with “one voice”, rather than with a fragmented denominationalism. Significant to this discussion is the issue of authority, and the Clergy School was asked to recognise four different types: traditional, rational, negotiated, symbolic; that we as Anglicans have a specific perspective on how these aspects influence our praxis, and our understanding of Scripture. The Bible is a consequence and not a cause of Faith, and as Anglicans we question what Scripture means, rather than simply what it says. These perspectives on authority and Scripture impact on our ecumenical relationships. There is a call on us to re-explore the message of Jesus, to regain a radical commitment to the Kingdom of God as put forward by Jesus, and as experienced in the early church, and to be relational – an emphasis on being rather than doing – and not legalistic in our interpretation both of Scripture and Tradition, while also recognising the social and economic relevance of Scripture.
We have been reminded that poverty should remain one of the church’s main preoccupations, that an “option for the poor” is preferential and not exclusive (i.e. not an “option against the rich”), and that transforming the plight of the poor includes the transformation of the wealthy. Sadly, excessive accumulation of monetary and material wealth is mostly at the expense of the poor, and actively ferments poverty. We were asked, “Is inequality ordained by God?” because our lifestyles as Christian people often suggest that it is! Interestingly, while the USA Constitution enshrines “Freedom” as an inalienable human right, our South African Constitution enshrines “Equality”. The lack of genuine equality in South Africa is an active cause of socio-economic domination by a South African elite - increasingly being referred to as the “new apartheid”! Top business structures in this country are still largely in the hands of white people, and despite a growing black middle class this remains an area of grave concern, especially for us as Church. The crisis we face, both as Christians and as South Africans, is that our Constitutional Democracy is deliberately misinterpreted for personal and financial gain. Twelve years into our new democratic society there is no consensus or collective commitment to definitive values, even though key values are enshrined in Constitutional dispensation that include human dignity, human rights and social justice. In South Africa the centre is falling apart as we struggle to maintain the consensus gained in 1994, and this is visible in the corruption, crime and other indicators of moral collapse. As Church, we need to exercise authority in bringing people back to the values of the Gospel and values as defined in the Constitution.
In considering the value-crisis in our society within the context of our Constitution and our Constitutional Democracy, the Clergy School was asked to consider three important questions:
What is it that undermines our Christian values in the communities in which we live?
How do we “hold the centre” as a faith community, individually and collectively?
How do we become effective moral agents?
In answering these questions it was noted that mission happens when the Church is in engagement with the World, and that in order to be effectively engaged we need to develop a moral outlook that is not simplifying or dismissive in attitude, but rather one that builds confidence, assertiveness and freedom. In addition, there is a need to recognise the syncretistic nature of African Christianity – something that is also true of the Western approach to the Christian Faith – if we are to build a new moral base in our society.
Underlying the above is the question, “How do we formulate a Christian society, and how do we influence South African society with this vision?” There are no simple answers, but a partial answer is that we need to own responsibility, backed by an informed personal position refined through public debate. We need to gain a high level of identification and agreement on the issues, and those that are of priority. We need to abandon an “all or nothing” approach in our Biblical interpretation in order to develop a public Theology, including openness to the integration of other societal disciplines (economics, politics …) with our Theological development. We need to acknowledge issues of pronounced patriarchy – men’s oppression of women – and the related pandemic of HIV/AIDS where poor black women in particular suffer: in this regard Biblical interpretation from a patriarchal perspective becomes an obstacle by habitually negating the validity of women’s experience. Once consensus is reached through dialogue, we need to find ways to translate our vision in such a way that it is palatable to a pluralistic society, which often embraces an “anything goes!” approach. We should not allow a concern that such translation will compromise our Christian foundation, for this is unlikely if we seek to uphold the values enshrined in our Constitution in the process.
We were challenged to embrace a pastoral response in interacting with our society, to be bridge-builders, building links between: constitutional rights and religious identity; the judging voices of Christians and those rendered voiceless by religion; fundamentalist/dogmatic voices and those demonised through these judgmental attitudes; fixed forms of traditional morality and fluid internalisation of the best of pluralistic views; the sacred and the profane; hurts of the past and the healing of the future. Essentially a challenge to allow the Church to be the Church, as hard and costly as this will be!
Going forward, we must not underestimate the influence of religion on society – the majority of South Africans claim to be Christian, and many others religious. The task is to move ahead as Church, to regain a progressive voice, and to develop tools that will help individuals to live out their faith. Do we have the courage, as Christians and as Anglicans, to regain our prophetic voice?
Acknowledgement must be given for the high level of academic input received, along with meaningful and stimulating engagement, that has informed the above reflection that contains the helpful insights of the following: Profs D Masoma, R Dolamo, M Masenya, C Landman; Drs J Aristide (President of Haiti), M Naidoo, P Lenka Bula; Canon Prof Martyn Percy and Rev’d Emma Percy. Our grateful thanks to each for their contribution to our week together, and to Bishop Dr J Seoka and Sub-Dean Prof B Pityana for their contribution and vision.
Canon Mark Long
1 April 2007
am i a sinner?
My sermon for Palm Sunday is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10042. I have reflected on the nature of God's incarnation, that (according to Philippians) we are warned to not seek equality with God. However, God sought equality with us in and through Jesus' life on earth. Not only this, but God was willing to seek equality with the poorest-of-the-poor and those outcast by society. I ask the question, "Am I a sinner?" and reflect that on most Sundays as we have reminded ourselves of the 10 Commandments during this time of Lent, I have left the church property feeling good about myself - I have not committed murder! I have not been adulterous! I've even honoured my parents! I'm OK! ... but am I? I've accelerated, not braked, when the traffic light turned from green to amber. I've driven over the speed limit. I've spoken on my mobile un-hands-free while driving ... and that's just for starters! But I'm OK! What about more serious sin ... CRIME, for instance? My breaking of the law is inconsequential ... or is it? How do we as Christians and South Africans build a value-based centre that outlaws corruption, crime, rape, murder ... if we don't first acknowledge that we, too, are sinners - even if our sin is "rationalisable" and seemingly inconsequential? How do we set an example and speak out against the lawlessness of our society when we struggle to keep the easiest of rules? Why did Jesus die?
Rennie D
1 April 2007
Rennie D
1 April 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
an abundant reception
My sermon for Lent 4 is now available. The focus is on the amazing willingness of God to wait for us to recognise our need for him (as seen in the parable of the prodigal son), along with God's willingness to continue to provide for us even while we re-learn obedience (as seen in his interaction with the early Israelites as they move from Egypt through the desert and into the Promised Land).
Rennie D
23 March 2007
Rennie D
23 March 2007
Sunday, March 11, 2007
the challenge of moving beyond
My sermon for the third Sunday in lent is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10040, and focus' on the challenge of moving beyond constancy towards the unknown, to enter into conversation from the perspective of God's will - and not from individual desire - as to the direction a community should journey together.
Rennie D
11 March 2007
Rennie D
11 March 2007
Sunday, March 04, 2007
lenten sermons
My sermons for the 1st and 2nd Sundays in Lent are available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons.
Rennie D
4 March 2007
Rennie D
4 March 2007
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
an african nicky cruz
Out of the Black Shadows by Stephen Lungu with Anne Coomes is a fun read. It is full of evangelical challenge, and a reminder, once again, of the importance of evangelistic fervour. Stephen Lungu is an African Nicky Cruz, a life turned from the violence and despair of street living to serving God as an Evangelist with international appeal. Worth a read if you desire a bit of straight forward, uncomplicated Christian inspiration!
Rennie D
6 February 2007
Rennie D
6 February 2007
gem squash tokoloshe
Gem Squash Tokoloshe by Rachel Zadok is an excellent, but disturbing, account of a young white girl growing up in rural and urban South Africa in the 1980's and '90's. It is in essence a book of spiritual exploration more than anything else, challenging a modern western perception of spirituality and psychological disease. Well worth a read.
Rennie D
6 February 2007
Rennie D
6 February 2007
Sunday, February 04, 2007
golf & faith
My sermon for today is available - in it I draw the parallels between the game of golf and the life of faith.
Rennie D
4 February 2007
Rennie D
4 February 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
reflections on the year past
My sermon, which is in essence my report to the Annual Vestry (the Anglican version of an Annual General Meeting) of the Parish I serve, is available. I lead in with a focus on the Old Testament reading for the day from Jeremiah (his call) and the "reminder ... that God is a creative God, and that “destruction” as much as “building” is part of the creative process." The full text is also available.
Rennie D
28 January 2007
Rennie D
28 January 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
god delights in us
My sermon for the 2nd Sunday of the Year is available. I have focused on the fact that God delights in us, resources us with only the best, and seeks to be part of the various "pictures" we carry (of God, of ourselves, of others). All this needs to deeply inform us as we respond in mission and ministry.
Rennie D
14 January 2007
Rennie D
14 January 2007
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
i am home
I have just completed Max du Preez' book, Pale Native: Memories of a Renegade Reporter, Zebra Press, 2003. As an Afrikaner Max touches on the complexity of being African and pale (page 5):
I am a native of this land, but unlike most other natives, I am pale.
This statement launches Max du Preez' narrative, one that touches regularly – and disturbingly – on events that have been as formative on my existence as on his. I, too, am a pale native (born in Johannesburg), though I lack the roots in Afrikaner identity that plays backdrop to Max’s story. I am a product of the British Empire, but no less connected to the African soil. Like many of my composite tribe, my heritage is a patchwork of belonging: my maternal line bequeaths me a third generation African heritage (and a second generation Scottish!). My adopted paternal line allows me second generation African status, and my biological paternal line a second generation English heritage. All this taken into account, I am more African than English; not Afrikaner, but African none-the-less.
My siblings, perhaps more African than I by birth, have abandoned the African soil, preferring the nourishment of England. They are not alone, a part of the “pale native” Diaspora of this generation who find nourishment on other continents, but whose souls never quite settle, never quite inhabit their adopted cultures. There is a thirst for home, for the African soil – sometimes acknowledged. Unlike them, I remain. What keeps me rooted?
There is much in the New South Africa that makes me feel uncomfortable in a pale skin, even unwelcome. A greater part of that discomfort lies in history, an awareness that we have contributed to the oppression and rape of Africa, the heritage of our Colonial past and the more recent evil: Apartheid. It is an ancestral guilt, not always personal but collective.
Pale Native addresses much of this discomfort, and in so doing creates a new space for belonging. Max du Preez, as he shares his own struggles as an Afrikaner who seeks to break with the traditions of his tribe, brings me to a new place of certainty, a renewed assuredness that I, too, belong. The African soil is my home. With Max I am able to proclaim – proudly – that,
My soul is not the soul of a bywoner … I call myself a native of Africa: pale, but no less native. (pages 5 and 274)
I feel the passion as I read,
The energy that I feel gushing from the soil, my African soil, through my foot soles and into my spirit tells me who I am. The ancient mountains and valleys around me whisper to me that I am where I belong. Forces much greater than loud-mouthed politicians and my own fears and insecurities have placed me exactly here at this time. I am who I should be and where I should be (page 5).
I am home.
Rennie D
2 January 2007
I am a native of this land, but unlike most other natives, I am pale.
This statement launches Max du Preez' narrative, one that touches regularly – and disturbingly – on events that have been as formative on my existence as on his. I, too, am a pale native (born in Johannesburg), though I lack the roots in Afrikaner identity that plays backdrop to Max’s story. I am a product of the British Empire, but no less connected to the African soil. Like many of my composite tribe, my heritage is a patchwork of belonging: my maternal line bequeaths me a third generation African heritage (and a second generation Scottish!). My adopted paternal line allows me second generation African status, and my biological paternal line a second generation English heritage. All this taken into account, I am more African than English; not Afrikaner, but African none-the-less.
My siblings, perhaps more African than I by birth, have abandoned the African soil, preferring the nourishment of England. They are not alone, a part of the “pale native” Diaspora of this generation who find nourishment on other continents, but whose souls never quite settle, never quite inhabit their adopted cultures. There is a thirst for home, for the African soil – sometimes acknowledged. Unlike them, I remain. What keeps me rooted?
There is much in the New South Africa that makes me feel uncomfortable in a pale skin, even unwelcome. A greater part of that discomfort lies in history, an awareness that we have contributed to the oppression and rape of Africa, the heritage of our Colonial past and the more recent evil: Apartheid. It is an ancestral guilt, not always personal but collective.
Pale Native addresses much of this discomfort, and in so doing creates a new space for belonging. Max du Preez, as he shares his own struggles as an Afrikaner who seeks to break with the traditions of his tribe, brings me to a new place of certainty, a renewed assuredness that I, too, belong. The African soil is my home. With Max I am able to proclaim – proudly – that,
My soul is not the soul of a bywoner … I call myself a native of Africa: pale, but no less native. (pages 5 and 274)
I feel the passion as I read,
The energy that I feel gushing from the soil, my African soil, through my foot soles and into my spirit tells me who I am. The ancient mountains and valleys around me whisper to me that I am where I belong. Forces much greater than loud-mouthed politicians and my own fears and insecurities have placed me exactly here at this time. I am who I should be and where I should be (page 5).
I am home.
Rennie D
2 January 2007
Monday, January 01, 2007
new year - the opportunities
A new day dawn's the beginning of a New Year, a day for hope and dreams in the midst of many challenges for the world and for Africa. Let us renew our commitment to life, to community, to relationship, to peace. Let us be responsible in conversation and in action. Let us serve God with confidence as we meet and recognise the Creator's image in our shared humanity. As people of Africa let us celebrate, and in so doing, resource the Nation that has resourced us! Viva, Africa!
Rennie D
1 January 2007
Rennie D
1 January 2007
Sunday, December 31, 2006
christmas weekend sermons
My sermons for the Christmas weekend are now availalble: Advent 4 preached to the community of Anglicans at St Agnes, a chapelry in Stanza Bopape (Mamelodi); Midnight Mass and Christmas Morning preached at Corpus Christi Anglican Church in Garsfontein, Pretoria.
Rennie D
31 December 2006
Rennie D
31 December 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
sermons by mark long
My sermons are now availalbe on the net at http://www.twango.com/channel/markrdlong.sermons. The sermon for Advent 3 is availalble.
Rennie D
17 December 2006
Rennie D
17 December 2006
Sunday, November 05, 2006
the second commandment
English is a strange language: to like and to love, to dislike and to hate – there is a synonymous discord in these words. Often, and (I suggest) incorrectly, like is seen as a lesser form of love, and dislike as a lesser form of hate. To like or dislike a person is to render that relationship superficial. The Biblical command to love, especially to love one’s neighbour as oneself, is a call to take relationships beyond superficiality to a more profound level of being. To love is to supersede all other responses and to interact not with a perception but with the image of God implanted in every human being. To love is to consign that relationship into the presence of God; to hate is to eliminate that relationship from the presence of God. It is a profound place of being with another person.
To love oneself is to recognise the perspective of God, to see our lives through God’s eyes, and to acknowledge that God loves us despite our imperfection. The second commandment is a call to build our self-awareness not on what we see in the mirror; not on our awareness of our selfishness, wrong attitudes, and poor self-image; but to build on the perfection of our image carried in the mind of God. This brings us into the presence of God, and so enables us to bring our relationships into the presence of God, and to find a profound place of being with God and with another person. We are called to build on a different, a holy, foundation.
Rennie D
5 November 2006
To love oneself is to recognise the perspective of God, to see our lives through God’s eyes, and to acknowledge that God loves us despite our imperfection. The second commandment is a call to build our self-awareness not on what we see in the mirror; not on our awareness of our selfishness, wrong attitudes, and poor self-image; but to build on the perfection of our image carried in the mind of God. This brings us into the presence of God, and so enables us to bring our relationships into the presence of God, and to find a profound place of being with God and with another person. We are called to build on a different, a holy, foundation.
Rennie D
5 November 2006
spiritual nourishment
While Rennie D appreciates Frank Wilson's accolade, it is of concern that an occasional blog can have greater impact than regular warming of a physical pew. It is encouraging, though, to see literary critics and reviewers experiencing the need to speak out about faith, especially in a world that is increasingly focused on, and disillusioned by, the polarity of fundamental religious fanaticism that derives from Islamic-backed terrorism and the disquieting response of modern American colonialism and empire-building.
Frank Wilson's Great minds ... is worth a read, as is another link that Frank points to: a kind of self-interview by John Derbyshire God & Me. Also worth reading is and article by Richard Morrison What the sneering legions of atheists need to remember.
Rennie D
5 November 2006
Frank Wilson's Great minds ... is worth a read, as is another link that Frank points to: a kind of self-interview by John Derbyshire God & Me. Also worth reading is and article by Richard Morrison What the sneering legions of atheists need to remember.
Rennie D
5 November 2006
Sunday, October 15, 2006
... only consequences
In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments – there are only consequences (Robert Ingersoll)
Adam and Eve, having eaten of the forbidden fruit, are questioned by God (Genesis 3:8-19), “Where are you?” and “What is this you have done?” A common response is that it is their disobedience that leads to them being driven from Eden. But … is God angry?
“Where are you?” is more than a question of physical whereabouts, it is a deeper query of being, it is “Where are you now that you have made this choice; how has it affected you; how are you changed?” Adam’s response, “I was afraid because I was naked” speaks of self-awareness, of God-awareness, of being naked in every way before God, and of no longer being confident in this state of emotional and moral nakedness in God’s presence. Adam’s wisdom, gained through disobedience, distorts his relationship with God, makes him uncomfortable before God.
“What is this you have done?” is God giving Adam, giving Eve, the opportunity to take responsibility for their choice and subsequent action. Both miss this opportunity, neither accept responsibility: “My wife …”; “The serpent …”. Both give excuse, attempt to pass the responsibility elsewhere for the choice they have made.
It is tempting to assign the consequential curse and humanity’s exclusion from Eden to Adam and Eve’s disobedience in seeking wisdom (a gift God did not yet believe them ready to receive). However, having gained wisdom, they are cursed and excluded for failing to accept responsibility for their choice and subsequent action. Rather than a punishment dictated by God, this is a consequence brought about by humanity’s unwillingness to accept responsibility.
Much of humanity’s suffering is due not to wrong choice, but to our failure to accept responsibility for those choices ... there are neither rewards or punishments, only consequenses!
Rennie D
15 October 2006
Adam and Eve, having eaten of the forbidden fruit, are questioned by God (Genesis 3:8-19), “Where are you?” and “What is this you have done?” A common response is that it is their disobedience that leads to them being driven from Eden. But … is God angry?
“Where are you?” is more than a question of physical whereabouts, it is a deeper query of being, it is “Where are you now that you have made this choice; how has it affected you; how are you changed?” Adam’s response, “I was afraid because I was naked” speaks of self-awareness, of God-awareness, of being naked in every way before God, and of no longer being confident in this state of emotional and moral nakedness in God’s presence. Adam’s wisdom, gained through disobedience, distorts his relationship with God, makes him uncomfortable before God.
“What is this you have done?” is God giving Adam, giving Eve, the opportunity to take responsibility for their choice and subsequent action. Both miss this opportunity, neither accept responsibility: “My wife …”; “The serpent …”. Both give excuse, attempt to pass the responsibility elsewhere for the choice they have made.
It is tempting to assign the consequential curse and humanity’s exclusion from Eden to Adam and Eve’s disobedience in seeking wisdom (a gift God did not yet believe them ready to receive). However, having gained wisdom, they are cursed and excluded for failing to accept responsibility for their choice and subsequent action. Rather than a punishment dictated by God, this is a consequence brought about by humanity’s unwillingness to accept responsibility.
Much of humanity’s suffering is due not to wrong choice, but to our failure to accept responsibility for those choices ... there are neither rewards or punishments, only consequenses!
Rennie D
15 October 2006
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
the de villiers code
The De Villiers Code (a South African take-off of The Da Vinci Code) by comic writer, Tom Eaton, begins with the wonderful words:
FACT:
At least two thousand people believe that the Earth is flat.
Five million people believe that they have been abducted by aliens.
Twenty million people have bought The Da Vinci Code.
All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate. Entirely fictitious, but accurate.
It goes downhill from here … which is part of its allure!
Rennie D
4 October 2006
FACT:
At least two thousand people believe that the Earth is flat.
Five million people believe that they have been abducted by aliens.
Twenty million people have bought The Da Vinci Code.
All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate. Entirely fictitious, but accurate.
It goes downhill from here … which is part of its allure!
Rennie D
4 October 2006
Friday, September 15, 2006
... to be alive is a grand thing
I came across the following quote from Agatha Christie in Encyclopaedia Britannica’s “On This Day”:
"I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing."
It is wonderful to find someone who, despite clearly walking some very dark trails through life, was able to remain so commited to life.
Rennie D
15 September 2006
"I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing."
It is wonderful to find someone who, despite clearly walking some very dark trails through life, was able to remain so commited to life.
Rennie D
15 September 2006
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
forging a real-world faith
I have just picked up Gordon MacDonald’s book Forging a Real-World Faith for a second time. This book had a profound impact on me some six or so years ago, and needs a second look. I am struck in the Introduction by his following statement:
“I created my own word – real-world – and I assigned three dimension of reality to it. First is the place the Bible calls Heaven where the Everlasting God, Creator of everything, dwells. The second dimension is the inner space of the human being with all its darkness and its potential beauty. And the third dimension is the streets upon which we live out our lives as we work, play, love, and struggle.”
This book had deep impact on my world-view, and requires further reflection.
Rennie D
12 September 2006
“I created my own word – real-world – and I assigned three dimension of reality to it. First is the place the Bible calls Heaven where the Everlasting God, Creator of everything, dwells. The second dimension is the inner space of the human being with all its darkness and its potential beauty. And the third dimension is the streets upon which we live out our lives as we work, play, love, and struggle.”
This book had deep impact on my world-view, and requires further reflection.
Rennie D
12 September 2006
principles of giving
What underlies the Christ-follower's call to give, and why is Christian Stewardship so often a focus on finance?
Jesus, when questioned about his attitude to the Law, pointed to love as the underlying principle of the law (Love God with all that you are and love your neighbour as yourself). And what is Love other than God (God is love)? It is our response to this principle of the Law, to God himself that defines our levels of commitment to God and to the building of his Kingdom.
Proverbs 3 (from verse 5) points us to three principles of giving in the Christian context:
The first is Trust. The question is, “Do we trust God? … to be our provider, sustainer and source of abundant life? What relationships in life are immune from the Trust factor, what relationship can grow and mature without Trust at its core? Jesus points to the poor widow in Matthew 12 (from verse 41) as an example of supreme Trust in God to be her provision and abundance. Paul reflects in 2 Corinthians 8 (from verse 1) how, despite extreme poverty and severe trial, the Corinthian Christ-followers are able to respond with rich generosity (and it is not about the amount, but the act). It is easy to give out of wealth, it is much more challenging to give out of poverty – the ratios are so much closer!
The second is Submission. This is not – and probably never has been – a popular concept, except for those who have the resources to command it. Christ-followers are called to Submit their lives to the will of God, to God’s agenda, to forfeit self-interest, and to look beyond the self to the needs of others, and to the requirements of the Kingdom.
The third is First-Fruits. This is a call to give off the top, not from what is left over. In Jesus’ day a family, having reaped their field of corn, were required to give the first-portion of it to the temple. A responsible family would then have put aside what was needed to plant for the next year’s crop, and the left-over corn would have been divided up for eating over the next twelve months. The demands of modern life have us responding in a reactive manner, often driven by self-interest, easy access to credit, and an over-extended budget. Our modern lifestyles demand that we enjoy the First-Fruits, the needs of others and of the Kingdom forgotten, or marginally acknowledged.
If the above principles undergird our lives, they put priorities in place that help us live lifestyles that place God, his Kingdom, others, at the centre of our concern: relationally, emotionally, financially.
Rennie D
12 September 2006
Jesus, when questioned about his attitude to the Law, pointed to love as the underlying principle of the law (Love God with all that you are and love your neighbour as yourself). And what is Love other than God (God is love)? It is our response to this principle of the Law, to God himself that defines our levels of commitment to God and to the building of his Kingdom.
Proverbs 3 (from verse 5) points us to three principles of giving in the Christian context:
The first is Trust. The question is, “Do we trust God? … to be our provider, sustainer and source of abundant life? What relationships in life are immune from the Trust factor, what relationship can grow and mature without Trust at its core? Jesus points to the poor widow in Matthew 12 (from verse 41) as an example of supreme Trust in God to be her provision and abundance. Paul reflects in 2 Corinthians 8 (from verse 1) how, despite extreme poverty and severe trial, the Corinthian Christ-followers are able to respond with rich generosity (and it is not about the amount, but the act). It is easy to give out of wealth, it is much more challenging to give out of poverty – the ratios are so much closer!
The second is Submission. This is not – and probably never has been – a popular concept, except for those who have the resources to command it. Christ-followers are called to Submit their lives to the will of God, to God’s agenda, to forfeit self-interest, and to look beyond the self to the needs of others, and to the requirements of the Kingdom.
The third is First-Fruits. This is a call to give off the top, not from what is left over. In Jesus’ day a family, having reaped their field of corn, were required to give the first-portion of it to the temple. A responsible family would then have put aside what was needed to plant for the next year’s crop, and the left-over corn would have been divided up for eating over the next twelve months. The demands of modern life have us responding in a reactive manner, often driven by self-interest, easy access to credit, and an over-extended budget. Our modern lifestyles demand that we enjoy the First-Fruits, the needs of others and of the Kingdom forgotten, or marginally acknowledged.
If the above principles undergird our lives, they put priorities in place that help us live lifestyles that place God, his Kingdom, others, at the centre of our concern: relationally, emotionally, financially.
Rennie D
12 September 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
dreamers of the day are dangerous
Encyclopaedia Britannica’s “On This Day” gave the following quote from T.E. Lawrence (born 15 August 1888), The Seven Pillars of Wisdom:
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did."
I find these words profoundly powerful, and am challenged to dream with open eyes …
Rennie D
24 August 2006
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did."
I find these words profoundly powerful, and am challenged to dream with open eyes …
Rennie D
24 August 2006
rennie d "a good man"
Frank Wilson hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - in the United States - and is The Philadelphia Inquirer's Book Review Editor. He writes an "Editor's Choice" column each Sunday in the Books section. Frank blogs @ Books, Inq. and occassionally points to Rennie D's postings. For this, and this comment in particular, Rennie D is much appreciative!
Rennie D
15 August 2006
Rennie D
15 August 2006
Sunday, July 23, 2006
the great white
In anticipation of “Port & Poetry” @ Rivermeade Farm – in line with a Rugby expectation – I have reflected on the Springboks disastrous recent Tri-Nations away fixtures against Australia and New Zealand these past two weeks (hopefully the upcoming encounters will yield more positive results):
the great white
a country waits
with baited breath
a team to make us proud
or groan, defeated
at the end
what strategy
what plan
to see the battle-weary
Bokke snatch defeat
from Wallaby
extinction
in the Kiwi-nest
and of the White
we call him Great
our strategist
our planner
his jaw is clenched
his teeth are ragged
outwitted to the end
rennie D
22 July 2006
the great white
a country waits
with baited breath
a team to make us proud
or groan, defeated
at the end
what strategy
what plan
to see the battle-weary
Bokke snatch defeat
from Wallaby
extinction
in the Kiwi-nest
and of the White
we call him Great
our strategist
our planner
his jaw is clenched
his teeth are ragged
outwitted to the end
rennie D
22 July 2006
the family
Some recently taken photos of the family: rennie D and Mrs (who have recently confirmed their ancient Roman majority), and the young ones! 
Friday, July 07, 2006
seek good, not evil ...
Amos (5:14-15) declares, “Seek good, not evil, that you may live … Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts.” To live, to be in eternal relationship with God, is to seek good and to hate evil. It is both a personal commitment, and a community commitment. To say, “I am in relationship with God, and I’m OK!” is not enough. The commitment to which I am called by God is inclusive of seeing to it that this goodness operates in, and is evident in, the society within which I live; that there is “justice in the courts”.
Too often as 21st Century Christians we focus on a personal relationship with God, and forget to take responsibility for societal sin: corruption, crime, violence. We are quick to blame others, especially Government and other community structures. We forget that it is our responsibility; that if these “other” structures are failing, it is you and I – fellow ambassadors of the Kingdom of God – that will be held accountable on the day of Judgement.
Sunday Worship (any Worship) is worthless if it doesn’t reflect positively in both our personal lifestyle and also in our community commitment and involvement, in our seeing to the values of God being instilled and upheld in our local and national Civil and Governmental structures.
Rennie D
7 July 2006
Too often as 21st Century Christians we focus on a personal relationship with God, and forget to take responsibility for societal sin: corruption, crime, violence. We are quick to blame others, especially Government and other community structures. We forget that it is our responsibility; that if these “other” structures are failing, it is you and I – fellow ambassadors of the Kingdom of God – that will be held accountable on the day of Judgement.
Sunday Worship (any Worship) is worthless if it doesn’t reflect positively in both our personal lifestyle and also in our community commitment and involvement, in our seeing to the values of God being instilled and upheld in our local and national Civil and Governmental structures.
Rennie D
7 July 2006
Sunday, July 02, 2006
rumi
I came across a small volume, Gardens of the Beloved, of selected quatrains of the Sufi mystical poet, Rumi (Mowlana Jalaludin Mohamad born 1207 in Balkh), translated by Maryam Mafi and Azima Melita Kolin. For Rumi the essence of the Divine is the nature of love. I was particularly struck by the following:
I filled the garden with candles tonight,
set the table with wine and sweets
and called the musicians.
How I wish that you could be here!
In Rumi’s poetry “Garden” is symbolic of an inner space, depicting the outward beauty of nature and the inward beauty of Spirit.
Rennie D
1 July 2006
I filled the garden with candles tonight,
set the table with wine and sweets
and called the musicians.
How I wish that you could be here!
In Rumi’s poetry “Garden” is symbolic of an inner space, depicting the outward beauty of nature and the inward beauty of Spirit.
Rennie D
1 July 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
our lives: a place where others meet god
What does it mean for my life, and our community life, to be a place where others meet God? The Biblical equivalent is to be a “living sacrifice”. It is a response. It is a call. It is primarily a place of being. It is about friendship, about allowing my life, our community life, to be a place where others can discover friendship with God. Our lives become a place in which friendship with God is initiated, or restored, or enhanced. It is about allowing space in my life, our lives, where others may come – invited or not – and discover God’s presence and reality in relationship.
Rennie D
25 June 2006
Rennie D
25 June 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
problem "sorted"
The following just came in by email, and appealed to Rennie D's sense of humour:
After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight. Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humour. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.
P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.
P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.
P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.
P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.
P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.
P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.
P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.
Rennie D
20 June 2006
After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight. Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humour. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.
P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.
P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.
P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.
P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.
P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.
P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.
P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.
Rennie D
20 June 2006
Sunday, June 18, 2006
virtue a stumbling block
Yesterday I participated in the funeral of a person whose life was driven by her Christian faith, and difficult circumstance had taught her selflessness. Her selflessness, though, was precisely what caused her death, and disabled her friends and church community in their care for her. Her recent life, and even more recent death, highlights the chaos and confusion of life: we seek holiness, only to find our virtue is our stumbling point.
Western thought tends to follow a linear approach, which remains valuable while we experience progress and success in life, but falls radically short when we experience breakdown and failure. Hebrew (Biblical), and often African, thought patterns are more circular, and allow for more rich responses when life falls short of our dreams and hopes, and especially when life leaves us broken and destroyed. We need to see both success and failure as growth, and it is only in returning to our starting point that we can truly perceive the value of the journey. A linear approach to thought and life does not allow this, because it expects us to reach a different point, and end point dissimilar to our origin. A more circular approach allows, even creates, space for reflection. It allows, too, for our virtues to find counter-point in our vice, and vice in our virtue; and rather than condemnation, hope for the next journey.
Rennie D
18 June 2006
Western thought tends to follow a linear approach, which remains valuable while we experience progress and success in life, but falls radically short when we experience breakdown and failure. Hebrew (Biblical), and often African, thought patterns are more circular, and allow for more rich responses when life falls short of our dreams and hopes, and especially when life leaves us broken and destroyed. We need to see both success and failure as growth, and it is only in returning to our starting point that we can truly perceive the value of the journey. A linear approach to thought and life does not allow this, because it expects us to reach a different point, and end point dissimilar to our origin. A more circular approach allows, even creates, space for reflection. It allows, too, for our virtues to find counter-point in our vice, and vice in our virtue; and rather than condemnation, hope for the next journey.
Rennie D
18 June 2006
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
should marriage be legislated?
The question asked is: does one need to have legislation, given the principle of marriage and hence the spirit in which one enters into it? The answer much depends on what one means by the “principle of marriage”. I would define marriage as a close, intimate, relationship that is officially recognised by society, in which two people (preferably one female and one male) love, care and support each other.
Society needs parameters if it is to function and remain healthy, and legislation is the easiest way of setting such boundaries. Legislation, as we discovered in Apartheid South Africa, can set parameters that create an unhealthy and unjust society. However, having no parameters leaves space for chaos. Legislation should protect the rights of the individual, as well as create a healthy space in which inter-societal relationships (including marital relationships) are formed and nurtured. Legislation does not prevent misuse or abuse within relationships, but it does set bench-marks as to appropriate behaviour.
In terms of marriage, ante-nuptial (or prenuptial) agreements are all about assets, not relationship. Hollywood utilises this instrument to ensure the less wealthy partner gains as much (or as little) as possible of the wealthy partner’s assets at breakdown. A more healthy approach is to utilise this instrument to protect the individuals within the relationship from forces outside of the relationship (such as one partner entering into business agreements, that if unsuccessful, may harm the other asset-wise). Couples who cohabit, but don’t “marry” in the eyes of the State or the Church, often draw up similar documents for similar reasons.
Marriage is both a relationship and an institution: as relationship it requires love, caring, support, empathy, selflessness, sacrifice, patience …; as institution it requires legislation.
Rennie D
14 June 2006
Society needs parameters if it is to function and remain healthy, and legislation is the easiest way of setting such boundaries. Legislation, as we discovered in Apartheid South Africa, can set parameters that create an unhealthy and unjust society. However, having no parameters leaves space for chaos. Legislation should protect the rights of the individual, as well as create a healthy space in which inter-societal relationships (including marital relationships) are formed and nurtured. Legislation does not prevent misuse or abuse within relationships, but it does set bench-marks as to appropriate behaviour.
In terms of marriage, ante-nuptial (or prenuptial) agreements are all about assets, not relationship. Hollywood utilises this instrument to ensure the less wealthy partner gains as much (or as little) as possible of the wealthy partner’s assets at breakdown. A more healthy approach is to utilise this instrument to protect the individuals within the relationship from forces outside of the relationship (such as one partner entering into business agreements, that if unsuccessful, may harm the other asset-wise). Couples who cohabit, but don’t “marry” in the eyes of the State or the Church, often draw up similar documents for similar reasons.
Marriage is both a relationship and an institution: as relationship it requires love, caring, support, empathy, selflessness, sacrifice, patience …; as institution it requires legislation.
Rennie D
14 June 2006
Sunday, June 04, 2006
reflections on pentecost
My Ascension/Pentecost journey of the last two weeks has been an insightful one:
Power
In his closing comments to his Disciples at the Ascension, Jesus promises them “all power” from above. At our recent Clergy Day in Lyttleton we were challenged to be “power hungry”, and it strikes me the reason the disciples staggered drunkenly around Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost is that they were “drunk with power”. These are concepts of power we normally see as negative due to the inherent misuse, even abuse, of power by politicians and others in positions of authority in government and civil society. However, the dictionary describes “power” as “the ability to act”, which from a Christian perspective is a God-given gift. As a child of God I need to hunger for a greater ability to act.
Spirit
The Hebrew word for “breath”, “wind” and “spirit” is a single word: Ruach. In Genesis 2 God forms the primeval Adam who remains but a clay form until the “breath of God” gives Adam life, symbolic of humanity’s gift of eternal life. The eternal nature of life is wasted and then lost in the disobedience of “the Fall”, but restored at Pentecost as the Spirit, or “breath of God”, overcomes the disciples, and their drunkenness is symbolic of their abundant experience of life and relationship with God in that moment, and the restoration of eternal life as a gift to humanity.
Tongues
The Pentecostal movement and subsequent Charismatic response in the Anglican Church with its emphasis on the gift itself, has taken the focus away from the important symbolic content of the event, the restoration of what was symbolically lost at Babel: the gift of communication with all people - that God may be made known to the Nations!
Rennie D
4 June 2006
Power
In his closing comments to his Disciples at the Ascension, Jesus promises them “all power” from above. At our recent Clergy Day in Lyttleton we were challenged to be “power hungry”, and it strikes me the reason the disciples staggered drunkenly around Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost is that they were “drunk with power”. These are concepts of power we normally see as negative due to the inherent misuse, even abuse, of power by politicians and others in positions of authority in government and civil society. However, the dictionary describes “power” as “the ability to act”, which from a Christian perspective is a God-given gift. As a child of God I need to hunger for a greater ability to act.
Spirit
The Hebrew word for “breath”, “wind” and “spirit” is a single word: Ruach. In Genesis 2 God forms the primeval Adam who remains but a clay form until the “breath of God” gives Adam life, symbolic of humanity’s gift of eternal life. The eternal nature of life is wasted and then lost in the disobedience of “the Fall”, but restored at Pentecost as the Spirit, or “breath of God”, overcomes the disciples, and their drunkenness is symbolic of their abundant experience of life and relationship with God in that moment, and the restoration of eternal life as a gift to humanity.
Tongues
The Pentecostal movement and subsequent Charismatic response in the Anglican Church with its emphasis on the gift itself, has taken the focus away from the important symbolic content of the event, the restoration of what was symbolically lost at Babel: the gift of communication with all people - that God may be made known to the Nations!
Rennie D
4 June 2006
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
reflections on marriage
As an Anglican Priest and State Marriage Officer I do not solemnise many marital relationships, perhaps two or three a year. Recently, in preparing for a marriage service, I had some opportunity to discuss – largely “our” – marriage with my wife, Dawn. In addition I remain intrigued as to why people marry, especially when – in Western dominated societies – many no longer do … when living together is socially acceptable … and … easier? What is the draw of marriage that human beings return to it generation after generation, century after century? The answer – for me, anyway – lies in the colossal challenge of the Christian call to selflessness:
The Judeo-Christian Scriptures apply the symbol of marriage to the relationship that God shares with his people, and they with him. Why?
The common denominator appears to be the selflessness that God demonstrated continuously throughout Old Testament times in regularly calling his people back into relationship with himself – despite their disobedience, waywardness, and whoring after other gods – demonstrated finally in the key action of God in Jesus in the Crucifixion … and Resurrection.
The human experience of the environment that marriage creates is a remarkable and adventurous one: in this environment two individuals are faced with the opportunity to lay aside their selfish natures and practice selflessness.
Christian marriage is defined as a lifelong – “till death do us part” – commitment: it takes that long to gain the thoughtfulness that leads to selflessness. Marital relationships that survive a lifetime do so, not because the partners involved miraculously become more than human, but because between them there are enough acts of selflessness in the morass of selfishness to build hope.
Marriage (as defined by Scripture, not Hollywood) is the only relational environment that human beings enter that creates space for this particular experience. This is true precisely because it is a lifelong commitment. Any relationship that does not offer an “until death” clause does not offer the long term dedication, loyalty and devotion necessary for this attentiveness to selflessness to develop.
Rennie D
4 April 2006
The Judeo-Christian Scriptures apply the symbol of marriage to the relationship that God shares with his people, and they with him. Why?
The common denominator appears to be the selflessness that God demonstrated continuously throughout Old Testament times in regularly calling his people back into relationship with himself – despite their disobedience, waywardness, and whoring after other gods – demonstrated finally in the key action of God in Jesus in the Crucifixion … and Resurrection.
The human experience of the environment that marriage creates is a remarkable and adventurous one: in this environment two individuals are faced with the opportunity to lay aside their selfish natures and practice selflessness.
Christian marriage is defined as a lifelong – “till death do us part” – commitment: it takes that long to gain the thoughtfulness that leads to selflessness. Marital relationships that survive a lifetime do so, not because the partners involved miraculously become more than human, but because between them there are enough acts of selflessness in the morass of selfishness to build hope.
Marriage (as defined by Scripture, not Hollywood) is the only relational environment that human beings enter that creates space for this particular experience. This is true precisely because it is a lifelong commitment. Any relationship that does not offer an “until death” clause does not offer the long term dedication, loyalty and devotion necessary for this attentiveness to selflessness to develop.
Rennie D
4 April 2006
the trials & tribulations of rennie d
Two months ago I experienced an unexpected revolt by my gall bladder, which took a general surgeon and a hospital visit to put down. I am able to report that our campaign was successful, and, apart from a few scars, I have survived! In reflection:
memoir of a gall bladder
a gentle caress
grows to acute child-birth ache
muscles clench in referred concern
bile stone-stoppered seeks
a duct to flow
restless movement
no relief wrapped in sweat-beaded
grimace
an hour two four
colic-gurgle
marks a shifting pain
disbelief muscle ache
somnambulant relief
airport waiting
in surgical haute coutier
theatre seven air-conditioned sterility
burning sleep courses through
breathe deep
sleep
confused awakening
jostle
knife-pain deep and spread
groaned and muttered
pinprick dulls the spread but
focuses the knife-hurt
more
shoulder ache restlessness
pinprick relief
dried-mouth muttering
a gentle hand whispering
her presence
rennie D
18 February 2006
memoir of a gall bladder
a gentle caress
grows to acute child-birth ache
muscles clench in referred concern
bile stone-stoppered seeks
a duct to flow
restless movement
no relief wrapped in sweat-beaded
grimace
an hour two four
colic-gurgle
marks a shifting pain
disbelief muscle ache
somnambulant relief
airport waiting
in surgical haute coutier
theatre seven air-conditioned sterility
burning sleep courses through
breathe deep
sleep
confused awakening
jostle
knife-pain deep and spread
groaned and muttered
pinprick dulls the spread but
focuses the knife-hurt
more
shoulder ache restlessness
pinprick relief
dried-mouth muttering
a gentle hand whispering
her presence
rennie D
18 February 2006
Monday, March 20, 2006
a delighted rennie d
The following poem was ignited by some words of Oswald Chambers’ in his marvellous devotional My Utmost for His Highest. It came to fruition while wandering between rows of desks while young people slaved at exam texts:
delight
delight, i hear
a word, a life
dedicated to
being
delight, i hear
a place, a life
encompassed
possessed
delight, I live
Rennie D
4 September 2003
delight
delight, i hear
a word, a life
dedicated to
being
delight, i hear
a place, a life
encompassed
possessed
delight, I live
Rennie D
4 September 2003
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
a branded family man
While on a Lenten Retreat in 1995 I had the opportunity to reflect on “belonging”, and the two poems below echo something of that reflection:
family
a desire for love
an opportunity
companionship and
sharing
a desire broken
selfishness
i the important
ignores the other
a desire for wholeness
sacrifice and joy
intimate and responsible
honours the other
Rennie D
21 March 1995
branded
i am branded
on his palms
a nail in his wrist
a cross not forgotten
i am community
with my family
they are branded
on my palms
Rennie D
21 March 1995
revised 15 March 2006
family
a desire for love
an opportunity
companionship and
sharing
a desire broken
selfishness
i the important
ignores the other
a desire for wholeness
sacrifice and joy
intimate and responsible
honours the other
Rennie D
21 March 1995
branded
i am branded
on his palms
a nail in his wrist
a cross not forgotten
i am community
with my family
they are branded
on my palms
Rennie D
21 March 1995
revised 15 March 2006
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
rennie d in the way
In 1988 I lost a friend, seemingly to the vagaries of the Apartheid regime. It deeply affected me, and others. I wrote this poem in her memory, to a friend who was more than a friend:
to a comrade in the way
not so long ago I walked in
a stranger among friends
you walked forward
and a friendship was forged
the warmth of your emerald eyes eternal
their depths unfathomable
in you I saw the nature of Christ
now you are gone
your life ended only to begin
in our pain the seeds you’ve sown
find their life-water
you died a prisoner of hope
and your blood cries out
for justice and righteousness
you call us to future hope
of freedom
our paths were not so far apart
you and i
now you are gone
shalom
rennie D
29 June 1988
revised 8 March 2006
to a comrade in the way
not so long ago I walked in
a stranger among friends
you walked forward
and a friendship was forged
the warmth of your emerald eyes eternal
their depths unfathomable
in you I saw the nature of Christ
now you are gone
your life ended only to begin
in our pain the seeds you’ve sown
find their life-water
you died a prisoner of hope
and your blood cries out
for justice and righteousness
you call us to future hope
of freedom
our paths were not so far apart
you and i
now you are gone
shalom
rennie D
29 June 1988
revised 8 March 2006
Saturday, February 25, 2006
the conscientisation of rennie d
In the mid 1980’s I found myself, a white South African recently freed from military conscription, living in a township and undergoing a disturbing, yet exciting, process of conscientisation. This was a reflection:
i walk in the depths of minds uncertainty
searching thoughts for paths to security
which way to turn or where to run
an impossibility
new ideas bursting out the old
what to accept to reject to hold to hate
excitement verses incomprehensibility
foot after foot I tread
a weary mile
mind in concentration
eyes upon the ground
answer lord
bring order to my troubled mind
“my boundaries for you have fallen
in pleasant places”
“your righteousness will shine
like the dawn”
rennie D
12 June 1986
revised 27 February 2006
i walk in the depths of minds uncertainty
searching thoughts for paths to security
which way to turn or where to run
an impossibility
new ideas bursting out the old
what to accept to reject to hold to hate
excitement verses incomprehensibility
foot after foot I tread
a weary mile
mind in concentration
eyes upon the ground
answer lord
bring order to my troubled mind
“my boundaries for you have fallen
in pleasant places”
“your righteousness will shine
like the dawn”
rennie D
12 June 1986
revised 27 February 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
the birth of rennie d
This poem, published in Vent Vol. 8, June 1984 (a Rhodes University Lit.Soc Publication), marks the birth of Rennie D:
my ears are plugged
deaf nothing
can't hear
can't understand
plagued with uncertainty
dare trust dare love
trust and love
understanding comes
knowledge ability bring
freedom love
rennie D
2 March 1984
revised 24 February 2006
my ears are plugged
deaf nothing
can't hear
can't understand
plagued with uncertainty
dare trust dare love
trust and love
understanding comes
knowledge ability bring
freedom love
rennie D
2 March 1984
revised 24 February 2006
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
and exactly who is rennie d?
Rennie D was born out of late teenage shy self-awareness and a desire for anonymity, married to my first attempt at having my poetry published in a university students' magazine. In this first attempt I used my two middle-names, the second of which is now reduced to just a single initial. Both names have their origin in my maternal family line, and Rennie is my maternal grandfather's mother's maiden name, and - according to sources that claim to know - is of Pictish origin, giving a "fantastical" element to my own musings. This "fantastical" element is provoked by my interest in fantasy literature, engendered through an early exposure to C S Lewis' Narnia series (which I have read at least five times) and J R R Tolkien’s Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’m presently immersed in Terry Goodkind's The Sword of Truth series. I particularly appreciate the "parable" nature of this genre, and find it a faith-inspiring emersion.
I have never been a prolific poet, but find the multifaceted focus of words in poetry to be an occasional and valuable reflective tool in ruminating on the nature of faith and life in all its adventure. This blog is no attempt to share poetry (although there will be some), but poetic in the sense of contemplative cogitation on life's experience. Faith and life, the spiritual and material, the emotional and the rational, reality and fantasy are "Not one. Not two.":
“How does a person seek union with God?” the seeker asked.
“The harder you seek,” the teacher said, “the more distance you create between God and you.”
“So what does one do about the distance?”
“Understand that it isn’t there,” the teacher said.
“Does that mean that God and I are one?” the seeker said.
“Not one. Not two.”
“How is that possible?” the seeker asked.
“The sun and its light, the ocean and the wave, the singer and the song. Not one. Not two.”
This blog seeks to be "Not one. Not two." Welcome to the life and times of Rennie D!
I have never been a prolific poet, but find the multifaceted focus of words in poetry to be an occasional and valuable reflective tool in ruminating on the nature of faith and life in all its adventure. This blog is no attempt to share poetry (although there will be some), but poetic in the sense of contemplative cogitation on life's experience. Faith and life, the spiritual and material, the emotional and the rational, reality and fantasy are "Not one. Not two.":
“How does a person seek union with God?” the seeker asked.
“The harder you seek,” the teacher said, “the more distance you create between God and you.”
“So what does one do about the distance?”
“Understand that it isn’t there,” the teacher said.
“Does that mean that God and I are one?” the seeker said.
“Not one. Not two.”
“How is that possible?” the seeker asked.
“The sun and its light, the ocean and the wave, the singer and the song. Not one. Not two.”
This blog seeks to be "Not one. Not two." Welcome to the life and times of Rennie D!
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