A PARISH MAGAZINE ANGLICAN PARISH OF VEREENIGING P.O. BOX THREE RIVERS

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1 July 2017 VOLUME 32 NO 06 A PARISH MAGAZINE ANGLICAN PARISH OF VEREENIGING P.O. BOX THREE RIVERS office@stmarystjohn.co.za My dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus. Every one of us will go through a season in our lives when we might feel filled with hopelessness. One s life may seem to be falling apart, and perhaps we awake every day with what feels like the weight of the world on our chest. One woman related the following; I had two small children at the time, an infant and a toddler, and every day felt like a steep, uphill battle. I was exhausted and raising them alone, overwhelmed with the situations swirling around me. I m normally a very outgoing person, but I remember sitting down every night, rocking my baby to sleep and wondering when it would ever get better. I knew it would, eventually. It had to. But when you re so deep in that pit of sadness, it s hard to see how God will bring you out. People would tell me this too shall pass, but in the middle of hopelessness, there s little anyone can say or do to make you feel better. By God s grace, I m now 6 years removed from that dark season. Yet I still look and see people I know and love fighting through their own hopelessness: the wife who is losing her husband to cancer, the single mother with no food and three days until payday, and the young woman fighting daily anxiety attacks. Yet, even in the midst of these dark times, where it seems there is no way out, God s Word reminds us that with him, there is always hope. Perhaps you feel hopeless today and you are in a dark place, overwhelmed by the situations you are facing and wondering when it will ever get better. In times like these, I would encourage you to explore the hope of God s Word. The pain will not last forever. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared. Revelation 21:4 (Continued on page 2) Rector Canon Reg Gersbach Lay Ministers Wardens Alt. Warden Cyril Mhlongo Humphrey Molapo Elizabeth Hamman Aleta West Judy Blackburn Sue Sorsby Howard Pillay Peter Moses Secretary Colleen Coetsee Carol de Jager Laura Mangunda Prayer Chain Sue Sorsby Peter Mangunda Care Group May Van Rensburg Andrew Itumeleng St Nicholas Sunday School Theresa Cresswell Lawrence West Jeremiah Ramolapong Priscilla Ndungane Dinah Rykdom Co-Editors Madelaine Goetsch Judy Blackburn madelaine.goetsch@africancables.com 1

(Continued from page 1) Praise God, even when it is hard. Why am I so sad? Why am I so troubled? I will put my hope in God, and once again I will praise him, my Saviour and my God.

Matthew 11:28 Understand that when you are weak, God is strong. God s answer to a distressed St Paul was My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.

2 (Continued from page 1) Praise God, even when it is hard. Why am I so sad? Why am I so troubled? I will put my hope in God, and once again I will praise him, my Saviour and my God. Psalm 43:5 Give your burdens to God. Jesus said, Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 Understand that when you are weak, God is strong. God s answer to a distressed St Paul was My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak. The Apostle continues, I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 Keep your eyes on Jesus. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me; he freed me from all my fears. The oppressed look to him and are glad; they will never be disappointed. Psalm 34:4-5 God will strengthen you But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak. Isaiah 40:31 Never stop praying. Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. Romans 12:12 I hope that these short verses from the Scriptures will strengthen you and enable you to face each day regardless of what it may bring. May God s love enfold you, His peace fill you and His mighty Spirit empower you to persevere, and be more than a conqueror, for he loves and cares for you always. God bless you. Fr Reg Restoration Electrical LAWRENCE WEST Tel : Vereeniging (Three Rivers) For all your Electrical Repairs For all your property needs! Cyril Buttrick

3 Anglican Prayer Rosary A Form of Contemplative Prayer Since the earliest of times, people have used pebbles or a string of knots or beads on a cord to keep track of prayers offered to God. Virtually every major religious tradition in the world uses some form of prayer beads. Symbolism of the Beads Anglican Prayer Beads are a relatively new form of prayer, blending the Orthodox Jesus Prayer Rope and the Roman Catholic Rosary. The thirty-three bead design was created by the Rev. Lynn Bauman in the mid-1980s, through the prayerful exploration and discovery of a contemplative prayer group. The use of the rosary or prayer beads helps to bring us into contemplative or meditative prayer - really thinking about and being mindful of praying, of being in the presence of God - by use of mind, body, and spirit. The touching of the fingers on each successive bead is an aid in keeping our mind from wandering, and the rhythm of the prayers leads us more readily into stillness. Praying with the beads To begin, hold the Cross and say the prayer you have assigned to it, then move to the Invitatory Bead. Then enter the circle of the prayer with the first Cruciform Bead, moving to the right, go through the first set of seven beads to the next Cruciform bead, continuing around the circle, saying the prayers for each bead. It is suggested that you pray around the circle of the beads three times (which signifies the Trinity) in an unhurried pace, allowing the repetition to become a sort of lullaby of love and praise that enables your mind to rest and your heart to become quiet and still. Praying through the beads three times and adding the crucifix at the beginning or the end, brings the total to one hundred, which is the total of the Orthodox Rosary. A period of silence should follow the prayer, for a time of reflection and listening. Listening is an important part of all prayer. Begin praying the Anglican Prayer Beads by selecting the prayers you wish to use for the cross and each bead. Practice them until it is clear which prayer goes with which bead, and as far as possible commit the prayers to memory. (Continued on page 4) 3

4 Find a quiet spot and allow your body and mind to become restful and still. After a time of silence, begin praying the prayer beads at an unhurried, intentional pace. Complete the circle of the beads three times. When you have completed the round of the prayer beads, you should end with a period of silence. This silence allows you to centre your being in an extended period of silence. It also invites reflection and listening after you have invoked the Name and Presence of God. Closing your Prayers Below are examples of prayers, which can be mixed and matched.or you can put together your own. Agnus Dei Prayer The Cross The Lord s Prayer The Invitatory "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." - Psalm 19:14 The Cruciforms Oh, Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world have mercy upon us, Oh, Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world have mercy upon us, Oh, Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world give us Thy Peace. The Weeks Almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless us and keep us. Amen. Agnus Dei means "Lamb of God" Anglican Prayer Beads are available on order from Gordon and Carol de Jager. Contact them on or A portion of each sale will be donated to the church. An Evening Prayer The Cross Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Invitatory Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall proclaim Your praise. The Cruciforms Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace. The Weeks Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us. Jesus, redeemer of the world, give us your peace. A Celtic Prayer The Cross In the Name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. The Invitatory O God make speed to save me (us), O Lord make haste to help me (us), Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. The Cruciforms Be the eye of God dwelling with me, The foot of Christ in guidance with me, The shower of the Spirit pouring on me, Richly and generously The Weeks Pray each phrase on a separate bead. I bow before the Father who made me, I bow before the Son who saved me, I bow before the Spirit who guides me, In love and adoration. I praise the Name of the one on high. I bow before thee Sacred Three, The ever One, the Trinity. This prayer was created by Sister Brigit-Carol, S.D. 4

5 HEATHER TURTON What can one say about a friendship that lasted for 75 years? Well it must have been a sincere, loyal and loving one, and that is exactly what Heather and I had. We met during our first year at high school when we were 13 years old and soon became very close friends. Our school days were happy and carefree movies on Saturday mornings at the local cinema and our favourite spot was the public swimming pool. Even when we were swotting for exams we took our books to the pool. However, we kept reminding one another to look at the books and not at the boys! Heather spent most of her married life on the West Rand and sadly she was widowed at the young age of 45. Several years later she returned to Vereeniging. We had many happy times and laughed together and we shared our sad times and cried together. We had come a long way together. Unfortunately Heather suffered a stroke five years ago which left her with a slight speech impediment and she struggled to read and write. However, she still enjoyed watching her favourite TV programmes National Geographic and the sports channel. Not being able to read and write distressed her as she was always an avid reader and a fundi at Sudoku and crossword puzzles. Heather loved nature, wild animals and bird life and said she always felt at peace in the bush as she called it. Over the years her general health deteriorated but she was uncomplaining and never lost her sense of humour. She would laugh at herself when a word she wanted to say came out all wrong. She could always raise a laugh and had a welcoming smile. I think Heather lived by the words of the Serenity Prayer accept the things you cannot change. I will miss my dear friend but it is comforting to know she is safe in the arms of Jesus. Rest eternal grant unto her O Lord and let light perpetual shine upon her. Elaine Wilson REST IN PEACE Matthew Keeling Dudley De Jager ST JAMES - 25 July James, the brother of John, is often known as James the Great to distinguish him from the other apostle of the same name commemorated in the calendar with St Philip on 3 May. He was the son of a prosperous Galilean fisherman, who with his brother left home in obedience to the call of Christ. With Peter and John he seems to have belonged to an especially privileged group within the Twelve who were chosen to be present at the Transfiguration, at the raising of Jairus daughter and again at the agony in the garden. He shared his brother s hot-headed disposition, so Jesus nicknamed them the Sons of Thunder. Perhaps his greatest claim to an honoured place in the Church s calendar is that he was the first of the apostles to die for Christ, being put to the sword by King Herod to please the Jewish adversaries of the early Church (Acts 12:1-2). Saints and Seasons 5

6 It seems like every day you get a new credit card application in the mail. One promise is 10% cash back on Amazon purchases. Another promises free airline miles. And yet another offers you rewards from your favourite department store every time you make a purchase. You begin thinking - if you make every purchase on a cash back credit card, you could earn a lot of cash back. It would be kind of like using a coupon for every purchase. That s good stewardship, right? But you also may have heard that Christians shouldn t use credit cards. Confused? Let s set the record straight. To be clear, the Bible doesn t plainly say Christians should or should not use credit cards. Obviously, credit cards did not exist in Biblical times. However, the Bible does have a lot to say about debt, stewardship, and greed. And the Biblical principles about debt, stewardship, and greed can be helpful in deciding whether or not it s wise to use credit cards. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT DEBT Let s begin with debt. Does the Bible say it s wrong to be in debt? Not exactly. The Bible does have some strong words about debt, though. First, the Bible is clear that if you borrow, you must repay. Psalm 37:21 (ESV) says, The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives. Second, the Bible points out a downside to borrowing. Proverbs 22:7 (ESV) says, The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender. Whenever we borrow money, whether via a credit card or some other means, we have certain obligations to the lender. We must repay what we borrow. What that means is if we owe money, paying that money back must become a priority. If another great financial opportunity comes along while you are in debt, you may have to turn that opportunity down if you owe money on your credit card. Credit card debt can affect your ability to qualify for a home loan, to pay for a vacation, or even to take time off work to go on a short term mission trip. When you carry credit card debt, you truly are a slave to the credit card company. Finally, the Bible is clear that it s never a good idea to bank on an unknown future. James 4:13-15 (ESV) Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit - yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that. Nobody knows what the future brings. It is a bad idea to purchase something on a credit card, thinking you can pay it back when you get your big bonus next month. What if that bonus doesn t come? What if you lose your job? Don t finance an uncertain future. Should a Christian use credit cards? (Continued on page 7) 6

A look at the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 provides a good example. The man who was given 5 talents and invested wisely to double his money was praised by his master.

7 WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT STEWARDSHIP AND GREED SO WHAT IS THE VERDICT? SHOULD CHRISTIANS USE CREDIT CARDS? The Bible has a lot to say about being a good steward of what we have been given, whether that s money, health, or any other blessing. A look at the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 provides a good example. The man who was given 5 talents and invested wisely to double his money was praised by his master. The man who buried his one talent in the sand and didn t even put it in the bank to earn interest was chastised. When God gives us anything money, talents, a good job - we are to use it to the best of our ability. A case could be made, then that using a cash back credit card is a good use of money. But that s not all the Bible has to say about money. Hebrews 13:5 (ESV) warns against greed when it says, Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. And 1 Timothy 6:10 (ESV) says, For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. We are to be content with what God has given us, even when we don t have as much as our neighbour. Even more important than that, our use of money should reflect our love for God. Using credit cards to pay for something outside of your budget because you are discontent or greedy, then, would be wrong. As a Christian looking at all the Bible has to say about debt, greed, stewardship, and contentment, I would say it is OK for Christians to use credit cards. But just because it s OK to use credit cards doesn t mean it s always wise. A credit card is just a tool to help manage your money, and like any tool, it can be used wisely or unwisely. If you re going to use credit cards, make sure you pay off the balance each and every month. If you can t pay your balance, you are banking on an uncertain tomorrow, contrary to what James 4:13-15 says. One way to make sure you can pay your balance each month is to track your credit card spending in your budgeting app or cheque book register. By treating credit card purchases as money already spent, rather than a balance to be paid in the future, you can earn your cash back rewards while being certain you can pay the bill at the end of the month. If you don t have the discipline to pay off your card every month, it s not worth using credit cards. Again, the borrower is slave to the lender (Proverbs 22:7). No amount of cash back or other rewards is worth being a slave to someone else. Finally, be sure you are not using credit cards to fill a need that only God can fill. Don t try to keep up with the neighbours or put your trust in your credit card s ability to pay your bills. Honour God with your money. If you re doing that, you ll be just fine, whether you decide to Taken from SeedTime.com 7

8 1 Theresa Cresswell Matsebeletso Mashopha 2 Nombulelo Ndungane Sylvia Motaung Paulinah Rabodila Thabang Mokgalwane Mavis Mpindo 3 Elaine Wilson Hayley Parrington Crail Windvogel Ian McLachlan 4 Lufuno Moyo Mosiuoa Sefuli 5 Lebone Maipato Amelia Brimecombe 6 Nkululeko Mhlongo Khotso Nxongo Karabo Maleke Karabelo Maleke 7 Adelaide Moeletsi Nthabiseng Monyai Lucky Thomas Matshidiso Lethoko Happy Birthday - July Reamohetse Chaka 9 Ayabonga Mabovula 12 Kutlwano Serame 13 Steven Kalinga Vimbai Zisusa 14 Kamohelo Rabodila 15 Mbali Mandleni Hlohonolofatso Tjotjo 16 Nicholas Bouwer 17 Sosi Tselanyane 18 Alicia Jeffrey 19 Jocelyn Harris-Webster Sarah Moeketsi Papy Moikangoa 20 Aleta West Israel Qwelane 21 Doreen Thompson Bonga Bonga 22 Andre Jansen V Rensburg Amanda Sibiya Charles Banda 23 Melissa Mothae Junior Zondo 24 Derick Njanje Eny Masephokwana 26 Moleboheng Jacob 27 Johannes Makhoali Vincent Mokoteli 28 Jacques Vermeulen Joyce Moeketsi 29 Daniel Mathamela Hope Zisusa 30 Caleb Landsberg 31 Nkateko Moletsani Valerie Boihang Ingrid Linda Mpho McMillan Dedicated Giving - May Finally Brethren... The Gospel Is The Only Story Where The Hero Dies For The Villain! 8

Anglican Prayer Beads A Form of Contemplative Prayer

Anglican Prayer Beads A Form of Contemplative Prayer Since the earliest of times, people have used pebbles or a string of knots or beads on a cord to keep track of prayers offered to God. Virtually every major religious tradition in the world uses some form