Last Sunday was a very exciting day. That morning, Therese and I did not go to the cathedral for worship. Dean Andrew, acting Vicar General had to go out to Berlin (a small town about 2 hours away) to St. Katharine’s 85th anniversary as a parish. Originally a white parish in a German settlement, St. Katharine’s has recently been revitalized as an all Xhosa parish and the entire service was out of the Xhosa version of An Anglican Prayer Book as were all the songs out of the Xhosa hymnal. Therese and I had a good time following along trying to pronounce the words along with the people. We were made very welcome as well since we were so obviously visitors. I spent that afternoon coming up with my sermon for the evening Student Service. I found out I was preaching Friday evening and found out the topic Saturday afternoon. The lesson was up to me as was the theme of my “talk” – but it was the weekend of National Youth Day (formerly Soweto Day) so I spent some of the afternoon reading the history of the day and putting it into the context of Hebrews 12.1-6 (“Cloud of Witnesses”). I was told I did a good job and Lifa, a seminarian at the College of the Transfiguration (Anglican), said I preached with the energy and spirit of a black (Xhosa) congregation and he said he wanted me to preach at his church some Sunday. After the service, we went to dinner with Fr. Walter and his pilgrims and three COT students (Lifa, Raphael, and Gina).
Monday was Youth Day, a public holiday, so Suzanne, Therese and I went out to the monastery where Walter was staying, piled into a van and went to Addo Elephant Park. We pretty much saw every animal during the course of the day EXCEPT for lions and leopards. The highlight for me was seeing herd of Cape Buffalo as they passed not 20 feet in front of us – including a calf that couldn’t have been more than a couple of days old. We also saw my favorite of the African animals, the Giraffe, quite up close. We have lots of pictures, but will have to wait until we’re back in the states to upload them. Sorry. That night, we went to dinner at Nando’s where Therese and I asked Fr. Walter’s group about their experiences thus far in Africa.
Tuesday was a day of meetings. The cathedral staff had the weekly Morning Prayer, breakfast at the deanery, and staff meeting. However, this meeting went more than an hour longer than normal as some pastoral (and confidential) issues needed to be discussed in preparation for the parish council (ie vestry) meeting. What I can say is that so far I have observed the same struggles here as in the USA – the struggle to change while remaining in touch with Anglican tradition. Here, though, the issue is which hymnal rather than which rite. Evidently, the Church of the Province of Southern Africa does not have an officially authorized hymnal as the Episcopal Church does, since the ethnic contexts for the various congregations across the Province are so incredibly diverse.
That afternoon, I went to a meeting planning the funeral for one of the pillars of Grahamstown’s community. Another difference between SA and the US is that 1) cremation is new and unpopular and 2) the Holy Eucharist is not typically a part of Anglican funerals. That being said, the family did decide they wanted the Eucharist so that was planned for.
Wednesday was a bit disappointing. Suzanne had planned for me to go to a diocesan planning meeting, but the Dean decided it would not be appropriate so I essentially had my morning cancelled (he later said he was wrong and I should have been there, oh well). So I went with Therese to get some supplies for her ESL class at the Raphael Centre. So I used some time to rest and then that afternoon I went to Evening Prayer and to the Student Bible Study. It wasn’t that great. They use Serendipity and I’m finding that I don’t find it particularly useful – the questions it provided seemed like they’d be better for teens.
Thursday morning, I went to the Parish Council Executive Meeting. This consisted of the clergy, wardens, and the treasurer (and me). This is where budgets were reviewed and the agenda for the Parish Council meeting was set (that meeting is next week). Other than that, I can’t say because this meeting is, by nature, closed and confidential.
Immediately following was the funeral. I was an altar server and led the Prayers at the Eucharist (“Prayers of the People” in the Episcopal Church). It was very nice and the service had a very traditional requiem feel to it. I also liked that after wards we processed right out the main doors into the main street of Grahamstown as the casket was placed in the hearse. I spent a couple hours in the afternoon while Therese was at the Raphael Centre reading a book on Xhosa (the majority here) spirituality and the role the Anglican Church has played since the settlement of Grahamstown in 1820, both very positive and sinfully destructive. Thursday night Steve and Kathleen Kellen arrived. They are the parents of Matt, whom has lived and worked her as part of the Young Adult Service Corp.
Friday morning we did our weekly visit to Brookshaw nursing/retirement home for Communion in Homes and tea with Mary Gay. Although Wednesday was Therese and my wedding anniversary, we celebrated on that night. We went to a very nice restaurant called the Yellow House where we had curry (she had chicken and I had lamb). We then rented a movie (a challenge since we have no address or ID number in this country). Then last night yet another visitor came, Steve Dominiac from Episcopal Divinity School. I had actually met and roomed with him at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific for an Episcopal Relief and Development Seminary Network meeting last fall. He is doing a similar thing as I am in Queenstown and will be in the Contextual Theology Programme in July and August.
Today, the house is full and three more people are coming in from KwaZulu Natal (a region of South Africa devastated by flooding – they had 5 meters of water!). So we’re all getting ready for that and getting to know each other.
Monday was Youth Day, a public holiday, so Suzanne, Therese and I went out to the monastery where Walter was staying, piled into a van and went to Addo Elephant Park. We pretty much saw every animal during the course of the day EXCEPT for lions and leopards. The highlight for me was seeing herd of Cape Buffalo as they passed not 20 feet in front of us – including a calf that couldn’t have been more than a couple of days old. We also saw my favorite of the African animals, the Giraffe, quite up close. We have lots of pictures, but will have to wait until we’re back in the states to upload them. Sorry. That night, we went to dinner at Nando’s where Therese and I asked Fr. Walter’s group about their experiences thus far in Africa.
Tuesday was a day of meetings. The cathedral staff had the weekly Morning Prayer, breakfast at the deanery, and staff meeting. However, this meeting went more than an hour longer than normal as some pastoral (and confidential) issues needed to be discussed in preparation for the parish council (ie vestry) meeting. What I can say is that so far I have observed the same struggles here as in the USA – the struggle to change while remaining in touch with Anglican tradition. Here, though, the issue is which hymnal rather than which rite. Evidently, the Church of the Province of Southern Africa does not have an officially authorized hymnal as the Episcopal Church does, since the ethnic contexts for the various congregations across the Province are so incredibly diverse.
That afternoon, I went to a meeting planning the funeral for one of the pillars of Grahamstown’s community. Another difference between SA and the US is that 1) cremation is new and unpopular and 2) the Holy Eucharist is not typically a part of Anglican funerals. That being said, the family did decide they wanted the Eucharist so that was planned for.
Wednesday was a bit disappointing. Suzanne had planned for me to go to a diocesan planning meeting, but the Dean decided it would not be appropriate so I essentially had my morning cancelled (he later said he was wrong and I should have been there, oh well). So I went with Therese to get some supplies for her ESL class at the Raphael Centre. So I used some time to rest and then that afternoon I went to Evening Prayer and to the Student Bible Study. It wasn’t that great. They use Serendipity and I’m finding that I don’t find it particularly useful – the questions it provided seemed like they’d be better for teens.
Thursday morning, I went to the Parish Council Executive Meeting. This consisted of the clergy, wardens, and the treasurer (and me). This is where budgets were reviewed and the agenda for the Parish Council meeting was set (that meeting is next week). Other than that, I can’t say because this meeting is, by nature, closed and confidential.
Immediately following was the funeral. I was an altar server and led the Prayers at the Eucharist (“Prayers of the People” in the Episcopal Church). It was very nice and the service had a very traditional requiem feel to it. I also liked that after wards we processed right out the main doors into the main street of Grahamstown as the casket was placed in the hearse. I spent a couple hours in the afternoon while Therese was at the Raphael Centre reading a book on Xhosa (the majority here) spirituality and the role the Anglican Church has played since the settlement of Grahamstown in 1820, both very positive and sinfully destructive. Thursday night Steve and Kathleen Kellen arrived. They are the parents of Matt, whom has lived and worked her as part of the Young Adult Service Corp.
Friday morning we did our weekly visit to Brookshaw nursing/retirement home for Communion in Homes and tea with Mary Gay. Although Wednesday was Therese and my wedding anniversary, we celebrated on that night. We went to a very nice restaurant called the Yellow House where we had curry (she had chicken and I had lamb). We then rented a movie (a challenge since we have no address or ID number in this country). Then last night yet another visitor came, Steve Dominiac from Episcopal Divinity School. I had actually met and roomed with him at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific for an Episcopal Relief and Development Seminary Network meeting last fall. He is doing a similar thing as I am in Queenstown and will be in the Contextual Theology Programme in July and August.
Today, the house is full and three more people are coming in from KwaZulu Natal (a region of South Africa devastated by flooding – they had 5 meters of water!). So we’re all getting ready for that and getting to know each other.
