ST KIARAN'S

CHRONICLE

AUGUST
2019T20
 Dear family and friends of St Kiaran’s

There is a Peanuts comic strip that has stuck in

my mind since my youth. Lucy, Linus and
Charlie Brown are lying on a mound and
looking at the clouds.
Lucy’s comment was that they looked like big
balls of cotton. She goes on to say: “If you use
your imagination, you can see lots of things in
the cloud formations. What do you think you
see, Linus?” Linus, ever the philosopher says,
“Well, those clouds up there look to me like
the map of the British Honduras on the
Caribbean. That cloud up there looks a little
like the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor. That group of
clouds gives me the impression of the stoning of Stephen…I can see the Apostle
Paul standing there to one side.”
Lucy then says, “Uh-huh…that’s very good. What do you see in the clouds
Charlie Brown?” To which a rather deflated Charlie Brown replies, “Well, I was
going to say I saw a ducky and a horsie, but I changed my mind!”
Poor Charlie Brown! Always seemed to be made fun of; and not a very deep
thinker at the best of times.
Then there were the times he was forever being conned by Lucy into kicking
the football. Every time he landed on his back as she whipped the ball away at the
last minute. It’s almost how temptation works. We seem to have a very short
memory of how our words and actions were not productive or helpful. Perhaps
even hurtful. Like Charlie Brown, we believe Lucy’s lies, that this time, things will
be different. The outcome will be better. And it never is.
Getting back to the main cartoon strip – for me, it seems to urge us to
spend time thinking deeply about God and his salvation through Jesus Christ. To
ponder the sheer generosity of God. To make room in our thinking as to how we
might be a blessing in this world. Paul encourages the Colossian church (3:1-3), in
light of being raised with Christ, to: “…seek the things that are above, where
Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are
above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is
hidden with Christ in God.”
Sounds difficult, right? But it isn’t. If the Colossian church were encouraged
to do so, Paul believed that all God’s people were capable of maintaining a
heavenly perspective on what our lives should be like on earth; on how we should
organise our thinking and doing in this world, knowing that we belong to God.
Seeking things that are above is Paul’s way of saying “See the world as Jesus
would. Act as Jesus would.” While we share the same world with others, we do
not necessarily share the same values. This should come out in our living. And the
Holy Spirit is able to take us on this journey.
We are called to apply our minds and hearts so that we can see with eyes of
faith and understand beyond the surface of things. We can’t do it if all we see is a
ducky and a horsie.
No disrespect to Charlie Brown, but I would rather be a Linus.

With much love

Your friend and pastor
Mike

Church Family News

Geoff, Roseann and C

harlene Fraenkel
Our thoughts and prayers
are with you as we fondly
remember Gretchen.
Food for Thought?

SEEKING GOD'S GRACE

by Maria Frahm-Arp, Associate Professor in the department
of Religion Studies at the University of Johannesburg
Why, at the start of the fourth industrial revolution, do we see a rise in cult
churches with bizarre incidents during worship?
In 2013 we saw one of the first broad-based consumer uses of artificial
intelligence in Apple and smartphone devices and with that, the beginnings of the
fourth industrial revolution.
The currency of this revolution is data. Big Brother is not just watching but
analysing, predicting and nudging our every move through data we consume.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is trying to ensure that SA moves into the fourth
industrial revolution and has spoken about it in his last two state of the nation
addresses.
Then in 2015 we saw the first wave of media reports of cult-like churches
that seemed to be springing up all over SA from Limpopo to the Eastern Cape.
Pastors have been telling their congregants to eat grass, drink petrol and allow
themselves to be sprayed with insecticide. The media often infantilised
congregants so gullible as to join these churches.
The rise of what I call cult churches like Seven Angels, Pastor Lesego Daniel's
grass-eating church in Pretoria or Shepherd Bushiri's Alleluia Ministries
International is, in part, a reaction to the fourth industrial revolution and ordinary
people's sense of alienation from this revolution. They know they are being
watched but do not really understand what this revolution is about except that
soon computers will do the work people now do.
These churches, though often similar to Pentecostal charismatic churches
(PCC), are more like cult churches as defined by sociologists of religion. They are
hierarchical in nature, with a charismatic leader who has all the answers but who
gives only selected information to chosen people. Cults tend to attract young
adults and encourage people to make a complete break with their families and
friends while giving a great deal of time, money and energy to the church.
A brief overview of the history of Christianity in the West shows that at
important moments of knowledge or industrial revolutions, new forms of the
religion emerged to try to deal with the sense of alienation experienced by those
marginalised by the revolution.
The printing press, arguably the second knowledge revolution (the first
being the establishment of libraries in 300BCE), led to the formation of Protestant
Christianity as people began to realise that they were saved through grace and
not through the Catholic Church's sale of indulgences. The first industrial
revolution gave rise to the Methodist Church as the Wesley brothers and others
tried to address the abuses suffered by ordinary folk working in the new factory
and coal-mining cities of England and Wales.
At the turn of the 20th century, the second industrial revolution gave rise to
the Pentecostal movement as people tried to deal with the poverty, oppression
and alienation experienced in mass-production factories. In all three of these
instances a form of Christianity emerged that focused on the work of the Holy
Spirit and miracles.
What each had in common was an understanding that through the power of
prayer, people were able to take on new agency in their own lives - praying for the
miracles of healing, finding a job and being able to sustain their families amid the
turbulence of a revolution.
Similarly, the rise of cult churches in SA can be seen, in part, as people's
attempts to make sense of a world they feel alienated from and are struggling to
comprehend. Almost 50% of young adults are jobless and, barring a dramatic rise
in the economy, will never find salaried employment.
Landing a job in their world is akin to experiencing a miracle.
A church that "teaches" them how to pray and show faith by swallowing
petrol or eating a snake is one that equips them, in their minds, to show God they
are more deserving of the miracle of a job, or finding a husband with one, than
others.
This article first appeared in the Financial Mail
Used with permission of Professor Frahm-Arp Contributed by Rev. Mike Muller

The Fillies family is very thankful for all

the people of St Kiaran's who have
given so much to us. We appreciate
greatly that your hearts have been
open to us, especially as you do not
personally know us, never having met
us. We thank God for your good hearts and we wish that the
Lord will bless you.
May the Lord bless you and your families.
From the Fillies Family of Mountain View
This is a loose translation from Afrikaans.(Ed.)
 A Christian Who Changed the World
(From a book by Christobal Krusen)
Louis Pasteur: French chemist
If it were not for Pasteur, who knows what the world would be like today
without his life-saving scientific discoveries in the 1800s.
He is most known for discovering the principles of vaccination, microbial
fermentation (germs, viruses, and bacteria) and
pasteurization, which later led to medical
breakthroughs that have since made hospitals much
safer places to seek medical help.
"He stated in a letter to a friend that he felt like he
was on the verge of discovering great mysteries and
that he always would pray in his laboratory and would
pray for God to grant him wisdom and understanding
and insight," Krusen explained.
Much like Lincoln, Pasteur, a Catholic, struggled to
cope with the deaths of his daughters.
"There is an interesting quote in the book where
he talks about how he doesn't believe anyone who
has seen children die can honestly maintain that
this life is nothing more than a bundle of molecules, that there is something
much deeper behind it all," Krusen said. "Unquestionably, he was a man of
faith."
(One daughter died at 13 and the other at 9. At least one, of Typhoid.)

Distinguishing Marks of a Quarrelsome Person

Quarrels don’t just happen. People make them happen.
Of course, there are honest disagreements and agree-to-disagree propositions,
but that’s not what the Bible means by quarrelling. Quarrels, at least in Proverbs,
are unnecessary arguments, the kind that honourable men stay away from
(Proverbs 17:14; 20:3). And elders too (1 Timothy 3). These fights aren’t the
product of a loving rebuke or a principled conviction. These quarrels arise
because people are quarrelsome.
So what does a quarrelsome person look like? What are his (or her)
distinguishing marks? Here are twelve possibilities.
You might be a quarrelsome person if . . .
1. You defend every conviction with the same degree of intensity.
There are no secondary or tertiary issues. Everything is primary. You’ve
never met a hill you wouldn’t die on.
2. You are quick to speak and slow to listen.
You rarely ask questions and when you do it is to accuse or to continue
prosecuting your case. You are not looking to learn, you are looking to
defend, dominate, and destroy.
3. Your only model for ministry and faithfulness is the showdown with the
prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.
Or the only Jesus you like is the Jesus who cleared the money changers
from the temple. Those are real examples in Scripture. But the Bible is a
book, and sarcasm and whips are not the normal method of personal
engagement.
4. You are incapable of seeing nuances, and you do not believe in qualifying
statements.
Everything in life is black and white without any grey.
5. You never give the benefit of the doubt.
You do not try to read arguments in context. You put the worst possible
construct on other’s motives, and when there is a less flattering
interpretation you go for that one.
6. You have no unarticulated opinions.
Do people know what you think of everything? They shouldn’t. That’s why
you have a journal or a prayer closet or a dog.
7. You are unable to sympathize with your opponents.
You forget that sinners are also sufferers. You lose the ability to put
yourself in someone else’s shoes.
8. Your instinct is to criticize; your last instinct is to encourage.
Quarrelsome people almost always see others in need of rebuke, rarely in
need of refreshing.
9. You have a small grid, and everything fits in it.
You view life through a tiny prism such that you already know what
everything is about. Everything is a social justice issue. Everything relates
to the regulative principle. Everything is Obama’s fault. Everything is about
Trump. It’s all about the feminists. Or the patriarchy. Or how my parents
messed up my life. When all you have is a hammer, the rest of the world
looks like a nail.
10. You derive a sense of satisfaction and spiritual safety in feeling constantly
rejected.
We don’t want to blame the victim, but some people are constitutionally
unable to exist except as a remnant. They must be persecuted. They must
 be maligned. They do not know how to live in peacetime, only in war.
11. You are always in the trenches with hand grenades strapped to your chest,
never in the cafeteria with ice cream and ping pong.
I remember years ago talking to a returning serviceman in my church who
told me sheepishly that his job in Iraq was to drive an armed convoy for the
ice cream truck. It was extremely dangerous, escorting the vehicle through
bomb infested territory. This was brave, honourable work. And important :
Even soldiers need ice cream once in a while. The amp doesn’t have to be
cranked to 11 all the time. Seriousness about God is not the same as
pathological seriousness about everything. Remember G. K Chesterton :
“We have to feel the universe at once as an ogre’s castle, to be stormed,
and yet as our own cottage, to which we can return at evening.”
12. You have never changed your mind.
If you haven’t changed your mind on an important matter in several
presidents, I wonder if you are a Christian or even alive. Of course, truth
never changes, and neither should many of our convictions. But
quarrelsome people stir up strife because, already knowing everything,
they have no need to listen, learn, or ask questions.
Hit close to home? Look to Christ. He has the power to change us and has made
provision to forgive. By the death of the Prince of Peace we can be at peace with
God and at peace with one another.
Kevin DeYoung, 2019.06.19 Submitted by Mike

    
 A Tale of Love and Care
A contribution from Terry McBurnie

My late husband Robert, was born in Scotland. His father and grandfather
went to sea in the Merchant Navy. One of
the Scottish traditions of the sailors was to give
their wives a necklace, similar to this. It was to
keep the wives safe when they were away. It comes
from the Bible - 1 Corinthians 13 v 13. It is called a
Faith, Hope and Charity (or Love) necklace. The
hope is the ANCHOR, the charity or love is the
HEART, of course the faith is the CROSS. My
husband gave it to me many years ago. He
immigrated with his parents after WW2 and so he
never went to sea. But he loved the sea so
much that I think he had Salt water in his veins!

Terry's daughter has given us this further comment:

What Are the Symbols of Faith, Hope and Charity?

The symbols of faith, hope and charity are a large cross, a cross with an
anchor and a heart. Faith, hope and charity represent the three theological
virtues that God puts into the soul. Believers must live their lives according to
these virtues to be worthy of eternal life.
The large cross representing faith symbolizes the believer's deep trust in
that all God has revealed is true. The cross of faith is taller than the other symbols
because believers are expected to share with others their faith in God’s truth.
The smaller cross combined with an anchor represents a grounding hope
(the anchor) securely connected to faith (the cross). No matter how rough life
gets, the believer is always attached to the source of faith; the hope of eternal life
endures even while the believer struggles with life challenges.
The heart symbol represents love and affection for others. Believers strive
to love God and to love others as God loves them. Charity symbolizes the desire
to love everyone, including one's enemies, neighbours and the poor. The three
symbols are bound by charity. Charity cannot be achieved without faith and hope
because charity is love for all. In theology, the cross, the cross with an anchor and
the heart are interlocked.
In CONVERSATION WITH …………

Pious Moyo
I had a lovely Cappuccino at the Mug & Bean last Saturday afternoon with
Pious Mayo, one of our new members. His welcoming smile assured me this
would be one of my most enjoyable conversations to date. He was born in Malawi
and he readily admitted to an early life of wine, women and song, which changed
the day his wife, Lofina, came into his life. Although he was in the Presbyterian
Church Sunday school as a teenager and baptised into the faith, he was not a
truly committed Christian in any sense of the word.

Pious joined The Ministry of Labour as a clerk and it was

there that he met Lofina who he eventually married and
produced 7 children, 3 boys and 4 girls. She was personally
responsible for his acceptance of the Christian faith. In 1979
Pious qualified as a Primary School Teacher but resigned his
post to join the Ministry of Works. His talents were soon
recognised by the British Embassy in Malawi and he was
sent overseas to the UK for further training; returning to
take up the post of Assistant Manager & Security Officer. He
later emigrated to South Africa and is currently employed as
a House Keeper & Carer of a family in Noordhoek.

Pious has a clear prayer ministry of praying for the sick

and needy and his obvious faith shone through in our
conversation. He has a great desire to change people’s lives
for the better

Pious, it was a pleasure and an honour to spend time with you over a cup of
coffee and I left you with the knowledge that you will go on to enrich the lives of
many more. John McDermid

The prayer of a righteous

person
is powerful and effective.
James 5:14
 A Child's Book Report on the Whole Bible
ln the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God,
darkness, and some gas. The Bible says,"The Lord thy God is one," but I think He
must be a lot older than that.
Anyway, God said, "Give me a light!" and someone did.
Then God made the world.
He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they
weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.
Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven
from the Garden of Eden... Not sure what they were driven in though, because
they didn't have cars.
Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as
long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died
off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or
something.
One of the next important people was Noah, who was a
good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put
his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but
they said they would have to take a rain check.
After Noah came Abraham, lsaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than
his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot
roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.
Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton
Heston. Moses led the lsrael Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh
after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs,
mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.
God fed the lsrael Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His
Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet
your neighbor's stuff.
Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.
One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use
spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.
After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a
slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500
porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.
After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these
was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore.
There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry
about them.
After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The
New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (l wish I had been born in a
barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, "Close the door! Were you
born in a barn?" lt would be nice to say, "As a matter of fact, l was.")
During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees
and the Republicans. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas
Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.
Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to
some Germans on the Mount. But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on
trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his
hands instead.
Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up
to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in
the book of Revolution.
Contributed by Peter McLeod

ENCOURAGEMENT
In the last magazine I asked for any contribution which might be
encouraging to know/learn. Shona Findlay was kind enough to provide me
with the following:
Help the old when you are young
Help the weak when you are strong
Confess the fault when you are wrong
One day in life you may be
Old and weak and wrong!
AND
Lord, please fill my mouth
With useful stuff
And shut it
When I've said enough
Thank you! Mary Suter (Ed)
 Children's Page

Moses in the Bulrushes

St Kiaran's Presbyterian Church

Cnr. Central Circle and Recreation Road

P.O.Box 22146, Fish Hoek, 7974
Phone: 021 782 6118

Minister: Rev. Mike Muller

All are welcome at our

Regular Sunday Services
Sunday Worship Services at 9.30a.m. & 6p.m.
Holy Communion is served on the
1st Sunday of the month at both services

CHURCH PRAYER MEETINGS

• Tuesdays: 11.45 a.m. in the Craig

Room, or as advised.
• Prayer is offered after services for
healing or other needs, by members of
our Prayer Ministry
• Pray for our young people