Visit to Table Mountain, August 31, 2008

From our e-mail report back to Evangelical Congregational Church, Westborough, Massachusetts:

Sanibona, nonke – greetings all – at Westborough!

We are in a catch as catch can internet access environment for our few weeks here in KZN, so will keep this relatively brief; we aren’t sure when this will go out to you, we hope tomorrow (Tuesday) sometime.

But we wanted to report that we worshipped at the Table Mountain Circuit’s main, original mission branch yesterday, Sunday.

It was, in full Zulu church fashion, a very full and quite long service, as we’d happened upon the (slightly delayed from the official holiday but within the official month) Women’s Celebration.  The service was run by the women of the church, and the special preacher was a female evangelist from the African Apostolic denomination, introduced by a lady who’d grown up at the Table Mountain church but, as is often the custom, ‘married out’ and joined her husband’s church.  The sermon, and a related prayer time, ran well over an hour. 

The complete service, choruses and hymns and other prayers included, came to somewhat over four hours, which since it started a bit late as expected, had us grateful for the meal provided at the end, after 2:30 p.m. 

We were, earlier on during the service, afforded the opportunity, with Rev. Ndlazi’s simultaneous translation into isiZulu, to bring greetings and some words of personal witness concerning the significance of this particular trip, and at that time to extend greetings from their brothers and sisters at the Evangelical Congregational Church of Westborough.

Jan brought out and described the items we’d brought that Marilyn Lyle had provided – the two bulletins, the newsletter, and the pictorial directory allowed for a bit of comparison and contrast by way of explanation to their usual experience, and to make the point that reviewing these would provide a glimpse into church life at Westborough.  The picture assemblage that Marilyn put together with photos of people and activities at your church will prove a great hit, especially.  Jan read out the handwritten letter in the back of the album, and there were knowing murmurs of familiarity at the mention of your efforts for a new roof for the building, and the capital campaign to provide funds for renovations and upgrading – another aspect of the church universal!  The mission church building has been repainted since we were there last year; the roof remains one through which one can, here and there, glimpse the sky through the rusted out nail holes in the corrugated panels.  It was a blazingly clear and beautiful early spring day, however, so this was of no concern.

The items via Marilyn were handed to her friend Florence Mkhize, the church Secretary (elected officer position), with the request and recommendation that they be made accessible to as many people as possible, and passed on to the branch secretaries for the other churches of the circuit, with the hope that the letter would be read out (as is done at each service with announcements and communications) and the materials displayed also in those churches.  Perhaps this would help spur the interest in extending the awareness of the Westborough  relationship beyond the branches that have been most involved to date.

The singing was, as always, to warm the soul.  It penetrates deep, and strengthens.  It is good to have come, if only for a short while, to such another church home.

Jan noted a change on this visit that might be of interest to the music types:  Off to the side for this particular service, there was a young man with a couple of decent-sized rock group speakers, a synthesizer, and a computer.  His role was in providing pre-service music before the serious a cappella choruses started up, as well as background music for a few lesser moments during the service, the soundtrack for a female gospel quartet that provided the special music, and (ear-splittingly) the music during the meal afterwards.  (Personally, we’re glad he isn’t involved, for the most part, in the choruses nor the hymns, which continue in that glorious a cappella manner of the Zulu churches.)  But the thought arises that it seems that, with some investigation, means might be found for music from Westborough in digital form – think iPod exchanges? -- to be used in the Table Mountain service, which could be very interesting indeed.  Folks need to connect and talk shop on that, though.  

We can extend special greetings from Florence Mkhize to Marilyn.  Florence was at pains to explain that the two of you had lost the rhythm of your regular contacts recently, stemming from a time when her cell phone was ‘dead,’ but it’s working now, and she asked about confirmation of Marilyn’s number.  We urged that each of you remember that for Florence to call the US is, in absolute as well as relative terms, more expensive than the call made in the other direction; but we’re hopeful that by one means or the other, the connection will be revived.  Though, as to Florence’s cell phone, Jan had the experience that when he called Florence Sunday evening, the phone rang without answer on several attempts, and then, when the phone was picked up, it went dead during the call.  Calling back some while later, he got through and learned that, well, the phone battery had run down, but it was plugged in to recharge, now! 

It happens.  ‘Be not discouraged.’ 

We add also our greetings to those of your friends at Table Mountain, to all at Westborough.  – Jan and Ruthann.