Decisions for the good or the bad
We had a decision to
make about where to attend a church service today without making the mistake of visiting a church with a self-absorbed worship team entertaining a congregation that was failed out of not being spiritually fed. At least that was our
impression of the Hillsong Church in June.
We dared think of
returning hoping that our first attendance was an off day, but we wrote to
both the Cape Town campus and the mother church in Australia, and we received neither
an acknowledgement nor a response. We had better go to a place where they are courteous
and welcoming.
Blog - Between
haughty Hillsong and bounty biltong
Planning without
yawning
From Muizenberg to
the St. George’s Cathedral, quite unlikely; when getting Brian out of bed on a
Sunday morning is a herculean task at best, just perish the thought. So, I did
a survey of churches in Muizenberg and two evangelical churches caught my interest,
small, out-of-city, new, and growing. We set our minds on staying in
Muizenberg.
It would have been a
45-minute walk or thereabouts, but we called an Uber taxicab to convey us to
the Main Road of which there might be hundreds in South Africa, we had to be
specific before I repeated the mistake of finding myself 33 kilometres from where
I intended in Johannesburg, some 9 years ago.
Welcoming warmth and
feeling
On arrival, we saw the
church flagpole, but unsure of ourselves, we waited outside before someone came to the door. They were friendly and welcoming, and as she invited us inside, introductions followed. They all came to welcome and greet us.
Interest and engagement were evident in a small community church that espoused our Pentecostal beliefs. It was there that we learnt that a priest we knew at St. George’s Cathedral, the cousin of a congregant, had passed away last year.
As we were similarly
attired, they wondered if we were band or choir members, we tend to turn
heads on Sundays. I said we were partners, but they heard brothers even as I
repeated myself. We eventually acquiesced to whatever they wanted to identify
us as.
Simple yet impactful
It was low-key, intimate,
and friendly. I was called forward to be prayed for, and the sermon was informal and easy-going with contributions from other members of the congregation. I began
wilting later in the service but survived to the end before needing the use of
the gents.
I took the offer of
rooibos tea which I rarely have, sweetened without milk, it tasted good enough,
I however do not intend to form a habit of it. We had a splendid time at church
before walking back home. We will probably be returning next Sunday.
