World Communion Sunday

World Communion Sunday is designed to symbolically remind us that we are connected to the Body of Christ all around the world. On a few occasions, worship is planned that makes that symbol tangible. That was the case yesterday for me, the congregation I served in the States and part of the congregation I am serving currently in Malawi. It was a powerful reminder to all of us that we are connected. Electronics made it possible but the Spirit made it reality. God planned it all.

About four months ago the pastor serving the Mt. Pisgah congregation in Pittsburgh, the congregation I served for 8 years before coming to Malawi, contacted me about the possibility of doing a Skype connection with the congregation during worship on Oct. 2, World Communion Sunday. I was thrilled with the idea and reserved the time on my calendar, to be certain I was at home for the connection. She wanted this to be a surprise for the congregation, so we agreed that we would not say anything about it to anyone. She also asked if it would be possible to have a member or two of Limbe, my present congregation here in Malawi to join me, to make a full connection – church to church. When I asked the session clerks about this, they were thrilled and negotiated who would have the honor of representing Limbe. The deputy clerk, Robert Mponela won, since he knows more about computers and is more comfortable with the technology (or at least that was his reasoning for taking the post). Last week the pastor from Mt. Pisgah Skyped me to let me know that she would not be in worship on Oct. 2 because her daughter had given her a special birthday gift of a trip to Spain, but her husband, also a minister, would be filling in for her. We finalized the arrangements, still keeping this a surprise on that end. On Saturday, the parish chair of Limbe informed me that one of the zones of the church (geographic areas) would be coming to the manse on Sunday afternoon for a visit. Each zone takes a turn during the year visiting the manse and the pastor to give spiritual encouragement through a short worship service, and material support with food items, staples to assist with the household budget. I explained about the Skype conversation that was scheduled for 4 p.m. our time and he assured me the group would be at the manse early in the afternoon. They arrived at 3:30.

At that point, God made his planning clear. I explained what would be happening in just a short time and asked if they would like to be a part of it, making it a representation of the congregation. This hadn’t seemed a possibility when we were doing the planning because of the logistics of getting people from Limbe to my house (about 7 miles) and the fact that most people do not have cars. But God had arranged all of that. The group had come for a different purpose but in perfect time for the Skype conversation. They were a bit hesitant, mostly because they didn’t know what Skype was or how it worked, but finally decided to trust me and try it. It couldn’t hurt. I asked them if they would be willing to sing a Malawian chorus for the group in Pittsburgh, something I know Mt. Pisgah would love and that Limbe could do with ease. They willingly agreed, so we did a quick rehearsal and were set when the time came.

Exactly at 4 p.m. (10 a.m. in Pittsburgh) the call came. The visiting pastor had only told the congregation that there was a special greeting coming for World Communion Sunday. I think they thought it was his wife from Spain. When I answered and my face appeared on the big screen the church uses for the worship service, someone in the congregation let out a whoop that everyone on both sides of the ocean heard. I gave greetings and let them know how excited I was to see them, then introduced them to the session clerk and to the congregation gathered here. The group had moved together so they could all be seen by the webcam and they waved and called to their brothers and sisters in Christ in Pittsburgh. After I made a few remarks and took a few questions, we sang our song for them. They clapped and cheered and then responded by singing the doxology of us. The folks here joined in and together we praised God, although 10,000 miles apart. It was a powerful, spontaneous moment. The pastor at Mt. Pisgah offered prayer and we reluctantly said goodbye to one another, both sides waving. As we disconnected, the organist there began the introduction to the first hymn – In Christ There is No East or West. How true! We had just experienced it.

The folks here were in awe of the opportunity God had given them to celebration the Body of Christ around the world. The parish chair, who had come apologizing for being late, left delighted that “he had been to America in the matter of moments.” He said he couldn’t wait to tell his wife. That was the feeling of whole group. God’s plan and timing was so different from ours, but as always, it was even better. We can only praise him for that, for connecting us in Spirit, by electronics. Ours is an awesome God, in whom there is no east or west… but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.

Vendors' Market

One of the ways of earning money in Malawi is to sell goods you have made or that others have made. These goods include wood carvings, paintings, jewelry, sewn items and even furniture. The vendors of these goods are regularly found on specific street corners in the cities designated by the police for this purpose. The street vendors find that competition is fierce, with 15 or 20 vendors trying to sell to the same 3 or 4 people who walk by and stop to look. The price may be good for the shopper, if he or she is willing to negotiate, but then the question is the origin of the materials and who really gets the profit, if there is one, since most of the vendors are not the artists. For the timid shopper, this method can be intimidating, as well, since in the States, we are not used to negotiating for a price and here that is part of the culture, and sometimes a rather aggressive part of it. I have had vendors follow me down the street trying to renegotiate a price when I decided not to buy.

There are about 4 vendors who are ambitious and have sought a different method with me. They come to my house and inquire when I will have visitors and ask if they might show them their products. These are vendors who make their own crafts and who have proven, over time, to do quality work and to offer fair prices, with a minimum of negotiating. So, gradually, I have come to hold a vendors’ market of sorts in my yard when I have visitors and when it is feasible. The vendors benefit, because they have less competition and the visitors benefit because they get quality works in a safe environment. No one has to shop; it is just available if they want it. I have peace of mind about the vendors, who have come to be friends, and my visitors, who are colleagues and friends.

So at some point when groups are here, my yard becomes a market place. The vendors have favorite places around the yard to display their goods. They try to be the first ones here to get the patio, with its stone railing. That is Amos’ favorite location. Mr. Missi prefers the slopped yard for display of his paintings. Gilbert likes it under the bougainvillea, using the table from the patio to display his cards. The vendors know one another and have been known to call the one who did not come on a given day or in time for the group, to inquire about his whereabouts. Each has his own specialty and although there are some duplications of products (paintings and jewelry in particular), there seems to be enough business and good will to go around.

The last group of visitors was most creative in bargaining. It was the last day of their trip and some of them had run out of money, so they offered to barter with the vendors for goods – a watch for a painting and a pair of shoes for a carving. Gilbert and Amos laughed at first but in the end decided that a trade was as good as cash. Today Gilbert is sporting a wrist watch, complete with the date and Amos is walking tall in new sneakers (well, new to him).

My role in all of this is just to provide the opportunity. But I do enjoy watching the interaction. Some folks have a score of questions about the methods and materials used to create the items. Others want to know about the lives of the artists involved. Still others just want the best deal. Hopefully everyone comes away satisfied. That is what makes for a successful market, from my perspective.

The Jacaranda

Spring has sprung in Malawi. Sometimes that is hard to discern, since we have flowering trees and shrubs year round, but in the spring there are more of them, especially the jacaranda. They are possibly my favorite tree. When I was a young girl, read a novel set in South Africa and the author described the lovely lavender blossoms of the jacaranda in the spring. Growing up in Western Pennsylvania, I was familiar with white and pink cherry blossoms on trees and with purple iris blossoming in the garden and then with red, orange and yellow maples in the fall, but there were no lavender trees that I knew of. When I moved to Southern California, I finally saw the lavender jacaranda. The tree delighted me.

When I moved to Malawi, I was overjoyed to have one in my yard, first when I lived in Zomba and now in Blantyre. It is really only lavender for a few weeks of the year. Then it drops its delicate flowers to create a lavender carpet on the ground below its broad branches. The flowers are replaced by feathery green leaves that blend in with the surrounding trees for the other 11 months of the year. I don’t know why I enjoy it so much. It may be the delicate color, or maybe it is the contrast to all the green and brown around it. Maybe it is the delicate petals and the carpet they create. Maybe it is that I know nothing else like it. Or maybe it is all of these things. It is not that these are the only blossoms at this time of year. The bougainvillea and the oleander and even the poinsettia are in bloom. The flame trees are budding, as well as some trees whose names I don’t know but whose flowers I appreciate. Malawi is alive with color right now, but for whatever reason, my eye is drawn to the jacaranda.

My gardener Maxwell and I have a running debate about the jacaranda the entire time they are blossoming. I love the carpet they spread and he hates it. He feels compelled to sweep daily and is frustrated that he can’t keep up with the dropping petals. Every day I suggest that he just leave them and let them collect until the yard is lavender. And every day he gives me a look that lets me know that I am speaking foolishness. (If he were in the States, he would be raking autumn leaves hourly. I did it once a week – and thought that might be overdoing it. My former next door neighbor Tom would love Maxwell.) I regret that Maxwell is so good at his job. I would love the carpet, just once, but that is not Malawian.

Recently though, I have been thinking about God’s perfect timing. The jacaranda only flowers for about 4 weeks, and then they are green until the next spring. That is the way with all the flowering trees and even with the changing leaves that we enjoy in the northern hemisphere. We wait for them; we delight in them; we lament when they are gone. But we would not notice them as much or appreciate them as dearly if we had them year-round. They would become common, mundane. More than that, they would become irritating. Lavender jumps out at you and grabs your attention. That is good for a short time.  It is a nice reminder of spring. Green, on the other hand, in all its various shades, is soothing; it is calming. That is what we need most of the time. It is that calm that is one of the attractions of God’s creation. It is what gives rest to harried spirits. So as much as I love the jacaranda, I’m grateful that it blossoms for only a few weeks. It wouldn’t be nearly as special otherwise.

Shapes of Partnership

Partnerships between churches in Malawi and in Europe, North America or Australia take many different shapes. They come about in different ways and are uniquely grown to fit the needs and gifts of both parties of the partnership. That is how we are able to mutually encourage one another. If it is any other way, it is not a true partnership. Sunday, I was blessed to participate in a partnership that begin with a Malawian family living in the US and has grown into a blessing on both sides of the Atlantic.

In the 1990’s the Malinde family of Malawi moved to Urbana, Illinois so that the husband and wife could pursue doctorates in education. Being good Presbyterians, they joined a church in their new community and began to plant the seeds of partnership, by being part of the congregation. Grace taught Sunday school and David was an elder. Their children grew in faith as they were involved in Sunday school and youth fellowship. When the Malindes’ studies were completed, they prepared to return to Malawi, but the question was how to continue the contact with their church family in Urbana. A partnership with a church in Malawi was the answer. There was one forming in the area of Domasi Teachers’ College. This seemed a logical connection and so the partnership was forged. The two congregations worked together to help establish the Jeanes CCAP, to elevate it from a prayer house to a full congregation. That was done in 2001.

This past Sunday they celebrated the church’s 10^th anniversary. A group from Urbana came for the festivities. I was invited to join them as the PC(USA) representative. Of the 8 who came, only one had been to Malawi before, but several of them had been friends with the Malinde family when they lived in Urbana. It was a great reunion when Grace came to join them for worship. David died a few years ago and Grace is retired and living in Lilongwe, but she wanted to be present for the celebration. That made the time special of everyone. Both churches have pastors who began at their respective churches just 13 months ago, so they are new to the partnership. After this visit, they are deeply committed to the partnership. In the last 10 years, together, the congregations had worked to complete the church building for Jeanes, but more than that, they have reached out to the community surrounding the church building. Together, they had provided 620 shallow wells around Domasi and beyond. That represents clean, safe water for thousands of people. More than 120 students have benefitted from a scholarship program they have administered together. Small businesses have been started through a loan program that the two congregations oversaw. Many children have received mosquito nets and protection from malaria because of this partnership. Faith has grown in both congregations because of their working together on such projects and seeing God’s hand of provision. Sunday was a great time of celebration.

Each partnership nets different results because the needs and the gifts are different. But some things remain constant in all of them. The mutual respect and appreciation that grows as they work together, the friendships that are formed and the bond of Christian love that holds all of this together are the same in all the partnerships that exist. These are the greatest blessings of partnership. That was the testimony of this Sunday and the witness I hear each time I am blessed to be a part of a partnership celebration. God intended us to be partners in ministry, not isolated churches doing our own things. Praise God for these partnerships, as unique as each of us are in the Kingdom.

Making Music

Music is a large part of life here, especially in worship. Within any given worship service, there will be at least 3 choirs and possibly as many as 7 and there will be lots of congregational singing, from old Scottish hymns to contemporary Chichewa choruses. All are integrated into one service and equally accepted and appreciated.

The choirs are the most practiced of the musical presentations. Most choirs spend at least 2 hours a week practicing, some more than that. The style of music that they do is varied. The mvano (women’s guild) will, for the most part, do their music acapalla. In the villages, this is true for all the music since there is seldom electricity in the churches. When electricity is available, many of the choirs will sing to a background CD. Many choirs have recorded their own music, since it is relatively easy and affordable. That is the sign of a “good” choir. At Limbe, our mvano have recorded several CDs, so they will frequently sing to their own background music. Limbe is blessed with a number of very good choirs. Possibly the most distinctive is the Joint Choir. They are best known for the traditional music and dance they do. Most of the choirs dance as they sing, nicely choreographed movement, but the Joint Choir goes beyond that and does the traditional dances as well, complete with drums, rhythm instruments and traditional dress. They have taken the traditions and added Christian words, transforming the cultural dance into a liturgical dance to praise God. This past weekend both the mvano and the Joint Choir competed in a regional choir completion. The Joint Choir placed first among the traditional musical groups. This has earned them the right to move on to the next level of competition in November. The mvano choir placed second in their category at the competition. We are proud of both the choirs.

But music in worship is not restricted to the choirs. The congregation easily becomes a choir when they are invited to sing a chorus. Their accompaniment becomes their clapping. They create a full percussion section. There are usually at least 3 rhythm patterns clapped simultaneously. The simplest is a clap on every first beat. A syncopated clap is added on top of this and then a fast clap at about an 1/8^th note speed is layered in. The song leader frequently provides the opening lines of the chorus and the congregation gives a response, so there are at least two separate parts sung, overlapping and intertwining. All of this is unrehearsed. Everyone knows the songs and seems to know his or her part. It is a delight to just listen to this blending but is even more fun when you become familiar enough to find your own part and join in. This makes worship fully participatory. Many times, a chorus will be introduced at the beginning of a time of prayer or just before the sermon. Some preachers even invite singing in the course of the preaching, with a song that reinforces the message.

All of this is much more spontaneous and free-flowing than we are used to in the States. It is one of the things that makes the services longer than in the States, but it is also the reason that the services don’t seem as long as they are. The participation keeps the movement and the spirit of worship.

Clothing Pastors

This past week, I have been participation in clothing pastors, spiritually and literally. The spiritual was for the newly ordained pastors. The literal was for veteran pastors.

From Wednesday to Friday, I was with the newly ordained pastors at Naming’azi Farm, a rural setting in Domasi Presbytery north of Blantyre that has a good retreat setting, just the right get-away for the young pastors and their wives to consider the rigors of life in the manse and the parish and prepare themselves spiritually before they undertake the task. This is a retreat we usually do just before their ordination, but because of the threatened demonstrations in mid August, we delayed it until after their ordination, to be certain they could travel safely. The focus is primarily on family life, which is why the wives are included. They have had lots of theological training and a year of practical experience in ministry under the supervision of a veteran pastor. This is time designed to look at the challenges and opportunities of life together, since they have had a taste of it. As training chaplain, I recruit veteran clergy couples who have had successful ministries and who are willing to be honest with the young families about the struggles and the opportunities of their own situations and give counsel from their experiences to these new clergy couples. Three of our senior ministers and one of the wives spoke about living hospitality, finding private time and space, meeting the children’s needs, managing on little money and a wide range of other aspects to living in the manse. These are not the types of things we would talk about to young pastors in the States, but they are relevant and practical here. Here the manse is a part of the parish and the family needs to know how to cope with calls to the house that begin at 5 a.m., having people come in large groups, without notice, and expectations that the spouse is a minister as well. We looked at biblical expectations for abusa (shepherd), as pastors are called here, exploring Psalm 23, Ezekiel 34 and 1 and 2 Timothy. It was a good time of discussion and discovery, a time for spiritual clothing for ministry..

                        

On Sunday, Limbe mvano (women’s guild) had a special program to “dress” 10 pastors of the Synod. This was part of their outreach ministry to others in the Synod. With the help of the Synod officials, they identified 10 pastors whose clergy garments were wearing out and they replaced them. This included clerical shirts, clerical robes, trousers, shoes, and socks. They came from the remote areas like Chingale, Mangochi, Ntcheu, and Zomba South, where travel is difficult. When there is a funeral, the pastor travels with his clergy garments on bike or foot on dust roads. The garments wear out from wearing and from washing. The mvano got the pastors’ measurements and purchased all that was needed. Then the pastors were invited to Limbe for the Chichewa service, to receive their clothing. At the time of offering in the service, the mvano processed up the aisle with the garments. They placed them on the offering table to be blessed by the senior pastor, Rev. Bona, and then we distributed them to the visiting pastors. The recipients were overwhelmed by the gifts. This was a first of its kind outreach by a mvano group to pastors outside their own congregation. The pastors were without words to express their gratitude. The mvano have plans to do this for 20 more pastors, in two more grouping of 10 each. The mvano were as delighted with the project as the pastors were. They have done a good job of clothing these pastors for more ministry.

The Synod Bi-annual Meeting

The Bi-annual Synod meeting is like a mini General Assembly. It has all the drama of elections, the discussions of overtures and the diversions with friends.

 The first item of business was the election of the new leadership. Because of earlier actions taken by the assembly to remove two of the top officials for their unauthorized involvement in political issues, all four top offices were up for election. The international partners were asked to serve as the electoral commission for the proceedings, so two from Canada, one from Zambia, one from Scotland and one from USA (me) counted the ballots. This was not as easy as it might seem (but not as difficult as if we were in Florida). The GAC did not narrow the number of candidates, so there were seven or eight standing for each position. There were 398 delegates eligible to vote. We began with the top office, that of General Secretary. All ballots were hand written on individual slips of paper. Our task was to sort the ballots according to candidate, count them and then double check the count. To keep things moving, while four of us were counting, the chair of the commission, my friend Glenn Inglis from Canada, moved the group on to the election for the Deputy General Secretary. The assembly voted as we counted. We finished our counting for the GS and began counting for the DGS as Glenn announced the results for GS and then moved the assembly onto the vote for Moderator and then Vice Moderator, with this same system. It was orderly, but it took time. There were no favorites, with so many candidates, so there were no real surprises. Whoever was elected was a surprise in such a large field of candidates. Each candidate in each category got a fair number of votes so no one was embarrassed, but the winners for each post had a clear lead so there were no questions of close votes. That was a blessing. The new General Secretary is Rev. Alex Maulana. He has served as the director of Chilema Lay Training Center for the past 5 years, so he has administrative experience. His deputy is Rev. Cliff Nyekanyeka, a young pastor who has served for the past two years as the schools’ chaplain. The Moderator is Rev. Mercy Chilapula. She has served as Vice Moderator for four years and as acting Moderator for the last six months, since the shake-up with the former officials. This was an historic vote. She is the first women to be elected as moderator in all of the CCAP. Her vice is Rev. Andrew Kamponda, the pastor of St. Michaels and All Angels Church in Blantyre.

The biggest item of business was voting on revisions to the constitution. A constitutional review had been ordered at the last Bi-annual meeting because of confusion over some proceedings. The committee took a comprehensive look at the constitution and brought their recommendations to the assembly on Wednesday of the gathering. This was enough to have all the delegates stay. In the past, some have left after the elections, feeling there was nothing more than committee reports to debate. The revisions proved to be plenty of fodder for debate. The most substantive changes came in the qualifications for those standing for Synod offices and in the ruling that to vie for a higher post in the Synod, one must step down from the present post held, if one holds an office. In the original constitution, no qualifications were stipulated, so anyone could stand for the top positions. This included this year’s elections. The revision committee recommended that the candidates have at least a bachelors’ degree, be at least 35 years old, have served as a pastor or elder for at least 10 years, have served as a presbytery clerk or moderator or comparable position of leadership, and be a person of proven integrity. The debate was on the educational qualifications especially. Many of our pastors have only a license to preach or only a diploma, but not a degree. The debate focused on the reasons for education in the present church climate. The recommendations passed. Ironically, two of our newly elected officials would not have been eligible for election, not because of education but because of years of service and past experience. The issue of stepping down to run for a higher office was not discussed. The fire came with a recommendation for the composition of the Women’s Work Committee. In an attempt to be inclusive, the Review Committee recommended that all women clergy serve on that committee. At present there are 13 female pastors. The question was what about the future when there could be 25 or even 50. That is not a workable committee size. Then the question was why they all should serve. There was no agreement on a compromise, so that recommendation was rejected. The rest of their recommendations were accepted without major discussion. The revisions will now go to the presbyteries for their approval, much like amendments to the Book of Order in PC(USA)

In between sessions and in the evenings, the delegates had time for fellowship. My two sons chose to stay at home instead of at Grace Bandawe Conference Center, just across the road from the Synod, but I saw little of them. This was their opportunity to catch up with colleagues they had gone to school with and friends from other presbyteries. That was the pattern for all the delegates, just like any conference. The organizing committee planned entertainment each evening and Thomas and Charles stayed to enjoy that as well. They can visit with Mom anytime, but this comes only every two years, so they needed to take advantage of the time, they and all their colleagues.

Now that everyone has gone home, the new Synod officials can get to the business to which they have been elected and the rest of us can get back to our work, until the next gathering.

The delegation before the elections, a full house.