Welcome To St Andrew's Church, Newlands, Cape Town

It was wonderful to celebrate John and Thelma Selfe’s 65th wedding anniversary and John’s 90th birthday recently. What outstanding ambassadors they have been for our country and for the Christian faith. It was moving to hear John give thanks to God for blessing them through their lives. Yes it really is true; God blesses us when we walk in his ways. This does not always mean that things are easy, as John and Thelma will testify but because of the great hope of our faith we come through and we look towards the future with hope and joy.

The film showing at the Labia Theatre entitled ‘Robert Mugabe and the White African’ is one that I hope you will all be able to see. It is a story of one family who choose to stay on their farm in Zimbabwe when they are being pushed to leave. Eventually they do have to leave after being brutally attacked but this is not before they have won their case in the SADC Court in Windhoek against Robert Mugabe, giving them the legal right to stay on the farm. It is a story of great faith and courage. Throughout they are sustained by their living faith in the risen Christ.

At the heart of our faith is the resurrection of Jesus. Keith Matthee, one of our members, has just published a book – The Resurrection –a lawyer’s point of view. Keith is an advocate now serving at the Cape Town Bar. He also has a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Rhodes University and has worked for the Student Christian Association and the Methodist Church. Keith and his wife Roslyn are people of hope who are a great inspiration to me and many others. I want to recommend Keith’s book very warmly. It is a reasoned and clear argument in favour of believing in the truth of the resurrection. It is very readable, only 72 pages, and it is the kind of book that you could give to friends who are sceptics. It is a book which I think we should all read. The cost is R100 and there will be copies available at the back of the church.

The World Cup has been a very encouraging experience for the people of South Africa and the City of Cape Town. While we were in England it was so refreshing to see such positive reports on the television about South Africa. The whole country has been encouraged by what can be done and how people can work together. Let’s make sure that we as Christians do not just sink back into negativity. Our hope in Christ is something much greater than the World Cup and we are already experiencing the first fruits of that hope through the resurrection of Jesus and the Holy Spirit living in us. I want to encourage all of you to go on to maturity in your faith. Take every opportunity to meet with others to study the scriptures, to worship, to receive the sacraments and to listen to God’s prompting in your life. As the Apostle Paul says in Colossians 2 “In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”.

It is good to be back in Cape Town after a memorable holiday with family in England and a day at Wimbledon. May St Andrew’s continue to be a place where people are filled with resurrection hope!

Mike Keggie, Rector