Part of the Family

At the moment I’m reading “Letters to Malcolm Chiefly on Prayer” by C.S.Lewis. Having read the entire series of Narnia books recently (I had never read them all before and I recommend it to anyone – they speak to people of all ages!) I decided to stick with the same author to see how he wrote outside of fiction.

Admittedly I find some of his ideas a bit hard to grasp – for one thing he was a professor of English at Cambridge, and also these letters were published after his death in 1963, and presumably written quite some time before that, so not exactly using modern-day or easy to understand language! Having said that, a lot of the discussion (all be it only one side of a conversation, we don’t get to read Malcolm’s replies) is very relevant to today’s churches, of course prayer, and just life in general.

Something Lewis said in the last letter I read really spoke to me, and I’m still not entirely sure why, whether it’s message is for me or others. In debating whether prayer is better from your own mind, from written prayer/books or both he said:

“It takes all sorts to make a world; or a church. This may be even truer of a church. If grace perfects nature it must expand all our natures into the full richness of the diversity which God intended when He made them, and heaven will display far more variety than hell. ‘One fold’ doesn’t mean ‘one pool’. ”

This I do understand. A few years ago I was one of many of my congregation who were asked to speak about CGS at it’s 50^th anniversary celebrations. I spoke about growing up in the church etc, certain events that impacted on me personally, but there was one thing in particular that always sticks with me and I think defines our church absolutely. I spoke of how I love my church not because of the service structure, worship etc, but because we are a family. We care for each other, we love each other. We don’t always agree or get on, and it’s not always easy to live in harmony, but that’s what family life is like. We are Christian, but we’re human! :)

The more time passes here at VoH, the more I feel this same family atmosphere, although obviously in a completely different environment! We all have our different strengths, gifts and ideas to bring to the table, which isn’t always easy, but as Lewis so wisely observed, it is just as God intended! We are a strong team because of our diversity, and though I may not yet have a specific role, this thought is a comfort to me. Ok, so I’m not as confident as others or as capable in the same roles, but maybe that just means there’s another space somewhere in this team that’s Jess-shaped!

Whatever the case, I am finding my way here, doing the school run for our three eldest boys every morning, and I took one of the younger boys to the doctor (my first time!) this week. Poor K’s rash turned out to be chicken pox so I may have many more visits to the day hospital – as much as I want to get my head round the routines etc, I pray the rest of our kids don’t get it! I’m also involved in the kids clubs that run every week on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons for the township children, and I’m slowly expanding my Afrikaans vocab :)

So in short all is well and although I miss my family back home (in all it’s forms!) I am feeling more and more a part of another family branch out here.