August 2008

Anathoth is the headquarters of Africa Upper Room Ministries. On five acres of land near Johannesburg, South Africa, it takes its name from the Jeremiah passage in which land at Anathoth is purchased as a sign of hope for the future. Anathoth is, for Upper Room Ministries, a sign of hope for the future of Africa. This newsletter from staff-person Roland Rink brings news from this important ministry.

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"Hungering & Thirsting"

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35)

Greetings from a very dusty, dry and thirsty Gauteng highveld landscape. The colour of the dry winter grass at Anathoth is alternatively beige and khaki except where one can trace the vivid green grass path of the garden hosepipe. The earth needs water.

It's good to remind ourselves that elsewhere on the planet it is summer, and that rain is falling in those regions.

The Beijing Olympic Games are in progress and the hunger for a medal, especially a gold medal and the thirst for international honour and glory are palpable with nearly every second of television coverage. One wonders at times whether ordinary citizens are hungrier for a medal and the associated glory than even the dedicated athletes who have trained so hard just to participate in their chosen events. The winning of a medal somehow seems to say "we are the best; we are the champions." So it goes.

Various dictionaries define the word hunger as: an uneasy sensation, an exhausted condition caused by want of food. It also means a strong, eager desire or craving for food or a specific nutrient. In Sesotho and Setswana the word hunger is "tlala," in isiXhosa "indlala" and in the isiZulu language "ukulamba." They all mean the same thing.

The latest AURM financial figures for 2008 show an amazing rise in the sale of Upper Room book resources. It is very tempting to pat ourselves on the back. However, the sales figures show something else. Something which is far more sobering and motivating. The figures graphically depict the level of deep hunger and craving on the part of Christians in Southern Africa for good quality spiritual food and sustenance. They feel the need to grow, to learn more about this man Jesus and His profound message of Love and Peace. It is indeed humbling to realize that Christians from all walks of life are able in some way to satisfy their desire via our book resources.

The same case can be made for the monthly increase in the number of subscriptions that we continue to receive for The Upper Room daily devotional guide. People from all walks of life are making it clear that they acknowledge a deep need; a thirst to spend time with God each day. Their regular use of our well-trusted magazine helps them to slake that thirst by reading scripture, by praying and meditating on a regular basis.

It is a little known fact that more than half a million (500,000) copies of the Upper Room booklet, Prayers for Encouragement, "the little red book" as it has come to be known, have already been printed and distributed in many countries around the world. These days it's available in eleven languages. We trust and pray that some or maybe even just one of the 6,500 Africans who die each day of a preventable, treatable disease will find comfort and peace in the words of encouragement found in the little red book. The hunger to be reassured by God, to be comforted by God, the thirst to be in fellowship with God by those affected or infected with life threatening diseases is surely represented as a testimony in these amazing statistics. For more information about the little red Prayers for Encouragement booklet go to: http://www.upperroom.org/international/encouragement/

We have had a number of visitors to the property over the past few weeks, photographs of some of whom can be found on our webpage. Rev. Adam Hamilton and the mission team from Church of The Resurrection in Kansas City being amongst the visitors. Many visitors admit to wanting to "get involved" with the long term community based mission projects that we have on the drawing boards. In a simple way this desire could be translated as a basic need to satisfy the hunger of the Eikenhof community. However, one senses a deeper need. A need and desire that says "I have experienced the love and Grace of God in my life, I want to share that Love with you, we are together, we are united as the Body of Christ, that this food that we share, this skill that I'm teaching you, even my presence here in this place is representative of how much God really does love you." It is in essence the African ethos of Ubuntu - I am because we are. It means I am here. I see you.

What do we who work at Anathoth have to offer those who are hungry, those who thirst for God?

A significant part of our work is to listen carefully to the spiritual huger pangs of our audience whoever they might be. To carefully and sensitively choose the right food which we have to offer.

But perhaps most importantly, we need to recognize the deep hunger for God within each of us and to offer hospitality to Christ who seeks to fill all of us and satisfy our needs.

In our better moments, amidst all the frenetic busyness and activity of the average day, perhaps we more clearly begin to understand and remember the symbolism and meaning of the Communion ware we use at Anathoth. A simple enamel mug and plate. The everyday utensils of humble people all over the world. They are our challis and paten. They remind us of the words of Jesus: "This do in remembrance of me". Thus when we stand together around the table, we do so in unity with Christ, in unity with each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, and in unity with those who are hungry and thirsty - amongst whom are the poor, the marginalized and disenfranchised, those who are heartbroken, those who can see no future.

We take seriously the request of Jesus to remember them. The words of the age old liturgy continues to resonate deep within us.

Make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in service to the entire world.

And all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. (1 Cor. 10:3-4)

Peace is my sister,
Roland