Respect

I spent a few days this week with other Methodist ministers visiting families in the far western part of our district - near Kuruman, which marks the start of the Kalahari desert! It has been a couple of years since I spent time in this area and I had forgotten the very high regard in which ministers are held. The woman who opened her home to us was so generous, hospitable and respectful - every sentence was punctuated several times with the SeTswana word 'Moruti' (Reverend).

It was only a couple of days later on reflection that I realised how much her attitude had prompted a similar respectful attitude in me. Respect it seems is contagious.

Wedding

Nobody pays a great deal of attention to the minister at a wedding - I am conscious when standing in front of a wedding party that I am so not the main attraction of the day. And that's how it should be. Quite who is the main attraction of that service of worship is a discussion for another day...

But this weekend I was very nearly the main attraction, or at least the main talking point of a wedding service. John, a retired minister in our congregation, travelled with me to serve as marriage officer (I can't carry out the legal bits in a wedding until ordained). The venue was somewhere near Pretoria and we had three (mostly similar'ish) sets of directions to get us there. We set off in plenty of time but knew that things had gone awry when we were driving cluelessly around Central Pretoria half an hour before the ceremony was due to start.

All ended well (after some polite, but anxious calls from the bridal party) and somehow we got there. About a minute before the bride. The groom looked a little nervous (as one does), but my hands were still sweating when I got home two hours later. I am resolved: from now on reconnaissance missions in advance for unknown wedding venues.