St James Presbyterian Church in Bedfordview

St James Presbyterian Church in Bedfordview Presbyterian Church, Bedfordview
Alternate contact number - 079 178 0313

14/08/2026

🙏🏻In Gavin's Words 🙏🏻

Frozen Chosen
This morning I stood in front of a dozen or so people and, as I massacred a perfectly good hymn, I was awestruck by these folk who had braved the icy wind to come and worship God.

They didn’t have to be there. They had every excuse to stay away, yet here they were honouring their Lord and Saviour.

There are times where we find it easier to make excuses not to do things than to tackle what lies before us.

Jesus had every excuse to walk away that last supper. No one would have blamed him if he wanted to avoid the humiliation, torture, suffering and death. Yet he kept on keeping on.

There are, of course, moments when we should step back, but so many more when we should forge ahead.

/677

Legacy
Sitting next to a senior lady, totally out of breath, dependent on oxygen, wrapped in layers of clothing, sitting in a little room hoping to recover enough to go home, she regaled me with tales of her life: training German shepherds, overseeing the budget of a huge parastatal organization, buying chocolates for friends. A life in huge contrast to the lady I first saw huddled in the corner.

All too often we define others according to a moment. We summarize them based on an instant experience and don’t stand back and look at their whole lives.

Imagine if we summed Jesus up only by his clearing of the Temple? Not only would we totally misconstrue his nature but also would not understand his turning over of the tables and driving out of the money lenders.

We should always step back and take time and invest energy in others before deciding who they are and what they are about.

/678

10/08/2026

🙏🏻In Gavin's Words 🙏🏻

Wrong Way
This weekend we were rushing to Midrand and jumped onto the highway on-ramp, as I steered around the snaking corner, I had to keep to the left to avoid the cars coming in the opposite direction. It took me a few moments to cognate that there were cars coming in the opposite direction!

There had been an accident on the highway and in order to avoid the road closure vehicles were coming off the on-ramp!

So often we move in a particular direction but circumstances dictate that we need to do a U turn. It takes maturity and courage to understand that sometimes the way we are going will only lead to a dead end and we need to take a different course.

We see Jospeh change is attitude while in jail in Egypt. We see Saul transform his approach to Christians on the road to Damascus. We see Peter learn to accept Gentiles.

We need to cultivate the insight and the courage to change direction when circumstances dictate!

/675

09/08/2026

🙏🏻In Gavin's Words 🙏🏻

Worn Down
When the water went off on Thursday, it didn’t bother me too much. With each bucket bath, with each filling of the toilet cistern, with each filling of water bottles the irritation and resentment grew.

So often we start out strong but then get worn down.

When Jesus got worn down, he would turn to God and times of prayerful solitude. While this would sometimes be interrupted by crowds, it was something which he needed to do and evident-ally do regularly.

Sometimes faith is not about being strong enough to keep going. Sometimes it is simply recognising that we are worn down and turning again towards the One who is our source of strength.

Now all I need is to find Moses staff and a rock and I’ll be ok!

/ 674

07/08/2026

🙏🏻In Gavin's Words 🙏🏻

Same Difference
I last conducted a service at the Braamfontein Crematorium close to two decades ago. I remember it as a large formidable place. This morning, it felt quite different: much smaller, more intimate, the beautiful old stonework far more evident. Somehow time and experience had changed perception.

Sometimes we need time to gain perspective.

The building hadn’t really changed, I had.

Jesus took three years to shape and nurture the hearts of his disciples. At times we need time to change our hearts and understanding and to gain perspective.

It may be two decades, three years or even twenty minutes - there are moments in life when we need to stand back and grasp an opportunity to take a moment for us to see things differently.

/673

06/08/2026

🙏🏻In Gavin's Words 🙏🏻

More than …
Out of curiosity, I did a calculation the other day. This year I have done a funeral every 2.66 days. The danger is that each service becomes just a number or a statistic. Instead each of these funerals represents a life that has ended; family and loved ones that are grieving. Life long journeys that have come to an end.

Jesus stopped and engaged people directly and personally. I think the most healings he did at one time were of the ten men with a dreaded skin disease. Generally he dealt with people one at a time.

We need to remember not to lose people in the numbers; that each person is much more than a statistic. To see them as God does - individuals worthy of God’s love and Grace.

/671

Overheard
While waiting to start a retirement home service, I overheard a woman - who clearly did not realise that she was speaking loudly - explain to the person next to her who I was, where I came from and what she thought of me. It felt very voyeuristic but I couldn’t escape her comments.

While it’s quite weird to hear a persons thoughts about oneself, so we need to remember that Jesus always hears our hearts.

We can carefully choose the words we speak to others. We can put on a smile, say the right things and even convince ourselves that we have hidden what is really going on inside us. But nothing is hidden from God. Jesus hears not only our spoken words, but the conversations we have in the quiet places of our hearts — the fears, frustrations, judgements, doubts and hopes that we might never say aloud.

And yet, remarkably, Jesus doesn’t listen in order to catch us out. He listens because he loves us, and love us, he always does!

/672

04/08/2026

🙏🏻In Gavin's Words 🙏🏻

Aside
This afternoon, walking in a train of three people, up the stairwell from High Care to the main reception area at Linksfield hospital, the staff member in the front of the queue, stepped aside and let the lady behind him go ahead. It was a kindly, gentlemanly move that showed such chivalry, consideration and respect. It deeply moved me.

I think we sometimes are so overwhelmed by the massive traumatic world-changing events and disasters of life that we increasingly undermine and diminish the little acts of magnanimity that take place everyday.

If one pays attention to the little things, in the gospels, Jesus is quite remarkable. His terms of endearment … daughter … son. His gentle touches. His noticing of those on the fringes.

I wonder if we all put more effort into the little things, if the cumulative effect wouldn’t be transformative of our society?

Maybe we should step aside, more often. Say thank you more intentionally. Enquire after each other more deliberately. Spontaneously bring gifts. Stop to chat. Do something kind.

Little things might make big changes.

/670

03/08/2026

🙏🏻In Gavin's Words 🙏🏻

Language
While running a meeting yesterday, my phone rang. I couldn’t take the call, but the caller left a voice note. When I retrieved the message, I realized that the caller hadn’t left a message but the phone recorded a conversation between them and a loved one in Portuguese. The AI transcriber sent the following transcript: “you. What's going on? Yeah, 3000, but in the centre for me. Oh that's cool.” Somehow misinterpreting these words from the Portuguese!

So often we speak a different ‘language’ from
others and struggle to put ourselves in their shoes. Whether it’s a conflict, misunderstanding or simply being unable to relate.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus spoke the language of every person He encountered. He knew when to speak gently to the broken, firmly to the proud, patiently to the confused, and graciously to the sinner. He listened before He responded, hearing not only people’s words but also seeing their hearts.

James reminds us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Listening is more than hearing what is said; it is making the effort to understand another person’s world.

May we learn to pause and ask, listen, and seek understanding. Christ’s Love is often learned by speaking less and listening more.

/669

02/08/2026

🙏🏻In Gavin's Words 🙏🏻

Which Way?
This evening, sitting at Linksfield, waiting for visiting hours to start, I encountered two families, one looking for ICU and the other for High Care. They were so lost and confused as to where to go.

It was nothing for me to direct them, but only because I have been there so many times.

It’s so much easier to lead people when we have been there before ourselves.

Perhaps that is one of the reasons Jesus is such a trustworthy guide is that he doesn’t lead us from some distant place, pointing vaguely in a direction and telling us which way to go. He has walked the road himself.

He knows what it is to be tired, to be hungry, to be misunderstood, to be rejected, to grieve, to suffer and to be afraid. He knows what it is to walk through the darkest places of human experience.

Hebrews remind us that Jesus empathizes with our weaknesses: He knows the way because He has walked the way.

/667

Discerning
I was sharing, with a meeting this afternoon, Lumos Fluffyboy Lock’s modus operandi at church meetings. Lumy loves attending meetings at the church where tea is served. Of course he is not interested in spiritual growth but rather in girth growth.

Offer him a piece of biscuit and he will gladly accept it, then gently drop it onto the floor. It’s not that he doesn’t eat nor that he doesn’t like biscuit, rather it’s that he is holding out for the ‘good stuff’.

Cake comes first, sausage rolls next, then biscuits third. So he will wait until either he gets one of the preferred items or knows that there is nothing else on offer and then he will go back to the biscuit and eat that.

Sometimes, as with Lumy, we need to be patient and hold out for what God has planned for our lives.

Sometimes we are called to be discerning in our lives and instead of settling for what is immediately available, or going for what is second best, we should hold out for excellence or doing things the proper way.

Jesus illustrates this with temptation in the wilderness where he sets aside the instant gratification of bread, spectacle and power and holds out for the Kingdom of Heaven that changes the history of humanity!

Patience may mean you get to eat your cake, and your biscuit too!

/668

02/08/2026

Whining or Wine-ing?

31/07/2026

🙏🏻In Gavin's Words 🙏🏻

100 Years
Today we say farewell to a remarkable individual. A woman ahead of her time. An intellect with insufficient outlet. A wisdom enough for eons. Her friendship, two decades ago, surprised me because she didn’t suffer fools and yet had a huge heart of compassion and an intolerance of injustice.

She lived to 100 but was robbed of her mind to the point that she couldn’t remember who I was, that was until I reminded her of the abandoned attempts to teach me bridge after six months cajoling.

I am sad not because she has found eternal healing but for the memories and friendship of the past that can never be relived.

It is a reminder to me, that every moment, every life, every relationship should be treasured. I think Jesus lived with such focus and purpose because he knew his time was limited.

Whether we live to 100 or 80 or 20, we should live in a way that there is not one moment unlived.

/667

Clicked Off
Perhaps you read the sports article on cheating in a cricket match in England? Each time the cricket ball passed near the bat a fielder would surreptitiously click his fingers to mimic the sound of the ball nicking the edge of the bat. On hearing the noise the umpire would assume there was contact and give the batter out.

For Jesus it was less about the outcome and more about how we play the game that was important. The religious focus of his day was to fulfill certain rules and regulations whereas for Jesus it was how we live that was more important. Love is not the goal but rather the way. Not the end point but the journey.

I couldn’t think of anything worse than winning a game based on cheating - how empty! I’d rather play well and hard and lose than win on a lie.

Love is the way.

/668

Address

3 Oxford Road
Johannesburg
2007

Telephone

+27826773415

Website

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