Book chapter 12 and interlude

 Ghana

 

On moving to Sheffield a whole new opportunity opened up to me. At one of my churches in the inner city I found we had a predominantly Ghanaian congregation attached to the church. Their worship took place on an afternoon and I was committed to preach and lead communion each month. I duly rolled up for the 1pm service only to discover week by week the meaning of African time. 1 pm was just getting warmed up with song and prayer. The congregation gradually gathered so that by the time I was due to preach 2.20 pm everyone had arrived. The expectation was for a long sermon before communion. While I adapted the style of preaching I was not about to add length to the sermon just for the sake of it. I was to discover that many of the women were in fact thankful for a shorter sermon. 

Their leaders on visiting me one evening expressed their desire to find a way of retaining vibrancy but without just doing a copy of the worship they had experienced back home. So began a journey of  adapting their worship and my discovery of worship from various African cultures.  

This has proved to be one of the most enriching parts of my ministry and very challenging. This led eventually to going to Ghana staying with my local congregations minister Richard in his property in Accra the capital. My wife and I were to spend just over a month in the country.

The heart of our time there  was the four day Methodist camp meeting of the Moree Circuit near Cape Coast. We stayed with the local minister Eric and his Wife Mary and four children in the small village of Asebu. So I found to my surprise my picture on banners at the road side declaring me to be a visiting guest preacher. I was to lead seminars in the day and preach every evening and on the final Sunday morning service. 

My biggest concern was how was I a white western minister going to communicate the gospel in a strange land? Part of my preparation was to revisit the cultural setting of Jesus own preaching, teaching and in particular the parables. By once again divorcing myself from as much British interpretation of the stories and entering a Middle Eastern culture, I found the parables spoke afresh to me and in turn to those I shared with in Ghana. 

The whole experience of being in Ghana from travelling on pot hole roads to the hospitality received wherever we went, to the food, to the power shortages, to water being switched off mid shower, to the utter poverty of some people’s lives, has changed me as a person. 

I discovered the real culture shock was not going to Ghana but returning home. This proved really hard to readjust to a wealthy lifestyle. Going from a camp meeting with 1000 people so keen to be together, to the Inaugural service of the new Sheffield Circuit when we should have easily filled the Octagon but could barely muster 900 out of over 3000. We who have cars, taxis, buses trams etc could not be excited enough to come together. 

It was on the second Sunday in our time in Ghana I travelled to Asebu to preach. Stopped by the police the driver who did not have the right papers had to bribe the policeman and on we went. Here I encountered a Wesleyan form of Methodism with robed choir, procession in, people standing for the Gospel, the old Methodist Hymn Book was sung from as well as lively singing and dancing. You could not but fall in love with these amazing Christians who gave out of their poverty. Their church building which on the surface looked okay was in fact crumbling and a new one was just beginning to be built next door to the mission house. 

The mission house being the manse and Eric was the first Minister to be living in the community. 

On my return I sought to be an advocate for their work and new building and amazingly many individuals have given generously to support the work. I did not know what to expect in going. Having visited I believed that God does not want us to dabble. Yes I had a great experience now move on? 

So I returned in May 2015 just under two years later. This time it was to spend just over two weeks in Asebu to really see how people live and express their faith. Before I went my middle daughter said write a blog which I did. So if you type in ‘Goodhand in Ghana’ you can follow my time there. My daughter then a teacher had her  class follow my blog each day and she said “dad I didn’t know you were so religious”

The following are just two of my blog articles while there. The first reflecting on how a farmer cut down for me the most delicious orange and then a day later sent his son with a basket load more just for me.

A Ghanaian Prayer

Come to me all who are thirsty.....

God of all creation

I give you thanks 

becoming for our sake vulnerable as a child,

walking our dusty road in the heat of the day.

Whose clothes became caked in the red soil.

Who sweated and whose throat grew parched.

Who longed for refreshing water,

and needed the help of others.

I too was thirsty and you gave me drink.

It was found in the gift from a farmer.

Refreshing juice from the cut down orange,

as sweet and pleasant as refreshing rain.

Given naturally, freely in love.

Truly we meet you in the Stranger. Amen.  

Mark Goodhand 5th May 2015 Cape Coast.

Sitting outside the manse a goat wandered by and sat under the old pews form the former church now used by the Sunday school.

Sheep and Goats 5.5.15

Under the Pew

He wanders freely

as they all do.

Oblivious to everything

going on around.

Wandering around

across the open spaces,

between the houses,

alongside the road,

amongst the rubbish,

looking scruffy,

on their own,

sometimes in twos or threes.

This one’s not afraid.

He draws near,

and takes some shade 

under a pew,

A Goat!

What would he make of stories

of sheep and goats?

That those who have sat on these pews have heard.

Would he feel of less worth?

 How unfortunate to be linked

with failure, with not doing the good.

Mind you

He doesn't look concerned.

He just wants shade and rest,

and not to be scared away.

How many 

because they  have been labelled

have run?

When all they needed was 

some shade and rest from life's challenges.

Did not Jesus Say?

Come unto me all who are heavy laden 

and I will give you rest.

So next time,

when you see the goat.

Look again and see the need,

and meet it.

Who knows? 

You may be serving Christ 

in the strangers guise.

Revd Mark Goodhand 

May 2015

Asebu, Ghana.