Welcome to the first Five Minute Friday link-up for September! I hope your transition into this new season has been smooth so far.
If you’re new to the link-up, a special welcome to you. You can click here to learn more about the link-up and how it works.
This week’s Five Minute Friday writing prompt is: LEGACY
Setting my timer for five minutes, and . . . GO.
This past Sunday, my husband had the immense joy and privilege of surprising our former pastor at his retirement service — in Cape Town, South Africa.
Our pastor served in the same church for twenty-seven years, and my husband has known him for the past thirty. He discipled my husband when he arrived in Cape Town to attend university, and years later they ended up pastoring the same church together for six years.
When the church called and asked if my husband would be willing to attend the farewell service, we couldn’t say no.
On the morning of the service, my husband’s presence had still been kept a secret from our pastor.
A few songs into the morning worship, the worship leader asked everyone in the congregation to stand up.
Then he said, “Remain standing if you’ve ever been in Pastor Alan’s house.”
Everyone remained standing.
What a testimony! And what a prime example of what his ministry has been like.
The leader then said, “Remain standing if you’ve ever had a meal in Pastor Alan’s house.”
Again, everyone in the whole congregation remained standing.
That’s just who he is. Always an open door, always adding more water to the soup to make enough for more guests to join around the table.
As I livestreamed the service from 8,000 miles away, I found myself asking, “What am I doing with my life?”
Eventually, in the service, the leader whittled down the crowd with various questions until the final, culminating ask:
“Remain standing if you’ve ever served alongside Alan in ministry and you now live in America and you’re here as a surprise guest to Alan.” 🙂
At that point, my husband’s presence was revealed as he walked down the aisle and everyone clapped.
I may have had a few tears in my eyes as I watched on the screen.
STOP.
(Oh, and by the way, I chose this image because our pastor used to drive an old VW Beetle like this one, except his was lime green.) 😉
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Want to read more about our ministry in Cape Town?
Check out my memoir, A Place to Land: A Story of Longing and Belonging
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Join us with your own five-minute freewrite on the prompt, LEGACY, then visit your link-up neighbor to read their post and leave an encouraging comment:Â
Well, my brother lived in South Africa, I speak passable Zulu and Afrikaans, and lime green is my favourite colour.
There’s naught for me but legacy,
to leave the man I was
with grossness and with dignity,
all combined because
we cannot hew to the pure line,
and long to rise from mire.
Nothing heals for sure not time
but the refiner’s fire
will burn dross to be skimmed away,
leaving gold within the crucible,
and there, we know, will come a day
when what was grand and terrible
will possess reflective sheen,
a surface that the Lamb scrubbed clean.
lovely poem Andrew.
That is such an amazing testimony, and legacy, which this pastor has left! What a privilege your husband had to serve alongside of him. This was a beautiful story and I am blessed to have read your words!
Love this. What a wonderful surprise blessing for your former pastor.
Fabulous story Kate. What a beautiful Pastor.