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Charmaine Rayment is a voluntary missionary at Jews for Jesus. She has a real passion for worship ministry. Sister Charmaine has agreed to become a contributor to a podcast series called “A Life of Worship”. This is the first part of a teaching series entitled “David: The Heart of a Worshipper”. Music is from Matt Redman. Below, you will find some notes from the episode. Follow our Spudcaster page for more podcasts.

Notes from this episode

DAVID – THE HEART OF A WORSHIPER PODCAST 1 Creation – perfect worship on earth existed. After the fall – different attitude in man’s worship of God as demonstrated with Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:3-7), and Aarons two sons Nadab & Abihu (Lev. 10:1-3). Worship always has been and always will be manifest in our lifestyle as a result of our relationship with God. Know God personally – (Spiritual re-birth vs dead religion). Worship is a response to God’s revelation about Himself. DAVID One of the characters in the Bible through whom we can learn so much about worship is David – The sweet singer of Israel (2 Sam. 23:1). A man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14 & Acts 13:22). DAVID’S CONTRIBUTION TO WORSHIP Established the Tabernacle of David whereby he appointed some of the Levites to minister in music before the Ark of the Lord (1 Chron. 16). Wrote Psalms (73 of the 150 Psalms in the Bible are attributed to him) and made musical instruments for the musicians to use in their worship (1 Chron. 23:5; 2 Chron. 7:6; 2 Chron. 29:26). Was given the blueprint for the building of the Temple of Solomon (1 Chron. 22) and set apart those whom would minister in music during the worship in the Temple. SHEPHERD – HUMBLE BEGINNINGS What was it that God saw in David? We are not told what David’s relationship with God was like during this period but it was during this season that he was anointed by Samuel as the future king (1 Sam. 16). The fact that God tells Samuel that He had chosen the future king amongst Jesse’s sons, tells us that God saw something in David. In 1 Sam.13:14 Samuel already tells Saul that God has sought out a man after his own heart. SEASON OF FAVOR King Saul – season of favor (harpist and armor-bearer). SEASON OF HARDSHIP King Saul becomes jealous of David and his success and plots to kill him. In the process Saul enlists 3000 men to chase, capture and murder him. David now has to flee for his life and for the next 7-8 years with the 400 men that have joined him, lives in hiding as he flees from Saul and his men. Read Psalms 18; 34; 52; 54; 56; 57; and 59 which were written during this time. SEASON OF FAVOR Anointed as King of Juda and reigns over Judah for 7 ½ years. Anointed king of Israel and reigned over all Judah and Israel for 33 years. David commits murder and adultery thus breaking 2 of the 10 commandments (2 Sam. 11). David repents when rebuked by the prophet Nathan (2 Sam. 12). Psalm 51 reflects David’s penitent heart. David’s son Absalom conspired against him in order to take over the kingdom (2 Sam. 15-18) and again David has to flee. Psalm 3 reflects once again David’s faith in God to deliver him from his enemies. In having looked at the life of David, we can see that no matter what the circumstances were, David always placed his trust in God and as he experienced God in his life, he responded in worship. PODCAST 2 WORSHIP WITH A HEART LIKE DAVID. David earnestly sought to know God and as a result, he knew the God whom he worshiped. David fully engaged his heart in worship to God and was fully surrendered in His worship to God. David learned to worship God in any situation and expected his perspective to be changed during worship. David didn’t take approaching God’s throne lightly. David embraced the sacrifice of worship. David’s honesty with God drew him into worship. This is obviously not an exhaustive list of things we could learn from David’s worship. But I hope it’s enough to encourage us to worship with a heart like his that says, “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!” (Psalm 57:7). In having looked at the life of David, we can see that no matter what the circumstances were, David always placed his trust in God. David didn’t just know about God (He also would have had access to the books of Moses and would have known about the numerous times that God guided, protected and provided for his people), but he knew God as he had personally experienced God in his life. The question is, do we have that kind of relationship with God?

Reverend Nombulelo Mbewu recorded this Reflection, entitled “Going Fishing” at home. It is based on the New Testament reading at John 21:1-14. The Florida Methodist Church set up this podcast in response to the lockdown. So drop us an email if you would like to subscribe. And visit the Spudcaster page for more podcasts.

David S. Cunningham of the Moravian Church delivered this family worship service. The Moravian Church in Bellville, Cape Town, set up this podcast in response to the lockdown. So drop us an email if you would like to subscribe. And visit the Spudcaster page for more podcasts.

When I was in high school, our principal – a certain Mr Domingo – would repeat the following ad nauseam “The business of school is school”. He had a moustache, which he would fiddle with most archiacally. And he would stand in front of the assembled school in the hall. His words thundered, his spit abounded, The business of school is school.

Honestly, I could have survived without ever hearing that. I was lucky to go to school at a time when there wasn’t a deadly virus, a silent assassin, trying to get up my nose. We know that the virus can spread via coughs and sneezes. But now, scientists have discovered a third method: talking. The louder one talks, the better

The business of school People are up in arms about what their fearless leaders might say about the lockdown. Rumours abound about a phased lifting of the lockdown to allow certain categories of learners to attend school. Opinions abound. Our basic education minister, Angie Motshekga has this to say

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/reopening-of-schools-proposed-for-6-may-for-matrics-and-grade-7s-20200429

Trust yourself to do the right thing I just don’t see it. It is a fact that the only thing anyone has control over is themselves. I believe that it is individual parents that will make the decision of whether or not to send their children to school. In other words, teachers can choose to return to school on whichever date. And children can choose to stay at home. It’s really as simple as that.

Threatened with a virus that will end your life, or dramatically alter the state of your existence (with shocking disabilities and after effects), it simply makes more sense to stay at home. Until you are one hundred and fifty percent sure that it’s safe to allow other people to spit on your offspring. Until then, its homeschooling all the way.

The business of school may well be school. But the business of life is survival. What, after all, is the point of a highly educated corpse? My husband and I have taken the decision not to return our three year old to playschool. This has freed up some much needed finances on the home front. We have the luxury to afford such an endeavour. Both of us are in a position to work from home as much as possible. What are you planning to do with your children?

Reverend Nombulelo Mbewu recorded this Reflection at home. It is based on the New Testament reading at Luke 24: 25-35. The Florida Methodist Church set up this podcast in response to the lockdown. So drop us an email if you would like to subscribe. And visit the Spudcaster page for more podcasts.

Reverend Kelvin Harris brings this Easter service, entitled “Is it you or is the world that needs to say, “I need peace in my life”?”. It is based on the following scripture readings:

Psalm 16: 1-11

John 20: 19-23

The podcast is produced as a service to the church community and friends. During this time of lockdown, sermons will be pre-recorded and then uploaded onto the podcast. So visit the Spudcaster page for more podcasts.

I invited some of my listeners to share their lockdown stories. I write this as the President begins addressing the nation. Mindful of being grateful. Grateful to have a leader with such foresight. And confident in the knowledge that South Africa is truly blessed.

I have this amazing ability to surround myself with interesting human beings. Over this period of lockdown, something strange came over me. I quite enjoy having my husband at home. My moments with Mo. Our lazy days are spent pursuing whatever makes us happy. Because I found healing.

Judgment day has come and gone. I have been labelled bi-polar. When in reality I just struggled to cope with the world that I had created for myself. Child birth. The disciplinary hearing at work. My choice to remain in a toxic relationship.

And that’s okay. She’s okay. I’m okay. More than okay. Now that I figured out that the sky is not falling. That the world as I know it is not ending, everything is in equilibrium. I just had another epiphany while chatting to hubby. Moments with Mo is brought to you by Spudcaster!

I have come to believe that poverty is a social construct. Poverty of the mind. The ultimate human endeavour, the great equaliser, is the fight for survival. And in the fight for survival, your efforts to stem poverty could be putting someone at risk of contracting covid-19. Some choose to live on the very edge of that struggle. What right do we have to judge their existence, deem it substandard and decide to help them to live exactly the way we do?

It’s empowering to realise that everything I do is a choice. I choose to be employed and have a bond. Every day I make the choice to maintain the lifestyle I am accustomed to. If everyday is a battle for survival, then why concern yourself about what your fellow man is doing or not doing to survive coronavirus?

Life on the edge, poverty of the mind I wonder what motivated a millionaire real estate developer to welcome a homeless couple into his California mansion…

There are those, like emergency service workers, who make it their life mission to help other people. Maybe, because their own basic needs are being met daily. And then there are caseworkers, nurses and doctors, who help those in distress. They help people in the daily fight for survival. It is a calling.

Rags to riches By giving the beggar a few randelas, all you are doing is appeasing your guilt. You feel guilt. You choose guilt. And simply because your life looks different (you imagine better) than the lowly beggar. But the beggar is highly successful at this thing called life. For them, everyday is a miracle. Begging is how they choose to engage with the world.

To demonstrate the power of the human spirit, lets take a look at Oprah’s story

This demonstrates that each one of us has the power to live a life of our choosing. We can similarly choose to be limited by constructs of race, birth or time and space. But it’s a choice nonetheless. What did you choose today?

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Stephen McFarlane delivered this sermon for Saint Mark’s Methodist Church in Maraisburg. It is entitled “My peace I leave with you”. The Florida Methodist Church set up this podcast in response to the lockdown. So visit the Spudcaster page for more podcasts.