One of the most amazing things (and there are many) of being part of a community of faith such as North Rand, is that we get a chance to be a branch of each others lives.
No, don’t switch off!
Sure, we might rub each up the wrong way sometimes, but then there are other things like…
Allowing other folks children to become ‘our’ children. And we watch them grow up, develop into young people and then go off to study and finally get married have children and bring them to church where…
Also we get to share and witness intensely personal things with each other, like when God touches our lives and what that means for us. The truly awesome thing is that we do so because Jesus sets us free in love to be able to share and understand what we witness in each other and at the same time allow others to feel free not to share but just be a part of the body.
Awesome!!!!
If you are part of a body of faith, then I encourage you be really allow yourself to become a branch of the very life of that body. Use your gifts, talents and resources to build up the body and most important allow yourself to share and encourage one another.
If you are not part of a body then…
Monday, 28 January 2008
Monday, 21 January 2008
Load Sharing
Wow!
What a hot topic – load shedding.
It’s something that affects us all here in South Africa as power outages have become part of life for us, sometimes at the most inconvenient times.
The way I see, we have two choices:
1. Bury our heads in the sand and hope it goes away
Or
2. Deal with it constructively.
At church on Sunday, we took time to talk about it during the service and ended up with asking what Jesus would say about it.
Bottom line: I believe that Jesus would want it to be fair and with a sense of justice. Thus we all need to informed (even those who can’t read) when it will happen and the shedding needs to be consistent for everyone. Being informed and the shedding done with justice and consistency, I believe, will help us all to be more tolerant until the situation is improved.
And when shedding is done in this way, then we may refer to it as load sharing as we are in this together for each other.
Please share you feelings and suggestions by clicking on the Comments link.
What a hot topic – load shedding.
It’s something that affects us all here in South Africa as power outages have become part of life for us, sometimes at the most inconvenient times.
The way I see, we have two choices:
1. Bury our heads in the sand and hope it goes away
Or
2. Deal with it constructively.
At church on Sunday, we took time to talk about it during the service and ended up with asking what Jesus would say about it.
Bottom line: I believe that Jesus would want it to be fair and with a sense of justice. Thus we all need to informed (even those who can’t read) when it will happen and the shedding needs to be consistent for everyone. Being informed and the shedding done with justice and consistency, I believe, will help us all to be more tolerant until the situation is improved.
And when shedding is done in this way, then we may refer to it as load sharing as we are in this together for each other.
Please share you feelings and suggestions by clicking on the Comments link.
Monday, 14 January 2008
Rights and Privileges
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2008 has officially commenced in all it’s glory for most of us!
One of the most awesome things about starting anew, is that it brings with it hope of new beginnings, dreams and the belief that this year’s going to be different to the past.
However, we might find, a few months in, that things have not really changed – we still have that difficult relationship with work; we still can’t meet our monthly expenses; we still have trouble in our personal/family life etc.
It might be helpful to pause for a minute – right now at the start of the year and remind ourselves that in God’s world, we have few rights but many privileges.
For example, the opportunity to work and earn a living comes because God has blessed us in that way and with it comes a responsibility to make it count in every possible way.
Abraham Lincoln used the expression “there for the grace of God go I,” but we can take it a little further – Lord, help me to make the most of my opportunities (however they may seem to me) to the best that I can and to accept my responsibilities and remember that there are those, who by no fault of their own, who are less fortunate than myself. Thank you for the privilege.
Do you have a story related to being privileged; then please share it with us.
One of the most awesome things about starting anew, is that it brings with it hope of new beginnings, dreams and the belief that this year’s going to be different to the past.
However, we might find, a few months in, that things have not really changed – we still have that difficult relationship with work; we still can’t meet our monthly expenses; we still have trouble in our personal/family life etc.
It might be helpful to pause for a minute – right now at the start of the year and remind ourselves that in God’s world, we have few rights but many privileges.
For example, the opportunity to work and earn a living comes because God has blessed us in that way and with it comes a responsibility to make it count in every possible way.
Abraham Lincoln used the expression “there for the grace of God go I,” but we can take it a little further – Lord, help me to make the most of my opportunities (however they may seem to me) to the best that I can and to accept my responsibilities and remember that there are those, who by no fault of their own, who are less fortunate than myself. Thank you for the privilege.
Do you have a story related to being privileged; then please share it with us.
Monday, 07 January 2008
An Open Invitation
We won the cricket test against the West Indies over the weekend. But in the middle of the celebration we also feel sorry for Neil McKenzie who having received his call up to the test team, injured his leg and is out of cricket for a few weeks. Before the test, one of the selectors said that McKenzie was ‘busting a gut’ to play for South Africa.
Do you know what it feels like to be ‘busting a gut’ to do something, but to be excluded?
The odd thing about the coming of the Magi to worship baby Jesus is that they were not Jews. Could it be possible that Gentiles should worship the Jewish king? Right at the beginning of Jesus’ life the message is very clear – the invitation to follow him is for all people! No one is excluded – unless they choose to exclude themselves.
Those who are hurting and struggling are invited. Those who have bad thoughts and bad habits are invited. Those who feel marginalised and excluded are invited. Whoever you are, YOU are invited.
You might be ‘busting a gut’ for healing in some part of your life. God’s invitation is to you. Come and worship Jesus, accept him for who he is, and allow him to bring that healing.
Do you know what it feels like to be ‘busting a gut’ to do something, but to be excluded?
The odd thing about the coming of the Magi to worship baby Jesus is that they were not Jews. Could it be possible that Gentiles should worship the Jewish king? Right at the beginning of Jesus’ life the message is very clear – the invitation to follow him is for all people! No one is excluded – unless they choose to exclude themselves.
Those who are hurting and struggling are invited. Those who have bad thoughts and bad habits are invited. Those who feel marginalised and excluded are invited. Whoever you are, YOU are invited.
You might be ‘busting a gut’ for healing in some part of your life. God’s invitation is to you. Come and worship Jesus, accept him for who he is, and allow him to bring that healing.
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Happy Holidays
Right so its Christmas time.
Everything needs to slow down and this blog too.
We'll pick it up again in the second week of January.
Our prayer is that you have a blessed time over the next couple of weeks remembering that the greatest gift we can give is ourselves to God and to each other.
Monday, 03 December 2007
True Fasting
Who fasts today?
I mean, fasting’s a Biblical discipline which many Christians find very beneficial to their growth and development but in essence it’s not a discipline which might be associated with necessity.
I fasted as a discipline for about two years every Tuesday and found it very beneficial to my development at the time and I’ve colleagues who continue to use this discipline.
Fasting, as I understand it has two parts to it:
- self denial
- honouring God
It’s not for 'religious piety', manipulation of God or Christian elitism.
In other words fasting's not meant for us to become super spiritual or to try to manipulate God to our way of thinking.
In fact, the right way to fast, I believe, is in solitude and privacy.
In a space which is reserved for ourselves and God. A space where God can meet us at His initiation. A space meant for our growth and nurturing as Christians.
Of course, fasting’s one way of doing this; there are others, like mediation, retreats and praying with clay.
If you’re in a place that you feel the need to deepen your spiritual growth, then fasting, managed responsibly, may be beneficial.
I mean, fasting’s a Biblical discipline which many Christians find very beneficial to their growth and development but in essence it’s not a discipline which might be associated with necessity.
I fasted as a discipline for about two years every Tuesday and found it very beneficial to my development at the time and I’ve colleagues who continue to use this discipline.
Fasting, as I understand it has two parts to it:
- self denial
- honouring God
It’s not for 'religious piety', manipulation of God or Christian elitism.
In other words fasting's not meant for us to become super spiritual or to try to manipulate God to our way of thinking.
In fact, the right way to fast, I believe, is in solitude and privacy.
In a space which is reserved for ourselves and God. A space where God can meet us at His initiation. A space meant for our growth and nurturing as Christians.
Of course, fasting’s one way of doing this; there are others, like mediation, retreats and praying with clay.
If you’re in a place that you feel the need to deepen your spiritual growth, then fasting, managed responsibly, may be beneficial.
Monday, 26 November 2007
Friends
I wonder: Just how necessary friends are.
Do they add to our lives? Is it just some fear of being alone that makes it so important that we have friends? How many of us can honestly live without friendship on some level?
I guess that we all need friends. Someone to talk to, share with, fight with, travel with…whatever.
Jesus wants to be our friend. Or rather, He invites us to be His friend.
And just like our friendships with each other, Jesus friendship has parts to it. Possibly because Jesus, like us, is looking for people with common goals and purposes. You’d agree, those are the ones we make friends with the easiest.
Well Jesus says, if you do as I do, then you can be my friend.
You know:
- love the outsider and care for them;
- give of yourself in complete service to God – spiritually, financially and emotionally;
- live with one main purpose in everything that you do – to honour God.
Everyone’s invited to be Jesus friend, no exceptions, including you and
me. If you want to be Jesus friend then go to the Tell Me About Jesus Link
and pray with us.
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