It's time for a new series of Tips. #40TipsForChristFollowers What started very successfully as 40 tips for white people who are asking the question, 'But what can I do?' moved into a series on 40 Tips for married people hoping to do marriage better. A lot of people seemed to find a lot of the suggestions helpful and it wasn't so much about agreeing with all 40 tips in each case as it was [...]
i know a good number of people have been eagerly watching and waiting for this feedback. Let me start by firstly saying, 'That's good and well and fine and all, but it's not good enough. Have your own conversations. Invite differing opinions and viewpoints to your house for coffee. Take these conversations offline.' = = = = = = = = = = = = The Context A few weeks ago there was a bit [...]
Dear Church [and in my brain i'm thinking church of Cape Town, but this really is good stuff for the church at large to hear], i have a deep love for you and a desire for you to be everything you were made to be. But it is a lot of love-hate relationship cos man, you confound me so much sometimes. Especially on the man bit. But i had a dream about you last night [...]
What kind of church will you be part of? i have written a little bit before about my diving into studies this year with a course called Leadership in Urban Transformation, a one year certificate through the University of Pretoria looking at Theology and the City. This week finds us in week four of our physical class weeks and so i had an assignment due and read a book called 'The Prophetic Imagination' by Walter [...]
What does how we give our money say about us? There is a beautiful short story hidden at the end of Mark 12 that doesn't get enough attention. 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his [...]
Do you believe in a different way? Yesterday i posted a piece on trying to speak with a prophetic voice which included this status quote of mine from a little earlier: i’m sorry my words make you feel so bad when there are people literally living in devastating conditions and being treated like absolute adjective on a regular basis. My friend Rob read it and seemed to really like it while admitting it is the first [...]
South African Universities are burning and where is the church? Well, we are there. i actually spoke a little about this in my previous post, titled 'Where is the church?' As part of the PJW team in Cape Town we are there. Pastors joining in/leading marches in Joburg [including being shot in the face with rubber bullets as has happened to countless students and is as shocking and deplorable]. Friends who are part of the [...]
Where is the church? i am one of the first ones to call out the church when we are not doing well [fighting to hit our children, yo]. But i am definitely also one of the first to cheer us on when we get it right [which we actually do a lot in this country all over the place if you stop to look and listen]. The time i remember being proudest of the [...]
6 With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does [...]
For anyone who doesn't know, last year i self-published a book called 'i, church'. On the back cover of the book there is a bit of a summation and part of it reads like this: To those of you who believe church is the worst thing ever: You're right! To those of you who believe church is the best thing ever: You're right! i call this book, 'i, church' because more than a building or [...]
