Zuma blurs the lines between religion and politics

http://www.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/content/en/randburg/randburg-your-voices?oid=3131425&sn=Detail&pid=217574&Unity-from-Chaos---Zuma-blurs-the-line-between-religion-and-politics

Happy New Year!

Last year we started our “choose community” video series, and these started posing a few real day-to-day challenges to us. As the New Year begins I am VERY excited about what can be achieved and how many lives we as a community can touch in real ways.

Yes there will be difficulties like our old nemesis the financial situation. However, no one ever said that making the world a better place is an easy task. It was a wounded Bob Marley playing at a concert promoting peace, only two days after gunmen made an attempt on his life who said, "The people who are trying to make this world worse aren’t taking a day off. How can I?"

What gives me hope is the incredible way in which I feel our community can pull together. Time and time again I have felt so wonderfully blessed when we’ve been able to make superhuman efforts for the benefit of those in need.
Let us keep this momentum and as we move into the exciting possibilities of 2011, I simply wish to remind you of Brett’s words from “here…”

“How are YOU making Jesus available in real ways to those people around you?”

just one (slightly less spiritual) question... or two...

So. I've been a bit girly/nerdy the last few days... I've been following the progress of two male weaver birds making nests in a tree in the back garden of my mother-in-laws house. All I can say is; "Chics Bru!" because I was standing drinking coffee on the lawn the other day when I felt the sky fall on my head! well, no, it was actually the female weavers unceremoniously ripping the nests apart and throwing the contents onto my head - after the males have spent serious amounts of time and energy flying back-and-forth getting grass etc to make nests from.

So the question is: how often do we do that? someone takes a whole lot of time to do something/prepare something/puts a lot of thought into something and then we go and rip it to peaces? Or even the other way around? how often do we do something/prepare something/put a lot of thought into something and then someone else goes and poo-poos on it? how's that feel?

Hellfire and Damnation?

Ok, so a preacher man in our church a few days back had the unfortunate task of delivering the message from the passage of Luke 16:19-31, "The Rich Man & Lazarus". Respect. Right up front he says he can only talk about half the passage, because he doesn't get this God cursing people thing. "Honesty, I don't get it, lets all have a chat about it over coffee after the service maybe?"

Fair enough, but this passage now has me really questioning what I believe about grace.

Does God really curse people? I thought God was love? Can I trust a God who'd let that happen to somebody? If God is gong to curse bad people, what the hell can I do about it? I'm a sinner right? May as well just go bananas and wait for the pits of hell to come along...

Well, after some contemplation, here comes the jelly :)

I think God does curse. If God is love, He HAS to hate all that is against love. Self-centeredness, pride, greed, prejudice (just some examples I could stretch out of the rich man).

BUT, what if the rich man was just a representative for a part of the same man that was Lazarus? The selfless love of God struggling to survive in the selfish, greedy attitude of his human-ness. If we are born again Christians, are we not to let go of the old self, or the things that are not of God, not love in other words? Can we, with God's help cast away our selfish and loveless attitudes & actions, throw them into the pits of "hell and torment" in order to make room for more of God? More love, more compassion, more action?

So I don't believe that God will ever curse me, but He will curse my sins, casting THEM into the pits of hell, leaving me just as He intended. Good.

Free of charge, nogal, just say thanks!

Well, that's what I think anyway. Any thoughts?

it's happening...

this idea that started in February is taking off. as you can see from the post below, 'here...' is here.

puns aside though, the choose community video series is in the process of being written to disk, put in pretty boxes and sold to the general public. we have a dream that people watch + talk + share + blog about these videos, so put this link up on your Facebook, twitter, whatever to start getting the word out.

Here...

guaranteed awesomeness

http://gallery.mailchimp.com/fc16d9341ac9c47f53e99e241/files/Own_Way_Home_Piano.1.mp3?utm_source=Fans&utm_campaign=5609aa770e-Newsletter_01_09_2010&utm_medium=email