Tswana Sermon for the Last Sunday of the Church Year [Lk.12,42ff] by Rev. Mkhabela

                                                       Dithero tsa Tirelano mo Kutlwanong

Thero ka Sontaga wa bofelo  morago ga Moletlo wa o o Borarobongwe, e le ka 20. 11. 2011                                                                                                                                        56/2011

MO LEINENG LA MODIMO O E LENG RARA LE MORWA LE MOWA O O BOITSHEPO!

 

1.            Sefela sa 330 – 305/313

 

2.            Thapelo: E rile MORENA a fetola tatlhego ya Sione, ra tshwana le ba ba lorang. Foo melomo ya rona e ne ya tlala setshego, le diteme tsa rona duduetso. Foo go ne go buiwa mo ditšhabeng go twe: MORENA o ba diretse dilo tse dikgolo. (Pes. 126:1-2. Amen.

 

3.            Epistolo ka fa thulaganyong ya 2 e kwadilwe mo Tshenolong 21:1-7;

Efangele ka fa thulaganyong ya 1 e kwadilwe mo go Matheo 25:1-13.

 

4.            A go ipolelwe tumelo ya bokeresete!                                                                        5. Sefela sa 284 – 266/272

6.            Thapelo ya mmadi wa thero.                                                7. Efangele ka fa thulaganyong ya 3 e kwadilwe

mo go Luka 12:42-48, e re: “Morena a re: ‘Kana molebeledi yo o ikanyegang, yo o botlhale ke mang, yo morena wa gagwe o tla mo laodisang badiredi ba gagwe gore a ba abele dijo ka nako tsa teng? Go sego motlhanka yoo, yo e tla reng morena wa gagwe a tla, a mo fitlhele a dira jalo. Ammaaruri ke lo raya ke re: O tla mo laodisa tsotlhe tse o nang natso. Mme fa motlhanka yoo a ka ithaya a re: ‘Morena wa me o diega go tla,’ mme a simolola go betsa batlhanka le malata, le go ja le go nwa le go tagwa, morena wa motlhanka yoo o tla tla ka letsatsi le o sa mo lebelelang ka lone, le ka nako e o sa e itseng, mme o tla mo gagoganya, a mo naya kabelo ya gagwe le ba ba sa ikanyegeng. Motlhanka yo o itsileng thato ya morena wa gagwe, mme a se ka a baakanya sepe, le fa e le go dira ka fa thatong ya gagwe, o tla bediwa thata. Mme yo o se kang a itse, mme a dira tse di tshwanetseng kotlo, o tla bediwa go le gonnye. Mongwe le mongwe yo o neetsweng tse dintsi, go tla batlwa tse dintsi mo go ene; yo o filweng taolo mo go tse dintsi, go tla batlwa tse di fetisang mo go ene.’” Amen.

 

8. Thero: Baratwa mo Moreneng wa rona Jesu Keresete, kajeno ke Sontaga wa bofelo mo ngwageng wa kereke.  Ka mafoko a mangwe re re: Ngwaga wa kereke e fela kajeno. Re a itse gore re fetile mo go tse dintsi, e le tse di molemo, le tse di bosula, tse di itumedisang, le tse di ledisang. Le fa go ntse jalo, Morena o re tshegeditse, go fitlhela mo letsatsing la kajeno. Re fetsa ngwaga ono ka go rwesiwa, le ka go thusiwa ke Morena. A re lebogeng Modimo ka ntlha ya tsotlhe tse o di re diretseng mo ngwageng ono o re o fetsang kajeno. Potso jaanong ke e: Ke eng se re se dirileng ka go itumedisa Modimo mo ngwageng ono. Aaraba potso eo ka nosi!

 

Kgang eo ya kgosi le batlhanka ya tsoletsa potso mo go Petoro. A gongwe o ne a gakgamadiwa ke morena yoo yo o diretseng batlhanka ba gagwe mo tafoleng. Potso ya gagwe e re: Morena, setshwantsho se a o se bolelela rona fela, gongwe botlhe? Karabo ya ga Jesu e phatsima sentle, fa a raya botlhe ba ba mo salang morago.

 

Tsala ya me mo Moreneng, Morena Jesu Keresete a re: Motlhanka yo a buang ka ga gagwe ke molebeledi, tiro e a e dirang ke ya morena wa gagwe. Go ntse jalo malebana le batho ba ba tlhokometseng tsa morena wa bone, jaaka dijo tse ba di tsholelang e le tsa morena wa bone. A re tlhokomeleng le rona ka nosi kajeno gore le rona re balebeledi kwa re leng teng, kwa re leng mo tirong, kwa re tsamayang teng, kwa re dirang teng. Ka sekao: Modimo o re file tseo, o re file gore re tlhokomele ka ntlha ya gagwe, re lebelele dikgang ka ntlha ya gagwe. A re nneng balebeledi, le batlhokomedi ba ba ikanyegileng, ba ba tlhaloganyang tiro. Ka bopelotlhomogi o tla re arabisa ka ntlha ya go tlhokomela ga rona gore re ne re tlhokomela tiro ya ona jang, re godisitse bana ba rona jang, re ba rutile jang ka tlotlego, re ba rutile jang go boifa le go rata Modimo. A re se ka ra tshwana le Eli yo o neng a palelwa ke go tlhokomela le go godisa bomorwawe ka tlotlego le tlotlomalo, a palelwa go nna molebeledi yo o ikanyegileng wa tlhaloganyo. A re se lebe ene fela, mme re itemoge ka nosi gore a re balebeledi ba ba ikanyegileng ba tlhaloganyo malebana le bana ba rona, madi, dijo, dithuo, magae a rona, le tse dingwe tse di ntseng jalo? Re ema kae, rona? Ka moo go bowa ga Jesu go lebagana le balebeledi ba ba ntseng jalo. Fa Jesu a bowa, a fitlhela molebeledi yo o dirileng ka go tlhokomela sentle tiro, o tla mo godisa, a mo laodisa tsotlhe tsa gagwe.

 

Tiragalo eo ke segopotso, fa re neilwe tsotlhe tse re nang natso gore re di tlhokomele. Paulo a re: O na le eng se o sa se newang? Mme fa o se neilwe, o ipokelang jaaka e kete ga o a se newa? 1 Kor. 4:7. Ke nnete. Ga go na sepe se e leng sa rona. Le rona ka nosi ga re ba rona. Re rekilwe ka tlhatlhwa e kgolo. Ka moo re tshwanetse go tlotla Modimo mo mebeleng ya rona. Tlhaloso ya artikele ya ntlha ya Kategisima e nnye e re: nna le wena re neilwe mmele, mowa, matlho, le dineo tsotlhe, tlhaloganyo le maikutlo otlhe, le gore Modimo o sa ntse o di boloka. Gape o re neile diaparo le ditlhako, dijo le dino, ntlo le lelapa, mosadi le bana, masimo le dikgomo, le dithoto tsotlhe. Ka moo re tshwanetse go o leboga, le go o tlotla, le go o direla, le go o utlwa. Tseo ke nnete ruri. Re nne badirisi ba methale ya bopelontle jwa Modimo. Tsotlhe tse ke nang natso di tswa mo bopelotlhomoging le mo loratong lwa Modimo. A ke nne molebeledi le modirisi yo o ikanyegileng wa tlhaloganyo mo dilong tsotlhe. A re lebeleng, re dirise tsotlhe tse re di filweng go di dirisa, re di dirise sentle ka go ikanyega le ka tlhaloganyo, le ka botlhale jo bo tswang mo Modimong. Jesu o tla tlhotlhomisa, fa a bowa gore re ne re di dirsia o ka re ka fa ka borona, gongwe re gopotse gore re tshwanetse go di dirisa ka fa thulaganyong ya gagwe. Kana re balebeledi le batlhokomedi ba ba mo tirong ya Modimo. Molebeledi le motlhokomedi yo o kgonang o bonala ka go ikanyega le ka go tlhaloganya.

 

Tota, morena wa me o diegile, fa go tlhaga kakanyo e e ntseng jalo mo pelong ya molebeledi, ke fa a simolola go tlhabana, le go betsa ba bangwe yo a nnang nabo. Gopola gore pelo e a tsietsa. Fa go buiwa ke basimane le basetsana seo, ke raya fa gare ga badiredi ba morena. Molebeledi yo o sa ikanyegang o ba bona, fa e le ba bannye fela ba a ba tlhokomelang, ke fa a ba tshwara ka bokete, ka seatla se se bokete. Molebeledi o tsenwa ke mowa wa go iitumedisa fela, o a ja, o a nwa. Ke se se rewang. Ke fa go tsena tshenyego, molebeledi o tsenwa ke mowa wa go ipatlela tse di molemo fela. Jesu a re: Yo o ntseng jalo o tla kgaolwa, le go latlhwa fela, a amogele kabelo ya gagwe mmogo le ba ba sa ikanyegeng, le ba ba sa tshepiweng.

 

Jesu a re: O tla bediwa thata ka dintho tse dintsi. Jesu o bua ka ga molebeledi yo o latlhwang. Gape go na le ba bangwe ba ba bediwang go le gonnye. Mongwe o tla bediwa thata, gonne ke yo o itseng thato ya Morena. Yo mongwe o tla bediwa go le gonnye, gonne ga a itse, le fa a fositse ka go sa itse. Fano Jesu ga a tlhalose gore go bediwa go raya eng. Se re se bonang ke fa batho ba sa tshwane botlhe. Bangwe ba abelwa bogolo go ba bangwe. Yo o abetsweng bogolo go tla batliwa tse dikgolo mo go ene. Botlhe ba tla tlhotlhomisiwa ka fa ba abetsweng ka teng. Kitso eo e tshwanetse go re boifisa, gonne go na le ba ba nang le dikabelo tse dikgolo fa gare ga rona. Gape go a diragala gore batho ba ipoke ka tse ba di abetsweng. Tota dingwe tsa dikabelo di a bonala fa pele ga batho. A re se ka ra lebala gore tsotlhe tse re nang le tsona le tsotlhe tse re leng tsona re di abetswe. Re tla tsena mo kotsing ya go ikgogomosa ka tsona. Gopola gore Modimo o emelana le ba ba ikgodisang, mme ba ba ikokobetsang ba tla amogela bopelotlhomogi.

 

Modimo o re diretse tse dintsi tse di molemo ka bopelontle la ka bopelonomi fela.  Ga se gore  re na le tshiamo le tshwanelo gore o re direle molemo mo go kalo. Go a diragala fela ka ntlha ya molemo o Modimo o di re abelang tsotlhe ka ona fela. Ka moo re tshwanetse go o leboga, le go tumdisa, le go direla, le go o utlwa.

 

A ke fetse ka gore: A matheke a lona a nne a tlamilwe, le dipone tsa lona di tuke! Amen.

 

9.            Thapelo: Morena o re diretse tse dikgolo. A re itumeleng. Morena, re a kopa gore o re itshwarele tsotlhe tse re neng re sa ikanyege mo go tsona. O re fe ka bopelotlhomogi jwa gore re dirise tse o di re abetseng ka boikanyego jo bogolo. Amen. Thapelo ya Morena: Rara wa rona yo o mo legodimong …

 

10.          Sefela sa 327 – 302/310

 

A kagiso ya Modimo e e fetang tlhaloganyo yotlhe e boloke dipelo tsa rona le maikutlo a rona mo go Keresete Jesu, Morena, Morepholosi. Amen.                                                                                                           Thero eno e kwadilwe ke E. M. Mkhabela, ka ngwaga wa 2011.

Kgatiso le go rongwa ga dithero tseo go tshegediwa ke kopano e e bidiwang The Lutheran Heritage Foundation.

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Zulu Sermon for the Last Sunday in the Church Year [Lk.12,42-48] by Pastor Mkhabela

Izintshumayelo zokuSebenzelana ekuZwaneni

Intshumayelo ngesonto lokugcina emva komkhosi wobuThathwemunye, ka 20. 11. 2011                                                                                                                              56/2011

Egameni likaNkulunkulu onguYise, neNdodana, noMoya oNgcwele

1.            Iculo 300/228

 

2.            Umkhuleko: Lapho uJehova abuyisa ukuthunjwa kweSiyoni, sasinjengabaphuphayo. Umlomo wethu wawugcwala ukuhleka, nolimi lwethu ukuhuba, bathi: Phakathi kwabezizwe: UJehova ubenzele iznto ezinkulu. Amen.

 

3.            Iphistola ngohlelo lwesibili lilotshiwe kuso isAmbulo 21:1-7;

Ivangeli ngohlelo lokuqala lilotshiwe kuMathewu 25:1-13.

 

4.                                                                                     Isivumo senkolo: Ngiyakholwa nguNkulunkulu uYise …                                                                                                                              5. Iculo 303/230

6.                                                                                                           Umkhuleko wakhe ofundayo intshumayelo                                                                                         7. Ivangeli ngohlelo lwesithathu lilotshiwe

kuLuka 12:42-48, lithi: “Yayisithi iNkosi: ‘Ngumuphi-ke umphathi othembekileyo noqondileyo, inkosi yakhe eyakumbeka phezu kwabendlu bayo ukuba abanike isabelo sabo sokudla ngesikhathi sakho? Ibusisiwe leyo nceku okuyakuthi inkosi yayo, nxa ifika, iyifumane yenze njalo. Impela ngithi kini: Iyakuyibeka phezu kwakho konke enakho. Kepha uma leyo nceku ithi enhliziyweni yayo: ‘Inkosi yami ilibele ukufika,’ iqale ukushaya abafana namantombazana, idle, iphuze, idakwe, inkosi yaleyo nceku iyakufika ngosuku engayibhekile ngalo nangomzuzu engawaziyo, iyinqumanqume, iyabele nabangakholekile. Njalo-ke leyo nceku ebiyazi intando yenkosi yayo ingalungiselanga, ingenzanga ngokwentando yayo, iyakushaywa imivimbo eminingi; kepha ebingazi yenza okufanele imivimbo, iyakushaywa eyingcosana; yilowo nalowo ophiwe okuningi, kuyakubizwa okuningi kuye; nophathiswe okuningi, bayakubiza kuye okungaphezu kwalokho.’” Amen.

 

8. Intshumayelo: Bazalwane bami abathandekayo eNkosini, namuhla kuyisonto lokugcina onyakeni webandla. Ngamanye amazwi umyaka uphela namuhla. Siyazi-ke ukuthi sidlule kokuningi okuhle nokubi, okujabulisayo nokukhalisayo. Nokho iNkosi isigcinile kwazwe kwaba namhla. Saphetha lomyaka ngokuthwalwa, nangokusizwa yiNkosi. Masimbonge uNkulunkulu ngakho konke asenzele khona kuomyaka esiwuphethayo namhla. Nanku umbuzo othi: Yikuphi esikwenzile nokumjabulisile uNkulunkulu kulomyaka na? Ake uwuphendule ngokwakho lombuzo.

 

Lendaba yenkosi nezinceku yavusa umbuzo kuPetru. Mhlawumbe wamangaliswa yilenkosi izinceku etafuleni izikhonze. Umbuzo wakhe uthi: “Nkosi usilandisa thina lomfanekiso nokuba bonke na? Impendulo kaJesu ijubeka sobala ukuthi lapha usho abalandeli bakhe.

 

Zihlobo zami eNkosini, iNkosi uJesu Kristu uthi: Lenceku akhuluma ngayo ingumphathi, umsebenzi ewenzayo ngowenkosi yayo. Ngokunjalo nabantu ebaphethe ngabenkosi yayo, nokudla ekuphakayo ngokwenkosi yayo. Ake sizibheke nathi uqobo namhla ukuthi nathi singabaphathi lapho sikhona, lapho sihlala khona emsebenzini, lapho sihamba khona, lapho sikhonza khona. Isibonelo: UNkulunkulu usiphile bona, usiphathisile, simphathele, singabaphathi, masibe abaphathi abathembekile, abaqondileyo. Ngomusa sizolandiswa ngobuphathi bethu ukuthi sibaphathe, sabakhulisa kanjani abantwana bethu, sibafundise kanjani ngenhlonipho, sibafundise kanjani ukumesaba nokumthanda uNkulunkulu. Masingafani noEli owehluleka ukuphatha nokukhulisa amadodana akhe ngenhlonipho nangesizotha. Wehluleka ukuba umphathi othembekile noqondileyo. Singabheki yena nje, kodwa sizibheke thina uqobo ukuthi singabaphathi abathembekile, abaqondileyo maqondana nabantwana bethu, izimali, ukudla, imfuyo, amakhaya ethu nokunye okunjalo na? Simi kuphi thina na? Ngakho lokhu ukubuya kukaJesu kuqondene nabaphathi abanjalo. Uma uJesu ebuya efumana umphathi ewenzile, ewufezile kahle umsebenzi, uzomphakamisa, amphathise konke okwakhe.

 

Lendaba isikhumbuzo ukuthi konke esinakho sikuphathisiwe. UPawulu uthi: Ngokuba ngubani okhetha wena na? Unantoni ongayamukeliswanga na? 1 Kor. 4:7. Ngempela akusikho okwethu. Nathi uqobo asibo abethu. Thina sathengwa ngenani elikhulu. Ngakho sifanele simbonge uNkulunkulu emizimbeni yethu. Uhlamvu lokuqala kulo iKhathekisemu elincane ukuthi mina nawe siphiwe umzimba, umphefumulo, amehlo, nezipho zonke ukuqonda nokuzwa konke, usakulondoloza; futhi inzngubo nezicathulo, ukudla nokphuza, indlu nekhaya, umfazi nabantwana, amasimu nezinkomo nezimpahla zonke. … Ngakho konke lokhu kufanele ngombonga, ngimdumise, ngimkhonze, ngimlalele. Lokhu-ke kuqinisile ngempela. Singabaphathi bomusa omningi kaNkulunkulu. Konke enginakho kuyisipho esivela emuseni nasothandweni lukaNkulunkulu. Mangibe umphathi othembekile noqondileyo ezintweni zonke. Asiphathe konke esikuphathisiwe kahle ngokuthembeka okukhulu nokuqonda okukhulu, nangokuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu. UJesu usohlola ekubuyeni kwakhe ukuthi sikuphathe ngokungathi ngokwethu, noma sikhumbulile yini ukuthi ngokwakhe. Thna singabaphathi bakhe uNkulunkulu. Umphathi ophumelelayo ubonakala ngokuthembeka nokuqonda.

 

Yebo, inkosi yami ilibele, uma kufika umcabango onjalo enhliziyweni yomphathi, bese eqala ukuxabana nokushaya abanye ahlezi nabo, Khumbula ukuthi inhliziyo iyakhohlisa. Lapha, uma kukhulunywa ngabafana namantombazana lokhu kungasho ukuthi kusho izisebenzi zenkosi. Umphathi ongathembekile ubabona bebancane abaphethe, ubaphatha kalukhuni ngesandla esiqinile. Umphathi ungenwa umoya wokuzijabulisa yena, ukudla nokuphuza kusho lokho. Kusuke sekonakele, uma ophathisiwe engenvwa umoya wokuzifunela yena okuhle. UJesu uthi: Onjalo uzonqunywa alahlwe futhi, aphiwe isabelo kanye nabangakholekile, noma abangathembekile.

 

Uthi uJesu: Uyakushaywa imivimbo eminingi. UJesu uselandile ngomphathi ozonqunywa. Futhi kukhona nabanye abazojeziswa kancane kunalokho. Omunye uzoshaywa kakhulu, ngoba wona eyazi intando yeNkosi. Omunye ashaywe kancane, ngoba wona engazi noma waphutha engazi. Lapha uJesu akachazi ukuthi lokhu kushaywa kusho ukuthini, esikutholayo ukuthi abantu abafani bonke. Abanye baphathiswa kakhulu kunabanye. Ophathiswa kakhulu kuzofunwa okukhulu kuye. Bonke bazohlolwa njengalokhu bephathisiwe. Bekufanele isishayise ngovalo lendaba, ngoba kukhona abaneziphiwo ezinkulu phakathi kwethu. Futhi kuyenzeka ukuthi, abantu bazibabaze ngalokhu okuphathisiwe, ngoba ezinye izipho ziyabonakala. Masingakhohlwa ukuthi konke esinakho, nakho konke esiyikho sikuphathisiwe, sizongena engozini yokuziphakamisa. Khumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu umelana nabazidlayo, kepha abathobekileyo ubapha umusa.

 

UNkulunkulu usenzela okuhle okuningi ngomusa nangobubele kuphela, kugasho ukuthi sinokulunga nemfanelo ukuba asenzele okuhle kangaka. Ngenxa yakho konke okuhle esikuthola kuNkulunkulu, kufanele simbonge, simdumise, simkhonze, simlalele.

 

Mangigcine ngokuthi: Izinkalo zenu mazibe ziboshiwe nezibani zuvutha. Amen.

 

9.         Umkhuleko: UJehova usenzele izinto ezinkulu, sajabula. Nkosi, sicela usithethele kukho konke esingathmbekanga kukho. Siphe ngomusa wakho ukuba siphathe osiphathise khona ngokuthembeka okukhulu. Amen. Umkhuleko weNkosi: Baba wethu osezulwini …

 

10.       Iculo 290/223; noma 295/233

 

 

Ukuthula kukaNkulunkulu odlula ukuqonda konke makulondoloza izinhlizo zethu nemicabango yethu kuKristu Jesu iNKosi noMsindisi wethu, Amen

Lentshumayelo ilotshiwe ngomnyaka ka-2011 ngu-E. M. Mkhabela

Ukucindezelwa nokuthunywa kwalezintshumayelo kuyasekelwa yinhlangno ethiwa: Lutheran Heritage Foundation

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Bishop’s annual report for the LCSA BW diocesan synod

LCSA Dear friends of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa:

At tomorrow’s LCSA diocesan synod in Botswana my annual report is due. With some minor changes here and there this is to be tabled at similar meetings coming up.

This posting is for those who are interested in reading it, but don’t have an episcopal visitation coming up: LCSA Bishop’s Annual Report 2011

May God bless the deliberations, plans and proceedings in every congregation and diocese of the LCSA that they may serve his glory and benefit the members of the LCSA and the Lutheran family and Christians friends beyond.

Yours sincerely

Wilhelm Weber

 

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RSA: THE ROAD AHEAD … at least as some see it.

RSA: THE ROAD AHEAD

On 10 November F W de Klerk addressed the Cape Town Club on “The Road Ahead”.

De Klerk said that in a speech earlier in the year he had observed that we were approaching a pivotal point in our history where all South Africans of goodwill would have to rally around the Constitution.
Since then the balance had begun to oscillate more and more erratically between the positive and the negative.   According to De Klerk there are still many positives:

•    Expected growth of 3.1% this year was still not enough – but was a lot better than many leading economies.
•    Government debt would be ratcheted up 40% of GDP –  which was still far healthier than many leading economies where national debt now exceeded 100% of GDP.
•    President Zuma’s announcement in late October of the firing of two ministers and the suspension of the Commissioner of Police and the appointment of a commission of enquiry into the arms deal were moves in the right direction – even though they should have been taken earlier.
•    The Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, had been playing an exemplary role in investigating maladministration.
•    Civil society was proving to be a formidable protector of constitutional values – as had been shown by its continuing role in combating the Protection of Information Bill.
•    South Africa had continued to play a prominent role in international affairs – in the AU, the Group of 20 and BRICSA;
•    The courts had proved their effectiveness in upholding the Constitution and in curbing the power of the executive.

These positives had unfortunately gone hand in hand with some disturbing negatives.

One of the central concerns was the likely impact of the ANC’s National Conference in Mangaung next year.

De Klerk said that MPs were completely under the control of their party machines because they lost their seats in parliament if they were expelled from the party that nominated them to the Assembly. This meant that what happened in the inner chambers of political parties became more important than what happened in Parliament.

At the ANC’s last national Conference in Polokwane in December 2007 a swing of just 10% of the      3 900 voting dramatically changed the face of South African politics.   The Mangaung Conference next year would determine whether President Zuma would be serve a second term.  It would lay down policy for the following five years and would show which of the Alliance’s factions would emerge as the most powerful grouping.   De Klerk said that In the months between now and the National Conference the various factions in the Alliance would be fixated on securing the support of as many delegates as possible.  “The trouble is that all this maneuvering is not conducive to clear and effective leadership”.

De Klerk said that although the ANC’s decision to suspend Julius Malema might have cut short his career it had not changed the realities that underlay the Malema phenomenon:

•    The first was the millions of unemployed and under-educated young South Africans that he claimed to represent.  The New South Africa had failed to provide most of them with basic education and the jobs that they desperately need.  Their plight required priority attention from government, business, civil society and trade unions.  “What our young people do not need are the populist and economically illiterate remedies that are being offered by the Youth League”.
•    The second disturbing factor was the ANC’s failure to take a firm public stand against increasingly racist and inflammatory rhetoric. Some months earlier, President Zuma had sat in silence on the same platform in Galashewe while Malema called whites “criminals, who have stolen our land and who should be treated as criminals
•    Finally, the real problem was that Malema’s views were not out of line with the ANC’s own National Democratic revolution ideology which called for “the elimination of the legacy of apartheid super-exploitation and inequality, and the redistribution of wealth and income to benefit society as a whole, especially the poor.”

The ultimate goal of the NDR was a society in which all aspects of control, ownership, management and employment in the state, private and non-governmental sectors would broadly mirror the demographic composition of South Africa’s population.

As  a result of this ideology, coloured employees in the Department of Correctional Services in the Western Cape had been informed that their numbers would have to be reduced from 38% to 9% to bring them into line with their share of the national population  The NDR ideology was  also evident in the Green Paper on Land Reform  which asserted that “all anti-colonial struggles are, at the core, about two things: repossession of land lost through force or deceit; and, restoring the centrality of indigenous culture.”  The authors were actually saying that seventeen years after 1994 the anti-colonialist struggle was not over; whites were colonialists; the struggle was against them; and only the indigenous culture should be central.

The Green Paper proposed a policy of ‘Agrarian Transformation’ – which it described as  “a rapid and fundamental change in the relations (systems and patterns of ownership and control) of land, livestock, cropping and community.”   De Klerk said that implementation of the Green paper would have far-reaching and negative consequences for local and foreign investment and for future food security.  It would also harm race relations and undermine property rights.

De Klerk said that no reasonable South African would question the need to promote genuine equality; to achieve fair and sustainable land reform; and to remove any barriers that might remain to black advancement in the economy or in any other sector of our national life.  He called for dialogue with the ANC and said that South Africans needed to talk with one another about these issues in the frank and constructive way that we did during the negotiations of the 1990s.

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Auszug aus Papas Wochenbrief …

 

“… In den vergangenen Tagen erreichten mich die Impulse, die mein Patenjunge heute bei der Ludwig Harms Konferenz in Farven vortragen will, mit ganz großen Buchstaben und interessanten Angaben über Wirklichkeiten in Deutschland und in der Welt. Als ich die mir etwas anschaute, musste ich an einen interessanten Titel eines Buches, das ich mir vor Jahren kaufte, denken: Wie wirklich ist die Wirklichkeit. Da ist es gut, dass wir Lutheraner sind und z. B. im Abendmahl einfach selbstverständlich mit der Realpräsenz des Leibes und Blutes unseres Heilandes in Brot und Wein, die ausgeteilt und empfangen werden, rechnen. So viele Wirklichkeiten sind gar nicht wirklich, aber die Wirklichkeit, die uns der Herr Christus verheißt, ist gewiss. Da tun wir auch gut daran, dass wir es fest glauben und nicht zweifeln, was er gesagt und aufschreiben lassen hat. Er hat uns verheißen, dass der heilige Geist uns an das, was er gesagt und gelehrt hat, erinnern wird und uns in seiner Wahrheit leiten wird. Die Wirklichkeiten und Wahrheiten von menschlichen Statistiken und Prognosen dagegen lassen manche Möglichkeiten offen, dass manche Pläne, die aufgrund solcher Möglichkeiten gemacht werden, sich oft in Kürze schon als unerfüllbar ergeben. Dabei dürfen wir Lutheraner gewiss sein, dass die Zusage gilt und immer gelten wird, wo das Evangelium recht gepredigt und die Sakramente evangeliums-, wort- und stiftungsgemäß verwaltet werden, unser Herr und Heiland Jesus Christus seine Kirche auch in Zukunft bauen und wachsen lassen wird bis hin zu seiner Wiederkunft. Da schenke der Herr uns auch die nötige Treue, nicht müde zu werden, Mittel und Wege, die der Herr uns schenkt, zu nutzen, seinem Missionsauftrag gern nachzukommen. Vor allem schenke er uns allen, dass wir unseren Herrn beim Wort nehmen, wo uns im Namen des dreieinigen Gottes die Sünden vergeben werden.
Bei meinen Vorträgen über die Geschichte der LCSA hatte ich gerade gemerkt, wie vorsichtig Statisiken zu beurteilen sind. Im Missionsblatt wurden bis 1968 die Statistiken der Gemeinden der MELF jährlich veröffentlicht. Die Angaben über die Taufen von Heiden über die Jahre hin sind sicher nicht anzuzweifeln. Die kann man sicher heute noch in den Taufbüchern der Gemeinden nachzählen. 1955: 94; 1960: 129; 1965: 146; 1967: 100; 1968: 144; auch damals die meisten Taufen von Heiden im Salemer Gebiet. Die Angaben über die Seelenzahl dagegen zeigten ein unwahrscheinliches Wachstum, über dreizehn Jahre 51%: 1955: 14506; 1960: 16083; 1965: 19844; 1967: 21416; 1968: 21964. Wie schon bei einem Bericht über die Geschichte von Umhlangeni habe ich mir dieses Wachstum so erklärt. Es war die Zeit, in der die Arbeit in den Großstädten florierte. Pastor Lubede im Durbaner Raum sammelte die Gemeindeglieder, die aus den Zulugemeinden Salem, Itshe Lejuba, Ebenezer, Pella und Umhlangeni dort Arbeit gefunden hatten und dort geheiratet und dorthin umgezogen waren. Die wurden in ihren Heimatgemeinden nicht als verzogen, aber in Durban als zugezogen verzeichnet. Ganz ähnlich war das mit den Gemeindegliedern, die aus den Zulu und Tswanagemeinden im Johannesburger Raum ihre kirchliche Heimat fanden, aber “zu Hause” in Roodepoort und Botshabelo eben gern weiter zur Gemeinde gehören wollten. Da auch selbstverständlich vor allem an den Festtagen mit zum Abendmahl gingen und in den Abendmahlsregistern erschienen. Es ist schon gut, zu fragen: Wie wirklich ist die Wirklichkeit? Da dürfen wir uns gar nicht wundern, wenn junge Pastoren und Missionare sich gar nicht vorstellen können, wie damals solche Zahlen genannt werden konnten. Der Herr schenke ihnen die Freudigkeit und Gewissheit, gern aufgrund des Auftrags und der Verheißung unseres Herrn ihren Dienst noch viele Jahr zu tun, auch wenn es an großen Zahlen fehlt.”
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LCSA Sermons for the 2nd last Sunday of the Church Year

“I believe in one God … And in one Lord Jesus Christ … He will come again to with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.” [Nicene Creed]

Watchword for the 2nd last Sunday in the Church year: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2Co 5:10 ESV)

Zulu Sermon for the 26th S.a.Trinity [2nd last Sunday in the Church Year] by Rev. John Khumalo

Tswana Sermon for the 26th Sunday after Trinity [2nd last Sunday of the Churchyear] by Rev. John Khumalo

 

 

Last Judgment Triptych (The Last Judgment)
Artist: Hans Memling;
Oil painting on panel; Size: 221×161 cm; Muzeum Narodowe, Gdansk.

The Last Judgment is a triptych which was painted by Hans Memling during 1467 and 1471. The painting was commissioned by an agent of the Medici at Bruges but was captured by a privateer from Poland.
The central panel shows Christ sitting in Judgment on the world, while St Michael the Archangel is weighing souls and driving the Damned towards Hell. On the left hand panel, the Saved are being guided into Heaven by St Peter and Angels. On the right-hand panel, the Damned are being dragged to Hell.
From the stylistic viewpoint, the figure of Christ, for the one and only time in Memling’s career, is almost a copy of the Christ in a polyptych by van der Weyden. The painter has taken great care over representation of the perspective, the light and the reflections (especially on the globe and on the archangel’s armor). Many of the elect have realistic features, suggesting that some personages had had their portraitsinserted into the painting.

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Outstanding issues and the like …

The plucky advert of Nando’s: “The chicken come home to roost …” is relevant to this posting by the “FW de Klerk Foundation”. Things are far from settled and we might be entering the next phase in our nations turbulent history. Their chief executive Dave Steward has written the following response to the outcomes of these out-drawn proceedings.

He writes: “The FW de Klerk Foundation has taken note of the decision of the ANC’s National Disciplinary Committee to suspend Julius Malema for breaching various provisions of the ANC’s constitution.

Mr Malema’s suspension should not surprise anyone.  Nobody in any organisation can alienate so many powerful factions so abrasively for so long without paying a price.

Whatever Malema’s future may be the issues that he so aggressively articulates and the constituency that he claims to represent will not disappear.

One of the central challenges facing government – and indeed all South Africans – will be to restore some degree of hope to the millions of young – predominantly black – South Africans, whom Malema claims to represent.  Our new society has failed them dismally: it has left most of them educationally crippled and 70% are unemployed.

All this makes them susceptible to the populist promises of demagogues. The nostrums that Malema prescribes are politically and economically illiterate but enormously appealing to these millions of young people subsisting on their siblings’ children’s allowances and their grannies’ pensions.

The message is also fundamentally racist: “Look at the whites, the way they live. They stole all this from us and we must take it back.  We must take back the land; we must take the companies on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange; we must nationalize the mines – all without compensation.”

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of Malema’s demise was the fact that he was not found guilty of sewing racial dissension.  The charge arose from his statement at a rally in Galishewe earlier this year when he had said, in President Zuma’ presence, that whites are criminals who stole our land; that they should be treated as criminals and that their land should be seized without compensation.

He was cleared of the charge of fomenting racism, arising from this statement, because it was not proved on ” balance of probabilities”.

One wonders what aspect of Malema’s Galishewe statement was ambiguous and what probabilities led the ANC’s NDC to conclude that this was not blatant racism? What was the NDC saying about the ANC’ commitment to non-racialism and what message was it sending to white South Africans?

Dave Steward: Executive Director

 

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The beauty of it all … mathematically!

Here’s something to look at, think about and marvel at. Thanks RS for the link:

the-beauty-of-mathematics

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Fundamental LCSA texts

Thankfully my father Rev. E.A.W.Weber DD has translated some key-texts for his class on the history of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa, which he gave at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane during the 4th Quarter of 2011. Here they are for your attention and as always I can only recommend: Tolle lege! 

1956 Independence & autonomy

1956 Guidelines

1967 General Synod in Roodepoort

1967: The road to Independance

1953 Concerning cooperation in Missions

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Lutheran Co-Responsibility for Christian Witness in Southern Africa

Lutherische Mitverantwortung fuer das christliche Zeugnis im suedlichen Afrika.

Lutheran co-responsibility for Christian witness in Southern Africa

 

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