http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Neander

1. Lobe den Herren,  Den mächtigen König der Ehren! Meine geliebete Seele, Das ist mein Begehren. Kommet zu Hauf. Psalter und Harfe wacht auf, Lasset den Lobgesang hören!

2. Lobe den Herren, Der alles so herrlich regieret, Der dich auf Adelers Fittichen sicher geführet, Der dich erhält, Wie es dir selber gefällt; Hast du nicht dieses verspüret?

3. Lobe den Herren, Der künstlich und fein dich bereitet, Der dir Gesundheit Verliehen, dich freundlich geleitet. In wieviel Not Hat nicht der gnädige Gott Über dir Flügel gebreitet.

4. Lobe den Herren, Der deinen Stand sichtbar gesegnet, Der aus dem Himmel Mit Strömen der Liebe geregnet. Denke daran, Was der Allmächtige kann, Der dir mit Liebe begegnet.

5. Lobe den Herren; Was in mir ist, lobe den Namen. Alles was Odem hat, Lobe mit Abrahams Samen. Er ist dein Licht; Seele, vergiß es ja nicht; Lob ihn und schließe mit Amen!

Joachim Neander 1650-80

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Mt. 9,38

Watchword: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. (Isa 45:22 ESV)

Old Testament: ¹⁹ O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say: “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit.  ²⁰ Can man make for himself gods? Such are not gods!”  ²¹ “Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the LORD.” (Jer 16:19-21 ESV)

Epistle: ¹² I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,  ¹³ so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.  ¹⁴ And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

¹⁵ Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will.  ¹⁶ The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.  ¹⁷ The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.  ¹⁸ What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,  ¹⁹ for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,  ²⁰ as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.  ²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Phi 1:12-21)

Gospel: ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  (Mat 28:18-1)

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;  therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

A Mission festival in Salem is special because it like every mission festival it:

v  brings back good memories about God’s mission in the past

v  celebrates God’s mission with God’s people today – right here and right now.

v  wakes and strengthens hope in God’s mission in the future too +

Through the same prophet Isaiah the living and most jealous God grants us more insight into his good will and mission mind. In today’s OT reading we hear the him professing his faith in God and also his trust and confidence in God’s successful mission. The prophet confides:

O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say: “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit. Can man make for himself gods? Such are not gods!

You see – the people will be brought to God from the ends of the earth. They will come because their gods and the gods of their fathers/ancestors are mere idols, disappointing and hopeless. No renaissance or rebirth is to be expected from this traditional source. Therefore all people ought to come to the living, faithful and trustworthy God. He invites them to find forgiveness, divine life and eternal salvation. That’s the ultimate and perfect destiny as God himself meant it to be. That’s the beautiful world made in heaven! And the Lord our God underlines this wonderful mission invitation: “Therefore, behold, I will make them [i.e. the nations] know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the LORD.” (Jer 16:19-21) God himself stands behind his mission. He advertises it by his messengers and witnesses. It is he who lets us and all people know his power and might, authority and office. It is he, who shows us and all people that he is the Lord our God. He is the very source, goal and even means of true missions. Just as we learnt in our childhood from Luther’s precious catechism:

I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith.”

It is the Holy Spirit himself who calls, gathers, enlightens and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith.

In the holy gospel we hear how the triune God makes true his promise of salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the one, who fulfills God’s promises and is the savior of the world starting amongst the people of Israel, moving out to Samaria and then to the ends of the world. The triune God did his wonderful and most blessed mission work by sending Jesus Christ into our world born of the virgin Mary to grow up obediently in Nazareth as a carpenters son until he would finally fulfill his godly mission through suffering and dying vicariously on the cross of Golgotha for the sins of the world only to rise again victoriously Easter and to be the firstborn of the new creation. That’s the core Christian teaching as we confess it with the Apostolic and Nicene creeds. Jesus Christ’s entire life’s mission was dedicated to comply with the most gracious will of the heavenly Father for us and our salvation. We know that he successfully satisfied God’s highest expectations by fulfilling the divine law perfectly to the very last letter. His life is the flawless example of absolute compliance. It was entirely pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Ti 2:3-4). This divine mission of God was carried out by Jesus Christ in a most loving, caring and sympathetic fashion.  Not only did he look upon us poor miserable sinners with the most compassionate eyes and the most loving heart. Caringly and lovingly he demonstrates how much God cares for all people, but especially for those, who are alone, poor, helpless, sick, suffering, discriminated and without hope. That’s what St. Matthews writes about in the 9^th chapter:

“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Mat 9:35f)

Do you hear, what our Lord Jesus Christ is doing? He goes to the high and low places, into urban and rural areas, celebrating at weddings like Cana or drinking water at a lonely well along the way in Samaria, teaching in places of most advanced learning, being at home in the holy temple, but also among the people at fishing places like those at the sea of Genesaret. He’s found at the Jordan river, he’s active at the pool of Bethesda, meets people in tax booths like Matthews, doesn’t miss those hiding up in trees like Zacheus, even the dead don’t escape his compassion, mercy and loving care – rather they hear his powerful and creative voice and rise from the dead like Lazarus. He’s found partying at weddings like that one in Cana, rides a donkey into Jerusalem, sits down with people at fancy and less fancy eating places, draws crowds even in the desert and everywhere he’s preaching the good news of God’s forgiveness, grace and mercy, healing people suffering from all sorts of diseases/illnesses and every sort of affliction, suffering, hardship and malady. Yes, those low down, those on the edges and outside, those left out and sidetracked, people who have lost out, who’ve missed the boat, who don’t know how to cope with their past, present or their future, who are overwhelmed by their sin and self-seeking selfishness – that’s the people he joins up with. He helps them. He saves them. He heals them and forgives them. He brings God back into their lives and brings them back into the family of God. There is nobody, who is a hopeless case with Jesus. Its rather that our frustrations grant him opportunity to demonstrate his divine authority and power to create great miracles and wonders out of nothing – for our benefit and to his glorification. And he wants to help and he does help. See, helping, healing, saving, forgiving – that his business, that’s his mission, that’s what he’s about and that’s what his church is about too. He does that especially with those, who have no other help, who are harassed no end, who are helpless because they just can’t take care of themselves in their plight. Jesus comes to them as the ultimate savior. He’s their good shepherd, he’s their top physician, he’s their best friend and helper, their Lord and their God + That’s why they sing loud praises: Hallelujah, Hallelujah praise be to him the son of David, the king of the Jews, the Messiah of all mankind, our Lord and God of all + He is the way, the truth and the light. They believe in him. They put their faith in him. They trust him. First only a few like Mary Magdalene confessing: “Rabuni” or Thomas: “My Lord and my God” or Peter: “Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you!”, but then 3,000 are baptized on Pentecost, then 5,000 come to faith and finally it will be that crowd so big that nobody can count it, a crowd from all nations, tribes, languages and people and they will all sing the praises of the lamb on the throne: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And together with all the angels, the elders, the prophets of old and the holy martyrs and the apostles, they will fall on their faces before the throne and worship God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” (Rev 7:10-12)

You hear? At a mission festival we remember the great miracles and wonders of our Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest of which is his salvation of sinful mankind. He saved me a poor, miserable sinner, who deserves nothing but God’s temporal and eternal punishment. By his boundless mercy and for the sake of his holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death he has forgiven us our guilt and falsehood, our self-centeredness and godlessness, our idolatry, lack of faith and hopelessness – and thus we are saved through Jesus Christ our savior. That’s why the heavenly Father sent his only beloved son Jesus Christ into this world so that he was to seek and to find the lost and to bring them back home into his blessed sanctuary –his holy Christian Church – the earthly Jerusalem, which is the gate to the heavenly Jerusalem, to paradise, eternal bliss and salvation. He does this through his means of grace – through his holy word and through his holy sacraments: Baptism, Absolution and his holy Supper. That’s his mission and that’s what we are celebrating today.

Now you might ask: “Well, what is so special about that? That’s what my pastor does every Sunday in the Church. It’s always about Jesus and its always about what he has done to save me and his people on this earth.” Spot on! You are 100% right – and God bless you that you have a pastor, who does that conscientiously, in good and bad times, Sunday for Sunday. That’s exactly what happens in the Church and you know why? Because Jesus said to his 12 apostles, his very special and closest disciples: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Like my father sent me, I send you. Whomever you forgive their sins, they are forgiven and to whom you retain them, they are retained.” [Joh.20,21]. That is why Christians hold that

we cannot obtain forgiveness of sin and righteousness before God through our merit, work, or satisfactions, but that we receive forgiveness of sin and become righteous before God out of grace for Christ’s sake through faith when we believe that Christ has suffered for us and that for his sake our sin is forgiven and righteousness and eternal life are given to us. For God will regard and reckon this faith as righteousness in his sight, as St. Paul says in Romans 3+4.  To obtain such faith God instituted the office of preaching, giving the gospel and the sacraments. Through these, as through means, he gives the Holy Spirit who produces faith, where and when he wills, in those who hear the gospel. It teaches that we have a gracious God, not through our merit but through Christ’s merit, when we so believe.

Through the office of the ministry/service of pastors, evangelists and missionaries God builds his kingdom in this world and to the benefit of many, many people. That’s why the Church trains, evaluates, ordains, calls and installs pastors – that’s their calling, their ministry – service.  Just like old Israel taught their children and children’s children about God’s miracles and wonders, how he had saved them out of Egypt and then carried them through those long days, months and years in the desert, so faithful Christians throughout the ages teach their children, but also their young adults, their grownups and old people about all and everything that Jesus Christ did and said. That’s what the “Diragelo” is all about. That’s why Lutherans concentrate on education, training, schooling. It’s all about edification and building up of the true Christian faith and they do it, because that’s our Lord’s last, precious will. He says:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Mt 28:18-1)

It is all these true stories of Jesus Christ and his mission, the remembrance of his last will and the faith in his promises that moved Christian missionaries throughout the Ages to go to the ends of the world to proclaim Jesus Christ as the Lord of all. The Christian church has supported Christian missions throughout the Ages, and in its heydays – its best days where when it was open to the calling and sending, the vocation and mission of her Lord and Savior to move beyond its borders in true faith to challenge disbelief, ignorance, idolatry and just plain heathendom rampant on all 6 continents – because this is not only far away, but also in the secular, materialistic and faithless neighborhood and even family. Call it paganism, animism, traditional religions, atheism, human ideologies like materialism, individualism or secularism. The word of truth as revealed by the grace of God in the Holy Scriptures by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and recorded by his apostles and prophets of old addresses all these human philosophies, myths and fairy tales.

Allow me to quote just a few names of famous missionaries in the ages gone by: St. Paul – the obvious number one, St. Thomas to India, St. Augustin of Canterbury to Britain, St. Bonifatius to old Europe, Hudson Taylor to China, Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg to India, Otto Kayser to New Guinea, but also Johann Ludwig Krapf to E.Africa, Robert Moffat to Kuruman in S.Africa and his son-in-law  Robert Livingstone to central Africa. In that time i.e. in the mid-19^th century the Hermannsburg missionaries arrived in SA – in Zululand and also amongst the Batswana in NW province. These are our fathers in the faith. The list of missionaries is endless and the results of their missionary efforts are 30, 60 and 100-fold by the grace of the living God – even if they didn’t see anything of it. It is as St. Paul writes in the first letter to the Corinthians:

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. (1Co 3:7-9)

Today we praise God for this his mission and the growth he has granted his Church over the years. We thank him, for calling us also into his Church together with Christians throughout the ages and throughout the world. We thank him for the Lutheran Church in Germany [Hermannsburg/Bleckmar – SELK/MLC], through which our Church came into being in the past century. We thank him for the missionaries, pastors, evangelists, their wives and children, who served in this part of the world answering his call – especially superintendent Christoph Johannes [uMbogojwane], who succeeded his father [uMboza] as pastor of this congregation in Salem [inducted into this congregation on the 1^st January 1908 – and under whose decade-long ministry this congregation experienced its first love and the growth of the early days both in numbers, but also in substance of faith, love, grace and peace. This congregation was not only a big congregation with many outstations, but it was also the centre of the missions at that time and also the home of our Seminary for some years.

We also remember specifically bafundisi Mazwimabi Salomon Nyandeni noJoseph uMkhaliphi – who were ordained on Ascension Day 13^th May 1920 i.e. 92 years ago. Many of you remember them even. Their faithful service is still an extraordinary example to us today and their graves are with us to this day. The list of pastors, evangelists and students connected to Salem is not short: Simelane, Karl Meister, UMose Thwala, uAsser Mdluli, Titus Lenkwe, uHendrik Molefe, uSimon Zikhali, uAndreas Xaba, uAmos Mdluli, uJohannes Khumalo, uEfraim Mthembu, uStefan Zikhali, Georg Schulz, Johannes Junker, Gottfried Stallmann, Peter Rehr, uSamuel Ndwalane, uAson Thwala, noJohannes Nene [Salem]; uJohan Dlamini wase TsehniLejuba; uSamuel Nkosi waseNhlanhleni, uLukas Lefete waseRoodepoort/eGoli; noJohannes Mokone and David Ramekwa wase Bothabelo. Mose Mbatha abaseSalem;  uJosafat Vilakazi; Amos Mtunwgwa; Samuel Dlamini, Mose Gamede, Jakob Jali, Daniel Mkhaliphi; Elias Thanjekwayo; umnumzane Absalom Sibiya; nomfundisi Petros Nkosi, nomevangeli uW. Thabete, uGustav Shandu, Isaac Khumalo; We thank God for the Mission of Lutheran Churches [MLC] and its support even today. We thank him also for the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, which is helping us addressing numerous and sometimes overwhelming challenges even today. God has made his promises true in Jesus Christ. He has spread out his kingdom of grace and mercy to the ends of the world. That was his mission throughout the Ages – that has left us with piles of good memories. Praise God for those.

Sharing and nurturing good memories of God’s mission – that’s what MF is about. However it’s not just about the past.  It’s also about today and tomorrow. Remembering the great and good days of Salem, we might be tempted to forget the hard work we face today, we might be tempted to give up and think – we are so few, small and weak, what can we really do? You know, the God, who has built his church in the past is still with us today. He, who sent back most of the armed forces of Joshua until he only had a small band left; he, who was deserted by all his disciples in the night on which he was betrayed; he, who suffered and died, but also rose victoriously on his own  – he is the one, who says even today: Don’t be afraid – have faith – remember: “All authority/power/might and creativity, strategy and planning, means, money and all things are mine – I will surely do it!” This God, the father almighty and his Son Jesus Christ, the head of the Church is with us even  today – and also the Holy Spirit – the maker and giver of life! He does his miracles and wonders even today – his miracle and wonder of making disciples of all nations by baptism and by good theology/teaching of everything he has taught us. That’s it. That was his master plan in the past, that’s how he converted millions through the Ages, that’s how he’s doing it even today. And us? What about us? We are called to be faithful to his mission, faithful to his institutions, to think, say and practice what he taught, commanded and showed us in faithful orthodoxy. Nothing fancy, nothing exotic, nothing unheard of, but rather just as he commanded, taught and showed us. Now if you have 10, 5 or only 1 talent – don’t be shy, don’t shrink back, don’t run away from your task and duty, to which your Lord has called you as a Lutheran in Southern Africa.

There remains a lot to do:

1. Here in Mpumalanga: with the vacant congregation of Salem [Wetterau, Bakenkop, Sandbank etc], but also in Nhlangano, Swaziland and the new congregation opening up in KwaNgema opposite Driefontein otherside of Heyshope Dam. The many schools here, which have a Lutheran history and even many Lutheran teachers today – like principal Nkosi at Etshondo or vice-principal Christoph Nkambule here in Salem – they are great mission opportunities. There are also huge needs of rehabilitation and other vital works of mercy required. Dean Vilakazi knows all about that working with the Mkonda Rehabilitation Centre.
2. Up in Botswana: In the vacant congregation of Kanye [with Ramathea and its vocational school RAVOS and Ludabo] and the widespread Baralong area in the South without any pastors, at the cattleposts amongst the San / Basarwa or in the areas of their resettlement like Otse, the refugee camp in  Dukwi in Eastern Botswana or in the metropolitan area of Gaborone or up North in the Caprivi amongst the Lutheran refugees there.
3.  Just over the border from Botswana and in the NW province we have our dear Lutheran brothers and sisters, who were once called the “mission of happiness and joy”, because they received the gospel of Jesus Christ with such fervor and enthusiasm. Well, even today there is lots of good Church work going on in NW and the opportunities are growing even bigger – in Potchefstroom, in Mafeking, Rustenburg this prosperous province so busy in agriculture, mining and industry attracts people from all over SADC. A wonderful mission opportunity!
4. And off course in Gauteng too: Outreach in Cosmo City; Student ministries at the many universities in this urban hub, our Seminary and the deaconess school. There are still more people living in Soweto than in the entire country of Botswana. Lots remains to be done – and there are but few workers!
5. Last, but not least allow me to point you at KwaZulu – Umsinga is the poorest district in SA. We have our traditional centre of Enhlanhleni right there, but we’re also concentrated on the fastest growing area in SA: Thekweni and the coastal areas N and S of that city: Nthshongweni, Umlazi, Phoenix, Chatsworth, Port Shepstone, Ohlangeni etc. A number of towns are still without Lutheran congregations: Escourt, Ladysmith, Ulundi, Richardsbay. Lots of people, lots of non-christians, lots of work still to be done. The fields are white for harvest! The time for missions is not over – not by a long shot.

When Jesus saw the crowds, the people like these in Southern Africa he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;  therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  Let us look at these many opportunities before us with the compassionate eyes of your Lord and Jesus Christ. Let us not give up, but rather pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest – not tourists, not adventurers or treasure-seekers, but laborers, workers, servants, people, who will be hands-on, supporters and helpers, serving and doing,  always awake and praying everywhere and at all places and for all people, folding hands and praying for the Church, its pastors and bishops, its teachers and evangelists, its deaconesses and helpers so that they will not tire, but do what needs to be done to get the harvest of our Lord into his barns and sheds, sanctuaries and churches. Praying for the government and all its people, so that they will serve the people in their constituency well and as is pleasing to God. Praying for the Seminary and its teachers, but also for its students and even for more students and means and ways to support them. Ora et labora – work as if all the praying doesn’t work and pray as if all the work doesn’t help. Both need to be done in the Church: Praying and working! It’s his work, it’s his mission and we are following his calling, there where he has placed and situated us, because we love him. Serving him by serving his people, who need our help and with the services we are gifted to do with the gifts/charisma he has granted us. He has promised to be with us all the days until the ends of the world. Therefore take courage. He will not let you down. He is our all and our everything – now and forever. Praise be to him – God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit + Hallelujah. Amen.

And the peace of our Lord, which surpasses all understanding, bless and keep you + Amen.

Lass mich Dein sein und bleiben …

Lass mich dein sein und bleiben ...

Let me be Thine forever, Thou faithful God and Lord;
Let me forsake Thee never, nor wander from Thy Word.
Lord, do not let me waver, but give me steadfastness,
And for such grace forever Thy holy Name I’ll bless.

Lord Jesus, my Salvation, my Light, my Life divine,
My only Consolation, oh, make me wholly Thine!
For Thou hast dearly bought me with blood and bitter pain.
Let me, since Thou hast sought me, eternal life obtain.

And Thou, O Holy Spirit, my Comforter and Guide,
Grant that in Jesus’ merit I always may confide,
Him to the end confessing Whom I have known by faith.
Give me Thy constant blessing and grant a Christian death.

Ach bleib bei uns Herr Jesus Christ…

Ach bleib bei uns Herr Jesus Christ ....

Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide,
For round us falls the eventide;
Nor let Thy Word, that heav’nly light,
For us be ever veiled in night.

In these last days of sore distress
Grant us, dear Lord, true steadfastness
That pure we keep, till life is spent,
Thy holy Word and sacrament.

Lord Jesus, help, Thy Church uphold,
For we are sluggish, thoughtless, cold.
Oh, prosper well Thy Word of grace
And spread its truth in every place!

Oh, keep us in Thy Word, we pray;
The guile and rage of Satan stay!
Oh, may Thy mercy never cease!
Give concord, patience, courage, peace.

O God, how sin’s dread works abound!
Throughout the earth no rest is found,
And falsehood’s spirit wide has spread,
And error boldly rears its head.

The haughty spirits, Lord, restrain
Who o’er Thy Church with might would reign
And always set forth something new,
Devised to change Thy doctrine true.

And since the cause and glory, Lord,
Are Thine, not ours, to us afford
Thy help and strength and constancy,
With all our heart we trust in Thee.

A trusty weapon is Thy Word,
Thy Church’s buckler, shield, and sword.
Oh, let us in its power confide
That we may seek no other guide!

Oh, grant that in Thy holy Word
We here may live and die, dear Lord;
And when our journey endeth here,
Receive us into glory there.

Sing to the Lord a new song ...

Izintshumayelo zokuSebenzelana ekuZwaneni

Intshumayelo ngesonto elithiwa Kantate, ka 22. 05. 2011                                                       29/2011

Egameni likaNkulunkulu onguYise, neNdodana, noMoya oNgcwele

1.         Iculo 276/134

2.         Umkhuleko: Nkosi, Nkulunkulu, Baba osezulwini, siyabonga, ngokuba usihlanganisile namuhla, nokusiqhuba ngegama lesonto ukuba sihlabelele, sikuhubele ukubonga nendumiso. Ngakho siyacela ukuba usifundise kakhulu ngezwi lakho, nangamaculo eKerike ngokobuLuthere ukuba sifunde ngokusha ukuhlabelela, njengalokhu obaba ekukholweni besifundisile ukuhlabelela, sivume isivumo nesifundiso sekerike nangamaculo ethu njalo maqondana nemiyalelo yakho, ngokukholwa kobuKristu, ngomkhuleko weNkosi, nangombhapathizo egameni likaYise, neNdodana, noMoya oNgcwele, nangesibiko nokukhululwa ezonweni, nangesidlo somzimba onikelwe ekufeni, negazi isibili leNdodana yakho ethululelwe kube ngukuthethelelwa kwezono, futhi sifakazele ngamaculo ethu ukuthi siqondile uhlelo lomnyaka webandla, sijabulele ukugcwaliswa kwezithembiso zakho, noma simelwe ukukhala, nokudabuka kanye neNdodana yakho ngenxa yesihlahla esingatheli izithelo, nangenxa yobuningi obukhulu babangakholiwe yiNdodana yakho, kodwa sithokozele iculo nendumiso yabantwana abavumayo iNdodana yakho ethandekayo, iNkosi, uMsindisi wethu uJesu Kristu. Siyakhuleka kanjalo egameni lakhe. Amen.

3.         Iphistola ngohlelo lwesibili lilotshiwe kwabaseKolose 3:12-17;

Ivangeli ngohlelo lokuqala lilotshiwe kuMathewu 11:25-30.

4.     Isivumo senkolo: Ngiyakholwa nguNkulunkulu uYise …          5. Iculo 275/ -; noma 5/124

6.     Umkhuleko wakhe ofundayo intshumayelo          7. Ivangeli ngohlelo lwesithathu lilotshiwe kuMathewu 21:14-22, lithi: “Kwase kufika kuye izimpumputhe nezinyonga ethempelini, waziphulukisa. Kepha abapristi abakhulu nababhali, bebona izimangaliso azenzayo nabantwana bememeza ethempelini, bethi: Hosiyana kuyo iNdodana kaDavide, bacasuka, bathi kuye: Uyakuzwa lokhu abakushoyo laba na? UJesu wathi kubo: Yebo, anizange nifunde yini ukuthi: Emlonyeni wezingane nowabancelayo uzilungisele indumiso, na? Wayesebashiya, waphuma emzini, waya eBethaniya, walala khona. Kepha ekuseni esebuyela emzini walamba. Wabona umkhiwane owodwa ngasendleleni, weza kuwo; akafumananga-lutho kuwo, amaqabunga odwa. Wayesethi kuwo: Akungabe kusavela-sithelo kuwe naphakade. Umkhiwane wabuna khona-lapho. Bekubona lokho abafundi bamangala bathi: Umkhiwane ubuné kanjani masinyane na? UJesu wayesephendula, ethi kubo: Ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Uma ninokukholwa, ningangabazi, aniyikwenza okomkhiwane kuphela, kodwa noma nithi kulentaba: Nqukuleka, uphonseke elwandle, kuyakwenzeka; nakho konke eningakucela ngokukhuleka nikholwa niyakukwamukeliswa.” Amen.

8. Intshumayelo: Bathandekayo eNkosini, isonto lanamuhla liyasiluleka ngegama lalo ukuba sihlabelele. Ngokwempela abeKerike ngokobuLuthere bayahlabelela, basebenzisa isihlabelelo sabo ezinkonzweni zamasonto kanye nebandla. Ngomjwayelo wawobaba bethu amaLuthere ayahlabelela amaculo esihlabelelo nasemakhaya, uma ephatha umkhuleko, nasemikhosini, nasemihlanganweni, noma eyabasha, eyabomame, eyamadoda, nasemingcwabeni. Kuthé ubaba uNun Mokone,, umhloli wezikole, ebuzwa eJalimane ngomnyaka ka1957, ebuzwa ukuthi ucabangani ngakho okwenzile ukuba abeTswana baphenduke ngobuningi kangaka phambi kwempi yamaNgisi namaBhunu, wayephendula, wathi: “AmaKristu, kakhulu amaLuthere ayahlabelela emingcwabeni.” Ngokwempela amaLuthere kanye namaKristu onke awadabuki, awakhali njengalabo abangenathemba ngabamukileyo, ngababekwa nangabalalayo emalibeni. Ayaculo, ahlabelela ngengqobo kaJesu Kristu emingcwabeni yabo, bayavuma ukuthi uJesu Kristu ubahlengile ezonweni zonke, nasekufeni, nasemandleni kaSathane. Ngithi iningi phakathi kwethu lisakhumbula ukuthi abezizwe babekhala ngezililo ezithintayo inhliziyo, kakhulu uma othile kwabakubo wayemuka emhlabeni esesibhedlele, isidumbu sakhe salethwa, safika kubo. Kwakulila nokumbongoza, isimayemaye, isililo, isikhalo impela okwezwakala esigodini sonke sakubo.

Kodwa amaLuthere bayahlabelela amaculo ezinhloko ezinkulu zokukholwa nemfundiso yobuKristu, njengalokhu sifundiswa eKhathekisimini likaDr. Martin Luther, noma njengalokhu zikhunjulwa, nokushunyayelwa ngomnyaka webandla, ngesikhathi seAdvente, ngomkhosi wokukhumbula ukuzalwa kweNkosi, ngesikhathi sePhifaniya ngokukhumbula ukuthi uMsindisi wabantu bonke wambulelwe nakubo abezizwe, nasesikhathini seNzilo ukuhlushwa kweNkosi, ngosuku lokukhumbula ukubethelwa nokufa kweNkosi, kakhulu ngomkhosi wokukhumbula ukuvuka kweNkosi kwabafileyo, nokwenyuka kwayo, nokuthululelwa kukaMoya oNgcwele kubafundi beNkosi ngomkhosi wePhentekoste, ngokukhumbula isambulo sikaNkulunkulu weqiniso, onguYise, neNdodana, noMoya oNgcwele, uMdali, noMsindisi, noMngcwelisi wethu, uNkulunkulu wobuThathwemunye, nangomkhosi wobuthunywa kuyakhunjulwa usizi yabangakabhapathizwa, nomsebenzi omkhulu wokuhambisa ivangeli ukuliyisa kwabezizwe. Kwaziwe ukuthi ngamaculo abacanduli bekerike ngesikhathi sikaMartin Luther amaLuthere batshalile okwafundiswa ngesikhathi sokucandulwa kwekerike ebantwini ukuba bamukele ukukhululwa, nokuhlengwa ezonweni, nasekufeni, nasemandleni kaSathane ngokuzalwa, nokufa, nokuvuka kukaJesu Kristu ngokukholwa nangokuthokoza okukhulu.

AmaLuthere ayacula amaculo, ayadumisa insindiso ekuKristu Jesu, noma bemelwe ukukhala nokulila, nokuzwela ubuhlungu kanye neNkosi yethu ngenxa yabasamelana nokukholwa, nokwala ukwamukela ukukholwa nokubhapathizwa, nangenxa yamakholwa awangasatheli izithelo zokuphenduka, nokukholwa, nothando, nethemba, njengalokhu sithola ezwini lentshumayelo ya namuhla ukuthi uJesu waqalekisa umkhiwane angafumananga lutho kuwo ukuba ubune khona lapho. Sengiyabuza ukuthi sithini ngabo abambona uKristu akwenzayo ngokuphulukisa izimpumputhe nezinyonga ethempelini, nangokuzwa abantwana abahubela iNkosi ethempelini, bedumisa, bememeza, bethi: Hosyiana kuyo iNdodana kaDavide! Makusizwe iNdodana kaDavide, ibusiswe, iphumelele emsebenzini wayo ewuzele ukuwenza eJerusalema. Abapristi abakhulu nababhali ababefundisa umthetho kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema babecasuka, basola iNkosi, mhla engavimbanga abantwana ukuyihubela, nokuyifakazela ngendumiso yabo ukuthi uJesu ungothenjisiweyo noMsindisi wabantu. UKristu wathokozela indumiso yabantwana, wafakaza ukuthi indumiso yabo iyafakazela ukugcwaliseka kwesithembiso esitholakalayo eHutsheni lesishiyagalombili. Ngelinye ilanga uJesu watshela ababefuna ukuba akhuze, avimbe abafundi bakhe ababemhubela nokumdumisa, wathi: “Uma bethula laba, amatshe azakumemeza.”

Noma sizwa ezwini lentshumayelo yanamuhla ukuthi uJesu waqalekisa umkhiwane loya, siyakhumbula nomlando omunye okhulumayo ngaye owacela umnini wesivini ngokuthi: Nkosi, wuyeke nangalomnyaka, ngize ngivukuze inhlabathi emaceleni awo, ngiwuthelele umquba; mhlawumbe ungaze uthele ngozayo; kepha uma kungenjalo, wowunquma.” UJesu Kristu, uMsindisi wethu usavukuza inhlabathi emaceleni ethu ngokusithumela abashumayeli bezwi lakhe ukuba sithokoze kanye naye, sikhumbule ukuthi usagcwalisa izithembiso zakhe. Abantwana bayamhubela, kanye nabadala abaningi. Abantu abangamaKristu bayamethemba, bakholwa nguye. Indumiso yoMsindisi wabantu bonke isezwakala.

Ake sigqugquzelwe, sivuselelwe sonke ukuhlangana nalabayabantwana, nabafundi beNkosi endleleni yakhe ngesicelo esithi: INkosi mayiphumelele ukunqoba ukwala nokuphikisa konke ezinhliziyweni zabantu, abaholele, nokubaqinisa ekukholweni. Abakholwa nguye abakwazi ukuthula nje, bazomdumisa, nokumhubela ngentokozo enkulu, ngokuba uJesu Kristu usilungisele insindiso nokuphila okuphakade ngokufa nangokuvuka kwakhe. Amen.

9.         Umkhuleko: Nkosi Jesu Kristu, siyabonga, ngokuba uzambulele kithi ukuba siholwe nguwe. Sesiyacela ukuba uqhubeke ukugcwalisa izithembiso zakho naphakathi kwethu, nakubantwana bethu, igama lakho lidunyiswe ngabadala nangabantwana ngamaculo azodonsa, nokuhola nabanye ukukholwa nguwe, nokukudumisa. Mawusizwe ngenxa yothando lwakho olukhulu. Amen.

Umkhuleko weNkosi: Baba wethu osezulwini …

10.       Iculo 225/187

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

Lentshumayelo ilotshiwe ngomnyaka ka-2011 ngu-E. A. W. Weber.

Ukucindezelwa nokuthunywa kwalezintshumayelo kuyasekelwa yinhlangno ethiwa: Lutheran Heritage Foundation

Dithero tsa Tirelano mo Kutlwanong

Thero ka Sontaga o o bidiwang Kantate, e le ka 22. 05. 2011                                                         29/2011

Mo leineng la Modimo o e leng Rara le Morwa le Mowa o o Boitshepo!

1.         Sefela sa 183 – 169/-

2.         Thapelo: Morena, Modimo, Rara yo o mo legodimong, re a go leboga, ka o re kopantse mo letsatsing la kajeno, le go re tlhotlheletsa ka leina la Sontaga gore re opele, re go opelele tebogo le tumiso. Ka moo re kopa gore o re rute bogolo ka Lefoko la gago, le ka difela tsa kereke ya Lutere gore re ithute sešwa go opela jaaka borara mo tumelong ka fa ba re rutileng go opela ka teng, re ipolele boipolelo le thuto ya kereke le ka difela tsa rona ka metlha malebana le ditaolo tsa gago, tumelo ya bokeresete, thapelo ya Morena, kolobetso mo leineng la Rara, le Morwa, le Mowa o o Boitshepo, boipobolo le kgololo mo maleong, le selalelo sa mmele ruri, le madi ruri a ga Morwao a a tshologeletsweng boitshwarelo jwa maleo, re be re supe ka difela tsa rona gore re tlhalogantse thulaganyo ya ngwaga wa kereke, re itumelele tirafatso ya ditsholofetso tsa gago, le fa re tshwanetse go lela le go hutsafala ka ntlha ya setlhare se se se nang maungo mmogo le Morwao, le ka ntlha ya bontsi jo bogolo jo bo sa dumeleng mo go Morwao, re itumelele sefela sa bana ba ipolelang Morwao yo o rategang, Morena, Mopholosi wa rona Jesu Keresete. Re rapela jalo mo leina la gagwe. Amen.

3.         Epistolo ka fa thulaganyong ya 2 e kwadilwe mo go Bakolose 3:12-17;

Efangele ka fa thulaganyong ya 1 e kwadilwe mo go Matheo 11:25-30.

4.       A go ipolelwe tumelo ya bokeresete! 5. Sefela sa 180 – 165/172

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

Matheo 21:14-22, e re: “Foo difofu le batlhotsi ba tla go ene mo Tempeleng, mme a ba fodisa. Ya re baperesiti ba bagolo le baitsedikwalo ba bona dikgakgamatso tse o di dirang, le bana ba ba opang mokgosi mo Tempeleng ba re: ‘Hosana go Morwa Dafita!’ ba gakala, ba mo raya ba re: ‘A o utlwa se bao ba se buang?’ Jesu a ba fetola a re: ‘Ee; a ga lo ise lo ke lo buise se se reng: ‘O ipaakanyeditse pako ka melomo ya masea le ya ba ba anyang?’ Mme a ba tlogela, a tswa mo motseng, a ya kwa Bethania, a lala teng. Ya re ka moso phakela, fa a boela kwa motseng, a tshwarwa ke tlala. Ya re a bona mofeie fa tseleng, a ya kwa go ona; mme a se ka a fitlhela sepe mo go ona, fa e se matlhare fela. Foo a o raya a re: ‘A go se tlhole go ungwa leungo lepe mo go wena go ya bosakhutleng!’ Mme mofeie wa akofa wa omelela. Ya re barutwa ba bona, ba gakgamala ba re: ‘Kana mofeie o omeletse ka bonako jang?’ Jesu a ba araba a re: ‘Ammaaruri ke lo raya ke re: Fa lo na le tumelo, lo sa belaele, lo ka dira, e seng fela se se se diretsweng mofeie; mme fa lo ka raya thaba e lo a re: ‘Itsholetse o itigele mo lewatleng,’ go ka dirafala. Le tsotlhe tse lo ka di kopang mo thapelong ka go dumela, lo tla di amogela.’” Amen.

8. Thero: Barategi mo Moreneng, Sontaga wa kajeno o re kaela ka leina la ona gore re opele. Tota-tota ba kereke ya Lutere ba a opela, ba dirisa kopelo ya bone mo ditirelong-Modimo mmogo le phuthego. Ka tlwaelo ya borara ba rona Balutere ba opela difela tsa kopelo le mo magaeng, fa ba tshwara thapelo, le mo meletlong, le mo dikopanong le fa e le tsa bašwa, tsa bomme, tsa banna, le mo diphitlhong. E rile rre Nun Mokone, motlhatlhobi wa dikolo, a bodiwa kwa Jeremane ka ngwaga wa 1957 a bodiwa gore o gopolang ka ga se se dirileng gore Batswana ba ne ba tlhabologa ka bontsi mo go kalo pele ga ntwa ya Maesimane le Maburu, o ne a araba a re: “Bakeresete, bogolo Balutere ba opela mo diphitlhong,” Tota Balutere mmogo le bakeresete botlhe ga ba hutsafalele ba ga gabo ba ba sa tlholeng ba tshela, jaaka ba ba se nang tsholofelo. Ba opela ka ga phenyo ya ga Jesu Keresete mo diphitlhong tsa bone, ba ipolela, fa Jesu Keresete a ba golotse mo maleong otlhe, le mo losong, le mo thateng ya ga Satane. Ke a dumela gore bontsi jwa rona bo sa ntse bo gopola ka fa baditšhaba ba ne ba lela dilelo tse di amang pelo, fa mongwe wa bone a ne a swela mo sebetleleng, setopo sa gagwe se goroga mo gae. Ke selelo tota.

Mme Balutere ba opela difela tsa dikgaolo tse dikgolo tsa thuto ya bokeresete, jaaka di rutiwa mo Kategisimeng ya ga Dr. Martin Luther, gongwe jaaka di gopolwa, le go rerwa ka ngwaga wa kereke, ya sebaka sa Adfente, sa go gopola botsalo jwa Morena, sa go gopola gore Mopholosi wa batho botlhe o senoletswe le baditšhaba ka sebaka sa Epifania, le mo sebakeng sa dipogo, tsa papolo le loso lwa Morena, bogolo ka moletlo wa go gopola tsogo ya Morena mo baswing, le tlhatlogo ya gagwe, le kgoromeletso ya Mowa o o Boitshepo, le ka go gopola tshenolo ya Modimo wa nnete, o e leng Rara, le Morwa, le Mowa o o Boitshepo, Motlhodi, Mopholosi, Moitshepisi wa rona, le ka meletlo ya thomo go gopodiwa tlalelo ya ba ba iseng ba kolobediwe, le tiro e kgolo ya go tsamaisa Efangele go e isa mo go baditšhaba. Go itsiwe gore ka difela tsa bantšhafatsi ba kereke ka nako ya ga Martin Luther Balutere ba tsentse tse di rutilweng ka nako ya bontšhwafatso jwa kereke mo bathong, gore ba amogele thuto ya go gololwa mo boleong, le mo losong, le mo thateng ya ga Satane ka botsalo, loso, le tsogo ya ga Jesu Keresete.

Balutere ba a opela difela tse di galaletsang pholoso e e mo go Keresete Jesu, le fa ba tshwanetse go hutsafala, le go utlwa botlhoko mmogo le Morena wa rona ka ntlha ya ba ba sa ntseng ba mo ganetsa, le go gana go amogela tumelo le kolobetso, le ka ntlha ya badumedi ba ba sa ungweng maungo a tlhabologo, le tumelo, le lorato, le tsholofelo, jaaka re bona ka Lefoko la thero ya kajeno gore Jesu o ne a hutsa mofeie gore o akofe wa omelela. Tota re reng ka ga bone ba ba bonang se Keresete a se dirang ka go fodisa difofu le batllhotsi, ka go bona bana ba ba opelelang Morena mo Tempeleng, ba mo opelela ka go opa mokgosi mo tempelang, ba re: Hosana go Morwa Dafita! A go thusiwe Morwa Dafita, a a bone letlhogonolo le tshegofatso mo tirong ya gagwe e a e tletseng go e dira kwa Jerusalema. Baperesiti ba bagolo le baruti ba molao wa Modimo ba kwa Jerusalema ba ngongoregela Morena, fa a ne a sa thibele bana go mo opelela, le go supa ka tumiso ya bone gore Jesu ke yo o solofeditsweng go nna Mopholosi wa batho botlhe. Keresete o ne a itumelela tumiso ya bana, a supa gore ke tirafatso ya polelelo-pele ya Pesalome ya borobedi. Ka nako e nngwe Jesu o ne a bolelela ba ba batlileng gore a thibele barutwa ba gagwe ba ba neng ba mo opelela, a re: “Fa ba, ba ka didimala, majwe a tla kua.”

Le fa re utlwa ka Lefoko la thero ya kajeno gore Jesu o ne a hutsa mofeie ole, re gopola le tiragalo e nngwe e e re bolelelang ka ga yo o kopileng morena wa tshimo ya moweine, a kopela setlhare se se neng se sa ungwe, a re: “Morena, o lese le ka ngwaga ono, ke tle ke o lemele, ke tsenya letshotelo. Motlhaope o tla ungwa isago; fa go sa nne jalo, o ka o rema.” Morena Jesu Keresete o sa ntse a re lemela ka go re rerela  Lefoko la gagwe gore re itumele mmogo le ene, fa a sa ntse a dirafatsa ditsholofetso tsa gagwe. Bana ba mo opelela, le batho ba le bantsi. Bakeresete ba a mo ikanya, ba dumela mo go ene. Tumiso ya Mopholosi wa batho botlhe e sa ntse e utlwala.

A re tsoselediweng rotlhe go kopana le bana bale, le barutwa ba Morena mo tseleng ya gagwe ka kopo gore Morena a kgone go fenya dikganetso tsotlhe mo dipelong tsa batho, a ba gogele, le go ba tiisa mo tumelong. Ba ba dumelang mo go ene ga ba ka ke ba didimala, ba tla mo tumisa, le go mo opelela ka boitumelo jo bogolo, gonne Jesu Keresete o re baakanyeditse pholoso le botshelo jo bo sa khutleng ka loso le tsogo ya gagwe. Amen.

9.         Thapelo: Morena Jesu Keresete, re a go leboga, ka o itshenoletse mo go rona gore re dumele mo go wena. Ke gona re kopang gore o tswelele go dirafatsa ditsholofetso tsa gago mo gare ga rona, le mo baneng ba rona, leina la gago le galalediwe ke bagolo le bana ka difela tse di tla gogang le ba bangwe go dumela mo go wena le go go galaletsa. O re utlwe ka ntlha ya lorato lo logolo lwa gago. Amen.

Thapelo ya Morena: Rara wa rona yo o mo legodimong …

10.       Sefela sa 186 – 172/179

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. A. W. Weber, ka ngwaga wa 2011

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

Jesus Christ says: "I am the vine, you are the branches ... without me you can do nothing. Abide in me!"

Dithero tsa Tirelano mo Kutlwanong

Thero ka Sontaga o o bidiwang Jubilate, e le ka 15. 05. 2011                                28/2011

Mo leineng la Modimo o e leng Rara le Morwa le Mowa o o Boitshepo!

1.         Sefela sa 227 – 213/221

2. Thapelo: Morena, Modimo, o re itshepise mo boammaaruing. Lefoko la gago ke la boamaaruri.  Amen.

3.  Epistolo ka fa thulaganyong ya 2 e kwadilwe mo go 1 Johane 5:1-4;

Efangele ka fa thulaganyong ya 1 e kwadilwe mo go Johane 15:1-8.

4.  A go ipolelwe tumelo ya bokeresete!

5. Sefela sa120 – 108/-

6. Thapelo ya mmadi wa thero.

7. Efangele ka fa thulaganyong ya 3 e kwadilwe mo go Johane 16:16-23a, e re: “’Morago ga sebakanyana ga lo nke lo tlhola lo mpona, mme morago ga sebakanyana gape lo tla mpona; gonne ke ya kwa go Rara.’ Ke fa bangwe ba barutwa ba gagwe ba raana ba re: ‘Ke eng se o se re bolelelang, fa a re: Morago ga sebakanyana ga lo nke lo mpona, mme morago ga sebakanyana gape lo tla mpona; le fa a re: Ke ya kwa go Rara?’ Ba boa ba re: ‘Ke go reng, fa a re: Morago ga sebakanyana? Ga re itse se a se buang.’ Jesu a lemoga gore ba rata go mmotsa; a ba raya a re: ‘A lo botsanya ka ga se ke se buileng, fa ke re: Morago ga sebakanyana ga lo nke lo mpona, mme morago ga sebakanyana gape lo tla mpona? Ammaaruri, ammaaruri ke lo raya ke re: Lo tla lela, lo tlhokofala, lefatshe lone le tla itumela. Lo tla hutsafala; mme khutsafalo ya lona e tla fetoga boitumelo. Mosadi, fa a belega, o na le bohutsana, ka nako ya gagwe e tlile. Mme e a re a sena go belega ngwana, a se ke a tlhole a gopola tlalelo ka ntlha ya boitumelo jwa gore motho o tsaletswe mo lefatsheng. Jalo le lona lo na le bohutsana jaanong, mme ke tla boa ke lo bona; dipelo tsa lona di tla itumela, mme ga go ope yo o tla lo amogang boitumelo jwa lona. Motsing oo ga lo nke lo mpotsa sepe.'” Amen.

8. Thero: Phuthego ya ga Jesu Keresete, kajeno ke Sontaga o o bidiwang: Jubilate! Ka Setswana leina leo le re: Dudueletsang Morena! Itumeleng! Efangele eno e rata go tlatsa dipelo le mewa ya rona le segakolodi ka boitumelo. E rata go tlatsa metse ya rona le phuthego ya rona, le ditikologo tsotlhe tsa rona ka boitumelo le lethabo. Mo tlase fa, mo lefatsheng badumedi ba mo kotsing e kgolo ka metlha, e le kotsi ya go latlhegelwa ke tsholofelo. Re feta mo go tse dintsi, bogolo mo lefatsheng la rona, bogolo mo sebakeng sa kajeno. Satane o leka ka ditsela tse dintsi go bolaya sebete sa rona le boitumelo jwa rona, gonne o leka go bolaya tumelo ya rona. Ka moo ke a itumela, fa Mopholosi wa me Jesu Keresete ka nosi o nkgomotsa kajeno, jaaka a gomotsa kereke yotlhe ya gagwe mo lefatsheng.

A bua le barutwa ba gagwe mo bosigong jole jo a tshwaristsweng ka jona, pele ga loso lo lo boitshegang lwa gagwe. Mo polelong ya bofelo ya gagwe o kopanya tse tharo: Moletlo wa Tsogo le wa Pentekoste, le go bowa ga gagwe ka letsatsi la bofelo. Ke gore tsogo ya gagwe le kgoromeletso ya Mowa o o Botshepo le bokhutlo jwa dilo tsotlhe. O bua le ka ga lefatshe le le tlang, a re: “Morago ga sebakanyana ga lo nke lo tlhola lo mpona, mme morago ga sebakanyana gape lo tla mpona; gonne ke ya kwa ga Rara.” Barutwa ba ne ba sa tlhaloganye se a se buang, le fa go le botlhofo go lepolola nyoba eo. Bana ba sekolo sa tlhomamiso ba ithuta mafoko a a reng: Ke dumela mo go Jesu Keresete yo o neng a bapolelwa mo sefapaanong, a swa, a fitlhwa, a tsoga ka letsatsi la boraro mo baswing, a tlhatlogela mo legodimong, a le koo o tla roma Mogomotsi, Mowa o o Boitshepo, mme mo bofelong o tla bowa teng mo legodimong. Tseo di a utlwala, ga di fitlhege. Ga ke re?

Ke nnete, Jesu o re tlhalosetsa tseo, a re: “Ammaaruri, ammaarui ke lo raya ke re: Lo tla lela, lo tlhokofala, lefatshe lone le tla itumela. Lo tla hutsafala; mme khutsafalo ya lona e tla fetoga boitumelo. Lona lo na le bohutsana jaanong, mme ke tla boa ke lo bona; dipelo tsa lona di tla itumela, mme ga go ope yo o tla lo amogang boitumelo jwa lona,” a sena a tsoga, bogolo fa a tla bo a sena go boa ka letsatsi la bofelo. Ke mang yo o hutsafetseng kajeno? Yo o nang le letswalo fa gare ga rona ke mang? Jesu o bua le lona. O ka re: Jesu o a re bona, o a re itse, o re tlhaloganya le matshwenyego a rona. Tse di tshwenyang kajeno mo lefatsheng la rona di ama pelo ya gagwe. Ga a re tlogele re le masiela. Ga a re tlogele mo tlalelong ya rona, nyaya. O a re godisa, le go tlhatlosa mmele le mowa, tlhogo le pelo ya rona. Gantsi re mo tlase thata mo moweng mo malatsing a a bokete. Mme fano mo Efangeleng ya kajeno go dirwa se sešwa. Re itumedisiwa fa gare ga dikeledi, le fa gare ga dilelo gore boitumelo bo latele botlhoko, le go utlwisiwa botlhoko, e le boitumelo jo bošwa, le boitumelo jo bo sa feleng, e le boitumelo jwa botlalo, boitumelo tota. Ke tlhoka mafoko a a bontsha, le go tlhalosa tse di kwadilweng mono kajeno.

Ke a itse, ke dumela ka tlhomamo gore Jesu Keresete o teng. O nna le nna ka letsatsi lotlhe, o nna le nna mo motseng wa ga etsho, o nna le nna mono mo kerekeng, o nna le nna bosigo le motshegare. O nna le nna mo Lefokong la gagwe. O nna le nna mo boipobolong. O nna le nna mo selalelong se se boitshepo. O nna le nna mo kamoreng ya me. O nna le nna mo sekolong. O nna le nna mo perekong. O nna le nna ka Sontaga phakela, le fa gare ga beke, le fa ke le fa kae, le fa ke dirang. Ke ka atamela mo go ene. Ke ka kopana le ene. Mowa o o Boitshepo wa gagwe o ntshikara, o a ntiisa, o a ntshedisa, o a nkgomotsa. Lona bomme ba phuthego lo utlwa botoka se se kwadilweng fano, fa go twe: “Mosadi, fa a belega, o na le bohutsana, ka nako ya gagwe e tlile. Mme e a re a sena go belega ngwana, a se ke a tlhole a gopola tlalelo ka ntlha ya boitumelo jwa gore motho o tsaletswe mo lefatsheng.” Ke sekao le setshwantsho se se molemo tota. Go dirilwe se sešwa fa gare ga matlhoko mo botshelong jwa rona. Ke nnete ka Efangele go dirwa se sešwa mo tsamaong ya rona e Paulo a buang ka yona, a re: “Ba tiisa dipelo tsa barutwa, ba ba kgothatsa gore ba nnele ruri mo tumelong. Le gona ba re: ‘Re tshwanetse go tsena mo pusong ya Modimo ka ditlalelo di le dintsi,’” Dit. 14:22. Fela jalo go dirwa se sešwa mo tsamaong ya phuthego ya Morena. Re sala Jesu Keresete morago. Tsela ya gagwe e feta kwa Golegotha, mme e khutla mo legodimong. Ke jona botshelo jo bošwa ka tsogo ya ga Keresete. Ke botshelo jo bošwa ka go goromelediwa Mowa o o Boitshepo. Ke botshelo ka go dumela. Ke botshelo ka go itshwarelwa maleo a rona. Ke botshelo ka Efangele e e monate ya ga Jesu Keresete. Fa gare ga loso re mo botshelong. Loso lo latelwa ke botshelo jo bo sa khutleng. Fa gare ga tlalelo re mo boitumelong. Mosadi, fa a belega, o na le bohutsana, ka nako ya gagwe e tlile. Mme e a re a sena go belega ngwana, a se ke a tlhole a gopola tlalelo ka ntlha ya boitumelo jwa gore motho o tsaletswe mo lefatsheng. Boitumelo jo bo sa bolelweng bo tla latela matshwenyego, le matlhoko.

Tsogo ya ga Keresete e re e gopolang ka moletlo wa tsogo, le kgoromeletso ya Mowa o o Boitshepo e re e gopolang ka moletlo wa Penteksote, le go bowa ga Keresete ka letsatsi la bofelo go mmogo. Ke ka itumela, ke ka opela, jaaka nonyane e e fofang e lela. Se ke se bolelang, bagaetsho, ke se: Nna le wena re ka tshega mo gare ga dikeledi. Le lona lo na le bohutsana jaanong, mme ke tla boa ke lo bona; dipelo tsa lona di tla itumela, mme ga go ope yo o tla lemogang boitumelo jwa lona. Motsing oo ga lo nke lo mpotsa sepe. Dipelaelo tsotlhe di tla fela. Mo bosuleng jotlhe, le mo botlhokong, mo ditlalelong tsotlhe le mo go tsotlhe tse ke di tlhokang, mo bohutsaneng jotlhe ke a itse gore Jesu Kereste Mopholosi wa me o teng. O a nthata. O a mpelega, o a mpoloka. Ke utlwa mafoko a gagwe a kgomotso. Morago ga sebakanyana lo tla boa lo mpona, ke boa ke lo bona, Pelo ya me e itumele. Ga go ope yo o ka amogang boitumelo mo go lona. Itshokeleng fela, bomorwa-Rre, bomorwadie-Rre. Itshokeleng bakaulengwe. Re tla fenya ka ene. Re tla fenya mmogo le ene. Haleluja. Amen.

9.         Thapelo: Morena Jesu Keresete, tlatsa dipelo tsa rona ka boitumelo jwa gago, le ka tsholofelo ya gago, ka bopelokgale jwa gago gore re lhabane tlhabano e e molemo ya tumelo. O re thuse jalo gore re go sale morago ka boikanyego le ka nnete, go ya re pholosiwe mo botshelong jo bo sa khutleng. Amen.

Thapelo ya Morena: Rara wa rona yo o mo legodimong …

10.       Sefela sa 129 – 117/118

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 K. G. Tiedemann, ka ngwaga wa 2011.

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

Jesus says: "I am the vine, you are the branches" and "Without me you can do nothing... abide in me"

Izintshumayelo zokuSebenzelana ekuZwaneni

Intshumayelo ngesonto elithiwa Jubilate, ka 15. 05. 2011                                                             28/2011

Egameni likaNkulunkulu onguYise, neNdodana, noMoya oNgcwele

 1.         Iculo 158/1

 2.         Umkhuleko: Nkosi Nkulunkulu, singcwelise ngeqiniso lakho. Izwi lakho liyiqiniso.  3.         Iphistola ngohlelo lwesibili lilotshiwe ku-1 Joh. 5:1-4;

Ivangeli ngohlelo lokuqala lilotshiwe kuJoh. 15:1-8.

 4.         Isivumo senkolo: Ngiyakholwa nguNkulunkulu uYise …

5. Iculo 122/105

 6. Umkhuleko wakhe ofundayo intshumayelo

7. Ivangeli ngohlelo lwesithathu lilotshiwe  uJohane 16, 16 – 23a, lithi: “Kusezakuba-yisikhashana ningabe nisangibona, kubuye kube-yisikhashana ningibone, ngokuba ngiya kuBaba. Ngakho abanye kubo abafundi bakhe base bekhuluma bodwa, bethi: Kuyini lokho akushoyo kithi ukuthi: Kusezakuba-yisikhashana ningabe nisangibona, kubuye kube-yisikhashana ningibone, nokuthi: Ngokuba ngiya kuBaba, na? Bathi: Kuyini lokho akushoyo ukuthi: Yisikhashana, na? Asazi ukuba uthini. UJesu wazi ukuthi bebethanda ukumbuza, wathi kubo: Niyabuzana ngalokho engikushiloyo ukuthi: Kusezakuba-yisikhashana ningabe nisangibona, kubuye kube-yisikhashana ningibone, na? Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Niyakukhala nilile nina, kepha izwe liyakujabula; niyakuba-lusizi nina, kepha usizi lwenu luyakuphendulwa lube-ngukuthokoza. Owesifazane, nxa esabeletha, ulusizi, ngokuba sifikile isikhathi sakhe; kepha nxa esembelethile umntwana, akabe esakhumbula ubuhlungu ngenxa yentokozo yokuba kuzelwe umuntu ezweni. Nani-ke nilusizi manje, kepha ngiyakubuye nginibone, inhliziyo yenu ithokoze; intokozo yenu akakho onganamuka yona. Ngalolusuku aniyikubuza-lutho kimi.” Amen.

 8. Intshumayelo: Bandla likaJesu Kristu, namuhla sekulisonto, elinegama elihle elithi: Jubilate. NgesiZulu lithi: Mhubeleni njenjabulo! Namuhla siyalulekwa ngokuthi: Jabulani. Thokozani. Lelivangeli lifuna ukugcwalisa inhliziyo nomphefumulo nomoya nonembeza wethu ngentokozo. Lifuna ukugcwalisa umuzi wethu nebandla lethu nesigodi sethu sonke ngentokozo. Lapha phansi thina-makholwa sisengozini enkulu njalo yokulahlekelwa ithemba. Sidlula kokuningi, kakhulu ezweni lakithi, kakhulu esikhathini samanje. USathane uzama ngezindlela eziningi ukubulala isibindi sethu nentokozo yethu, ngoba ezama ukubulala ukukholwa kwethu. Ngakho-ke ngiyajabula ukuthi uMsindisi wami uJesu Kristu uqobo lwakhe uyangiduduza namuhla, njengokuba eduduza ibandla lakhe lonke emhlabeni.

 Uyakhuluma nabafundi bakhe kulobubusuku lapho akhashelwa khona, phambi kokufa kwakhe okwesabekayo. Ngalesosigcino senkulumo yakhe uyahlanganisa okuthathu: umkhosi wePhasika nomkhosi wePhentekoste nokubuya kwakhe ngosuku lokugcina, okusho ukuthi ukuvuka kwakhe nokuthululwa kukaMoya oNgcwele nokugcina kwezinto zonke lé kwelizayo. Kusezakuba-yisikhashana ningabe nisangibona, kubuye kube-yisikhashana ningibone, ngokuba ngiya kuBaba. Abafundi kabaqondi lutho, kanti kulula ukuthukulula lemfumbe. Abantwana bekilasi bayafunda: Ngiyakholwa nguJesu Kristu owabethelwa esiphambanweni, wafa, wembelwa… ngosuku lwesithathu wavuka kwabafileyo, wenyukela ezulwini, lapho ezothumela khona uMduduzi, uMoya wakhe oNgcwele, lapho eyakubuya khona. Kuyezwakala, kuyakhanya, angithi?

 Yebo, uJesu uyachasisela lokhu: Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Niyakukhala nilile nina, kepha izwe liyakujabula; niyakuba-lusizi nina, kepha usizi lwenu luyakuphendulwa lube-ngukuthokoza. Nani-ke nilusizi manje, kepha ngiyakubuye nginibone, inhliziyo yenu ithokoze; intokozo yenu akakho onganamuka yona. Ngalolusuku aniyikubuza-lutho kimi.  Ubani phakathi kwethu odabukile namuhla na? Ubani phakathi kwethu unovalo na? UJesu uyakhuluma nani. Sengathi uJesu uyasibona thina, uyasazi thina, uyasiqonda thina nezinhlupheko zethu. Izinkinga zanamuhla ezweni lakithi ziyathinta inhliziyo yakhe. Akasishiyi siyizintandane. Akasishiyi osizini lwethu, cha. Uyasiphakamisa – umzimba nomphefumulo, ikhanda nenhliziyo. Sivama siphansi emoyeni kuzo izinsuku ezinzima. Kanti lapha evangelini lethu kuyadalwa okusha. Intokozo phakathi kwezinyembezi. Intokozo phakathi kokulila. Intokozo emuva kobuhlungu. Intokozo emva kokulimala. Intokozo entsha. Intokozo engenakuphela. Intokozo ephelele. Intokozo isibili. Ngiswela amazwi okubonisa nokuchaza okulotshiwe lapha namuhla.

Ngiyazi, ngikholwa nqi ukuthi uJesu Kristu ukhona. Unami ngosuku lonke. Unami emzini wami. Unami nalapha esontweni. Unami emini nasebusuku. Unami ezwini lakhe. Unami esibikweni. Unami esidlweni esingcwele. Unami ekamelweni lami. Unami esikoleni. Unami emsebenzini. Unami ngesonto ekuseni, naphakathi kweviki; noma ngikuphi, noma ngenzani, ngingasondela kuye, ngingahlangana naye. UMoya wakhe oNgcwele uyangithwala, uyangiqinisa, uyangiphilisa, uyangiduduza. Nina-ke bomame bebandla niyezwa kangcono okulotshiwe lapha: Owesifazane, nxa esabeletha, ulusizi, ngokuba sifikile isikhathi sakhe; kepha nxa esembelethile umntwana, akabe esakhumbula ubuhlungu ngenxa yentokozo yokuba kuzelwe umuntu ezweni. Lokhu kuyisibonelo esihle ngempela. Kuyadalwa okusha phakathi kobuhlungu ekuphileni kwethu. Kanjalo kuyadalwa okusha ekuhambeni kwethu. „Simelwe ukungena embusweni kaNkulunkulu ngezinhlupheko eziningi,“ (IzEnzo 14:22). Kanjalo kuyadalwa okusha ekuhambeni kwebandla leNkosi. Simlandela uJesu Kristu. Indlela yakhe idlula eGolgotha, igcina ezulwini kodwa. Nans’ impilo entsha ngokuvuka kukaKristu. Impilo entsha ngokuthululwa kukaMoya oNgcwele. Impilo entsha ngokukholwa. Impilo entsha ngokuthethelelwa kwezono zethu. Impilo entsha ngevangeli elihle elimnandi likaJesu Kristu. Phakathi kokufa sisempilweni. Emva kokufa kuvela ukuphila okungenakuphela, ukuphila okuphakade. Phakathi kosizi sisentokozweni. Owesifazane, nxa esabeletha, ulusizi, ngokuba sifikile isikhathi sakhe; kepha nxa esembelethile umntwana, akabe esakhumbula ubuhlungu ngenxa yentokozo yokuba kuzelwe umuntu ezweni. Emva kwezinhlupheko, emva kobuhlungu: intokozo engakhulumekiyo.

 Ukuvuka kukaKristu ngePhasika, ukuthululwa kukaMoya oNgcwele ngePhentekoste, ukubuya kukaKristu ngosuku lokugcina kuhlangene. Kuyaqinisa ukukholwa kwethu, kuyasikhombisa ukuthi izulu livuliwe phezu kwethu. Ngingajabula, ngingahlabelela njengenyoni endizayo. Engikushoyo bakithi: Wena nami singahleka phakathi kwezinyembezi. Nani-ke nilusizi manje, kepha ngiyakubuye nginibone, inhliziyo yenu ithokoze; intokozo yenu akakho onganamuka yona. Ngalolusuku aniyikubuza-lutho kimi. Konke ukungabaza kuzophela. Kukho okubi nobuhlungu, kuzo zonke izinhlupheko nezidingo, kulo lonke usizi ngiyazi nokho ukuthi uJesu Kristu uMsindisi wami ukhona. Uyangithanda. Uyangithwala. Uyangilondoloza. Ngiyezwa amazwi akhe enduduzo: Kusezakuba-yisikhashana ningibone; ngiyakubuye nginibone, inhliziyo yenu ithokoze, intokozo yenu akakho onganamuka yona. Bhekezela nje, mfowethu. Bhekezela nje, dadewethu. Bhekezela nje, mzalwane. Sizonqoba naye. Sizonqoba ngaye. Halleluja. Amen.

 9.         Umkhuleko:  Yebo, Nkosi Jesu Kristu, gcwalisa izinhliziyo zethu ngentokozo yakho nangethemba lakho nangesibindi sakho ukuba silwe ukulwa okuhle kokuholwa. Sisize kanjalo ukuba sikulandele ngobuqotho nangeqiniso size sisindiswe ngomusa wakho omkhulu enkazimulweni yokuphila okuphakade. Amen.

            Umkhuleko weNkosi: Baba wethu osezulwini …

10.       Iculo 115/97

Lentshumayelo ilotshiwe ngo-1993 ngu-Kurt-G. Tiedemann.

Ukucindezelwa nokuthunywa kwezintshumayelo kuyasekelwa yinhlangano ethiwa: Lutheran Heritage Foundation.

The Lord is my shepherd I'll not want ... Ps. 23

Lied der Woche
Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt (EG 274)

Jesus Christ says: "I am the good Shepherd"

Intshumayelo ngesonto elithiwa Misericordia Domini, ka 08. 05. 2011 27/2011

Egameni likaNkulunkulu onguYise, neNdodana, noMoya oNgcwele

1.         Iculo 195/193

 2.         Umkhuleko: Nkosi yethu, Jesu Kristu! Singcwelise ngeqiniso lakho, izwi lakho liyiqiniso. Amen.

3.         Iphistola ngohlelo lwesibili lilotshiwe ku 1 Petru 2:21b-25;

Ivangeli ngohlelo lokuqala lilotshiwe kuJohane 10:11-16.26-28.

4.              Isivumo senkolo: Ngiyakholwa nguNkulunkulu uYise …                                              5.               Iculo 298/337

6.     Umkhuleko wakhe ofundayo intshumayelo

7. Izwi lentshumayelo ngohlelo lwesithathu lilotshiw kuHesekeli 34:1-16.31, lithi: “Izwi likaJehova lafika kimi, lathi: Ndodana yomuntu, profetha ngabelusi bakwaIsrayeli; profetha uthi kubo, kubelusi: Isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Wo kubelusi bakwaIsrayeli abazibonelela bone! Abelusi bebengayikuzalusa izimvu na? Niyadla amanoni, nembatha uboya, nihlaba ezikhulupheleyo, kepha izimvu anizalusi. Ezibuthakathaka aniziqinisanga, negulayo aniyiphilisanga, neyaphukileyo aniyibophanga, nexoshiweyo aniyibuyisanga, nelahlekileyo aniyifunanga, kepha nizibusile ngamandla alukhuni. Zazihlakazekile, ngokuba umalusi wayengekho; zaba-ngukudla kwazo zonke izilwane zasendle, zahlakazeka. Izimvu zami zazulazula kuzo zonke izintaba nakuwo onke amagquma aphakemeyo, yebo, izimvu zami zazihlakazekele ebusweni bonke bomhlaba, akwabakho ozifunayo nozicingayo. Ngalokho, belusi, zwanini izwi likaJehova lokuthi: Kuphila kwami, isho iNkosi uJehova, impela ngenxa yokuba izimvu zami zaba-yimpango, nangokuba izimvu zami zaba-ngukudla kwazo zonke izilwane zasendle, lokhu umalusi engekho, nangokuba abelusi bami bengafunanga izimvu zami, abelusi bezibonelela bona, bengazalusi izimvu zami, ngalokho, belusi, zwanini izwi likaJehova lokuthi: Isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Bhekani, ngimelene, nabelusi, ngiyakuzibiza izimvu zami esandleni sabo, ngenze ukuba bangabe besazalusa izimvu, abelusi bangabe besazibonelela bona, ngophule izimvu zami emlonyeni wabo, zingabi-ngukudla kwabo. Ngokuba isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Bhekani, mina ngiyakuzifuna izimvu zami, ngizicinge. Njengomalusi efuna umhlambi wakhe mhla ephakathi kwezimvu zakhe ezilahlekileyo, kanjalo ngiyakufuna izimvu zami, ngizophule kuzo zonke izindawo ezihlakazekele kuzo ngosuku lwamafu nolobumnyama. Ngiyakuzikhipha kubantu, ngiziqoqe emazweni, ngiziyise ezweni lazo, ngizaluse ezintabeni zakwaIsrayeli, ngasemifuleni, nasezindaweni zonke ezakhiweyo zezwe. Ngiyakuzalusela emadlelweni amahle, isibaya sazo sibe-sezintabeni zempakama yakwaIsrayeli; ziyakubuthisa khona esibayeni esihle, ziklabe emadlelweni aluhlaza ezintabeni zakwaIsrayeli. Mina ngiyakuzalusa izimvu zami, ngenze ukuba zibuthise, isho iNkosi uJehova. Ngiyakufuna ezilahlekileyo, ngibuyise ezixoshiweyo, ngibophe ezaphukileyo, ngiqinise ezigulayo; kepha ezikhulupheleyo nezinamandla ngiyakuzichitha, ngizaluse ngokwehlulela. … Nina niyizimvu zami, niyizimvu zedlelo lami; ningabantu, mina nginguNkulunkulu wenu, isho iNkosi uJehova.” Amen.

8. Intshumayelo: Bandla leNkosi, isonto loMalusi omuhle: ngesiLatini: Miserikordia Domini, njengokuba sizwile. Sinenhlanhla thina-makholwa, sinomholi, asisodwa. Ukhona umalusi, osigada. Amehlo akhe aphezu kwethu. Uyasiqondisa ngezwi lakhe: Umthetho nevangeli. Uyasixwayisa ezingozini; uyasiduduza ekudabukeni. Umthetho uyasigada, ivangeli liyasiphakamisa. Lelithekisi lanamuhla liyasithinta sonke, kakhulu thina-bafundisi. Liyasihlola; liyasihlaba; liyasivusa ebuthongweni; liyalola unembezea wethu; liyasithumela ebandleni nasesabelweni nasemadolobheni nomaphi lapho izimvu zeNkosi zihlala khona. Ngiyafeza umsebenzi wami ngokukhuthala nangesineke, na? Ngiyasebenza phansi kwamehlo oMalusi wezulu omkhulu ngothando olufanele nangokubekezela, na? Ngiyakwenza engingakwenza maqondana neziphiwo zami, maqondana nokuhlakanipha kwami, maqondana nesikhathi sami, na? Thina sonke siyabizwa, siyabuzwa namuhla. Sibahambela abavilaphaya nabahlubukileyo, na? Sibamema abayiziboshwa, sibakhulekela abagulayo nabafelwa nabadabukileyo, na?

Ngimsiza kanjani umakhelwane wami ongakholwayo, ongasontiyo, na? Ake sikhumbule njalo: Angingumnini womhlambi, nguNkulunkulu kuphela. Isikhundla sami sivela kuye. Angithi, siyezwa ukuthi lelizwi likaNkulunkulu lanamuhla liyathinta nabo bonke abanye abasebenza nabantu, ngisho othisha, nabantu bakaHulumeni, nasemahovisini, namaphoyisa, nezinduna, namakhosi, odokotela nabo bonke abasebenza ezibhedlela namaclinic lapha nalapha, amasocial workers nabo abasebenza ematilongweni ethu, size sifike ekhaya emzini wethu, lapho abazali, ubaba nomame bayelusa umhlambi wabo omncane, ngisho abantwana bethu, nabantwana babo. Izwi likaNkulunkulu liyema phambi kwami namuhla ekuseni, liyangihlola, liyangibuza mina, lithi: We, sibanibani ungumalusi onjani wena, na? uyazithanda wena noma uyazithanda izimvu zakho, na? Uyazinakekela zona, uyazigada, uyaziyisa emadlelweni aluhlaza, uyazikhombisa imithombo yamanzi aphilayo, okuphumula nokusutha, noma uyazidukisa zona ezingozini, ekukholweni okuyize, ekudangaleni, nakokunye okulihlazo namanyala amakhulu, ekubhujisweni nasekufeni na?

Sinomsebenzi munye kuphela njengabelusi ukuba sibakhombise, sibaphelekezele abanye endleleni yokuya ezulwini. Angithi, uma sizihlosisa kanjalo, sibuza lemibuzo, simelwe ukuphendula ngamahloni nangokudabuka, sithi: Asifanele, Nkosi. Asifanele, malusi wabelusi. Siyavilapha, siyazozela, siyazithanda, siyazibonelela, siyaphutha, siyona. Kuyaklebula inhliziyo uma sibona okwenziwa ezweni lakithi. Lelizwi likaNkulunkulu lanamuhla liyakhuluma kakhulu nababusi bethu, amalungelo abo nezimfanelo zabo. Isizwe esizama ukuqhubeka ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu sizodideka, sizoduka, sizogcina kabi, sizobhubha. Kwakunjalo ngesikhathi esidlule, kusenjalo namanje, kuzoba kanjalo nakusasa. Kuyaklebula inhliziyo uma sibona okwenziwa ezikoleni zethu ezithize lapha nalapha. Singathi: UHezekeli uyasazi thina, uyabona esikwenzayo. Izwi likaJehova lafika kimi, lathi: Ndodana yomuntu, profetha ngabelusi bakwaIsrayeli; profetha uthi kubo, kubelusi: Isho njalo iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Wo kubelusi bakwaIsrayeli abazibonelela bona! Abelusi bebengayikuzalusa izimvu, na? Niyadla amanoni, nembatha uboya, nihlaba ezikhulupheleyo, kepha izimvu anizalusi. Ezibuthakathaka aniziqinisanga, negulayo aniyiphilisanga, neyaphukileyo  aniyibophanga, nexoshiweyo aniyibuyisanga, nelahlekileyo aniyifunanga, kepha nizibusile ngamandla alukhuni. Zazihlakazekile, ngokuba umalusi wayengekho; zaba-ngukudla kwazo zonke izilwane zasendle, zahlakazeka. Izimvu zami zazulazula kuzo zonke izintaba nakuwo onke amagquma aphakemeyo, yebo, izimvu zami zazihlakazekele ebusweni bonke bomhlaba, akwabakho ozifunayo nozicingayo.

Kumyalelo wokuqala siyafunda: Asomesaba, simthande, simethembe uNkulunkulu phezu kwezinto zonke. Omesaba uNkulunkulu akabesabi abantu. Omthanda yena, uzothanda nabantu bakhe. Omethemba uNkululunkulu uzosebenza ngokuthembeka okukhulu. Ukukholwa kunjalo. Kunezithelo; kunomphumela; kunempetho; kunomgomo. Maye kithina, uma sizama ukwelusa ngaphandle koMalusi wemiphefumulo yethu omkhulu! Ngalokhu, belusi, zwanini izwi likaJehova lokuthi: Kuphila kwami, isho iNkosi uJehova, impela ngenxa yokuba izimvu zami zaba-yimpango, nangokuba izimvu zami zaba-ngukudla kwazo zonke izilwane zasendle, lokhu umalusi engekho, nangokuba abelusi bami bengafunanga izimvu zami, abelusi bezibonelela bona, bengazalusi izimvu zami, ngalokho, belusi, zwanini izwi likaJehova lokuthi: Isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Bhekani, ngimelene nabelusi, ngiyakuzibiza izimvu zami esandleni sabo, ngenze ukuba bangabe besazalusa izimvu, abelusi bangabe besazibonelela bona, ngophule izimvu zami emlonyeni wabo, zingabi-ngukudla kwabo.

Ngokuba isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Bhekani, mina ngiyakuzifuna izimvu zami, ngizigcinge. Njengomalusi efuna umhlambi wakhe mhla ephakathi kwezimvu zakhe ezilahlekileyo, kanjalo ngiyakufuna izimvu zami, ngizophule kuzo zonke izindawo ezihlakazekele kuzo ngosuku lwamafu nolobumnyama. Ngiyakuzikhipha kubantu, ngiziqoqe emazweni, ngiziyise ezweni lazo, ngizaluse ezintabeni zakwaIsrayeli, ngasemifuleni, nasezindaweni zonke ezakhiweyo zezwe. Ngiyakuzalusela emadlelweni amahle, isibaya sazo sibe-sezintabeni zempakama yakwaIsrayeli; ziyakubuthisa khona esibayeni esihle, ziklabe emadlelweni aluhlaza ezintabeni zakwaIsrayeli. Mina ngiyakuzalusa izimvu zami, ngenze ukuba zibuthise, isho iNkosi uJehova. Ngiyakufuna ezilahlekileyo, ngibuyise ezixoshiweyo, ngibophe ezaphukileyo, ngiqinise ezigulayo; kepha ezikhulupheleyo nezinamandla ngiyakuzichitha, ngizaluse ngokwahlulela.

Siyezwa yilokhu na? Mina ngiyakwenza konke lokhu, isho iNkosi uJehova. Okusho ukuthi akuyi ngokuzama kwethu, akuyi ngokwentando yethu nangamandla ethu. Kepha makabongwe yena, konke kuya ngokwentando kaJehova. Yena kuphela uyiNkosi yomhlambi wakhe. Wamthumela uMalusi wakhe omuhle phakathi kwethu, iNdodana yakhe ethandekayo uJesu Kristu. 1 Pet. 2:21: Ngokuba nabizelwa khona lokho; ngokuba uKristu wahlushwa ngenxa yenu, enishiyela isibonelo sokuba nilandele ezinyathelweni zakhe. Siyakubonga, Nkosi Kristu. Sihawukele, Nkosi Kristu.

Ngalawomazwi kuyabonakala ukuthi uMelusi wethu omuhle uyamema izinsizwa ezithi azitholi umsebenzi, noma ziqedlie isikolo kahle ukuba kube khona abamlandelayo emsebenzini wakhe wokuba ngabelusi emhlambini woMelusi omuhle, ziye ekholishi ukuzilungisela umsebenzi wokwelusa umhlambi wezimvu zoMelusi wethu omuhle owazinikela ekufeni ngenxa yethu. Yiso isimemezelo esikhulu ngesonto loMelusi omuhle nakulomnyaka nakulesosikhathi sokuswela abafundisi ezindaweni eziningi ekerikeni lakithi. Amen.

9.         Umkhuleko: Nkosi, Nkulunkulu Baba, siyakubonga ngokuba usiphile uMalusi wethu omuhle uJesu Kristu. Nkosi, busisa abelusi bethu, ubalondoloze. Usiphe amadoda namakhosikazi aqotho athembekileyo akwesabe wena, akwazi wena, akulandele wena ukuba sihambisane kahle ezweni lakithi, sizwane kahle emabandleni ethu, siqhubeke kahle ezikoleni zethu, sihlalisane kahle emakhaya ethu, yebo, silekelelane yokuya ezulwini, sihloniphane endleleni, umzimba nomphefumulo, sibe-yizibonelo ezinhle zabantwana bethu, noma siyizoni, ngaye uJesu Kristu uMsindisi wethu, singakhohlwa ukuvuselela abafana bethu ukuzinikela ukuzilungisela umsebenzi wokwelusa ibandla, sonke sicele njalo ukuba iNkosi ithume izisebenzi ekuvuneni kwayo. Amen.

Umkhuleko weNkosi: Baba wethu osezulwini …

10.        Iculo 205/301

Ukuthula kukaNkulunkulu odlula ukuqonda konke makulondoloze izinhliziyo zethu nemicabango yethu kuKristu  Jesu, iNkosi noMsindisi wethu. Amen.

Lentshumayelo ilotshiwe ngomnyaka ka-2004 ngu-K. G. Tiedemann

Ukucindezelwa nokuthunywa kwalezintshumayelo kuyasekelwa yinhlangno ethiwa: Lutheran Heritage Foundation