God’s Word, God’s people, my joy

Today a Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) arrived on my doorstep via courier. Why is this important to note you may ask? Not a bad question dear reader, not a bad question at all.

There is a tension at Crystal Park Baptist Church. Let me explain lest you fear church split. Half of our congregation is second/third language English speaking black folk; quarter of the congregation second language English speaking white folk; the remainder first language English speaking white folk like me. A quarter of our congregation on any given Sunday is under the age of twelve. And the paster is a student, trying hard to crack the Biblical languages.

The variety in last paragraph sounds so encouraging doesn’t? So why’s there tension? Great question!

Well, being a student of God’s Word, I favour a literal interpretation (King Jimmy, the New King Jimmy, English Standard Version ect). I preach from a New American Standard Version.

The kids, under twelve, who’s parents don’t come to church, and who are second language English speakers are encouraged to use a Good News Bible as it’s really easy to read and simple to understand.

The first language English speakers are recommend to get a literal translation for themselves.

And to the rest, the adult second/third language speakers, we encouraged the use of the New International Version.

Now variety is the spice of life (did you notice the variety excluded the Message, the Amplified, the Voice, Today’s New International Version?). I’d not have a problem with this as the status-qua, except things change.

Firstly, my bible is falling apart. I bought a Thomas Nelson bonded leather John MacArthur Study Bible back in the day. Well, I read my Bible, so if there was a fault in the manufacturer it’d always come to the fall. Because I now need to replace my Bible I am thinking of changing the interpretation I use.

Secondly, the NIV is falling apart. Oh, OK, that might not be fair. I had read through the 1984 NIV translation a number of times and I was happy enough with the translation. But it’s no longer in print :(. That means I must now adopt a new standard for half my congregation.

And so I’m out shopping. Where will we settle? I don’t know right now. I do know that I’m excited after reading the HCSB’s translation philosophy as it might serve the needs of my church. I’m also delighted after reading the gender language policy they’ve employed. As I’ve gone through the Bible I’ve been sent I’ve also been impressed by the great features in the edition I’ve been sent.

On Sunday evening, Monday evening and Wednesday I’ll be reading from this translation, hopefully I’ll be able to cover a fair portion of the Pentateuch and History up to the Psalms. Then I’ll be able to say if I’m excited about the translation itself. Nothing beats readings God’s Word. I’m looking do forward to my week ahead.

Have you read the HCSB? What did you like about it? What did you dislike? What cautions might you give? I’d love to hear from you.

Rezolution Conference, South Africa

I’ve loved the focus on Scripture on the Rezolution Conference Promo Slides. Thought I’d load all of them up into one place.

Will you be at the conference? I’m looking forward to catching up.

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Yizwa imithandazo yethu – Pastor to Pupils

From Pastor to Pupils

Presenting the National Anthem in a School environment

Crystal Park High School Assembly. Click image to enlarge.

When we say we want to see our country renewed, revived, renaissanced [sic], what do we mean? Well if our desire falls anywhere short of seeing our nation turning to the one, true God, faith in Jesus Christ His Son, a repentance, which is a turning away from sin and a turning to Him, we’ve missed the point of the Gospel. Social concerns need to be addressed, divisions of all kinds need to be confronted, but primarily people need the Lord. All else flows out of right relationship with Him.

Where to start? I don’t have a silver bullet, but we have established relationships with the schools in our areas. We provide various services to them (I go into the High School once a week and provide counselling, the Primary School once a week comes to the church and does drama, singing and other activities), but those activities are all rooted in the Word. I guess you could call it Gospel focused social concern.

In the following set of articles I briefly describe the devotionals that we’re currently presenting to the schools in our area. We work line by line through the national anthem of South Africa during the school assembly. The Gospel goes out each week, which is what the church wants, and the school benefits because currently nation building and the national anthem are in the spotlight.

Again, this is a work in progress and I’ll be most grateful if you gave me feedback.

Lesson 3

Listen also to our prayers – Yizwa imithandazo yethu

The third line, ‘Yizwa imithandazo yethu’, translates to ‘Listen also to our prayers’.

Listen to this text, Philippians 4:6 – 7,

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Three things about the text above (I’m a Baptist, we do everything in threes):

Number 1, what can we take to the Lord? EVERYTHING! How cold it was this morning, that we’re hungry, that our parents are cross with us, that our school work isn’t done, that we don’t understand something about the world, that we’re happy, that we’re sad, that we’re grateful, that we love Him, that we’re confused… EVERYTHING! God is our Father, He wants to hear our prayers. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything…”

Number 2, is very closely connected to number 1, and that’s how are we to approach God. The text says by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Speaking to God is a little like phoning your Gogo (granny) on a Sunday evening. You thank her for the presents she sent up last week, you tell her about your school day and how hard your exams are and how scary your teacher is and how horrible Temba on the playground is, and you tell her how much you’re looking forward to visiting her because she’s the best cook in the world, and, and, and… you communicate. Different things, maybe you ask for something, maybe you say thank you for something, maybe you tell her that you miss her. Prayer is the same. It’s not a robotic activity, it’s an open conversation. Our Father wants to hear from us.

Number 3, If you’re in grade three and you go to your father and you say, “Tata, ndifuna imotor” (“Dad, I want a car”), he’s going to say “?!” don’t be mad, you don’t even have a driver’s licence yet. Thing is not everything we ask our father’s for they give us. And often the reason they don’t is for our own good. Here’s the thing, if our earthy parents know enough not to pander to our every whim how much more so our heavenly Father? What then is the result of our prayers? “the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The peace we have is that we’ve handed our problem over to God. He is big, He can handle anything.

God’s people present their needs, their desires, their hopes, their thankfulness, their adorations to their God.

The Gospel message is very appropriately expounded at this point, because the Gospel is appropriate for every point. God is Holy; this means that He is separated from sin. Man is sinful; he is separated from God. In actual fact, by default God is not our Father. Yet Jesus, the Son of God, died in our place that we might be called sons of God. By believing in Him, trusting Him completely, turning from our sin and turning to Him, receiving the free gift of salvation, we are reconciled to God. Then we might boldly approach the throne of grace, not in our own righteousness but in his Son Jesus’.

Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo – Pastor to Pupils

From Pastor to Pupils

Presenting the National Anthem in a School environment

Crystal Park High School Assembly. Click image to enlarge.

So my premise is if South Africa is to experience a renewal, a revival, a renaissance, it will come when the ethics, the moral fibre, the direction of our people is aligned to the Word of God.

Roll up your sleeves and get started.

In the following set of articles I briefly describe the devotionals that we’re currently presenting to the schools in our area. We work line by line through the national anthem of South Africa. The Gospel goes out each week, which is what the church wants, and the school benefits because currently nation building and the national anthem are in the spotlight.

Again, this is a work in progress and I’ll be most grateful if you gave me feedback.

Lesson 2

Let its horn be raised – Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo

The second line, ‘Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo’, translates to ‘Let its horn be raised’.

Yes, this line troubled me. Greatly. I had heard the translation a number of times but I had no frame of reference to wrap my mind around it. Maybe it’s because I’m a ‘Mlungu’ (whitie) but I really thought this line was a little weird. It is wise to familiarise oneself with some of the basics of the national anthem before one tries to interpret the song (and by the way I couldn’t find an interpretation of the lyrics online so this may be a first). Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was composed in the year 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Methodist school teacher. It was originally sung as a church hymn. Armed with that I went to my Bible and did some searching.

Listen to this text to read in this lesson is Numbers 6:24 – 26,

¹ Then Hannah prayed and said,

        “My heart exults in the Lord;
        My horn is exalted in the Lord,
        My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
        Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
    ² “There is no one holy like the Lord,
        Indeed, there is no one besides You,
        Nor is there any rock like our God.
    ³ “Boast no more so very proudly,
        Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
        For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
        And with Him actions are weighed.
    ⁴ “The bows of the mighty are shattered,
        But the feeble gird on strength.
    ⁵ “Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
        But those who were hungry cease to hunger.
        Even the barren gives birth to seven,
        But she who has many children languishes.
    ⁶ “The Lord kills and makes alive;
        He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
    ⁷ “The Lord makes poor and rich;
        He brings low, He also exalts.
    ⁸ “He raises the poor from the dust,
        He lifts the needy from the ash heap
        To make them sit with nobles,
        And inherit a seat of honor;
        For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
        And He set the world on them.
    ⁹ “He keeps the feet of His godly ones,
        But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
        For not by might shall a man prevail.
    ¹⁰ “Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered;
        Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
        The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
        And He will give strength to His king,
        And will exalt the horn of His anointed.”

The word horn in the text above is interpreted to mean a person’s spirit or a person’s power. And that makes sense when you take into account the rest of Hanna’s Song.

The text above is unlocked by seeing how it advances our understanding of God’s sovereignty. It is God who makes men strong in battle (4), prosperous and numerous (5), has power over death (6), elevates and deprecates (7), exalts and creates (8), protects and shuns (9).

God’s people recognise God’s sovereignty in all things including their present circumstances.

The Gospel message is very appropriately expounded at this point. God is the creator of all things and as such He is sovereign over all things. Because He is sovereign He has the right to determine the order of things. Man has rebelled against God’s order, His commandments, His rule, His standard, in thought, word and deed, and even in what we’ve left undone. Because God is Holy – separate from sin – and because man is sinful – he is separated from God. In a very real way we are under His righteous wrath. Jesus died for our sins as a substitute. By believing in Him, trusting Him completely, turning from our sin and turning to Him, receiving the free gift of salvation, we are reconciled to God.

National Policy on RELIGION AND EDUCATION

Over the last few months and especially since the last post I made I’ve received many questions regarding whether or not churches may operate in a public school system or if we do so “on the sly”.

I was very happy to hear Barbara Creecy, Gauteng Education MEC, addressing questions to this point yesterday on the radio and decided to go and find the National Policy on Religion and Education and make it available to any interested parties who may read this blog.

A couple of points to highlight which were applicable to me:

• 61. School Governing Bodies are required to determine the nature and content of religious observances for teachers and pupils, such that coherence and alignment with this policy and applicable legislation is ensured. It may also determine that a policy of no religious observances be followed. Where religious observances are held, these may be at any time determined by the school, and may be part of a school assembly. However an assembly is not necessarily to be seen as the only occasion for religious observance, which may take place at other times of the day, and in other ways, including specific dress requirements or dietary injunctions. Where a religious observance is organised, as an official part of the school day, it must accommodate and reflect the multi-religious nature of the country in an appropriate manner.
• 63. A school assembly has the potential for affirming and celebrating unity in diversity, and should be used for this purpose. Public schools may not violate the religious freedom of pupils and teachers by imposing religious uniformity on a religiously diverse school population in school assemblies. Where a religious observance is included in a school assembly, pupils may be excused on grounds of conscience from attending a religious observance component, and equitable arrangements must be made for these pupils.

You may view the whole document on the government website here: http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=70211

I’ve begun to put together an approach which is mutually beneficial to a local church and a public school here: http://markpenrith.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/nkosi-sikelel-iafrika-pastor-to-pupils/

Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika – Pastor to Pupils

From Pastor to Pupils

Presenting the National Anthem in a School environment

Crystal Park High School Assembly. Click image to enlarge.

If South Africa is to experience a renewal, a revival, a renaissance, it will come when the ethics, the moral fibre, the direction of our people is aligned to the Word of God.

To that end Pastors ought to apply themselves diligently to reaching out to their communities with the Gospel. One door which is open to the church is that of schools. The opportunity to address a local high school or primary school’s assembly on a regular basis is a blessing to the local church on a number of levels.

However, how does one start? I have found that a principal faced with a compelling value proposition is most inclined to be accommodating to a local church. Our church has the opportunity to address the local high school and primary school on a weekly basis because we went to the school principal and clearly stated what content we would present, how long we needed to present that content and how the school would benefit from allowing a pastor to conduct devotionals in the school’s morning assembly.

In the following set of articles I briefly describe the devotionals that we’re currently presenting to the schools in our area. We work line by line through the national anthem of South Africa. The Gospel goes out each week, which is what the church wants, and the school benefits because currently nation building and the national anthem are in the spot light.

This is a work in progress and I’ll be most grateful if you gave me feedback.

Lesson 1

Lord bless Africa – Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika

It is wise to familiarise oneself with some of the basics of the national anthem. Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was composed in the year 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Methodist school teacher. It was originally sung as a church hymn but later became an act of political defiance against the apartheid government. Die Stem van Suid-Afrika is a poem written by C.J. Langenhoven in 1918. Our anthem is unique in all the world in that it includes 5 languages and is the only anthem to begin in one key and end in another.

The first line, ‘Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika’, translates to ‘Lord bless Africa’, the key word to transfer in the first lesson is the word bless, what does it mean? why did the author use it?

A good text to read in this lesson is Numbers 6:24 – 26,

    ²⁴ “‘“The Lord bless you
        and keep you;
    ²⁵ the Lord make his face shine on you
        and be gracious to you;
    ²⁶ the Lord turn his face toward you
        and give you peace.”’

The text above is unlocked by seeing how it advances our understanding of how God’s blessing extends those whom He loves. Firstly there is a prayer, a desire if you will, ‘The Lord bless you’, this is clarified by the sentence, ‘the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you’, and then further enhanced by the phrase, ‘the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.’

God’s blessing is experienced by God’s people when He turns His affections towards them, when He presences Himself amongst them.

Consider the companion blessing in the New Testament, 2 Cor 13:14,

    ¹⁴ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Communion with God, experience His very real presence, His love, His grace, His blessing.

The Gospel message is very appropriately expounded at this point. God is Holy, He is separate from sin. Man is sinful, he is separated from God. In a very real way we are not under blessing but under curse. Jesus died for our sins as a substitute. By believing in Him, trusting Him completely, turning from our sin and turning to Him, receiving the free gift of salvation, we are reconciled to God, we enter into His presence, we enter into His blessing.

What does a life worth living look like? Three pointers

As you may have read I go into the Baptist Union of Southern Africa’s archives on a regular basis to catalouge and research the artifacts. Over time you grow a fondness for individuals from the past. One who stands out in my mind is Olive Carey Doke. This morning I found a framed certificate in the archives which again adds colour to the past. It is signed by Queen Elizabeth II, and is an Order of the British Empire, recognising Olive’s outstanding service and life. Below I’ve included a short biography written by Sydney Hudson-Reed, a past historian of Baptist history in South Africa.

On March 1972 the trumpets must have sounded on the Other Side for Olive Carey Doke had surely received the most prized commendation of time and eternity – “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

A life worth living is fueled by an unquenchable love for God – Deuteronomy 6:5, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

Born in Bristol on 16 September 1891, Olive Doke learned to know the Saviour through the example and teaching of her parents. Her love for the Lord Jesus influenced every part of her life. Three years after the S.A.B.M.S. accepted the responsibility of staffing Kafulafuta Mission Station, Olive Doke responded to the challenge. From that time, to the end of her road of service, Olive Doke lived for, and loved the Lamba people. To them she gave herself for almost sixty years. They not only accepted her for her incessant labours on their behalf, but for her gracious understanding of their needs. The training of leaders was her concern, and by her life she revealed to them the “manifold grace of God.”

A life worth living love others, sacrificially – Psalm 96:3, “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!”

But Olive Doke was more than a missionary, if that term implies traversing the cross-cultural bridge of service amongst another race. She acted as secretary for the Luanshya Church and at no time was she without flowers. She had a ‘big heart’ also for animals, but people ever remained her first love. She taught the people to read their own language; she translated the Bible and other literature for them and prepared hymns for Lamba worship. During her years of isolation she kept her own mind fresh through reading far and wide, ever looking for ‘nuggets’ to share with ‘her people’. In her earlier ‘treks’ to the remoter areas of the field to extend the gospel witness were undertaken. She was closely associated with the Rev. Paul Kasonga, the Lamba leper saint, contributing greatly to his unusual spiritual maturity.

A life worth living is spent in the service to the King – Philippians 2:17, “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.”

In recognition of her services to the country, the M.B.E was presented to her in 1957 but only her Lord knew fully what her consecrated life had meant to the acceptance and spread of the Gospel in Lambaland. The S.A.B.W.A., accorded her their highest honour by electing her as President in 1958. Her wide ranging visits to the churches were owned of God. The uplift of Lamba women was ever near her heart and at her internment the women of the Church requested the priviledge of burying her.

She being dead yet speaks through the outstanding example of courage, compassion, fortitude and faithfulness seen in her response to the Call of God in Lambaland, in the lonely vigil of responsibility, in the tedium of translation, in the danger of her long treks into bush and her brushes with wild animals and therefore with death, in her visits to the Churches.

As the female Missionary of the illustrious Doke family she carved a name for herself in the annals of the Missionary Enterprise and has put the whole denomination into debt for her work of faith, labour of love and patience of hope!