A true blessing for a truthful life

This is a deeply challenging blessing from the Franciscan tradition. It is 'meaty' enough to sustain one along life's daily journey:

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, and starvation, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

— Franciscan Blessing

May God bless you...

A blessed Christmas to all Uncommon readers!

Christmas in Africa is pretty uncommon! We have sun instead of snow, white sandy beaches and sunshine - in fact the only thing that is freezing in Cape Town is the ocean!

Megan, Courtney, Liam and I want to wish all of our 'uncommon' readers a truly blessed Christmas!

May the God who encounters workers in a field (boy where those shepherds surprised), and offers shelter in a barn (the best shelter you can find is the shelter you need - just ask Mary and Joseph), and renews the minds of the wise (I wonder what the 'three Kings' had to share upon their return to the east?) bless you with amazement, the provision of your needs and the renewal of your life this Christmas. The scriptures remind us that Christ came into the world as a wonderful expression of God's love! God shows up, and will continue to show up in unexpected and blessed ways throughout this coming year!

Thanks for your prayers, love and support throughout 2010! It had it's fair share if triumph and tragedy - but we end it with a wonderful sense of peace!

We look forward to sharing the journey with you in 2011!

May Christ be glorified and world healed and renewed your your efforts and mine!

Daniel conference / konferensie 2010 - just what I needed!

Just like a motorcar needs a 'tune up' from time to time in order to run well, I have discovered that I need constant reminders of what matters most in life - a spiritual and emotional 'tune up' of sorts! A renewing of my faith in community!

The speakers at this year's Daniel Conference / Konferensie included Braam Kloppper, Alan Platt, Jannie de Beer, Stephan Joubert, Peet Grobelaar and myself. Lious Brits took care of the worship in such a magnificent way!

Last week we kicked the conference off in Cape Town - it was such an incredible time! We had about 600 men together of all ages and races. I was reminded of my need for a deep and intimate spirituality. I was also reminded that as a father and husband I have a great responsibility to care for the needs of my family and reach out to the community in which I have the privilege of living.

My own talk focussed on taking up the responsibility of being a faithful Christ follower in the work place - I am convinced that as Christians we have such incredible opportunities to 'touch' the world with God's transforming love. Not only can we reach people through God's transforming love, we can also encounter systems with God's justice, mercy and grace. On Monday at work you can do as much to declare God's worth by changing a policy that causes pain and suffering for people as you can by declaring God's worth and glory in song, prayer and liturgy on a Sunday.

Your interactions with people can create great blessing and joy for those around you. Work can be worship (Col 3.23).

If you are interested in reading moreabout the practical ideas and scriptures that can inform you to turn your WHOLE life into an act of blessing and worship then please take a look at the book that Graham Power and I wrote together called, 'Transform your work life: Turn your ordinary day into an extraordinary calling'.

Please see http://bit.ly/transformwork for all the details about the book. Just to mention that the costs from the sale of these books go entirely to the Unashamedly Ethical campaign.

So, if you purchase a copy you're not only learning about ministry in your work life and work place, you're also supporting a good cause! You can also download the first few chapters of the book at the top of my website.

Today I will be speaking at the Daniel Conference in Pretoria. I am a little nervous (to say the least!) there are 3500 men gathered here. Please pray for these men, and also for me!

If you attended the Daniel Conference in Cape Town, or here at Moreleta Park, please share a testimony, some feedback or your thoughts! I'd love to hear from you!

I am humbled to have the opportunity to share with these men and I pray that God will use them and bless them to achieve His perfect desire to transform our nation!