Should we have the right to read the Bible?

I was deeply challenged by the quote below from Stanley Hauerwas:

Most North American Christians assume that they have a right, if not an obligation, to read the Bible. I challenge that assumption. No task is more important than for the Church to take the Bible out of the hands of individual Christians in North America. Let us no longer give the Bible to all children when they enter the third grade or whenever their assumed rise to Christian maturity is marked, such as eighth-grade commencements. Let us rather tell them and their parents that they are possessed by habits far too corrupt for them to be encouraged to read the Bible on their own.

North American Christians are trained to believe that they are capable of reading the Bible without spiritual and moral transformation. They read the Bible not as Christians, not as a people set apart, but as democratic citizens who think their “common sense” is sufficient for “understanding” the Scripture. They feel no need to stand under the authority of a truthful community to be told how to read. Instead they assume that they have all the “religious experience” necessary to know what the Bible is about. As a result the Bible inherently becomes the ideology for a politics quite different from the politics of the Church.

Note, it is not an issue of whether the Bible should be read politically, but an issue of which politics should determine our reading as Christians. All reading is embedded in a politics, and avoiding politics is not something for which we can or should strive.

Stanley Hauerwas, Unleashing the Scripture: Freeing the Bible from Captivity to America (via lukexvx)

At first I was shocked when I read this quote - of course it applies as much to South Africa as it does to North America - and, I am passionate about getting people to read the Biblical text!

But, then as I thought about it I began to wonder, what does it mean to allow people to have access to this powerful text when all we do is overpower it with our own ideas, our need to support our ideologies, and our misuse of the text to abuse others. To use the Bible in this way is more harmful than good. It disregards the God who gives us this book of love, wisdom, and challenge.

Perhaps if the Bible were more scarce, if the text was seen to be precious, we would treat it in that way! We would listen to the text, rather than choose its words to express our own thoughts.

I agree with Hauerwas' sentiments, perhaps there are better ways to recapture a respect for the text and reeducate readers of the text?

An amazing 2012 Wines2Whales race!

The Wines2Whales race is done and dusted! Thank you for your support and prayers! Andre and I had a super fun, safe, fast ride.

Both of us had a few small tumbles and hit some 'flat spots' along the three day route. But we had no major injuries, and our only technical issue was when the bottom came off Andre's shoe at the end of the portage at the Gantou pass on day 1.

The first day was so hot with a lot of climbing, but also such beautiful views and lots of new single track! Day 2 was fun, fun, fun! Although we raced quite hard on day 1, while we climbed in the seeding and started earlier we suffered at around 60km, but we made it home in a great time. Day 3 was awesome, fast and tough at the same time. Everyone underestimates the fact that the race only starts at around 45km when there is still about 1000m of climbing to go.

If you look at 2min49s on this youtube highlights video of day 3 you will see Andre and I climbing up to Rotary Drive

This picture shows Andre in front of me on the right and me at the back on the left. We saw the camera crew interviewing Songo from Song.info at the water stop (we were riding at the same pace as them for about 20km up to that point), then the camera crew passed us and set up on the top of the Hill.

All in all it was an amazing weekend of riding, amazing friends, beautiful scenery and some great fun and technical track!

Here is another picture of us at the end of the race.

Gearing up for the Wines2Whales Contego Mountainbike Race 2012

On Friday I will be setting off for my third Contego Wines2Whales  3 day stage race here in Cape Town.

This is one of the highlights of my year! I have been making lots of sacrifices to be fit and ready for the race (hiring bicycles while traveling, battling jet lag to keep fit while I have been in England, the US, Malaysia, Holland Uganda etc.), trying my best to eat well, and going out at 4.30 and 5am (long before my beautiful wife and kids wake up) on the weekends so that I can train and still be home when they are up and about.

But, it is worth it.  The scenery, single track, fun, and camaraderie on this race are such a blessing!  On Friday we will set off for day 1 of the race (I am a little bit like a diesel 'bakkie' (pickup truck for my American friends)).  I am not all that quick, but I can climb just about any hill and I can just keep going!  My partner Andre Swart and I are heading out in the second last batch of the morning (group I).  It is going to be great to ride with Andre!  I did my previous two Wines2Whales races with my good mate Greg Long.  Greg is living up in Johannesburg and so decided to give the race a miss this year.  I was first training with Steven Johnstone, but he had a nasty fall on a training ride we did in Stellenbosch and broke his wrist, so Andre very kindly stepped in!  Andre is about 10 years younger than me, much fitter and very strong!  So, I am blessed to be riding with him.  Day 1 is a tough day of riding.  We take off on Lourensford Wine farm (about 800 meters from my front door!) and ride across the beautiful farm, then across Vergelegen, and cross over into my regular training spot in Sir Lowry's Pass (Schapenberg Black Route), where we go over the old wagon trails and climb up to Grabouw on the other side of the pass.  It is a total of 2000 meters of climbing!  Once over we head to Oak Valley (also part of the ABSA Cape Epic route) and camp there for night 1.

On day 2 we head out from Oak Valley and do a great loop out towards Bot River and towards the coast.  Day 2 has some of the most amazing flowing single track in the world!  We ride Paul Cluver, Lebanon Forest and of course Oak Valley itself.  There are some seriously technical bits on this day’s riding (Puff Adder and Boom Slang!).  But, I always find day 2 quite fun.  Last year we had a good ride on day 2 (except for the fact that I broke my chain twice!)  Amazingly I also broke my chain on day 2 in 2010!  I hope that I will not do that again this year.  It is obviously poor great changing on my part that causes the problem.

On day 3 we do some amazingly fast riding down from Oak Valley to the town of Bot River, then past there we go through a valley and start climbing up towards the Hemel en Aarde side of Hermanus.  That last little sting in the tail is a killer! After three days of riding the legs get a little tired!  But the sight of the Atlantic Ocean the finish in Onrus is always a motivation!  To know that I will be seeing Megie, Courtney and Liam gives me that extra bit of energy to make it over the top and home.  In 2010 Greg and I made it onto SuperSport on day 3!  We were weaving through some single track when I looked up and the camera was in my face!  I also took a tumble on some sand, but fortunately they didn’t air that piece!

 

Well, I would like to ask for your prayers for ‘Team Transformation’ this weekend!  Please pray for our safety on the ride, also please pray for our health (I am nursing a knee niggle.  I broke my left leg badly in 2008 and have had a few knee and ankle hassles since.  Three weeks ago when I was in Holland I did two 80 km rides on a bike that was not set up quite correctly and my knee took a little bit of straing.  Please pray that it is perfectly well by Friday and that it remains strong, stable, and free of discomfort and pain).  Please also pray for our equipment.

You can follow my twitter feed @digitaldion for regular updates, or see my tumblr blog for pictures at http://digitaldion.tumblr.com

Historic launch of Christian anti-corruption campaign - EXPOSED shining a light on corruption

On Thursday the 1 year launch for EXPOSED - Shining a light on corruption took place.  It was truly an historic event.  

Below you will find a short interview that I did about EXPOSED for UCB radio, our EXPOSED press release and one or two pictures form the event.

Here's what you can do to add your voice!

1.  Book the dates 14-20 October 2013 and either attend, or arrange, an EXPOSED Vigil in your town or city. Details for organising a vigil will be on our website soon.

2.  Consider what one thing you and your circile of influence (family, friends, colleagues, community) could do to change a something or someone that is corrupt.  I would suggest that you A) Call together 5 or so friends B) tell them about EXPOSED and ask them to stand with you to witness God's will on this issue C) Pray about what God may want you to engage with in your community (corruption in Africa is very different from corruption in Europe.  You will know best what is most urgent and important to deal with) D) Decide how you will engage this issue E) Go to http://www.exposed2013.com and share your story!

3.  Visit http://www.exposed2013.com and add your name to the Global Call. We intend to hand tens of millions of names and signatures to the leaders of the world's most economically and politically powerful nations when they meet in Austrailia for the G20 meetings in 2014.  Your voice counts!  Remember this slogan:  Corruption has a name, poverty has a face, you have a voice!  Simply sign up and you will one of the millions who will remind these leaders to govern ethically and manage the earth's resources for the good of every citizen of the planet.

Here is a copy of the UCB interview (MP3) - thank you to UCB media http://www.ucbmedia.co.uk

Here's our press release:

The launch of EXPOSED - Shining a Light on Corruption, is an historic event as it marks the first time in history that leading Christian agencies and organisations have united to take a stand against corruption, one of the major factors contributing to global poverty.

This message set the tone for the launch of EXPOSED2013 in London on Thursday 11 October 2012.

Campaign chairman and International Director of Micah Challenge, Rev Joel Edwards, said: ‘No nation is immune. This current economic crisis means that greed, the excesses of corporate cultures, dishonesty and unaccountable behaviour has touched us where it hurts. EXPOSED is here to join an increasing chorus of concern, which says ‘enough is enough’. It is an opportunity for the church to do what we are called to do: to raise our voice in holy outrage and provide practical offerings of hope.’

The launch, attended by partners, supporters and media, marked the start of a 12-month campaign of awareness-raising and action. In the next year, hundreds of millions of people will be mobilised to commit to and promote practical steps for ethical behaviour in business, government, the Church and society as a whole. The year will culminate in the EXPOSED Global Vigil against Corruption from 14-20 October 2013 and with the signing of a Global Call against corruption which will be handed to the G20 gathering of leading economies in Australia in 2014. Organisers are aiming to gather 10 million signatories.

At the event at Westminster Central Hall, chaired by Lord Paul Boateng, EXPOSED International Co-ordinator Dr Dion Forster said ‘I am convinced that we are responding to God’s call to the Church to take a stand on the issue of corruption across the globe.’

Giving the Biblical grounding for the campaign, Dr Forster continued: ‘Corruption is a sin. It is a sin that is perpetrated against the most vulnerable members of society. It is an affront to God. It is this truth that makes the EXPOSED campaign so important and so urgent.’

Dr Chris Lodewyk representing the Unashamedly Ethical campaign which challenges people to make a public commitment to ‘values, ethics and clean living’, pledged its backing for the EXPOSED campaign.  Corruption, he said, is a particular scourge in Africa but is certainly not confined to that continent.

Global partners include the British and Foreign Bible Society, the American Bible Society, The Salvation Army, Unashamedly Ethical, the World Evangelical Alliance and Micah Challenge International, but the EXPOSED2013 campaign has a much wider and broader support base. EXPOSED has been working with the United Nations Millennium Campaign and Tax Justice Network.

In the next year, the Church will be called to act with integrity and openness. Governments will be urged to act justly and honestly and to implement laws to stop all forms of corruption, so that sustainable growth is possible now and for future generations. Business people will also be asked to promote honest dealings in pricing, procurement, taxes and transparency so that enterprises of all sizes have the opportunity to prosper.

Christians across the world will be asked to take personal action to challenge their own behaviours and stand against corruption in their own communities. Local action is also advocated, with individuals and groups being asked to join and organise a Vigil against Corruption from 14-20 October 2013. At national and international level up to 10 million Christians will be encouraged to add their voices to EXPOSED2013’s Global Call against corruption that will be delivered to leaders of the world’s most powerful nations.

- Ends-

About Exposed

EXPOSED is a coalition of Christian Organisations that aims to challenge the global Church, business and governments to highlight the impact of corruption on the poorest of the poor. The EXPOSED coalition partners include the Bible Society of the United Kingdom, the Bible Society of North America, The Salvation Army, Unashamedly Ethical, the World Evangelical Alliance and Micah Challenge International. Others who have indicated their support for the campaign include Tearfund, 24/7 Prayer and the Association for a Just Society (AJS) in Honduras, CANOPI in Malaysia, The Langham Partnership, Global Day of Prayer, Advocates International, Empower21 and Asian Access. There has also been engagement with the Catholic Bishops Conference, Lambeth Palace, The Organisation of Instituted Churches in Africa, Bishop Ben Quashie of Jos, Nigeria, Bishop Zac Niringiye of Uganda, Dr Goodwill Shana from Zimbabwe, Bishop Tendero of Lausanne and the NGO umbrella body Micah Network.

For more information about EXPOSED go to www.exposed2013.com

Footnotes

Footnote 1: December 2011 report from Washington-based Global Financial Integrity

Footnote 2: Interview with Daniel Kaufman, Global Governance Director, The World Bank Institute, “Six Questions about the cost of corruption” April 8th 2004

Holland to England - EXPOSED shining a light on corruption launch

I arrived in Holland on Monday morning and made my way through to Nijmegen where I am doing some work on my 2nd PhD at Radboud University.

Nijmegen is a beautiful city, and it is an immeasurable honour to be working with Professor van der Watt and Professor Hermans. We had dinner together that evening after our first meeting to discuss the progress in my research.

Yesterday I spent the day sorting out administration for my stay, connecting with the University and doing preparation for our EXPOSED launch in London.

You will see two pictures with this post. One is of my rental bike while in Holland. It is a great cruiser with 3 gears (plenty for the flat cycling lanes). Holla d is really geared for cycling! I love it! The other picture was taken in Central Nijmegen. It is a beautiful old city! I will have to write up some of the history when I am back at a computer. Safe to say that there has been a settlement here for over 2000 years.

As I write this post I am on a train from Nijmegen to Schipol airport via Utrecht. I fly to London today for some press interviews and final prep for our EXPOSED launch at Westminster Central Hall at 11am UK time on Thursday the 11th of October 2012. Please could I ask for your prayers for this very important and significant event?

You can see details about EXPOSED on http://www.exposed2013.com - at the time of writing this the site is being updated. So please do check back there if it is not up when you visit.

Please sign up for EXPOSED and shine a light on corruption!

You can read our press release on the launch of EXPOSED here http://gatewaynews.co.za/2012/10/04/exposed-will-shine-light-on-global-corruption/

Thanks to Gateway for supporting the campaign.

I appreciate your prayers for the campaign, our teams, my family and me!

Blessed at the Alpha Workplace conference in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

I arrived in Malaysia just before midnight on Wednesday evening. This is the second wonderful opportunity that I have had to speak at the Alpha Workplace conference in Malaysia. Last year we met at the amazing Sutera Harbour in Kota Kinabalu. This year we are meeting at the DUMC Methodist Church with Dr Daniel Ho in Kuala Lumpur.

The purpose of this conference is to encourage integrate faith and work, and find ways to honour and serve God in every aspect and moment of life, not just in the local Church or on a Sunday.

Yesterday I had the joy of doing a plenary session on our book 'Transform your work life: Turn your ordinary day into an extraordinary calling' see http://bit.ly/transformwork for details on this book.

Earlier in the day I had an opportunity to lead a workshop on the Unashamedly Ethical movement (see http://www.unashamedlyethical.com on that), and our campaign on Corruption and Poverty 'Exposed - Shining a light on corruption' (see http://www.exposed2013.com on this worthy campaign). We had a great response to all three topics. I am constantly blessed and encouraged to see how the Church here in Malaysia is serving society with love and courage. There is such remarkable creativity, works of mercy and justice, and a deep challenge to ethical and sacrificial living. It challenges me to find ways to be more faithful in my own life and ministry.

In this picture you see a great panel of Christian business and Church leaders L-R, Alvin Ung, Ken Costa, Datin Kathleen Chew Yeoh, Dr Philip Lyn, Dr Daniel Ho (Taken with Instagram at Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC)).

Please pray for the Church in Malaysia and the work of Alpha across the world!

Our new book on Church and State relationships has just been published - Between Capital and Cathedral

I am so pleased to share the news that my friend Dr Wessel Bentley and I have just had a new book published.  It is entitled 'Between Capital and Cathedral: Essays on Church State relationships'.  

What is clear is that God desires that the Church should be an agent of God's will on all spheres of society, including the State.  We are called to pray, to advocate, to act, to support, and to be prophetically critical of the work of the state.  

This book contains some exceptional theological and social insights from persons such as Joerg Rieger (Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University), Prof Peter Storey (South African Methodist anti-apartheid Activist, Professor at Duke Divinity school), Prof Klaus Nurnberger (a Lutheran missionary, anti apartheid Activist and professor of Systematic Theology at both the University of South Africa and the University of KwaZulu Natal), Professor Liouse Kretzschmar (Professor of Systematic theology and ethics at the University of South Africa), Dr Clint le Bruyns (senior lecturer in public theology at the University of KwaZulu Natal), Revd Sifiso Khuswayo (Duke University Graduate, minister of the Methodist Church and lecturer at Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary), Dr Wessel Bentley (senior reasearcher at the Institute for the Study of Religion at the University of South Africa), and myself (lecturer at Stellenbosch University, Ekklesia, Faculty of Theology).

Here is some information on the book:

Cost: R120
Order here or Kindle


South Africa has a rich and complex history of Church-State relations. It is diverse, telling a story of how the Church was used as an instrument of colonisation, how sections of the Church endorsed policies of segregation, but also how other parts of the Church fought a long and brave battle to see the Apartheid regime toppled. It has been almost two decades since the end of Apartheid and as change is ringing in the social, political and ecclesiastical spheres of South Africa, it is necessary to revisit the notion of Church-State relations in this country. Coming from a past where the Church held a dominant position in society - both in the promotion of, and in the resistance to, the Apartheid system - the Church now finds itself in a new context; namely a Constitutional Democracy. In this setting its voice has to compete with other voices, its power is limited since it is merely one role-player in a society which is trying to find its feet. What does this mean for the identity, place and role of the Christian Church? What is the responsibility of the State to the society which it serves? This collection of essays seeks to address these questions. It does so by listening to prominent voices which have spoken, and still speak boldly on this topic, voices reflecting how Church- State relationships have influenced the social structures and systems across the globe. It offers some suggestions for a prudent Church-State relationship in South Africa, which will enable the formation of a society which can enjoy its freedoms in the context of justice, selflessness and hope. In these pages the reader will discover that the State has a greater responsibility than simply overseeing the implementation of government policies. Moreover, the Church has a greater role to play than merely being concerned with spiritual matters. It is argued that the Church and State cannot be the same entity, nor should the lines between Church and State be blurred, for this will lead to the distortion of both the Church and State thereby diminishing their primary functions. At the same time, social justice, the dignity of all
people and the moral formation of a nation depend on a Church-State relationship that is critical, honest, transparent and which will not shy away from collaborating when such work is clearly for the benefit of society as a whole. This book is not the final word on Church- State relationships, but aims to encourage new discoveries and continued conversations on what it means for the Church and the State to be effective and relevant in the South African context. The essays offer a diverse range of perspectives, and although these are not the only voices to be heard, they will stimulate conversation, benefiting society at large.

Here are the titles of the chapters in the book.

Essay 1
Banning the flag from our churches: Learning from the Church-State struggle in South Africa
Peter Storey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20

Essay 2
Being a Christian in a “Christian country”: theological reflections
Joerg Rieger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-39

Essay 3
The reluctant insight: Protestantism and democracy
Klaus Nürnberger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41-57

Essay 4
The Church, democracy and responsible citizenship
Clint Le Bruyns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59-71

Essay 5
God’s Kingdom and the transformation of society
Dion A Forster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73-88

Essay 6
The place of the Church in the new South Africa
Wessel Bentley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89-103

Essay 7
Un-mining the undermined history: the historical role of education
in transforming a nation
Sifiso Khuzwayo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105-129

Essay 8
The Christian formation of South African believers for engagement
with State and society
Louise Kretzschmar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131-163

Cost: R120
Order here or purchase it on Kindle (or download the first chapter for free).

Old School is cool! My lovely old Raleigh DL vintage bicycle

Here is a picture of my lovely old Raleigh DL roadster vintage bicycle.  I picked her up for a steal at a local secondhand store.  The bike is in very good condition for its age! It rides like a dream.  The gearing is most certainly not suited to the hills and mountains of Somerset West!  It is best on a long flat road.  Because of the high gearing it takes a little bit of time and energy to get upto speed.  But once it is going it just cruises along.  I rode it to the skateboard ramp with my kids this weekend.  The young 'hipsters' thought my bike was awesome! A real, classic, singlespeed...  In South Africa these were (and in some areas still are!) the standard issue bicyles for postal workers.  They have very low maintenance and just go, and go, and go!

Let the journey(s) begin - packing my bags again. Johannesburg, Malaysia, Holland and England.

It is that time again.  I am starting to get my bags and get ready for some travel over the next month and a bit.

Tomorrow I shall be in Johannesburg for the Alpha South Africa board meetings.  Alpha does the most amazing work in Churches across the world.  I know so many people in many of the almost 100 countries that I have visited who have come to discover (or rediscover) faith in Christ through an Alpha course, a Marriage Course or a Parenting Course.

On Thursday and Friday I will be helping to lead the strategic reflection process for the Southern African community coordinators from across Southern Africa.  Unashamedly Ethical is doing such great work across the world.  It is so necessary in South Africa at this point in our history.  Corruption is a significant problem in South Africa, and it is particularly important for the Christians, and the Church, to take a stand against corruption, the abuse of power, and inept functionaries in government and business.

The following week I leave for Malaysia! I am so thankful to be able to speak at the Alpha Malaysia Workplace Conference.  I will speak on the relationship between ordained clergy (pastors, priests and ministers) and ministers in other areas of life (Christians in the world of work, education, arts and culture, politics, media etc.)  In our book 'Transform your work life:  Turn your ordinary day into an extraordinary calling' I devoted a chapter to discussing a theology of work.  I am convinced of a few key points:

• Work is not intended to be a curse.  God gives us he ability to apply our gifts, abilities, strength, relationships and creativity to both provide for our needs (and those of our loved ones), as well as making a contribution to society.
• Every person is a minister!  Some ministers are paid by Churches or ministry organisations.  Others are paid through rendering a service or developing a product in the wider world.  However, every person who knows Christ is called to live under his direction and according to His will.  That is ministry.  So, every person is a minister.  See Col 3.23 for example.
• God's plan for the transformation is to be realised through the Church.  Ministers in the Church, and Ministers in the world of work have missunderstood this statement.  Basically, our theology of Church needs re-formation.  Christians are as much the Church when we gather (for worship, fellowship, teaching and service), as we are the Church when we scatter (going to our homes, our communities, to work, to study, to play).  It is one Church!  The Church has a common mission in the world, that is the missio Dei (the work of God in the world).  The local congregation cannot achieve this without Christians in every sphere of society, and Christians scattered into every sphere of society cannot achieve it without gathering for growth, encouragement, healing, renewal, and encounter with God.

I will also have a workshop at the conference where I will speak about the work of Unashamedly Ethical and EXPOSED - Shining a light on corruption.  The Malaysian Church is such a wonderful example to the rest of the world.  Christians are so engaged in social issues!  There is a wonderful balance between sharing the good news (evangelism) and being the good news (mission). 

While in Malaysia I will also have a chance to preach at my friend Alvin Tan's Church, spend some time sharing with the 'Citizens Network for a better Malaysia', and having some meetings around corruption, ethics and advocacy in society.

I then return back to Cape Town for a just over a week.  At the start of October I will be heading to Holland for a few weeks.  Part of my time in Europe will be spend working on my second PhD.  I was privileged to get a scholarship to do some post doctoral research, in the form of a second PhD, in New Testament at Radboud University in Nijmegen, Holland.  I am working with Professor Jan van der Watt and Prof Chris Hermans.  They are both leaders in their fields.  I am trying to do something fairly novel in bringing together some of the research from my previous doctoral work in neuroscience and identity, and merging that with narratology in New Testament studies.  The project will apply an action oriented research model, and so I will be doing some qualitative research in a few different cultures, communities with differing economic levels, and differing theological approaches.

I will also be having some meetings with colleauges and interested parties on Unashamedly Ethical, EXPOSED and the Global Day of Prayer while I am there.

on the 11th of October I will be in London for a very significant press event for 'EXPOSED - Shining a light on corruption' around the Houses of Parliament.  This press event will mark the official public launch of EXPOSED, a number of significant Christian Church leaders, Political figures and Business persons will be present to Shine their light in the areas of dealing with corruption and poverty.

I return to Holland for just short of of two weeks after the press event before going back to Cape Town at the end of October.

As always I would like to ask for your prayers:

• Please pray for my family - it is never nice to be away from them for extended periods of time.
• Please pray for me and the work that I will be doing.  Please pray that God will guide me, give me great wisdom and clarity about my task, and that I will be humble, gracious and loving in every interaction.
• Please pray for the various events and engagements that we will be a part of.  Please pray that God is glorified and that God's will is achieved through our work.
• Please pray that we, our teams, our families, our equipment, and every aspect of our work receives God's protection and grace.

Thanks so much!

Fixing battery drain on Mac OSX Mountain Lion on a MacBook Pro

I recently upgraded my three year old Macbook Pro to the newest version of Mac's OSX operating system, Mountain Lion. Previously when I was using Lion I was getting between 4-5 hours of batter life on my Mac. My fans almost never came on, and the machine was pretty stable.

Since installing Mountain Lion I found that my battery life dropped to about 1 to 1.5 hours! I also noticed that the fans on my MackBook Pro were almost constantly spinning (even when I had almost no applications open).

This is not an uncommon problem, it would seem that many others have had the same struggles. See these threads for some posts on this topic.

So, here's what I did to fix the problem:

Activity Monitor

Simply open the Activity Monitor (in Applications/Utilities), when it is open click on the 'My processes' tab at the ton, and choose to show CPU cycles (it is a heading that you click on between 'User' and 'Threads'). You should be able to see what processes are using up most of your CPU cycles.

I found that Microsoft Sync services and iCal External Sync were constantly spiking to the top of that list.

The point is, if you see an application or process that is not necessary that is hammering your CPU, disable it.

So, I opened up Entourage 2008 (I have to use Entourage because one of my clients runs an old version of Microsoft Exchange (2003), this old version of Exchange doesn't work with Apple Mail, Calendar, or Address book. It also doesn't work with the new version of Microsoft Outlook 2011 - sadly!) In Entourage, click on Entourage, Preferences, look for Sync services on the left and then make sure you don't have any sync services enabled. This will mean that you won't sync your Entourage calendar, address book, or notes with Apple's products. I suggest that you export and sync these with Gmail from time to time, and then sync Apple's services directly with Gmail.

Login items

The second thing I would suggest you check is what items you have set to automatically open up when you login to your mac. I had the 'Growl' agent installed, and since I have an Android phone in addition to my iPhone 4 (I also carry a Samsung Galaxy Note), I had Kies and the Android file transfer agent set to automatically load). When I deselected these (in addition to what I did with sync services above) my battery life was so much better.

Here's what you do to check and disable startup items.

First, open 'System Preferences', then click on 'Users & Groups', now make sure your user account is selected (it should be under 'Current User'). Then click on 'Login Items' (this is not 'Login Options' on the bottom left, it is the tab next to 'Password'). You will see a list of programs that are set to open when you log in. As mentioned Kies, the Android file manager, and the Growl agent were among the programs listed. Click on each program you want to remove and then press the '-' button (don't just deselected it). That will stop it from starting up.

Well, I hope that helps you! It helped for my batter life. Your results may vary. If you find another solution please do drop a note in the comments section below and let me know.

Thanks,

Dion

A growing experience of living (and working) in God's grace

Over the last few weeks I have had a growing experience of living and working in God's grace. It is a very powerful and comforting realization. Particularly so as I face the immense tasks that make up my daily life at the present moment. The Global Campaign that I have the privilege to serve is such a great task. Far greater than I am capable of on my own.

I am a minister. Regardless of what tasks I perform (whether I am teaching in an academic institution, whether I am working in the corporate environment, whether I am with my family at home, or whether I am serving in a Church). I am a minister.

However, in spite of this primary orientation, which is a response to God's call upon my life, I have frequently found myself in a position of 'striving'. I strive to do things that are good, things that are important, things that are significant. Yet, often what I strive for is connected to my own desire and will rather than a response to God's loving and sovereign will.

Here is what is certain - God is at work in the world. God is constantly busy with the work of love. God is lovingly working for justice. God is lovingly working for peace. God is lovingly creating. God is lovingly recreating. God is constantly busy with the work of love.

Over the past few weeks I have had such a strong experience of being invited into God's work of love in the world. It is such a wonderful experience to know that when God invites you to be part of His work you don't need to strive. The only measure of your worth is what God sees in you. You cannot be judged by the inadequate and imperfect standards of the world around you. Only God's standard counts. I believe that God places more importance on the person than on the 'office' that we hold. This does not mean that the office does not matter - in fact quite the opposite. If God calls one into an office, one must perform the tasks with great courage, discipline and creativity (as is fitting for all forms of ministry).

That being said, I have heard some wonderful testimonies over the last few weeks of people who have responded to God's call, an invitation to participate with God in God's work in the world. Some have succeeded by human standards, others have not. A common theme, however, is that each of these persons who has responded to God's loving invitation has had the privilege and joy of doing something that is truly worthwhile, lasting and significant.

The following quote, which is the last of many experiences, readings, realizations, and awakenings, over the last few weeks has been a great encouragement.

Christian ministry is more than doing good. Ministry is an act of service performed either consciously or unconsciously in the name of Christ. Ministry is Jesus Christ expressing his life through us. It is born, therefore, not in activity, but in solitude, where through the spirit we experience the power of life from within. No one becomes a "minister." Rather in trust we so open ourselves to the Spirit that Jesus Christ can express his ministry through us. Prayer and ministry, therefore, are indissoluble. In the stillness of meditative prayer we are confronted by God's loving claim upon us - the most intense intimacy a human being can experience. To know this intimacy we have only to let go. Instead of relying on our own initiative, where we are in control, we discover that we are participating in what God has already initiated within us.

- From Ministry and Solitude by James C. Fenhagen.

A Biblical mandate for advocacy on poverty and corruption - ABLI presentation

Yesterday I had the great honour of speaking in the Plenary and conducting a workshop session at the African Biblical Leadership Initiative (ABLI) forum in Uganda.

I was invited to present on our campaign 'EXPOSED - Shining a light on corruption'. A number of the participants asked me to upload the slides from the presentation.

You can view the slides online below (please note that the first slide is blank, there is content from slide two).

A Biblical Mandate for Advocacy on corruption and poverty from Dion Forster

If you would like to download a copy of the slides you can download them in PowerPoint format here.  They are in PPTX format and the file size is about 7.5MB.  If you use the slides please just attribute their source.

I told three stories to make the point that Christians have a responsibility, a ministry, to advocate for justice (speaking out against corruption and working with and for the poor).

Story 1 was called Philip's story.  It asks a powerful theological question:  If God has made the earth plentiful.  If Africa is so fertile and rich in natural and human resources, then why is he, and so many other Africans, stuck in abject poverty?

I used this wonderful video from NURU international.

Story 2 is a Biblical story.  I give some Biblical and Theological input on God's Economy (the oikos [household] nomos [management]).  The etymology of the contemporary English word 'economics' derives from two Greek words that mean the 'management of the household of God'.  The basic point here is that God desires a different standard of equity, justice and the management of the earth's resources so that every person can have a share of God's loving provision to flourish and live in blessing.

Some participants challenged a statement that I made in which I said that the prosperity 'gospel' is  not Biblical.  I stand by that statement.  I do not believe that God is an 'investment banker' where if one follows certain deterministic principles God is contractually bound to make one rich.  Moreover, it is simply not possible for the world to all live at the same standard of consumption that is expounded by prosperity preachers.  We can sustain that level of consumption of the natural resources of the earth.  If every person on earth lived at the standards of the average first world citizen the planet would depleted in a few short years.

However, I also do NOT believe that it is God's desire that the poor should remain in poverty.  I also do not believe that all wealth is evil and wrong.  I believe that what God wants is greater equity between the poor and the rich. In God's economy no child should have too much while another child has too little.  Of course there would be some who have more (e.g., persons who pursue business) and some who have less (persons such as myself who follow a life of service in the academy or in ministry).  However, no one should have too little and no one should have too much.

I do believe that part of the ministry of the Church is to develop the nation.  We should be involved in economic development.  We should be encouraging entrepreneurship.  However, we should also be encouraging responsible stewardship.  We should be encouraging simple and responsible living.

Aman, and a visiting Bishop from Zambia, both put their finger on the problem.  They both suggested that the problem is the terminology that we use.  For me, and many 'westernised' Christians the word prosperity has connations of excess (i.e., how does one get a bigger house, a better car, a higher salary than the good one already has).  However, for most poor persons prosperity means being able to meet the needs of your family and live with a reasonable measure of economic and social freedom.

Just to give some credit, I used a slide from my colleauge at the University of Stellenbosch, Dr Marius Nel, in this section.  It traces the development of the Historical Jesus scholarship.  I basically ask the question 'which Jesus shapes your faith?'  In short, the kind of Jesus that one finds preached by popular television preachers does not resemble the Jesus of the Bible very much.  If you want to find out what the Jesus of scripture cared about do yourself a favor and JUST read the red letters of the Gospels (the words of Jesus) for a month or so and see what Jesus thinks about, talks about, and cares about.  You may be surprised that he cares more about justice, economics, gender relations, systems of power in society than you thought.

Story 3 is our story.  I used the 'EXPOSED - Shining a light on corruption' campaign as an example of  advocacy on corruption and poverty. In this section I drew on the great work of my colleague, Amanda Jackson, on advocacy.

I used this video.

I hope there may be something of use here.  Please let me know what you think.  God bless, Dion