Friday, September 18, 2009

Leef jou gebede - of begin anders bid?!

Die gedagtes (heeltemal in lyn met die evangelie!!!) sal jou gebede vir altyd verander - hopelik jou lewe ook. Hierdie is ongelukkig nie 'n lekker Vrydag-pos nie...dit is uitdagend soos kruis-Vrydae maar is. Dankie vir die damesbybesltudie groep van Woensdag, ons gesprek het my weer aan hierdie gedagtes van Shane Claiborne & Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove laat dink:
50 Ways To Become the Answer to Our Prayers
1. Fast for the 2 billion people who live on less than a dollar a day.
2. Contact your local crisis pregnancy center and invite a pregnant woman to live with your family.
3. Ask your pastor if someone on your church’s sick list would like a visit.
4. Join an open AA meeting and befriend someone there.
5. Adopt a child.
6. Mow your neighbor’s grass.
7. Volunteer to tutor a kid at your local elementary school. (Try to get to know the kid’s family.)
8. Grow your own tomatoes–and share them.
9. Ask a small group in your community to meet regularly for intercessory prayer.
10. Build a wheel chair ramp for someone who is homebound.
11. Read the newspaper to someone at your local nursing home.
12. Plant a tree.
13. Look up the closest registered sex offender in your neighborhood and try to befriend him.
14. Throw a birthday party for a prostitute.
15. When you pay your water bill, pay your neighbor’s too (they’ll let you… really).
16. Invest money in a micro-lending bank.
17. Ask the next person who asks you to spare some change to join you for dinner.
18. Leave a random tip for someone who’s cleaning the streets or a public restroom.
19. Write one CEO a month this year. Affirm or critique the ethics of their company (you may need to do a little research first).
20. Start tithing (giving 10%) of all your income directly to the poor.
21. Connect with a group of migrant workers or farmers who grow your food and visit their farm. Maybe even pick some veggies with them. Ask what they get paid.
22. Give your winter coat away to someone who is colder than you and go to a thrift store to get a new one.
23. Write only paper letters (by hand) for a month. Try writing someone who needs encouragement or who you should say “I’m sorry” to.
24. Go TV free for a year. Or turn your TV into a pot where flowers grow.
25. Laugh at advertisements, especially ones that teach you that you can by happiness.
26. Organize a prayer vigil for peace outside a weapons manufacturer such as Lockheed Martin. Read the Sermon on the Mount out loud. For extra credit, do it every week for a year.
27. Go down a line of parked cars and pay for the meters that are expired. Leave a little note of niceness.
28. Write to one social justice organizer or leader each month just to encourage them.
29. Go through a local thrift store and drop $1 bills in random pockets of the clothing being sold.
30. Experiment with creation-care by going fuel free for a week–ride a bike, carpool, or walk.
31. Try only reading books written by females or people of color for a year.
32. Go to an elderly home and get a list of folks who don´t get any visitors. Visit them each week and tell stories, read the bible together, or play board games.
33. Track to its source one item of food you eat regularly. Then, each time you eat that food, pray for those folks who helped make it possible for you to eat it.
34. Create a Jubilee fund in your Church congregation, matching dollar for dollar every dollar you spend internally with a dollar externally. If you have a building fund, create a fund to match it to give away and by mosquito nets or dig wells for folks dying in poverty.
35. Become a pen-pal with someone in prison.
36. Give your car away to a stranger.
37. Convert your car to run off waste vegetable oil.
38. Try recycling your water from the washer or sink to flush your toilet. Remember the 1.2 billion folks who don´t have clean water.
39. Wash your clothes by hand, or dry them by hanging to remember those without electricity or running water. Remember the 1.6 billion people who do not have electricity.
40. Buy only used clothes for a year.
41. Cover up all brand names, or at least the ones that do not reflect the upside-down economics of God’s Kingdom. Commit to only being branded by the cross.
42. Learn to sew or start making your own clothes to remember the invisible faces behind what we wear. Take your kids to pick cotton so they can see what that is like (and then read James).
43. Eat only a bowl of rice a day for a week to remember those who do that for most of their life (take a multivitamin). Remember the 30,000 people who die each day of poverty and malnutrition.
44. Begin creating a scholarship fund so that for every one of your own children you send to college you can create a scholarship for an at-risk youth. Get to know their family and learn from each other.
45. Visit a worship service where you will be a minority. Invite someone to dinner at your house or have dinner with someone there if they invite you.
46. Help your church congregation create a Peacemaker Scholarship and give it away to a young person trying to avoid the economic draft, who would like to go to college but sees no other way than the military.
47. Eat with someone who does not look like you. Learn from them.
48. Confess something you have done wrong to someone and ask them to pray for you.
49. Serve in a homeless shelter. For extra credit, go back and eat or sleep in the shelter and allow yourself to be served.
50. Join a Yokefellows ministry at a prison close to you. Remember that Jesus said he would meet you there (Matt. 25).

STILTE

Jammer oor gister se stilte...dit is soms moeilik om in 'n alleenspraak gemotiveerd en gedissiplineerd te bly.
Ek praat eintlik net met myself in tye van absolute eensaamheid, oorweldigende woede of frustrasie, of gebrekkige fokus met 'n taak, sport, denke...
Nou dat ek oor die stilte dink, oor die gebrek aan dialoog: Dit is dalk die ervaring van die gemeenskap, of ten minste van sekeres in die gemeenskap. Dit is dalk waar dat daar hierdie silent scream is! Hoekom hoor ek nie? Reageer ek nie? Connect ek nie?
Is die gedruis van my kaarthuis-karnaval dalk net te oorverdowend?
Verstaan ek dalk net nie die klanke nie omdat ek te ver verwyderd is van die dialek van nood en gebrokenheid en van deel wees van die groter geheel wat ek durf ons Suid-Afrika noem?
Ek hoor dalk maar gee eenvoudig net nie om nie...al hou ek daarvan om aan myself as 'n Jesus-volgeling te dink?
Previously engaged? Besig met groter dinge - immers met dinge wat my ego meer gaan streel en op die oog af vir my meer sal beteken?
Gebrek aan belangstelling?
Gerief?
Vrees?
Wat maak my so apaties stil in die ewige dialoog wat die gemeenskap met my wil voer?
Praat weer....

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Waiting on the world to change - John Mayer

Diep waarhede in hierdie lied...en 'n skokkende gesindheid wat na vore kom. [luister of lees die lirieke] Die wagkamer-mentaliteit, die swygkultuur, die 'hulle-beter-alles-reg-maak'... en natuurlik het ons 'n lysie rasionele verskonings van waarom ons meestal apaties is oor die dinge wat rondom ons gebeur. Die video is 'n weergawe van 'n community-church uit Amerika met lekker visuele gedagtes by.
Luister hierdie dalk eerder as 'n klaaglied / 'n aanklaglied / 'n skuldbelydenis...


Waiting On The World To Change

Me and all my friends
We're all misunderstood
They say we stand for nothing and
There's no way we ever could

Now we see everything that's going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don't have the means
To rise above and beat it

So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

It's hard to beat the system
When we're standing at a distance
So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change

Now if we had the power
To bring our neighbors home from war
They would have never missed a Christmas
No more ribbons on their door
And when you trust your television
What you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information, oh
They can bend it all they want

That's why we're waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

It's not that we don't care,
We just know that the fight ain't fair
So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

And we're still waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting waiting on the world to change
One day our generation
Is gonna rule the population
So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

24/7/365

Raak jy ook al meer kriewelrig soos ons voortgaan op hierdie ontdekkingstog van God se musiek, ritmes en danse? Aanvanklik was die geestelike vertroeteling lekker snoesig as ons hoor God kies ons, beweeg hier binne ons en ons leef altyd voor Sy aangesig. Selfs die heerlike herinnering aan die geloofsmentors in ons lewens en God se beweging in die gemeente was nogal 'n knus ervaring...maar toe kom ons by die vreemdeling...en nou by die gemeenskap...en 'n mens wil vlug van God se knaende moeilike roepingsvrae...
Hierdie 24/7/365 opskrif van vanoggend het my laat dink aan my ouerskap: Anouk sny tande en slaap sleg, eet sleg, doek sleg en ek kan nie my rug hierop draai nie. Sarike is 4 en volgens die ontwikkelingsielkunde besig om te ontdek dat sy 'n individu is los van my en Jana - en dit is amper erger as die tienerfase (met soortgelyke kenmerke) want jy kan nie in gesprek oor dinge tree nie...sy't mood-swings soos die petrolprys! Ek beplan 'n toer in Afrika en skielik moet ek die malaria-zones in ag neem want met kinders onder ses voeter jy nie met malaria nie...'n Vriend (alleenloper) kuier die naweek by ons en ek wil hom graag die stad gaan wys, maar die kinders gaan nie regitg die apartheidsmuseum, of Jazz in New Town, of Hillbrow. of SAB se bier-toer geniet nie...
Ek hoop jy kry die punt: Wanneer jy kinders het verander jou dagboek, jou beplanning, jou drome, jou budget, jou adres, jou sosiale gewoontes........ jou self! Jy dink nuut oor jou hele lewe. Is dit nie dalk wat sou gebeur wanneer jy jou weer as een met die gemeenskap sien nie? Alles verander: jou manier van dink, droom, beplan, begroot, bid.......jou self!
Dalk is dit hoekom hierdie gemeenskapsding so vrek moeilik is - dit vra jou volle self, soos ouerskap! Daar is nie 'n pause-knoppie nie...dit is 24/7-365!
Jy is of aan die gemeenskap verbind of jy is nie - daar is nie hier die tussen-in plek nie.

Monday, September 14, 2009

ons paradoksale gemeenskap

Ek weet dit strek dalk party van julle se grense/denke, maar ek deel graag die woorde van Koos Kombuis se 'Liefdeskwela' met julle. Ek het die enkele byvoeglike naamwoord maar uitvertaal ('n vriend van my vertel die ander dag hoe sy gemeente hom verkwalik het oor hy die waarheid gepraat het in beskrywnde taal). Dit is aangrypende woorde hierdie van Koos. Terloops, 'n kwêla is 'n soort dansmusiek gebore onder stedelike afrikane.



Liefdeskwêla

Die wete dat ons anders is, in blokkies afgekamp, apart
net omdat 'n ander vel span om dieselfde hart
ons vingers raak mekaar, maar ons hande is afgekap
die junk jewellery om jou nek word deur oorlog stewels vuil getrap
en tog is die plek mooi, wit stede blom op geel grasvalktes
treine jaag deur mielielande, ons teorieë bly onprakties
tralies skei ons van mekaar, van loodgieterse en vreemdelinge
'n katedraal van smart in vierkante en kringe

Chorus:
'n Land met lig wat netjies pas soos blokkies gekleurde glas
in 'n etniese ou katedraal, ‘n land van bloed en vrede
'n land vir my en jou, 'n land vol kleure van die reënboog
'n land van geel en blou, 'n land van toekoms en van hede
'n lewe in die Kaap en in die ou Transvaal.

Ek sien jou vriende sit en lê op die sypaadjies van Hillbrow
toegedraai in komberse, knus beskerm teen die kou
ek hoor jou roep agter die mure wat jou grond van myne skei
'n stem soet soos die aarde, waar groen en goud gedy
ek voel jou hartseer in die stad van vuil kinders hoog op ?*& Madjat
die boodskap van 'n duisend skure, ek weet jou twak bly nat
eers was ons dieselfde, sy aan sy in 'n vaal land
ongevorm sonder speserye uit die kolonis se hand
maar as jy sing van tye voor die vloed en voor die bloei
van kultuurbotsings op die voorstoepe
en spioene wat teen ossewaens stoei
klink daarin ook die stem van my eie voorvaders so klaar
dan weet ek ons is een al val ons kaarte deurmekaar

Koor

Litanie op die hoek van Rabie en Republiek


















Rangskikker van die mensdom,
Skilder van kulture,
Komponis van dialekte:

Die diversiteit van U pallet
Bring ons in vervoering (maar soms ook in verwarring).
Die omhelsing van U onbekampte liefde
Vertroetel ons (en maak ons onrustig).

Soms wil ons U bewonder
(oor die paaie wat U loop);
soms wil ons van U vlug
(as U sê: ‘Volg my!’).

Pottebakker van my plooie,
Wewer van my ewige wording,
Regiseur van my ontvouing:

Vandag se verhoog is opwindend (en angswekkend).
Vandag se rolverdeling is divers (maar kompleks).
Vandag se draaiboek is nie wat ek verwag het nie.

Soms wil ons U bewonder
(oor die paaie wat U loop);
soms wil ons van U vlug
(as U sê: ‘Volg my!’).


Skepper, Her-Skepper, God van
Geologie, antropologie, statistiek en sosilogie
Heer, wees ons genadig.
Ontvermer, Verlosser, God van
Politiek, polimiek, ekonomie en retoriek.
Heer, wees ons genadig.
Asem, Beroering, God van
Inspirasie, beweging, kleur en klank.
Heer, wees ons genadig.

Soms wil ons U bewonder
(oor die paaie wat U loop);
soms wil ons van U vlug
(as U sê: ‘Volg my!’).

Amen.

'just a stranger one the bus'

Ek weet ek moet vandag se blog eintlik begin oor die Gemeenskap maar Johan se gesprek oor die vreemdeling en God se beweging in, deur en na die vreemdeling (vanuit Jona) het my dadelik weer aan hierdie ou classic laat dink. Kyk gerus na die video of lees die lirieke en indien jy vyf minute het, reflekteer vir 'n oomblik hieroor 'What if God was just a stranger on the bus trying to make his way home...' Probeer regtig om die vraag konkreet vir jou self te antwoord en om dit nog meer lewend te probeer maak vertel vir iemand wat jy goed ken wat die implikasie vir jou lewe sal wees wanneer God die vreemdeling is waarmee jy daagliks op verskillende maniere te doen kry?




One of us - Joan Osborne

If God had a name, what would it be
And would you call it to his face
If you were faced with him in all his glory
What would you ask if you had just one question

And yeah yeah God is great
yeah yeah God is good
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home

If God had a face what would it look like
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like heaven
and in Jesus and the saints
and all the prophets

And yeah yeah God is great
yeah yeah God is good
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home
He's trying to make his way home
Back up to heaven all alone
Nobody calling on the phone
Except for the pope maybe in Rome

And yeah yeah God is great
yeah yeah God is good
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home
Just trying to make his way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to heaven all alone
Just trying to make his way home
Nobody calling on the phone
Except for the pope maybe in Rome