Mourning Clint Le Bruyns: What do we do?

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marthiemombergblog

How do we cope with the enormous shock and loss of someone so inspiring, so generous in spirit?

Dr. Clint le Bruyns, the widely loved and respected South African theologian, intellectual and activist was 48 years old on the morning of 7 January 2021 when his body succumbed to Covid-19 related complications.

What do we do?

In his tribute, Rev. Moss Nthla (Chair: Kairos South Africa and General Secretary: The Evangelical Alliance of South Africa) responded as follows:

What do you do when a brave soldier falls in the middle of a fierce battle?
When the foe is not merely another tribe from across the river, but an empire arrogantly straddling the globe?
Corrupting the mind with theologies of death.
Enslaving the soul with the values of darkness.
Subjecting the majority of the peoples of the world to the falsehood that evil can trump good.
You celebrate.
You celebrate a…

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Covid: we need to change course

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Before we end the year, it will be useful to look back on 2020 and reflect on what has happened and how VYLTP has been affected by it – and perhaps even begin to chart a way forward. Our mission at VYLTP is to “gather young leaders to form a safe space of learning, through courageous conversations, to foster wise leadership that empowers them to facilitate transformative justice in church and society”.

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New VYLTP online course: “Beloved Community”

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Covid-19 has taken its toll on our leadership programmes offered each year at Volmoed. Our programmes were built along the five themes of: Community; Healing and wholeness;, Creation and creativity; Reconciliation; and Peace and justice. We are hoping to revive these programmes when the virus has been slain.

Our current challenges have also forced us to think out of the box, and the outcome is a brand new online course kicking off in 2021, entitled ‘Beloved Community”.

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Compassion

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August is known as the month of compassion but it’s an essential way of life and being for each day of our lives as we follow Jesus the Christ, who responded with loving compassion to all whom he met. This month also marks particular anniversaries – the first atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan,  and South African National Women’s Day to commemorate the march in 1956 of 20,000 women, to protest the pass laws. The Southern African Anglican church’s decision in 1992 to ordain women as priests also took place in August.

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Gender based violence: Women, patriarchy, and the church

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National Women’s Day in South Africa on 9 August commemorates a powerful moment in our history. In 1956, 20,000 women  marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, to protest against the carrying of pass books and legislation aimed at tightening the apartheid government’s control over the movement of black women in urban areas.

This month also marks the 28th anniversary of the Anglican Church’s decision to ordain women as priests. It’s a good moment to reflect on women and the church, whatever your denomination or faith community.

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Do BLACK LIVES MATTER or do ALL LIVES MATTER?

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A  discussion note for South African Christians via SACLI

By Rev Edwin Arrison, 10 July 2020

A basic statement of faith is that all people are created in the image of God. And all people have God’s breath within us (Gen 1 and 2).

But what happens if, over hundreds of years, this image is denied within black people and a universal cry rings out “We can’t breathe!” At that point, black people affirm—without seeking the validation of others—that indeed BLACK LIVES MATTER. The cry of the people simply echoes the cry of God. That is why it can truly be called a “movement” and not simply a “moment”. Continue reading →

Moet ons sê: SWART LEWENS MAAK SAAK, of eerder: ALLE LEWENS MAAK SAAK?

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‘n Christelike meditasie

Deur Eerw. Edwin Arrison namens SACLI

(Also in English)

‘n Fundamentele Christelike stelling is dat alle mense na God se beeld geskape is en God se lewens-asem en gees in hom of haar het (Genesis 1 en 2).

Maar wat gebeur wanneer ‘n groot groep van die mensdom (swart mense) begin skreeu: “Ons kan nie asemhaal nie!”? Die stem van hierdie mense, wat ook God se lewens-asem het, eggo hiermee die stem van God, en soek gevolglik nie erkenning of toestemming vir die kreet nie. Continue reading →