Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in antispam_user_load() (line 1545 of /var/www/html/wessel/siyach.org/sites/all/modules/antispam/antispam.module).
It seems like debates regarding homosexuality has flared up again recently. Fueled by news regarding (proposed) same-sexed marriage legislation in the USA, UK and France, as well as bans on "homosexual propaganda" in Russia, everyone is weighing in their two cents. And one of the arguments which I am seeing for Christians to "get with it", is that Jesus never said anything (about/against) homosexuality. Read more …
In this article I want to raise a legitimate, but controversial, question which I think the church might soon need to begin to consider. The question regards marriage and whether it is wise to continue to adhere to civil marriages as opposed to purely "religious" marriages. I genuinely hope this to be a dialogue in good faith. The question is: should churches begin to consider marrying people, but not legally? Read more …
You cannot only be moderately interested in God. If God does not exist, then there is no reason to be interested in God at all. On the other hand, if God does exist, then this is of paramount interest, and our ultimate concern ought to be how to be properly related to this being upon whom we depend moment by moment for our very existence.
As the year draws to a close, I want to reflect on some of the articles which I wrote this year, specifically the top five. I decided on these articles by the reactions which they generated. Not all of them were assessed by "numbers", such as the number of comments or Facebook likes. But some them were spoken about privately to me. My reader base remains small, but I sincerely appreciate every person who takes the time to read through what weighs on my heart. From the bottom of my heart, thank you! Read more …
Mary, exhausted by the birth and the day's travel, handed the equally tired newborn back to Joseph so that she could rest. He took Him and laid Him down in a manger which he had padded with straw—on Mary's insistence. And as everyone else left, the excitement died down and the night fell silent. Read more …
I had the honour last week of attending the wedding of a good friend from my previous church. It took place in a neighbouring province, and so some friends and I made a three day trip to go bear witness and to celebrate that blessed occasion. On our way we reflected and discussed courting and marriage a bit. These have been frequent topics of late, as it is the season to get married: both literally and in our lives (one member of our group had attended seven weddings this year, with at least one more to come still). I am struck by how differently Christian and secular couples perceive weddings and marriage. Here are some of my thoughts on the topic. Read more …
Recently we remembered Reformation Day: the day when Martin Luther sparked the protestant reformation by nailing his objections to the corruptions within the Roman Catholic Church to the church door in Wittenberg. Okay, it may not have been very recently, but time slips by rather quickly, and I am sure that you can still what you did on Halloween. Remembering Reformation Day, together with some questions which I have been hearing, got me thinking about the issue of grace. The issue of grace lies at the very heart of the reformation: that God's will (apart from anything that we do) is enough for our sins to be forgiven. This is possible because the punishment which was due to us for all our wrongs (past, present and future) have already been paid for by Jesus on the cross. Read more …
It seems like many Christians think that, for them to help someone get saved or bring someone to God, they have to get or force the person to stop... Read more …
South Africa has, as far as I am aware, the most unique national anthem in the world. What makes it so unique, is the fact that it is in fact two different songs appended to each other. The first is Nkosi Sikele' iAfrika, which was the party song of the African National Congress (ANC): once a group designated a terrorist group by the Apartheid government, and currently the ruling party in South Africa. The second is The Call of South Africa (Die Stem van Suid-Afrika), which was the previous national anthem of South Africa. These are sung in five different languages (of the eleven official languages which South Africa has): Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English. Read more …
I think it can be honestly said that the Trinity is one of the strangest "ideas" which Christianity holds. To the Christian it is a succinct, human description of what is the true nature of the one, infinite God. Read more …
Ever since the sexual revolution in the 60s, a question which has been asked (and will be asked, until Kingdom come, I'm sure) by Christian teenagers and young adults are "Can we...?". It is a question about what for Christians is permissible (and what is not) about sex. Read more …
Thinking about singleness in the Christian context has never been clear-cut. Jesus and the apostle Paul defied the cultural norms of the day by saying that it is good for a person not to marry (e.g. 1 Corinthians 7:32–33). While it is also still good to marry (1 Corinthians 7:38), Christianity brought a new consideration into the picture: that of ministry (that is, the proclamation of the gospel). A person who is not married has less to worry about than someone who is (1 Corinthians 7:35). Of course a person who is married can still evangelise or be in another ministry (not to mention that having a family itself is a ministry), but a single person has more free time which can be devoted to ministry. However, in Western culture there is a seemingly unquestioned expectation that people—especially within the church—should marry. This can create some tension or even friction, to which I as someone who is single can testify. In this article I want to lay bare some of my thoughts around singleness and I hope that it could lead to some good discussion around a topic which is not (in my experience) spoken about much in the church. Read more …
I thought that it would be good for me to explain my position on the origins of the universe. I am not doing this as part of a larger debate, but I feel that clarifying my position now would be helpful for what I may want to say in the future. Read more …
I was recently irked by a specific "open-letter" which appeared on one of the popular Afrikaans news websites. It was written by a former student journalist of the unofficial paper of my alma mater to a certain church. Read more …
Latest comments