I am usually a very sentimental person and get very much so around the end of a year. Looking back at the end of the year offers one the opportunity to reminisce about the good times and reflect on the bad times. Read more …

The world celebrates Christmas because it is a time of goodwill and giving, fun and happiness. But more importantly, at the heart of Christmas is the story of a little helpless baby, born to two common people in adverse conditions. It is a heart-warming story! Read more …

Recently a controversial blasphemy poster campaign was launched in New Zealand. The campaign slogan is "Religion is Garbage", and while it is aimed at all religions and religious denominations, it especially targets Christianity (including cults, hypocrisies and what I am going to call "objective Christianity"). Due to the nature (and intent) of this campaign, there has been much discussion around it. In response to the many, many commentators who appear to express what I can only call flippant atheistic views, I thought it good to respond by summarising a talk which William Lane Craig gave at an apologetics conference in Cape Town earlier this year (something which I have been wanting to do for some time now anyway). What follows below is my summary of his seven points for claiming that it is reasonable to believe in God, and not just any god, but the God of the Bible. Read more …

Last night I watched The Book of Eli with some friends. I really enjoyed the movie, primarily because I am a huge fan of the post-apocalyptic genre (I am convinced there were some strong Fallout influences in that movie). Read more …

This past Sunday, I attended Southern Cross church, which is a new CESA congregation in Constantia in Cape Town. It was the six month anniversary of their establishment, and for the occasion, the speaker was bishop Frank Retief. He was involved with St James in Kenilworth when, in 1993, it suffered a terrorist attack which killed a number of people and maimed many more. And so he spoke to us about the question of suffering, although it was not a regular sermon. Rather, he spoke to us about the attack, describing the immediate aftermath in vivid detail, and then proceeded to explain how they as a congregation worked through the experience, trying to make sense of that horrid ordeal. Read more …

Last night, CESA bishop Des Ingelsby preached at TBT. His sermon on wisdom and making plans for the future was really good and one which I enjoyed and found relevant. At present I do not know what will happen after this year, when I finish my studies. Preliminary thoughts are to stay in the Cape area, but I have no idea whether I'll move to the City, stay in the Boland or go somewhere else (perhaps back to the northern suburbs?). With difficult and daunting life decisions laying in front of me, it was a great encouragement to hear a message on how to make wise decisions. Read more …

Today I got back from spending a week in the coastal town of Hermanus, were I helped out with the annual Holiday Club, which the church I attend organises every year. This was my first experience of being on a "mission" and came back with a lot to think about. Read more …

When I first heard that some people were claiming that the world will end on 21 May 2011, I wanted to furiously post a rebuke here. But I decided to rein myself in until I have learned more (or at least until I had actually read the whole tract).

Of course there is actually a lot of information to go through: the tract points one to websites and books, even a radio station, and a forum has been set up to discuss this matter. But what I want to do is write a response to just the tract: what should someone think who has been handed such a flyer at a traffic light or walking through a park? Read more …

The past weekend (wait, what do you mean it's weekend again already??) we had the Equip 2010 conference. It was great, really great... so much so that, 4 days after it, I'm still a little in denial that it is over!

Equip is the amalgamation of the previous years' MYCs and YAECs. This year, just like MYC last year, it was held at Rocklands, in Simonstown. Rocklands is a beautiful camp ground and certainly ranks amongst my personal favourites. Read more …