Family - Sunday 2013

1.) The Bible says about the family life of Jesus two remarks:
A) Lk shows a feast-programme
a) (2.16-21): there is circumcision and name-giving.
b) There is a temple visit in Jesrusalem (2.22-40) the law demands:
    Purification + Consecration / And the old Simeon speaks about enlighten the
    pagans and the prophetess Anna; a temple-lady, fan of the child.
c) There is the early Passover-feast, but once (Jesus was 12 yers old) it became a
    nightmare "looking after Jesus busy with the Father's afffairs".
B) Mt shows a dramatic escape: "they are on the run"  (Mt 2.13-15, 19-23)
    And all this to fulfill the scripture!
The family-story as a story of signs to show how the JoN is the Messiah;
a significant story constructed after the Resurrection - because this event has changed the view.

2.) This family: Mary + Joseph + Jesus + his brothers and sisters...
a "holy family" ? They have made it an ideal picture; an icon!
In service of evangelisation?

3.) That is what happen today again: Because in terms of family nothing is more clear in our society, the RCChurch has proclaimed 2014 as a "year of the family"
and a special bishops-synode will bring clarity.
But (and here I see the problem) Bishops know already "how family life should be";
they know already "the concept of a really Christian family" - they don't need any advise, any search... they only need people who listen to them, obedient people!
Since Mary + Joseph + Jesus have lived a family unity... we have the ideal;
we need ways to bring this ideal to the people and to make them it going.
There will be a special family-prayer because the RCChurch will ask God to do it right.

4.) Also the Church should be a family... what an incredible way...  for 2014!
The African bishops once declared the RCChurch as ! "a family of God". 

Christmas 2013 Lk 2.1-14

The Christian CHURCH has an old message for the WORLD:
      "A SAVIOUR IS BORN"
[The messgae came up, is created some years after Jesus has died. It's a discovery! after the disciples have experienced the life of JvN: his deeds and words, his death and "resurrection".]
This message is celebrated in all Christian Denominations - it's a sign of unity
among Christians - until today: Jesus birth is declared as: "A Saviour is born".

Today's extension of this message: The Salvation Jesus has brought is meant:
a) for all (for the whole world)
b) will include the life on earth and the life in heaven (time and eternity).
c) is directed to heal body + mind + soul (integral / holistic)

This message is also confronted with old questions:
a) is salvation a dream or a fact ?
b) is Salvation needed or only a flight from the naural situation ?
c) is Jesus really the only one Saviour of is he one of many ?

And there are new modern questions of today:
a) is not every born child meant as to become a saviour - to demonstrate how nature and history are to be transcended into a new future...
b) if you accept the modern evolution-theory, how do you see "salvation" ?
[because the "original sin of Adam + Eve is declared as a myth!)
c) is it possibel to accept a pious Jewish live (JvN) and his condemnation (cross) as a "healing life" for all (as world-salvation) ?
d) The Church as "body of Christ" (also in 2014) will show us the continuing salvation-work of Jesus Christ... in which form ? in which experiences ?

No doubt: a Saviour is born ! But today we like to discover the effect !
A saviour without salvation-prove is nothing (at least after 2000 years).
How do you show the world the effect the saviour has on you ?
          NO EFFECT   -    NO REALITY         (the message must be proven!)
At least: what is the prove that we are on a salvation-way ?

4th Advent Sunday 22.12.2013 / Mt 1.23

I have enjoyed very much for 12 days the Internationale Music-week in Swakop
with 4 public concert-performances together with APC-Tsumeb and then I have gone for three days to Omalungandjamba to see how Namibia is getting green
and to eat the first Mango in this season (what a pleasure).
But now for the festive season I'm back in Otjiwarongo - and enjoy the "ombura".

The Advent message told us: a light has gone up - darkness is over;
we are supposed to discover, to see the reality...
and now the fourth Sunday brings the NEWS:  "IMMANUEL"
we translate since old: "In Jesus Christ God is with us".

It means the famous question all over the world: "Where is God?" or
"God- where are you?" gets an answer (to be celebrated at Christmas).
The Profet Isaias (7.14) has spoken for the future
but now Mt speaks for the present: look at Jesus and you see "God with us".

Christianity is the first and only Religion to declare:
There is born over there in Bethlehem a child (later named Jesus of Nazareth)
and we see in him "God with us".

This is something totally new (since now 2000 years) and we struggle until today
to get this declaration, this proclamation right.
Questions:
A) Which kind of God is with us ?  the famous Jahwe-God ?  (as we call him in the creed: father, allmigthy, creator; / God of mercy, God of Love etc...)
B) And how is the situation after Jesus has died and risen to Heaven ?
He has disappeared /  How is now "God with us" ?
C) And who belongs to this famous "us" ?  the baptizeds or the 7 billions ?

I got a wonderful gift "Der Wind weht wo er will" (the wind goes where it wills)
[the timeless message of John] edition Paulus Freiburg 2013
the author Dr. P. Wittwer has made it a gift for me...  - may I find answers ?

Sec Advent Sunday 08.12.2013

The first Sunday told us about day-breack, arrival...since long people are waiting
for the fullness of life, for redemption, happyness, salvation... and the promise is great: there will be a better future, a New Earth and a New Heaven...
Once mankind came into existence...  and we see in retroperspective a enormeous
progress...   once we have seen only our region, now we see the world; once we spoke only to our tribe, now we sms and mail and phone to the whole world...
we are busy to connect all States into a global World. The sun is rising...
Advent means: it's coming; we experience the Incarnation-process

The sec Sunday tells us more...
But sure as the light comes up - we get a new view of all the reality, we see colours, we see black and white - in the night it was a total different view.
It means Advent is a time of change, a turn-around, upheaval, a radical made-up,
for many a repentence...mankind discovered: with the coming up of the human consciousness (light) all reality is going into a new level - now there is somebody who knows...  there is not only day and night; now we know there is day and night!
It means as you know...  there is now also the temptation: to refuse to know;
the one who likes the darkness will fight again the light

On this sec. Adv Sunday we also celebrate Mary Immaculate. May we see
her as a woman who has accepted the light fully. For her God is light and she understand herself as one who is in service of the light. She experienced many clouds in her life but she didn't forget the sun behind the clouds. She faced many challenges but she discovered in all them the Grace of God.

And in regard of GBV - there was never a time so sensibel for this terrible crime. Today at least the majority of the World knows GBV is wrong; many try
to reduce GBV. Sure, we could do more... Sure some are not able to refrain from GBV...  But it's a real progress to know GBV is wrong.

And in regard of me: from the 4. to the 15. 12.13 I am engaged in the Intern.
Music-week in Swakopmund. APC's send 30 participants and we wish them all
a wonderfull experience in exercises and performances.