Thanks for your visit! I do appreciate the opportunity that you are giving me to be your host during this visit. Even better, if you decide to email me, you will be so much more than just a numbered visitor. Let’s exchange thoughts and become friends. No! This is not just a friendly cliché. I really mean it.
When I was first invited to provide content for this Web Site that may have spiritual value for others, my thought was, “Forget it!” How can I possibly account for all the shifts in emphasis, new interpretations and understandings that enriched my Ministry since ordination in South Africa on February 10, 1968? Even those who heard me a month ago will not necessarily recognize last Sunday’s sermon as coming from the same source.
Here on the threshold of a new millennium the Church of Jesus Christ is being disputed from different sides on several major issues. New research, discoveries and brilliant scholarship are challenging time-tested doctrines and beliefs. A new brand of Christianity is emerging, based on new information and a new understanding of the life and mission of Jesus Christ. Traditional Christianity, largely based on the doctrine of infallibility of the Bible and the literal interpretation thereof finds itself challenged and on the defense like never before. The great moral issues of our time not only polarize every civilized society but also the Christian Church. Racism, Feminism, and Sexual Orientation challenge us to come up with new approaches and widened horizons in our Ministries and Christian compassion. The great world religions are discovering, not only what divide, but also what they have in common. Judaism and Christianity are rediscovering their common roots. The ancient divisions within the Christian Church are sadly being replaced with newer ones.
Some of those who are regularly visiting these pages are my valued parishoners or radio listeners spanning almost four decades! Remember, you who have been listening, directly or indirectly, for many years have also undergone immeasurable changes, maybe without even realizing it. Thus we meet again through a modern miracle of technology! I hope that our Afrikans and Dutch speaking readers will not mind the English.
Credibility and relevance in preaching cannot be secured in the repetition of worn-out clichés. When people sleep in Church, maybe it’s the preacher who should wake up! Woven within these webPages are my convictions, insights and even some conclusions in response to continued research and study of the dynamic theological scene of which I have been part since 1968. Amidst all these happenings we hold on to a basic belief, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Matthew 24:35.” I am often bleeding, wrestling and seeking to interpret, read between the lines and listen to new voices speaking with the authority that only our advanced modern technology in today’s world make possible. Through the years, Matthew’s reference to “My Words” sent me on new expeditions, far beyond what I believe Matthew’s message for the people of his life and times were. But, enough said for now. As you journey through these pages you will, no, you shall understand better!
My love and appreciation to my precious wife Tienka who enthusiastically shared this journey while keeping my feet as closely as possible to the ground.
Please respond, no matter how!
By email to Dr. Fred Fourie