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This paper examines how pastors engaged an online presence to preach the Word of God and address the needs of their congregations, during the crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in South Africa. This is set against the Biblical instruction of Jesus Christ to Peter, to "feed my sheep" in John 21: 17, as it is the very same instruction that holds for pastors in churches today. However, the normal operations of the ministry have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Christian church, a close-knit group of believers to whom social and physical distancing are foreign concepts, has had to adapt. Worship sites have been abandoned, and the absence of worshipers has become the norm. Pastoral ministries have been disrupted and call for pastors to embrace new technology to ensure that they have a digital presence with their congregation through social media. This paper argues that these circumstances give the church of God a unique opportunity to rethink how to continue ministry without physical contact. It adopted a mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) approach, using an online questionnaire and telephonic surveys to engage pastors. The paper utilises the Two-way Communication Model (TCM) and the Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT). It concluded that pastoral care and spiritual counselling are essential in crises, that pastors have embraced social media in their mission, and that there is support for digital technology. The article recommendations that there should be a balanced communication strategy for Pastor's ministries, and that government partners with faith-based organisations in different ways in a joint effort to combat the virus, while encouraging and supporting congregants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author makes a case for a Sola Scriptura point of departure as an adequate instrument for shining the light of the Word of God not only on the surface level of a practical theological research field, but also on its depth level. It is argued that a Sola Scriptura point of departure does not only involve the biblical text on its own, but also a living relationship with The God who reveals Himself in Scripture. This point of departure entails that the researcher will not only deploy Scripture on the surface level as a mere formal prescriptive source for what ought to happen in the research field. Scripture will also be utilized at the depth level of the research field as a means by means of which the underlying motifs that may be present in the tension field of a particular practical-theological research area are unlocked. This method of using Scripture works with the following faith-expectations: That motifs and actions in a particular tension field will - under the guidance of the Spirit - be brought into living contact with the One in whom the fullness of the Word of God is revealed, namely Jesus Christ; that disintegrative forces at work in the tension field will be brought into contact with the integrative presence of Jesus Christ, unlocking the reformational power of the Word of God in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nicholas reprises his thinking about God and creatures in his De li Non-Aliud (1461), a work that echoes his earlier writings with an original "name" for God. Part I of the article reviews the puzzling initial chapter of this dialogue. Part II explains how using the phrase "the Not-Other" (li Non-Aliud) to refer to God provides the dialectical basis for thinking the paradoxical relationship of the divine One to the created others. Part III takes up Nicholas's visual analogies that suggest how "not other" as a designation for God recalls some of his earlier ideas in The Vision of God/De visione Dei. Part IV makes Nicholas's reliance on Dionysius and Proclus explicit in pointing to a God "beyond being and intelligibility." The whole dialogue thus explains how to frame God's oneness dialectically in order to do justice to the relation of infinite God and finite creatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reads The Book of Margery Kempe as a rhetorically innovative visionary text that offered late medieval readers a powerful new method of accessing the vernacular Word of God. Through the textual representation of Christ's visionary speech and Margery's spoken responses, the Book establishes a devotional mode within which Margery's imitative prayer and public instruction exemplify effective verbal engagement with Christ. This departure from traditional critical views of the Book as the quintessential expression of medieval women's affective corporeality shows the Book in a new light: as the textual exemplar of a literary mode of engagement with the divine through vernacular reading and participatory speech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversio ad docelitam: John Calvin on conversion and being a Christian. This contribution describes John Calvin's understanding of what it means to be a Christian. When Calvin 'converted' to the Reformation in the early 1530s, the term 'Protestant' did not exist. There was no systematic body of doctrine or a confession you could put your signature under. So Calvin became a 'lover of Christ'. The unity with Christ was a central part of his theology but also his personal spirituality. Calvin also understood his own conversion as a 'conversio subita ad docelitam', a conversion to a 'teachable frame of mind'. Calvin's love for Christ, his love for the Word of God and a teachable frame of mind not only defined his theology, but also his piety and spirituality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music and spirituality in a Christian view start with faith in the Word of God in response to the initiative of God who, as personal being through the Word revealed in Christ, seeks out persons even when they do not seek God. This mystery finds its goal in what is beyond expression in music from a variety of musical styles and syntaxes, from various times and places, in praise and prayer, and in relation to all of life. Matters like memory, health, emotion, time, silence, and community are involved. Paradoxes and a dark side are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the document "Verbum Domini," (The Word of God), which shows the progress in the understanding and use of the scriptures by Catholics in 45 years since the end of the second Vatican Council or Vatican II. The first part of the document explores the meanings of the phrase "the word of God," and refers to Jesus Christ as the fullness of all revelation. Furthermore, the second part of the document defines the Catholic Church as a community that hears and proclaims God's word.

The article presents several biblical passages which discuss the teachings, character and the words of God. It discusses the day of the Lord from Joel 2:23-32 which is a climactic event that God will complete his eternal plan for creation as expected by Israel. It defines that the phrase regarding male and female slaves shows that everyone is welcome to embrace God's spirit. Meanwhile, the book "Dakota: A Spiritual Geography," by Kathleen Norris presents a psalmody on the dwelling-place of God.

The article offers biblical reflections of scriptures for August 15, 2010. It says that the readings for the day feature Luke 12:49-56, Psalm 82, and Jeremiah 23:23-9, which consider the meaning of the confession about the day when God will come to judge both the living and the dead. It mentions the description of Jesus Christ about the division which separates God and mankind. It adds that Psalm 80 conveys the pleading word of God to Israel by recalling how He cared for them in the past.

The article offers biblical reflections of scriptures for the National Independence Day of the U.S. on July 4, 2010. It states that second Kings 5:1-14 discusses the vindication of trust in the word of God and his promises in relation to the healing of Naaman. The message in Galatians 6:1-18 emphasizes the transformation in Christ fulfilled by the cross as freedom. It also mentions the lesson in Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 which stresses the church's ministry to deliver the message of Jesus Christ.

The article presents the author's reflections on the nature of authority in Christian life, particularly meditating on the role of the Bible. The author highlights the dangers of following the Bible exclusively as the sole authority in Christian life. Additional subjects discussed include the role of Jesus Christ as the living "Word of God" and the Bible's own statements regarding the placement of authority within the Christian community rather than in the text of the book. Conclusions are then given outlining three major premises for the right interpretation of the Bible, advocating a contextual and moderated reading as opposed to a legalistic one.

This article aimed to examine the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika's (NHKA) understanding of church office, and measure it against 'office' or ministries in the New Testament, and more specifically against Jesus' calling to discipleship in Mark 8:34. The relevance of the historical Jesus for contemporary church theology is indicated by the 'essential' (Sache) continuity that exists between the historical Jesus and the church today. The article concludes that Jesus' calling to discipleship in Mark 8:34 implies a certain understanding of office. The essence of this calling is servitude based on self-denial, the taking up of one's cross, and the following of Jesus. Subsequently, a few remarks are made on the NHKA's understanding of church office, as described in the NHKA church ordinance. The aim is for these remarks to serve as a guideline for the NHKA to form a contemporary understanding of church office. The concluding remarks have been derived from the results of the study on Jesus' calling to discipleship, with the aim of ensuring that the NHKA serves and works in correspondence with the Word of God. This service occurs in a world very different from the one in which Jesus lived and served. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sacred Scripture is the expression of the revelation of God to humankind: in this sense we can say that in the Church it is the written word of God. The first Vatican Council and the theology that came afterwards expressed this relationship between Scripture and revelation, underlining the action of God in the composition of these books. In the second Vatican Council and the theology that has emerged since then, the need for historical research has been emphasized, alongside the importance of bringing together other elements to understand Scripture as the Word of God: more concretely, its relationship to Jesus Christ, the Apostles and the Church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evangelical Protestant pilgrims come to the Holy Land to be able to feel God's presence in the Land by feeling the presence of Christ in themselves. Their understanding of the Land as the living Word of God, their capacity for embodied spiritual experience, and their rejection of traditional Christian rites and places of worship - together with the theatrical potential of the Bible - open the Evangelical Protestant pilgrims to ritual experimentation in alternative places. I use the case of an organized pilgrimage group from the American Midwest to discuss how the pastor and the tour guide, each from their different but overlapping perspectives, create a context in which Jesus is encouraged to enter the pilgrims through the performance of the biblical battle between David and Goliath in a valley southwest of Jerusalem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on how the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to make men live a life of faith in Christ Jesus. The wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit bounds men with Christ, salvation and faith. It cites the instructions concerning obedience to the Spirit of God according to the letters of apostle Paul. It states that difficulties will be encountered by men when being trained in righteousness because loyalty to Christ is not welcome in an unbelieving world.

The article discusses the Word of God as Spirit and Life. Before a person practices ministry and becomes Christ to others, he should learn to live happily and comfortably with the Savour that resides within him. Christ should not be considered only as a cloak to be worn when on duty. One should make a practice of living his daily life with Christ. One must learn to apply the Word to any situation in which he finds himself. The Word should be used to rebuke evil. According to a Word by Jesus, a person who loves his life will lose it, but one who hates his life will keep it for eternal life, and if anyone serves Christ, the Father will honor him after death.

The article discusses the importance of preaching, and describes three models of the same. Preaching is a great responsibility, as it involves interacting with people, and convey the God's message to them. Preaching can be considered as "feeding" the people of God. According to the "Shepherd" model, Christ is considered as Shepherd of his people, and priests are under-shepherds, whose work is to "feed" the flock through instruction in the Word of God. In the second model "Nurse-Mother," a preacher should "feed" the message of God to people in the same way a mother tends and feeds her infant. In "Steward" model, every Christian is a steward of God, and preaching of the gospel is considered as a sacred stewardship from God.

The article focuses on the reflections of the author about the relation of the character and the work of the Word to the character and the need of the World. An analogous pattern is form by the connections between human creation, differentiation, communion and reconciliation. It is important to draw out some of the implications of Word as a divine expression of faith in cosmos and humanity through Creating and Reconciling, and reaching its culmination of the Incarnate Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

Discusses the treatise of Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, regarding the incarnation of deity in the man Jesus Christ. Teachings of other Christian sects on the nature of Christ; Reflection of sinful nature of man; Criticisms against the teaching of Gentiles and Jews on the Word of God; Theological reason for the death of Christ on the cross.

The Middle Platonic concept of 'participation' in the Forms is important for understanding the connection that Athanasius finds between Christians and Christ. Yet, Athanasius adapts this concept to his Johannine view of the Word of God incarnate in Christ. He turns to the language of bodily creation and kinship rather than contemplation to express the relationship between Christ and Christians. For Athanasius, evil makes it impossible for humans to contemplate the divine Word by which they were created. Therefore, the Word embodied a new humanity in Christ. The Holy Spirit enables Christians to participate in Christ, becoming thereby part of a new humanity and children of God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a historical research on some aspects of the Reformed theology of preaching. After calling attention to the decline of contemporary preaching and suggesting some reasons behind it, the author attempts to demonstrate that, as far as its nature is concerned, the preaching of the Word of God is vox Dei. Through the solemn proclamation of God's Word by ministers commissioned by God himself, Christ is spiritually present (as he is in the sacraments), he speaks and governs his church. Due to its higher view concerning its nature, Reformed theology ascribes great importance top reaching. It is the main means of grace, the primary task of the church and of the minister, the central element of worship in this dispensation of grace, the essential mark of the church, and the instrument by which God's kingdom is opened or closed to sinners. Concerning its efficacy, it does not depend so much on the personal abilities of the preacher or of the hearers, as it depends on the action of the Holy Spirit in the preparation, delivery and hearing of the message. Preachers must work hard to interpret the Word and deliver it faithfully. The hearers should receive the preached word with attention, reverence, faith and obedience. But the Holy Spirit alone can make it efficacious, assisting and enabling the preacher and illuminating and convincing the hearers. Nevertheless, genuine preaching is never in vain, for the kingdom of God is also promoted in the condemnation of the reprobates. The purpose of Reformed preaching consists in being faithful to the sense, significance and purpose of the biblical text; in the conversion of sinners and restoration of God's image in the hearers; and in the promotion of the kingdom and glory of God in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of communication in preaching the good news of God. It is stated that communicating with God's Word is a basic part of sharing faith stories. It offers guidelines which assist in effective writing, preaching and communication with God. It is also stated that the Christ is always forgiving despite one's miscommunication with him. The one's errors in writing and speaking is considered as a sign that human are always in need for forgiveness. The forgiveness of God only comes through Christ's life, suffering, death and resurrection.

The article suggests activities for children's ministry in August 2009. It notes that the lectionary involves readings from the book of John. The suggestions build on the story about the words of Jesus Christ being the bread of life and discover ways to engage with it, and reflect on the significance of an image of bread in people's understanding of Jesus. Children and others in the congregation are advised to bake bread to share it afterwards.

The article presents the response of a Trinitarian Pentecostal regarding the dialogue between Oneness theologians and Pentecostal Trinitarian theologians. It is stated that both sides felt a better understanding of each position, but that neither of them had altered its basic theological stance. It is pointed out that both parties's task is to proclaim the Gospel as given by Jesus and proclaimed by the apostles as written in the inspired Word of God.