Expressions - NPMC

Blessed Women's Day, Expressionists!

On this special occasion, we are thrilled to share a powerful and thought-provoking submission from Nomawethu Liwani that embodies the spirit of strength, unity, and liberation. 🌸✨

"Taking a stand, the stem to Liberation
Spoken word being the Root
Achieving prosperity for the fruit

¹Ukuvula umlomo, ayisiso isono
Kuba mlomo lo na, awulilo iqhakuva

²Gxabhagxabhisa Ntokazi!
Bonisa, Lungisa ufundise!
Xabisa lo maBele, azAkincancisa isizwe!

Malcom X once said:
"To educate a Man is to educate an individual.
To educate a Woman is to educate and liberate a Nation."

³Ncancisa iSizwe sande
Xolisa iSizwe sixole
Babala iSizwe sizingce

⁴Ntombazana, Ntokazi nani Makhosikazi!
Masizingce ngobuBhinqa bethu
Let’s embrace our Womanity!
Let it be our state of Unity
Because We Are WOMEN.

¹Opening your mouth is not Sin
Because the mouth is not a wound

² Quickly prepare Young Woman
Amend, enlighten and teach.
Treasure your breasts, they will feed the Nation.

³ Breasts feed the Nation so we grow
Please the Nation so we find peace
Bless the Nation so we pride ourselves!

⁴ Girls, Young Women and Wise Women
Let us pride ourselves for being Women.

Written by:
Nomawethu Liwani 🩵"

This profound expression speaks to the heart of our faith and the strength of women united for a common purpose. Just as we were once called to "good trouble," today we are reminded of the profound impact women can have on their families, communities, and even nations.

Let's reflect on these words, uplift each other in prayer, and seek ways to live out the message of unity, liberation, and compassion. Share your thoughts below and let's continue to inspire positive change together.

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." - e.e cummings

With Youth Day just passed, we should continue to hold the lessons our children teach close to our hearts.

Please enjoy the following video, where Bing Crosby sings a classic song about this very topic - how we should respond to our youth, and how both our experiences and theirs can shape one another.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Teach Your Children (Official Music Video) You're watching the official music video for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - "Teach Your Children" written by Graham Nash. Originally released on the 1970 CSN...

Good afternoon, Expressionists!

We have an incredible piece for you that featured in Monday's Herald! Written by a Newton Park Methodist Church society steward, Gail Charalambous, it is a call to us Christians and citizens of South Africa to respond to the many persistent troubles in our country by making "good trouble".

What is "good trouble"? Find out below, and comment below how we can collectively create "good trouble":

Media Release

May 2023

Time for Christians to speak out and create ‘good trouble’

Gail Charalambous

Every day, it seems, we throw up our hands in disbelief and frustration.

We rant, rage and sometimes we use the odd swear word in response to the latest scandal involving money or resources that have been misappropriated, infrastructure that is dysfunctional and traffic lights that are lying on the pavement or centre island, smashed and broken.

An endless list of disappointments and heartache.

We are not powerless to make a difference and to put a stop to the evils which beset all levels of our society.

Dear friends, as followers of Jesus, I believe it is time for us embark on a journey of bringing about meaningful change by practicing, preaching and inspiring change by focusing on issues of social justice, by showing love and compassion for vulnerable, the marginalized, financially poor and unemployed residents in our metro.

Therefore, it is time for us to show up, speak out and create “good trouble”!

“Good trouble”! “How?” I hear you say.

Here’s how I think we should embark on creating this “good trouble’.

Firstly, we need to examine our individual motives and shortcomings, pray for guidance and healing, and encourage and engage in dialogue with each other, our church community, other denominations, various political parties and government structures.

They need to hear that there is a desperate and urgent need for our metro to function properly and efficiently, to act and behave in good faith and be willing to bring about change by creating goodwill, respect, dignity and sense of self-worth in each and every resident.

Our discussions could lead to assisting and empowering various governmental, provincial and local government politicians and staff to work towards a common purpose of practising good governance with honourable intentions.

It is also time for grandstanding, petty politics and continuous “motions of no confidence” to stop. They are very damaging, negative, disempowering and do not serve the residents of this metro.

All those who love Jesus, who preach and minister to the residents in this metro, are called upon to give advice, counsel and address pertinent issues that affect us, your congregants, on a daily basis.

Don’t be afraid, to lead us, to challenge us in addressing poverty, hunger, unemployment, crime and corruption.

Of course, you are going to offend some folks, even upset a few.

Take courage. Jesus regularly upset those in power.

Let’s take courage, comfort and guidance from the Gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Come let’s stand firm, be offensive, pray, speak the truth and make some “good trouble”.

Recently, I listened to a wonderful on line interview entitled “Faithful Witness” – a conversation between Rev Rowan Rogers, (Newton Park Methodist Church) and Rev George Irvine.

In discussion, George stated that the church, in his opinion, had lost sight of what it is supposed to be doing in the world.

He mentioned that our role is to love the world by living for the Kingdom

For example, we need to pray for councillors who believe in justice and truth, who have integrity and are willing to represent the church by loving the world and living for the kingdom in confronting injustice and corruption.

Secondly, we should encourage and appeal to folk of all religious persuasions, who work in government, provincial and municipal structures to obey God’s highest order.

They need support to prevent the truth from being repressed, to shine a light on the issues that are evil and destructive, as well as encourage and protect those colleagues who show great courage in their quest and willingness to speak out against corruption and wanton abuse of finances and assets.

If enough people co-operate and work together creating a mighty force that seeks to speak and practise truth and righteousness, in other words to make “good trouble”, then surely those is power will be forced to take note and obey God’s highest order by conducting themselves with integrity, love and humility.

The cost of remaining silent includes little children dying of hunger and neglect, and clinics so ill-equipped and short staffed that a young r**e survivor is callously turned away, only to die on the floor of a charge office in a police station.

If we continue to fail to question those in power and influence about their appalling behaviour, then we followers of Jesus must be held accountable for the results of their malfeasance and corruption.

“Love cannot be theoretical. Neither is it soft or weak, but there is a violence to love, not a violence that hurts people, but a violence that resists all that hurts people.

“It stands up to the powers that exploit and destroys God’s beloved children, it is a violent passion that shouts – No more! In the name of Christ, no more!” (St Oscar Romero Archbishop of San Salvador.)

Gail Charalambous: A person who cares about other people.

For some added media on this topic that our team feels is important, feel free to view the following video:

https://youtu.be/A14THPoc4-4

We're back! After our website was irretrievably hacked, we'll be posting direct to this page, so this platform for sharing your Expressions can live on!

By way of a Valentine's Day Challenge:
Share a story about how someone showed compassion or love to you or how you showed compassion or love to a "neighbour".

According to Kahlil Gibran love is a sacred and dynamic bond that unites individuals and allows them to grow and evolve together in a way that is both beautiful and challenging. But it can also be as simple as helping someone change a tyre.

The Bible teaches that love is a central part of God's character and is a critical aspect of the Christian faith. It is seen as a selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love that should be shown to others, especially to those in need.

The ultimate picture of "paying it forward" - self-sacrificing love, is shown by what Jesus did for us on the cross.

So, this Valentine's Day pay it forward and share the experience with us.

Good evening, Expressionists!

We hope you all felt the love this Valentine's Day, and to commemorate the annual occasion, we have a lovely new submission!

Diane Johns gives us a thoughtful, insightful view on the love of God through community, especially the community that binds us all in fellowship that is the church.

To some, such an organization is not needed, and maybe they have a valid opinion in thinking this, but a different view is always helpful, especially when it comes from one who felt the same way and has since changed their mind!

Check out this submission by clicking the link below:
http://newexpressions.co.za/index.php/2022/02/14/gods-love-through-community/

Good afternoon, Expressionists!

Our last Heritage Day post is up, ending off on a tremendously positive note as Athenkosi Mdoda expresses the beauty of differences.

Long throughout history, dissimilarity has been a catalyst for conflict, and many may think that South Africa is no different, yet this submission shows us a different angle. When the very differences form part of the identity of our country, as we all know they do, a unity unlike any other may emerge and triumph any hardship. We did it once, and we will do it again.

To view this submission, click the link below:

Celebrating our Differences As our Heritage Month celebrations draw to a close, Athenkosi Mdoda reminds us that what makes us different makes us beautiful and that we don’t have to be the same to stand together as one nation. South Africa is a very diverse country with different cultures and traditions. They are an integral ...