THE EMERGING BRACKEN

Blog is closing down

2012-04-01T18:08:00.000+02:00

THE EMERGING BRACKEN will be closing down, soon. After some consideration I have decided to end the four year stint of this blog. Since I got involved with web site developing, all my attention is taken up by an Afrikaans site, Netkerk. There, I am the administrator and content developer. As from 1 April 2012 no new posts will be published here. From 1 May 2012 this site will be deleted

Poem: Why I hate religion but love Jesus

2012-01-25T07:19:00.000+02:00

http://youtu.be/1IAhDGYlpqY

Toddlers to tweens: relearning how to play

2012-01-23T08:58:00.000+02:00

We found this interesting article on the website of Christian Science Monitor. Read the original HERE. Children's play is threatened, say experts who advise that kids – from toddlers to tweens – should be relearning how to play. Roughhousing and fantasy feed development.By Stephanie Hanes, Correspondent / January 22, 2012 Havely Taylor knows that her two children do not play

Twenty top predictions for life 100 years from now

2012-01-16T18:13:00.000+02:00

Continue reading the main story Last week we asked readers for their predictions of life in 100 years time. Inspired by ten 100-year predictions made by American civil engineer John Elfreth Watkins in 1900, many of you wrote in with your vision of the world in 2112.Many of the "strange, almost impossible" predictions made by Watkins came true. Here is what futurologists Ian

The return to religion

2012-01-12T08:57:00.000+02:00

With the chill wind of austerity blowing through the country, religion’s warm embrace looks more and more inviting. Peter Oborne welcomes the resurgence of a national pastime: churchgoing. The return to religion Photo: ALAMY Image 1 of 2Reverend Paul Turp, Vicar of Shoreditch Church, London, Britain - 29 Jan 2011. Photo: REX FEATURESBy Peter Oborne It’s Sunday morning

A vision of how church could be

2011-12-05T18:41:00.000+02:00

Afrikaans Poetry: Wat sal mens nou daarvan sê?

2011-12-03T06:19:00.000+02:00

Wat sal mens nou daarvan sê? Wat sal mens nou daarvan sêoor die vrou wat by haar lewensmaat wil lê?Dit is deesdae polities korrekom jou nek styf te verrekoor hierdie onreg aan ‘n menswat wil leef met ‘n normale liefdeswens. Ongelukkig nou vir hierdie vrouwat met haar maat ‘n toekoms wil bou,is haar lewenstaak by die kerken daar lei Die Boek baie sterk:Vas staan die fundamentele beginselwat alle

Afrikaans Poetry: Vergifnis

2011-12-01T18:07:00.000+02:00

Vergifnis 16-4-2004 Vergifnis is jou nie beskore nie. Jy leef in ‘n wêreld van voorwaardes en teenprestasies vol fyn skrif waaraan geen siel kan voldoen nie. Een enkele fout - of dalk twee – want dit maak nie saak hoeveel keer mens terugkruip soos ‘n hond op soek na goedkeuring - en vir die res van jou lewe hou jy boek van die kwaad. Selfs nie eens, ek is jammer en alles opreg wat dáármee

Heavy Theological Dude Mistakenly Talks to Us

2011-11-30T20:28:00.002+02:00

The Wittenburg Door Interview: N.T. “Tom” Wright By Becky Garrison N.T. Wright is the Bishop of Durham, England—the home of one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world. He’s also the rare sort of theologian who attracts respect from both conservatives and liberals. Among his forty plus books include such provocative titles as Simply Christian, Judas and the Gospel of Jesus, The Last

BBC News - The funerals that cost families dear

2011-11-26T22:04:00.000+02:00

BBC News - The funerals that cost families dear

Afrikaans Poetry: Aandlied

2011-11-24T08:26:00.001+02:00

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Losing his religion? - An interview with John Ellis, previously from Tree63

2011-11-23T06:20:00.000+02:00

Losing his religion? - Arts - Mail & Guardian OnlineWritten by Hayley GauntFrom sold out stadiums to obscure hotel conference rooms, from praise and worship pop to politically-charged antagonistic rock -- things have changed for John Ellis, the former front man of Tree63. Two years ago Ellis disbanded the Durban derived but internationally embraced contemporary Christian rock group,

AFRIKAANS POETRY: Huisie in 'n grot

2011-11-02T17:50:00.000+02:00

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Afrikaans Poetry: Sterfbed

2011-10-25T13:38:00.000+02:00

Sterfbed Ons het rondom jou bed gestaan.Die bloeiende pyp in jou neushet die waarheid weggegee,hoewel ons almal dit geweet het. Ook jy het dit geweet en daarom was ons jou genooide gaste om met nat wange vir oulaas te kom groet. Maar eers moes ons brood breek. ‘n Druppel, ‘n krummel,‘n gebed is al wat jy kon inneem. En toe jy jou oë sluit,was dit nie om te sterf nie.In hortende, stotende

Afrikaans Poetry: Lamentasie

2011-10-21T13:50:00.003+02:00

Lamentasie En dan is daar dae wat mens desperaat wag vir 'n silwer sonskynrant op die horison van 'n donker wolkbank.

Is Jesus God?

2011-10-03T13:40:00.000+02:00

This following article is written by Scot McKnight and can also be read HERE. Anyone who has examined the Gospels searching for how Jesus understood himself or for clues that he thought he was God, as we affirm in our creeds and is standard belief, knows that the Gospel texts are not as cooperative as we sometimes think. But there are clues that must be considered, especially the old line

Afrikaans Poetry: Iemand soos jy

2011-10-02T21:31:00.000+02:00

Iemand soos jy Iemand soos jy het in my lewe ingewarrel.Dit was goed toe dit goed gegaan het.Dit was onhoudbaar in die orkaanwat met die haas in die pad begin het. Iemand soos jy het my lewe omgewarrel.Die stofwolke het nooit gaan lê nie;‘n tiental nagte het jaar-in en jaar-uitsoos ‘n donderslag tussen ons bly lê. En toe het jy weer weggewarrel.Jy wou nie geklem wees aan die windstiltesvan ‘n

Afrikaans Poetry: Lentevreugde

2011-09-24T14:19:00.002+02:00

In Kaapstad is dit heerlike lente. Die huis was vol mense met Cindy se verjaarsdagwense en hande vol presente. Die tuin is mooi - selfs die swembad is weer oopgegooi. My vrou se glimlag oortref die wêreld se sente!

May a person divorce his/her ill spouse?

2011-09-18T23:33:00.000+02:00

Infamous fundamentalist church leader, Pat Robertson, were featured on CNN's website recently (through this video clip). In the clip he gave advice to a person asking about a friend whose wife suffers from Alzheimers Disease and who started to see another woman. Roberston's advice to the man was that his wife is dead because of the illness; he may move on with his life but it would be better to

RWC 2011: Rugby for Dummies

2011-09-09T22:09:00.000+02:00

Today saw the official kick- off of another world religion - er sport - tournament. If you live in SA, Aus or NZ you'll know how utterly important the next month's planning will be to fit your work schedule around the matches being played. (Okay, the rest of the world too!) This explanation of rugby is provided by one of South Africa's premier newspapers, Mail & Guardian. Read the original HERE.

FOUND ON THE INTERNET: HAS THE BIBLE BECOME AN IDOL?

2011-09-09T22:01:00.000+02:00

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This is another contribution towards the question how we should go about reading the Bible. It was originally posted in The Huffington Post.] Many churches in the U.S. draw heavily from the values and methods of secular businesses. When one pastor was confronted about this fact he replied, "So what? A principle is a principle and God created all of the principles." His answer

2011-08-11T21:25:00.000+02:00

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is written by David Lose. I don't necessarily subscribe to anything he has to say, but the way he makes you think. Read the original HERE. Cards on the table: 1) I read the Bible -- not as much as I should, I'm sure, but still pretty regularly. Moreover, I get paid to talk about the Bible with folks all across the country and have written a popular book to help

Some Ethical Insight from Frank Viola

2011-08-09T19:19:00.000+02:00

I found this blogpost by Frank Viola today and agree with him wholeheartedly. It is such an important piece of advice, especially for Christian bloggers, that I share it in this library of my own. A few weeks ago someone posted a vicious comment on this blog which personally attacked a friend of mine who is engaged in serving the Lord. It wasn’t approved, of course. The person who posted

2011-08-05T14:01:00.000+02:00

[EDITORIAL NOTE: This article originally appeared on the BBC's website and can be read HERE. This story actually chronicles a sad and troublesome development in western Christianity.]Dutch rethink Christianity for a doubtful world By Robert Pigott Religious affairs correspondent, Amsterdam The Rev Klaas Hendrikse can offer his

Don Miller on Rob Bell's new book, "Love Wins"

2011-07-23T11:12:00.000+02:00

[Editorial note: This is another in a series of reviews I want to post on Rob's new book, until I get my own copy to read and review. I made the mistake to order a book from kalahari.net who only has overseas stock at this stage. Now I must wait 14 days for the book to be delivered. This is one of those times I wish I had a Kindle or something similar ... Warning: Don Miller has a