MALIHAMBE! PUBLISHERS on the way?

Really big development in the whole Malihambe! vision and journey... Africa Upper Room, who have published the titles and translations available so far have asked if I w

ant to buy out the series, and publish it myself.

And I have said "Yes!"

This will mean several steps... some quite huge...

1.   Launching a company to do the publishing, marketing and sales;

2.   Buying all the stock that AURM have on their shelves as well as the electronic print-ready version of each book;

3.   Market and sell existing titles, reprinting where stocks are low;

4.   Publishing new titles (I hope to have four titles ready for publication in 2013, not to mention several translations; and

5.   Steward the vision as it grows over the years.

I have started the process of registering a company... have met with Tony Vink, a graphics designer in our Church (tony@telkomsa.net)... and am waiting for AURM to come with a price!

And so this crazy roller-coaster journey of life picks up speed and excitement!!!

The Malihambe! Wesley Series - JOHN WESLEY'S SERMONS

The first book in the Malihambe! Wesley Series has just been published by Africa Upper Room Ministries. Fairly early in the life of the Malihambe! Bible Series it was clear that there is a crying need for various books on Methodism and the Wesleys.

Over the last 250 years a collection of John Wesley’s sermons has become accepted by the Methodist Church, in its many expressions across the world, as the foundation for Methodist theology, belief, and practice. This volume “translates” them into modern language and into an idiom understandable to the average Believer in Southern Africa.

All Local Preachers in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa are required to study certain of these sermons. Thirty years ago I started summarising these sermons, but didn't get too far. So I dusted off my old A5 notebook and got working on all 44 of the "Standard Sermons". I then added an introductory Chapter on Wesley's context and preaching.

The book turned out better than expected!

A highlight of the publication is the encouraging "blurb"written by Rev Dr Peter Storey of Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary in Pietermaritzburg in RSA: Neil Oosthuizen has done us a great favour. The further we travel in time from the English of the 18^th Century, the more difficult it is for new generations to engage with the sermons of John Wesley that helped change his world. This is particularly true of those for whom English is a second language. Oosthuizen has opened a contemporary door into the mind and heart of the great evangelist and prophet whose message is as fresh and relevant today as it ever was. This book is an important tool for all who seek entrance to that message.

As with the other Malihambe! series, the book is available from Africa Upper Room Ministries (www.aurm.co.za).

The Malihambe! vision continues to spread...

Africa Upper Room Ministries have just published the latest commentary in the Malihambe! Bible Series, co-written by Charles Perry and myself. Actually came out pretty well.

It's already at Sebastian, my isiZulu translator, so it should be out in at least one other language soon.

As with the rest of the Malihambe! Bible Series, it is available from Africa Upper Room Ministries (www.aurm.co.za).

Malihambe! continues to spread...

The Malihambe! Bible Series continue to grow and touch lives...

2011 saw the publication of one new title, and several translations...

Firstly, book 1 in the Malihambe! Living Spiritually Series, A Simple Rule for Life by Neil T Oosthuizen, came out in isiZulu early in the year.

This little book examines the Methodist Rule of Life, a "rule" for daily living published by John Wesley in the 1740s:
1. Do no harm;
2. Do good; and
3. Stay in love with God.

A practical look at the Rule of Life, the book includes questions for personal reflection and / or home group study.

Already a best-seller in English, it looks as if the isiZulu translation is set to go the same way. Praise God.

The Afrikaans translation of Malihambe! Reading the Bible in Southern Africa today (volume 1 in the Malihambe! Bible Series) was released at the World Methodist Conference in Durban in August.

This book is now available in Afrikaans, English, isiZulu and seTswana.

The isiZulu version of volume 33, The Book of Good News - a commentary on the Gospel of Mark, was also released at the WMC. To the best of our knowledge this is the first "real" Bible commentary published in isiZulu!

This commentary is now available in English and isiZulu.

Neil did a six-week teaching course based on the companion Bible Study at the NG Kerk Aasvoelkop in Northcliff, Joburg, in the middle of the year.

As a last gasp for the year, Africa Upper Room Ministries published The Book of Hymns (1) - a commentary on Psalms 1-72 at the end of November. While only out for a month, this book is already garnering favourable reviews.

It is planned to have the isiZulu translation, and volume 2, out by the middle of next year.

A busy year on the publishing front... and three new titles due to come out early next year...

Praise God for the fulfilment of His vision... and for people who see it in their hearts... and enable it to unfold before their eyes...

WAKE UP! THE YEAR IS NEARLY OVER...

Oh wow! Only 4 blogs in 12 months... and two of them don't count as "blogs"... how embarrassing! Well... here goes the correction to that... and an attempt to make sure that I set aside time each week to do a little musing... and share those thoughts with all the world (thanks to both my readers).

You just go to love some Christians!!!!

I still haven't found what I'm looking for!

After three incredible months of 2011 I can identify with vintage U2...

The year seems to have flown by in a blur of busy-ness, doctors, medical tests, and writing...

It's not that I've lost faith or anything... it's just that sometimes I'm not quite sure what my life-purpose is (phew, sounds so... like... wow!)...

Certainly not questioning my calling as an ordained minister in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa - I firmly believe that I'm where God wants me to be right now. Trinity is still challenging, fun, and a real Family.

I have had quite a health shock... at 50 realised I'm not quite as immortal as I thought. All sorts of health hassles. The three main ones are:
~ being "pre-diabetic", which means my blood sugar level is far too high, but not at the level when they diagnose it as "daibetic". This does mean that I can lower it to acceptable levels with a very strict "diabetic" outlook on my food intake and my lifestyle. Getting into the groove now, but really struggled in the beginning with not having any "nice" snacks, rusks, white bread and syrup, etc. Blood sugar is dropping slowly... yay!
~ having a hiatus hernia, with all the reflux, discomfort, and pain that goes with it. Once again, a huge lifestyle change... in what I eat and in how and when I eat. I've had to give up coffee and tea! Thankyou, I feel for me too!
~ the main concern at the moment is my vocal cords. While I've been struggling with them for some time, they kind of "packed up" in mid-January. Saw an ENT who put me on to complete voice rest for two weeks. Interesting. Firstly, how difficult it was to just be quiet, especially when in a group of people (I eventually withdrew from all meetings, gatherings, etc). Secondly, sitting in a worship service and not being able to join in the singing and prayers, etc. Thirdly, of course, being in worship at Trinity, but not preaching. Having to cancel appointments, and get others to fulfil "my" weddings, etc. And, finally, the very real prospect that I may not regain my voice sufficiently to continue in the ministry "of Word and Sacrament" (thats the term on my ordination certificate).

Thirdly, while the vision of the Malihambe! series burns even brighter than before, I'm really struggling to get to grips with finishing off the commentary I'm working on now (Psalms 1-72). Been reflecting on my writing... on it becoming more central in my ministry. Tricky.

Phew... enough for one rant. I've spent some time unpacking each of the above... will need to write/type them down sometime soon.

Until then... God has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11)...

Shalom.