Friday 28 November 2014

Listen now! Archbishop Thabo's first online Advent reflection

The first of Archbishop Thabo Makgoba's reflections on Advent.

Readings: Isaiah 64:1–9; Ps 80:1–7, 17–19; 1 Cor 1:3–9; Mark 13:24-37




Tuesday 18 November 2014

Archbishop to deliver "online" Advent reflections on the web

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba is to "broadcast" a series of Advent reflections over the internet in the pilot programme of a planned audio ministry for the Church.

The reflections will be available online on his blog, and through church websites, from one or two days before each Sunday in Advent.

"Communication is part and parcel of the glue which binds the Church together," he said when announcing the pilot.

"We have bishops, theologians and others in the Church who have gifts in audio ministry which until now have not been used properly because of the limited opportunities on radio.

"But now the internet makes it feasible to make material available 'on-demand' easily and cheaply using technology which is accessible to all.

"I hope that as we develop our communication strategies in the Province and the dioceses, we can integrate audio ministry into an integrated range of initiatives, from the Provincial website and the new online 'Southern Anglican' to the E-Reader project based at Bishopscourt."

You can listen to the Advent reflections online on Soundcloud, or download them to listen to later by clicking on the Download button.

Click on the Play button below to hear the Archbishop sketch his vision for the new ministry.

Show Solidarity with Families of Victims of Lagos Building Collapse

Response to the repatriation of bodies from Lagos on November 16: 
 
We are grateful that the bodies of many of those who died in the collapse of a guesthouse in Lagos have been repatriated. Please continue to pray for the families until all are back and buried.

All of those who died belong to communities of which we are a part - especially those from worshipping Christian communities. So as well as praying for them, please offer a caring and supportive presence to anyone affected and let us show our solidarity by attending services if they are held in our part of the country.
 
+Thabo Cape Town
 
 

Thursday 13 November 2014

Archbishop Makgoba calls for prayer for return of bodies from Lagos

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba has called for prayers for the successful repatriation of the bodies of South Africans who died in the Lagos building collapse two months ago.

He was responding to the announcement by the Minister in the Presidency, Mr Jeff Radebe, that the bodies will be returned this weekend "if everything goes well."

The Archbishop said:

"I appeal for special prayers for the families who have died, who have had to wait far too long for this moment.

"We pray Godspeed for the families as they receive the remains of their loved ones and thank the South African Government for all they have done to resolve the problems in Lagos which prevented repatriation earlier."

Archbishop Makgoba also re-issued this prayer for people of faith to use until the bodies are returned.

Sunday 2 November 2014

Archbishop sends condolences to families of sports heroes; calls for destruction of illegal guns

The text of a statement issued by Archbishop Thabo Makgoba on Sunday:

(South African soccer chief Danny Jordaan is reported to have told a memorial service for Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa - who was killed in a robbery, Olympic athlete Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and boxer Phindile Mwelase that "we must take those guns to the furnace and build a statue for Senzo Meyiwa.”)


Thousands of Christians and people of other faiths are praying today for the families of our sports heroes. Our heartfelt condolences go out to them.

Their deaths could not have come at a worse time for our nation, coming as they do while dozens of other families endure an agonising wait for the bodies of their loved ones to be repatriated from Lagos after the church guest house collapse. We hope that happens soon now.

I support Danny Jordaan fully in his call for a drive against illegal weapons. We need a major intervention to curb violence and the use of guns in South Africa.

We should beat our swords into ploughshares and our spears into pruning-hooks by collecting illegal guns across the country, melting them down in furnaces, and turning them into objects which stand for peace.