Missionaries talk a lot about doing stuff: attending meetings, preaching, travelling and what have you. But, in the final analysis, it isn’t the stuff we do that is important; it is the impact that it has that matters. Ultimately, the work of a missionary is to announce the kingdom of God in word and deed. […]
Month: June 2013
For many evangelical Christians, mission and the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20 are virtually synonymous. Mission, it is said, involves making disciples and we should avoid anything which distracts us from that goal. For an organisation like Wycliffe Bible Translators, this paradigm means that we need to indulge in a little verbal gymnastics to justify […]
If mission is simply about making disciples, or even making converts, then the role of Bible translation is simply to provide what is needed in order for people to make a decision for Christ. But what happens to people once they do become Christians? Are they left on their own to work out what how […]
Consider, therefore, the implications of these facts for speakers of other tongues – for speakers of languages that have only recently emerged from predominantly oral to written cultures, for speakers of “dying” languages and for speakers of languages and dialects restricted to local use. The very scope of English makes it a ready instrument of empire. It bears within it […]
Again-Rising
I don’t like stealing blog posts in their entirety. but in the case of the Beaker Folk of Husbourne Crawley, I’m willing to make an exception. This morning’s ramblings on language were actually caused by the reading Hnaef chose this morning for Pouring-out of Beakers. Now we often have Bible reading in languages other than modern English. […]
A Short Story from Japan
Please don’t correct my pronunciation – I do the best I can!
Books I’ve Read: Gentlemen and Players
I’ve never read anything by Joanne Harris before, but looking round our local lending library, I came across Gentlemen & Players and thought it might be worth a look. There are a lot of interesting, amusing and engaging scenes in the book, but overall, the story which is set in a small private school failed to grip. […]
A Few Personal Thoughts
This is the monthly note that I wrote to Wycliffe Bible Translators staff around the world this month: By the time you read this, Sue should be in Madagascar and I’ll be at home with the dog. I always enjoy the first few days of Sue’s trips. I quite enjoy my own company and it’s […]
The Perfect Translation
If you ever feel like starting an online argument; just ask people what their favourite version of the Bible is. People get really excited about this one and start chucking terms like paraphrase and dynamic equivalence around like hand grenades. Some people love to argue about Bible translations! Can I let you into a secret? […]