Die Zeltstadt 2010 war wieder einmal sehr interessant. Wir haben über das Thema “Berufung” und die Gaben des Heiligen Geistes gelehrt, und dabei selber – wie gewohnt – gelernt. Vielleicht am schönsten war es, für Menschen zu beten, dass sie die Füllung des Heiligen Geistes erleben, und zu sehen, wie der Heilige Geist dann wirkt.
Yesterday was the 5th anniversary of my first post on this blog! The frequency of my posts has dropped significantly, but who knows what changes the future may bring? 
I spent the past week at home with H1N1 – it was bothersome, but not particularly bad. I felt like one of those baby dolls with eyes that close when you lie them down: I could sleep anywhere, anytime, just by lying down. Interestingly, I didn’t have any noticeable fever, except perhaps during the first night, when I woke up in the middle of the night because I felt cold.
As Bob Dylan once sang, “it’s all over now”, and I’m glad it is.
Verirrt, verwirrt, verlogen,
verlockt, vertan, verbogen
Das Präfix “ver” deutet oft auf etwas schlechtem oder falschem hin.
Aber “verreist”? Heisst das, jemand ist ungewollt unterwegs? Oder wie ein Koffer am Flughafen, aber umgekehrt, sein Gepäck ist am richtigen Ort angekommen, er aber in Murmansk? (Wer weiss, warum ich diesen Ort genannt habe?)
Wer wollte nicht schon Rechnungen wegwerfen, ohne zu bezahlen? Dieser Traum ist für mich heute in Erfüllung gegangen! Ich habe drei Rechnungen erhalten, Gesamtsumme etwa SFr. 2,000 (€1,300/ US$1,800), die mit der Gründung von BuSoCo zusammenhängen. Ich konnte alle drei direkt wegwerfen – ohne schlechtes Gewissen! Die “Rechnungen” waren tatsächlich Offerten dafür, die Firma in unterschiedliche privaten Register einzutragen – aber so aufgemacht, dass sie wie Rechnungen von Amtsstellen aussehen, und auch ähnlich viel kosten wie der HR-Eintrag. Einer “Rechnung” lag sogar eine nur unwesentlich veränderte Kopie des HR-Eintrags bei. Zum Glück habe ich “Kassensturz” und ähnliche Sendungen geschaut, die immer wieder vor solche Maschen gewarnt haben.
Ich kann Firmengründer nur davor warnen, “Rechnungen” von NMC-Register AG, IfWP Institut für Wirtschaftspublikationen AG und “Zentral-Register-Handel der schweizerischen Wirtschaft” ohne genaue Überlegung zu begleichen.
Who hasn’t wanted to simply throw bills away instead of paying them? For me, that dream was fulfilled today! I received three bills totalling around SFr. 2,000 (€1,300/ US$1,800) related to founding my company, and could trash them immediately with no bad conscience. The “bills” were actually offers for listing the company in business indexes, but presented as an official-looking bill from official-sounding registries. The amounts were all different, but very similar to the real bill for the official company listing. If you’re founding a company in Switzerland, watch out for “bills” from NMC-Register AG, IfWP Institut für Wirtschaftspublikationen AG and Zentral-Register-Handel der schweizerischen Wirtschaft.
I’ve just finished reading Frank Viola’s book “Reimagining church“. I find it a good introduction to the reasoning and desires behind the organic church movement. His thoughts about the Lord’s supper opened my eyes to some aspects which I cannot remember having heard before. To quote him (Chapter 3, p. 78):
It is a reproclamation of the Lord’s sacrificial death for us in the past. It’s a redeclaration of his ever-abiding nearness with us in the present. And it’s a repronouncement of our hope of glory – His coming in the future.
He continues:
The Lord’s supper is a living testimony to the three chief virtues: faith, hope, and love. Through the supper, we reground ourselves in that glorious salvation which is ours by faith. We reexpress our love for the brethren as we reflect on the one body. And we rejoice in the hope of our Lord’s soon return.
I find both aspects touching and significant.
His thoughts on church unity and the reasons for the great disunity often seen in the local church are also well worth reading.
The second half of the book deals with leadership, structure, and existing renewal movements. On first reading, I found some of his critiques somewhat harsh and arrogant; after a break of several weeks, I was able to approach the passages differently, and found his comments justified and tone more factual.
He doesn’t say anything about the organic church which you won’t find in other books, but provides a lot of food for thought and helpful criteria for judging our own ideas and actions. The appendix dealing with common objections and misunderstandings of Biblical texts is valuable reading.
This morning, we finally founded BuSoCo GmbH, the new star on the software consulting stage! The idea originated around the time I left my previous employer, and I spent a significant part of my break finding out what the legal requirements are and planning what I will be doing. It was a very interesting process – I’ve learned a lot. The next one will be easier!
Am Samstag haben sich Helmut und Patrizia das Ja-Wort gegeben. Es war ein wunderschöner Tag, sowohl was das Wetter wie auch das Feier und die Gäste betrifft. Wir haben einige alte Bekannte wieder getroffen, und interessante Menschen kennengelernt.
Fotos gibt’s hier.
Taking a break is wonderful! With no appointments or pressing work, I was free to go hiking with a friend yesterday simply because the weather was so beautiful. Today, I was suddenly struck by how much I enjoy eating lunch at home with Mary-Anne. It’s entirely different to eating an evening meal together, because we’re not tired and stressed after a day’s work. Having time to sit around to talk for an hour or two over morning coffee has also been a rare experience in recent years. I’m glad for this break and how it’s turning out, even if it’s not what I had originally planned.
