The Ethiopian Church Journal Blog

The Steadfast Translator – Part 2 credit: thesacrepage.com Dr. Loren Bliese retired in 2006 after 44 years of serving in Ethiopia as Bible translation consultant and trainer of translation workers. Click here for Part 1 of the interview. EthChurch : So you come home to your land after 40 years of traversing Ethiopian highlands and deserts only to find biblical standards you once took for granted are being challenged on every front by your children’s generation [especially in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - ELCA]. Where do translation and interpretation of the bible fit in all this? Dr. Bliese: Although Bible translation continues to emphasize accuracy, it is sad to see that current interpretations of the Bible have incorporated methods used to invalidate the clear intent of specific passages. The Bible is consistent in condemning homosexual practice in both the Old and New Testaments. However, theologians have set up principles of Biblical interpretation that try t

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause g

Under Pressure, Ethiopia Plans Crackdown on Baby Business Source: VOA Ethiopia is planning to shut down dozens of orphanages and withdraw accreditation from several foreign adoption agencies, in an effort to halt what critics say is a thriving baby business. The Bright Hope transition center in Addis Ababa is a showcase child care facility, financed by a faith-based Texas charity. Twenty abandoned children, ranging in age from several months to four years, play in a carefully supervised environment as they wait to be placed in adoptive homes. Bright Hope Director Getahun Nesibu Tesema says most of these orphans will be taken in by extended family members in Ethiopia. "Our main focus is to help the children here in Ethiopia," Getahun said. "Adoption, international adoption especially, is our last resort." But Bright Hope is an exception among foreign adoption agencies, in that it tries to place children within Ethiopia. This year, foreigners will take away about 5,00

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. [Luke 12: 13-21] "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” For [the Lord] views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. ________________________________________ "His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step. ________________________________________ The LORD knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Revelation 20:12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wi

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds. They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. All your works praise you, LORD; your faithful people extol you. They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all gener

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ________________________________________ I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ________________________________________ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ________________________________________ For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love a

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was st

Date: Saturday, November 6, 2010, 4:45 AM Dearest all EKHC partners and friends, RE: Our dearest Brother Yacob Aga Ollie: The EKHC global missionary to South Sudan, esteemed member of Kera KHC in Wolayita region has served in the EKHC global mission field since March 2006 to October 2010. With much sadness, we received the news of the falling asleep in Christ of our beloved brother, Yacob Aga Ollie (3/8/72—10/25/2010) who fell ill with cerebral malaria on October 24 and was promoted to heaven on 25 October 2010. Death in human experience has never been easy, whether it comes in youth or in old age, whether it comes suddenly or after a long illness, it always leaves in its wake sorrow, tears, loneliness and longing. But our Lord, who has conquered death by his own death, proved to us that beyond Calvary, there is the empty tomb and all of us, if we live the way Brother Yacob Aga Ollie the EKHC missionary lived, will be with Christ in His heavenly kingdom. During the past four and half y

Like A Mighty Wind When the day of Pentecost arrived , they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,

In 2010 thirty-three men, trapped 700 meters (2,300 ft) underground and 5 kilometers (3 mi) from the mine's entrance were rescued after 69 days. Prayer went up and down. "When we prayed," said one miner, "we didn't pray to get rescued; we prayed for the people outside not to abandon us." Another said God was the 34 miner. More . I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. [Psalm 40: 1-5

Adoption--What's New? By Mitiku Adisu Ethiopian adoption could be turning a corner . The talk now is to “avoid overseas adoption” and in as much as possible to care “for orphans near their birthplace”. This is not a novel idea as it has always been part and parcel of the treaty for international adoptions. What then accounts for this change of heart? It could be the result of pressure coming from rights groups. It could also be a creative endeavor on the part of Ethiopian government in these economically trying times to divert to local institutions the substantial sum of money changing hands in the name of adopting orphan populations. At any rate, the “new” idea is now dubbed the “Bantu Model” [Bantu being a village in Ethiopia]. We are told the model is already showing promising results and will soon be replicated internationally. Interestingly, this all sounds very much the lingo of foreign aid organizations. And foreign aid hasn’t always been the appropriate tool for nurtur

By Mitiku Adisu The media seem to enjoy bashing anything Christian. They could not get enough of the news of Terry Jones wanting to burn the Qur'an. This, of course, is a proven strategy to sell ads and papers. That’s what’s happening in the latest big event. Reporters knew too well what kind of pastor Terry Jones was. But it didn’t matter a bit. They could have ignored Terry Jones and thus made his crusade irrelevant. We only wish the media would be impartial and show similar zeal when Bibles are burned here or abroad. For now the media is caught between defending Terry Jones’ First Amendment rights and pleasing Muslim cause. Even atheists are now against burning the Qur'an! In the North West part of the U.S. there was or is a plan to buy the Qur'an for every one that Terry Jones burned. In Minnesota they will be reading the Qur'an in church; these are “professed” Christians. Reading of the Quran would probably be more appropriate in a comparative religion class

    By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with gr

The Sickle & the Cross By Mitiku Adisu   To Ethiopian ears the name Filippovich will sound familiar. Did not the Spirit of the Christ prompt Philip (Filippos ፊሊጶስ) the Evangelist to "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza" and once there, to approach the chariot of the Ethiopian dignitary on his way back from worshipping in Jerusalem? And did not Philip then explain that the reference in ኢሳይያስ Esaias [53] to One “led like a sheep to the slaughter” was in fact the same Jesus who hung on a cross outside the gates of Jerusalem for our salvation? (Has the Ethiopian been to Jerusalem and back for nothing then?) Finally understanding the meaning of what he was reading did not His Excellency profess his faith in Jesus and request water baptism there and then? And because of all this did he not go “on his way rejoicing?” How come Filippos of old now has a different sounding name? Well, it is because Filippovich is Russian and is none

One Race, One Gospel, One Task HIM Haile Selassie's address to Evangelical Congress in Berlin, entitled: "One Race, One Gospel, One Task" [Friday, October 28, 1966] "As Jesus Christ has said: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them." lt is therefore Our expressed hope that these words will be realized in their full significance in this great assembly. We are happy to be present in this famous City of Berlin where Christian leaders are assembled to consider ways and means of spreading Our Christian Faith in the world. We thank Mr. Billy Graham for inviting Us to address this meeting. The propagation of the Christian Faith among nations has become a task of paramount importance in this age as is evidenced by this great assembly of Christian leaders. As you all know, it is centuries past since Our country, Ethiopia, accepted the Gospel of Christ. We learn from the Holy Scriptures that the first Ethiopian who