Archive for December, 2010

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John Wycliffe: c. 1328 – 1384

Friday, December 31st, 2010

For God louede so the world, that he ȝaf his oon bigetun sone, that ech man that bileueth in him perische not, but haue euerlastynge lijf. *

Today commemorates the 626th anniversary of the death of John Wycliffe.  He believed that ‘it helpeth Christian men to study the Gospel in that tongue in which they know best Christ’s sentence’.

He was adamant that the Scriptures should be read in the mother-tongue of all people, as it had been for the original hearers:

You say it is heresy to speak of the Holy Scriptures in English. You call me a heretic because I have translated the Bible into the common tongue of the people. Do you know whom you blaspheme? Did not the Holy Ghost give the Word of God at first in the mother-tongue of the nations to whom it was addressed?

So, he and his team, translated the whole Bible into the common English of the time.  Every word was written by hand.

Wycliffe suffered fierce opposition.  Even after his death, great hatred towards his work continued, leading the Church to declare Scripture translation a heresy in 1412.  To suffer the punishment due to heretics, Wycliffe’s remains were recovered and burnt in 1428 (44 years after his death)!

Over 600 years after Wycliffe’s death, over 300 million people still do not have a single word of the Scriptures in their mother-tongue. Find out how you can be involved in the continuing work of Bible Translation.

*John 3.16 in the Wyclif Bible.

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Waiting: Biblefresh Translation

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

Bissa Barka is a language spoken in the South-central area of Burkina Faso.  The 80,000 people who speak this language read the Bible in French, Mòoré (the trade language) and Bissa Lebir, but cannot read any of the Scriptures in their own language.

Biblefresh will be supporting Bible translation in Burkina Faso over the next year.  Through this support, the New Testament will be made available to people like Francois (right), a corn farmer in the region.  He says:

‘If the Bible was in Bissa Barka then I would be able to understand more than I can now [in French or Bissa Lebir].  I think about how long it will be until we have the New Testament. I’m in a hurry to have it.’ Read more.

Find out more about how you can be part of Biblefresh’s translation projects in Burkina Faso and work that is going on around the world to make the Bible available to everybody.

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Tasting the Christmas Story

Friday, December 24th, 2010

Will you be hearing the Christmas story with fresh ears this year?  In 2000, a congregation in the Cape Verde Islands were shocked by the freshness of the story they heard, when one pastor in the Cape Verde Islands stood up and read from Luke 1 in Kabuverdianu — God’s story in their own language for the first time:

Pausing, he exclaimed, “It tastes so good, it tastes so good!”  Then he started reading again and didn’t stop until he’d finished the entire chapter, reading with the confidence and expression of someone who understood and cherished every word.

Previously, this congregation had only heard this story in Portuguese, the official language.  The shock of that Sunday morning was only the beginning of the impact of these words:

A man once stopped some members of the Translation Commission on the street. “I have never set foot in a church,” he confessed.  Then he slowly pulled a copy of Kabuverdianu Luke from his briefcase. “But I have read every word in this book.  Thank you! It has changed my life, and I am reading it to my family.” He paused to retrieve another copy from his case, adding, “I bought this copy for my father.” Then he pulled out another and smiled, “I bought this copy for my brother. Thank you very much.” Read the whole story.

Forty per cent of the New Testament has now been drafted, and all of Luke and Acts have now been published in Kabuverdianu.

But worldwide, a further 300 million people can’t hear God’s story in their own language this Christmas.  You can help to give God’s story of love.

With thanks to John Hamilton for highlighting this story.

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Light in Darkness: Biblefresh Translation

Sunday, December 19th, 2010

It took 36 years to complete the translation project of the New Testament into Bissa Lebir, a language of Burkina Faso.  This included initiating literacy programmes to enable speakers to read the completed New Testament.

Involved in this translation was Philomene, who lives in Niaoghou, a small, rural village in Burkina Faso.  She and some friends have Bible studies in the fields near her home.

She says being able to read the Bible has changed their lives:

‘If you haven’t got a Bible, you don’t know what’s wrong and what’s not. You just live in darkness. Without the Bible, life is dark.

‘If you haven’t got a Bible when times of trouble come, then it’s difficult really. If you have got a Bible, you can read it and it can give you comfort.’ Read more.

Biblefresh is supporting the translation of the Old Testament into the Bissa Lebir language.  Find out more about Biblefresh translation projects and how you can be involved with Bible Translation around the world.

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Planting the Seed in Fertile Soil

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

In the deciduous forests of Southwest Cameroon, farming involves fire.  When land becomes infertile, clearings are made, cutting down forest and burning the land to make new and fertile fields.

When, in the early part of the twentieth century, German missionaries travelled deep into these forests, they were overwhelmed by the 275 languages of the local people groups. These missionaries cut down the local languages, like the forests, to six languages to be taught in schools along with German.

However, the slash-and-burn of languages has eventually led to great fertility.  Kanyang, spoken by 65,000 people, was abandoned in schools.  But with the help of individual missionaries and the linguistic work of SIL, Kanyang has become a developed language.  It has a dictionary and, since 2001, Scripture portions have been available to Kanyang speakers in their language.

Today and tomorrow, there will be celebrations: the Kanyang and nearby Denya-speakers rejoice in the dedications of the New Testament in their languages.

The New Testaments will enable church growth and planting, and will equip the people to spread God’s story. Pray for these communities as they receive God’s word: may the Kenyang and Denya language groups be fertile soil!

These New Testaments will make the God’s story available for more than 77,000 people in their own language.  But over 300 million people still don’t have even a word of this story in their language.  Find out how you can share God’s story.

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Meet George

Friday, December 17th, 2010

When George was 11, he became Deaf after three days of illness.  In a moment, he was isolated from his family of nine and the community in which he grew up:

All of a sudden, I was in another world! I was in a completely different culture!

I discovered how challenging it was to be Deaf. You get very little information. Much information in the villages is passed verbally through gatherings, radios, televisions, etc. The Deaf are left to guess for themselves what could be happening.

George found it difficult to interact in his community: even at church, there was no one who would explain to him about God, and what God wanted for him.  Eventually, George was invited to a Deaf church where they used the Kenyan sign language Bible produced in partnership with DOOR International.  It made the message completely clear to George and he chose to follow Jesus.

There is no complete Bible in any sign language in the world and no Deaf Bible school in Africa, though George would desperately like to study.  So he is working on ‘Deeps’ (sign language translators notes) with DOOR: through it, he is both learning  himself and equipping Deaf communities to know God more.

Now, whenever I meet other Deaf, I can explain so many things they do not understand. I am truly changed! Read more.

Find out more about the work DOOR International do to bring God’s word to Deaf communities all over the world.

Millions of people can’t hear the word of God in their own language. Find out more about how you can give the story.

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Biblefresh Photograph Competition!

Friday, December 17th, 2010

This Christmas and New Year Biblefresh would love you to think about how the truth of God’s Word has changed your life by taking a photograph of yourself (or a group) holding a sign starting with ‘Now I…’ or ‘Now we…’ and then stating the difference having God’s Word has made to your life.

The more imaginative the location, the better – especially, if there’s a connection with the words on your sign.  Then upload the photograph to the Biblefresh Facebook page and tag yourself.  We would also love you to make the photograph your Facebook profile photo in January.

What is more… there are some great prizes which Bible Society and Wycliffe Bible Translators have sponsored including an iPad, a Kindle and Glo software!  This is a great incentive to start thinking about your submission.  Entries must be uploaded to our Facebook page between 24th December 2010 and 31st January 2011.

For more information, look at the full details on the Biblefresh website!

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Raising Armies: Mobilisation Representation

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

What is a Mobilisation Representative? My mother is convinced it has something to do with armies.

In my eyes, it’s a person who is passionate about the need for Bible translation and is willing to share that passion with others. The goal: to raise “armies” of people who have caught the vision to go, to pray and to give in whatever way they can. So in one sense, my mother is not entirely wrong.

Catherine on the road

It’s varied work.  In any one week I might visit a university Christian Union, talk at a church meeting, and host an event for people eager to know more about Wycliffe.  And every week I am replying to all sorts of enquiries from individuals.

There are times when this can be a lonely role, when new contacts are hard to come by.

But there are also many encouragements. People get excited about the work of Bible Translation, ask concrete questions about what they can do to get involved, and become part of the “army”. While representing Wycliffe during a Mission Roadshow to universities I was accosted by students desperately wanting news of the next summer Engage team!

The greatest encouragement for me in this role is often the time I spend planning events, because I take the time to think again about the importance of Bible translation and the impact the work of Wycliffe is making throughout the world. This is what motivates me to keep going and to keep sharing the vision with those I meet.

Would you like to know more?  Find out how you can be involved.

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Jesus in our Language: Biblefresh Translation

Saturday, December 11th, 2010

The Bissa Lebir New Testament was translated eight years ago.  Through Biblefresh, as the church in the UK is encouraged to open up their Bibles, support is being raised so that Bissa Lebir speakers can open up the Old Testament too.

The New Testament translation has had a phenomenal impact on Christians in Burkina Faso.  Josias (right), who worked on the translation, says:

‘I wanted my people to know about Jesus in their own language. And it’s making a difference. After the New Testament was launched, churches began to preach, study and sing in the Bissa Lebir language. This is making a revival in the Bissa Lebir people.’ Read more.

Within the last eight years,the number of churches has risen by 50 per cent!  The story of God’s love is proclaimed to people in a language they understand in their heart.

Find out more about Biblefresh translation projects and how you can be involved with Bible translation for the 300 million people who still do not have a word of Scripture in their language.

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Christmas Resources

Friday, December 10th, 2010

Christmas is a brilliant time for us to share God’s Story.  With the Good News back in the news, we are prompted to delight in Jesus in our own lives and share our joy with others.

We have been topping up our website with lots of Christmas goodies to help us remember the real story of Christmas.  Many of these are recommended through Biblefresh, a movement of churches and agencies working together throughout 2011 to get us back to the real story all year round (not just at Christmas).

These include:

  • Paperless Christmas – nine fun and innovative videos retelling of the story of Christmas.
  • The Biblefresh Advent Calendar – short readings throughout advent, panning the breadth of the Bible, reminding us about the Biblical promise of the King.
  • Natwivity – a series of tweets retelling the experiences of the people there at the first Christmas.
  • Christmas.org.uk
  • A new major BBC1 production, The Nativity, shown in four episodes just before Christmas. Supporting materials are provided by the Church and Media network: http://www.nativitydrama.info

These are now available on the Wycliffe Bible Translators website, and more are on their way.  While you’re there, take a moment to consider the 300 million who won’t read the real story of Christmas this year, because they don’t have the Scriptures in their own language.  You can help to give the story.

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