Writing as an Act of Forming

“Writing is not just jotting down ideas. Often we say, ‘I don’t know what to write. I have no thoughts worth writing down.’ But much good writing emerges from the process of writing itself. As we simply sit down in front of a sheet of paper and start to express in words what is on our minds or in our hearts, new ideas emerge, ideas that can surprise us and lead us to inner places we hardly knew were there.”

“One of the most satisfying aspects of writing is that it can open in us deep wells of hidden treasures that are beautiful for us as well as for others to see” [Taken from Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (New York: HarperOne, 1997), April 28.].

Paul said, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). Writing is one of the ways to “open in us deep wells of” new, hidden life in Christ.

The Place of Pastoral Authority

In The Pastor as Spiritual Guide (Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1998), Howard Rice writes:

“We live in a time when authority is suspect; it is a time of massive disillustionment about far-off decision makers who affect the direction of our lives. Deep resentment is aimed at most institutions and professions…people have a hard time expressing their resentment toward many of these professionals; they feel relatively helpless. That feeling of powerlessness may surface most clearly in the one remaining place where people can still participate in the decision making, and that is the church. Here is the place where the average citizen can still exercise some authority—even over the pastor” (p. 172).

In the church, as an organized institution, pastors have more authority than the rest of the congregants. But what kind of authority do pastors have? Some seek pastoral advice and respect pastoral authority; some, resist and resent their authority. On the one hand, pastoral authority needs to be built and established through pastoral consistence and integrity. On the other hand, I wonder how the congregants view pastoral function and receive pastoral authority. I believe that pastoral authority is more well received when the congregants say, “You are the/my pastor. Because God calls you into full-time ordained ministry, you deserve my respect and trust. I respect your pastoral authority unless you yourself give it away.” On the contrary, when the congregants say, “You have to earn my respect. Pastoral ministry is just like any other ‘profession.’ Ordained ministry is as secular as other jobs in society. You just do what you need to do. I will decide whether I will give you the respect you should deserve.” I guess that the latter mentality is more common among Christians.

Recently, I’ve thought about pastoral identity and authority as well as the role and mentality of the congregants. Pastoral ministry has authority over the congregation because pastors are entrusted with prominent ministerial roles, such as preaching on a weekly basis. Preaching is persuasion. It’s an influence, for good or ill.  Every week, people come to listen—listening with curious, cynical, or submissive spirit. No matter what, at the end of the day, the congregants still come and listen. Sometimes I wonder why they still come every week. Is it because of their desire to worship God? Or is it just their “holy” weekly habit? Perhaps, it’s our existential instinct that we long for something that is contrary to what we experience every day: chaos, disorder, confusion, and mess. We long for a Center in which we can be centered.

“Church members will accept persuasive authority eagerly. In a confusing world of too many choices, people hunger for an authority that speaks directly and commandingly. People want some clues to guide them through the maze of moral confusion and diversity of style of life that exists everywhere in our culture” (p. 177). 

Calvin's Careful Consideration

Preaching is a difficult task. In comparison with media that conveys a message with sound, special effects, music, light, and attractive casts, preaching is monotonous. Preaching with PowerPoint is the most a preacher can do. I think that if a preacher does more than that, preaching is not preaching. It may be turned into acting or sharing. There is definitely a message. But it’s not preaching. Preaching has to do with words: the Word of God and the words of the preacher. The Word sets boundaries for the words; the words explain, contextualize, and apply the Word. Preaching has to do with the plots of the words. The flow of the argument of the Word shapes the plots of the words of the preacher.

Preaching is a difficult task. However, it is the task we pastors must try to finish well every Sunday. John Calvin’s dictum on preaching is this:

“When I expound Holy Scripture, I must always make this my rule: That those who hear me may receive profit from the teaching I put forward and be edified unto salvation. If I have not that affection, if I do not procure the edification of those who hear me, I am a sacrilege, profaning God’s Word.”[1]

Preaching is an act of edifying the church as a whole in one occasion. It’s the time all church people listen to God’s Word being expounded and applied. It’s the time all church people say that we’re here to listen and obey God’s Word and be convicted and challenged by it.

“As present, God is sovereign Lord over his Church. It is by the preaching of his Word, which is the declaration of his will, that he governs his Church and consequently guides his people in his way. This is why Calvin calls the pulpit the throne of God…”[2]

The people of God is standing before the “throne of God” while the Word of God is being preached. Preaching the Word of God, in other words, mediates the presence of God and the worship of people.

“Calvin took his task as a preacher seriously. He saw the preacher as God’s ambassador to the church. Calvin thought that when he spoke as a preacher, it was God himself who spoke. This also meant that Calvin would have to account for every word he uttered. It was for this reason that Calvin could not ascend the pulpit without careful consideration, because he thought of it as ‘throne of God, and from that throne he wants to govern our souls.’”[3]

Calvin’s high view of the pulpit shows his pastoral godliness towards God and the ministry entrusted to him. While Calvin preached on the pulpit, he was operating the souls of the congregation.  This is Calvin’s theological understanding of preaching as a pastoral act.

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[1] T. H. L. Parker, Calvin’s Preaching (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992), pp. 11-12.

[2] Ibid., p. 42.

[3] Herman J. Selderhuis, John Calvin: A Pilgrim’s Life. Translated by Albert Gootjes (Downers Grove: IVP Academic; Nottingham: Inter-Varsity Press, 2009), p. 110.

Discipleship Letters 15-16

Discipleship Letter 15                                                            June 15, 2008

“The high cost of our discipleship begins with the cost of discipline-ship” [Stephen Macchia, Becoming a Healthy Disciple: 10 Traits of a Vital Christian (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004), p. 71.]. The disciplined life of reading the Scriptures is the most important nutrient for the total well-being of the soul. In the Scriptures, Christ’s disciples begin to see the heart and the mind of God in Christ.

Here is a good reminder why it’s important to read the Scriptures daily: “The more I skipped days of reading the Bible, the more I allowed myself the privilege of filling my days with ‘more important’ activities, and the more I filled my days with activity, the further away I got from the heart of God. The further away I got from God, the more I began to make my own decisions, and the more I made my own decisions, the deeper I got into a lifestyle that was unbecoming of Christ” (p. 79).

Scripture reading is a daily priority. How do you prioritize your time to read the Scriptures? Do you read the Scriptures daily? If you think that you are too busy and have no time to read the Scriptures, you are busy for nothing, for you neglect the most important nutrient for your soul.

You are busy for life; you forget your soul. Churchgoers are busy for life. Disciples rarely forget their souls.

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Discipleship Letter 16                                                            June 22, 2008

“Any community that is not safe is a pseudocommunity, for these principles of safety are basic to the healthy disciples’ experience in a genuine community of faith…Safety in community means that we are free to be who we are while at the same time growing to become all that God intends” [Stephen Macchia, Becoming a Healthy Disciple: 10 Traits of a Vital Christian (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004, p. 98.).

A Christian community must hold up to the principle of safety. We must be careful and sensitive to one another’s personal story and struggle. We cannot pretend to listen to one another on the one hand; we criticize on the other. This is a pseudo-community.

A genuine community is a place where we let brothers and sisters just as they are. But we remind one another of the importance of growing toward maturity in Christ—to become all that God intends. As Christ’s disciples, we must grow and accept the fact that we need to grow. We grow in partnership. We grow in spiritual discipline, such as reading the Scriptures and practicing prayer. We grow in relationship. We grow in stewardship, like managing His money, His time, and His gifts wisely. We grow in attitude. We grow in knowledge. We grow in holiness. We grow in whatever we need to change and grow.

I must help you feel safe; you must help me feel safe. We must grow!

Pastoral Confusion and Identity

In The Pastor as Spiritual Guide (Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1998), Howard Rice wrote,

“The practice of the ordained ministry today is in considerable turmoil and confusion…There is confusion about what a pastor does; there is confusion about how a pastor is to perform ministry. The number of books published each year on the subject of professional ministry, its theology and practice, is a clue to the confusion and attendant interest in the subject. Pastors buy these books, searching for a professional identity that has eluded them. In earlier decades pastors may have felt secure in the knowledge of who they were and what was expected of them; my own observation tells me this is no longer the case” (p. 11).

Pastoral confusion is a common problem among pastors. It’s like a chronic disease. It’s eating up your life, but you don’t even know about it. It’s always there. It’s just a matter of whether we identify it or not. Pastoral confusion comes from the nature of pastoral work, which is solemn and trivial. Pastors are expected to be preachers, directors, leaders, social workers, administrators, etc…When Howard Rice mentions the word confusion a couple of times, I think of my own. I am confused not because of lacking self-confidence as a person. I am confused because I, sometimes, can’t answer a simple question, what do I actually do? Usually, I am sure. Quite oftentimes, I don’t. In my pastorate, sometimes I felt guilty when I ate with people alone. Was I just eating? Or actually working? I also felt guilty when I read at home. Was I reading for my work? Or I was enjoying my reading in leisure time?

John Piper reminds pastors that we are not professionals. I know that. But actually, who are we? Prophets? Priests? Servants? Leaders? I am telling you. Every pastor has identity crisis.

“Even the various agendas for pastors that on the surface appear spiritual are problematic: when added together they create a very complicated vocational identity. Some want their minister to be an extrovert who loves to hang out in the halls of the church with a gift for the chat. But others want an introvert who is not intimidated by spending long hours in the study preparing profound sermons. Some want us to be at ease around children, others in the nursing home. Some want to hear sermons that are all about the call to social justice; others just want to hear that they are God’s beloved. Some want a pastor who knows how to run a church, while others want a pastor who is good at empowering lay leaders (which often means running the church but giving the credit to lay leaders). No one but the pastor is worried about the inherent contradictions of these definitions of ministry” [M. Craig Barnes, The Pastor as Minor Poet: Texts and Subtexts in the Ministerial Life (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009), pp. 4-5.].

Before the public ministry of Jesus, God confirmed Jesus’ identity as the beloved Son. (Mk. 1:11) It’s this fundamental identity we pastors need to revisit and reclaim. God said, “You are my beloved Son.” It’s relational, not functional. A Father-Son relation is not about performance. I believe it’s about communion. Pastoral confusion invites us to look deeper into our lives: What roles do we play? Why do we embrace those roles? Do we forget our naked roles as God’s beloved?

“I hope you can somehow identify in yourself the temptation to self-rejection, whether it manifests itself in arrogance or in low self-esteem. Not seldom, self-rejection is simply seen as the neurotic expression of an insecure person. But neurosis is often the psychic manifestation of a much deeper human darkness: the darkness of not feeling truly welcome in human existence. Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the ‘Beloved.’ Being the Beloved expresses the core truth of our existence” [Henri J. M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World (New York: Crossroad, 1992), p. 33.].

Contradictions

“The many contradictions in our lives—such as being home while feeling homeless, being busy while feeling bored, being popular while feeling lonely, being believers while feeling many doubts—can frustrate, irritate, and even discourage us. They make us feel that we are never fully present. Every door that opens for us makes us see how many more doors are closed.”

“But there is another response. These same contradictions can bring us into touch with a deeper longing for the fulfillment of a desire that lives beneath all desires and that only God can satisfy. Contradictions, thus understood, create the friction that can help us move toward God” [Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (New York: HarperOne, 1997), April 20.].

Discipleship Letters 13-14

Discipleship Letter 13                                                June 1, 2008

“When I look through others’ eyes, I see their lives as they see them. It does not mean I agree with them. Acceptance is not necessarily approval. But it does mean that I have taken the time to try to see what they see” (Alice Fryling, Disciple-Makers’ Handbook, p. 73.).

Acceptance: As disciplers, we must accept our disciples just as God has accepted them in Christ. Christ embraces us on the cross just as we are. All Christ’s disciples don’t need to pretend what we are not. Rather, God saves us in Christ just as we are.

Approval: Acceptance is not equal to approval. We accept who you are. By no means, we approve what you do and value. A discipling process is the process of growth. Growth implies that we fall short of something, and there is plenty of room for improvement. In appropriate time, speak the truth in love.

Appreciation: To appreciate someone is to recognize God’s creative work. The psalmist said, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it” (Ps. 139:14). In a discipling process, this kind of God-given uniqueness must be recognized, for God’s character is embedded in his creatures.

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Discipleship Letter 14                                                            June 8, 2008

“Part of disciplemaking is sharing with your young Christian friend how God has taught you and helped you through the influence of Scripture. The Word of God needs to have cut through your own life before you can convince your friend…” (Alice Fryling, Disciple-Makers’ Handbook, p. 106.).

Does the Scripture have any influence in your life? As Christians, the Scripture is the source of our teaching and the norm of our action. In disciplemaking, if disciplers don’t embrace the Scripture in high regard, study it with reverence, and live it out with obedience, how can we expect our disciples to be influenced by our thought and action?

Paul (a discipler) said to Timothy (a disciple) that God’s Word “is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Tim. 3:16). Did Paul say one thing and do the opposite? If the Scripture is the measuring rod for Timothy, isn’t it for Paul as well? You tell people to read the Scripture. Don’t you read?

“Do you think that God will judge and condemn others for doing them and not judge you when you do them, too? Don’t you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin?” (Rom. 2:3-4). Re-prioritize your time to read His Word daily.

Calvin's Mother Tongue

(This is taken from http://www.andrewfullercenter.org/blog/2009/07/john-calvins-mother-tongue/)

It is not well known, but the mother tongue of John Calvin was not French—which he learned later in life—but Picard, a Romance language still spoken today that is close to but distinct from French, for he was born in Noyon, Picardy, in north-eastern France.[1]

[1] Bruce Gordon, Calvin (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009), 4. For an overview of Picard, see “Picard language” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picard_language; accessed July 4, 2009).

The Principle of Concentration

The Twelve was Jesus’ inner circle. He chose the Twelve to be with him. Jesus was definitely pro-small group. The more I read the Four Gospels, the more I accept the fact that making disciples a few at a time is the way to “do” church.

“Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. Then he selected twelve of them to be his regular companions, calling them apostles. He sent them out to preach, and he gave them authority to cast out demons” (Mk. 3:13-15). Firstly, Jesus called a few he wanted. Secondly, he appointed the twelve. Thirdly, he called them to be his regular companions. Fourthly, he sent them out to preach the good news. And fifthly, he gave them authority to do ministry.

In The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert Coleman, Professor of Evangelism at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, described Jesus’ small group approach as eight stages of discipleship:

1. Selection
2. Association
3. Consecration
4. Impartation
5. Demonstration
6. Delegation
7. Supervision
8. Reproduction

Coleman said,

“Here is the wisdom of his method…the fundamental principle of concentration upon those he intended to use. One cannot transform a world except as individuals in the world are transformed, and individuals cannot be changed except as they are molded in the hands of the Master. The necessity is apparent not only to select a few…but to keep the group small enough to be able to work effectively with them.”[1]

Jesus’ discipling of the Twelve is described as the “principle of concentration.” Can we say that Jesus worked around the “principle of concentration” in his earthly ministry most of the time? Can we say that he reached to the world by reaching to the Twelve? (Actually, how much could he do in public ministry for only three years?)

“The good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is that he came to bring God to all people and all people to one another. The good news is that God loves all human beings and has sent Jesus to proclaim, establish and enact the realm of God on earth. This enactment of the divine community was focused and launched in the group experience and ministry of the Twelve. There is no good news if humanity is not in community with God and if this community was not concretely modeled by Jesus among the Twelve. The good news is not Jesus alone as the rugged individual, but Jesus with people, especially Jesus with the Twelve.”[2]

This is how Jesus “did” it in ministry. Are there any better approaches in modern church? Maybe there are various ways to express the Jesus’ Way. However, the “principle of concentration” ought to be there. Jesus adopted this “principle of concentration” in ministry because he was human. First of all, Choosing and associating with the Twelve means that Jesus couldn’t do it all by himself. Focusing on a small group of disciples indicates that Jesus knew that he wouldn’t stay with them forever, and he needed the Twelve to internalize his vision and mission after he was gone. No selection; no association. No association; no internalization. No internalization; no delegation. Secondly, he needed companions. He associated with the Twelve to disciple them (giving) as well as to be kept in company (receiving). Jesus called them friends (Jn. 15:15) even though he was the Holy One of God (Jn. 6:69).

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[1] Quoted from Gareth Weldon Icenogle, Biblical Foundations for Small Group Ministry: An Integrational Approach (Downers Grove: IVP, 1994), p. 120.

[2] Ibid., p. 121.

書蟲

書蟲 17/7/2007　陳頌紅 (This article is taken from http://wp.me/pguv1-5qB )

 【信報】小時候，媽媽從沒有買過玩具或者洋娃娃給我，她只肯花錢買書。在十五歲生日之前，我也從沒吃過生日蛋糕，媽媽認為買蛋糕太浪費，於是，她又買書給我。

可能正如《小王子》中所言，「你為你的玫瑰花所花的時間，使你的玫瑰花變得重要。」自小所花的時間和養成了的習慣，使我不但無書不歡，甚至已經到了閱讀上癮的地步。如果我上廁所忘記了帶書，我會隨手拿起牙膏、卸妝液、護膚品背後的說明來看；洗澡時，我也要拿著洗頭水和護髮素的瓶子來讀（所以我會買很多不同的洗頭水、護髮素，免得讀悶了）。

兩年前美國《科學人》雜誌有一篇關於閱讀令人提高創造力的文章。科學家發現，閱讀是主動的訊息處理歷程，而這個歷程可以促使大腦神經連接。科學家用腦電圖儀進行測試，發現當被測試者閱讀的時候，在極短時間內，大腦中所有與看到的文字有關的訊息，都會被激發，而這種在腦中舉一反三的功能，就會加強創造力。文章還引述一九六○年諾貝爾生理醫學獎得主梅達華的說話：「一個人只要有好的普通常識和一般的想像力，都可以成為有創意的科學家。」要有比其他人好的普通常識，那就離不開閱讀。

根據《中國圖書史》，中國早於夏朝已經有文獻存在。現存最早的史書為《尚書．多士》。羅樹寶的《說書》指出，出現於中國最古老的紙寫本書，應該是東晉時期的《三國志》（順帶一提，A. J. Jacobs在他的《The Know-It-All》中提到，聯合國對book的定義是至少有四十九頁的文本）。在西漢時期，早有使用紙張的記載，不過考古學家在出土的西漢紙片上，只發現地圖和線條，猜想當時的人仍未流行以紙張作為書寫工具。至於歐洲最早出現的印刷書，費夫賀在他的《印刷書的誕生》中則指出，傳統上認為是發明鉛字印刷的谷登堡所印的《四十二行聖經》。我相信小說《風之影》裏的話：「你看到的每一本書，都是有靈魂的。每一次換手接受新的目光凝視書中的每一頁，它的靈魂就成長了一次，也茁壯了一次。」看書人的靈魂，其實也在看書之後成長、茁壯了一次，又一次。

I Love My Wife

Today is our fourth anniversary. Even though she always makes me mad, I still love her...money...

The Shepherd and The Sheep

Jesus’ leadership is spiritual leadership. His spiritual leadership is relational leadership: to the Father and to his sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father” (Jn. 10:14-15a). Jesus leads his sheep in relationship. It involves trust and vulnerability. The sheep “won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t recognize his voice” (Jn. 10:5). The disciples recognize Jesus’ pastoral voice because Jesus spends time with them. John 10 delineates a beautiful picture of pastoral ministry: the Shepherd and the Sheep.

“Spiritual leadership is the leadership of the Good Shepherd. As Jesus says, good shepherds know their sheep, and their sheep know him (see John 10:14). These must be a true mutuality between shepherds and sheep. God leaders know their own, and their own know them. Between them is mutual trust, mutual openness, mutual care, and mutual love. To follow our leaders we cannot be afraid of them, and to lead our followers we need their encouragement and support.”

“Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd to show the great intimacy that must exist between leaders and those entrusted to them. Without such intimacy, leadership easily becomes oppressive.” [Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (New York: HarperOne, 1997), April 13.]

Let's not have any godtalk

“Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness” (James 3:1). One of the responsibilities of being a teacher is to pass on knowledge; a Christian teacher, Christian knowledge. Heresy emerges from time to time because of distorted knowledge. We pastors are teachers even though we are more than teachers. But teaching is our primary task, for the church needs to be educated with and edified by the Scripture. The Scripture needs to be taught systematically, theologically, and regularly.  If we pastors fail to fulfill this pastoral task, we fail our pastorate. (This is how I see it.)

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We know that we are morally, spiritually, and theologically wrong because the Scripture is being taught and expounded. The exposition of the Scripture confronts our self-righteousness and cleanses us by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). This is God’s ordained way to prepare and equip us. If we pastors fail to help brothers and sisters encounter the Word of God through teaching, we basically fail our pastorate.

In Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge (New York: HarperOne, 2009), Dallas Willard wrote,

“Who is to bring the knowledge that will answer the great life questions that perplex humanity? Who is to teach the world—the ‘nations,’ people of all kinds—the knowledge that belongs to Christ and his people? In any subject matter the responsibility to teach falls upon those who have the corresponding knowledge. With respect to Christian knowledge, the primary responsibility to teach falls upon those who self-identify as spokespeople for Christ and who perhaps have some leadership position or role in Christian organizations. I shall use the word ‘pastors’ for such people, but the word is here to be taken very broadly; it refers not just to those who hold a position with that title—though it is especially for them” (p. 193).

"The task of followers of Christ is to know Christ and, in knowing him, to make knowledge of God and of life in God available to those around them. That is what responsible people do with knowledge of any important subject. If you have knowledge on any matter of great importance to human beings, it is your duty to make that knowledge available to others. If you know the house is on fire, you must share your knowledge with others. If you know where the bargains are, you tell your friends. If you know how to stop global warming or cure cancer, you have a duty to share that knowledge. Not so of your mere opinions, feelings, or decisions about such matters” (p. 195).

We pastors are entrusted with the knowledge of the Gospel. We pass it on with care and conviction. Teaching the Scripture in a systematic and theological way is our sacred task.

In The Pastor: A Memoir (New York: HarperOne, 2011), Eugene Peterson told a story:

“Charity, at the time I met her, was a plump, bold, cute, and highly verbal five-year-old. She lived in a city halfway across the country. I knew her through her grandparents. When I visited in their home, I sometimes would get to talk with Charity. It was her grandmother, Brenda, who told me this story.  Brenda had taken the train to visit her daughter and son-in-law, Charity’s parents. Charity’s other grandmother had left the day before, after an extended visit, returning to her home in New England. I had never met this other grandmother but knew she took her grandmothering duties very seriously."

"The morning after my friend Brenda’s arrival, Charity came into her bedroom at five o’clock, crawled into bed with her, cuddled up, and said, ‘Grandmother, let’s not have any godtalk while you are here, okay? I believe that God is everywhere. Let’s just get on with life.’"

"When Brenda told me that story, I knew that Charity was onto something. It coincided with the awareness that was developing in the refining fire that was tempering my pastoral vocation in the badlands. It was the word ‘godtalk.’ What Charity was onto was that life is the country that Christians live in, frequently named in the Psalms as ‘land of the living.’ And what she was also onto was that when the life leaks out of what we say and write, teach and pray—especially when we are using sterile, lifeless language that objectifies words like God, Jesus, prayer, believe—we are left with nothing but godtalk” (p. 240).

How many times does our pastoral sacred task become “godtalk”?

My Top Ten 3

Spiritual formation and growth is a key concept in sanctification—the journey of being like Christ. “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…And those whom he predestined he also called, and those who he called he also justified, and those who he justified he also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30 ESV). We are predestined to be like Christ. We are called by this sovereign call; we are justified by his saving grace. And we will be glorified in His Son. What an important text. We are chosen to become like Christ. What I want to say is that it’s God’s eternal plan and purpose that we become like Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18).

It’s such a significant teaching that I missed in my early Christian walk. Was I not informed and taught? Or I didn’t pay attention back then. But now I want those who learn from me, with me, and through me, know this. And we must know this well! For me, once I discovered the idea of spiritual formation and growth in the Bible and through books, I’ve grasped it, studied it, integrated it, and applied it in my life and the lives of others. Paul said, “…until Christ is formed in you!” (Gal. 4:19). No matter what we do in life, Gal. 4:19 is the goal of our journeys: becoming like Christ.

At conversion, we are taught that Christ lives in our hearts (Rev. 3:20). It’s a biblical teaching. It assures our salvation. After accepting Christ, is Christ being formed in our hearts? It’s a life-long formation. Yes I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead, I will be saved. For with my heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Rom. 10:9-10) The verb “save” is in the future tense: I will be saved in the future. (The second “save” is a noun in Greek). Whoever confesses and believes in the resurrected Lord will surely be saved in the last day.

However, from the present to the future, is Christ being formed in our hearts as well as our lives? Honestly, I’m not very concerned about whether I have salvation or not, for I know I will be saved in Christ. It’s God’s own promise. However, in the present, I am more concerned with the following question, what do we do with the Christ who dwells in our hearts and wills to form in our lives?

Churches in general spend too much time to talk about conversion and continue to affirm and re-affirm our salvation to the point where we fail to ground Christians in the Gospel. The Gospel Admission doesn’t lead to the Gospel Formation. From the Gospel Admission to the Gospel Glorification, the process of being formed, conformed, and transformed must be addressed with theology proper (Worship), Bible-based teaching (the Word), covenantal companionship (the Church), and faithful service (spiritual gifts). All these elements are easy to say, but they are hard to be integrated into one’s own formation.

In 1988, Dallas Willard wrote a book The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives (New York: Harper San Francisco), he said,

“Practical theology’s overall task is, in effect, to develop for practical implementation the methods by which women and men interact with God to fulfill the divine intent for human existence. That intent for the church is twofold: the effective proclamation of the Christian gospel to all humanity, making ‘disciples’ from every nation or ethnic group, and the development of those disciples’ character into the character of Christ himself ‘teaching them to do all things whatsoever I have commanded you’ (Matt. 28:20). If these are done well, all else desirable will follow.”

“But our practical theology has not always been successful. As the church has moved from period to period in its history, our leaders have not always been sufficiently wise and powerful in their work of equipping the saints. In our immediate past, worldwide evangelism has been strongly emphasized and also quite successful. Perhaps this has been the main task of the church during the last three centuries. We can be happy and thankful for the expansion of the church, both geographically and numerically. But our very zeal and success in this area may deflect us from an adequate emphasis upon the understanding and practice of growth in Christlikeness after conversion. Have we done what is necessary to bring the earnest convert into his or her possessions as a child of God, as a brother or sister of Jesus Christ in the new life?”

“Unfortunately, the answer to this question must be a clear no. It is not an exaggeration to say that this dimension of practical theology is not even taken as a matter of great seriousness by most of our teachers and leaders, probably because it doesn’t seem imperative to succeed in doing so immediately. So we can only describe the phrase, ‘teaching them to do all things whatsoever I have commanded you,’ as the Great Omission from the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20.”

“Too harsh? Simply make an inquiry of your own. Ask your church, ‘What is our group’s plan for teaching our people to do everything Christ commanded?’ The fact is that our existing churches and denominations do not have active, well-designed, intently pursued plans to accomplish this in their members. Just as you will not find any national leader today who has a plan for paying off the national debt, so you will not find any widely influential element of our church leadership that has a plan—not a vague wish or dream, but a plan—for implementing all phases of the Great Commission” (pp. 15-16).

For some reason, many churches turn the Great Commission into the Great Conversion: make converts of all nations. Getting saved is the end product. Perhaps, the reason why there is such a phenomenon is that the Great Conversion only requires a short moment in life while the Great Commission involves a life-long commitment. Getting saved is a benefit; living with the Savior is costly. Churches do not know how to make disciples because we are not okay with the slow, small vision of making disciples a few at a time. Mass production does inform Christian knowledge, but it does not produce Christian workers. Those who are being fed and trained through mass production, most likely, don’t know how to reproduce: to generate another generation of disciples. From conversion to maturity, there is a huge gap in between. One of my pastoral vocations is to fill this gap: turning the Great Omission back to the Great Commission. “I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jer. 3:15).

Ten books on Spiritual Formation and Growth

1. Henri Nouwen with Michael J. Christensen and Rebecca J. Laird, Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit (New York: HarperOne, 2010)
2. Dallas Willard, The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’ Essential Teachings on Discipleship (Oxford: Monarch Books, 2006)
3. Wil Hernandez, Henri Nouwen: A Spirituality of Imperfection (New York/Mahwah: Paulist, 2006)
4. Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, S. Steve Kang, and Gary A. Parrett, A Many Colored Kingdom: Multicultural Dynamics for Spiritual Formation (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004)
5. Jeannine K. Brown, Carla M. Dahl, and Wyndy Corbin Reuschling, Becoming Whole and Holy: An Integrative Conversation about Christian Formation (Grand Rapid: Baker Academic, 2011)
6. Parker J. Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward An Undivided Life (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004)
7. Paul Pettit (editor), Foundations of Spiritual Formation: A Community Approach to Becoming Like Christ (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2008)                                         
8. James C. Wilhoit, Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ through Community (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008)
9. Larry Crabb, The Safest Place on Earth: Where People Connect and Are Forever Changed (Nashville: Word, 1999)
10. A. W. Tozer, The Size of the Soul: Principles of Revival and Spiritual Growth. Compiled by Harry Verploegh (Camp Hill: Christian Publications, 1992)

Discipleship Letters 11-12

Discipleship Letter 11                                                            May 18, 2008

“Disciplemaking is individualized. Every disciple grows differently, and every disciplemaker nurtures with a little different emphasis. I don’t know exactly what a discipling relationship will look like for you and your disciple, because individuals are all different. But it is the same God who works in all of us” [Alice Fryling (ed.), Disciple-Makers’ Handbook: Helping People Grow in Christ (Downers Grove: IVP, 1989), pp. 33-34.].

This is the beauty of discipleship at a local church. In a discipling relationship, spiritual growth can be individualized, and spiritual struggle can be coped with relevant spiritual direction from a discipler. The church should not generalize a biblical truth and expect a particular (a believer) to accept and apply it without knowing much about his/her own situation.

Spiritual growth is a local business. Disciplemaking can provide a local space for brothers and sisters to grow toward maturity in Christ. Not only do we provide, but also protect the locality—a local sharing, a local struggle, a local life-issue, a local failure, a local thanksgiving, a local ambiguity, a local love story, a local sin, and a local praise.

The church should provide and protect. Moreover, the church should also pray for each disciple’s local story, for only God can deal with our fallen locality. 

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Discipleship Letter 12                                                            May 25, 2008

Disciples are doers, not dreamers. Christ does not use uncommitted disciples who believe but don’t follow Him. Uncommitted disciples tend to criticize what people do, but they rarely commit themselves into it. They often see a problem off the way but never deal with the problem on the way. Uncommitted disciples are dreamers.

Someone asks, “What is the true nature of commitment?” [John C. Maxwell, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1999), pp. 19-20.]

1. Commitment starts in the heart: We want everything to be perfect before we commit ourselves to anything. In other words, we commit to achievement. Christian discipleship starts in the heart, for we don’t see the end result—a disciple grows toward maturity in Christ. We can only wait, see, and trust. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do” (Prov. 4:23).
2. Commitment is tested by action: We don’t talk about commitment. We show our commitment. We are committed to follow Christ: show it in our action. We are committed to do discipleship: prove it with our action.
3. Commitment opens the door to achievement: Discipleship is a soul, slow work. If we determine to “present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28), we will face plenty of obstacles. Commitment will carry us forward.

Pastoral Language

As a pastor, I realize that I deal with language a lot. Teaching, praying, pastoral conversations, and preaching all deal with language. Different languages are used in different contexts with different people. I tend not to dominate daily conversations with words. Rather, I try to have a di-alogue. The language of prayer is different. For me, prayer ought to be conversational. Our voices need not to be raised to get God’s attention. God can hear even though we whisper. The language of prayer is about sincerity and direct-ness. The form is secondary; the heart is the matter. The language of teaching and preaching should be firm and direct as well as conversational. I think that one of the main elements in teaching and preaching is personal narration. I narrate my micro-saving story in His marco-redemptive Story as the first person. I narrate how the I-Thou relation becomes mature and grows deeper. In teaching and preaching, I point others to see the God who gets involved with my life: my happiness, my struggle, my breakthrough, my sins, and my commitments. It’s my personal-being-saved story that speaks. The language of narration is one form of teaching and preaching. Learning to articulate who I am to others is the language of the heart. It’s the language of the heart that transforms the hearts of others.

“I began to understand the sacred qualities of language. My work as a pastor was immersed in language. There was hardly anything I did that did not involve language: the Word of God provided not information but revelation. Jesus told stories and taught and prayed, not to entertain us or inspire us but to draw us into a participating, believing, listening, loving way of life that was, above all, local and personal: prayerful. I wanted to do that too…And I began to understand that the way I used language involved not just speaking it and writing it, but listening to it—listening to the words written in scripture, but also listening to the words spoken to me by the people in my congregation” [Eugene H. Peterson, The Pastor: A Memoir (New York: HarperOne, 2011), p. 239.].

My Top Ten 2

Reading and interpreting the Bible without having a basic understanding of the overall message of the Bible is dangerous. Of course, it takes time to grasp the basic message of the Bible. But it is an indispensable task for all of us if we want to handle the Word of God correctly and minimize our chances to misinterpret the Bible. Each mirco-story is shaped by the marco-Story of the Bible; each mico-story, however, gives meanings to the macro-Story. The big-picture of the Bible is the forest; a particular book, a chapter, a paragraph, or even a verse, is a tree. The more we grasp the forest, the better it is for us to know the tree. This is the basic principle of reading the Bible. We tend to pay too much attention to details but fail to see the overall context.

Biblical theology is the fancy term for that. It helps us explore the story line of the Bible and capture the unity of the Bible. It shows us links among the 66 canonical books that were written in various epochs. It allows us to see God’s progressive revelation from Genesis to Revelation. His Story is not fragmented. Rather, it guides us progressively from Creation, Fall, Redemption, to New Creation. It’s a process of gracious unfolding.

For example, we can dwell on Israel’s civil laws in Exodus 21-23 endlessly. But if we fail to interpret all these laws in the context of Redemption (Exod. 1-18), Covenant (Exod. 19-24), and Worship (Exod. 25-40), all these laws put us into bondage, for we lack of the overall context to provide an interpretive lens to decipher all the details, which are difficult to interpret to some extent. God rescued Israel from the bondage of Egypt so that they could worship him. But worship is not a religious activity. It’s about a Father-son relationship. It’s a covenantal relationship. It’s a personal relationship. Thus, God entered into a covenant with Israel, saying “I am your God; you are my people.” All these laws instructed Israel how to live as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exod. 19:6). They were not obligated to follow them. They applied them with heart and mind because of God’s redemption (Exod. 20:2). Redemption precedes the commandments; grace comes before the law. (Exod. 20:3-17) The civil laws instructed them to practice fairness and justice among themselves. God then gave Israel instructions on how to build the tabernacle (Exod. 25-31, 35-40; Exod. 32-34, the Golden Calf incident).

“Yes, I will make the Tabernacle and the altar most holy, and I will set apart Aaron and his sons as holy, that they may be my priests. I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God” (Exod. 29:44-46 NLT).

God dwelled among Israel; Israel encountered God at the Tabernacle—Tent of Meeting (Lev.1:1). This is worship. The ultimate goal of redeeming Israel from Pharaoh was for worship.[1] The redeemed Israel was worshipful being. Israel existed to worship the One who gave her the being.

Each micro-context gives meaning to the marco-intertext.[2] Israel tried to obey these civil laws because they were worshipful beings. They obeyed them in order to worship God in their community, for any worshipful community should be based on fairness and justice. Israel’s God is the God of justice. Thus, practicing justice and fairness is the way to worship God in community and on earth. “May your name be honored. May your kingdom come soon. May your Will be done here on earth just as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10). His name, kingdom, and will are being actualized on earth. This is worship. Israel was called to do just that.

Here are the ten books on the Marco-Story of the Bible.

1. D. A. Carson, The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2010)
2. Christopher J. H. Wright, Salvation Belongs to Our God: Celebrating the Bible’s Central Story (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2007)
3. Michael Dauphinais and Matthew Levering, Holy People, Holy Land: A Theological Introduction to the Bible (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2005)
4. Walter C. Kaiser Jr., The Promise-Plan of God: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008)
5. Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Recovering the Unity of the Bible: One Continuous Story, Plan, and Purpose (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009)
6. Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen, The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004)
7. C. Marvin Pate, J. Scott Duvall, et. al., The Story of Israel: A Biblical Theology (Downers Grove, IL.: Inter-Varsity Press; Leicester: Apollos, 2004)
8. Daniel P. Fuller, The Unity of the Bible: Unfolding God’s Plan for Humanity (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992)
9. John Stott, Through the Bible, Through the Year: Daily Reflections from Genesis to Revelation (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2006)
10. Edmund P. Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament (Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1988)

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[1] “Discipleship and mission are, of course, important, necessary and biblical aspects of the threefold purpose of the church, but worship should be recognized as having primary, for worship is the eternal duty and joy of the people of God. In the new creation, in the eternal state, the Great Commission will have been completed and God’s people will have been brought to maturity in Christ (Eph. 4:13), but God’s people will continue to sing God’s praises and to enjoy him forever, in ever deepening measure (Eph. 3:19, ‘filled to the measure of all the fullness of God’), unto the eternity of eternities, forever, world without end.” John Jefferson David, Worship and the Reality of God: An Evangelical Theology of Real Presence (Downers Grove, IL.: IVP academic, 2010), p. 177.

[2] Intertext “refers to the location of a text within the larger linguistic frame of reference on which it consciously or unconsciously draws for meaning.” Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke. The New International Commentary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), p. 13.

Grow Tall, Deep Roots

2 Peter is about spiritual growth. The book is sandwiched by the teaching of the knowledge of God and of Christ.

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Pet. 1:2).

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18a).

Both verses focus on growing in knowledge. It is not mere intellectual knowledge. It’s head-heart-hand knowledge. It’s relational knowledge. We grow in knowledge as well as in grace. We can only grow in grace by his grace alone. Apart from his grace, we increase in knowledge; we decrease in holiness.

Peter talks about growing in grace and knowledge in the midst of apostasy (2 Pet. 3:14-18a; also see 2 Pet. 2:1-22). Christians must be growing Christians because of the problems emerged from within—false teachings. It seems what Peter is saying is that growing in knowledge helps Christians discern the difference between true teachings and false teachings. The objective of such knowledge is grounded in “our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” There are some core Christian beliefs we need to firmly hold on to (e.g. Christ’s sacrificial atonement, his divinity and humanity, the Trinity, etc…). Any knowledge that is derivative from the core Christian belief must be rebuked and corrected.

As Gene L. Green notes, “Such knowledge, which marked the believers’ conversion, also continues and increases throughout the life of the Christian. Along with grace, such knowledge is the strongest antidote against the destructive lures of the false teachers” [Jude and 2 Peter (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008), p. 343.].

Christian growth is our greatest responsibility. After exhorting to the congregation what a godly life should be like (2 Pet. 1:5-7), Peter said, “The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin” (2 Pet. 1:8-9). In order not to “fail to develop these virtues”, we consciously tackle the reality of spiritual stagnation, struggle, and growth.

“Trees that grow tall have deep roots. Great height without great depth is dangerous. The great leaders of this world—such as St. Francis, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr., --were all people who could live with public notoriety, influence, and power in a humble way because of their deep spiritual rootedness.”

“Without deep roots we easily let others determine who we are. But as we cling to our popularity, we may lose our true sense of self. Our clinging to the opinions of others reveals how superficial we are. We have little to stand on. We have to be kept alive by adulation and praise. Those who are deeply rooted in the love of God can enjoy human praise without being attached to it” [Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (New York: HarperOne, 1997), April 05.]. 

Iron sharpens Iron

I don’t know when I started to realize that human relationship or friendship plays a significant role in personal growth or spiritual formation. Perhaps, at some point I realized that Christians usually focus attention on vertical relationship with God and neglect horizontal relationship with the body of Christ.

“But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other…” (1 Jn. 1:7). In the presence of others, we are in the presence of God. In other words, we have fellowship with God while we’re having fellowship with our fellows. Thus, in the context of community, “if we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth” (1 Jn. 1:8). Who can say that we are flawless in the body of Christ? I certainly can’t say that.

Our fellowship with each other directly reflects our fellowship with God. It’s as simple as that. John has no intention to theologize a mysterious relationship with God in which people are elated. Rather, John approaches it from a community perspective. “If anyone says, ‘I am living in the light,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness.” (1 Jn. 1:9; cf. 1:11). What a challenge!

I value friendship a lot more than before. It’s not that I didn’t value friendship before. Rather, I place friendship in the context of spiritual growth and formation. It nurtures maturity. It offers accountability. It exposes one’s darkness. It empowers, not manipulates, each other to live in a manner worthy of the gospel (Phil. 1:27). For me, in the context of trust and reciprocity, when we’re genuinely true to ourselves and others and faithfully do our parts in life, we foster mature personhood. “As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow” (Eph. 4:16).

Proverbs 27:17—“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

“It’s not the existence of the relationship alone that provides the context for formation, but also the challenges arising within them…This relational challenge can be visualized as a crucible, the container for a refining flame. The relational challenge itself is not the fire that transforms, but rather a holder for that fire. Within that holder we encounter anxiety, anger, sadness, questions, risk, shame, regret, chaos, and truth. We encounter ourselves and God and become aware of the impact—both for good and for harm—that others have on us and we on them.”[1]

When I read this paragraph, I am like, “This author (Carla) really understands the role of relationship/friendship in Christian formation.” Friendship itself doesn’t transform us. It’s the means for God to transform us through one another. It’s not the key, but it can’t be missing. It’s “a holder for that fire.” It’s not the fire itself. We can survive without relationship/friendship, but we won’t be healthy. I think that any form of Christian formation apart from koinonia (partnership, friendship, fellowship) is deviation from biblical growth. It’s far from what God delineates in the Bible.  

[1] Jeannine K. Brown, Carla M. Dahl, and Wyndy C. Reuschling, Becoming Whole and Holy: An Integrative Conversation about Christian Formation (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011), p. 19.

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