New York State: Same-Sex Marriage

(Taken from http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/06/27/the-empire-states-moral-revolution-new-york-state-legalizes-same-sex-marriage/)

The legal, social, moral, and political maps of America were redefined last Friday night as the New York State Senate voted 33-29 to legalize same-sex marriage in the state. The State Assembly had already approved the measure, leaving the Republican-controlled Senate the last battleground on the marriage issue. Shortly after the Senate approved the measure, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law. It will take effect in July, thirty days after the Governor’s signature was affixed.

It will be difficult to exaggerate the impact of New York’s move to legalize same-sex marriage. The statistics tell part of the story. New York State becomes the sixth state to recognize same-sex marriage, but its population is greater than that of the other five combined. When same-sex marriage is legal in New York next month, fully one in every nine Americans will live in a state or jurisdiction where same-sex marriage is legal. By any measure, this is a massive development in the nation’s legal and moral life.

Add to this the fact that California, the nation’s most populous state, is hanging in the balance as Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment passed by the state’s voters defining marriage as exclusively the union of a man and a woman, is now an issue before the Ninth U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco. It arrived at the appellate court after a federal judge in California ruled that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. If California is added (again) to the states with legal same-sex marriage, more than a third of the nation’s citizens will live where same-sex marriage is the law of the land.

Furthermore, gay rights groups are counting on their New York victory to serve as a momentum-builder for similar efforts across the nation. At present, 29 states have constitutional amendments prohibiting same-sex marriage, while another twelve have laws against it. Marriage is expected to be soon on the ballot in Minnesota and North Carolina, where similar constitutional amendments are in development. On the other hand, same-sex marriage advocates intend to focus on the states of Maine and Maryland for renewed efforts toward legalization.

One crucial aspect of the New York development is the fact that same-sex marriage was legalized by legislation, and not by order of a court. Eventually, an unusual coalition led by the Governor Andrew Cuomo and major Republican donors pushed the measure through the Senate, even though Republicans had prevented even a vote on such a measure in recent years. As dusk set in Albany on Friday, the fate of marriage appeared to rest on one Republican senator, whose crucial vote would determine the margin for or against the chamber taking the vote. In the end, the measure reached the floor, where it passed by a four-vote margin.

One of the lessons learned in this sad spectacle is the fact that enough Republican senators changed their positions on the issue under intense pressure, thus enabling the passage of the legislation. The same was true for the minority of Democratic senators who had previously voted against the measure. One of these, Carl Kruger, changed his vote because the nephew of the woman Kruger lives with was so outraged over the issue that he had cut the couple off from an ongoing relationship. “I don’t need this,” the Senator told a colleague, “It has gotten personal now.”

Well, of course it has. But what this statement really means is that many Americans, including many in the political class, simply fold their moral convictions when they conflict with the lifestyles or convictions of a friend or relative.

Thus far, whenever the people of a state have had their say, marriage has been defended as the union of a man and a woman. Same-sex marriage has been made legal by courts (such as in Iowa and Massachusetts) and by legislatures in some northeastern states. If current trends continue, the American map of marriage will reveal a deep and consequential division between states which recognize same-sex marriage and those who do not.

Given the central importance of marriage to our civilization and culture, it is hard to imagine how such a mixed moral landscape can last. Add to this the fact that President Obama has instructed his own Attorney General not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in courts.

In the end, it is difficult to know how one can exaggerate the importance of New York’s shift on marriage. New York is not merely a highly populous state — it also includes the nation’s most significant city in terms of economics, business, and cultural influence.

The legalization of same-sex marriage represents nothing less than a moral revolution, for what the law allows and recognizes, it also approves. Last Friday was a sad day for marriage and, if the advocates of same-sex marriage are right, it was also a sign of things to come.

Fresh Faith

After attending the Brooklyn Tabernacle today, I came home and read Jim Cymbala’s Fresh Faith: What Happens When Real Faith Ignites God’s people (Zondervan, Kindle Version). This is the fourth book that I read from him. The Brooklyn Tabernacle is a good church, for she makes me trust in God in whom nothing is impossible. Throughout my Christian journey, I have focused more on the ordinary side of the Christian faith. In other words, I’ve focused my attention on down-to-earth spirituality. Most of my books are about encountering God in our ordinary life. How extraordinary could it be in our everyday life? If Christians can’t recognize the life of ordinariness and address it with realism, what good does the Christian faith make in our lives? I believe that there is nothing wrong with this side of spirituality. Otherwise, many Christian thinkers and writers will be out of business. Embracing our ordinariness is part of our faith. However, many times the Bible looks at God from an extraordinary standpoint.

In Fresh Faith, I am reminded of Romans 4 in which Abraham’s faith is described vividly.

Romans 4:19-22:

“He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was ‘counted to him as righteousness.’”

Abraham was 99. Sarah was barren. It was a hopeless situation. But the text says, “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God. The God of miracle triumphed the old age of Abraham and the barrenness of Sarah. In Him, all things are possible. If God can do something like that in the family of Abraham, what else can’t he do in my life or in my family?

Jim Cymbala said:

Isn’t that a powerful Scripture? Realism about the problem was not anti-faith in the slightest. In fact, it made Abraham say, ‘O God, you are the only one who can change this situation. Come and help us, we pray!” (Fresh Faith, Kindle location 531, 540.)

I pray that I will continue to have true faith in Him, and my faith is not the faith that helps me grasp more and more things from God, but promotes godliness and devotion in me towards Him so that I can serve Him in the way that I can please Him. For the Bible says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him.” (Heb. 11:6)

Be Courageous

Henri Nouwen wrote:

"'Have courage,' we often say to one another. Courage is a spiritual virtue. The word courage comes from the Latin word cor, which means 'heart.' A courageous act is an act coming from the heart. A courageous word is a word arising from the heart. The heart, however, is not just the place our emotions are located. The heart is the center of our being, the center of all thoughts, feelings, passions, and decisions."

"A courageous life, therefore, is a life lived from the center. It is a deeply rooted life, the opposite of a superficial life. 'Have courage' therefore means 'Let your center speak.'" [Bread for the Journey (HarperOne, 1997), June 26.]

Discipleship Letters 37-38

Discipleship Letter 37                                                April 12, 2009

Spiritual growth is not natural. We won’t grow and become like Christ automatically. It’s intentional. It involves commitment. It requires determination. “A person must want to grow, decide to grow, and make an effort to grow. Discipleship begins with a decision.” The disciples simply express “a desire to follow him.” [Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church: Growth without Compromising your Message and Mission (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), pp. 332-333.] Spiritual growth begins with a decision. Without such a simple expression of faith, there won’t be any spiritual growth.

How do we grow in Christ? How do we help others grow toward maturity in Christ? These two questions must be addressed in our lives. And your lives must become intentional. Otherwise, you merely talk the talk!

Jesus said, “Make disciples of all nations.” Paul said, “To present everyone mature in Christ,” or “To prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” The book of Hebrews said, “Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity…”

“Without a commitment to grow, any growth that occurs will be circumstantial, rather than intentional. Spiritual growth is too important to be left to circumstance.” (p. 333)

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Discipleship Letter 38                                                April 19, 2009

“The gospel is an invitation to abundant life in the kingdom of God. The gospel is not simply the good news that begins the Christian life, but it should also provide a pattern for our living.” [James Wilhoit, Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ through Community (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008), p. 101.] The gospel is not something that we believe; the gospel is something that we live. Gospel-centric people must have a gospel-pattern living. Many Christians want the gospel benefits, but they don’t want to be confined within the gospel boundary.

If we fail to let the gospel provide a pattern for our living, we need to revisit how much we are convicted by the gospel. If the gospel pattern “works” only when we are convenient, if the gospel pattern “means” something to us when we want something, if the gospel pattern “means a lot” to us when we have a lot to say to others, then we live in the dangers of “Pseudo-Transformation”:

“As Christian we’re called to ‘come out and be separate,’ that our faith and spiritual commitment should make us different somehow. But if we are not marked by greater and greater amounts of love and joy, we’ll inevitably look for substitute ways of distinguishing ourselves from those who are not Christians. This deep pattern is almost inescapable for religious people; if we do not become changed from the inside-out…we will be tempted to find external methods to satisfy our need to feel that we’re different from those outside the faith. If we cannot be transformed, we will settle for being informed or conformed.” [John Ortberg, The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People. Expanded ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), pp. 30-31.] 

Discipleship Letters 35-36

Discipleship Letter 35                                                March 29, 2009

God said in the Letter of James, “We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way” (3:2). God is concerned about what we say with our mouths. “The tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire” (3:5).

Due to my role and responsibility, I “talk” a lot. And God’s word reminds me a lot in many ways.

• “Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed” (Prov. 12:19).
• “A truthful witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies” (Prov. 14:5).
• “Those who control their tongue will have a long life; a quick retort can ruin everything” (Prov. 13:3).
• “The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble” (Prov. 12:13).
• “The godly person gives wise advice, but the tongue that deceives will be cut off. The godly speak words that are helpful, but the wicked speak only what is corrupt” (Prov. 10:31-32).

Am I wise? Am I godly? Christian spirituality is very down-to-earth. Basically, I am what I say; I say what I am. The tongue, which is a small thing, can destroy my faith and the faith of others. What is the size of your tongue?

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Discipleship Letter 36                                                April 5, 2009 

Recently, I spend time to revisit my pastoral ministry from various angles based on John 10.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (10:11). Whether a shepherd is good or not, it’s truly based on his sacrifice. Laying down his life is a commitment.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me” (10:14). How much do I know you? How much do you know me? Mutual knowledge is fundamental to pastoral ministry. Knowing and being known involve certain courage and acceptance.

“No one can take my life from me. I lay down my life voluntarily…” (10:18a). God didn’t force Christ to lay down his life. Christ did it voluntarily for the sake of God’s overall plan. In pastoral ministry, I do what I do because Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (10:3b). A good shepherd knows each of his sheep—his local context, his inner thought, his struggle, and his story.

Christian Spirituality

Christian spirituality “refers to a relationship with God as lived in practice, as dynamics are formulated, as explored through formal study.”[1] There are three levels of meaning of the definition:[2]

At the practical level, Christian spirituality “is a lived relationship with God. We actually live out, in practice, a relationship with God."

At the level of dynamics, Christian spirituality “is the formulation of a teaching. We synthesize a way of understanding the dynamics of how relationship with God works."

At the level of academic discipline, Christian spirituality “is a formal ‘field’ of study. We engage in systematic investigation of the lived relationship or formulated teachings of the Christian church.”

Thus, Christian spirituality is to study and integrate the history of Christian experience in the history of the church.

[1] Evan B. Howard, The Brazos Introduction to Christian Spirituality (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2008), p. 15.

[2] Ibid., p. 16.

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Risk, Faith, Possibility

In The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey through Anguish to Freedom (New York: Image Books, 1998), Henri Nouwen wrote:

You have an idea of what the new country looks like. Still, you are very much at home, although not truly at peace, in the old country. You know the ways of the old country, its joys and pains, its happy and sad moments. You have spent most of your days there. Even though you know that you have not found there what your heart most desires, you remain quite attached to it. It has become part of your very bones.

Now you have come to realize that you must leave it and enter the new country, where your Beloved dwells. You know that what helped and guided you in the old country no longer works, but what else do you have to go by? You are being asked to trust that you will find what you need in the new country. That requires the death of what has become so precious to you: influence, success, yes, even affection and praise.

Trust is so hard, since you have nothing to fall back on. Still, trust is what is essential. The new country is where you are called to go, and the only way to go there is naked and vulnerable.

It seems that you keep crossing and recrossing the border. For a while you experience a real joy in the new country. But then you feel afraid and start longing again for all you left behind, so you go back to the old country. To your dismay, you discover that the old country has lost its charm. Risk a few more steps into the new country, trusting that each time you enter it, you will feel more comfortable and be able to stay longer.” (p. 21-22)

Be Still

A moment ago, I read today's devotion in Streams in the Desert: 366 Daily Devotional Readings (Zondervan, 1997). It is a timely message for me.

An excerpt is as follows:

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" (Isaiah 30:21)

When you have doubts or are facing difficulties, when others suggest courses of action that are conflicting, when action dictates one approach but faith another, we should be still. We should quiet each intruding person, calm ourselves in the sacred stillness of God's presence, study His Word for guidance, and with true devotion focus our attention on Him...Soon He will reveal by His secret counsel a distinct and unmistakable sense of His direction.

It is unwise for a new believer to depend on this approach alone. He should wait for circumstances to also confirm what God is revealing. Yet Christians who have had many experiences in their walk with Him know the great value of secret fellowship with the Lord as a means of discerning His will.

Are you uncertain about what direction you should go? Take your question to God and receive guidance from either the light of His smile or the cloud of His refusal. You must get alone with Him, where the lights and the darkness of this world cannot interfere and where the opinions of others cannot reach you. You must also have the courage to wait in silent expectation, even when everyone around you is insisting on an immediate decision or action. If you will do these things, the will of God will become clear to you. And you will have a deeper concept of who He is, having more insight into His nature and His heart of love. All this will be your unsurpassed gift. It will be a heavenly experience, a precious eternal privilege, and the rich reward for the long hours of waiting. (pp. 240-241)

Keep on Moving

The passage for today's sermon came from Numbers 13-14. The pastor used Egypt as a picture of the old life: being slaved to sin. In slavery, we are compelled to do things that we don’t want to. We are under the dominion of sin. In Luke 4:18-19, this is the reason why Jesus came: Break the chain, and set the captives free.

Due to the disobedience of the exodus generation, God pronounced a judgment on them: they would not be allowed to enter into the Promised Land. If they fail to believe the fact that God who brought them out of Egypt could take them to the next level, they forfeit their right to inherit God’s promise and wander in the wilderness for forty years and die there. From Exodus to the Promised Land, those who were succumbed to the Age of Disbelief would waste their life (and die) in disbelief.

In Christendom, there are many professed Christians with no strong commitment. In Christendom, people go to the church on Sunday. It’s our national ritual. But the hearts of these churchgoers are empty and filled with worldly desires. They are neither in Egypt nor in the Promised Land. They are in between: wandering on and off with empty hearts and frustrated souls.  

What caught my attention was at the end when the pastor said, “You will never know what God can do with/for you unless you get where He wants you to be.” He then mentioned that there would be no fall of the wall of Jericho in Joshua. The exodus generation would never experience that miraculous experience, for they never entered into the Promised Land. They experienced the Exodus event. They could have experienced much more from God if they just obeyed.

In my faith journey, what will God do with/for me down the road? There might be miraculous events like crossing the Jordan River, the fall of the wall of Jericho, etc… But I have to walk towards it with faith and obedience.

A Better Covenant

In the Bible, God made five major covenants:[1]

1. Noahic Covenant (Gen. 9:1-17)
2. Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3; 17:1-14)
3. Mosaic Covenant (Exod. 19-24)
4. Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7)
5. The New Covenant of Jesus and the church (Jer. 31:31-34; Lk. 22:20)

After the Fall, God has made different covenants with the fallen humanity. “God’s response to our sin was covenant—saving, glorious, and loving covenant.”[2] God has made a solemn commitment to His fallen creation through different covenants in different epochs. One solemn commitment; many different expressions. “Each covenant has its own character and scope; and each prepares for, and provides the foundation for, the next.”[3] In each of these covenants, God used different redemptive agents to carry out His commitment to the world. Each redemptive figure is a type to an anti-type: a shadow to a reality. Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David are good, but Jesus is a better Noah, a better Abraham, a better Moses, and a better David.

“The purpose of these covenants was to address the problem of human race and of the entire created order. Across the Old Testament echo the promises and relationships in the covenants that will redeem God’s people and restore God’s sin-alienated creation to himself. It is important to note that covenants themselves do not solve the problem, but they do point to Jesus who does.”[4]

All the covenants point to Jesus Christ who is their fulfillment. “But our High Priest has been given a ministry that is far superior to the ministry of those who serve under the old laws, for he is the one who guarantees for us a better covenant with God, based on better promises. If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it.” (Heb. 8:6-7) It has been a long, patient (painful?) journey for God to save us in Christ Jesus.

[1] Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears, Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), pp. 177-178.

[2] Ibid., p. 175.

[3] Bernhard W. Anderson, Contours of the Old Testament Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1999), p. 81.

[4] Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears, Doctrine, p. 178.

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畢德生: 聖經研究與基督徒

(Taken from http://castanea-hongkong.blogspot.com/2006/12/blog-post_17.html)

十年前從舊約學者李思敬的錄音帶認識畢德生（Eugene Peterson）。八年前在溫哥華維真學院（Regent College）的書店買了該校靈修學教授畢德生的新作 The Wisdom of Each Other: A Conversation between Spiritual Friends (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998)，內容是五十四封作者以摯友和牧者的身份，寫給一位多年失去聯絡、近來才信主、並熱心參與教會活動的老朋友「阿谷」的信。一年後這本小書譯成中文（譯者是徐成德），書名是《摯人智語》，由校園書房出版。其中有兩封信談及讀經的問題（49-50，中譯本頁142-48），給我的印象最為深刻。

阿谷的查經小組本來是好好的── 一群「不搭調的怪人聚在一起，建立禱告與對話的網脈」，成員有「兩個農夫、一個新寡、唐氏症青年、嚴肅的歷史教授、情願寫詩而不想照顧孩子的媽媽，還有成了明州寵兒的那個年輕運動員，最近突然竄升為美中高爾夫頂尖好手」。畢德生讀到阿谷信中如何描述這個查經小組「周復一周埋首於探索馬可福音的心得」時，不禁由衷讚嘆：「你們那個查經班實在是世界奇觀之一……我們的聖經是最平義近人的、最有生命氣息、最能建立群體的著作，是絕無僅有的。」畢德生的意思是說，基督徒聚在一起讀經，並不需要甚麼「專家」（亦即聖經學者）指指點點，只要他們「以順服、禱告的心，刻意將自己置於神話語的影響下」，就可以從這部「最平易近人」的聖經獲得心靈的滋養與靈命的造就。

問題始於一名「教會新近派來的神學生」，加入了這個查經小組；「這位仁兄耽溺於『歷史批判法』，把聖經拆得七零八落，再歸納成一堆堆的動詞或考古殘片，還自認幫了你們一個大忙。」畢德生接著說：「讀你描寫那個神學生的一舉一動，我想起《魔戒之主》裡甘道夫的話：『把東西打破一探其中究竟的人，已經偏離了智者的路。』這種態度在今天也毀了不少查經小組。你身為平信徒，我身為牧師，都要速速起來抵擋，免得我們失去領受神話語的途徑。」

畢德生的話說得挺有道理：如果那位神學生在一群未受過聖經研究訓練、教育背景殊異，而且只求在神的話語上得到造就和滋養的信徒面前，將他們心愛的經文粗暴地拆解得「七零八落」，使得他們無所適從，甚至失去讀經的興味，他的做法實在不宜鼓勵，還得速速禁止！不過，畢德生並不是反對學術性的聖經研究，他甚至認為學者的「研經工具」對專業的牧者是大有幫助的，只是那位神學生用得不合時、不適當罷了：「難題不在於那個神學生說了甚麼，而是他的態度與場合。他所學的那些聖經研讀工具很有用，特別是如果你要在講壇上度此一生，那是再有價值不過了。然而它們是精細的手術工具，運用起來要需要格外謹慎與智慧。在我看來，那個神學生卻把研讀工具當作榔頭、鐵撬來用。」

在畢德生看來，那位神學生的「態度」究竟出了甚麼問題？畢德生在第二封信的最後一段這樣分解：「他把聖經從聖徒與罪人、懷疑與信心、苦難與迷惘的錯綜脈絡裡抽離出來，以便能『正確』解析。……我從來不認為，在整潔衛生的實驗室解釋聖經，會特別尊重聖經。那個神學生所學的固然有用，但是他閱讀和教導聖經的時候，若不進入生命諸般『情境』，就永遠不得要領。」易言之，他的錯誤不單在於他在不適當的場合魯莽地運用那些研經工具，也在於他試圖以學術、抽離的方法獲得對經文的「正確」解釋（並以專家的姿態要查經小組的組員接受）。在畢德生眼中，那位神學生若果只求獲得學術性的「正解」，而沒有將神的話語活潑地帶進查經者的生命裡，就沒有盡上教導聖經的重任── 儘管他可能以為自己這樣解釋聖經，是尊重聖經的表現。

畢德生用了一個實例來說明何以力求準確無誤地解釋聖經，是那個神學生的問題所在。畢德生和阿谷都在北美西部長大，那裡「所有青少年一定都有把槍」，可是在畢德生和他的朋友眼裡，射擊並不是擁有槍的最終目的：「槍代表的更廣── 打獵與爬山、群山與溪流、飛禽與羚羊。槍是入場券，藉此得以進入荒野、氣象、年輕人金蘭情誼的那個繁複、不可測的世界。至於是否射中獵物── 十之八九沒有── 並不要緊。槍象徵了參與其中的一種生命，也象徵了得以參與其中的能力。」那位神學生──在畢德生看來── 就好像當年那些加入愛槍社一類會社的同學：他們純粹以射擊為樂，以在射擊比賽中獲勝為榮；他們趾高氣揚，「一舉一動都不把其他人放在眼裡……山林與溪流的世界，在他們手中卻只淪為瞄準、操縱的樂趣。」愛槍社的人為射擊而射擊，完全未能領悟槍的「真諦」，大好的湖光山色就在他們較量槍法之際給浪費掉。同樣地，那個神學生未能完全領略讀經的「真諦」── 就是讓神的話語藉著聖經以及查經小組的禱告、團契生活，與組員「生命的諸般情境」碰觸，從而陶造他們的靈命；他們是否「正確」解經其實並不要緊，讀經不過是他們進入更高境界的「入場券」！

在畢德生看來，讀經──直接從聖經領受「神的話語」──本質上是每個基督徒可以做到的事，所以對於信徒平日的讀經生活，聖經學者的研經工具不只是沒有用，更是障礙：信徒若果要靠那些研經工具去讀聖經，就得聽候聖經學者的「指引」，因而無法直接從聖經本身領受神言。畢德生更斬釘截鐵地說：「這種向專家一面倒的現代趨勢，特別是有關心靈方面的事，我們必須站在前線極力抵拒。聖經首要是屬於所有人的經卷，而不只是神學院教授或牧師的經卷。」

這兩封信，觸及一個多年來縈繞心際的問題：聖經研究與基督徒──尤其是平信徒──的宗教生活究竟有甚麼相干？聖經研究對平信徒的宗教生活（包含個人與群體的讀經），又是否必要？會否產生不良後果？這裡很難逐一詳細討論這幾個我自己也沒能回答得好的問題，以下僅就畢德生的說詞，作出三點回應：

一、從畢德生的描述看來，那位神學生教導平信徒閱讀馬可福音的手法，似乎顯得相當笨拙。不過，他運用研經工具的手法不夠高明，並不足以證明在查經小組使用學術性的研經工具是注定失敗的。再者，運用「歷史批判法」解讀福音書和其他聖經書卷，並不一定需要把它們「拆得七零八落」。

二、正確地解釋聖經，從來是信徒讀經所欲追求的基本目的之一（「正確」的準繩是甚麼則是另一個值得深思的問題），而且錯解聖經本身是危險的事，更是對神不敬。如果專家的意見有助我們正確解經，何不先虛心聆聽他們的見解？

三、心靈方面的事或許我們真的不需要專家幫忙，可是在解讀古籍的事上我們真的不需要專家來幫忙嗎？須知基督徒奉為聖經的古籍，並不會因為成為了聖經而不再是古籍，也不會因為宗教改革以降讀經及譯經的普及化而變得不解自明；相信那個參加阿谷的查經小組的歷史教授，並不會反對這一點吧。聽過李思敬解析詩篇、箴言等舊約書卷的信徒都會知道，如果沒有西方聖經學者的研究成果，沒有精通聖經語文的專家幫忙，一般人是很難透澈了解或準確把握不同書卷所要表達的信息。

話雖如此，聖經的確比很多古代文學巨著「平易近人」（聖經固然不算是文學巨著）。為了使聖經更平易近人，畢德生甚至以今天的英語將聖經（新教的正典）重新翻譯出來：The Message: The Bible in Contemporary English (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2002) ，從中讀者或許得以一嚐沒有「聖經腔」的聖經是甚麼滋味，但從古至今，無論是哪一種譯本，無論以「功能對等」還是「形式對等」的原則來翻譯聖經，都無法將原文蘊含的意思和信息毫無遺漏地表達出來，更遑論以現代的語言（亦即出自另一種文化的譯語）重現原文的風格和語感，不過，對於阿谷的查經班，那要緊麼？

A Sin of Commission, A Sin of Omission

After talking to the serpent, “the woman [Eve] was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too” (Gen. 3:6; see 3:1-7). When Eve was talking to the serpent, Adam was there the whole time. He wasn’t the one who got involved. His wife did. He thought he was neutral and clean. He listened. He didn’t say anything. The silence of Adam “allowed” his wife to be seduced and overcome by the serpent. Adam failed his role as a companion. He saw a trap, but he remained silent. Eve was surely responsible for her own action. God didn’t let him get away with it, for Adam was there, and he was the head of the family. God said to Adam, “Because you listened to your wife and ate the fruit…” (3:17) Instead of telling her not to eat it, he listened and joined in.

In Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears say:

Eve believed Satan over God and chose pride over humility by partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in sin against God. Hers was a sin of commission, whereby she did what God forbade. Tragically, we further read that while all of this occurred, Adam stood by silently, failing to lead his family in godliness. This was Adam’s sin of omission, whereby he failed to do what God created him to do—lovingly lead his family and humbly serve God. Adam then joined his wife’s sin of commission, bringing shame, distrust, and separation between Adam and Eve, and between them and God. this included hiding from God and one another and covering themselves, as sinners have done in varying ways ever since. (p. 147)

Sin includes both omission, where we do not do what we ought, and commission, where we do what we ought not do. (p. 151)

Genesis 3:11-12:

“‘Who told you that you were naked?’ the Lord God asked. ‘Have you eaten the fruit I commanded you not to eat?’”

“‘Yes,’ Adam admitted, ‘but it was the woman you gave me who brought me the fruit, and I ate it.’”

When Adam was expected to say the right thing at the right time, he was silent. When he covered up his sin/problem, he spoke up.

Imago Dei

The Bible addresses people in relation to God. Biblical anthropology cannot be rightly understood apart from biblical theology. Right from the beginning, the Bible said, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Gen. 1:26-27) In the image and likeness of God we were made. As Walter Brueggemann said:

"The Old Testament has no interest in articulating an autonomous or universal         notion of humanness. Indeed, such a notion is, for the most part, not even on the horizon of Old Testament witnesses. The Old Testament has no interest in such a notion, because its articulation of what it means to be human is characteristically situated in its own Yahwistic, covenantal, interactionist mode of reality, so that humanness is always Yahwistic humanness or, we may say, Jewish humanness. The Old Testament, for the most part, is unable and unwilling, as well as uninterested, to think outside the categories and boundaries of its own sense of Yahweh and Yahweh's partner." [Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1997), p. 450.]

There are twelve truths about people created in God's image as revealed in the Bible: [Taken from Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears, Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), pp. 114-116.]

1. We were created by the Trinity. "Let us make man in our image..." (Gen. 1:26)

2. We were created as persons by a personal God.

3. God originally made mankind without sin.

4. God blesses us.

5. Unlike the animals who were made according to their "own kind," we were made in the "image of God." Animals are incapable of denying their instincts.

6. God gives commands to us because he made us as moral image bearers. We can know what is right and wrong.

7. God made us curious adventurers and granted us permission to explore his creation through everything from a telescope to a microscope. We are seekers and explorers.

8. God created us to be creative and invited us to make culture.

9. God created us to be reproductive and have children.

10. God made us with meaningful work to do.

11. God created us as his image bearers,  but not because he needed us in any way. The church father Irenaeus said, "God formed Adam, not as if He stood in need of man, but so that He might have someone upon whom to confer His benefits."

12. God created us to live coram Deo. Coram Deo means to live "before the face of God." We live before the face of God. This is Christian spirituality.

Preaching: An Act of Worship

Why is preaching important?

In Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears answer:

We are to preach the Word of God, the good news of what God has done, not merely good spiritual advice for better living. It has the power to save and bring people to maturity. The power of preaching does not come with clever stories or rhetorical devices but with the power of the Spirit and the answer to prayer. Preaching brings faith for hearers and is spiritual food to nourish people.

Paul warned that times would come when people would not tolerate preaching. Unfortunately, many ‘progressive’ churches want to re-imagine preaching and include no sermon at all. Sadly, even some well-known Christians wrongly claim that preaching is pagan and that preaching has no place in Christian church meetings.

God’s people have always viewed preaching as something to be done when the church gathers. Preaching is proclaiming with authority and passion the truth of God’s Word. In preaching, the authority of God’s Word is upheld and God’s people are collectively led and taught according to the Scriptures. The willingness of Christians to sit under preaching is an act of worship, as they are humbly submitting to Scripture and the pastor, who is preaching on behalf of the elder team. Preaching is among the most essential ministries of a church because the authoritative preaching of Scripture informs and leads God’s people in the rest of the church’s ministries. (p. 324)

I haven’t read words on preaching that are very uplifting for a while. I have to say that the authors clearly reflect Reformed understanding of preaching the Word of God. The coming of Christians to sit under the preached Word is an act of worship. We hearers worship with listening and prepare to obey what we hear from the preacher. The preacher is not the center; the Word is. But the preacher carries the authority of God as God’s ambassador. The preacher preaches with authority because the preacher’s message is attached to the Word of God. I totally agree that preaching is the most esteemed, essential ministry in the church. It is in this ministry through which the Word of God is preached to all congregants at the same time.

Don't Leave Weeds Unchecked

Church discipline is one of the neglected areas in the church. I was reading Mark Dever’s Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (Wheaton: Crossway, 2000) this afternoon. In the chapter A Concern for Discipleship and Growth, he discusses the importance of church discipline in the life of the church. Christian growth involves church discipline. Mark Dever says:

A biblical understanding of church discipline also helps us to grow. One of the unintended consequences of a church’s neglect of proper discipline is that it gets much harder to produce disciples. In an undisciplined church, examples are unclear and models are confused.

“Oh, Mr. So and So has been a member of the church for forty years, but look what he does.”

“Well, yes, but he’s on all the committees.”

Weeds are undesirable. No gardener sets out to grow weeds. They can have bad effects on the plants around them. God’s plan for the local church does not encourage us to leave weeds unchecked. (p. 196)

In most cases, church discipline involves speaking the truth in love, integrity, and courage. When the church practices church discipline, church members will then find out what is appropriate and what is not in ministry. When Paul discussed unity in the Body of Christ to the Ephesians, he said “Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church…So put away all falsehood and ‘tell your neighbor the truth’ because we belong to each other. ” (4:15, 25, emphasis mine)

The truth is where we stand on. It’s our measuring rod. It’s our written rules. It’s the norm in and through which we know what is right and wrong in community. Diversity occurs when there are no clear guidelines to follow. Unity fades away when the church leaves weeds unchecked.

Discipleship Letters 33-34

Discipleship Letter 33                                                            March 15, 2009

“The quality of a church’s leadership is directly proportional to the quality of discipleship. If we fail in the area of making disciples, we should not be surprised if we fail in the area of leadership development.” [Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the missional church (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2006), p. 119.]

In the discussion and the preparation of the CBP, we realize that leadership is an urgent need. Building church and building people are inseparable. It makes me think about the CBP from this nurturing angle. It also makes me revisit the overall plan of the discipleship program in relation to the CBP. Building leaders is a long process in which all of us are responsible for the development. “Discipleship is primary; leadership is always secondary.” (p. 119) What I mean is that we become leaders in discipleship. We train others to become leaders in discipleship. How can we become leaders? What should we do in order to multiply more leaders?

The CBP makes us face our own commitment. We see a problem. Do we become problem-solvers or mere problem-raisers? Jesus said, “The laborers are few.” Jesus saw a problem. He invested time and energy to solve the problem—to multiply more laborers.

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Discipleship Letter 34                                                            March 22, 2009

The three Pastoral Letters (I & II Timothy, Titus) mean a lot to me as a pastor. It keeps me in check in my pastoral ministry. It illuminates the things that I need to be aware of as a shepherd to His sheep. One morning, I read through the letters. There are many verses that bring me into awareness and self-reflection. 

o   “To speak evil of on one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people” (Titus 3:2).

o   “Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers” (2 Tim. 2:14).

o   “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Tim. 2:10).

o   “For which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed…” (2 Tim. 1:11-12).

o   “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness…” (2 Tim. 2:24-25a).

o   “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2).

Discipleship Letters 31-32

Discipleship Letter 31                                                            March 01, 2009

“We need testing. God tests us. The test results will show whether we are choosing the way of awe and worship and obedience (which is to say, God), or whether, without being aware of it, we are reducing God to our understanding of him so that we can use him.” [Eugene Peterson, The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways that Jesus is the Way (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007), p. 54.]

A life of discipleship is a life of testing. In testing, we start to ask tough questions about the relationship between faith possessed and faith expressed. In testing, we start to realize that our ways don’t work all the time. Even though God’s ways seem unknown and unseen, they work better in life according to His eternal perspective. In testing, we are aware of our finitude and His infinitude.

Disciples need (yet don’t ask for) testing. In testing, we can truly tell how much we desire God, follow His will, and glorify His name. Without testing, we deceitfully assume that He is the center of our lives. In testing, we are aware of many false gods in our lives that are not helpful in the time of need and difficulty. They entertain us, but don’t nurture our mind, souls, and hearts. In testing, our lives are re-oriented to the One who can penetrate into our hearts and souls.

“The test question is blunt: ‘Have I been kidding myself all along?’” (p. 53)

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Discipleship Letter 32                                                            March 08, 2009

Grace Alliance Church has been established for 20 years. In this life stage of the church, where shall we go from here? The more we discuss the Church Building Project (CBP), the more I realize that the CBP is going to be the core of our spiritual formation. Perhaps, if we want to have more dedicated servants and leaders, we must not get around this project. Rather, we must get through it.

God’s timing is perfect, and He has reasons behind all things. We start to talk about the CBP here and now. We are able to participate in discussion and preparation. God wants us to look at the overall development of the church as emerging leaders. We don’t know what we can contribute to the project in general. But we must prepare ourselves for the present as well as the future.

We need servants. We need leaders. But all we can do is to demonstrate servanthood and leadership. God will call people to work for Him and work at His church in the right time and at the right place.

May we all start to re-evaluate our roles as Christ’s disciples. Peter said, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:2-3).

We lead; we demonstrate.

Cannot Miss It Here

The sermon for this morning came from Matthew 28:16-20. The sermon title is The Triune God. This is our second time to visit the Redeemer Presbyterian Church. This church has been preaching a series of sermons on the theme: To Know the Living God. The pastor structured his sermon around the idea of the Triune God with four points: 1. His reality; 2. His authority; 3. His Community; and 4. His eternity. Throughout the sermon, the attributes of God were explained and elaborated in details. But the pastor did not mention anything about discipleship. Preaching on this passage without mentioning the great concept of discipleship is incorrect. I expected the pastor to tie who God is into what He expects the church to perform on earth. I don’t mean that discipleship needs to be mentioned in every sermon. What I mean is that discipleship cannot be not mentioned if we preach on this passage. Why? Because Jesus put the emphasis on the phrase: make disciples of all nations.

When Jesus said, “And surely I am with you always, to the every end of the age,” something is missing if we only say that God will be with us in Christ to the end of the age. Yes, our God is the eternal God. Doctrinally, this is absolutely correct. No one can say that this is not sound theology. Nevertheless, it is kind of incorrect exegetically if we only focus on God’s attributes without stressing on the main point, which is, make disciples [imperative in Greek] through going, baptizing, and teaching (three participles in Greek). The resurrected Lord will surely be with us when we co-work with Him in the process of presenting all Christians mature/perfect in the likeness of Jesus Christ until He comes again.

Matt. 28:16-20 is one of the great passages for the doctrine of the Trinity in the New Testament. It’s always right to preach on the Trinity with this passage. But the greatest responsibility of the church that Jesus has entrusted to us cannot not be preached on.

Think

While I was waiting for someone to come to my place last night, I read John Piper’s Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God (Kindle edition).  The book is about loving “the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (Mk. 12:30). The book reminds me of the highest purpose of Christian scholarship. 

The task of all Christian scholarship—not just biblical studies—is to study reality as a manifestation of God’s glory, to speak and write about it with accuracy, and to savor the beauty of God in it, and to make it serve the good of man. It is an abdication of scholarship when Christians do academic work with little reference to God.

Christian scholarship is not threatened but served when it is permeated by spiritual affections for the glory of God in all things. Most scholars of observable objects to deal with (texts, witnesses, chemicals, people, behaviors, etc.) affections degenerate into groundless emotionalism.

Therefore, we cannot do Christian scholarship if we have no spiritual sense or taste for God—no capacity to apprehend his glory in the things he has made. (Kindle location, 2264-2265, 2281)

The life of the mind is indispensable. The supremacy of Christ and the glory of God ought to be the center of Christian scholarship. Love the Lord with our minds is part of the great commandment.

值得被主信任的人

(Taken from http://kunglapyan.blogspot.com/2011/06/28-16-20.html)

信任與受託 (太28: 16-20)

命令與信任

作為打工仔，我們對上司的吩咐會有兩種感受。第一，上司吩咐我們做甚麼，我們就要做甚麼。我們沒有選擇不做的自由，因為我們已收了錢。吩咐就是命令。第二，上司吩咐我們做某件事，因為他信任我們有能力會做好這件事。報酬不是這吩咐的基礎，而是信任。按以上理解，主耶穌吩咐我們－「使萬民作我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗。凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守，我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。｣－是基於一種命令關係還是一種信任關係？

值得被信任

按個人意願，我傾向主對我的吩咐是因祂對我的信任，而不是命令，因為前者反映祂對我的欣賞。然而，縱使我這一廂情願的看法是真的，但我仍要面對另一個更大的問題。即我是否一個值得被信任的人？按太廿八16-20，第一，一個值得被信任的人先要是主的門徒。坦白說，我們可能是跟隨者多於門徒。門徒與跟隨者的分別不是前者是資深信徒和後者是初信者，也不是前者是牧師或宣教師和後者是信徒。他們的分別在於門徒願意擔起主的擔子，而跟隨者只是選擇性和按其喜愛擔主的擔子。不願意承擔主的擔子，不是因為主的擔子太重了（因為主耶穌曾說，祂的軛是容易的，祂的擔子是輕省的（太十一30）），也不是因為我們自己的擔子已太重了，而是因為我們不認同主的擔子之內容。主耶穌的擔子就是一個要讓人得生命，並且得的更豐盛生命的擔子。（約十10）我們願意自己是那個被主所關心和得著豐盛生命的人多於那個讓人得豐盛生命的人。

第二，一個值得被信任的人需要認識和理解主的吩咐。或許，我們很快就聯想起接受神學教育。但這只說對了一半，因為認識和理解主的吩咐不只是關乎知識，更是對主的認識。有人讀聖經時，只留意聖經中的是與不是、可以與不可以、對與不對，但忽略上主的恩典，甚至將上主恩典放在律法之下。他們擔心，過份強調上主的恩典，上主恩典就會被濫用。但這擔心是多餘的，因為若不是上主無條件的恩典，我們當下的世界就不可能仍然存在。在律法下，信徒與非信徒結婚是得罪上主，但在恩典下，上主仍舊愛你們和賜福給你們；在律法下，離婚是得罪上主，但在恩典之下，上主仍會愛你和給你新的可能。或許，我們少講上主的恩典，不只因為我們接受不了上主如此恩澤，更因為我們接受不了我們已習慣了的秩序。最後，我們認識主的吩咐，但沒有認識吩咐我們的主。

第三，一個值得被信任的人是遵守主的教導。遵守不只是關乎照主所教導的做；否則，我們只會有更大的挫折感，因為我們豈能完全做到主的教導。因此，遵守最基本的是關乎意志和意識，藉著求上主赦免和求聖靈轉化實踐主的教導。可惜的是，我們可能連這意志和意識都失去了。讓我跟你們分享一事。有一牧師為維護個人利益，刻意傷害同工，甚至製造教會內對立和分化。我不介意牧師成為「廟祝」，因為這可能有實際需要。可是，我容不下一個陰險的牧師。主的教導不一定是甚麼大道理，遵守主道也不一定要甚麼大犧牲。反而只是做回人最基本的價值，即講真話、講理由、不輸打贏要、謙卑學習，不打小報告和不搬弄是非等。

上主仍信任我

按以上三方面的考慮，我們當中很多人並不符合成為可信任的同工，包括我在內。那麼，為何主耶穌仍將使萬民作祂門徒的責任交給我們？第一，是否主沒有其他選擇？第二，是否主的吩咐只對某一些人來說而非所有人？第三，主對我們的吩咐不牽涉我們是否值得信任，因為這是一個命令，而違反命令者就要受到懲罰。若我仍相信主的吩咐是祂對我的信任而不是一個不可抗拒命令的話，我暫時想到的理由只有一個，就是主仍相信我們是一個可信任的人。縱使今日我們不值得信任，但主沒有放棄我們，反而肯定我們是可信任的。我今日之可以當神學院老師，不是因為我的學歷，而是因為上主對我的信任；我可以講道，不是因為我說話夠說服力，而是因為上主對我的信任。查實，我們在人生不同層面也經驗到這種信任。做父母的，不是因為我們很稱職，而是因為子女和上主對我們的信任；伴侶關係，不是因為我們是一個好人，而是因為我們伴侶對我們的信任。因被信任，我們學習成為值得信任的人。

作一個值得被信任的人

然而，主對我們的信任不只得個講字，反而祂支持和協助我們去完成祂的吩咐。因主對我們的信任，我們應有勇氣去接受上主的吩咐，作一個值得被主信任的人，去承擔祂的吩咐－「你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗。凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守，我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。｣

Discipleship Letters 29-30

 Discipleship Letter 29                                                           Feb. 15, 2009

One medieval writer tells us that “God is friendship.” “Our prayers are a response to the friendship and love of God.” [James M. Houston, The Prayer: Deepening Your Friendship with God (Colorado Springs: Victor, 2007), p. 10.] God is our friend. We pray to Him because we want to keep in company with Him. Nothing more; nothing less. Whenever we pray to God as if prayer was something we must do, we lose the sight of God while we’re praying to God.

All humans are created in God’s own image. Thus, we’re naturally inclined towards Him. We all have a longing deep down in our hearts. For those who haven’t yet returned to the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit, their longings are temporarily met by different needs. However, they’re never satisfied, for only the Father who created them can satisfy their deepest needs. When we pray, verbally or non-verbally, we’re hungry for a deeper communion with God. Augustine said, “God longs to be longed after.” We can also say that we long after God because of our longings as creatures. Our longings to long after God is a vital sign for spiritual maturity. We’re motivated to grow because we long after Him and to be like Him.

Jesus said, “I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn’t confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me” (Jn. 15:15). Our Lord longs for our friendship. 

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Discipleship Letter 30                                                            Feb. 22, 2009

The author of Hebrews emphasizes spiritual growth. “Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity…” (6:1). The Scriptures urge us not to stay where we are at, but to move on. The author talks about spiritual growth by using another metaphor. “For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God’ (6:7). Otherwise, it’ll be cursed and burned (6:8). A field that only bears thistles and thorns is useless in the sight of a farmer. The farmer will give it up or destroy it. 

Richard Foster said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but where, oh where, are those who think of changing themselves?” (“Spiritual Formation Agenda” in Christianity Today, Jan. 2009). We want to change things that are outside of us, but we don’t want to be changed what is inside within us. In God’s agenda, inner change is the first place where we begin with. Foster continues, “All real formation work is ‘heart work.’ The heart is the wellspring of all human action…Heart work is hard work indeed.”

God has expectation of our growth. We should not let his blood being shed for nothing.

Discipleship Letters 27-28

Discipleship Letter 27                                                            Feb. 1, 2009

Christian spiritual formation is the task of the church. “The church was formed to form. Our charge, given by Jesus himself, is to make disciples, baptizing them, and teach these new disciples to obey his commands…The witness, teaching, and compassion that the church is to practice all require that Christians be spiritually formed.” [James Wilhoit, Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ through Community (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008), pp. 15-16.] The gospel that we believe has a transformative power to reform outward behavior and transform inward condition. The gospel can save us. The gospel can also transform us.

The church has the task of proclaiming and teaching the gospel that promotes “a depth of understanding, greater trust, and spiritual cleansing and healing” and confronts “the false gospels and idols, which are always present in our lives.” (p. 31) Paul said, “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you…in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles…So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome” (Rom. 1:13, 15). Paul also said in Col. 1:6 that the gospel has come to us and is “bearing fruit and growing” among us, since the day we “heard and understood the grace of God in truth.” We’re saved by the gospel; are we compelled to foster Christian growth by the gospel?

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Discipleship Letter 28                                                            Feb. 8, 2009

Spiritual growth is important for all followers of Jesus. In the ministry of Jesus, silence and solitude are the two indispensable elements. “The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray” (Mk. 1:35). Silence and solitude are the vital links between us and God. To become Christ-like, we must practice silence and solitude in our daily lives.

(1) Silence and solitude are “valuable paths to self-knowledge which is the first necessary step in the knowledge of God.” [Kenneth Leech, Spirituality and Pastoral Care (Cambridge: Cowley, 1989), p. 20.] In silence and solitude, we are true to ourselves. We don’t avoid ourselves. We listen to ourselves. We accept ourselves. In the ministry of silence and solitude, it helps us cultivate a sense of self-awareness and of divine-sensitiveness.

(2) Silence and solitude are “ways of deepening the life of contemplative prayer, allowing the Holy Spirit to enter into and pray deeply within us.” (p. 21) In silence and solitude, we’re willing to wait upon God. We actively come before God in silence and solitude; we wait passively for God’s initiative and dwelling. This kind of waiting invites the Holy Spirit to get involved in our spiritual lives.

To become Christ-like, we must put silence and solitude into practice in our Christian living.

Exile-Homecoming

Good interpretation of the Bible requires us to grasp the biblical meta-narrative of creation, sin, exile, and redemption (or Creation-Fall-Redemption-Consummation). This CSER paradigm provides a framework for all of us to understand any sin-salvation stories in the Story. For example, the theme of homecoming-exile runs throughout the Bible. When Tim Keller expounds the story of Luke 15, he is able to use the biblical framework to interpret the lostness of both younger and older brothers.

In The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith (New York: RiverHead Books, 2008), Tim Keller writes:

After Adam and Eve’s exile from the ultimate home, their son Cain was forced to restlessly wander the earth because he murdered his brother Abel. Later Jacob cheated his father and brother and fled into exile for years. After that, Jacob’s son Joseph and his family were taken from their homeland into Egypt because of a famine. There the Israelites were enslaved until, under Moses, they returned to their ancestral home. Centuries after this, David, before he became king, lived as a hunted fugitive. Finally the whole nation of Israel was exiled again, taken captive to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.

It is no coincidence that story after story contains the pattern of exile. The message of the Bible is that the human race is a band of exiles trying to come home. The parable of the prodigal son is about every one of us. (p. 109)

This is a very good biblical interpretation and theology. Keller places the story of Luke 15—The Story of Lost and Found—into the larger Story of the Bible. Due to the overall Story, it gives us more insights to look into this sin-salvation story. The theme of homecoming-exile enriches our understanding of the story and helps us apply into our contexts creatively.

The Larger Body

In The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey through Anguish to Freedom (New York: Image Books, 1998), this is what Henri Nouwen wrote:

Your own growth cannot take place without growth in others. You are part of a body. When you change, the whole body changes. It is very important for you to remain deeply connected with the larger community to which you belong.

It is also important that those who belong to the body of which you are part keep faith in your journey. You still have a way to go, and there will be times when your friends are puzzled or even disillusioned by what is happening to you. At certain moments things may seem more difficult for you than before; they may look worse than when you began. You still have to make the great passage, and that might not happen without a lot of new distress and fear. Through all of this, it is important for you to stay united with the larger body and know that your journey is made not just for yourself but for all who belong to the body.

Think about Jesus. He made his journey and asked his disciples to follow him even where they would rather not go. The journey you are choosing is Jesus’ journey, and whether or not you are fully aware of it, you are also asking your brothers and sisters to follow you. Somewhere you already know that what you are living now will not leave the other members of the community untouched. Your choices also call your friends to make new choices. (pp. 57-58)

I personally find this reflection challenging. Personal growth affects the growth of others. Personal choices will never leave others unaffected. A body part is attached to the larger body. Jesus’ journey is the journey of staying united with the larger body.