Discipleship Letters 87-88

Discipleship Letter 87                                    May 16^th, 2010

More than 70 percent of leaders do not finish well because of the following reasons: (1) Leaders lose their learning posture. They stop listening and growing; (2) Their character wanes; (3) They stop living up to their convictions; (4) They fail to leave behind ultimate contributions; (5) They stop being aware of their influence; (6) They stop cultivating good relationships with Christ Jesus [Bill Thrall, et. al, The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999), p. 14.].

Leaders should make a difference. However, leaders fail. Leaders plateau. Leaders drop out. Leaders go through the process of mutation from goodness to badness. “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers (and sisters), because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1). It’s one thing to acquire a title; it’s another thing to attain individual potential according to the title. Leaders are not uneasy to find; good leaders are scarce.

“Salvation is always in danger of self-absorption. When I become intrigued with matters of my soul there is the ever-present danger that I begin to treat God as a mere accessory to my experience. And so salvation requires much vigilance” [Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005), p. 199.].

The worst sin that leaders should never commit is to begin to treat God and the congregation as a mere accessory to their experiences and as mere instruments, respectively.  

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Discipleship Letter 88                                    May 23^rd, 2010

“There are calls to faith and calls to ordination, but in between there are calls to particular communities and calls to particular tasks within them—calls into and out of relationships as well as calls to seek God wherever God may be found. Sometimes those calls ring clear as bells and sometimes they are barely audible, but in any case we are not meant to hear them all by ourselves. It was part of God’s genius to incorporate us as one body, so that our ears have other ears, other eyes, minds, hearts, and voices to help us interpret what we have heard” [Barbara B. Taylor, The Preaching Life (Cowley, 1993), p. 25.].

This is the relationship between the vocation of God and the discernment of a Christian community. God may call us with a low whisper or with a very loud trumpet blast, but in any case, “let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance…The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Prov. 1:5; 12:15). The discernment of others is necessary to discern God’s guidance, for this is God’s program of guidance as incorporated in a community of faith.

To whom do we turn? We should turn to mature Christians who know the Scripture and in whom we have confidence of spiritual maturity and discernment. Why do we turn to immature infants who are just like us? Why do we turn to someone who is one step (or a few steps) behind us? From a Christian perspective, “the mature person knows Scripture. Turning to an immature believer, or even a nonbeliever, is the height of folly. How will God use that person to develop your character and give you spiritual direction?” [Bruce K. Waltke, Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans; Vancouver: Regent College, 1995), p. 110.].

Discipleship Letters 85-86

Discipleship Letter 85                                    May 02^nd, 2010

Thomas Paine said, “The Bible is a book that has been read more and examined less than any book that ever existed” [Quoted from Kristin Swenson, Bible Babel: Making Sense of the Most Talked-about Book of all Time (New York: HarperCollins, 2010), p. 1.].

Reading the Bible is a spiritual act; examining the Bible is a spiritual labor. It is not necessary that we receive what we labor. But we can be sure that we receive nothing when there is no labor. Paul said, “A man reaps what he sows” (Gal. 6:7).

In Acts 17:11, Luke said that the Bereans were of more noble character than the believers in Thessalonica because “they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” They did not merely receive Paul’s message of the gospel. They examined it to see if what Paul taught was true. It showed the seriousness of the believers in Berea.

To examine is to scrutinize; to scrutinize is to slow down and to listen to the text. To listen to the text is to be led by the authors of the text or the Author of the text. Our fast-pace culture compels us to skim through the text to grasp more. Examining the text is an anti-cultural act. It aims at less; however, less is more.

The angel said to John the apostle, “Take it [the scroll] and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey” (Rev. 10:9). Only when we examine the text, we taste the different flavors of the text.

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Discipleship Letter 86                                    May 09^th, 2010

“If there were no sin, we would be both pulled forward into loving communion with God by the coming grace of the new creation…and pushed forward into this communion by the collective weight, habits, and influence of a human history filled with loving relation to God. Since sin has entered the picture, we are pulled forward by God, but our own human history is a mixed bag. It does not unequivocally propel us toward divine communion, but rather it places us in temptation and instills in us a propensity to sin” [Shannon Craigo-Snell and Shawnthea Monroe, Living Christianity: A Pastoral Theology for Today (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2009), pp. 81-82.].

We are a mixed bag. The church is a mixed church. We are a mixed congregation. Israel is a mixed people. David is a mixed person. We are mixed with mixed motives. Christian life is a mixture of guilt and grace in which God journeys with us. He journeys with us first, we then journey with God. “We are pulled forward by God.” We don’t move forward by human effort, which always proves us wrong. We are pulled forward by his grace through which we find acceptance and forgiveness in spite of our mixture. Sin sometimes pulls us backward; however, his grace always pushes us forward.

Discipleship Letters 83-84

Discipleship Letter 83                                    April 18, 2010

“When we are dealing with church we are dealing with Christ. When we are dealing with Christ we are dealing with the church. We cannot have one without the other—no Christ without church, no church without Christ” [Eugene H. Peterson, Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010), p. 148.].

This is a hard reality that we have to accept. Whoever wants to deal with Christ, he must deal with the church. Whoever wants to grow up in Christ, he must grow with the church. In order to grow up, we have to grow with. I personally find it difficult; however, I find it so necessary to grow up in Christ along with growing with the body of Christ, for the body of Christ makes you think and rethink about how Christ has sacrificially dealt with the body in ministry.

Paul wrote particular letters to particular churches to exhort particular groups of believers to live (or walk) worthy of the calling. “When our walking and God’s calling are in balance, we are whole; we are living maturely, living responsively to God’s calling, living congruent with the way God calls us into being…God calls; we walk” (p. 32). Each particular group of believers walked out God’s calling in their local churches. Paul told them to grow up in Christ; Paul also told them to pay attention to the church—the place where we don’t want to pay attention to. Why? Because the church is so much like us—messy, imbalance, and ordinary. Can we say that when we pay attention to our messiness, our imbalance of life, and our ordinariness, we are growing up in Christ?

I think this is what it means, “When we are dealing with church we are dealing with Christ.”

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Discipleship Letter 84                                    April, 25^th, 2010

“Boredom is a sentiment of disconnectedness. While we are busy with many things, we wonder if what we do makes any real difference. Life presents itself as a random and unconnected series of activities and events over which we have little or no control. To be bored, therefore, does not mean that we have nothing to do, but that we question the value of the things we are so busy doing. The great paradox of our time is that many of us are busy and bored at the same time” [Henri Nouwen, Making All Things New: An Invitation to the Spiritual Life (New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1981), pp. 29-30.].

Our lives are filled with things. Yet we feel unfulfilled. I guess this is an invitation to the spiritual life. The un-fulfillment of life propels us to ask, “How should we truly live so that our lives are not only filled with, but also fulfilled by?” Our unfulfilled longings invite us to look for more. It invites us to look beyond our lives that “often seem like overpacked” (p. 23).

When our lives seem like overpacked, we feel bored, for we don’t find true value in most of the things that we are busy or preoccupied with. We then try not to do much. We feel guilty being unproductive. “Many of us are busy and bored at the same time.” I guess boredom is also an invitation to the spiritual life. In boredom, we are no longer preoccupied by external things. Rather, we are preoccupied by the self—the authentic self. It’s in “boredom” we have space to think about Jesus’ questions, “What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?” (Mk. 8:36-37 The Message)

Discipleship Letter 58

Discipleship Letter 58                                    Oct. 25^th, 2009

Question: Since we are redeemed from all sin and misery by grace through Christ, without deserving it, why must we do good works?

Answer: Because Christ, having redeemed us with his blood, also renews us in his own image through his Holy Spirit. Consequently, we may show with our whole lives how grateful we are to God for God’s goodness and we can glorify God through our lives. Furthermore, we ourselves may be assured of our faith by its fruits and we can win our neighbors to Christ by our godly conduct. (Taken from The Heidelberg Catechism)

We are created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Eph. 2:10). Good works do not nullify the grace of God. Rather, good works are the fruits of genuine faith. Our godly conduct can’t win God’s favor. God’s goodness toward us can’t be merited. It can only be received.

Once upon a time, we bore fruits in our lives. We grew old and up at the same time. But as time goes by, we may not keep growing up and bearing more fruits. Those who continue to bear fruits are the spiritually deprived (Matt. 5:3). Those who are poor in spirit are the ones who continue to bear fruits in life. It “isn’t so much a list of rules to follow; it just tells us what sort of lives show that God is in charge—lives that are characterized by dependence on God’s goodness…” [Rowan Williams, Tokens of Trust: An Introduction to Christian Belief (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2007), p. 59.]

Discipleship Letters 81-82

Discipleship Letter 81                                    April 04^th, 2010

Friendship plays a key role in Christian spirituality. In the story of David, Jonathan nurtured the soul of David when he was chased after by Saul, the Father of Jonathan.

“In the middle of the craziness and madness, the meanness and hate, David experienced a most unusual love in Jonathan’s friendship. In conversation and prayer, together they tried to understand Saul…Jonathan’s friendship was essential to David’s life. It’s highly unlikely that David could have persisted in serving Saul without the friendship of Jonathan. Jonathan, in striking contrast to his father, discerned God in David, comprehended the danger and difficulty of his anointing, and made a covenant of friendship with him. Jonathan’s friendship entered David’s soul in a way that Saul’s hatred never did” [Eugene Peterson, Leap Over A Wall: Earthy Spirituality for Everyday Christians (New York: HarperSanFranciso, 1997), pp. 51-53.].

Saul minimized the soul of David; Jonathan enlarged it. Saul’s hatred and jealousy almost destroyed the life of David; Jonathan’s friendship turned David’s potential ungodliness into holiness. Without Jonathan’s covenantal friendship, David would become another Saul: filled with hatred and jealousy. Jonathan saw God in David. David started to see God in himself. Jonathan continued to see God in David in spite of hard circumstances, which “didn’t cancel out the covenant; rather, the covenant was used in the purposes of God to overcome the circumstances” (p. 53).

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Discipleship Letter 82                                    April 11^th, 2010

“We understand gift language well enough. We begin as gift. We don’t make ourselves. We don’t birth ourselves. We find our fundamental identity as a gift. And then, immediately, we are given gifts: gifts of love and food and clothing and shelter, gifts of healing and nurture and education and training…Gradually these gifts develop into the strengths and responsibilities of maturity” [Eugene Peterson, Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010), p. 46.].

We have been blessed with much. We have been given much. We don’t grow up with what we have been given. We grow up by exercising these gifts that are in us. Not only do we exercise our gifs, but also exercising them in community. We begin as gift. We serve with gifts. We exercise them in a community: not a general community, but a particular community. God put us here and now—this body of Christ.

We usually talk about the gifts of serving, singing, preaching, cooking, etc…We usually neglect the gift of nurturing. Nurture requires attention, patience, and time. Nurture is against instant gratification. Jesus said, “Baptizing them in the name of the Father…and teaching them to obey…” To baptize them is to place them in a local community; to teach them is to nurture them.

“Maturity cannot be hurried, programmed, or tinkered with. There are no steroids available for growing up in Christ more quickly. Impatient shortcuts land us in the dead ends of immaturity” (p. 133).

Discipleship Letters 79-80

Discipleship Letter 79                                    March 21^st, 2010

“When our absence from people means a special presence to God, then that absence becomes a sustaining absence. Jesus continuously left his apostles to enter into prayer with the Father. The more I read the Gospels, the more I am struck with Jesus’ single-minded concern with the Father. From the day his parents found him in the Temple, Jesus speaks about his Father as the source of all his words and actions. When he withdraws himself from the crowd and even from his closest friends, he withdraws to be with the Father” [Henri Nouwen, The Living Reminder: Service and Prayer in Memory of Jesus (New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1996), p. 50.].

He comes from the Father. He returns to the Father. He finished the Will of the Father. The Father is the beginning, the center, and the end of the ministry of Jesus.

“The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray” (Mk. 1:35).

“It is obvious that Jesus does not maintain his relationship with the Father as a means of fulfilling his ministry. On the contrary, his relationship with the Father is the core of his ministry. Therefore, prayer, days along with God, or moments of silence, should never be seen or understood as healthy devices to keep in shape…No, they are all ministry. We minister to our parishioners, patients, and students even when we are with God and God alone” (p. 51).

The ministry of absence is the foundation of the ministry of presence.

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Discipleship Letter 80                                    March 28^th, 2010

“God leaves us free to be real or unreal. He leaves us free to be any self we choose to be, but we cannot make these choices with impunity…The goal of Christian spirituality is sometimes presented as the denial of self. Properly understood, the denial that is a part of Christian spirituality is not of self but of false selves. False selves are the egocentric, willful ways of being that we create in an attempt to live life independent of God, apart from his love, and beyond the reach of his will” [David G. Benner, Care of Souls: Revisioning Christian Nurture and Counsel (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998), p. 103.].

God only meets us in reality. That’s why the biblical God is the God of event, not the god of concept. The God of Israel is the God of event. God reveals his character in and through different events: the God of rescue in Exodus, the God of forgiveness in the golden calf incident, the God of mercy in the story of Jonah, etc… The incarnation is such an event in and through which God has been made known (Jn. 1:18). God fully displays himself in public at the cross event. In Christ, God meets humanity in reality. 

The God of event only meets us in reality. We need to be aware of good untrue things (e.g. we are nice) and bad true things (e.g. we are selfish) in our lives. There is a difference between “I should be like that” and “I am like that.” False selves usually come from a falsely statement “I should be like that.” We tend to think we are like that. In reality, people tell us we are not like that. As a result, we think that people are judgmental and mean. People are God’s means to meet us in reality, for the people around us are the people in our events.

Discipleship Letters 77-78

Discipleship Letter 77                                    March 07^th, 2010

The following story illustrates the gift of a handicap (NIV: “a thorn in my flesh”) God has given us. [Taken from Peter L. Scazzero with Warren Bird, The Emotionally Healthy Church: A Strategy for Discipleship that Actually Changes Lives (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), p. 119.]

There once lived a water carrier in India. He used two large pots for his task. He suspended a pole across his neck and attached a pot at each end of the pole. One of the pots had a big crack in it while the other pot was perfect. The perfect pot always delivered a full portion of water from the stream to the master’s house, while the cracked pot arrived only half full each day. For two years this water carrier made the same journey. The perfect pot became proud of its accomplishments. The cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. Finally, one day by the stream, the cracked pot spoke to his owner about his bitter failure, “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize that I have only been able to deliver half my water to your house. There is a crack in my side which causes water to leak out. Because of my flaws, you don’t get full value from your efforts.”

Then the water carrier replied, smiling, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice that beautiful flowers along the path.”

On that trip from the stream, the cracked pot looked around.

“Did you notice there are flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?” the master commented. “That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we passed these spots, you watered them. Now for two years I have been able to pick those beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, I would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

It’s the exact same way God works through our brokenness.  

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Discipleship Letter 78                                    March 14^th, 2010

Dallas Willard writes:

What to do now! Convert the world? No. Convert the church? “Judgment,” it is famously said, “begins at the house of God.” It has the divine light and divine provisions, and because of that is most responsible to guide humankind.

But “no” again. Do not “convert the church.” Your first move “as you go” is, in a manner of speaking: Convert me.

If we wish to convert the church and the world, we begin with ourselves. That is something that can, with divine aid, be undertaken with clarity and effectiveness, once we understand discipleship to Jesus and how it works. Our Maestro never told us to convert the world or to reform any religious organizations. He did tell us that, when filled with him, we would bear witness of him “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Witnesses are those who cause others to know. They wit-ness. They are not manipulators—no need of that—though what they do is radically transformative. [Taken from The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’ Essential Teachings on Discipleship (Oxford: Monarch: 2006), p. 225.]

Jesus said, “Make disciples.” He said it at the end of Matthew’s Gospel. Before saying it, He first converted these broken individuals to broken disciples who will then witness to, not convert, the church and the world.

“Convert me so that I can witness” is every disciple’s prayer.

Discipleship Letters 75-76

Discipleship Letter 75                                    Feb. 21^st, 2010

“It is so hard to be silent, silent with my mouth, but even more, silent with my heart. There is so much talking going within me. It seems that I am always involved in inner debates with myself, my friends, my enemies, my supporters, my opponents, my colleagues, and my rivals. But this inner debate reveals how far my heart is from you” [Henri. J.M. Nouwen, A Cry for Mercy: Prayers from the Genesee (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1994), p. 18.].

This is Nouwen’s prayer. His prayer lets us know that when we come before God, we have so much going on within us. To pray is not just to talk to God, and let Him know about our concerns. Rather, sometimes prayer propels us towards a life of introspection: Before Him, why do we have so much talking within us, but not to Him?

Nouwen then continues to pray, “If I were simply to rest at your feet and realize that I belong to you and you alone, I would easily stop arguing with all the real and imagined people around me. These arguments show my insecurity, my fear, my apprehensions, and my need for being recognized and receiving attention” (p. 18).

We intend to pray to God and yet end up talking to ourselves. It shows that our hearts are far from Him. The more we want to come before Him, the more we realize we are far from Him. But the good news is that “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Lk. 19:10). Instead of seeking Him, we have been sought first.

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Discipleship Letter 76                                    Feb. 28^th, 2010

“There is an awareness of sin that does not lead to God but to self-preoccupation. Our temptation is to be so impressed by our sins and failings and so overwhelmed by our lack of generosity that we get stuck in a paralyzing guilt. It is the guilt that says: ‘I am too sinful to deserve God’s mercy.’ It is the guilt that leads to introspection instead of directing our eyes to God. It is the guilt that has become an idol and therefore a form of pride” [Henri Nouwen, A Cry for Mercy: A Prayer from the Genesee (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1994), p. 23.].

Judas who was so overcome by his guilt could not repent and turn to His mercy (Matt. 27:1-5). Peter who also betrayed the Lord and wept bitterly returned with repentance (Lk. 22:62).

In Christian growth, we need to distinguish the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. The former brings repentance; the latter, self-preoccupation. “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Cor. 7:10). When we confess to Him and share with others, do we share worldly grief or godly grief? Worldly grief still grieves the Holy Spirit of God (Eph. 4:30a) because it only leads us back to the Self—the center of idol making.

Jesus said to Simon Peter, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Lk. 22:32). Peter failed; however, he turned back. Peter turned back to strengthen His people. This is an outward expression of Peter’s inward, godly grief.

Discipleship Letters 73-74

Discipleship Letter 73                                    Feb. 7^th, 2010

“To live in the present, we must believe deeply that what is most important is the here and the now. We are constantly distracted by things that have happened in the past or that might happen in the future. It is not easy to remain focused on the present. Our mind is hard to master and keeps pulling us away from the moment. Prayer is the discipline of the moment” [Henri Nouwen, Here and Now: Living in the Spirit (New York: Crossroad, 1994), pp. 20-21.].

We dwell in the past; we fantasize tomorrow. But it is not easy to live for today. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matt. 6:34). Anxiety is an existential reality. We are anxious. We worry. We are uncertain about tomorrow. But do we deal with our troubles today? Do we face them with courage, maturity, and responsibility today? What we do or don’t do today has something to contribute to tomorrow.

Don’t just pray to God for the future. God has already given us enough strength and wisdom today so that we can co-create with Him about our future. Often time our prayers remain unanswered because we fail to utilize our parts in the present. We pray for God’s sovereignty; we neglect human responsibility. To live in the present is difficult because to live in the present demands our daily persistent efforts.

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Discipleship Letter 74                                    Feb. 14^th, 2010

“A split between divinity and humanity has taken place in you. With your divinely endowed center you know God’s will, God’s way, God’s love. But your humanity is cut off from that. Your many human needs for affection, attention, and consolation are living apart from your divine sacred space. Your call is to let these two parts of yourself come together again” [Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey through Anguish to Freedom (New York: Image Books, 1998), p. 7.].

As we grow older and become a bit less concerned about reputation, success, money, and career, the meaning and purpose of life begin to emerge from life. We’re less preoccupied by the outer world and yet more preoccupied by the inner complexity. As we grow older, we’re more aware of the split between divine affirmation and self-rejection.

In terms of Christian growth, we need to listen to our inner voice. What are we afraid of? What makes us doubt? Why are we so hesitant? The psalmist cried out inwardly, “Why am I discouraged? Why so sad?” (Ps. 42:5, 11; 43:5). Our inner voice has a unique place in Christian spirituality. It leads us to the “divine endowed center”—an inner tabernacle where we meet God. We come before the Lord with our inner voice. We pray to Him with groaning (See Rom. 8:26). We come to Him with a naked self—just as we are. Every time we intend to fake it before the Lord. We fail to fulfill our call, that is, to “let these two parts of yourself come together again.”

Discipleship Letter 63

I lost discipleship letters 57-62, 64-72. I accidentally deleted them. I hope I can find the Xeroxes here and there.

Discipleship Letter 63                                    Nov. 31^st, 2009

“Doubt is a perennial problem in the life of faith. Doubt reflects our inability to be absolutely certain about what we believe…In part, doubt reflects the continued presence and power of sin within us, reminding us of our need for grace and preventing us from becoming complacent about our relationship with God. We are all sinners, and we all suffer from doubt, to a greater or lesser extent” [Alister McGrath, Knowing Christ (New York: Galilee, 2002), p. 79.].

The Bible says that we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). In other words, doubt is the inevitable result of walking with faith. If I don’t see it, how can I not doubt? If I don’t see you coming on time, how can I not doubt whether you don’t come at all? Faith doesn’t eliminate the possibility of doubt; it sustains the reality of doubt. If the Lord is the only true God (Jer. 10:10) and He cannot lie (Titus 1:2), doubt will guide us to the trustworthy God.

In the early stage of Christian journey, we practice “faith seeking understanding.” As time goes by, we encounter roadblocks and learn to embrace “doubt seeking understanding.” Doubt reminds us that we’re unable to know all things about the mystery of God that is gradually and yet surprisingly manifested through God’s creative work in our lives. “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things” (Eccl. 11:5). The psalmist looks at the mysterious work of God from another angle. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Ps. 139:14). We cannot fully comprehend His work; however, we do see the works of his hands.  

Discipleship Letters 55-56

Discipleship Letter 55                                                Oct. 03, 2009

The Psalmist said, “Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your law” (119:18).

Christian formation requires that we keep ourselves open to God—cultivate openness to Scripture.

“Open our eyes to see” should be our prayer when we read the Scriptures. We must realize that we are spiritually blinded due to our sinful nature and unwillingness of alternation. Many times the reality of our experience with the Scriptures is like the people of Israel—“You see and understand what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear, but you don’t really listen” (Isa. 42:20). Someone said, “Partial blindness—seeing but not understanding, or knowing what is right but not doing it—can be worse than not seeing at all.”

“So now the Lord says, ‘Stop right where you are! Look for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’ I set watchmen over you who said, ‘Listen for the sound of the trumpet!’ But you replied, ‘No! We won’t pay attention!’” (Jer. 6:16-17)

The Scriptures provide guidance for us to seek and walk on the right path—“Eat the Book.”

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Discipleship Letter 56                                                Oct. 10, 2009

The Book of Psalms begins with the word “Blessed.” Those who are blessed delight in doing and thinking about His law (Ps. 1:2). They are blessed in the sense that they find the joys of doing and thinking about His law. That joy can’t be taken away even in a foreign land. “How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?” (Ps. 137:4) But they find their joys in this land.

The people of God are like “trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail” (1:3a). Apart from the riverbank, the trees are separated from the source of nourishment. In all four seasons, the trees are planted along a riverbank with strong roots. In winter, it may not look healthy on the outside. But the spring will come. Psalm 1 talks about the circle of life, the rhythm of spirituality. We can’t control the seasons, but we can control whether or not we are planted alongside the riverbank.

What the Lord promises is that the trees bear fruit each season without fail. In the worst season, if we hold on to the fact that we can find eternal life in Scripture (Jn. 5:39), we will grow in our understanding of Scripture because each circle of life deepens our understanding of it. 

Discipleship Letters 53-54

Discipleship Letter 53                                                Sept. 20, 2009

“For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speeches and high-sounding ideas, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power” (1 Cor. 1:17).

Paul’s mission is to preach the Good News to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). But Paul’s Good News is not a churchless Gospel. He talks about the Good News at a specific space and time; he applies the Good News into the church, in this case, the church at Corinth.

The church at Corinth, as you know, is far from perfect. It is torn into pieces by division, sexual immorality, and arrogance. Paul addresses church problems (1:10-6:20) with the wonderful wisdom of God—the crucified Christ.

Paul’s theology is cross-focused and church-centered. The transcendent Christ is inseparable from a particular church. Whenever we segregate the two, that is not Paul’s theology, or New Testament teaching, in general.

It is our task to bridge the two. This little church is the place where we learn to do integration. Without this local church, there won’t be any solid integrative work. 

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Discipleship Letter 54                                                Sept. 27, 2009

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path” (Ps. 119:105).

We need a light so that we do not fall into holes at night. God’s Word can be our light to reveal false values and philosophies. It shows us wrong paths. It helps us stay on right paths. Studying God’s Word is to open up oneself, be adjusted, and corrected by His revelation.

If we digest God’s Word, we will find that our faith grows stronger. We need to feed ourselves with His Word. That is our spiritual food. The way we eat food to feed our bodies physically should be the exact same way to feed our souls spiritually.

God said to Ezekiel, “Eat this book.” Ezekiel obeyed, and said, ‘When I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey’” (3:3). We gain wisdom and moral discernment from God’s Word that sweetens our lives.

“Your decrees are wonderful. No wonder I obey them!” (Ps. 119:129)

“God’s Word is wonderful” is just a mere statement until we spend time to read, study, and meditate. What distinguishes an average Christian and a strong Christian is not his/her charisma, but his/her desire to know and obey God’s wonderful decrees.

走來走去

「耶穌教導人的時候，說：你們要提防經學家，他們喜歡穿長袍走來走去，喜歡人在市中心向他們問安，又喜歡會堂裡的高位，筵席上的首座。 他們吞沒了寡婦的房產，又假裝作冗長的禱告。這些人必受更重的刑罰。」（馬可福音 12:38-40）

在《馬可福音：福音之始》（香港：明道，2011）的註釋書裏，孫寶玲寫到：

門徒以至讀者要提防的，並非長衣、座位或處境等，而是文士的心態「喜愛」及其背後的價值。最重要的指斥是文士濫用其身分、弱者對他們的信心，並以信仰形式扭曲他們受託的責任，侵呑寡婦的家產。...因為在古代寡婦除了神，再無別的依靠，是必須靠群體保障過活的脆弱族群。信仰制度和宗教領袖，是彰顯神眷顧弱者的代表，因此要肩負和接受更大的責任和審判（瑪3：5）。（頁392-393）

這是一段很好的解讀。文士的心態是喜愛被人喜愛，喜愛被視為「屬靈」。這種心態是吊詭的：它很吸引，但同時有很大破壞力，特別對於教會領袖而言。當領袖一不留神，甚至不理會這種「喜愛被人喜愛」的心態，便慢慢地假裝自己成為群眾心目中的自己。失去了自己，便失去了對人與事的角度。失去了角度，這個「自己」便成為一個典型的平面人。平面人聽不到世界的聲音，對周圍的人或事也沒有信息，沒有自己的獨特語言。用楊牧谷的講法，平面人是過期的人（expired)。

日復日，年復年，這些平面人跟隆胸沒有分別。好看，但一眼就知是假貨。想深一層，這種「裝假狗，假大胸」的心態其實是人的驕傲。

曾經聽到一位舊約學者說：「謙卑是指人真誠面對自己的本相」。我覺得這個定義很實在，一點也不抽象。謙卑不是「認叻」的相反，更不是「明明識，又話唔多識」的態度。誠實地面對本我，我們來到上帝的施恩座前亦是這個本我，基督救贖這個罪我，聖靈引導的也是這個真我。保羅在羅馬書七章提到「我」的困惑和衝突，正因為他謙卑。試問，那有基督徒不能認同保羅對「我」的真實描述？保羅對「我」的實況有透徹的認識，反映了他的謙卑。作為一位年長，滿有經驗的僕人，他能對年輕的提摩太說：「在罪人中我是個罪魁」（提前1：15），他的謙遜可見一班。很明顯保羅這份謙遜來自他和上帝直向的關係，不是橫向的關係。保羅希不曾說：「按着律法上的義來說，我是無可指摘的」（腓3：6）。若他與人比較，怎會被比下去？

梁家麟在《追求成長》，初版二刷（香港：學生福音圑契，2005）一書𥚃說得好：

發現上帝是一個兩面的歷程，我們在發現上帝更多恩典的同時，也發現自身更多的罪惡。我們不是從自身的「是」（我有甚麼，我為了上帝做了甚麼），來推斷自己可以從上帝那裡獲取甚麼回報、預期得著甚麼恩典。我們若誠實地審視自己，便根本不能期望上帝會賜下任何恩典。...我們若不從自身的「是」，來推測上帝的恩典，就會倒過來，從上帝的恩典回證自身的「不是」。我們承認自己不配得著上帝的鴻恩，領恩愈多，欠債感覺愈强，便愈有罪孽深重的歎息。這裡説的罪是關係性的，而不是律法性的。... [因著這份鴻恩]，我們沒有做好應盡的本分，沒有逹到上帝愛裡的期望，辜負了衪的選召和恩典。我們發現上帝的恩典愈多，便愈發現自己是個罪人這事實，我們同時是蒙恩的人及罪人。（頁125-126）

保羅發現恩典；因著恩典，他發現更多自己。律法叫他知罪；恩典叫他知「己」。律法指出他外在的行為；恩典指向他內在的生命。在恩典底下，一切自身的「是」都成為「不是」。保羅看到自己的「不是」，他看到恩典。

這些文士是解經家，神學家，非常認識律法，但他們就是不太認識賜下律法的上帝。他們喜愛群眾看到他們，不幸地他們看不到自己。他們不能在群眾中見到上帝，因為他們看不見切實的（寡婦的）需要。他們喜歡走來走去，忙過不停，穿梭於人羣中，但只限於走來走去，未能找着群體的刻心價值。

My Beloved, My Friend

She is the source of me feeling lucky in life. It does not mean that she brings me luck in a secular sense. Rather, to have her as my spouse who can also be my friend makes me feel that I am lucky in this life. In life, we spend most of our time to be with our spouse. The time that we spend together is definitely quantitative. Whether or not it is also qualitative, it is not so promising. However, it is not impossible. Having realized that I can luckily find friendship in marriage, a sense of luck, or a sense of being blessed, comes upon me. Marriage is a mystery (Eph. 5:32). Who can guarantee that two different individuals (two sinners) who promise to stay and live together can pull it off day in and day out? By luck or grace, at the end of the day, I can say: “This is my beloved and this is my friend” (Song of Songs 5:16). Marriage, indeed, is a mystery.

In the Genesis narrative, God makes it clear that “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (2:18 ESV). In Gen. 1:26 ESV, God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” (also see 1:27). After creating man in God’s own image, this man is complete, but not yet complete. A vertical relationship with God is followed by a horizontal relationship. God’s “first no good” must be resolved by making a helper for this man. His aloneness makes it no good; her friendship and companionship makes a difference.

“What is the purpose of marriage? The Bible’s answer to this question starts with the principle that marriage is a friendship.”[1] In marriage, two friends journey towards the end with transparency, constancy, and promise. And the end is this: “what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we will be like him” (1 Jn. 3:2 ESV).

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[1] Timothy Keller (with Kathy Keller), The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (New York: Dutton, 2011), p. 110.

以弗所書

這是以弗所書的大綱，是我為2007年的夏令會預備靈修資料時寫下的。我和Sue正在閱讀Timothy Keller (with Kathy Keller) 的新書：The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (New York: Dutton, 2011) 。這書是按著以弗所書5：22-33的教導探索基督徒婚姻的意義和目的。在閱讀中，我想到保羅在以弗所書提到「同歸於一」的道理(參1:10),曾服侍的教會和這份大綱。

以弗所書的整體内容

以弗所書兩個主要的部分：第一至三章和四至六章。前三章探討教義的問題。後三章探討生活的倫理。在保羅的思想中，教義和倫理是不能分開的。教義是生活倫理的基礎；生活倫理是基督教教義的表達。

在以弗所書1:3-3:21中，保羅用一段頌詞開始，講到神在基督裏賜给我們各樣屬靈的福氣—神的揀選，基督的救贖，和聖靈應許的印記（1:3-14）。因著三一神在信徒身上的工作，保羅感謝及禱告神（1:15-23）。禱告的主要目的是求神賜「人智慧和啓示的靈」，使我們「真知道」神三方面的知識（1:17）--他呼召的指望（1:18上），他豐盛的榮耀（1:18下），和他浩大的能力（1:19）。這大能在他使基督「從死裏復活」和「坐在自己的右邊」彰顯出來（1:20-21）神運行這大能將萬有服在基督和教會的腳下（1:22-23）。

在榮耀的神的底下，人是敗壞的。過去，我們行事爲人得罪神，死在過犯中（2:1-3）。現在，因著神豊富的恩典，叫我們在基督裏得救（2:4-6）。神拯救的目的是要將他豐富的恩典藉着我們顯給將來的世代看（2:7）。保羅繼續解釋這救恩的本質是神在基督裏的工作。這全是神自己的工作，不是人的工作（2:8-9）。這並不本乎人的行為的救恩，我們更要行出這恩（2:10）。不然，將來的世代如何看。

外邦人原本在這救恩之外，與神無份。但如今藉基督救贖的工作，以經親近神了(2:11-13）。這是因爲基督他是我們 [特指：外邦人和以色列人] 的和睦。基督藉著他的死廢掉所有難阻我們的冤仇，將兩者歸為一體。作爲一個新的羣體，與神和好。更藉著聖靈進到父神面前（2:14-18）。這樣，外邦人是神家裏的人。基督是這家的根基，亦是聖靈居住的地方（2:19-22）。

保羅繼續講到這「同歸於一」（1:10）的事實原是一個奧秘—就是外邦人在基督裏成爲神家的人，與以色列人一樣（3:6）。神籍著他的恩典和大能托付保羅這福音的職事（3:2-7）。 這恩典賜给他有三個目的：傳基督的豊盛给外邦人（3:8），使外邦人明白神的計劃是如何安排（3:9），最後 籍這「教會」[外邦人與以色列人] 使人知道神的智慧（3:10）。這拯救的智慧，不是神突然的安排，而是神在創世在基督裏已經定下的旨意（3:11）。雖然保羅因爲外邦人的原故被囚（3:1），這苦難不應叫這些外邦人喪膽，反而是榮耀，因爲因著基督的信實[或因信基督]，一同進到神面前（3:12-13）。因以，保羅禱告神（3:14-15），這禱告的内容有兩個目的：第一，籍著聖靈，使我們心裏的力量剛強，這力量是基督籍著信住在我們心裏（3:16-17）。第二，能有力量明白基督的愛和認識這超過人知識的愛（3:18-19上）。最终的目的是叫神充滿我們（3:19下）。在這教義探討的部分，保羅用榮耀頌结束（3:20-21）。

在以弗所書4:1-6:20 中，本於第一至三章「同歸於一」的教導，保羅指出信徒應有的生活。這倫理的教導是針對教會的合一，由普遍（4:1-16）到特殊的生活應用（4:17-6:9）。保羅開始講到我們行事為人當與「同歸於一」的信息相稱（4:1-6）。我們要正確運用基督賜給我們的恩賜來建立基督的身體。使我們「同歸於一」，更像基督（4:7-13），凡事長進，在愛中建立自己（4:14-16）。

保羅然後提到世俗的生活，學了基督真理的人要「脫去」這此表現。不單如此，更要「穿上」新人的樣式（4:17-24）。在4:25-6:9中，保羅仔细地講到這新人應有的表現。例如：說實話，控制惱氣，不偷盜，勞力，分給那無得人，用清潔的言語，說造就人的話，要謹慎行事，要愛惜光陰，要被聖靈充滿，要讚美和感謝神等…（4:25-32；5:3-20），都是效法神的表現（5:1-2）。保羅然後將這此原則應用在生活三個主在的層面：婚姻（5:22-33）；家庭（6:1-4）；主僕（6:5-9）。存敬畏基督的心，彼此順服（5:21）是這三個層面的大原則。

最後，保羅用三個命令語句作结（6:10-20）--要做剛強的人（6:10），要穿戴全副軍裝（6:11），和要站穩（6:14）。

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A Synopsis of the Letter to the Ephesians

Ephesians has two main sections: Ephesians 1-3 is the doctrinal section; Ephesians 4-6 is the practical section. In Paul’s thought, doctrine and ethics are inseparable. Doctrine is the foundation of Christian ethics while Christian ethics is the expression of Christian faith.

Ephesians 1:3-3:21: Paul begins with a eulogy, describing how God has blessed us in Christ. We are chosen by God (1:4-6), redeemed by Christ (1:7-12), and sealed with the Holy Spirit (1:13-14). Due to the work of the triune God, Paul praises and gives thanks to Him (1:15-23). The purpose of his prayer is that God may give us the “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” so that we may truly know him (1:17)—to know “the hope to which he has called us” (1:18a); to know “the riches of his glorious inheritance” (1:18b); and to know “his incomparably great power” (1:19). This power is fully manifested when God raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand (1:20-21). With God’s mighty power, all things are placed under Christ and his Church (1:22-23).

In the past, we were dead and only followed our sinful impulse. We were the object of God’s wrath (2:1-3). But now, because of God’s great love and immeasurable mercy, we have been saved by grace in Christ (2:4-6). The purpose of saving us is to show God’s grace in Christ to the coming generations (2:7). Paul then continues to elaborate that salvation is accomplished through God’s work in and through Christ Jesus. It is solely God’s work, not human work (2:8-9). However the focal point of this section is in 2:10. Yes, we are saved by grace. But most importantly, we are saved for doing good works. That is how we express God’s grace to the coming generations in a concrete way.

Gentiles were far from God’s salvation, but they have been drawn near through the work of Christ on the cross (2:11-13). Because of what Christ had accomplished on the cross, he became our (referring to Gentiles and Jews) peace. He accomplished three things: made us one, destroyed the barrier, and abolished the law (2:14-15a). And the work of Christ has two purposes: to create a new community of God and to reconcile this new community to God through Christ (2:15b-16). As a result, this new community can enter into the very presence of God through the Spirit (2:17-18). Therefore, Gentiles are members of God’s household. Christ is the foundation of this household in which the Spirit dwells in it (2:19-22).

“To bring all things under the authority of Christ” (1:10) is the leading theme of the book of Ephesians. Paul continues to elaborate this theme and says that the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s salvation is a mystery (3:6). And God entrusted this mystery of revelation to Paul (3:2-7). This grace is bestowed upon him for three reasons: to preach to the Gentiles about the riches of Christ (3:8), to help Gentiles understand the hidden plan of God that has been now revealed in Christ (3:9), and to unfold God’s wisdom through the Church [Gentiles and Jews] (3:10). This saving wisdom did not happen accidentally or suddenly, but it has been already planned out in Christ according to his eternal purpose (3:11). Even though Paul is in prison for the sake of Gentiles (3:1), this predicament should not become a stumbling block to them. Rather, it is for their glory, for with the faithfulness of Christ, we [Gentiles and Jews] can have access to God’s presence (3:12-13).

Thus, Paul prays to God (3:14-15). This prayer has two purposes: First, we may be strengthened with power through the Spirit. And this power comes from our faith in Christ who dwells within us (3:16-17). Second, we may have power to understand Christ’s love and to know that this love is beyond human knowledge (3:18-19a). The ultimate purpose is that we may be filled with life that comes from God (3:19b). At the end of the doctrinal section, Paul concludes with a doxology (3:20-21).

Ephesians 4:1-6:20: Based on the theme of “all things are united as one in Christ”, Paul exhorts how believers should live in light of it. He moves from general (4:1-16) to particular teachings (4:17-6:9). Paul first begins to talk about Christian living—walk (or live)—in light of the oneness of the Trinitarian faith and the unity of the Body (4:1-6). We must rightly use the gifts given by Christ to build up the body of the church in order to help one another to reach unity in Christ, to become more like Him (4:7-13). In this body, we will grow up into Him and build up one another in love (4:14-16).

Paul then shifts his attention to the Gentiles’ former way of life—secular lifestyle. Those who belong to Christ do not come to know Him in this lifestyle. Not only do they have to put it off, but also put on a new way of living that reflects God’s likeness—righteous, holy, and true (4:17-24). In 4:25-6:9, Paul elaborates this new way of living in details, such as speak in truth, anger management, do not steal, work hard, give generously to the needy, no abusive language, find out what is pleasing to the Lord, be careful how to live, and be filled with the Spirit, etc…(4:25-32; 5:3-20). This way of living demonstrates that we follow God and Christ, and God is pleased (5:1-2).

Paul then addresses three specific areas of life that must also reflect God’s likeness—marriage (5:22-33); family (6:1-4); slaves and masters (6:5-9). In these areas of life, 5:21 is the fundamental principle—“submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” At the end, Paul exhorts believers in Ephesus once again with three imperatives: Be strong (6:10), put on all of God’s armor (6:11), and stand your ground (6:14).