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Sunday, December 20, 2020

靈命和生命的「知行合一」(取自杜邦憲牧師面書12.21.20)


靈命和生命的「知行合一」(取自杜邦憲牧師面書12.21.20)

禱告會時,有位弟兄分享最近對信仰起了懷疑,認為信仰似乎與他的生活毫無關聯,解決不了他正面對生活中的問題。這位弟兄個性溫和,幾年來固定聚會,也樂意助人,所以聽到他的分享,有些驚訝,也為他願意坦誠分享他心中的懷疑與掙扎而感恩。

另外和我深入詢問發現他的掙扎普遍生命的問題 很多即使了很多年的學習了很多原則面對問題不是選擇依靠按照原則而是回到原來的老按照自己的方法 我們指出這個問題依據原則建議實際作法這位感到接受其實知道這些原則所以知道怎麼做了 :「你們不要自己自己.... 不是實在出來就在的事必然 」( 1:22 25)我很這位的態度感恩相信祝福帶領逐步解決的問題  這個事件讓我想到還是的老議題我們臺灣長大主義的人這個問題多少都有思考或許正確地說"" ),中山先生調」,先生提倡喜愛究竟是或是 我認為事實上不容易 人類每年科研上的人力驚人便知道進入代價高昂可見多麼困難 但是每年生物醫學研究發現可謂不過其中僅有部分能夠實際應用醫學診斷治療 不僅生物醫學領域如此所有我們眼前的新科技應用都是過去幾年甚至無數努力部分可見」,更加不易前提未必能夠何必  知識就是力量」,哲學無論智慧句話表明知識足以帶動行為產生力量歷史上復興宗教改革 然而我們都知道知識不會自動力量改變我們的環境解決我們的問題 使知識難以發揮的力量 那麼 除了人類自身能力限制客觀上的知識技術瓶頸之外阻礙我們生活我們的成為解決問題更重要的是因素認知上的 知識客觀力量自主自覺客觀知識不能為主自覺導致前者無法後者 接下來的問題如何客觀知識為主的力量的關鍵在於」(internalization),新的知識問題設計各種客觀存在透過不斷 觀察思想使它們陌生熟悉熟悉習慣形成所謂習慣自然」,我們碰到相關的情境便依據知識問題 設計不再需要意識層面分析思考),作出性的反應解決問題 生活層面達到的關鍵所謂」,就是客觀透過的過程生命指導原則使的生命 許多實際的方法例如透過分享討論奉獻等等幫助我們問題挑戰的時候我們可以便按照原則 此外我們就會11:26-29),我們面對困難挑戰堅持完成當你經歷奇妙彰顯這種之間形成回饋(positive feedback),給我們最強有力的方法  年以來切的體會生活的問題往往生命的問題生命的問題每天規律的生活成為生活的準則力量要素 然而多數缺乏規律生活甚至完全沒有遇到風暴自然只能在過去既有方法 另有或者停留客觀認知導致他們以為信仰生活沒有實際説明不知道我們可以坦然來到隨時幫助 」( 4:16)感謝 前面提到的那透過面對困難開始學習使能夠祈禱我們姐妹都能如此使我們能夠達到生命」。

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Christian Leadership: Tensions within the Soul


Adopted from Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Barton, p.27.

With reflection on the seven tensions within my soul:

“There is the tension between what the human soul needs in order to be truly well and what life in leadership encourages and even requires.”

This resonates with some Chinese sayings, 人在江湖 身不由己,在朝不如在野. 

“There is the tension between the time it takes to love people and the need for expediency.”

It’s especially true with a relational leader because things that touch the soul is slow.

“There is the tension between knowing how to “work the system” and entering into trustworthy relationships characterized by trust and a commitment to one another’s well being.”

In ministry, we are called to love people nor programs. When the soul values people first, programs will come.

“There is the tension between the need for an easy discipleship process through which we can efficiently herd lots of people and the patient, plodding and ultimately mysterious nature of the spiritual transformation process.”

Jesus’s way of discipleship is counterintuitive, high efforts, time consuming, sacrificial, costly, intimate. Yet, true disciples rejoice in the plodding. 

“There is the tension between the need for measurable goals and the difficulty of measuring that which is ultimately immeasurable by anyone but God himself.” 

This one is hard to say if you’re a hired pastor, you’re expected and wanted to do both. That’s the tension. 

“There is the tensions between the organizational hierarchy where all the power dynamics this creates and the mutuality and interdependence of life in community to which we as Christians are called.”

I like the analogy that human body is organic with many organisms, so does the body of Christ. One cannot live without the other. It’s a good in-tension (intention).



Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Reflecting The Contemplative Pastor

It is delightful to have conversation with different pastors on our sabbath day sharing about the art of pastoring.

Two thoughts resonated with me when I woke up this morning: contemplative and subversive. Only a contemplative pastor can inspire another pastor to be contemplative, so as only a subversive pastor can pray and live alongside the congregation subversively. 

Contemplation helps me to see that God is present and active in any given person, situation, or problem. “My job is not to solve people’s problem or make them happy, but to help them see grace operating in their lives” (3; emphasis added). Being a contemplative pastor set me free from being too rigorous or relaxing, and becoming more relying on his grace. It opens my eyes to see God’s works in my life and ministry. It allows me to receive Christ’s costly grace and letting it does its work to transform me into his likeness. 

Being a subversive pastor is to live with people at church and community with an open-eyes prayer. This subversive spirituality creates a mentality to “take on the coloration of the culture” while committing to Christ by “working quietly, hiddenly, and patiently” and “planting suspicion that there is something beyond what the culture says is final” (11). Pastor always thinks in terms of people, place and relationship, rather than program and planning. Instead of setting borders and boundary in ministry, a praying pastor immersed in the parish and the surrounding community. In this earthly locality, praying pastors alongside praying Christians subvert the secular cultures with sacrificial love, justice (faith), and hope. A subversive spirituality that is scriptural and prayerful are nothing fleshy but central to our family life, go to work, and worship as a church body. Slowly but surely, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. 

These two pages speak into my prayer life as a pastor with the church. God reminds me that even in revival prayer, what all we can do is to receive grace and participate in the presence of Christ contemplatively and subversively.