becoming

Ben Myers的Faith and Theology那邊開始了新的系列叫Encounters with Tradition，頭炮由Queensland的博士生Aaron Ghiloni分享自己離開五旬宗的經歷。開始的時候他說：

Like many Pentecostals, I was nurtured in revival. From birth, I was born-again on a weekly basis (if not more frequently). This was my life, my family’s life. Therefore, departing was incredibly difficult. If you’ve gone through this, you will know what I mean. It was obvious that I must leave – still, leaving was gruelling.

事實上，離開自己的家永遠是痛苦的，除非你所離開的，你從來都沒有以它為家。我鄙視那些動不動就讓著要離開教會（個別教會），轉到另外一個教會聚會的人：「分手避免尷尬」、「意見方向不同」、「受到傷害」都是「冠冕堂皇」的原因；但有多少選擇離開的人真正體會不是「他們欠了我」，已是「我欠了他們」的哀愁？不論Aaron Ghiloni由五旬宗轉到聖公宗，是聖公宗轉到五旬宗也好；多少人會明白「I must leave」（無奈和痛苦）和「I want to leave」（狂妄和自私）的分別？

未段令我特別有感受：

Being a part of this or that movement is no longer that important. And while for career purposes I may identify myself with a particular church, it is not because they have won my devotion. I simply cannot change the fact that my heart beat the hardest and my blood pumped the fastest at an old Pentecostal altar.

「一日五旬人、永遠五旬人」：或者，你可以用到任何的宗派背景身上，特別當你仍然以那個孕育你的信仰搖籃為傲時！