becoming

What will you do if you read a good book and you want more people to read it? You buy box of it and start giving them away…

And you stop giving out the plot by refraining yourself from writing a review or reflection post…

Let me tell you — it is not easy to keep one’s mouth shut on something that good!

After a 20-hour battle, we are so happy for Andrew and Amy, and to welcome little Anderson into our Father’s world.

The 2 of them must be exhausted, hope they can get some rest first.

And Andrew, there is no need to ever ask Amy “Just how much you love me?” for the rest of you life. You have just witnessed it in a most dramatic way.

And yes, to me, a mom giving birth to her child is almost supernatural, so support her all you can hereafter!!!

By the way, is little Anderson’s middle name “Neo” ??!

A picture from Kan:

面對新約作者引述舊約經文的情況，一直以來我總是有一個基礎性的問題找不著答案：不同的學者都假設了第一代的讀者對舊約聖經瞭如指掌（真正的問題，學者告訴我們，是現代的讀者失卻了這樣對舊約熟悉的了解）。或者，對有猶太背景的信徒，這可能是合理的假設，但不要忘記當中，特別是保羅書信中的教會，也有一大群的外邦信徒。當面對教會中出現的Judiazers（鼓吹基督拯救只是開始，真正可以stay in的信徒必需以猶太的律法和傳統來繼續生活），這些外邦信徒，面對保羅引用舊約聖經，和那些猶太化鼓吹者對舊約的詮釋，他們對舊約聖經的認識，能幫助了解誰是誰非嗎？

一個可能，是假設那些外邦信徒，信主前，是已經對猶太教有一定認識之人（所謂God-worshipper），所以他們並非對舊約聖經全不認識。但這還是一個很大膽的假設而已。

我曾經請教過Scot Mcknight這個問題，他指在當時的教會應該有一些比較認識舊約的猶太信徒，在不同的教會幫助其他人，另外他說我們不應低估活在口傳文化中（oral culture）的人，他們對所聽到資料的記憶能力，遠比我們想象的高。

但不竟這樣的說法還是叫我不大滿意。

你會怎樣了解這個現象？我們是否over-interpreted新約作者對舊約經文的引述？會否高估了外邦信徒對舊約聖經的熟悉？還是有另外更可能的解讀？

留意早前在Steve Moyise的訪問，提到Christopher Stanley的Arguing with Scripture: The Rhetoric of Quotations in the Letters of Paul。看看簡介，竟然讀到這一段：

Key questions include why Paul quoted words of Scripture to support some of his arguments and not others; how quotations help to advance the developing arguments of Paul’s letters; and how a mostly illiterate first-century audience from a variety of backgrounds might have viewed these sudden intrusions of material from a jewish religious text. Answering these questions requires paying careful attention to the affective and poetic dimensions as well as the intellectual aspects of the original audience’s encounter with the Holy Scriptures of Israel.

Moyise說這書是 Stanley 對 Richard Hays 的大作 Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul 的一個回應。嘩！豈不正是我問的問題？

當然，未看書，不應過份雀躍。但最少我有一種「我不孤單」的釋然。

另外，就是wishlist又多加了一本。

Via Michael Pahl:

As of 1 August, 2008, Prof. Enns will discontinue his service to Westminster Theological Seminary after fourteen years.

Wonder where he will go.

[HT: the stuff of earth]

Jul 20 2008 課堂筆記:

1. 歌羅西書1.12b-23筆記(pdf)

下週經文:

1. 歌羅西書1.24-2.5

看見這束小花，你會有甚麼想象？

絕處逢生？

然後，

我告訴你，

這束小花，

是生在教會的牆外。

你又會有怎樣的

體會？

Do I really look like a man with a plan, Harvey? I don’t have a plan. The mob has plans, the cops have plans. You know what I am, Harvey? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do if I caught one. I just DO things. I’m a wrench in the gears. I HATE plans. Yours, theirs, everyone’s. Maroni has plans. Gordon has plans. Schemers trying to control their worlds…

…Nobody panics when the expected people get killed. Nobody panics when things go according to plan, even if the plans are horrifying. If I tell the press that tomorrow a gangbanger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will get blown up, nobody panics. But when I say one little old mayor will die, everyone loses their minds! Introduce a little anarchy, you upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I am an agent of chaos. And you know the thing about chaos, Harvey? It’s fair.

The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008).

Without spoiling the plot, I can tell you this: It is DARK. It is sheer terror. I mean, yes it is certainly one of those Hollywood Blockbusters. But it is more. Yes, you will love the gadgets, the effects, the car chase, the explosions, but in the end, it is that 4-letter word that will stay and linger — EVIL.

Not those Japanese blood-coming-out-of-the-nose-and-eyes evil, not those monster-looking-with-slimy-glue-dripping-out-from-the-body evil. It is evil in absence with all those things. It is the twisted mind, the irrationality, the lack of any motives or reasons to do or not do…

There is no logic to evil. It is not the opposite of Good, but the absence of it. And just how frail are we humans? Just look at DA Harvey Dent; look at those people on the 2 ferries; look around…

I don’t think I need to say more for you to understand what the movie is trying to say: No, we don’t need a hero. In fact, there is no need for a superhero. The White Knight has failed, and the Dark Knight is no hero neither. Gotham needs someone who can avert such despicable evil. One that can put things right.

Out of such incredible darkness, we need someone that can bring us dawn.

We need a Savior.

Why Must Everything Change? 的日程表已經上載：

WEMC Schedule – 2008

Tentative Schedule and subject to change.

Registration:
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Friday Night
7:00 pm – 7:50 pm – Dave Toycen
7:50 pm – 8:20 pm – Baxter/Glen S
8:20 pm – 8:35 pm – Break
8:35 pm – 9:15 pm – Plenary – Brian McLaren

Saturday
9:00 am – 9:50 am – Plenary – Brian McLaren
10:00 – 10:50 am – Breakout Sessions
11:00 am to 12:15 pm – Plenary – Jamie Macintosh
Lunch – 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm
1:15 pm – 2:00 pm – Plenary – Bruxy
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Breakout Sessions
3:00 – 3:15 pm – Break
3:15 pm – 4:30 pm – Panel Discussion – Bruxy, Brian, Jamie, Anne Marie, Fatmire
Wrap Up – 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm Brian McLaren

Break Out Sessions:
Jamie – Morning
Michael – Morning and Afternoon
Terry Leblanc –Morning
Brian – Morning
Baxter –Morning and Afternoon
Victor –Afternoon
Vaden –Morning and Afternoon
Fatmire –Morning and Afternoon
Ezat –Morning and Afternoon
Dennis –Morning and Afternoon
Anne Marie –Morning and Afternoon

Total morning talks: 10
Total afternoon talks: 9