becoming

My use of language in the community of faith was a mirror image of the culture: a lot of information, a lot of publicity, not much intimacy. My ministry was voiced almost entirely in the language of description and of persuasion — telling what was there, urging what could be. I was a great explainer. I was a pretty good exhorter. I was duplicating in the church that I had learned in my thoroughly secularized schools and sales-saturated society, but I wasn’t giving people much help in developing and using the language that was basic to both their humanity and their faith, the language of love and prayer.

But this is my basic work: on the one hand to proclaim the word of God that is personal — God addressing us in love, inviting us into a life of trust in him; on the other hand to guide and encourage an answering word that is likewise personal — to speak in the first person to the second person, I to Thous, and avoid third-person commentary as much as possible. This is my essential educational task: to develop and draw out into articulateness this personal word, to teach people to pray. Prayer is Language I*. It is not language about God or the faith;  it is not language in the service of God and the faith; it is language to and with God in faith.

Eugene Peterson, The Gift — Reflections on Christian Ministry, p.92-93

* Peterson described Language I as the language of intimacy (like those between parent and infant). Language II is informational (news), whereas Language III motivates (e.g. advertisement).

Such powerful reminder from Peterson:

But prayer is not a work that pastors are often asked to do except in ceremonial ways. Most pastoral work actually erodes prayer. The reason is obvious: people are not comfortable with God in their lives. They prefer something less awesome and more informal. Somthing, in fact, like the pastor. Reassuring, accessible, easygoing. People would rather talk to the pastor than to God. And so it happens that without anyone actually intending it, prayer is pushed to the sidelines.

And so pastors, instead of practicing prayer, which brings people into the presence of God, enter into the practice of messiah: we will do the work of God for God; fix people up, tell them what to do, conspire in finding the shortcuts by which the long journey to the Cross can be bypassed since we all have such crowded schedules right now. People love us when we do this. It is flattering to be put in the place of God. It feels wonderful to be treated in this godlike way. And it is work that we are generally quite good at.

Eugene Peterson, The Gift — Reflections on Christian Ministry, p.43

The metaphors Jesus used for the lift of ministry are frequently images of the single, the small, and the quiet, which have effects far in excess of their appearance: salt, leaven, seed. Our culture publicizes the opposite emphasis: the big, the multitudinous, the noisy. It is, then, a strategic necessity that pastors deliberately ally themselves with the quiet, poised harpooners, and not leap, frenzied, to the oars. There is far more need that we develop the skills of the harpooner than the muscles of the oarsman. It is far more biblical to learn quietness and attentiveness before God than to be overtaken by what John Oman named the twin perils of ministry, “flurry and worry.” For flurry dissipates energy, and worry constipates it.

Eugene Peterson, The Gift — Reflections on Christian Ministry, p.25

Musing:

No, not at all. I would say it is precisely that you can’t stand anyone else preaching, that you are NOT called to ministry.

Because the way in which God determine to speak to you, no matter how mysterious and absurd it may sound, is now no more.

[link]

Kitty、Paul你們將開始一個新的旅程，與過去11年來的愛情長跑完全不同！兩個人生，現在成為一個再不能分割的生命。這是神給你們一個極其寶貴的禮物和祝福，今天你們懷著戰戰競競的心將它接下，亦代表你們從今以後也要以同樣的心情去過每一天。

放下自己去愛，甘願的順從，這是幸福和持久婚姻的基礎。其他人怎樣說，我不知道；這個世界會努力的告訴你各式各樣的「御夫術」、「馴妻法」，是世界的方式。然而這個世界怎樣說，你們不需要理會。要記著，作為神的兒女、作為新造的人，神的心意——設立婚姻的神所給予你們的鎖匙，是放下自己而去愛，和自願向對方的順從。

你們要「存敬畏基督的心，彼此順服。」

願神祝福你們、帶領你們。

[Thanks Chong for the picture]

無常是生命的一部份。

牧者每天的生活可以是你意想不到的「多姿多彩」。

早上，主持完安息禮拜；下午，就可能在醫院裡，為剛出生的嬰孩感恩禱告。
下午，帶領離世者的家屬處理山地殯儀；晚上，還要趕及為一對新人的婚禮綵排。

牧者，見慣了，心是真的會麻。

所以，
有一天，若我對你所遭遇之事的表情反應，沒有你遇期的雀躍／難過／平和／喜悅，

還望你諒解。

並為我禱告。

請為這樣的文化、世界禱告：

為父親可以因為某種宗教的命令，以不能想象的方式殺死親生女兒，

為殺女可以不流眼淚的父親們，

為這樣扭曲的世界，

為我們的麻木，

禱告。

[HT: Jim West]

豪仔今天提到：

傳道人最好溫純得不懂領會會友笑容背後的陰險、隱藏議程以及絕望，一張張仿如電視劇「靚太唔易做」(Desperate Housewives)中人物的笑容。最不受歡迎的傳道人，是那些「喳正呢做」的，有原則的，講道理的。那些干涉人私隱(即關心近況)，又 judgmental(即給予實貴意見)，又唔企嚮佢個邊(即堅持自己立場)的，就真係唔夠「牧者心腸」。

真係咁悲哀？

或者，當你我還未做傳道人時，也不至如此罷！（那或者更弊，現在多了兩個傳道人，是否就少了兩個「不正常」的會友？）

傳道人，

真係咁難撈？