becoming

I will spent most of today traveling to NC to attend the 2009 AMiA Winter Conference until the end of the week. Blogging will (hopefully) continue once I settle down.

Brian Walsh on Obama’s inaugural address and other things.

[link: empire remixed]

Did you watch Passionate Eye on CBC yesterday? Here is the 30mins version:

This, and of course, the ever-increasing messianization of Obama are both troubling and irrational to watch.

[link:i.o.u.s.a.]

In one of the ending chapters, Peterson expressed what he sees as a positive change between his congregation and him, after he returned from a year of sabbatical leave:

A recent incident, seemingly trivial, illustrates the profound difference that keeps showing up in a variety of situations. About twenty-five of us were going on an overnight leadership retreat. We had agreed to meet in the church parking lot at 5:45 to car-pool together. I made a hostpotal visit that took longer than planned and arrived five minutes late — to an empty parking lot. They had left me. Before the sabbatical, that would never have happened; now that kind of thing happens all the time. They can take care of themselves and know that I can take care of myself. Maturity.

We are both, the congregation and I, experiencing a great freedom in this: neither of us neurotically needs each other. I am not dependent on them; they aren’t dependent on me. That leaves us free to appreciate each other and receive gifts of ministry from each other.

Eugene Peterson, The Gift — Reflections on Christian Ministry, p.151.

What do you think? How would you feel when something like that happened to you as a pastor? Reading Peterson’s words, and looking at how Apple’s share slump on Steve Job’s temporal medical leave, one has to wonder how counter-cultural pastoral work can be, and must be.

No, as pastors, we are not called to build an empire — at least not one that circles around ourselves. If your congregation cannot survive upon your departure or your extended leave of absence, it could only mean one thing — that those people have been following the wrong person all along.

May the neighbors’ words to the Samaritan woman be a constant reminder to all of us who are leading, shepherding and teaching:

We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world. (John 5.42)

這段時間，去過Mitchell 清倉的人，或會有同感：

「怪不得要倒閉，這樣的書也入這麼多…」

我沒有落井下石之心，但總是覺得這實在是經營不善之故。

當然，我全無做生意的智慧，對買賣亦屬一無所知，但看見那一箱一箱，完全沒有人問津的新書，在每本95¢的價錢下，仍然擺到滿檯都是，你說，還可以怪誰呢？

不過，我留意那些顧客的買書邏輯也是挺怪的。人湧你湧，是甚麼書、講甚麼的，也不必問。噢，這便有聖經！123，衝呀…

是弱肉強食？是自然淘太？我不太清楚。但我想，今天書店的買點，不可能是買價錢，而是必需要買服務和關係。要給人知道你是識/惜書之人。不要人買你買，卻不知自己所賣何物！小書店，還有它的生存空間，還是有空位是網上書店所不能做到的。

你認為如何？

[未問自取afc Gabriel 的大作，還請見諒！]

捨本逐末－莫忘芥菜種

馬太福音 13:31-32

這個年代，我們不再相信一個人的力量，會有甚麼成效。我們都崇拜會議和委員會一類的力量。我希望你聽我這樣說的時候，明白我的意思。我不是叫各人，自己喜歡做甚麼就做甚麼，事奉的時候，你一個山頭、我一個山寨; 沒有配搭、沒有同一方向而來的互補。我的意思是，我們被會議和委員會一類的群體工作寵壞了。沒有別人，或者人少一點、資源少一點，我們就甚麼也不行了。一套套現成的材料成了很多事奉者的恩物，但同時亦大大影响了我們自發、個人的耐力。我們好像忘記了，耶穌在這裡強調的，正是「一粒芥菜種」的力量，不是一把的芥菜種的力量。

講道錄音：

[audio:sermons/matthew/Matt_13_31-32.mp3]

後感：

1. 我向歷代願意走進陌生的地方，將天國近了的信息帶給人的宣教士們致敬。你們的默默耕耘，是我的榜樣。

講道完了，一個弟兄鼓起最大的勇氣，和我說他不同意我的解經，他對同一段的經文的另一種了解，並膽心我的分享可能會被誤解。整個過過程，他緊張得不得了（因他從未對牧者這樣說過）。然而我卻為他默默的感恩。

對了，聽道本來就是這樣的透不過氣來的掙扎。這不正是太13裡面的不同比喻中，兩次出現門徒上前追問耶穌比喻解釋的行動嗎？

問，代表你是認真的聽，對講壇的信息絕不輕易帶過。

我為你感謝神。盼望你會繼續捉住神的話不放（也常捉住講員不放），直至你完全的明白祂、遵行祂。

今期 Interpretation 唔知攪乜，全期足本上網，主題係：Revelation as a Critique of Empire。

視啟示錄為基督信仰對羅馬帝國的批判，其實並不新鮮。還是華人教會因著時代論的影响而將這樣明顯的主題視而不見。

[HT: Euangelion / NT Gateway Weblog]