becoming

Willimon on the logic of Easter:

Easter begins in the recognition that our faith is not futile, in our present experience of the Risen Christ roaming among us. It is the testimony, not just of preachers like me, but of countless believers like you, that is the evidence. When bread and wine touch your lips and you see, feel the real presence. When you thought your heart would break in disappointment and pain, but it didn’t because He was standing beside you in the dark. When you didn’t know what to say and there were just the right words, words not of your own devising, being spoken by you. When you dragged into the church, cold at heart, skeptical, and distant, yet at the hymns, your spirit rose to greet His, your faith is not in vain.

This is the logic of Easter.

Read it all here.

Some (I think) interesting discussion on Anson’s blog re: Gospel church and Guilt-tripping church.

為甚麼我們的事奉越來越求其？

團契中的查經，亂噏一通，60分鐘講足嘢，這就叫「做了」？

先不要說能不能過得到別人那關，

就問一問，

真的過得了自己嗎？

你說，「唉，今天的教會，有人肯做已經阿彌陀佛，有心做，就梗係自動當選啦！」

你想做，無可厚非，但係這樣的行貨，你預期聽你的人會怎樣？

可以怎樣？

你到底有沒有好好計算過，這樣的工作，需要怎樣的預備？

你沒有。

若然有，忙、趕、病、精神…是不會動不動就搬出來，搏人同情，至少別人不讚，也不敢彈。

要知道，你做得求其，受的人也自然求其。並且以後跟著你做的人都以為：求其是正常。用心是例外。

到底，你從甚麼人學了這樣的事奉態度？

對不起，我從沒有這樣教過你。

你這樣的事奉，是好心做壞事。

有心，唔係大晒。

不錯，事奉不是要選精英，

若是，當然無你份，更無我份。

但請不要誤會，這等於我們可以是但。

事奉是將你最好的獻上。

我知道，

這不是你的最好。

因為你的最好明明就是給了別的人和事。

你有勇氣取回來嗎？

還是神要等待你的施捨？

希望你，

好好想想。

Forget Avatar and others, I think Mary and Max is indeed the best film of 2009. Yes, all of us are not perfect, and good that we have imperfects like Mary and Max telling us just that.

Go get a copy and watch it. You’ll be glad that you did.

Dear Mary, please find enclosed my entire Noblet collection as a sign that I forgive you. When I received your book, the emotions inside my brain felt like they were in a tumble dryer, smashing into each other. The hurt felt like when I accidentally stapled my lips together. The reason I forgive you is because you are not perfect. You are imperfect, and so am I. All humans are imperfect, even the man outside my apartment who litters. When I was young I wanted to be anybody but myself. Dr. Benard Hazelhof said if I was on a desert island, then I would have to get used to my own company. Just me and the coconuts. He said I would have to accept myself, my warts and all. And that we don’t get to choose our warts, they are a part of us and we have to live with them. We can, however, choose our friends. And I am glad I have chosen you. Dr. Hazelhof also said that everyone’s lives are like a very long sidewalk. Some are well paved. Others, like mine, have cracks, banana skins and cigarette butts. Your sidewalk is like mine, but probably not as many cracks. Hopefully one day our sidewalks will meet and we can share a can of condensed milk. You are my best friend. You are my only friend. Your American pen pal, Max Jerry Horovitz.

— Mary And Max

Countless emotional and patriotic speeches and comments can be heard on TV and found on the web. Many are expressing how proud they are to be Canadian, which makes me wonder:

Are we proud to be Canadian? Or,

Are we just proud to be winning?

And yes, I think there is a difference between the two.

「誰以為有誰偷走了他的教會，其實就是把基督的教會偷了，當作是自己私人的東西。」

羅牧的舊文，忽然想起，藉得再讀。

See if you can find something like this in today’s gospel tracts!

… So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own, and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you. But if you absolutely give yourself to be His child, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other people say and do many things that you cannot.

Settle it forever; you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit. He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue or chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways that He does not seem to use with others. However, know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven, the high calling of God.

Rev. G. D. Watson
1845-1924

Read it all here.

…慈悲之主歟，求主轉回我等，我等即歸向主；我等現今哀哭禁食，祈禱歸向主，求主悅納，因主是最慈悲之上帝，常時容忍，廣有慈悲，大施憐憫，我等應當受罰之時，主常寬宥，主發怒之時，仍存憐恤之心。求慈悲之主，憐恤我等，憐恤我等，使我等永不至於羞愧。主之慈悲無窮，求主應允我等之祈禱，大發慈悲，眷顧我等；此賴可讚美之聖子，我主耶穌基督之功勞祈求。阿們。

公禱書，頁120。