Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community (by Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read the book in 2011 as a requirement for the introductory unit to Fuller's DMin. This is definitely a wonderful read. One of the perspectives which I reckon most insightful in Bonhoeffer’s book about community is the ministry of helpfulness in which simple assistance is required towards one another. It is strikingly true that many of us are usually preoccupied with seemingly more important tasks that we have neglected the needs of another humble follower of Christ. To a certain extent, I agree that God’s plan and will are higher and he wants us to surrender to his will by “sending us people with claims and petitions”.

However Bonhoeffer’s assumption that every little thing that comes crossing our paths could be from God may be too extreme. We need to be aware that the evil one has the capability to disguise itself as an angel of light. Therefore I will be reserved to consider everything that crosses our path is from God. On the other hand, an individual’s unique call from God should come into play as well.

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10-Minute Brainstorming to Get Solutions

I came across a wonderful method to solve "every" problem (well maybe not everything, but almost). I tried it when I needed to get a good title for my half-year sermon series. It worked quite well. All it took was only 10 minutes (yes 10 minutes!). My wife tried it once for her problem and she said it worked.

Just this morning, I did it again as I tried to sort out what's really troubling me and what I should do to get my life back on. It just worked wonders out of that little time.

It's called 10-Minute Storm. Here is how it works:

- Grab a pen and a piece of paper (no computer, no tablet, no smartphone note taking)

- Start the clock to time the 10 minutes

- Write EVERYTHING that comes to your mind onto that piece of paper (yes everything)

- Don't stop, just keep on writing (even you write "I can't write anything")

- At the end of 10 minutes, see and analyse what you've just written

You can read a bit more from its original post here.

教會對「八十後」的思考 (三) / 胡志偉 -《時代論壇》Christian Times

看了以下這篇文章，覺得有很好的反省。

教會對「八十後」的思考（三） / 胡志偉 -《時代論壇》Christian Times

The passing of Graham Johnston

Flipping through the recent Trinity's newsletter (Mar 2011 issue), I read about a Graham Johnston passing to be with the Lord. The newsletter pictured that Graham as a pastor and evangelist (it seems to suggest this is a Graham that I have known). Being curious, I googled only to learn that it was really the Graham Johnston that I knew and whom I learned under in 2007. I took an intensive unit of a Masters course with Vose where Graham was a lecturer. I then asked him if he could mentor me, which he gladly accepted. I was overjoyed because of his high calibre and extent of his ministry experience.

I felt very sad hearing that he passed away. He is a great mentor of mine although quantitatively he's invested only 5 days in me via an intensive course, and an extra 2 hours in mentoring sessions (1 hour each in 2 different visits). But that means a lot!!!

Below is the video of his funeral service. Pastor Graham, rest in peace.

Graham Johnston’s Funeral Service from Subiaco Church on Vimeo.

The ministry on a little different level

I just came back from the C&MA National Board meeting (澳洲宣道會的董事會) in Canberra which lasted for 2 full days. I have a feeling that I am getting more used to it now, more relaxed as well as feeling a part of it. Along the way, I have also started to appreciate the dynamics of working with this diverse group of people:

1. it's made up of Vietnamese, Chinese and Cauasians;

2. we got a Bible college director, a ThD / lecturer, a uni lecturer, a TAFE teacher, and a few experienced pastors

Overall, I cherish this opportunity of learning and ministry. Still I wonder how I can contribute more?!

Anything good about strategy-less?

I came across a blog "10 Advantages of Doing Ministry without a Ministry Strategy" by Tony Morgan (thanks to a tweet by Michelle Collier).

I was really wondering whether ministry without a strategy is good or not by looking at the title with its positive portrait. Then as I read it, I'm glad the advantages are indeed opportunities for those not really wanting to grow the church.

拙口笨舌是藉口嗎？

How often when we are called to do something for God, the immediate response from many of us would be "I'm not good at this or that", "someone else would do it better"? I'm sure on the other hand some would be so eager to accept God's challenge first, but later regret as the task seems too big to handle.

Moses, when called upon to lead the Israelites out from Egypt, has several times on different occasions said that he's not eloquent, but rather slow of speech and tongue (拙口笨舌). He repeated the same thing over and over again (Ex 4:10; 6:12, 30). God was annoyed by that indeed, yet re-assured him that He's the one who would help & teach him (Ex 4:12, 15). Also He's the one who brings along other people to work towards the great cause (Ex 4:15-16; 6:13; 7:1-2).

Whatever your excuses of inability or incompetency would be, God would help you overcome them all for His name sake.

Some thoughts after MA intensive this week

This week, I spent 4 days at Vose studying under Dr Haydn Nelson (a theologian and past Bible college principal, currently Exec Pastor at Riverview). It's about spirituality, covering topics including different Christian traditions, namely Charismatic, Holiness, Contemplative, Evangelical etc, and spiritual disciplines like fasting, study, prayer & meditation, simplicity etc.

It's good in a way that it provided me with a broad overview of what these are and how come all these have come into being. It prompted me to study a bit about my own denomination - C&MA, and I'm surprised to find that the C&MA has impacted greatly the Pentecostalism in the 19th & 20th centuries. However C&MA doesn't share much with the Pente nowadays particularly when some of the Pente's have gone a bit extreme re spiritual gifts.

Overall, it's a good course to do to enrich my understanding and knowledge in this area, but I got a couple of few thousand-word assignments to catch up following this course ..... 俾心機！

Something's gonna change ... (Day 36-39)

Tomorrow (Sunday) will see some significant change to my status or title, from Ps to Rev. It can be historic and is usually likened to a "promotion" from a secular point of view. Indeed, the laying on of hands by other senior and respected pastors is a privilege and it's symbolic of God's gift and anointing. More importantly, it's a life-long calling and commitment to serve God and make Him known through what I say and do.

Yet deep inside, I couldn't see any change or at least I haven't felt anything different as of now. I may feel differently tomorrow when the "actual thing" happens. Anyway, that special something (God's love for the undeserving me) will never change. Alleluia!

Working with God's seasons (Day 28)

Craig Groeschel's blog, SWERVE, again becomes a famous cyber spot for me to visit regularly these days. Today's blog title "working with God's seasons" has drawn my attention.

I've struggled to see different people trying to push their personal "agenda" or "to-do list" upon the church shoulders, simply because they want to become useful in front of everyone. You will notice that very easily when they usually mention "me", "my team", "I believe you should ..." when they are trying to convey their so-called vision, which is indeed very much self-centred.

Take some time to read and reflect on what Craig's saying: http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/2009/03/24/working-with-god’s-seasons.

SOS! I'm going downhill .... (Day 23 & 24)

其實，打從這星期開始，自己內心覺得不妙，禁食前和禁食初期的火熱和對神的渴慕到現在好像減退了！

我不是沒有繼續禱告，也不是沒有靈修 ... 但內心深處，我實在是 feel 到那份熱減退了不少。心中所想的多半是「禁食完結後會食乜食乜？」「還有多少日便完成禁食？」我甚至在想：「是否禁食到此為止？」

當我昨天看書的時候，當中一位完成禁食者的分享正是我現今所面對的。不過，他有這樣的提醒，我們必須要儆醒，心態要正確，禁食是讓我們更謙卑，而不是說我們 achieve 了甚麼偉大的事工！在神面前，禁食幾餐有甚麼大不了？算得上甚麼偉大的功績？

「主呀，請幫助我，叫我不要看見我有甚麼 achievement，乃要叫我看見你在我和教會當中偉大的 achievement！」

Avoid failing fatally - by Craig Groeschel (Day 14 & 15)

I'm so glad to come across teaching/advice by a rather young and godly pastor (mid 40's) on setting up accountability safeguards.

This should be re-visited from time to time. In summary, the few guidelines are:

1. I never travel overnight alone;

2. All my internet activity is monitored;

3. We block TV stations with bad shows;

4. We have the highest governing standards for financial accountability;

5. I am never alone with a woman (except my wife - italics added).

To read further, and all the responses to it, please see: http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/2009/03/11/avoid-failing-fatally/

Just want to get some sleep (Day 11)

Today I'm exhausted after preaching in the English service, and the D-Group meeting in the afternoon. Spent some time with the family in a park, very happy though. Physically just too tired ... Need to get some good sleep.

An enjoyable but exhausting retreat (Day 10)

Today we went out for a ministry retreat with the guys only. It was a good time with lots of prayer, worship, and encouragement from and for one another. 

We spent time "dreaming" about the men's group this year. It really seems that God has already "sparked" something among the younger men here in church. 

"Lord, take charge here, it's your Church!" 

How big is your memory?

Memory is a secret, a powerful secret that makes you willing (or sometimes involuntarily) to pause in the midst of busyness, and often feeling hesitant to move forward as the brain is doing “replay” of past memory clips.

I realized this as I recently visited New Norcia – a monastic town of the Benedictine Community. It’s perhaps my 4th or 5th visit there. While spending my afternoon walking around the place there, I was drawn to a recall of a tiny memory of seeing a few guys playing balls at the back of a college-like building. That memory could be dated, I think, back to 2001 where we have got a PAC 3-congregation combined youth camp. I have no idea why that moment of the guys ball-playing so vivid in my mind, but it’s just there stuck firmly in my brain. Then more memories came to “show up” concerning some other youth camps I organized and co-organized over the years.

It’s interesting in that afternoon we were supposed to start meditating on the gospel’s parables, but I seemed to have a good time “replaying” all those moments, thoughts, excitements in my mind’s video player. I found out that we all have memories (the good ones and sometimes bad ones) which wouldn’t easily be gone. What amazed me though is as I reflected and gave time that afternoon to thinking about those memories, I feel more intact as a person, and it gives me a sense of wholeness and fulfillment. That’s really interesting, isn’t it? But I don’t understand why. It’s worth exploring …

生命重整年

最近在思想很多事情，包括下半年或未來1-2年的事奉、生活、家庭、經濟等等。恰巧今年正是全職事奉的第7年了，好自然想反省一下自己的事奉及生命。經過這段時間的思想、考慮和禱告，我深信今年我不是要甚麼大展拳腳，展翅高飛，更上層樓，我所需要的係回歸於造我並呼召我的主，重拾起初對上帝的愛及信心。

無錯，今年理所當然的是生命重整年，沒有甚麼大志，沒有甚麼理想，乃是簡簡單單把生命整頓一下，盼藉著以下3個"R"，去預備為主走更遠的路。
1. Re-construct and re-habilitate my life, as a child of the Father
2. Refresh my calling, as a man of the Creator-God
3. Re-ignite my passion, as a minister/servant of my King

Full-time Minister / 全時間的僕人

每個跟隨耶穌的人都是一個minister（意即僕人），不論我們做甚麼（工作、讀書、家務、娛樂、呆坐、運動...），我們應該都是全時間的minister。（西3:22-24; 林前10:31）

雖然我們有些人係做「世上」的工，有些係做「屬靈」的工，但不一定要成為傳道同工（pastor）才算得上是主的僕人。

當我地在家裡與孩子一起，與朋友相聚，發掘自己的興趣，又或在工作中，只要時刻知道並活出神賜予我地的角色、崗位，珍惜那時那刻，凡事為主而作，以主的事為念，已經是一個討神喜悅全時間的僕人了。

下一個六年

在PAC全時間事奉已有六年半了，08年的9月就足足七年了！回想過往的事奉，有幾方面的學習重點﹕

1. 華語青年工作 (01-03年)
   
2. 英語青少年工作 (01-03年)
   
3. 粵語青年工作 (01-05年)
   
4. 華英粵3堂青年整體工作的協調及推動 (01-03年)
   
5. 教會行政事工的支援 (01-05年)
   
6. 短宣事工的發展及推動 (01-06年)
7. 英語堂整體的牧養工作 (04-05年)
   
8. 粵語堂整體的牧養工作 (06- )

有D事奉係比較刺激，有D係唔想攪的，又有D事奉係越做越有興趣，亦有的係越做越想放手。

展望未來的六至七年...我不太知道神要我學的係乜！？但我相信仲有好多東西要學，譬如點樣做一個愛護太太又能好好培育兩個小朋友的爸爸，又同時兼顧神給我的召命，牧養群羊？對於我越發明顯的「施惠/奉獻」恩賜，我怎能平衡教會的事工和我所想要做的事情？我的宣教恩賜如何發揮？我應該如何裝備自己更為主所用？

以上都是盤旋在我腦海裡的問題，有待神給我逐一解答。But for now, one thing that is quite clear is God is calling me to serve and walk in faith，正如六年多前剛出來事奉的樣子，總之，神會睇住的，俾心機！

點解粵青要分開男女小組？

自從3月初青年學生組開組以來，常被問及為何需要分男女小組，「是否因為某事某人而作這樣的決定？」「每星期把男女分開一個多小時有甚麼明顯作為？」其實我們不是為分開男女而分為男女小組，乃是為著更有效地牧養栽培青年人。自己經過接近10年的觀察、閱讀、反省及實踐，和到其他教會的拜訪，想籍以下分享我對男女分組及其栽培成長的事奉哲學。

師徒關係的本質需要
教會的終極目標是透過門徒訓練帶領人入神的國（太28:19-20），即建立一個長久的師徒關係。達至這個目標的第一步是需要由個人積極實踐大使命，也就是領人歸主開始。得人之後親自作初信栽培，至初信者成為別人師傅，這種師徒關係不但不如大多數傳福音的策略般在這階段停止，相反師傅生命的教導才剛剛開始，並且也會一直延續下去！師傅徒弟之間不但一星期兩三天見面，並且要同心同工，是深度的牧養及相交。這種一脈相成、長久甚至（理想地）一生的關係，教會有理由及責任避免異性日夕相處帶來不必要的誤會，或是生命及生活上深入相交的限制。這是無可否認的本質上的需要。

福音佈道的策略需要
過去學生小組的福音策略有賴整個小組舉辦「魚池活動」吸納新人，由一起計劃活動到朋友被邀返到小組中，男女混合互動，及之後的跟進也是男女混合是可以理解。但我們若了解到教會存在的終極目標 – 建立有果效的師徒關係，計劃同質同性別（男/女分開）活動及內容便有其針對性及直接利落的果效。當外展活動著重同質的特性來吸引未信朋友，往往產生更大的吸引力，如女性公園一日遊，或男性半日野戰等。當朋友由開始接觸福音，到成長的栽培都是由同性守望、提點及同行，這樣來得較自然；這樣的安排對我們而言是策略。

男性關係的培育需要
過去教會採用男女混合同組的方式，其中最大的缺憾就是無法集中對弟兄或姊妹作單一對象式的幫助或內容設計，特別是弟兄屬靈生命成長或教會事奉的參與更是較弱的一環（從一般教會姊妹比弟兄多便可見一班）。混合小組較難讓弟兄之間實踐彼此相愛、守望及交心。因此，培植彼此深厚的感情和友誼，互相有屬靈的帶領和影響，發揮所長、學習成為領袖，同質小組可以設計得更加具針對性。對姊妹而言，男女混合或同性別小組反而影響不算太大，但同質小組事工在弟兄中卻可產生很大的屬靈果效。透過男女分組的牧養，對彼此都能帶來更大的彈性和空間，無論時間、內容和策略上，都能作不同的發展。

其他教會的印證
以一些當代發展得較快的教會（特別以小組為主）為例，我們不難發現他們都在積極地推動同質小組。新加坡鄺建雄牧師在教會一開始轉型時，立刻就是採取男女分區。梁庭益牧師帶領的沙田浸信會（榮獲2007年全球健康教會大獎）及林以諾牧師創辦的青衣阡陌社區浸信會（過往1-2年間人數激增超過30%），均是積極採用男女分區分組的福工牧養模式。而小組創始教會波哥大使命教會也是強調男女分區，之前他們有弟兄、姊妹小組和夫婦小組，但是幾年運作下來，凱撒牧師發現成長較快的都是男女分區小組，而夫婦小組動力最弱，因此取消了夫婦小組；奇妙之處就是，夫婦分開小組，反而夫妻間關係、靈性更好，家庭氣氛也更好。

結論與展望
雖然男女分開小組的確有點反傳統的感覺，但從其他教會推行男女分開小組的先例可見，不但不會負面地影響弟兄姊妹的成長，反而有明顯的果效。神的福音真理是永恆不變的，所以我們傳揚有關耶穌基督捨身流血且復活的核心信息也絕不能變；但地球不停地在轉動，世界也不停地改變，我們活在這世界裡的人就有必要去求「變」，為著得更多人。

講道時的衣著

最近不斷反省，究竟點樣的衣著係最適合？

1. 打tie + 西褲 + 恤衫係咪一個must？會眾見到牧者著得formal，係咪容易D投入崇拜？慕道朋友又會點睇？
2. Less formal (eg 恤衫或有領T-shirt + 西褲或斜褲) 的衣著又點？慕道朋及青年人會唔會感到舒服D？但這會否令中年會友跌倒？

保羅講的自由 (林前9章) 真係好難完全掌握，究竟 "one size fits all" 的觀念能在教會中應用嗎?這個仍在思想中。

各位，有乜高見？