22年前的今天

昨天（5月24日），普世卫理宗教会纪念约翰卫斯理1738年同日的灵性奋兴经历。当天晚上，卫斯理不大情愿的走到艾德门街 （Aldersgate）的一个会社中聚会，刚好听到有人朗读马丁·路德《罗马书注释》的序言，突然大受感动，特别对信心有了深刻的体认。他的日记写着这著名的经历：“会中有人宣读马丁·路德所写的《罗马书注释》的序言。当他描述‘神借着人对基督的信心，在人里面所施行的改变’时，我觉得心中奇异的温暖。我觉得，自己确实已信靠基督，借着基督得着了救恩；并且祂给我保证除去我的罪，救我脱离了罪和死。”

这个经历对卫斯理而言很重要，成为他日后生命并事奉的重要转折。我每年都会特别注意这个日子，因为22年前，1995年5月25日，正是自己回应上帝呼召的日子。记得当年参加年会青年团契举办的领袖大会，地点在金马伦。当时，讲员是在分享约翰卫斯理的生命经历，并呼召青年人奉献自己被上帝使用，成为这时代的卫斯理。在没有什么特别经历，没有太大的情绪波动下，我就这样平静的回应了上帝藉讲员所发出的呼召！回应上帝后，我看一看手表，那是1995年5月25日，早上10点25分，我告诉自己，一定要记得这一刻！情绪会过去，感觉会淡忘，但心中的立志，将是我永不回头的动力。

当年初中四，随着中学毕业，进入大学修读4年电机工程，然后在社会工作约5年半后，自己才在2007年进入马来西亚神学院念道硕。如果以2007年进入神学院计算，距离1995年，共12年。上帝用了12年在知识、人际关系、社会经验来预备我。一转眼，已经在教会牧会了第8个年头，当年的那个单纯信念，纯粹的立志，要继续推动我谦卑服侍，回应恩典的呼召。

转载：[Common Places] The Five Solas: Soli Deo Gloria

"This reminds us that the heart of the Christian message is not that the Bible is God’s inspired word or that salvation comes by grace through faith in Christ, as crucial as these truths are. The heart of the Christian message, in other words, is God himself, not how we are saved or what source of wisdom we seek." （继续阅读）

十字架、十字架，永远是我的荣耀！

以下这篇短文写于复活节，并刊登在教会的周刊。

“我们却是传被钉十字架的基督，这对犹太人是绊脚石，对外邦人是愚拙；但对那蒙召的，无论是犹太人、希腊人，基督总是上帝的大能，上帝的智慧！因为上帝的愚拙总比人智慧；上帝的软弱总比人强壮。”（林前1：23-25）

今年的主立圣餐日（Maundy Thursday）落在4月1日，一个让大家彼此开玩笑，恶作剧的愚人节！是的，上帝的确很“愚昧”，“愚昧”到一个地步，甚至将自己的儿子赐下，为罪人被羞辱，被钉死。如果没有今天（复活节），那么上帝的确是愚昧的，而这一天，上帝将死亡吞噬，把愚昧扭转，将历史改变！

德国神学家，莫尔特曼（J. Moltmann）说，“十字架是一切的判断”。耶稣道成肉身，体现了一种在否弃自身（selfness）中认同异类，并离开自身进入他者（otherness），这本身就是爱（agape）。在十字架上，当耶稣呼喊：“我的上帝、我的上帝，为什么离弃我？”（可15：34、太27：46），这是父与子的决裂，然而却开展了上帝与历史的联合。这是上帝的奥妙与超越的智慧。

主耶稣这受苦的十字架如何成为判断呢？它让人必须省视自我，检讨这个堕落的社会及非人化（dehumanized）所带来的痛苦。这痛苦存在于被压迫者里，也存在于压迫者里；在富足者里，也在贫乏者里；在快乐成功的人中，也在哀伤失败的人中间。十字架要求我们自我批判，也批判着我们的行为与思想。

今天，人类的历史走向哪里？我们又走向哪里呢？我们的国家与社会又如何呢？可悲的是，我们的光景似乎告诉我们，我们仍旧未从基督的十字架学到功课！

十架苦路之十四：耶稣被埋葬

Laid in a borrowed tomb, awaiting the sign of Jonah
- the only sign that would be given to His generation
- that after three days and nights in the womb of the earth,
the belly of the fish, the grave and hell,
He would come forth to do His Father’s will
- Jesus the humble Son of God, the exultant Son of Man,
the eternal contradiction, the Blessed One.
The end is not yet. Weeping endures for a night,
but joy comes in the morning.
The good news – ‘He is risen’ –
will burst on the Son-rise.（全文）


注：十架苦站之十三：耶稣从十字架上被取下

最痛的时候

什么时候是最痛的呢？钉十字架的时候？抑或我们犯罪伤害祂的时候呢？

主立圣餐日（Maundy Thursday）

按照教会年历，受难节的前一天被称为“主立圣餐日”或“濯足日”。当然英文就有更多不同的名称了，但最普遍的还是称为Maundy Thursday。一般上，在这天的聚会中，教会会举行圣餐礼拜，纪念主耶稣设立圣餐。有些教会也会进行洗脚仪式。


由于宗派背景的缘故，自己无法主持圣餐，今天晚上教会的聚会就以祷告及默想来进行。晚上约有30位弟兄姐妹出席。我们主要透过阅读《约》18-19章，配合适当的诗歌及短片，单单从经文来默想主耶稣从客西马尼园到各各他的旅程。从中，我慢慢引导弟兄姐妹默想自己的生命、默想主耶稣的爱、默想对他人的关怀、默想教会的合一等。或许，很多弟兄姐妹从来没有试过在一个聚会中朗读这么长的经文，但大家在今晚的参与度是值得赞许的。


希望透过今天晚上的聚会，大家能再次重温基督最后的受苦路程，并再次被上帝的爱所激励。此外，这也能预备我们参加明天晚上的受难崇拜。


在许多的默想及代祷事项中，还是觉得太少关注十架神学的公共性面貌。明天的讲章也难触及这一层面。希望在接下来的主日信息中，能多一点与会众一同思考这个层面，或许会尝试透过宋泉盛及莫尔特曼（J. Moltmann）对十字架的诠释来进行论述。求主帮助。


注：豪仔的反思

十架苦路之十二：耶稣死在十字架上

As Jesus slowly sagged down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shot along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain. As He pushed Himself upwards to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there is searing agony as the nail torn through the nerves. As the arms fatigued, great waves of cramps swept though the muscles, knotting them in deep relentless, throbbing pain. Jesus fought to raise Himself, in order to get even one short breath. ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’

To the thief dying at His side: ‘Today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.’

To His mother and His closest friend: ‘Woman, behold thy son’ - ‘Behold thy mother.’

In the words of the psalm foretelling the death of Messiah, He cried: ‘My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’（全文）

十架苦路之十一：耶稣被钉在十字架

The journey was at an end. Jesus was quickly thrown backward with his shoulders against the wood. The soldier felt for the depression at the front of the wrist; he drove a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly he moved to the other side and repeated the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly. The title ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews’ was nailed into place, and the crossbar lifted into position. The left foot was pressed backward against the right foot. With both feet extended, toes down, a nail was driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. （全文）


注：
十架苦路之八：耶稣与耶路撒冷的妇女相遇
十架苦路之九：耶稣第三次倒下
十架苦路之十：耶稣被夺去外衣

十架苦路之七：耶稣第二次跌倒

The pain, the exhaustion, the love that drives Him on-but the cross is so heavy. Again He falls beneath the weight; and in bitter resolution-Thy will be done-and in fatigue, Jesus again drives Himself up against the cross, and carries it on towards the fateful Hill of Death. （全文）

十架苦路之六

An act of compasssion. A woman called Veronica places a cool cloth on His hot and tired face. He feels the coolness of the cloth, and the love with which it was offered. And through His pain He smiles- a smile never to be lost, never to be extinguished. She reaches out to touch His face, and He leans His head into her hands, within her reach.

Oh, blessed day! The Master touched her life, her heart, her outstretched hands. What faith! What lovely face! What timeless meeting...O blessed Christ. （全文）

十架苦路之五：古利奈人西门背负基督的十字架

Simon carried the cross of Christ. At first it was just a tiresome and unwelcome task he was forced into by the soldiers; only later did he recognise his privilege in shouldering the burden of the One who made the worlds.

He was compelled to carry the cross part of the way for Jesus. Simon, himself a stranger, an outcast, often misunderstood, perhaps identified with Jesus, and felt the gratitude of this Man above all men; and amid the pity Simon felt for Him, he felt a burning compassion flowing back to him from Jesus, a burning, life-changing love. Simon carried the cross of Christ.（全文）

十架苦路之四：耶稣遇见其母亲

As Jesus again shouldered the cross and bore His burden, He glanced ahead and saw His mother. He could not stop to talk, to explain, to gather her in His arms and comfort her. All His energy was being soaked into that cross.

Who are My mother and brothers? Those who do the will of My Father.

Not My will, Father, but Yours.（全文）

十架苦路之三：耶稣第一次倒下

圣诞过去，新年到来；送走了新年，我们又迎来了耶稣的受难及复活的日子。这个节期，更要求大家有更多的安静与反思的时刻。十架苦路（Stations of the Cross）这属灵操练有非常久远的历史，让人参与耶稣受难最后的时刻，并所走过的路程，帮助人去默想基督的爱。若有机会，希望能在教会带领弟兄姐妹走一趟。

Alex Tang在其部落格刊登了一些反思，我会尽量在此转载。

Jesus has willingly embraced the cross, but His physical body was weak from lack of sleep, from the pressures of arrest and trial, and from torture and beating.

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Jesus say, Yes, but His holy body hesitated and He fell to His knees, determining to rise again even in His weakness.（全文）

十架苦路之一

十架苦路之二

黄明志祝你新年好！

这首非一般的新年歌，相信许多朋友都已经在网上看过了。我考虑了一下，到底要不要放在这里，会不会给别人说我“不合圣徒的体统”呢？最后，还是决定冒这个险。他在歌曲中对传统新年歌词的批判，还有什么“Localize” （在神学上，contextualize的意义更丰富）都与最近在这里的一些讨论有异曲同工之处。至于歌词中的粗话，就请大人陪小孩看，并给予正确的解释，而大人们也“自我修正”就行了！

新年蒙恩、主爱永随！

要赶回家乡过年的游子们，许多应该已经在路途中了。新年逼近，虽然一个人在马六甲这个小镇，但看见大家忙着办年货，收音机及电视机播放新年歌，手机短信及面子书上的祝贺，都一直在提醒我，新年真的很靠近了！

在这里，恭祝我所有的朋友、会友及读者：

生龙活虎、身体健康；
合家团圆、幸福美满；
主恩满溢、主爱永随；
满有灵恩、爱主更深！

恭喜、恭喜！

新年蒙恩！

2009年的最后一晚，我人在实兆远，将在明天出席Desmond及兰媖的婚礼，并为Kar Yong的信息翻译。隔天，将回到KL，再南下Sg. Rambai。

在此，祝所有的朋友，新年蒙恩、进步！我们明年见！

圣诞快乐！

再过两天就是圣诞节了，你准备好迎接这佳节了吗？家里的圣诞树布置好了？要送亲友们的礼物包裹好了？这一切都很重要，也很好，但，我们的心是否预备好迎接这佳节的主角呢？圣诞节的前四个主日为教会日历的将临节（Advent），正是要提醒我们预备自己迎接已经来临，并且还要再来的基督。今年，你的圣诞有什么主题吗？我的思考、默想，与传讲，都集中在基督的谦卑。

在这里，预祝我亲爱的朋友与读者们，圣诞蒙恩，平安喜乐！愿这圣诞不只是发生在你身外，也发生在你心！

母亲节快乐！

今天是母亲节，在这里祝天下的妈妈，母亲节快乐！

感谢上帝赐我双亲，养育我长大。愿天父继续赐福爸爸妈妈，叫他们日子如何，力量也如何。

Koke写了一篇贴文，在这节日思考圣经中，上帝的母性图像。

A little while ago there was an interesting discussion on Bryan L. blog about whether the Savior's gender is important. I grant that the ancient Israelites may have thought of Yahweh as an old man ruling from heaven and folk religion often gave Him a wife (Asherah). But to repeat my thoughts, I think God transcends gender because God is not a material being with a male or female chromosome but is Spirit (John 4:24) (except, of course, when the Son became incarnate and became a human male). Moreover, to assert that God is male is to make a judgment that men somehow better reflect the image of God than women, but Genesis 1:27 is clear that both males and females equally reflect the image of God. What I think we have in the Bible is predominantly masculine imagery (king, father, bridegroom), but in honour of Mother's Day here are a few verses (New Oxford Annotated Bible NRSV) that exalt the feminine and maternal side of God:

"You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you; you forgot the God who gave you birth." (Deut 32:18)

"For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor, I will gasp and pant." (Isa 42:14)

"Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from your birth, carried from the womb." (Isa 46:3)

"But Zion said, 'The LORD has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.' Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you." (Isa 49:15)

"As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you" (Isa 66:13)

"Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine, she has also set her table. She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls from the highest places in the town, 'You that are simple, turn in here!' To those without sense she says, 'Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed." (Prov 9:1-5)

"For she (Wisdom) is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into her. For she is reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God and an image of his goodness." (Wis. Sol. 7:25-26)

"wisdom is vindicated by her deeds/by all her children" (Matt 11:19b, Luke 11:35)

"How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" (Matt 23:37, Luke 13:34)

"Jesus answered, 'Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:5-6; a good case can be made that the Spirit [gramatically neuter] originally took on the Mother role in the Trinity [Father, Son, Mother]).

503世界新闻自由日！

昨天是世界新闻自由日，在21世纪的今天，这个日子仍旧有价值，这到底是叫人兴奋还是唏嘘呢？

在马国，“新闻自由”一直都是很抽象的东西。若你访问路边的过客，马国有新闻自由吗？我想，大部分人会回答，“有”。然而，若你问的内行人，答案可能不是那么简单直接的。近几年，网络媒体的兴起，似乎才告诉我们，到底新闻自由是什么，而我们的新闻自由指数到底有多高。这几天，我因病回家休养，少了接触网络媒体，只看平面及电视媒体，我很惊讶，那种落差感是明显的！

《独立新闻在线》的社论写得不错，请看“以对话取代对抗”。

复活与复和！

昨天，一位朋友告诉我，她周旋于家人的纷争中，成为中间人，而至终顺利使他们复和。我对她说，她正在做耶稣所做的事，而事实上，使人和睦的人，他们必称为上帝的儿子（太5：9）。

台湾《校园》的仁祥写了两篇关于复活的文章（应该是三篇，但还有一篇仍未上载），主要是整理他近期阅读及反思复活这主题的领受。我特别喜欢他的第二篇，介绍Rowan Williams的对复活的复和诠释，精简传神。

复活全体验（1/3）
复活的力量（2/3）