Thursday, May 26, 2005

God's aim in human history is the creation of an inclusive community of loving persons, with himself included as its primary sustainer and most glorious inhabitant.

- Dallas Willard

Everytime I read Jesus' prayer to God in John 17, it's always amazing that I pick out some new theme/emotion/thought that I never had before. Yeah, I know this should happen with all scripture, that I am continually being transformed by the wonderfully unchanging verses and stories, but to be honest, that doesn't happen much. SO, thank God for this passage cause I always get something new from it. I love verses 20 and 21 especially where Jesus prays to God: "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." What a wonderful depiction of what God originally wanted for us - His desire to see us in perfect communion with one another, with creation, with God. I mean, everything was good when He created it, and the one time that things weren't good was when man was alone (yes... insert superiority of woman jokes in here). Maybe this is why I've always been skeptical of those super-Christians who can do everything by themselves. No way is that possible, it's not a function of who we were created to be. Maybe I'm just imposing my self-critical eyes onto others, cause I know I definitely have loner-selfishness syndrome at times. I was thinking these thoughts in preparation for CC's sunday night program - the Holy Communion. I'm certain that like me, one of the biggest fears for most people was to give wholly (all warts and all) to a broken community, and have the potential for rejection - it feels like asking an entire community on a date... and then getting laughed at because they find that gigantic wart on your nose so funny to look at. But I know that many of us were aching to become part of something greater than themselves. How can I deny such a powerful idea - that we can ALL be one, as Jesus is in the Father, and the Father is in Him, that we can also be in them... so the whole world may know how good the Lord truly is. The potential of such a night was overwhelming, and I had to do my duty by preparing for it. Of course, that means that I'm reading like a mad-man. Thank goodness I had purchased all these books with a focus on community. Let me tell you, it's sad to see that even throughout history, Christians could not agree on anything. One of the biggest beefs between christian groups has always been the holy communion. What is communion exactly? - a sacrament, sign, sacred signs, etc. How should you name it? - Lord's supper, Eucharist, etc. In what sense is Christ present at the communion? - transubstantiation, consubstantiation, memorialism, etc. So here am I, reading my Christian Theology textbook from McGrath and other books from Grenz (CC communion insert taking from him) and even Volf's 'After our Likeness' (he has a whole section devoted to our new pope's theology of the church - "The church IS the eucharist, the eucharist IS the church"). Again, I'm on the verge of disgust due to all the debating, controversy, and sheer you vs. me type of talk about different interpretations, perspectives and agendas. Sometimes I feel I should 'convert' to Catholicism - people would think I'm kinda mysterious cause I USED to be baptist, and I wouldn't have to deal with all this negativity, just listen to my pope. It'll be kewl. Thank goodness nobody asked me questions about communion. I think I would've just made them even more confused and (heaven forbid) doubtful about their own sacramental tradition. Of course after all is said and done, I think all the studying has helped in preparing me to see a greater fullness through the act of communion. There really is something wonderfully mysterious as you're being offered the bread and the cup - the body and the blood of Christ. And for me, being offered the bread and cup by a peer (of course peer being my boss, Gabe Chan) was a wonderful experience. I really got the sense of God's call for his children to be a royal priesthood in 1 Peter 2. As I think back to CC, I am filled with images dancing across my memory about that night. I remember people spontaneously praying in groups, more confession and forgiveness, pure joy and laughter as communion can be a very holy-funny moment (who would've thot those two ideas could merge together?). Moments of deep regret were being brought into the light and I had the opportunity to pray with several people. Forget the EMs that specifically target seekers, I wish more people can see how we commune with each other and with Jesus such as that night of Holy Communion. Now that I'm back in TO, the magic of the night still lingers. BUT, I no longer feel the strength community due to the sheer presence of many people. I also have to deal with harsher realities of the church, the world, and the campus. Yet, I wanna take Ephesians 4 seriously when Paul challenges us christians to 'make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace'. Imagine that, ultimate peace. I think it's a dream that God will honor if we strive for it. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:1-6

Tune in again for half-hearted updates from my theology class in tyndale.


Yu-Ling posted at 5/26/2005 11:40:00 PM

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy... He who is alone with his sins is utterly alone.

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

I was sitting at the front of Wenjack theatre observing people as they walked up to a wooden cross, took a hammer and a nail, and began to hammer their confessions into the symbolic representation of Christ's work of reconciliation. People were praying around me, earnest prayers I would assume, and yet a part of me was still critical of the whole thing. As I was planning this evening program - one that would challenge us to repent/confess and take steps in God's great plan of reconciliation - I was struggling with my personal reasons for creating such an experience. Why am I asking people to nail their sins to a cross? Why am I asking people to repent and confess to one another? Am I just doing this to feed this emotional-spirituality that is so pervasive in our generation/culture? Am I just doing this to feed my own spiritual ego? I knew that God would use me and use the night program for His own glory, in His own ways, and yet I was supremely aware of my constant barrage of ulterior motives. In the end I was glad to be a part of the night. I think in my efforts to maintain a pure motivation in facilitating the night program, I was becoming overwhelmed by my own doubts and frustrations. I think God slipped into me quite quietly and I do believe that He overcame my struggles and ruled over me that night. What was amazing for me was the sheer fact that many people took God's call for repentance and reconciliation so seriously. I saw so many people pray for one another, speak to one another, and even cry with each other. I was overwhelmed (utterly frightened actually) as even I got involved in the night by serving two people who were trying to reconcile with one another. That night reminded me of another time when I went down to Chicago to visit Willow with some TCBC friends on a road trip. Gene, the speaker called us to stop judging and then asked us to reconcile with one another and with God. I could not imagine that such a mainstream/upper-middle class church would do such a thing, and yet hundreds of people dared to begin reconciling with each other. Literally, hundreds of people approached each other and forgave one another in Jesus' name. Man, if all fellowship groups and churches had enough courage to consistently reconcile with one another. Instead of being fearful and gossiping, it would be so wonderful to see people actually walk up to each other and in humility, try to hash things out. What if the world knew us Christians as people of reconciliation? That we are people who desire to reconcile with others, that we are people who want to restore the marginalized, the poor, the sick, the abused to a right relationship with the rest of the world and with God. That ultimately, all our decisions is centered around the imitation of God who humbles himself in order to serve people who are not deserving of such love. I want to possess such love for other people. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Tune in again for more updates from CC


Yu-Ling posted at 5/25/2005 03:55:00 PM

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Serenity now!

- George Costanza, Seinfeld

Going away for a 2-day retreat with my AFC co-workers. Need some serenity now. Deal with insanity later. The mess-you-up topic of the week: What is salvation? What are the implications about salvation surrounding your understanding of it? Oie... the perpetual evangelical focus of saving souls. Blog later, see ya.


Yu-Ling posted at 5/10/2005 03:23:00 PM