some people have asked me whether i can preach in mandarin. (i have done it twice). these are the things that i think about to answer the question:
while my language skill has improved (after all, i speak mandarin every day to my wife), there a few things that i can't do;
* my theological education has been received in english (implication; i tend to exegete the bible in english)
what's wrong with that, you may ask? it means that my sermon preparation is done in english, and i structure main ideas, and translate it into chinese
the problem with that is that i dont' interact with the language as well (some problems in the chinese is that the logic is not as clear because conjucntions are less well set out(well, at least to my febble mind).
hence for example, i present a prefectly cogent argument from a passage in romans, while what is required is an interaction with the chinese language.
why is that important?
chinese people really do have a respect for the beauty of their langauge (a lot of preachers introduces their sermons with a chinese poem), and interact with the language closely.
You can see the implication of this in terms of some people's reaction to a clearer translation to the chinese bible replacing the union version, e.g. New chinese version
some people would still prefer the union (just like some ppl hold onto the KJV), because of them holding onto the langauge (which is a core value for them)
hence while i can speak to the chinese people, i wonder whether i can preach truly to their hearts
(besdies language, there are many more factors , like how chiense prefer to talk around the issue into order for the listener to infer the core issue as against teh english way of expositing and directly speaking at in issue, with the potential to cause offence (e.g. lose face)... ) but that's for another day...
Sunday, April 3, 2011
how does the one child policy affect children's ministry
i have observed that at some mainland chinese ministries, that the one child policy (as well as the extended family structure) can have a negative impact on ministry.
a bit of background:
* in some families, 6 adults (4 grannies, 2 parents) focuses their energy to raise one child, thus raising the status of child to the top of their priorities
* in most churches in sydney , i guess the main engine room for children's ministry would be mothers that have children.
* in a typical mandarin speaking church, there will be lots of grandparents that have migrated as part of family relocation to sydney. Given their age and background, it is obvious that for some people, some of the views will be different to what a Australian based/Christian worldview. (at this point, i need to reiterate, i am NOT criticizing old people. Some of the older Chinese Christians i have met suffered unimaginably for the gospel and their experiences and perserverance is worthy of our respect).
* in some more informal settings for children's ministry, grandparents asks to be involved, due to a mixture of boredom, concern for their kids, and other reasons.
* this is complicated by the fact that the chinese view of of the extended family (v nuclear family)
* old people are respected in the Chinese (and many tradations), hence it's hard to give them advice on how to run things (like Christian children ministry).
What's the results of the above explosive mix?
there is a potential of children's ministry in some mainland chinese majority churches where ministry decisions are influenced by older people, with a chinese view of having the child at the centre of attention and the apex the pyramid of priorities.
i.e. child > parents
this is very different from the God ordained order of creation
God> man (i.e. parents) > child
it is this that i struggle with as my wife is now pregnant. Namely, whether it is possible to join a Chinese ministry that has a healthy sunday school. At present, i can't see it happening, hence i am staying at an english speaking chiense church.
a bit of background:
* in some families, 6 adults (4 grannies, 2 parents) focuses their energy to raise one child, thus raising the status of child to the top of their priorities
* in most churches in sydney , i guess the main engine room for children's ministry would be mothers that have children.
* in a typical mandarin speaking church, there will be lots of grandparents that have migrated as part of family relocation to sydney. Given their age and background, it is obvious that for some people, some of the views will be different to what a Australian based/Christian worldview. (at this point, i need to reiterate, i am NOT criticizing old people. Some of the older Chinese Christians i have met suffered unimaginably for the gospel and their experiences and perserverance is worthy of our respect).
* in some more informal settings for children's ministry, grandparents asks to be involved, due to a mixture of boredom, concern for their kids, and other reasons.
* this is complicated by the fact that the chinese view of of the extended family (v nuclear family)
* old people are respected in the Chinese (and many tradations), hence it's hard to give them advice on how to run things (like Christian children ministry).
What's the results of the above explosive mix?
there is a potential of children's ministry in some mainland chinese majority churches where ministry decisions are influenced by older people, with a chinese view of having the child at the centre of attention and the apex the pyramid of priorities.
i.e. child > parents
this is very different from the God ordained order of creation
God> man (i.e. parents) > child
it is this that i struggle with as my wife is now pregnant. Namely, whether it is possible to join a Chinese ministry that has a healthy sunday school. At present, i can't see it happening, hence i am staying at an english speaking chiense church.
waiting v wisdom
bumped into andrew hong again and he encouraged me (again) to blog on various things.
here's a summary of a lot of cultural insights that maybe worthwhile to a lot of people.
1. the theology of 'waiting'
1.1 background to thought
i have been exposed to this in various forms in the past weeks:
* during a meeting, when asked a committee member whether a decision should be made (i try to achieve consensus). he wanted to wait and pray about it.
* some people recommend the form of guidance is pray and wait.
* there has been a big church wide decision that requires vote casting. i wonder how many of those that cast votes
1.2 theological background
* there are various people that advocate waiting as a spiritual thing to do. Although there are also western manifestations of this, there is also a chinese strand of thought that is derived from Watchman Nee, with an example of this in 'The Spiritual Man, p.620'
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=R8y9mWsz5PwC&pg=PA620&lpg=PA620&dq=watchman+nee+waiting&source=bl&ots=oHadE4bntL&sig=p5E4cv9qvWTKLVvj-Mu2rBesFSc&hl=en&ei=xiKZTaPVJ4XCcY_h-ZMH&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
( i am sure andrew has a much more well argued and well researched view on this point, but i'll have to trawl through his teasure trove of blogs!).
But from a brief read of his writings and my limited understanding, some concluded waiting seems to be the spiritual thing to do when making a decision
it may have to do with a dualistic view that regards anything of the flesh, including the mind, as carnal, and hence unfit to make spiritual decisions.
1.3 what do i think of it?
I believe that waiting can be good, but it cannot be in the place of using a Christ transformed mind in using our wisdom in making decisions (Romans 12:1-2). Christ does not condemn creation but rather redeems it (cf Col 1:15-23, Romans 8). Hence it is important to reject dualistic views and train people to have a ever transformed mind to make decisions in accordance to the revealed will of God in the bible and also train people to make decisions according to the doctrines formed from his revelation.
1.4 a small excursis
andrew recommends that i should publish a book on my views, but as a carnal man, i should pray about it and wait :)...
here's a summary of a lot of cultural insights that maybe worthwhile to a lot of people.
1. the theology of 'waiting'
1.1 background to thought
i have been exposed to this in various forms in the past weeks:
* during a meeting, when asked a committee member whether a decision should be made (i try to achieve consensus). he wanted to wait and pray about it.
* some people recommend the form of guidance is pray and wait.
* there has been a big church wide decision that requires vote casting. i wonder how many of those that cast votes
1.2 theological background
* there are various people that advocate waiting as a spiritual thing to do. Although there are also western manifestations of this, there is also a chinese strand of thought that is derived from Watchman Nee, with an example of this in 'The Spiritual Man, p.620'
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=R8y9mWsz5PwC&pg=PA620&lpg=PA620&dq=watchman+nee+waiting&source=bl&ots=oHadE4bntL&sig=p5E4cv9qvWTKLVvj-Mu2rBesFSc&hl=en&ei=xiKZTaPVJ4XCcY_h-ZMH&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
( i am sure andrew has a much more well argued and well researched view on this point, but i'll have to trawl through his teasure trove of blogs!).
But from a brief read of his writings and my limited understanding, some concluded waiting seems to be the spiritual thing to do when making a decision
it may have to do with a dualistic view that regards anything of the flesh, including the mind, as carnal, and hence unfit to make spiritual decisions.
1.3 what do i think of it?
I believe that waiting can be good, but it cannot be in the place of using a Christ transformed mind in using our wisdom in making decisions (Romans 12:1-2). Christ does not condemn creation but rather redeems it (cf Col 1:15-23, Romans 8). Hence it is important to reject dualistic views and train people to have a ever transformed mind to make decisions in accordance to the revealed will of God in the bible and also train people to make decisions according to the doctrines formed from his revelation.
1.4 a small excursis
andrew recommends that i should publish a book on my views, but as a carnal man, i should pray about it and wait :)...
Monday, March 28, 2011
% CDP first pref in NSW election
More Xns in North shore/the Shire? Results show otherwise. % of first pref for CDP in auburn (5.0), bankstown (4.1), blacktown (6.0), campbelltown (4.8), canterbury (3.7), East Hills (4.1), fairfield (5.4), Granville (5.6), Kogarah (5.5), lakemba (4.4), liverpool (6.9), menai (52), mount druitt (8.8), penrith (5.9), riverstone (4.1), rockdale (4.3), smithfield (7.9), toongabbie (4.6), is higher than Davidson (2.1), cronulla (3.5), Hornsby (3.1), Kuringgai (2.1), lane cove (2.6), manly (1.6), miranda (3.6), north shore (1.7), pittwater (2.2), wakehurst (2.9), willoughby (2.2)
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