「深思細想」“Take & Read”
Quotation
"God is far less concerned about your behaviors than you think He is, and He is far more concerned with your heart than you’ll ever know. I’m not condoning sin. But I am saying that the heart is the issue—if you get the heart in right alignment with God, the behaviors follow."
Bible Reading: Proverbs箴言4:23; Psalm詩篇51:10
Quotation
"Spirituality has become for many people a pleasingly undemanding alternative to religion. Religion is all to do with people in black suits telling you what to do, spirituality is all about discovering your own genius. What I’m suspicious of in the spiritual is not the lack of structure and authority, but sometimes the lack of community, shared perspective, and intelligent interaction. Spiritual well-being, like other kinds of health, is about life-giving relationships.
The word ‘spirit’ in Christian scripture is almost always used in connection with connection, communion, koinonia – the common enterprise. The spirit unites us in understanding and compassion. Any notion of spirituality other than that might risk pushing us back towards that idea of health and well-being which I began dismantling – a purely individual state of equilibrium rather than an ecology of life-giving relationships.
Spiritual well-being will have something to do with finding those contexts, those communities, those disciplines, that are capable of challenging the fantasies and myths that are pushed at us. The spiritual is always going to be about challenging idols and images. Evagrius says the whole process of growing to maturity involves pushing through images to something deeper, whether that’s images of yourself or God.
A very significant part of that is finding communities where those practices are shared and you can be held to account, and people can push back in regard to your goals, your aims and self-image...."
~Rowan Williams: Mental health, mysticism and spirituality at National Spirituality and Mental Health Forum
Reflection: the need of a community, greediness of the Church...
Quotation
「靈修是幫助我們建立一個心靈的空間：是個與主相遇，並向祂赤露敞開的空間。 只要我們肯停留在這個空間中，我們便能勇敢的面對自己，並發現自己對神的愛原來是那麼膚淺，我們或者又會看見自己事奉的動機原來那麼不純正，甚至一些在潛意識裡的思想和傷痕，也一一浮現出來。但記著，這個是你與神在一起的空間，祂要伸手撫摸你的傷痛、矯正你的態度、更以不變的愛來更新你。長久的操練，你會驚訝這個空間原本就是那麼廣闊，任你在其中舒展僵硬多年的身軀，你這時真正經歷到在基督裡的真自由了。」
Bible Reading: Psalm詩篇46:10
Quotation
「從認信神的救贖，藉寶血洗罪，以致罪擔脱落作起點，他們學習信靠基督， 並與主同死同復活，進而操練安靜讀經,然後體驗失敗，又謙卑地重回，漸扎根於深信神的愛、神的道，並以默觀禱告來愛慕神。」
~蔡貴恆.「 現世背十架」.香港:靈根自植國際網絡(2019),p.47.
Bible Reading: Galatians 加拉太書 2:20
Quotation
"“I am the beginning.” “I am the arche.” It’s a radical claim. Everything has its source in Jesus Christ! Everything finds its pattern, its way of being, in Jesus Christ. Everything in the universe is stamped with the character of Jesus Christ. Every person on this planet owes her or his existence to Jesus Christ and finds his or her pattern for living in Jesus. And “I am the end.” In Greek, telos. The word telos means more than the end of the series. It means the inherent destiny of the series. The telos of an acorn is to become an oak tree. The telos of creation is Jesus Christ! The telos, the inherent destiny, of every human being is to be like Jesus Christ. He is the telos because he is the arche. Jesus is the end because Jesus is the beginning."
Bible Reading: Revelation 啟示錄1:8; 1:17-18; 21:6-7; 22:13
Quotation
"Revelation should cause us to seriously re-evaluate how we understand the flow of history; of how we understand what is going on in the world and in our lives; and how we understand the place of Jesus Christ in the universe. The document was written to cause a radical re-evaluation of power, of suffering, of the consequences of everyday decision-making."
Bible Reading: Revelation 啟示錄 14:6-20
Quotation
'Every human being on the face of the globe is a disciple of someone or some ideology. So the question is never “Will I be a disciple?” The question is always “Whose disciple will I be?” The question is never “Will I be influenced by a spirit?” The question is always “Of all the spirits at work in the world, to which spirit will I yield?” The question is never “Will I live by the values of a kingdom?” The question is always “Of all the kingdoms competing for my allegiance, by whose kingdom values will I live?” The question is never “Will I wear a set of glasses through which I will look out at the world and try to make sense of what is going on and my place in it?” Everyone wears a set of glasses; everyone has a set of deeply held, basic pre-suppositions about how things are. The question is always “whose set of glasses will I wear?” So the question is never “Will I be a disciple?” The question is always “Whose disciple will I be?”'
Bible Reading: Revelation 啟示錄 17-19; 21-22
Quotation
“Scriptures seem clear enough about the importance of crucifying our sin nature (Romans 8:13). But attempts to eliminate things that we find in our self that we do not first accept as part of us rely on denial, not crucifixion. Crucifixion should be directed toward our sin nature. And we must first accept it as our nature, not simply human nature. Only after we genuinely know and accept everything we find within our self we begin to develop the discernment to know that what should be crucified and what should be embraced as an important part of self.”
~David G. Benner, “The Gift of Being Yourself”, InterVarsity Press (2004, 2015), p.54-55
Bible Reading: Romans 羅馬書8:13
Quotation
"...it would be healthy for every congregation to periodically (say, every five years) declare that all programs and activities stop and only be started up again if it can be demonstrated that they are in fact accomplishing their biblical purpose. Perhaps we ought to do the same with our own personal lives. Periodically stop everything and only start up that which keeps us in relationship with Jesus and fulfills his purpose for us. Strengthen what remains."
Bible Reading: Luke 路加福音 12:35-37
Quotation
"’Head and hair … white like wool, like snow.’ The words declare the agelessness of Jesus Christ. He was there before the beginning; He will be there after the end. He is here in the middle. He has been around to see it all: the rise and fall of ancient Assyria and Babylon and Persia; the rise and fall of Greece and Rome; the rise and fall of the world-dominating empires of Spain and Britain. He has been around and watched the assent and collapse of ideologies: of Apartheid, Marxism, Darwinism. Rulers have had their day. Systems of thought have had their day. But He keeps on standing!"
Bible Reading: Revelation 啟示錄 1:14
Quotation
“This folk song [Der Mond ist aufgegangen] is typical, beginning as a paean to the beauty of the natural world, but soon turning into a meditation on mankind’s need for God and finally into a prayer, asking God to help us ‘poor and prideful sinners’ to see his salvation when we die—and in the meantime here on earth to help us to be ‘like little children, cheerful and faithful.’”
~Eric Metaxa (2010). Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Thomas Nelson. Kindle Location 645.
Bible Reading: Matthew 馬太福音 19:14
Quotation
"God wants mystical union, yet this mystical union is not merely a felt oneness of interior experience, but a real harmony of all experience, every aspect of our lives: personal, doctrinal, social, ecological. God desires that we share in the divine life so fully that our very actions and character display the divine: a ‘mystical life.’"
Bible Reading: Ephesians 以弗所書 3:14-21
Quotation
"I rejoice to see this historical rediscovery, although it implies that we also need to become more spiritually discerning of all the past follies of the church. This need was well summarized by an old friend, Richard Halverson, chaplain to the United States Senate, who used to say: ‘Christianity was birthed in Palestine soil to become relational; then it developed in the Greek lands to become philosophical; in the Roman world it expanded to become institutional; then in the Anglo-Saxon world it became cultural; and now, in the American economy it has become an enterprise!’"
Bible Reading: Philippians 腓立比書 1:9-11
Quotation
"At conversion a person is made alive in Christ through the grace of the Spirit. This experience of the justifying and renewing grace of God is one wherein a seed of the life of God is planted, so to speak; and the Christian is called to nurture and cultivate this seed, to grow up in the grace of God that has been planted in the human heart (1 Peter 1:22–2:3)."
Bible Reading: 1 Peter 彼得前書 1:22–2:3
Quotation
"Central to Christian spirituality are relationships: the relationship of Christians with God, one another, and others. The biblical command to love God and neighbor expresses well this relational core in Christian living. How relationships are expressed depends very much on cultural notions and standards. In some cultures, maintaining smooth interpersonal relationships is of utmost importance, to the extent of denying tensions in a relationship and bending truth to service the relationship. In other cultures, this would be seen as a dangerous compromise and inauthentic. How does one learn to speak the truth in love? There are as many answers as there are cultures…"
Bible Reading: Mark 馬可福音 12:30-31; Ephesians 以弗所書 4:15
Quotation
“Hoping does not mean doing nothing. It is not fatalistic resignation. It means going about our assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and the conclusions. It is not compelled to work away at keeping up appearances with a bogus spirituality. It is the opposite of desperate and panicky manipulations, of scurrying and worrying. And hoping is not dreaming. It is not spinning an illusion or fantasy to protect us from our boredom or our pain. It means a confident, alert expectation that God will do what he said he will do. It is imagination put in the harness of faith. It is a willingness to let God do it his way and in his time. It is the opposite of making plans that we demand that God put into effect, telling him both how and when to do it. That is not hoping in God but bullying God. I pray to GOD-my life a prayer-and wait for what he'll say and do. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.”
~ Eugene H. Peterson. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society. IVP Books. 2000.
Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 歷代志上 16:11
Quotation
"The work of artistry then, gives us a picture of the spiritual life itself, a powerful analogy of the work God’s Holy Spirit is bringing about in us. As the Spirit transforms us “into [Christ’s] likeness with ever-increasing glory” (2 Cor. 3:18), the ordinary stuff of the world—our own humanity—is taken up, beautified, and sanctified in the praise of God. In the spiritual life, we creatures offer ourselves to God to be filled with his presence; and without any diminishment of our humanity or individuality, we are made whole and perfect. So then, while the arts are a perennial dimension of human devotion, it is ultimately the Spirit who is the great artist, and his surpassing masterpiece is men and women remade in the image of the perfect humanity of Jesus Christ."
Bible Reading: Exodus出埃及記 35:35
Quotation
『「我真是苦阿！ 誰能救我脫離這取死的身體呢？(羅馬書 7:24 ) 」… 這段經文的重點是「能」和「救」，答案也很清晰，就是只有基督能救我。靜下來藏在磐石穴中，的確是重要的操練。然而，被救，看見生命的傷痛、罪過和裂痕，去到主前、聆聽到主的聲音，被衪撫平，那種平靜更要成為日常的操練。』
~蔡貴恆，崔妙姗. 遇見盼望. 基道出版社(2018) . p.1-4.
Bible Reading: Romans 羅馬書 7:24
Quotation
“According to Albert Einstein, ‘The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mystical. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead.’ Teilhard de Chardin, the Jesuit paleontologist, said, 'Less and less do I see any difference between research and adoration.'”
~Barbara Brown Taylor. The Luminous Web. Cowley Publications, 2000. p.100.
Bible Reading: Psalm 詩篇 104:24-25
Quotation
“The whole of a person’s life consists in a series of balanced responses to this Transcendent-Immanent Reality. Because we live under two orders, we are at once a citizen of Eternity and of Time. Like a pendulum, our consciousness moves perpetually – or should move if it is healthy – between God and our neighbour, between this world and that. The wholeness, sanity, and balance of our existence depend entirely upon the perfection of our adjustment to this double situation; on the steady alternating beat of our outward adoration, and our homeward-turning swing of charity. Now, it is the outward swing which I want to consider: the powers that may be used in it, and the best way in which these powers may be employed.”
~Evelyn Underhill. ‘What do we mean by prayer?’. Devotional Classics. Eds. Richard J. Foster and James Bryan Smith. HarperCollins, 2005. p.95.
Bible Reading: Luke 路加福音 5:15-16
Quotation
「對於基督徒而言，心靈札記就是我們在朝聖路上與主相遇相交的親身經歷，透過回想、禱告、反省等，我們把抽象而雜亂的思想和感受真誠地記錄下來，從而讓我們更認識神、認識自己、以及我們所處的環境對我們的意義。因此，寫心靈札記是一項屬靈操練，就像禱告、默想、獨處一樣，目標是深化我們與神的關係。當我們恆切記錄心聲時，你會發現自己對於內心的境況會愈來愈敏感；我們一方面運用左腦，把豐富但混亂意念慢慢組織起來，同時運用右腦，以細膩的感情或創意，一一記錄下來。」
~蔡貴恆崔妙珊合著.都市人的靈命塑造.天道書樓有限公司.p.120-121.
Bible Reading: Psalm 詩篇 119:18
Quotation
「在心靈深處集中的禱告，在傳統中常被稱為「歸心祈禱 」(Centering Prayer)，是無言的、集中的。而當我們發覺思緒煩亂、 使我們不能集中時，我們就在心中默默的以聖言來安定自己在神面前。...最初學習歸心禱告的人，可能需要稍用意志來幫助自己突破久被思想或感受影響及紛擾的心靈。但當我們操練純熟時，就不單發覺以愛回歸到心中是何等輕而易舉的事，並且明白心靈深處實在是神聖的中心。」
~蔡貴恆崔妙珊合著.都市人的靈命塑造.天道書樓有限公司.p.109.
Bible Reading: Romans 羅馬書 8:26-27
Quotation
「要讀好聖經，簡單來說是要左右腦並用、 主客觀調和。 但深入一點看， 這更是身心靈的共同參與的歷程以達到一整全的了解。 所謂整全的讀(holistic) 是要從文法、歷史、文學等角度 ，再加上實踐及靈修的眼光來發現聖經的真理。 在此過程中又牽涉到一整合的操練。 所謂整合的讀(integrative) 就是經過客觀的反省、 主觀的感應體會、 並在安靜中禱告細味的學習。」
~蔡貴恆崔妙珊合著.都市人的靈命塑造.天道書樓有限公司.p.82.
Bible Reading: Hebrews 希伯來書 4:12
Quotation
"In their totality, the diverse definitions of prayer served up by devoted Christian prayers of all centuries envision a dynamic, transformative, dialogical relationship between humans and the triune God, one to which humans are graciously invited by God."
~Glen G. Scorgie and Kevin S. Reimer. ‘Spirituality in Community’. Dictionary of Christian Spirituality. Eds. Glen G. Scorgie, Simon Chan, Gordon T. Smith, James D. Smith III. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011. p.166.
Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 歷代志下 7:14
Quotation
‘They speak luminously of prayer as a “dialogue with God” (Clement of Alexandria), a “continual intercourse of the spirit with God” (Evagrius of Pontus), “raising of the mind and heart to God” (Augustine of Hippo), an “altar to God in your mind” (John Chrysostom), “formal words or expressions” (Martin Luther), a “special friendship” (Teresa of Avila), “always believing” (E. M. Bounds), a “deepening of the soul’s unseen attachments” (Evelyn Underhill), “the real I who speaks” (C. S. Lewis), “the highest form of communication” (Ellul), an “attentiveness to God’s Spirit” (Wendy Wright), an “inner Sabbath” (Marjorie Thompson), a “way of living in awareness of the Presence” (Richard Rohr), a “currency of a relationship” (Philip Yancey), a “daring venture into speech” (Eugene Peterson), a “remedy for world-weariness” (Emilie Griffin), “an exploration of all our faculties as channels towards God” (Margaret Hebblethwaite), a “homesickness for God” (James Houston), and a “human readiness to hear” (Simon Chan).’
~Glen G. Scorgie and Kevin S. Reimer. ‘Spirituality in Community’. Dictionary of Christian Spirituality. Eds. Glen G. Scorgie, Simon Chan, Gordon T. Smith, James D. Smith III. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011. p.166.
Bible Reading: Matthew馬太福音6:5-15; Luke路加福音11:1-13
Quotation
“A great simplicity of heart underlies and sustains a contemplative prayer. That allows us to surrender ourselves to God, letting ourselves be borne toward Him. This process of self-surrender may be sustained by simple songs, repeated over and over, such as: 'My soul finds rest in God alone.'”
Bible Reading: Romans羅馬書 8:26-27
Quotation
“God of all loving, as we seek You with confidence, we wait for even our inner contradictions to open to the presence of Your Holy Spirit.”
Bible Reading: Hebrews 希伯來書 11:1
Quotation
“Contemplation means living what we read, not wasting any of it or hoarding any of it, but using it up in living. It is life formed by God’s revealing word, God’s word read and heard, meditated and prayed. The contemplative life is not a special kind of life; it is the Christian life, nothing more but also nothing less. But lived.”
~Peterson, Eugene H. (2006). Eat This Book. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, p. 113.
Bible Reading: Mark馬可福音 12:30-31
Quotation
“The concept of boundaries comes from the very nature of God. God defines himself as a distinct, separate being, and he is responsible for himself. He defines and takes responsibility for his personality by telling us what he thinks, feels, plans, allows, will not allow, likes, and dislikes… In the same way, he gave us ‘likeness’ (Gen. 1:26), he gave us personal responsibility within limits. He wants us to ‘rule and subdue’ the earth and to be responsible stewards over the life he has given us. To do that, we need to develop boundaries like God’s.”
~ Henry Cloud & John Townsend. Boundaries. Zondervan, 1992. p.32-33.
Bible Reading: Genesis 創世記 1:26
Quotation
“Formative reading requires that you approach the text in humility. Read as a seeker, not an expert. Don’t demand that the text meet your expectations for what an 'enlightened' author should write. Humility means accepting the author as another imperfect human, a product of his or her own time and situation. Learn to celebrate what is foundational in an author’s writing without being overly disturbed by what is peculiar to the author’s life and times. Trust the text as a gift from both God and the author, offered to you for your benefit – to help you grow in Christ.”
~ John Woolman. Walking Humbly With God. Upper Room Books, 2000. p.69
Bible Reading: James 雅各書 4:10
Quotation
“If we deny the existence of darkness within ourselves because we think we are pure, then the light cannot come into us. So too, if we think we are only darkness, unworthy of God, we close up in our darkness; we cut ourselves off from the light and prevent it from entering into our lives.”
~ Jean Vanier. Befriending the Stranger. Wm.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2005. p.55.
Bible Reading: John 1:1-5 (MSG)
Quotation
'When Eve quotes God’s words back to the evil one, she, having begun to become suspicious of God, leaves out “free,” and says we are not to eat or “touch” the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and says that is “in the middle.” Not so, the tree of knowledge of life is in the middle, not the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She “moves it” to the middle, making it problematic. The implication being she is becoming suspicious that God is withholding something she and Adam need in order to be fully human.'
Bible Reading: Genesis 2:9 (NKJV)
Quotation
“If theological reflection is an openness of one’s mind to God’s truth and wisdom, spiritual formation is the openness of one’s heart in gratitude to God and God’s people.”
~ Henri Nouwen, Michael J. Christensen, Rebecca J. Laird. Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit. HarperCollins. (2010). p.22.
Bible Reading: Colossians 歌羅西書 2:6-7
Quotation
“Contemplative prayer depends on the growth of faith, hope, and divine love and deals with the purification, healing, and sanctification of the substance of the soul and its faculties.” ~ Keating, Thomas. Open Mind Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel. The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. (2003). p.6.
Bible Reading: Ephesians 以弗所書 1:18-23; Acts 使徒行傳 21:12-14
Messages Received - Thank you!
姓名 Name: Alan Choi
留言 Message: Keating's understanding of contemplation incline towards the apophatic tradition. I think we have to direct others to also focus on reading as well as applying the Scriptures. Thanks very much!
Sent on: 6 August, 2018
Quotation
“As we do the work God has laid out for us, we always work within the larger framework of the community and fellowship we are a part of. We do not go off in a corner and do something creative. The dominion mentioned in Genesis 1:26 is meant to be exercised in a community of love, not in individual dominion. We find our delight in our friendships with other people, which moves us toward the trinitarian nature of human community.”
Bible Reading: Genesis 創世記 1:26
Quotation
"Ancient Christian leaders were convinced that more than intellectual prowess alone was necessary to approach and worship the mystery of God; the wonder of the incarnation, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of the Son of God; the intricacies of human relationships; and the complexities of the created order. Holy living, disciplined thinking, feasting upon Christ in the Eucharist, keen observation of human society and the natural world, and continual prayer were key aspects of ancient Christian spirituality’s approach to growing into the truth."
Bible Reading: Hebrews 希伯來書 4:12
Quotation
"Heart pondering is noticing what arises in our depths in response to something – feelings, memories, longings, hopes, and fears. This is what Mary the mother of Jesus did at the Annunciation when she pondered what she had heard from the angel in her heart. Mental pondering adds enormous value to normal thinking but heart pondering broadens both the inner reflective space and the tools you bring to the pondering. Don’t settle for mental pondering. Begin to also learn and practice heart pondering.”
Bible Reading: Luke 路加福音 1:46-55
Quotation
"The wise development and nurture of key virtues, such as patience, holiness, stability, self-control, gentleness, kindness, perseverance, discretion, and peace (cf. Gal. 5:22)—all summed up in the word love—were viewed as essentials in spiritual development. The healing and union of the mind and the heart—the intellect and the affections—enabled Christians to move ever more deeply into the mystery of Christ, “in whom,” as Paul puts it, “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3)." ~ Gordon T. Smith. ‘Education and Spiritual Formation’. Dictionary of Christian Spirituality. Eds. Glen G. Scorgie, Simon Chan, Gordon T. Smith, James D. Smith III. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011. p.79.
Bible Reading: Galatians加拉太書 5:22-26; Colossians歌羅西書 2:2-3
Quotation
“Jesus did not just quote Scripture and tell people to obey it. In fact He did so rarely, and even then often gave it an unexpected twist. He realized that the secret of desiring something lies more in the imagination than the will. So He constantly worked on people’s imagination. He was a master of the dramatic action and the apt reply. He did and said eminently memorable things that gripped hearts and minds. In all this He had one overriding aim. He stated it at the very beginning of His ministry after His temptations: 'The time has arrived; the kingdom of God is upon you. Repent, and believe the Gospel' (Mark 1:15)." ~ Ford, David F. (1997, 2004). The Shape of Living: Spiritual Directions for Everyday Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, p.66-67.
Bible Reading: John 約翰福音 3:1–21
Quotation
"Ancient Christian leaders were convinced that more than intellectual prowess alone was necessary to approach and worship the mystery of God; the wonder of the incarnation, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of the Son of God; the intricacies of human relationships; and the complexities of the created order. Holy living, disciplined thinking, feasting upon Christ in the Eucharist, keen observation of human society and the natural world, and continual prayer were key aspects of ancient Christian spirituality’s approach to growing into the truth."
Bible Reading: Hebrews 希伯來書 4:12
Quotation
“The ideal for hearing from God is finally determined by who God is, what kind of beings we are and what a personal relationship between ourselves and God should be like.“
Messages Received - Thank you!
姓名 Name: Rita Cheng
留言 Message: Dear Lord, if I just try to figure out who You are and understand you only by my knowledge and mind, try to gain more attention and affection from you by "doing more” and/or “doing better”, you probably become a God whom preset in my mind... Lord, I just want to love You and worship You in the way You want me to and I trust You will show me, and speak to me, and form me in the direction which will be pleasing you. In return, I will be satisfied and be joy in the intimate relationship with you.
Sent on: 26 April, 2018
Quotation
“When accompanied by prayer and other spiritual disciplines, the study of the Scriptures is the very lifeblood of the Christian believer and of the Christian community. And the necessary complement to the Scriptures is the historic teachings of the church… education and evangelism are integrally linked… Conversation is, then, a decision to become a learner, a disciple, who attends to the teaching ministry of Jesus as revealed or communicated by the Spirit through the Scriptures and the faith tradition of the Christian community.”
Bible Reading: Romans 羅馬書 12:2; John 約翰福音 17:17; Ephesians 以弗所書 4:14-15
Quotation
“Spiritual theology differs from systematic theology in both subject matter and approach. Systematic theology covers a wider range of subjects that are usually organized around broad loci such as God, creation, Christ, salvation, man and so on. The subjects of spiritual theology concern the development of the spiritual life. In terms of method, spiritual theology builds on the findings of systematic theology and draws out their practical implications.”
Bible Reading: Hebrews 希伯來書 5:11-7:28; 1 Samuel 撒母耳記上 2:18-26; Luke 路加福音 2:39-52
Quotation
“基督的救贖為我們帶來安息。當我們悔改接受基督時 ，我們被改變了。但要得安息 ，掌握悔改的原意是非常重要的。悔改 (repentance) 這字的原意遠較一般人認為「悔改」即「承認錯誤」的意思豐富得多，較理想的翻譯是「改變你的心意」(changing your mind)，也是「我終於明白了」的態度，不僅使我們作出一百八十度的改變，更能在新的亮光下看事物 ，更新我們對待生命的態度。”
~蔡貴恆.(2012).逆轉靈性「靈命成長新秩序」.香港:靈根自植國際網絡,p.39.
Bible Reading: Isaiah 以賽亞書 30:15; 2 Corinthians 歌林多後書 7:10; Romans 羅馬書 12:1-2
Quotation
“The vocabulary of the Christian faith contains many descriptors for relationships of superior quality. It includes, for example, shalom, that wistful desideratum of the ancient Jews. In the New Testament the descriptive language includes fellowship or koinonia; later it has come to contain community and communion, with their etymological suggestions of intimate sharing. The best words are not the hierarchical ones (arch-this and uber-that), but the co-words of mutuality and partnership.”
Bible Reading: Psalm 詩篇 133; Colossians 歌羅西書 3:16
Messages Received - Thank you!
姓名 Name: Susan Choi
留言 Message: Shalom! What a beautiful word, expressing loving concerns over our whole being. I seem to hear Jesus saying "Shalom" to His disciples, and how much I wish I could hear it at all times.
Sent on: 24 February, 2018
姓名 Name: Clara
留言 Message: When I was reading the quote on "Christian faith contains many descriptors for relationships of superior quality... The best words are ... the co-words of mutuality and partnership”, I pondered upon the co-words of mutuality and partnership of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Then, the "Andrei Rublev of Trinity" painting came to mind.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AAngelsatmamre-trinity-rublev-1410.jpg
Sent on: 1 March, 2018
Quotation
“Christian spirituality is, in its entirety, rooted in and shaped by the spiritual text. We don’t form our personal spiritual lives out of a random assemblage of favorite texts in combination with individual circumstances; we are formed by the Holy Spirit in accordance with the text of Holy Scripture, God does not put us in charge of forming our personal spiritualities. We grow in accordance with the revealed Word implanted in us by the Spirit.”
~Peterson, Eugene H. (2006). Eat This Book. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, p.15.
Bible Reading: John 約翰福音 6:48-50
Messages Received - Thank you!
姓名 Name: Susan Choi
留言 Message: So encouraging to hear that 'we are formed by the Holy Spirit in accordance with the text of Holy Scripture'. Lord, teach us to love your Word and walk in your Spirit.
Sent on: 10 February, 2018
姓名 Name: Alan Choi
留言 Message: That quote is very Biblical and very SFI. Amen!
Sent on: 12 February, 2018
