Strolling through this evergreen spiritual meadow on Mount Athos, at each monastery I visited, I felt as though I were seeing a spiritual rose blooming for a thousand years, clearly exuding the fragrance of truth.
This is an invitation to listen to the echoes, following the recent Fourth Lausanne Congress on Evangelization held in Incheon, South Korea. When the noise dies down and silence starts to reign, what are we hearing and seeing? What is rising within? Here I share a small glimpse from the lens of an observer and virtual participant.
When our own cultural perspective is extremely limited, our capacity for ministering cross-culturally will likewise be significantly constrained. A perspective growing out of spiritual maturity—more and more of us and fewer and fewer of them—will go a long way toward effective ministering cross-culturally.
The quest for identity resonated universally. From existential ponderings to spiritual revelations, it echoes through time, inviting souls to rediscover their essence in harmonious communion with the divine, others and the creation.
What is your inner geography and how is the Spirit of God moving in your life? Spiritual companionship may provide a way forward for transformation from the inside out, leading to a lifegiving path upon which all of us are invited to walk.
Thankfully, God loves us with actions and in truth whether we are at odds with him or not. Investing in a relationship with someone we are at odds with, assuming it is not an abusive relationship, can reflect that same type of love and have significant impact.
We are awakened and attuned with the universe that resonates with the sound, fragrance, and power of God’s creativity. Then our hearts may be in sync with the heartbeat of God, and we are able to receive the outpouring of divine love and creativity through creation.
While preaching the good news of Jesus, his resurrection, grace, and peace, these pastors nevertheless receive criticism and doubt in return…Chinese Christian pastors in America whom we have met all have stories of doubts, despair, frustration, loneliness, and sometimes even betrayal or danger.
Following the rhythm and images in [Haizi’s] poem, my poem introduces complementary and contrasting ideas as well as tones and metaphors from a Christian perspective. The repeated lines of “Today” in contrast to Haizi’s “From tomorrow on” signify that salvation is available today (Luke 4:21).
A new paper available in ResearchShare on calling, vocation, and spiritual formation as it relates to Chinese Christians in mission service and the churches that send them.
This paper is a brief discussion of calling, vocation, and spiritual formation as it relates to Chinese Christians in mission service and the churches that send them.
Originally written as an assignment in the author’s doctoral program, the paper is based on interviews with Chinese Christians about their journey of spiritual formation, their life callings, and vocational stewardship. Other relevant research is also included.
Poetry is not only a form of cultural exegesis, but also a mode of common theology enriching conversations and reflections. When poetry is spiritually impregnated, it becomes a form of doxology, which I regard as the ground of all theology and missiology.