By; Sulad Jhun Cardeinte
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Pro. 3:5,6 RSV
There was an occasion that I had privileged to attend leadership seminar in Bangkok. The featured speaker was the director of the Buddhist ministry. And so I was excited to attend with all my expectation that I can gather important strategies on how to reach out the Buddhist mind. I got my new notebook ready to list down all important procedures. But I was amazed to hear different things of what I had expected. He appealed to us to spend more time in prayer for the Buddhist people we are reaching and to pray honestly to search our own heart that we will become a living witness rather than witty. His obvious appeal was to humble ourselves before God to seek revival and reformation. To acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s power so that we will become true light bearers and by faith God will teach us of everything that we are going to do.
I have attended the seminar to improve my strategies but result was so different. His spiritual approach was so Biblically sound that it changed me!!! I started to realized to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Pro. 3:5,6. Truly amazing!
What count is not how much good strategies we have made and how unique are those, but how prayerfully dependent and submissive we are to the dictates of the Holy Spirit. Truly, nowadays many evangelists substitute the Holy Spirit to strategies and methods, spending less and less time in prayer and depending on their skills, talents, budget, and new technologies to catch the attention of their audience. They have very entertaining presentation! “Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.” Matt. 7:20.
I was brought up with the thought that effective missionary means more experience, expert and knowledgeable about strategies. My understanding about equipping means logically knowledgeable. I was always conscious about the goals and objectives so I can list down all strategies on how to achieve my goals. Those were my fatal mistakes.
Often our goals have driven us to formulate strategies but not to close our doors to talk about it with God. And so when we achieved our goals, these do not brought us any good but lead us more steps farther away from God. Since God is not fully acknowledged, there was very less involvement of the Holy Spirit. Try to listen to many mission stories; we can hear many mission reports which have very self-centered tune. They tried to say praise God!!! But the whole content has the message “I’m great!”, “my success!”, That’s because of me!” and etc. This area is where satan has been successful. The living pen of inspiration has been warning us, “As activity increases and men become successful in doing any work for God, there is danger of trusting to human plans and methods. There is a tendency to pray less, and to have less faith.” DA 362.
Evangelism is not a kind of worldly business that we are going to do the conferencing only to develop our ability, to formulate strategies to increase our sales. The Apostle Paul exhort us “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord….and I will receive you.” 2 Cor. 6: 17. We are different from the worldly commerce’s approach. Ours is a mission to bring others to Jesus with a promise of a complete powerful guidance of the Holy Spirit if we humbly acknowledge. The focus of preparation is not more on equipping skills and ability but spirituality. What make our members spiritual is not actually our witty strategies, but our spirituality itself.
The message of this article is not to discourage any of you to develop Biblically sound methods but simply to encourage to completely acknowledge the Divine help, to give room for the Holy Spirit to freely work in all the details. If we love the unreach people as Jesus Christ and Paul did then we should study them carefully, learning how to reach them. If we are humble and dependent to God’s strength, the Holy Spirit will give us wisdom on how to develop evangelistic methods that could lift up Jesus Christ in all His beauty. Jesus said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." John 12: 32.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Ekklesia in the Cross-cultural Evangelism Context
by; Sulad Jhun Cardeinte
“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46,47
What is the true goal of church planting? How do some missionaries view church planting? How does it affect our mission? Is church a building? What does the word “ekklessia”(church) mean? Let us examine the word “ekklesia” in the concept of cross-cultural ministry. I like the two among the five definitions cited in the Greek dictionary that define “ekklesia” as,(1)an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting.(2) A company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order’s sake.
A notable Adventist scholar Siegfried Horn has similar observation when he said, “In NT (New Testament) times this term is most frequently applied to a body of people who believe in Jesus as the Messiah and who accept Him and His teachings, and who are joined to the organization originated by Him.” Acts 2:38,41,47.
With those definitions, it is safe to say that the term church or ekklesia has nothing to do with the building. As it is “the total number of Christians living in one place.”
Sad to say that we have the feeling that if we cannot see the finish building project that is standing, we feel we are not successful in the ministry, this is not necessarily the measuring standard of the ministry. We must be patient to wait for the right time. Since we are just mere human instrumentalities and what usually see is limited, we must be patient and asked God to reveal His plan about the work we engaged in. So that His divine leading will become clear to us.
Frustrations Amidst Victory
I remember a missionary family who left the mission field with disappointment. Feeling that they were not successful after 6 years of hard work, the husband said, “we are not yet done.” There were baptisms and meetings in one of his member’s house. Two years later after they left, they heard the house of worship being established. They felt they are not really effective and successful in their ministry. “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.” 1 Cor. 3:8.
One of our Korean companions in the Philippines had the same feeling. He left our country so disappointed since he wanted to see the church-building within his term. We tried to do our best to support his goal but the situation did not permit since we are working in the Moslem area. We were even receiving threats many times. We were even disappointed one time when our companion asked permission to the local officials for the church building permit. Though the situation is tight but the plan to build a worship hall was there. We know it would really take time. But he was not really satisfied with the almost 20 active members we have had. Finally he left our country broken hearted. But almost two years later, that was the time the members started to work out the church building.
Similarly, if a missionary is doing a church planting project it is not necessarily mean that building project is part of it. But rather he is planting people for Christ’s sake, sowing the seeds in the heart not ground breaking ceremony for the building to be put up.
Satan Can Use the Building Projects
Satan wants to focus our mind to plan for the building projects and so that we have only little energy and time to feed our flock. Satan can use the building projects so that our primary goal of church planting will be delay. He tries to do his best that the missionary will loose his focus.
Cross-culturally, this building project has been proven to be the cause that many of our works were close in other places. For example, in the Moslem and Buddhist area, these worship hall- building projects are so painful to their eyes.
There was a case in the mission field that we are about to put up a big building project, we are wondering that the members were not so cooperative about the beautiful plan. It seems they were not responsive and interested. We wondered why they were so satisfied with our church services done in one of their home.
When we started to mount the costly pillars, the members saw it was not an ordinary meeting place that is going to be when it’s done. With a positive anticipation that the building is really big, our church members were begging a favor and warned us not to build a costly one, but just simple and low profile meeting place because they will be endangered. Few weeks later, with only just the skeletal frame of the building being done, they received threats from the local Moslem leaders and our layman was in trouble.
Another sad story was about a missionary lady who lost her relationship with the people because she tried to insist to put up a building thinking that she was building a church. Many years before that incident, no previous missionaries dared to insist about the plan because the village chieftain is so oppose to Christianity. Besides, some villagers were enjoying their worship services in the mission school building. The worse result is beyond we can imagine, the missionary lady who was so excited about church building project ended her term with devastating failure while the missionaries who took over her place suffer the open prejudices from the village head and his loyalist.
Now we don’t need to repeat these sad experiences. We cannot afford to close our work earlier. We need to be observant and learn from the situation we are in. We need to know the heart of our members whether they are willing to put up a house of worship or not. Sad to say, that there are some building projects in other places which this time were abandon because the local members have no interest at all.
We must understand that the finished and beautiful building you can see along the highway is not a church itself rather it is a sign that there is a church actively moving in that certain place.
This should be the lesson young generation missionaries’ need to learn. That instead of focusing to the building projects we should focus on disciple-making and reaching the non-believers in the village. Church planting’s priority is people. We should not focus on the “monumental banner” (building projects) of our ministry. We should not plant a beautiful building rather plant a beautiful church! Because whether you left the place this beautiful-committed people can plant a building themselves.
Sad Mission Stories
Many of our Adventist church-building projects seem to give message to the world that we will not go to heaven anymore. The building is so luxurious, that what the building lack seems the label “The Kingdom of Seventh-day Adventist.” This gives wrong impression to the world. If we still believe and sing “This World is not my Home” then we should not be luxurious in our building so we could save enough funds for our evangelistic efforts.
Donors who love to donate funds for the building projects, should honestly seek God’s guidance in their decision, whether it is in God’s time that the place needs a building or not or else it would just be abandon and useless.
Excepting those committed and sincere donors, it is tempting to donate funds for the building projects since building can easily be seen. This may endangered our spiritual condition. Not because of some wanting their names to be written in front of the building, but we may take the pride of ourselves, hearing the clap and appreciation from the recipient church. Is it not the modern blowing of trumpet Jesus’ talk about? “…They have received their reward in full.” Matt.6:2
Sad to say, when a missionary itself focus on the building project, asking funds for the building project rather than the personal evangelism. Perhaps, there are three reasons why missionary are get excited on the building project. First, he is not totally aware of his role as church planter. Second, he wants to have a name in the building and wanted the clapping of hands of his home church, supervisor and donors-like an actor wanting a lot of fans. Third, he wants his donors see the monument of the result of their financial support to have more funds coming in.
There are many building projects in the Philippines which are so beautiful, but it is no longer operational. This may hold true to other places. After the foreign missionaries left the mission field, the members stop worshipping. Why? Because the missionary have only put up a good foundation on his building project but he was not able to build up strong foundation that the members themselves will not be shaken.
Another sad story I learned since I started working as missionary was that big budget for the building project is already there before we launched out the evangelistic effort, but sad to say that the office did not have enough budget to support the laymen and the missionary who took time to nurture the infant churches. The result, we have a nice abandon Adventist building but literally the church does not exist! No real church coming in to worship. This has been the sad mission story that many missionaries don’t want to tell!
Many missionaries have a very impressive report when they went back to their homeland. Telling about the beautiful mission stories they’re doing about the nice church they have finished, where in fact the reality is that they only accomplished the building project but not really their mission to plant the “ekklesia”. This has been the real story not included in the missionaries’ camera!
“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46,47
What is the true goal of church planting? How do some missionaries view church planting? How does it affect our mission? Is church a building? What does the word “ekklessia”(church) mean? Let us examine the word “ekklesia” in the concept of cross-cultural ministry. I like the two among the five definitions cited in the Greek dictionary that define “ekklesia” as,(1)an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting.(2) A company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order’s sake.
A notable Adventist scholar Siegfried Horn has similar observation when he said, “In NT (New Testament) times this term is most frequently applied to a body of people who believe in Jesus as the Messiah and who accept Him and His teachings, and who are joined to the organization originated by Him.” Acts 2:38,41,47.
With those definitions, it is safe to say that the term church or ekklesia has nothing to do with the building. As it is “the total number of Christians living in one place.”
Sad to say that we have the feeling that if we cannot see the finish building project that is standing, we feel we are not successful in the ministry, this is not necessarily the measuring standard of the ministry. We must be patient to wait for the right time. Since we are just mere human instrumentalities and what usually see is limited, we must be patient and asked God to reveal His plan about the work we engaged in. So that His divine leading will become clear to us.
Frustrations Amidst Victory
I remember a missionary family who left the mission field with disappointment. Feeling that they were not successful after 6 years of hard work, the husband said, “we are not yet done.” There were baptisms and meetings in one of his member’s house. Two years later after they left, they heard the house of worship being established. They felt they are not really effective and successful in their ministry. “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.” 1 Cor. 3:8.
One of our Korean companions in the Philippines had the same feeling. He left our country so disappointed since he wanted to see the church-building within his term. We tried to do our best to support his goal but the situation did not permit since we are working in the Moslem area. We were even receiving threats many times. We were even disappointed one time when our companion asked permission to the local officials for the church building permit. Though the situation is tight but the plan to build a worship hall was there. We know it would really take time. But he was not really satisfied with the almost 20 active members we have had. Finally he left our country broken hearted. But almost two years later, that was the time the members started to work out the church building.
Similarly, if a missionary is doing a church planting project it is not necessarily mean that building project is part of it. But rather he is planting people for Christ’s sake, sowing the seeds in the heart not ground breaking ceremony for the building to be put up.
Satan Can Use the Building Projects
Satan wants to focus our mind to plan for the building projects and so that we have only little energy and time to feed our flock. Satan can use the building projects so that our primary goal of church planting will be delay. He tries to do his best that the missionary will loose his focus.
Cross-culturally, this building project has been proven to be the cause that many of our works were close in other places. For example, in the Moslem and Buddhist area, these worship hall- building projects are so painful to their eyes.
There was a case in the mission field that we are about to put up a big building project, we are wondering that the members were not so cooperative about the beautiful plan. It seems they were not responsive and interested. We wondered why they were so satisfied with our church services done in one of their home.
When we started to mount the costly pillars, the members saw it was not an ordinary meeting place that is going to be when it’s done. With a positive anticipation that the building is really big, our church members were begging a favor and warned us not to build a costly one, but just simple and low profile meeting place because they will be endangered. Few weeks later, with only just the skeletal frame of the building being done, they received threats from the local Moslem leaders and our layman was in trouble.
Another sad story was about a missionary lady who lost her relationship with the people because she tried to insist to put up a building thinking that she was building a church. Many years before that incident, no previous missionaries dared to insist about the plan because the village chieftain is so oppose to Christianity. Besides, some villagers were enjoying their worship services in the mission school building. The worse result is beyond we can imagine, the missionary lady who was so excited about church building project ended her term with devastating failure while the missionaries who took over her place suffer the open prejudices from the village head and his loyalist.
Now we don’t need to repeat these sad experiences. We cannot afford to close our work earlier. We need to be observant and learn from the situation we are in. We need to know the heart of our members whether they are willing to put up a house of worship or not. Sad to say, that there are some building projects in other places which this time were abandon because the local members have no interest at all.
We must understand that the finished and beautiful building you can see along the highway is not a church itself rather it is a sign that there is a church actively moving in that certain place.
This should be the lesson young generation missionaries’ need to learn. That instead of focusing to the building projects we should focus on disciple-making and reaching the non-believers in the village. Church planting’s priority is people. We should not focus on the “monumental banner” (building projects) of our ministry. We should not plant a beautiful building rather plant a beautiful church! Because whether you left the place this beautiful-committed people can plant a building themselves.
Sad Mission Stories
Many of our Adventist church-building projects seem to give message to the world that we will not go to heaven anymore. The building is so luxurious, that what the building lack seems the label “The Kingdom of Seventh-day Adventist.” This gives wrong impression to the world. If we still believe and sing “This World is not my Home” then we should not be luxurious in our building so we could save enough funds for our evangelistic efforts.
Donors who love to donate funds for the building projects, should honestly seek God’s guidance in their decision, whether it is in God’s time that the place needs a building or not or else it would just be abandon and useless.
Excepting those committed and sincere donors, it is tempting to donate funds for the building projects since building can easily be seen. This may endangered our spiritual condition. Not because of some wanting their names to be written in front of the building, but we may take the pride of ourselves, hearing the clap and appreciation from the recipient church. Is it not the modern blowing of trumpet Jesus’ talk about? “…They have received their reward in full.” Matt.6:2
Sad to say, when a missionary itself focus on the building project, asking funds for the building project rather than the personal evangelism. Perhaps, there are three reasons why missionary are get excited on the building project. First, he is not totally aware of his role as church planter. Second, he wants to have a name in the building and wanted the clapping of hands of his home church, supervisor and donors-like an actor wanting a lot of fans. Third, he wants his donors see the monument of the result of their financial support to have more funds coming in.
There are many building projects in the Philippines which are so beautiful, but it is no longer operational. This may hold true to other places. After the foreign missionaries left the mission field, the members stop worshipping. Why? Because the missionary have only put up a good foundation on his building project but he was not able to build up strong foundation that the members themselves will not be shaken.
Another sad story I learned since I started working as missionary was that big budget for the building project is already there before we launched out the evangelistic effort, but sad to say that the office did not have enough budget to support the laymen and the missionary who took time to nurture the infant churches. The result, we have a nice abandon Adventist building but literally the church does not exist! No real church coming in to worship. This has been the sad mission story that many missionaries don’t want to tell!
Many missionaries have a very impressive report when they went back to their homeland. Telling about the beautiful mission stories they’re doing about the nice church they have finished, where in fact the reality is that they only accomplished the building project but not really their mission to plant the “ekklesia”. This has been the real story not included in the missionaries’ camera!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
The Power of Prayer
Reva Lachica Moore
revawall@bellsouth.net
You've probably seen it on television. You've probably read about it, also. A study was made on the effect of prayer on sick people. A hundred patients were prayed for daily, while another hundred were not. The result: those who'd been prayed for had less complications and got well much faster than those who were not. If you believe in the Divine Power, you won't question the result. If you don't believe, you might think that what happened to the first group were mere coincidences.
I attended a 50th anniversary of Dr. and Mrs. Barney McLarty of Memphis , TN many years ago. Dr. McLarty is the kind doctor who brought me to the U.S. over 30 years ago. During the short program in honor of the couple, many folks got up and gave their praise. One special comment by an attendee was: "The doctor always prayed for his patients." I admire a physician who doesn't take the glory for himself but trusts God to do the healing.
A believer…..
Two weeks ago, my friend Louise came to work very sick. Besides a nagging cough, she looked very weak. Louise is the cleaning lady for our laboratory. I always looked forward to seeing Louise. She and I had become good friends. But her condition that day worried me. On my way home that afternoon, I prayed for Louise. She told me she was praying also. The next day I learned that Louise had pneumonia.
I was so glad and quite surprised to see Louise today. She's a picture of health again. And, in just one week. Then she told me her story. She was so sick and had not eaten for two days. Her family was ready to take her to the hospital. She told about seeing a vision. In the vision she saw her dead mother talking and asked Louise to go with her. Louise said she didn't want to go. Louise thought she couldn't go with her mother since she's dead and that she's alive. Then she saw God. His back was turned around while He spoke. He told Louise that she would get well. In front of her, Louise saw two buckets with a mixing stick on each. One bucket was short but full of liquid. God told her that the full bucket was her joy. Then there was a tall bucket with a mixing stick that reach very high. The tall bucket was empty. God said, "The empty bucket represents all the good things that you've done for others that you didn't ask for anything in return." And God also told her, "You don't have to worry, I am your best friend."
Right away, Louise got up. She started throwing up. Then she got very hungry and started eating. Immediately she started to feel better. Her siblings were very surprised at her sudden healing. Could her mind have made all of that up? Louise believed that God Almighty came to heal her.
A non-believer…...
Twenty years ago I heard that my friend Skip in Memphis had surgery for colon cancer. I felt very sad so I called him right away. Skip was told that his condition was in its latest stage. He was dying. If he lived another year, he'd be lucky, he was told.
Each night, Skip called me and talked for a few hours. He was terrified and needed to talk with a friend. His condition had turned for the worse even more. I got very concerned. Skip called me at home and at work. There were nights when I didn't get any sleep because I couldn't turn my friend away. Many times he cried on the phone.
One night while at work, my supervisor, a godly man, suggested that we pray for Skip. So we did. At 11:00 p.m. we went in the office, closed the door behind us and prayed. My supervisor's prayer went like this: "In the name of Jesus, devil, leave the body of Skip. In the name of Jesus, devil, leave the house of Skip."
The next day Skip called to tell me about a very unusual happening the night before. I listened anxiously. He told his story that at 11:00 o'clock he was awakened. As if someone had hit him on the head. He got up and turned on the light in his bedroom. Then he turned on all the lights in his house while screaming, "In the blood of Christ, devil, get out of here." He said these words till 5:00 in the morning!
I was quite amazed at the exactness of the happening. For how could that be? Skip was in Memphis while my supervisor and I were praying for him here in Louisiana . That year Skip became well that the doctor told him he was in remission. Even the doctor was amazed. Skip lived another 20 years after that with no sign of cancer. Last year Poor Skip died of a heart attack at the age of 55.
Here are two people who experienced a very unusual healing. Louise believed in God while Skip did not. But someone prayed for both of them. Could what had happened to both of them be coincidence or Providence ? You decide for yourself.
I believe that God hears our pleas even for another person. The Holy Scriptures says in Isaiah 65:24: “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” The Lord bl
revawall@bellsouth.net
You've probably seen it on television. You've probably read about it, also. A study was made on the effect of prayer on sick people. A hundred patients were prayed for daily, while another hundred were not. The result: those who'd been prayed for had less complications and got well much faster than those who were not. If you believe in the Divine Power, you won't question the result. If you don't believe, you might think that what happened to the first group were mere coincidences.
I attended a 50th anniversary of Dr. and Mrs. Barney McLarty of Memphis , TN many years ago. Dr. McLarty is the kind doctor who brought me to the U.S. over 30 years ago. During the short program in honor of the couple, many folks got up and gave their praise. One special comment by an attendee was: "The doctor always prayed for his patients." I admire a physician who doesn't take the glory for himself but trusts God to do the healing.
A believer…..
Two weeks ago, my friend Louise came to work very sick. Besides a nagging cough, she looked very weak. Louise is the cleaning lady for our laboratory. I always looked forward to seeing Louise. She and I had become good friends. But her condition that day worried me. On my way home that afternoon, I prayed for Louise. She told me she was praying also. The next day I learned that Louise had pneumonia.
I was so glad and quite surprised to see Louise today. She's a picture of health again. And, in just one week. Then she told me her story. She was so sick and had not eaten for two days. Her family was ready to take her to the hospital. She told about seeing a vision. In the vision she saw her dead mother talking and asked Louise to go with her. Louise said she didn't want to go. Louise thought she couldn't go with her mother since she's dead and that she's alive. Then she saw God. His back was turned around while He spoke. He told Louise that she would get well. In front of her, Louise saw two buckets with a mixing stick on each. One bucket was short but full of liquid. God told her that the full bucket was her joy. Then there was a tall bucket with a mixing stick that reach very high. The tall bucket was empty. God said, "The empty bucket represents all the good things that you've done for others that you didn't ask for anything in return." And God also told her, "You don't have to worry, I am your best friend."
Right away, Louise got up. She started throwing up. Then she got very hungry and started eating. Immediately she started to feel better. Her siblings were very surprised at her sudden healing. Could her mind have made all of that up? Louise believed that God Almighty came to heal her.
A non-believer…...
Twenty years ago I heard that my friend Skip in Memphis had surgery for colon cancer. I felt very sad so I called him right away. Skip was told that his condition was in its latest stage. He was dying. If he lived another year, he'd be lucky, he was told.
Each night, Skip called me and talked for a few hours. He was terrified and needed to talk with a friend. His condition had turned for the worse even more. I got very concerned. Skip called me at home and at work. There were nights when I didn't get any sleep because I couldn't turn my friend away. Many times he cried on the phone.
One night while at work, my supervisor, a godly man, suggested that we pray for Skip. So we did. At 11:00 p.m. we went in the office, closed the door behind us and prayed. My supervisor's prayer went like this: "In the name of Jesus, devil, leave the body of Skip. In the name of Jesus, devil, leave the house of Skip."
The next day Skip called to tell me about a very unusual happening the night before. I listened anxiously. He told his story that at 11:00 o'clock he was awakened. As if someone had hit him on the head. He got up and turned on the light in his bedroom. Then he turned on all the lights in his house while screaming, "In the blood of Christ, devil, get out of here." He said these words till 5:00 in the morning!
I was quite amazed at the exactness of the happening. For how could that be? Skip was in Memphis while my supervisor and I were praying for him here in Louisiana . That year Skip became well that the doctor told him he was in remission. Even the doctor was amazed. Skip lived another 20 years after that with no sign of cancer. Last year Poor Skip died of a heart attack at the age of 55.
Here are two people who experienced a very unusual healing. Louise believed in God while Skip did not. But someone prayed for both of them. Could what had happened to both of them be coincidence or Providence ? You decide for yourself.
I believe that God hears our pleas even for another person. The Holy Scriptures says in Isaiah 65:24: “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” The Lord bl
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Living the Village’s Lifestyle
By; Alejandro Cardeinte
“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53: 2
By nature, people are materially possessive. They crave to possess worldly wealth and things. So let me ask straightforward, what kind of picture the villagers are seeing in us? Often unconsciously, missionaries’ possession they have brought into the mission field makes the gospel blurred. In which people think that missionaries are the savior of their poor economic status.
The kind of food we eat, the kind of house we built, the kind of car we park in, the kind of clothes we wear, the amount and kind of technology we depend on and most important the kind of equipment you use in your evangelistic meeting will determine whether what kind of missionary they are seeing and what kind of disciples a missionary is producing in his ministry.
It is not wise to live the same abundant lifestyle a missionary had at home. One of the ways to really spiritualize people we are trying to reach is that missionaries need to live the same way the villagers do, living a contented life rather than a confusing and complicated one. This is important to be seen by the people who have influenced by the Buddhism doctrine of contentment, simplicity and humility as the mark of true religion. It is a sad fact to note that many missionaries bring much possession in their mission station, things that are so strange to the eyes of the isolated poor villagers, things that for them can be seen as the mark the worldly wealth. It seems the missionary is trying to establish his own physical kingdom in the community he is in, building a big and fully furnished palace like house.
Many times I heard mission reports that missionaries’ expensive equipments were get stolen. Missionaries’ extravagance appearance attracts some bad people. And in some instances might endanger his life. Besides, the people you are working, in some cases, will no longer expect you to provide spiritual food for them but their basic need for survival rather than the saving gospel of Christ.
Sometimes missionary choose to wear expensive clothes too different from that of local people. Jesus our master missionary lived simple life while he did His missionary work on earth. “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53:2 He lived an earthly life as the same level as the others in the village whom He seeks to reach for His kingdom.
It is hard to give a sermon, “do not love the world or anything in the world,” 1 John 2:15 when it is actually cannot be seen in our parsonage. Missionaries living like a wealthy person with a lots of servants in his parsonage is not truly effective when he is working among the Buddhist. To the Buddhist, truly religious person means you are living the humblest life. A missionary’s lifestyle must reflect contentment and simplicity. This is the real Biblical. Having the kind of simple living will help our people to understand that this world is not our home.
Unnecessary belongings for display purposes should be avoided. What a missionary need to display is simplicity that promote the pure gospel of the scripture.
Often times in the hilltribe mission station, missionaries are considered rich people because they saw unused expensive things in our parsonage. There are lots of unnecessary things that they could observe. It is hard to believe our preaching, “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal,” Matthew 6:19, to separate from the worldly craving when they have been seeing their missionaries still attached to it.
Instead of promoting Jesus, it seems a missionary wanting to promote the latest branded stuffs. Which almost all of the poor locals don’t even know the most outdated one. Sometimes those unimportant things we have bought in can be interpreted as extravagance. The villagers often see us buying things we want and can only use very occasionally. Which contrary to the normal life of each villager, in which they buy things they need not because they wanted it.
You will only know what is being a poor if you have tried to be one with them. Now is the time live up the life Jesus had set. Now is the time to live up and preach “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal,” and now is the time to sing “ this world is not my home.” God bless…
“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53: 2
By nature, people are materially possessive. They crave to possess worldly wealth and things. So let me ask straightforward, what kind of picture the villagers are seeing in us? Often unconsciously, missionaries’ possession they have brought into the mission field makes the gospel blurred. In which people think that missionaries are the savior of their poor economic status.
The kind of food we eat, the kind of house we built, the kind of car we park in, the kind of clothes we wear, the amount and kind of technology we depend on and most important the kind of equipment you use in your evangelistic meeting will determine whether what kind of missionary they are seeing and what kind of disciples a missionary is producing in his ministry.
It is not wise to live the same abundant lifestyle a missionary had at home. One of the ways to really spiritualize people we are trying to reach is that missionaries need to live the same way the villagers do, living a contented life rather than a confusing and complicated one. This is important to be seen by the people who have influenced by the Buddhism doctrine of contentment, simplicity and humility as the mark of true religion. It is a sad fact to note that many missionaries bring much possession in their mission station, things that are so strange to the eyes of the isolated poor villagers, things that for them can be seen as the mark the worldly wealth. It seems the missionary is trying to establish his own physical kingdom in the community he is in, building a big and fully furnished palace like house.
Many times I heard mission reports that missionaries’ expensive equipments were get stolen. Missionaries’ extravagance appearance attracts some bad people. And in some instances might endanger his life. Besides, the people you are working, in some cases, will no longer expect you to provide spiritual food for them but their basic need for survival rather than the saving gospel of Christ.
Sometimes missionary choose to wear expensive clothes too different from that of local people. Jesus our master missionary lived simple life while he did His missionary work on earth. “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53:2 He lived an earthly life as the same level as the others in the village whom He seeks to reach for His kingdom.
It is hard to give a sermon, “do not love the world or anything in the world,” 1 John 2:15 when it is actually cannot be seen in our parsonage. Missionaries living like a wealthy person with a lots of servants in his parsonage is not truly effective when he is working among the Buddhist. To the Buddhist, truly religious person means you are living the humblest life. A missionary’s lifestyle must reflect contentment and simplicity. This is the real Biblical. Having the kind of simple living will help our people to understand that this world is not our home.
Unnecessary belongings for display purposes should be avoided. What a missionary need to display is simplicity that promote the pure gospel of the scripture.
Often times in the hilltribe mission station, missionaries are considered rich people because they saw unused expensive things in our parsonage. There are lots of unnecessary things that they could observe. It is hard to believe our preaching, “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal,” Matthew 6:19, to separate from the worldly craving when they have been seeing their missionaries still attached to it.
Instead of promoting Jesus, it seems a missionary wanting to promote the latest branded stuffs. Which almost all of the poor locals don’t even know the most outdated one. Sometimes those unimportant things we have bought in can be interpreted as extravagance. The villagers often see us buying things we want and can only use very occasionally. Which contrary to the normal life of each villager, in which they buy things they need not because they wanted it.
You will only know what is being a poor if you have tried to be one with them. Now is the time live up the life Jesus had set. Now is the time to live up and preach “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal,” and now is the time to sing “ this world is not my home.” God bless…
Who is My Neighbor?
Reva Lachica Moore
The desire to do good – to help the less-fortunate – is not an inherent trait. Rather, it is acquired through one’s upbringing, environmental surroundings, association with people, and more importantly, a willingness to help placed in one’s heart by God.
J.R. and I have been sending help to one of the poorest families in the Philippines . A family with 12 children, living in a one-room shack on a beach. And because people are generally jealous, we send help to this family very discreetly. But somehow, each time we send help, a certain group of people would find out, and would say the cruelest things to the poor family. “What did you do to deserve their help? You are a disgrace to the church.”
And to the minister with whom we send the help for the poor family, the same jealous people said, “You have to tell the Moores the truth about these people. They are not who they think they are. They are not deserving of their help!”
Truly, there will always be jealous people. Those who do not want another person to get ahead of them, especially financially and materially. When they see someone down on his luck, they can never see his pain. Instead, with scornful words, they’d blame the person’s misfortunes on his laziness and other things.
Some jealous folks would go to the extent of talking bad about the family “being helped” because jealousy is such an evil thing; it wouldn’t stop until the pain is terribly inflected on someone.
In the Bible, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the two passers-by who did not help the injured man are like the jealous people whom I am talking about. They only thought about themselves, and didn’t want to help the down-trodden. However, the parable did not say that they tried to stop the Good Samaritan from doing his good deed, unlike the jealous people I am talking about.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the parable, but let us look at the story of the Good Samaritan again in Luke 10: 25 – 37:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?”
The expert in the law answered: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho , when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper.
‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for an extra expense you may have.’
“Which do you think of these three was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Now, what compels me is – this parable was told in answer to the question: “How do I inherit eternal life?” If this is a basis for eternal life, surely, many will come short.
And with the people who are very jealous of the poor family whom we are helping, they not only refuse to help, they wanted us to stop sending them help. And they are even finding ways to stop us from purchasing a piece of land to build the poor family a small house. In my opinion, they are worse than the Levite and the priest in the story of the Good Samaritan. In reality, they are the ones who give Jesus a bad name for being selfish people and unhelpful to others. They definitely do not know that helping others plays a huge role in entering heaven.
The desire to do good – to help the less-fortunate – is not an inherent trait. Rather, it is acquired through one’s upbringing, environmental surroundings, association with people, and more importantly, a willingness to help placed in one’s heart by God.
J.R. and I have been sending help to one of the poorest families in the Philippines . A family with 12 children, living in a one-room shack on a beach. And because people are generally jealous, we send help to this family very discreetly. But somehow, each time we send help, a certain group of people would find out, and would say the cruelest things to the poor family. “What did you do to deserve their help? You are a disgrace to the church.”
And to the minister with whom we send the help for the poor family, the same jealous people said, “You have to tell the Moores the truth about these people. They are not who they think they are. They are not deserving of their help!”
Truly, there will always be jealous people. Those who do not want another person to get ahead of them, especially financially and materially. When they see someone down on his luck, they can never see his pain. Instead, with scornful words, they’d blame the person’s misfortunes on his laziness and other things.
Some jealous folks would go to the extent of talking bad about the family “being helped” because jealousy is such an evil thing; it wouldn’t stop until the pain is terribly inflected on someone.
In the Bible, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the two passers-by who did not help the injured man are like the jealous people whom I am talking about. They only thought about themselves, and didn’t want to help the down-trodden. However, the parable did not say that they tried to stop the Good Samaritan from doing his good deed, unlike the jealous people I am talking about.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the parable, but let us look at the story of the Good Samaritan again in Luke 10: 25 – 37:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?”
The expert in the law answered: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho , when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper.
‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for an extra expense you may have.’
“Which do you think of these three was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Now, what compels me is – this parable was told in answer to the question: “How do I inherit eternal life?” If this is a basis for eternal life, surely, many will come short.
And with the people who are very jealous of the poor family whom we are helping, they not only refuse to help, they wanted us to stop sending them help. And they are even finding ways to stop us from purchasing a piece of land to build the poor family a small house. In my opinion, they are worse than the Levite and the priest in the story of the Good Samaritan. In reality, they are the ones who give Jesus a bad name for being selfish people and unhelpful to others. They definitely do not know that helping others plays a huge role in entering heaven.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Understanding the Asian Parents’ Authority
By: Alejandro "Jhun" Cardeinte, An excerpt from his unpublished book “The Gospel Call”
What is true to many countries is that parents give enough freedom to their children to decide for their real life. But this does not usually happen in Asia. We can hear about force marriages and the impact of parents’ authority to choose for their children’s behalf. Though children have ability to decide for their own success and happiness, some parents who belong to a certain minority group give slim freedom to them. Usually, the freedom they give for their children is only for the minor choices in life. This is one of the many cultural practices here in Asia in which the voice of the parents and old folks are highly regarded. However, the impact of parents’ authority over their children is not the same as their level of authority varies. In this article, let us take for example the choosing of wife or husband in Asian context.
These three kinds of Asian practices may help us understand their varied power of parents over their children as well as the impact towards their children and how much freedom their children can exercise.
1. Decision- Many especially among the minority tribes that what the parents want to happen is already mean final decision. This means that children are not involved in the major decision in life. Every major decision belongs to the parents’ will on behalf of their children. Parents’ strong love and ties with their children may seem the cause that leads them to think that they can best protect their children when they are the one making decision for them. For example, the Badjao in Tawi-tawi, Manobo and Talaandig in Bukidnon, Philippines have been practicing parental arrangement marriages. Though many children have obeyed and become successful in their marriage life, some of them have tried to escape from their jungle homes. Many parents threatened their daughters that they won’t see them alive if they choose follow what they want. But the trouble would be very difficult to handle if the parents already accept the partial dowry in a form of money, animals or large amount of food. Since the famil will be put to embarrassment. In the Manobo culture, they called it “bugay” while the Badjao called it “hukot” that is to tied up their daughter to a certain man. “Tied up system” is done many months or years before the wedding ceremony happen, the purpose is to close the selling business to any other man. But later on, if the parents themselves change their mind and realize the man is not fitted for their daughter, then the parents can double the amount given by the certain man to free their daughter. In most cases, if the girl’s family found another man whom they think better than the first man. The parent-to-parent arrangement between three parties will be made in agreement to double the amount to be given back to first man. In most cases, decisions are being made through parents without any involvement from their child. The child in each camp will just wait and see the outcome. They obey their parents and grandparents with great respect as a sign of gratitude. This is one of the common practices among the minority groups.
2. Strong recommendation- Some Asian parents feel that they see many things than their children do as they think that they are more experienced than their children. Some cultural groups in Asia usually among the minorities hold “strong recommendation” as their practice. The social ethical standard that the older people must be respected has a great impact towards their children’s lives. Though the parents’ or grandparents’ preference or choice may not mean a final decision, they have the right to say what they feel and think of. Though no forcing is being made, the whole family is usually involved in the decision making. This involves persuading and convincing their children that what they think is right. What makes this a trouble to the children is the fear that their parents will curse them and they cannot obtain parental blessings. For example, the Mien tribe in Thailand, which most parents strongly use the astrological calendar to determine whether their son or daughter is compatible to whom they have relationship with, though their children are not totally convinced of what their parents’ believed, their parents’ words are still valued because for fear that something bad may happen in the future and they can’t count on to their parents anymore.
3. Suggestion- In this case, the parents still have much power to rule over their children. But they have come to believe that guidance and counseling is best rather than strict rules, demanding obedience and forceful request. The parents’ choice as suggestion is commonly practice by families living in the urban places, where they are already open to the influence of the modern society. Most educated Asian parents nowadays give total freedom to their children to decide for the big choices in life, they think that total freedom brings real happiness to their children. But still Asian children have considered their parents as special teachers who could teach them the right way and important lessons in life. Though parents have their dreams for their children, they just share it in a form of suggestion while their children are listening. In this case, their children are free to say “no” tactfully if they don’t feel comfortable.
Why Important?
By understanding how much authority the parents have and how much freedom their children can exercise may help our ministry more safe and efficient. A missionary cannot waste his time focusing to minister the children when the decision belongs only to their parents. In cases where parents’ words hold real power over their children, it is wise to change our priority by reaching the parents.
It is not good that children will be seen by their parents as rebellious. List is long about the conversions of children in different tribal groups that following from baptism they were rejected by their family and relatives. There were many cases in the past that missionaries encouraged a certain child to be baptized without asking permission formally from their parents. It is important to note that in Asia, if a missionary plan to save the children, he must begin the saving job to the parents!
It is always true that salvation is individual but we cannot snatch each of the family’s children. It is friendly and wise move to preserve our relationship with the family. This is one way of opening salvation’s door to their family and relatives. As I mention partly, there are certain tribes that critical decision is being made by all members of the family and some are done by parents only without any participation from their children. And even the parents give total freedom for their children it is wise still to let the parents know what is going on and what is going to happen.
Another thing I learned by experience was that there are certain tribes that decisions are largely dependent to the village’s head or the “datu” where the villagers largely depend on his command. The head has much power to rule the village. What is usually common is that their headman is also the in charge of the spiritual decorum of the village. No wonder that missionaries who were so sensible to invest his time to get the headman get the whole village!
What is true to many countries is that parents give enough freedom to their children to decide for their real life. But this does not usually happen in Asia. We can hear about force marriages and the impact of parents’ authority to choose for their children’s behalf. Though children have ability to decide for their own success and happiness, some parents who belong to a certain minority group give slim freedom to them. Usually, the freedom they give for their children is only for the minor choices in life. This is one of the many cultural practices here in Asia in which the voice of the parents and old folks are highly regarded. However, the impact of parents’ authority over their children is not the same as their level of authority varies. In this article, let us take for example the choosing of wife or husband in Asian context.
These three kinds of Asian practices may help us understand their varied power of parents over their children as well as the impact towards their children and how much freedom their children can exercise.
1. Decision- Many especially among the minority tribes that what the parents want to happen is already mean final decision. This means that children are not involved in the major decision in life. Every major decision belongs to the parents’ will on behalf of their children. Parents’ strong love and ties with their children may seem the cause that leads them to think that they can best protect their children when they are the one making decision for them. For example, the Badjao in Tawi-tawi, Manobo and Talaandig in Bukidnon, Philippines have been practicing parental arrangement marriages. Though many children have obeyed and become successful in their marriage life, some of them have tried to escape from their jungle homes. Many parents threatened their daughters that they won’t see them alive if they choose follow what they want. But the trouble would be very difficult to handle if the parents already accept the partial dowry in a form of money, animals or large amount of food. Since the famil will be put to embarrassment. In the Manobo culture, they called it “bugay” while the Badjao called it “hukot” that is to tied up their daughter to a certain man. “Tied up system” is done many months or years before the wedding ceremony happen, the purpose is to close the selling business to any other man. But later on, if the parents themselves change their mind and realize the man is not fitted for their daughter, then the parents can double the amount given by the certain man to free their daughter. In most cases, if the girl’s family found another man whom they think better than the first man. The parent-to-parent arrangement between three parties will be made in agreement to double the amount to be given back to first man. In most cases, decisions are being made through parents without any involvement from their child. The child in each camp will just wait and see the outcome. They obey their parents and grandparents with great respect as a sign of gratitude. This is one of the common practices among the minority groups.
2. Strong recommendation- Some Asian parents feel that they see many things than their children do as they think that they are more experienced than their children. Some cultural groups in Asia usually among the minorities hold “strong recommendation” as their practice. The social ethical standard that the older people must be respected has a great impact towards their children’s lives. Though the parents’ or grandparents’ preference or choice may not mean a final decision, they have the right to say what they feel and think of. Though no forcing is being made, the whole family is usually involved in the decision making. This involves persuading and convincing their children that what they think is right. What makes this a trouble to the children is the fear that their parents will curse them and they cannot obtain parental blessings. For example, the Mien tribe in Thailand, which most parents strongly use the astrological calendar to determine whether their son or daughter is compatible to whom they have relationship with, though their children are not totally convinced of what their parents’ believed, their parents’ words are still valued because for fear that something bad may happen in the future and they can’t count on to their parents anymore.
3. Suggestion- In this case, the parents still have much power to rule over their children. But they have come to believe that guidance and counseling is best rather than strict rules, demanding obedience and forceful request. The parents’ choice as suggestion is commonly practice by families living in the urban places, where they are already open to the influence of the modern society. Most educated Asian parents nowadays give total freedom to their children to decide for the big choices in life, they think that total freedom brings real happiness to their children. But still Asian children have considered their parents as special teachers who could teach them the right way and important lessons in life. Though parents have their dreams for their children, they just share it in a form of suggestion while their children are listening. In this case, their children are free to say “no” tactfully if they don’t feel comfortable.
Why Important?
By understanding how much authority the parents have and how much freedom their children can exercise may help our ministry more safe and efficient. A missionary cannot waste his time focusing to minister the children when the decision belongs only to their parents. In cases where parents’ words hold real power over their children, it is wise to change our priority by reaching the parents.
It is not good that children will be seen by their parents as rebellious. List is long about the conversions of children in different tribal groups that following from baptism they were rejected by their family and relatives. There were many cases in the past that missionaries encouraged a certain child to be baptized without asking permission formally from their parents. It is important to note that in Asia, if a missionary plan to save the children, he must begin the saving job to the parents!
It is always true that salvation is individual but we cannot snatch each of the family’s children. It is friendly and wise move to preserve our relationship with the family. This is one way of opening salvation’s door to their family and relatives. As I mention partly, there are certain tribes that critical decision is being made by all members of the family and some are done by parents only without any participation from their children. And even the parents give total freedom for their children it is wise still to let the parents know what is going on and what is going to happen.
Another thing I learned by experience was that there are certain tribes that decisions are largely dependent to the village’s head or the “datu” where the villagers largely depend on his command. The head has much power to rule the village. What is usually common is that their headman is also the in charge of the spiritual decorum of the village. No wonder that missionaries who were so sensible to invest his time to get the headman get the whole village!
Examining Hospitality in the Three Boxes
by; Alejandro Cardeinte
Apostle Paul encouraged his fellow believers to “….practice hospitality” Rom. 12:13. Asian people are known to be hospitable. But each Asian country has unique hospitality that visitors may sometimes miss to appreciate. Hospitality has its unique significant in every country in Asian. Each has their own meaning. There are three kinds of hospitality I have personally observed;
1. Act of serving- Generally speaking, the meaning of hospitality to some Asians like the Thais is “act of serving.” When visitors come, usually glasses of water are served to each visitor. At the meal table, sticky rice container or the rice pot is placed a little distance from you so that they can serve you as soon as you ask some more. They will do it for you. Usually, what you could see on the table is only the variety of dishes. Rice is already served on your plate. The Filipino tourist reaction would be “this kind of hospitality may seem click to the Western people where they can voice what they want.” Usually, no additional purchases because no especial preparation will take place in their kitchen. Except maybe if you belong to the royal class. Contentment and humility is highly valued in each Buddhist family. Their practicality and servanthood still would want their visitors to feel special and contented with their service. They welcome their friends and visitors with their warm service.
2. Act of pleasing- In South Korea, their hospitality is shown by “pleasing” their visitors. Simple food is being served (what they only have). But you will be amaze to see their talents in music and arts and you will be energized when they will bring you to their beautiful sport’s park while having a dried picnic. They will also bring their visitors to the shopping mall, beach, park, beautiful tourist spots and etc. They would try to introduce amusing activities that would catch their visitors’ interest such as watching new release movies, going out to the music or game house and etc. Korean welcomes their friends through entertainments. Their being practical, simple, and entertaining would want you still to feel special and happy.
3. Act of giving- In Philippines, Filipinos become known as hospitable because of their extreme generosity by their “act of giving” even they don’t really have. As the first sign, as soon as visitors come in, juice or soft drink and empty glasses are offered so that the visitors have freedom to drink as much as he likes. Some poor family will offer a big container of water and empty glasses so visitors can drink as much as they like. At the meal table, the best table cloth will suddenly replace the ordinary one. Expensive glasses, spoons, and plates which are being keep in the glass-doored cabinet, which are for display only during regular days will be use to best serve the guest. Special foods in honor of the visiting guest are served. They see to it that all the dishes and rice can easily be reach by the visitors themselves. Filipinos welcome their friends through food abundance. Usually, their extreme generosity resulted to the big debt in the neighbor’s food shop and slaughtering of their chicken and etc. which is supposedly intended for the other special occasion. Our feeling rich appearance would want our visitors to feel special and satisfied. Be watchful! You are far from hunger and thirst in the hands of the Filipinos but near to high blood and the likes!
These three hospitalities represent the diverse generosity we have here in Asia. These may be true to other countries outside Asian continent as well, but the truth remains that there is nothing wrong to be different from others. A missionary should not say that our country is more hospitable than theirs. He should deeply learn to appreciate these cultural differences and not to criticize those people whose act of generosity is actually different from him. Importantly, understanding the particular meaning of the hospitality of the group of people you are reaching is important to cement our relationship with them.
A Filipino tourist whose hospitality means giving may not appreciate the Thais whose hospitality means serving. The Thais either may not appreciate the kind of hospitality Filipinos have and may say that Filipinos are not hospitable. Instead, our extreme giving may be interpreted as act of pretending and extravagance. If a Thai may happen to visit you, you don’t need to offer him ice cream or expensive drinks. A glass of water is enough. You don’t need to go out to buy many things and let him wait for an hour just to supply your kitchen to show your hospitality towards him. The worse is when we are trying to act as if we have when we actually do not have! Don’t be surprise when a Thai will ask you to eat with him in the restaurant and then you will pay individually after all, because to the Thais helping you to be in that restaurant is already hospitality. And also don’t be surprise when the Koreans will invite you to a party only to find out you will end up eating noodles! (Practical party), but don’t worry you will be playing games or watching movies and etc.
True, each group has their own beauty and uniqueness and we have our own ways to make our visitors comfortable. But as missionary, the important thing is we need to copy their ways of doing certain things so we will not appear stranger. Following Korean and Filipino hospitality when you are in Thailand may not be appropriate. If “act of serving” would mean hospitality to them then serve them completely as they see it right in their own context. If it would mean “act of pleasing” or “act of giving” then try it more abundantly as it pleases them. Through contextual hospitality, let them enjoy the comfort, convenience and warm reception more fully, that can seldom be found anywhere within your village. “Our work in this world is to live for others' good, to bless others, to be hospitable.” 2T 645, so that you can effectively minister through the real relationship you have built with them.
But let me end this up with reminders; to effectively reach certain group of people, there is necessity of learning the culture and practices. True! But we should not depend solely in our common sense, academic theories and field experiences. There may be similarities of cultural setting you had personally encountered or through your readings. But it would not be totally the same with the reality that will take place in your own situation, so that we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit all the time. What we had accumulated must not be the substitute of our devotion and dependency to God. God allows varied situation to happen so that we may learn to put our trust in Him.
Apostle Paul encouraged his fellow believers to “….practice hospitality” Rom. 12:13. Asian people are known to be hospitable. But each Asian country has unique hospitality that visitors may sometimes miss to appreciate. Hospitality has its unique significant in every country in Asian. Each has their own meaning. There are three kinds of hospitality I have personally observed;
1. Act of serving- Generally speaking, the meaning of hospitality to some Asians like the Thais is “act of serving.” When visitors come, usually glasses of water are served to each visitor. At the meal table, sticky rice container or the rice pot is placed a little distance from you so that they can serve you as soon as you ask some more. They will do it for you. Usually, what you could see on the table is only the variety of dishes. Rice is already served on your plate. The Filipino tourist reaction would be “this kind of hospitality may seem click to the Western people where they can voice what they want.” Usually, no additional purchases because no especial preparation will take place in their kitchen. Except maybe if you belong to the royal class. Contentment and humility is highly valued in each Buddhist family. Their practicality and servanthood still would want their visitors to feel special and contented with their service. They welcome their friends and visitors with their warm service.
2. Act of pleasing- In South Korea, their hospitality is shown by “pleasing” their visitors. Simple food is being served (what they only have). But you will be amaze to see their talents in music and arts and you will be energized when they will bring you to their beautiful sport’s park while having a dried picnic. They will also bring their visitors to the shopping mall, beach, park, beautiful tourist spots and etc. They would try to introduce amusing activities that would catch their visitors’ interest such as watching new release movies, going out to the music or game house and etc. Korean welcomes their friends through entertainments. Their being practical, simple, and entertaining would want you still to feel special and happy.
3. Act of giving- In Philippines, Filipinos become known as hospitable because of their extreme generosity by their “act of giving” even they don’t really have. As the first sign, as soon as visitors come in, juice or soft drink and empty glasses are offered so that the visitors have freedom to drink as much as he likes. Some poor family will offer a big container of water and empty glasses so visitors can drink as much as they like. At the meal table, the best table cloth will suddenly replace the ordinary one. Expensive glasses, spoons, and plates which are being keep in the glass-doored cabinet, which are for display only during regular days will be use to best serve the guest. Special foods in honor of the visiting guest are served. They see to it that all the dishes and rice can easily be reach by the visitors themselves. Filipinos welcome their friends through food abundance. Usually, their extreme generosity resulted to the big debt in the neighbor’s food shop and slaughtering of their chicken and etc. which is supposedly intended for the other special occasion. Our feeling rich appearance would want our visitors to feel special and satisfied. Be watchful! You are far from hunger and thirst in the hands of the Filipinos but near to high blood and the likes!
These three hospitalities represent the diverse generosity we have here in Asia. These may be true to other countries outside Asian continent as well, but the truth remains that there is nothing wrong to be different from others. A missionary should not say that our country is more hospitable than theirs. He should deeply learn to appreciate these cultural differences and not to criticize those people whose act of generosity is actually different from him. Importantly, understanding the particular meaning of the hospitality of the group of people you are reaching is important to cement our relationship with them.
A Filipino tourist whose hospitality means giving may not appreciate the Thais whose hospitality means serving. The Thais either may not appreciate the kind of hospitality Filipinos have and may say that Filipinos are not hospitable. Instead, our extreme giving may be interpreted as act of pretending and extravagance. If a Thai may happen to visit you, you don’t need to offer him ice cream or expensive drinks. A glass of water is enough. You don’t need to go out to buy many things and let him wait for an hour just to supply your kitchen to show your hospitality towards him. The worse is when we are trying to act as if we have when we actually do not have! Don’t be surprise when a Thai will ask you to eat with him in the restaurant and then you will pay individually after all, because to the Thais helping you to be in that restaurant is already hospitality. And also don’t be surprise when the Koreans will invite you to a party only to find out you will end up eating noodles! (Practical party), but don’t worry you will be playing games or watching movies and etc.
True, each group has their own beauty and uniqueness and we have our own ways to make our visitors comfortable. But as missionary, the important thing is we need to copy their ways of doing certain things so we will not appear stranger. Following Korean and Filipino hospitality when you are in Thailand may not be appropriate. If “act of serving” would mean hospitality to them then serve them completely as they see it right in their own context. If it would mean “act of pleasing” or “act of giving” then try it more abundantly as it pleases them. Through contextual hospitality, let them enjoy the comfort, convenience and warm reception more fully, that can seldom be found anywhere within your village. “Our work in this world is to live for others' good, to bless others, to be hospitable.” 2T 645, so that you can effectively minister through the real relationship you have built with them.
But let me end this up with reminders; to effectively reach certain group of people, there is necessity of learning the culture and practices. True! But we should not depend solely in our common sense, academic theories and field experiences. There may be similarities of cultural setting you had personally encountered or through your readings. But it would not be totally the same with the reality that will take place in your own situation, so that we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit all the time. What we had accumulated must not be the substitute of our devotion and dependency to God. God allows varied situation to happen so that we may learn to put our trust in Him.
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