In a conversation with another literature student
about New Year Resolutions, she mentioned about setting herself a resolution to
read 100 books in a year. I had a thought about it and found that it was a great idea to set a reading
target for the year.
Thus, I
have decided to start a personal project of reading 50 books in a year. And
after reading each book, I hope to share some personal reflection. I
hope this will encourage me to read consistently and also to be thinking about what
I am reading. Perhaps what I have learnt will be an encouragement to others.
So here
is book 1 (and some thoughts), The
Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne (ISBN: 9781921441585).
The trellis represents the structure of a church that keeps it functioning. This
includes the various committees, administration work and management issues. The
vine however, represents gospel work: the process of making disciples through proclaiming and praying.
They argue
that God is doing this in the world: ‘Spirit-backed gospel preaching leading to
the salvation of souls.’ (p.35) If that is really the case, that means our
efforts should be on vine (gospel) work, which involves proclaiming, prayer, and people.
Their
point has implications to at least two groups of people: church leaders, and ‘normal’
church members. I think for church leaders, it is a challenge to re-evaluate
the many programs that are run by the
church. The question to ask is: are our
activities making disciples of Jesus - disciples who will boldly live a
distinctly Christian life in an increasingly secular world? Our focus should be
training the next generation of Christians who will bring the gospel out to
people who need it rather than to maintain existing church structures so there
is a sense of observable achievement.
For the
‘normal’ church-goer, the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is a great
indictment against our oftentimes ‘consumeristic’ approach to church. Marshall
and Payne argue that the Great Commission is ‘a commission that makes disciple-making the normal agenda and priority
of every church and every Christian disciple.’ (p.13) This means that I am
as much involved in gospel work – the prayerful proclamation of the gospel
to people – as my pastor is. I am
a minister, I am a servant. And every week (and throughout the week) as I meet
other Christians, it is my job to disciple them as much as I am being discipled
by other Christians. I cannot sit back and do nothing, expecting that it is ‘other’
people’s job to greet newcomers or ask about a Christian brother’s Christian
walk.
So vine work happens when Christians are equipped through
prayerful proclamation from people to
do prayerful proclamation to people
in the pattern of 2 Timothy 2:2 ‘and what you have heard from me in the
presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others
also.’
That means that when I go to church next Sunday, as I am
reminded of the gospel through the preaching of the Word, I am being equipped to
serve other Christians and non-Christians. When the sermon ends, it’s not time to
go back, but time to start serving.
I know that there are lots of challenges that await,
but let’s try it out. I think we will realise how inadequate we are, and
perhaps we will learn to trust the God ‘who gives the growth’ (1 Corinthians 3:7)
and cling to the gospel even more dearly.
50 books a year. That effectively means a book a week. That is indeed a high standard. I remember a professor in biochemistry once told me that he read a book a week. He had retired from university and later from active pastoral ministry. Press On!
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