Create a holistic view of spiritual life
[Top Ten Topics in Christian Spiritual Building] 1
Excerpt/Guimei
My struggle and pursuit
Growing up in Taiwan in the early 1960s, I struggled to survive between two seemingly contradictory and incompatible worlds: one was the world of matter and science, the other was the world of gods and superstition. At home, I was raised by a mother who was trained in Western medicine; in school, I received strict scientific and evolutionary education - diseases are caused by viruses and bacteria, not evil spirits; misfortune in life is the result of actions and decisions, not Destiny and the Unseen Spirit.
However, not far from home and school, I entered a completely different world. It was a chaotic place filled with temples and shrines to gods and goddesses. No matter how big or small, as long as it is "miraculous", temples are always crowded with people worshiping and making wishes to the supposedly capable spirits. Many people must come here to say hello to the "auspicious zodiac" before giving birth to a child, getting married, going to a funeral, moving, traveling, or opening or closing a business. Everything had to do with gods; I had to try to live with them.
For most of my youth, I chose to believe in science and the progress it has brought to mankind, but deep down in my heart, the nagging from another real world was never far away from my mind. When my eldest sister's life suddenly ended one night at the age of seventeen, I experienced firsthand that death can not only take away lives, but also destroy all those left behind. Advanced medical treatment failed to save my sister, and science could not dispel the haze that enveloped the family since then.
Where did she go after she died? If you will eventually die sooner or later, what is the point of living? Why is there so much pain, suffering, and premature death around us? There are so many questions for which science or logic can no longer provide answers. When I entered high school, someone introduced me to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which deepened my inner struggle: How could a "foreign/Western" God be the answer to life? What does "sin" have to do with this ugly, meaningless world? More importantly, why would an all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful God allow the people He created to suffer without caring?
Before graduating from college, after four years of studying the Bible with Christian friends, I experienced God’s saving power and liberating freedom, and I thought I had finally found the answer. Move from believing in science to believing that spiritual freedom is the answer to all human pain and suffering. After another four years, the truth of the gospel was so real and powerful that I decided to give up studying for a doctorate in science and transfer to Fuller Theological Seminary (Fuller) to train as a servant of God.
The need for holistic development
As the years passed and I became more involved in people's lives, however, the longer I served, the more unsettled I became. Too many devout, faithful Christians struggle with sin, marriage, family, relationship problems, and past hurts; too many “born again” Christian leaders pray, study the Bible, and serve, but live less than abundant lives. Frustrated, I turned to Christian psychology and counseling in an attempt to open a new door. I want to know: "Is psychology the ultimate answer to everything?"
To the intellectual struggles are added personal battles. As a Chinese, a woman and a Christian, I am a minority among minorities in this strange land. Knowing who you are, especially who you are in Christ, is long and difficult. From 1996 to 1998, I was exhausted both physically and mentally from internal and external wars, so I gave up everything. During that sabbatical, I finally realized that I needed to reintegrate my deeply rooted cultural background, years of scientific training, all my theological understanding and psychological counseling experience to understand myself and know God.
The more I study God’s Word (especially the life of Jesus), the more I realize that God does not see me as just a biological body (as evolution taught me to believe), or a soul body (as I was taught in many churches), or Emotional objects (like some men classify women), or social beings (like what Chinese culture teaches). God created me in His own image: complex, dynamic, multi-dimensional and wonderful! I do not come from a vacuum, but live in a specific time and space environment, family, and culture. I am not a one-dimensional, stagnant person. I am constantly evolving and influenced by the people, culture, environment, and God around me. This article (and the next nine in this series) is the fruit of a passionate pursuit of becoming whole and a deep desire to see God’s people live out the fullness Jesus promised in John 10:10. s life!
The Dilemma of the Chinese Church in North America
基於研究數據和我在教會多年的事奉，我相信我不是這趟旅途中惟一的旅客。根據《北美差傳手冊》1，目前美國有一千多間華人教會（另外二百間在加拿大）。雖在美國的華人教會增長率超過華人人口的增長率，然而基督徒在美國華人中仍然只有8%到10%2。這數據反映出其中有許多充滿掙扎的小教會，加拿大也看到類似現象。
After more than 140 years of history in North America, the Chinese church has experienced remarkable growth, but some problems and difficulties still exist. First of all, how effective is the ministry of the Chinese church? Or will it still be effective in the future? Because the proportion of Christians among Chinese in North America is only 8% to 10%. If church ministry has not been very effective so far, why? What kind of Christians do the Chinese churches cultivate? Finally, how can we improve so that the Chinese church ministry can expand to more Chinese people in the name of Christ?
我還要指出北美華人教會另外兩個獨特現象：第一，根據滕近輝（Philip Teng）3分析，50%華人教會是因分裂而產生。這也是為什麼大多數華人教會很小、缺乏和諧、在事工上辛苦掙扎。初移民時，人們在靈命、政治、文化上都有掙扎，然而，華人教會缺乏整全地（wholistic）4處理問題的方式，略了會眾在語言、文化和政治上的區別。
根據劉富理牧師在洛杉磯地區對華人教會的研究，華人教會的節目對生活在現實文化裡，面對真實困境的人，常常是不適用的5。由這些衝突造成極深極廣的情感傷害，隨之而來的是醜惡的教會分裂。華人教會領袖們應該誠實、公開地正視這個現象：華人教會如何用整全的方式處理會眾的需要？華人教會如何才能培養出更成熟的基督徒，成為基督的身體，彼此合一地成長？
Where is the successor?
另一個存在已久卻一直被忽視的問題：下一代的維繫和發展。Helen Lee在〈沈默出走〉（Silent Exodus）一文中指出，許多年輕的亞裔美國人「發現他們的移民教會與他們毫不相關，文化僵化，對生活在1990年代多元文化的他們靈命發展裝備不良 」6。最驚心的數據是離開父母所屬教會的那些人80-90%很少加入其他教會。
以下統計數據顯示了華人教會不斷流失年輕人的沮喪細節：1974年，美國近60%華人是美國出生的華人（ABC），而約37.3% ABC在華人教會裡7。到了1980年，美國有一百萬華人，其中53%是ABC。但ABC基督徒人口下降到只有22%8。據1996年林慈信（Samuel Ling）牧師的新數據 9，以及惠頓（Wheaton College，IL）大學華人研究院主任估計，大約只有4%的ABC參與華人教會，而ABC佔華裔美國人的50%。
From another perspective, it can be seen that there is a serious shortage of ABC pastors. The number of churches looking for ABC pastors far exceeds the number of candidates. The withdrawal of ABC pastors has worsened the problem. This is also a problem that pastors and church leaders must be alert to10.10.
根據2000年人口普查，美國有二百四十萬華人，ABC約佔所有在美華人的50％11。 問題是現在有多少ABC是基督徒，而且他們為什麼決定離開12？華人教會怎樣才能停止發生在過去幾十年的「沈默出走」？ 華人教會的領袖（主要是OBC，國外出生的華人）與保留和發展我們的下一代有什麼關係？
There are many factors causing the above problems, ranging from deep-rooted cultural baggage to the influence of Western theology and the lack of Chinese church leaders. In the next issue, I would like to explore three specific factors that are closely related to spiritual building. Although it is still not complete, it can provide some direction for thinking on the "whole Christian building."
1. Ministry that takes "word-centered" as its main axis limits Christian faith and growth to the exercise of understanding, belittling the importance of personal experience and living out the process of sanctification.
2. A culture that is ashamed of accepting psychological counseling, has a skeptical attitude toward psychological counseling, denies human emotions, and stifles legitimate relationships.
3. Ignore the generation gap and cultural differences between ABC and OBC, tearing families and churches apart. In order to cultivate true followers of Christ among Chinese in North America, these issues must be addressed in all aspects of body, soul, mind, emotion, and society.
sincerely invite
In the next nine articles, I hope to invite you to start this journey with me, which is to return to true "Shalom" (peace, wholeness and health) and live the abundant life God wants us to live. Let Jesus’ example inspire us step by step, let God illuminate the darkest corners of our souls, and be released from its bondage. We will receive God’s life-changing and life-building powerful words in a new way. So celebrate God’s goodness and great mercy!
Notes
＊因篇幅關係，除註4外，請參閱英文單元的完整註釋。
4 本系列文章使用「整全」一詞而非「聖潔」有兩個原因：第一，「聖潔」一詞過去常被教會界引用，以致有過度濫用之嫌。人們讀到關於「聖潔」的文章，很容易產生既定的想法，而偏離本文企圖探討的意涵。第二，整全與“Shalom”一詞直接相關，代表整全和健康，我相信正是神期盼所有屬祂的兒女都去經歷和追求的。
Author profile
Liu Xiaobin, PhD in Pastoral Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary in the United States. For the past fifteen years, we have devoted ourselves to teaching Christians to "build a complete spiritual life." Her calling is to "stir up the nest of comfort like an eagle, leading people to soar with wings." She has been married for twenty-two years and has two wonderful, healthy and happy children. In addition to challenging believers to have the courage to grow and imitate Christ, what she loves most is reading, walking and talking with her husband Chen Qianli, and riding the waves on California's fast rivers.