Test yourself: Football or Christ? (3:32)
How does one make a world wide difference in the world? (7:56)
Why is there evil in the world? (3:32)
Don't waste your life (9:21)
Apr 30, 2008
Spurgeon's Prayer of Consecration
Charles Spurgeon was saved on January 6, 1850, and on February 1 he wrote the following prayer of consecration:
O great and unsearchable God,
who knows my heart, and tries all my ways;
with a humble dependence upon the support of Your Holy Spirit,
I yield up myself to You;
as Your own reasonable sacrifice, I return to You Your Own.
I would be for ever, unreservedly, perpetually Yours;
whilst I am on earth, I would serve You;
and may I enjoy You and praise You for ever!
Amen.
Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner?
For a long time I used to think this a silly, straw-splitting distinction: how could you hate what a man did and not hate the man? But years later it occurred to me that there was one man to whom I had been doing this all my life—namely myself. . . In fact, the very reason why I hated the things was that I loved the man. Just because I loved myself, I was sorry to find that I was the sort of man who did those things.
~ C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
~ C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Apr 28, 2008
Preaching Tips from Haddon Robbinson
Here are tips on preaching from Haddon Robbinson that I compiled from his Preaching Today articles. I have cited below what I think are the most useful paragraphs from each article.
On the 'Big Idea"
Those who have studied and practiced public speaking over twenty-five hundred years have agreed that the most effective way to structure a speech is to build it around a single concept . . . It comes from asking two essential questions. "What exactly is this person talking about?" The full, complete answer to this question is the "subject" of a passage or of a sermon. The answer to a second question "What is this person saying about what is being talked about?" leads to the "complement" of the idea because it completes the subject. The subject and the complement together lead to the idea of the text and of the sermon.
Whether or not a minister does biblical preaching starts with the honest answer to the question: "Do I, as a preacher, endeavor to bend my thought to the Scriptures, or do I use the Scriptures to support my thought?" Taking into account the history, grammar, literary forms and the context of a passage, the expositor ponders what the biblical writer wanted to get across to his original readers.
On the difference between exegesis and homiletics
The exegetical idea is what the biblical writer was saying to the biblical readers. The Bible cannot mean what it has not meant. So one of the things I have to ask is, When the author of Genesis was writing his story, what was he intending to say to the people who read the account? What was Paul trying to say to the people in the town of Colossi when he wrote his Colossian letter? That's the exegetical idea.
The homiletical idea is the idea from Scripture as I phrase it and shape it for a 21st-century audience. That is, if somebody came into my study, how would I express that concept to the person sitting across the desk from me? The homiletical idea is based on the work you do in exegesis, but you haven't preached if you leave people in the past, 2,000 years ago. The homiletical idea is to take this great truth of Scripture and state it in a way people today would hear it.
On whether sermons should be written
Not all preachers write out their sermons, nor do preachers who write out sermons write out every sermon, but the discipline of preparing a manuscript improves preaching. Writing scrapes the fungus off our thought, arranges our ideas in order, and underlines the important ideas. "Writing," said Francis Bacon, "makes an exact man exact in thought and in speech." An expository preacher professing a high view of inspiration should respect the power of words. To affirm that the individual words of Scripture must be God-breathed, but then to ignore our own choice of language smacks of gross inconsistency. Our theology, if not our common sense, should tell us that ideas and words cannot be separated. Like Jell-O, concepts assume the mold of the words into which they are poured. As pigments define the artist's picture, so words capture and color the preacher's thought...
While rules governing good writing also apply to the sermon manuscript, a sermon is not an essay on its hind legs because what you write serves only as a broad preparation for what you will actually say. Your manuscript is not your final product. Your sermon should not be read to a congregation. Reading usually kills a lively sense of communication. Neither should you try to memorize your manuscript. Not only does memorization place a hefty burden on you if you speak several times a week, but an audience senses when you are reading words off the wall of your mind. Agonize with thought and words at your desk, and what you write will be internalized. Rehearse several times aloud without your manuscript. Make no conscious effort to recall your exact wording. Simply try to get your flow of thought clearly in mind. When you step into the pulpit, your written text will have done its work to shape your use of language. Much of your wording will come back to you as you preach, but not all. In the heat of your delivery, your sentence structure will change. New phrases will occur to you, and your speech will sparkle like spontaneous conversation. Your manuscript, therefore, contributes to the thought and wording of your sermon, but it does not determine it.
On ensuring the clarity of sermons
First, clearly orient the audience to the body of the sermon right in the introduction. A preacher might say at the end of the introduction, "God sometimes keeps his promises to us by performing miracles or performing miracles in us." But if that's all he’s going to say, folks already have the sermon. If he asks, "Now what exactly does that mean, to say that God performs miracles or performs miracles in us?" he secures the chance to develop clarity, because the congregation has the whole idea, and the preacher has the opportunity to clarify that idea through the body of the sermon.
You can also add clarity by restating key ideas. Suppose you begin by saying, "We want to talk today about how to know the will of God." Continue by restating this idea several times: “When we are confused about what God wants us to do, how can we determine his direction in our lives? Where would we turn to determine God's will? How do we go about knowing the will of God?” It seems laborious when you're preaching, but restating the subject several times in different ways makes it stand out in people’s minds. Take time to state what you’ve been talking about, restate it, then introduce people to what follows.
Avoid pronouns requiring the listener to remember the reference. For example, rather than saying, "A second thing we must do is consult the Bible," include the subject it is referencing: “A second thing we have to do in trying to determine God's will is to consult the Bible." It may be clear to you what the subject is, but pronouns require a listener to recall a previous reference, possibly diminishing clarity.
You can also give the audience a map of where you're going. Suppose you are preaching on Christians and government in the Roman epistle. You might say, "Christians are to be subject to the government. Christians are to obey what the government demands. I want to talk about the basis for this command. I want to talk about how we show submission to the government; what the implications are in daily life. And third, what exceptions, if any, are there to this command." In beginning this way, you have given the people a road map of your sermon so they can track with you.
On how to learn how to preach:
It’s a good thing to listen to the sermons of effective preachers. For years I took one noted preacher every year. If he was dead, I read his sermons, or a biography. If he was alive, I’d either read his sermons, or hear them. If it were possible to get an interview with him, I’d do that. You have to listen to a good sermon three times. The first time for your own benefit. The second time for the flow of thought. And the third time you listen for technique. What does this preacher do to give a good introduction? What does he or she do to engage you?
Even when I listen to my own sermons, I listen to the technique. I go back, and as much as I know about preaching, I can say, “I didn’t do that well,” or “I had a negative tone that I didn’t intend.”
On the great preachers:
I really do believe the great preachers are pastors of congregations at Sixth and Main of some town that know the people. He takes the biblical text and relates it to those people's lives because he knows them and knows them well. So the pastoral side of ministry fuses relevant preaching that applies to life. In fact, often the big problem that kind of preacher has is he knows the people so well that if he applies this, Aunt Milly in the church will be absolutely sure he is talking about her. But someone said that the mark of a great sermon is that the person in the pew wonders how in the world the pastor knew that about me. So you learn a lot just by living among people and being perceptive. That is a great advantage when it comes to applying the truth.
On the 'Big Idea"
Those who have studied and practiced public speaking over twenty-five hundred years have agreed that the most effective way to structure a speech is to build it around a single concept . . . It comes from asking two essential questions. "What exactly is this person talking about?" The full, complete answer to this question is the "subject" of a passage or of a sermon. The answer to a second question "What is this person saying about what is being talked about?" leads to the "complement" of the idea because it completes the subject. The subject and the complement together lead to the idea of the text and of the sermon.
Whether or not a minister does biblical preaching starts with the honest answer to the question: "Do I, as a preacher, endeavor to bend my thought to the Scriptures, or do I use the Scriptures to support my thought?" Taking into account the history, grammar, literary forms and the context of a passage, the expositor ponders what the biblical writer wanted to get across to his original readers.
On the difference between exegesis and homiletics
The exegetical idea is what the biblical writer was saying to the biblical readers. The Bible cannot mean what it has not meant. So one of the things I have to ask is, When the author of Genesis was writing his story, what was he intending to say to the people who read the account? What was Paul trying to say to the people in the town of Colossi when he wrote his Colossian letter? That's the exegetical idea.
The homiletical idea is the idea from Scripture as I phrase it and shape it for a 21st-century audience. That is, if somebody came into my study, how would I express that concept to the person sitting across the desk from me? The homiletical idea is based on the work you do in exegesis, but you haven't preached if you leave people in the past, 2,000 years ago. The homiletical idea is to take this great truth of Scripture and state it in a way people today would hear it.
On whether sermons should be written
Not all preachers write out their sermons, nor do preachers who write out sermons write out every sermon, but the discipline of preparing a manuscript improves preaching. Writing scrapes the fungus off our thought, arranges our ideas in order, and underlines the important ideas. "Writing," said Francis Bacon, "makes an exact man exact in thought and in speech." An expository preacher professing a high view of inspiration should respect the power of words. To affirm that the individual words of Scripture must be God-breathed, but then to ignore our own choice of language smacks of gross inconsistency. Our theology, if not our common sense, should tell us that ideas and words cannot be separated. Like Jell-O, concepts assume the mold of the words into which they are poured. As pigments define the artist's picture, so words capture and color the preacher's thought...
While rules governing good writing also apply to the sermon manuscript, a sermon is not an essay on its hind legs because what you write serves only as a broad preparation for what you will actually say. Your manuscript is not your final product. Your sermon should not be read to a congregation. Reading usually kills a lively sense of communication. Neither should you try to memorize your manuscript. Not only does memorization place a hefty burden on you if you speak several times a week, but an audience senses when you are reading words off the wall of your mind. Agonize with thought and words at your desk, and what you write will be internalized. Rehearse several times aloud without your manuscript. Make no conscious effort to recall your exact wording. Simply try to get your flow of thought clearly in mind. When you step into the pulpit, your written text will have done its work to shape your use of language. Much of your wording will come back to you as you preach, but not all. In the heat of your delivery, your sentence structure will change. New phrases will occur to you, and your speech will sparkle like spontaneous conversation. Your manuscript, therefore, contributes to the thought and wording of your sermon, but it does not determine it.
On ensuring the clarity of sermons
First, clearly orient the audience to the body of the sermon right in the introduction. A preacher might say at the end of the introduction, "God sometimes keeps his promises to us by performing miracles or performing miracles in us." But if that's all he’s going to say, folks already have the sermon. If he asks, "Now what exactly does that mean, to say that God performs miracles or performs miracles in us?" he secures the chance to develop clarity, because the congregation has the whole idea, and the preacher has the opportunity to clarify that idea through the body of the sermon.
You can also add clarity by restating key ideas. Suppose you begin by saying, "We want to talk today about how to know the will of God." Continue by restating this idea several times: “When we are confused about what God wants us to do, how can we determine his direction in our lives? Where would we turn to determine God's will? How do we go about knowing the will of God?” It seems laborious when you're preaching, but restating the subject several times in different ways makes it stand out in people’s minds. Take time to state what you’ve been talking about, restate it, then introduce people to what follows.
Avoid pronouns requiring the listener to remember the reference. For example, rather than saying, "A second thing we must do is consult the Bible," include the subject it is referencing: “A second thing we have to do in trying to determine God's will is to consult the Bible." It may be clear to you what the subject is, but pronouns require a listener to recall a previous reference, possibly diminishing clarity.
You can also give the audience a map of where you're going. Suppose you are preaching on Christians and government in the Roman epistle. You might say, "Christians are to be subject to the government. Christians are to obey what the government demands. I want to talk about the basis for this command. I want to talk about how we show submission to the government; what the implications are in daily life. And third, what exceptions, if any, are there to this command." In beginning this way, you have given the people a road map of your sermon so they can track with you.
On how to learn how to preach:
It’s a good thing to listen to the sermons of effective preachers. For years I took one noted preacher every year. If he was dead, I read his sermons, or a biography. If he was alive, I’d either read his sermons, or hear them. If it were possible to get an interview with him, I’d do that. You have to listen to a good sermon three times. The first time for your own benefit. The second time for the flow of thought. And the third time you listen for technique. What does this preacher do to give a good introduction? What does he or she do to engage you?
Even when I listen to my own sermons, I listen to the technique. I go back, and as much as I know about preaching, I can say, “I didn’t do that well,” or “I had a negative tone that I didn’t intend.”
On the great preachers:
I really do believe the great preachers are pastors of congregations at Sixth and Main of some town that know the people. He takes the biblical text and relates it to those people's lives because he knows them and knows them well. So the pastoral side of ministry fuses relevant preaching that applies to life. In fact, often the big problem that kind of preacher has is he knows the people so well that if he applies this, Aunt Milly in the church will be absolutely sure he is talking about her. But someone said that the mark of a great sermon is that the person in the pew wonders how in the world the pastor knew that about me. So you learn a lot just by living among people and being perceptive. That is a great advantage when it comes to applying the truth.
John Newton tentang Kritik
Rasul Paulus menasehati kita untuk "speak the truth in love" namun bagaimana konkritnya? Berikut sebuah tulisan pendek dari John Newton yang ditulis sebagai jawaban pertanyaan seorang pendeta bagaimana cara terbaik mengkritik rekan pendetanya yang tidak setia dengan firman Tuhan. Tulisan tersebut berjudul: On Controversy.
Apr 27, 2008
Beyond Common Sense
'Beyond Common Sense' - Pengantar Kotbah di Bukit
Doa Charles Spurgeon untuk mengawali perenungan kita terhadap kotbah di bukit:
Kata "bahagia" (makarios) yang dipakai Tuhan kita dalam Delapan Ucapan Bahagia yang mengawali kotbah di bukit Matius 5-7 tidak mengacu kepada sebuah EMOTIONAL STATE, namun kepada sebuah OBJECTIVE JUDGMENT. Yaitu penilaian Allah yang objective terhadap kondisi manusia. Ketika Yesus berkata "Berbahagialah mereka yang berdukacita" misalnya, itu tidak berarti bahwa kita lalu secara subjektif memiliki perasaan bahagia, tetapi sebuah kondisi objektif yang Allah nyatakan kepada orang-orang tersebut. Penilaian Allah ini tidak logis, tidak masuk akal, minimal dalam 3 hal:
1. Kristus mengajarkan karakter-karakter tersebut secara khusus memang pada murid-muridNya (Matius 5:1), namun pendengar kotbah tersebut juga termasuk mereka yang belum percaya, ragu-ragu, skeptis terhadap Kristus. Di hadapan mereka, Ia mendeklarasikan cara hidup bagi warga Kerajaan Surga. Ke-8 karakter tersebut tidak hanya berlaku bagi pendeta, penginjil, majelis, aktivis gereja, atau mereka yang sudah lama menjadi Kristen, tetapi semua orang yang berada di dalam Kristus. Bukan hanya itu. Setiap murid Kristus bertanggung-jawab menampilkan ke-delapan karakter tersebut tanpa pilih-pilih, seperti halnya Buah Roh (Galatia 5:22). Bahkan bukan hanya delapan karakter tersebut, tetapi bahkan seluruh isi Matius 5-7.
2. Diluar Kristus, tidak ada yang mampu memiliki karakter-karakter tersebut. Yang belum percaya kepada Kristus mustahil dapat memiliki karakter2x dalam kotbah di bukit tersebut dengan usahanya sendiri. Tanpa iman kepada Kristus, tidak ada orang yang dapat menyenangkan hati Allah. Semakin mereka berusaha keras, semakin mereka sadar akan ketidakmampuan mereka, dan sadar bahwa mereka butuh Kristus untuk dibenarkan. Kesadaran bahwa mereka tidak sadar itu adalah anugerah Tuhan yang bekerja dalam hati orang yang belum bertobat. Namun bagi yang sudah percaya, kita dimampukan oleh pekerjaan Roh Kudus untuk melakukan itu untuk menyenangkan Tuhan. Jadi deklarasi bahagia ini ketika dikejar akan membawa orang (atas anugerah Allah) kepada Kristus, dan ketika ia sudah berada dalam Kristus, ia akan dibawa kembali kepada deklarasi tersebut untuk dapat hidup senantiasa mendapat perkenan Allah.
Orang dunia mengagumi orang yang memiliki rasa percaya diri. Jika ingin mendapat promosi di tempat kerja, seringkali kita dipaksa untuk lihai meninggikan diri sendiri dengan memaparkan prestasi dan keberhasilan kita. Demikian juga kalau membuat resume untuk mendapatkan interview kerja. Sementara Yesus menyebut berbahagia orang yang miskin rohani (poor in spirit). Orang dunia mencari kekayaan materi, status, posisi, sementara orang percaya menurut Yesus merasa lapar dan haus akan kebenaran Allah. Itu sebab di luar Allah, tidak mungkin karakter2x ini bisa dimiliki. Inilah mengapa ini 'beyond common sense'.
3. Delapan perilaku dan janji bahagia tersebut berlaku untuk masa hidup kita di dunia, tetapi juga di sorga kelak. Di dalam Matius 4:17, Yesus berkata “Bertobatlah, sebab Kerajaan Sorga sudah dekat!” Kerajaan Sorga sudah datang karena Kristus telah berdiam dan memerintah dalam hidup mereka yang percaya. Tetapi, di sisi lain, Kerajaan Sorga masih akan datang dimana nanti Kristus akan memerintah secara mutlak secara fisik. Already and not yet.
Yesus berkata, “Berbahagialah mereka yang berdukacita (karena dosa), mereka akan dihiburkan.” Kapan ini terjadi? Masa kini. Kita akan menerima kelegaan dari Allah hari ini (Matius 11:28). Tetapi janji ini juga mengacu kepada jaman akhir dimana kita hidup dalam bumi yang baru dan surga yang baru dimana tidak ada lagi air mata, maut, duka atau ratap tangis (Wahyu 21:4). Inilah Kerajaan Sorga yang sudah datang dan sekaligus yang akan datang.
Kotbah di bukit sungguh beyond common sense. Seluruh isinya berlaku bagi setiap orang percaya tanpa kecuali yang dituntut menghidupinya hari ini didunia, namun akan terus gagal tanpa Roh Kudus bekerja, dan yang tidak akan pernah sempurna melakukannya dan yang tidak akan pernah menerima janji Kristus secara final selama di dunia ini sampai kita bertemu denganNya.
Doa Charles Spurgeon untuk mengawali perenungan kita terhadap kotbah di bukit:
"Lord, as thou hast opened thy mouth, do thou open our hearts; for when the Redeemer's mouth is open with blessings, and our hearts are open with desires, a glorious filling with all the fulness of God will be the result, and then, also shall our mouths be opened to show forth our Redeemer's praise."Komentar dan tulisan yang membahas kotbah Yesus ini tidak pernah berhenti mengalir, lebih dari 200 buku telah ditulis tentangnya, mulai dari bapa gereja St Augustine sampai Dallas Willard.
Kata "bahagia" (makarios) yang dipakai Tuhan kita dalam Delapan Ucapan Bahagia yang mengawali kotbah di bukit Matius 5-7 tidak mengacu kepada sebuah EMOTIONAL STATE, namun kepada sebuah OBJECTIVE JUDGMENT. Yaitu penilaian Allah yang objective terhadap kondisi manusia. Ketika Yesus berkata "Berbahagialah mereka yang berdukacita" misalnya, itu tidak berarti bahwa kita lalu secara subjektif memiliki perasaan bahagia, tetapi sebuah kondisi objektif yang Allah nyatakan kepada orang-orang tersebut. Penilaian Allah ini tidak logis, tidak masuk akal, minimal dalam 3 hal:
1. Kristus mengajarkan karakter-karakter tersebut secara khusus memang pada murid-muridNya (Matius 5:1), namun pendengar kotbah tersebut juga termasuk mereka yang belum percaya, ragu-ragu, skeptis terhadap Kristus. Di hadapan mereka, Ia mendeklarasikan cara hidup bagi warga Kerajaan Surga. Ke-8 karakter tersebut tidak hanya berlaku bagi pendeta, penginjil, majelis, aktivis gereja, atau mereka yang sudah lama menjadi Kristen, tetapi semua orang yang berada di dalam Kristus. Bukan hanya itu. Setiap murid Kristus bertanggung-jawab menampilkan ke-delapan karakter tersebut tanpa pilih-pilih, seperti halnya Buah Roh (Galatia 5:22). Bahkan bukan hanya delapan karakter tersebut, tetapi bahkan seluruh isi Matius 5-7.
2. Diluar Kristus, tidak ada yang mampu memiliki karakter-karakter tersebut. Yang belum percaya kepada Kristus mustahil dapat memiliki karakter2x dalam kotbah di bukit tersebut dengan usahanya sendiri. Tanpa iman kepada Kristus, tidak ada orang yang dapat menyenangkan hati Allah. Semakin mereka berusaha keras, semakin mereka sadar akan ketidakmampuan mereka, dan sadar bahwa mereka butuh Kristus untuk dibenarkan. Kesadaran bahwa mereka tidak sadar itu adalah anugerah Tuhan yang bekerja dalam hati orang yang belum bertobat. Namun bagi yang sudah percaya, kita dimampukan oleh pekerjaan Roh Kudus untuk melakukan itu untuk menyenangkan Tuhan. Jadi deklarasi bahagia ini ketika dikejar akan membawa orang (atas anugerah Allah) kepada Kristus, dan ketika ia sudah berada dalam Kristus, ia akan dibawa kembali kepada deklarasi tersebut untuk dapat hidup senantiasa mendapat perkenan Allah.
Orang dunia mengagumi orang yang memiliki rasa percaya diri. Jika ingin mendapat promosi di tempat kerja, seringkali kita dipaksa untuk lihai meninggikan diri sendiri dengan memaparkan prestasi dan keberhasilan kita. Demikian juga kalau membuat resume untuk mendapatkan interview kerja. Sementara Yesus menyebut berbahagia orang yang miskin rohani (poor in spirit). Orang dunia mencari kekayaan materi, status, posisi, sementara orang percaya menurut Yesus merasa lapar dan haus akan kebenaran Allah. Itu sebab di luar Allah, tidak mungkin karakter2x ini bisa dimiliki. Inilah mengapa ini 'beyond common sense'.
3. Delapan perilaku dan janji bahagia tersebut berlaku untuk masa hidup kita di dunia, tetapi juga di sorga kelak. Di dalam Matius 4:17, Yesus berkata “Bertobatlah, sebab Kerajaan Sorga sudah dekat!” Kerajaan Sorga sudah datang karena Kristus telah berdiam dan memerintah dalam hidup mereka yang percaya. Tetapi, di sisi lain, Kerajaan Sorga masih akan datang dimana nanti Kristus akan memerintah secara mutlak secara fisik. Already and not yet.
Yesus berkata, “Berbahagialah mereka yang berdukacita (karena dosa), mereka akan dihiburkan.” Kapan ini terjadi? Masa kini. Kita akan menerima kelegaan dari Allah hari ini (Matius 11:28). Tetapi janji ini juga mengacu kepada jaman akhir dimana kita hidup dalam bumi yang baru dan surga yang baru dimana tidak ada lagi air mata, maut, duka atau ratap tangis (Wahyu 21:4). Inilah Kerajaan Sorga yang sudah datang dan sekaligus yang akan datang.
Kotbah di bukit sungguh beyond common sense. Seluruh isinya berlaku bagi setiap orang percaya tanpa kecuali yang dituntut menghidupinya hari ini didunia, namun akan terus gagal tanpa Roh Kudus bekerja, dan yang tidak akan pernah sempurna melakukannya dan yang tidak akan pernah menerima janji Kristus secara final selama di dunia ini sampai kita bertemu denganNya.
Apr 24, 2008
Further Thoughts on Heaven
Here are a few thoughts that help clarify what Edwards really meant presented in Heidelberg style:
Q. If we are all “perfectly” happy, how can there be degrees of happiness? Is there a bigger capacity for happiness in some than others?
A. Part of what it means to have varying degrees of reward in heaven is that we will also have varying capacities for happiness and holiness, that is, if I serve God well in this life, I will be given a greater capacity for happiness and holiness in the next. Thus we will all have different capacities for happiness and holiness, but each of us will have that capacity perfectly fulfilled. A person who is just saved at the end of his life might have the capacity of a thimble, while a person who served God all their lives might have the capacity of a swimming pool. When they each get to heaven, each one is perfectly happy because each one is filled to the brim of their capacity, but the person with the “swimming pool” capacity actually has the greater happiness.
Q. Apart from the verses cited by Edwards, was there another biblical evidence of the varying degrees of happiness in heaven?
A. One indirect “proof” that there are varying degrees of happiness of heaven is its contrast: that in hell, there are various degrees of suffering (Luke 10:12, 14; Matthew 10: 15, 11:22, 24; Mark 6:11).
Q. But frankly, what is this degree of happiness for?
The degrees of happiness in heaven could be something like the different degrees of happiness in attending a musical concert or football game or whatever. The amount of satisfaction would depend much on how much the person knows about music or the game etc. The one who knows the concert or game thoroughly and even knows the people who are participating will enjoy much more than one who just “likes” music or athletics. By way of application: our capacity to enjoy heaven is being determined now. Everyone who, by God’s grace goes to heaven will be glad to be there, but some will be more glad than others.
HT: Roy Fowler
Q. If we are all “perfectly” happy, how can there be degrees of happiness? Is there a bigger capacity for happiness in some than others?
A. Part of what it means to have varying degrees of reward in heaven is that we will also have varying capacities for happiness and holiness, that is, if I serve God well in this life, I will be given a greater capacity for happiness and holiness in the next. Thus we will all have different capacities for happiness and holiness, but each of us will have that capacity perfectly fulfilled. A person who is just saved at the end of his life might have the capacity of a thimble, while a person who served God all their lives might have the capacity of a swimming pool. When they each get to heaven, each one is perfectly happy because each one is filled to the brim of their capacity, but the person with the “swimming pool” capacity actually has the greater happiness.
Q. Apart from the verses cited by Edwards, was there another biblical evidence of the varying degrees of happiness in heaven?
A. One indirect “proof” that there are varying degrees of happiness of heaven is its contrast: that in hell, there are various degrees of suffering (Luke 10:12, 14; Matthew 10: 15, 11:22, 24; Mark 6:11).
Q. But frankly, what is this degree of happiness for?
The degrees of happiness in heaven could be something like the different degrees of happiness in attending a musical concert or football game or whatever. The amount of satisfaction would depend much on how much the person knows about music or the game etc. The one who knows the concert or game thoroughly and even knows the people who are participating will enjoy much more than one who just “likes” music or athletics. By way of application: our capacity to enjoy heaven is being determined now. Everyone who, by God’s grace goes to heaven will be glad to be there, but some will be more glad than others.
HT: Roy Fowler
Jonathan Edwards on Heaven
A beautiful picture of heaven was given by Jonathan Edwards in his sermon on Romans 2:10 “But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good" in December 1740. His sermon is entitled The Portion of the Righteous (the full text of the sermon is available here).
3. There are different degrees of happiness and glory in heaven. As there are degrees among the angels, viz. thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers; so there are degrees among the saints. In heaven are many mansions, and of different degrees of dignity. The glory of the saints above will be in some proportion to their eminency in holiness and good works here.
Christ will reward all according to their works. He that gained ten pounds was made ruler over ten cities, and he that gained five pounds over five cities. Luke 19:17; 2 Cor. 9:6, “He that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” And the apostle Paul tells us that, as one star differs from another star in glory, so also it shall be in the resurrection of the dead. 1 Cor. 15:41. Christ tells us that he who gives a cup of cold water unto a disciple in the name of a disciple, shall in no wise lose his reward. But this could not be true, if a person should have no greater reward for doing many good works than if he did but few.
It will be no damp to the happiness of those who have lower degrees of happiness and glory, that there are others advanced in glory above them. For all shall be perfectly happy, every one shall be perfectly satisfied. Every vessel that is cast into this ocean of happiness is full, though there are some vessels far larger than others.
And there shall be no such thing as envy in heaven, but perfect love shall reign through the whole society. Those who are not so high in glory as other, will not envy those that are higher, but they will have so great, and strong, and pure love to them, that they will rejoice in their superior happiness. Their love to them will be such that they will rejoice that they are happier than themselves; so that instead of having a damp to their own happiness, it will add to it. They will see it to be fit that they that have been most eminent in works of righteousness should be most highly exalted in glory. And they will rejoice in having that done, that is fittest to be done.
There will be a perfect harmony in that society; those that are most happy will also be most holy, and all will be both perfectly holy and perfectly happy. But yet there will be different degrees of both holiness and happiness according to the measure of each one’s capacity, and therefore those that are lowest in glory will have the greatest love to those that are highest in happiness, because they will see most of the image of God in them. And having the greatest love to them, they will rejoice to see them the most happy and the highest in glory.
And so, on the other hand, those that are highest in glory, as they will be the most lovely, so they will be fullest of love. As they will excel in happiness, they will proportionally excel in divine benevolence and love to others, and will have more love to God and to the saints than those that are lower in holiness and happiness. And besides, those that will excel in glory will also excel in humility.
Here in this world, those that are above others are the objects of envy, because that others conceive of them as being lifted up with it. But in heaven it will not be so, but those saints in heaven who excel in happiness will also in holiness, and consequently in humility. The saints in heaven are more humble than the saints on earth, and still the higher we go among them the greater humility there is. The highest orders of saints, who know most of God, see most of the distinction between God and them, and consequently are comparatively least in their own eyes, and so are more humble.
The exaltation of some in heaven above the rest will be so far from diminishing the perfect happiness and joy of the rest who are inferior, that they will be the happier for it. Such will be the union in their society that they will be partakers of each other’s happiness. Then will be fulfilled in its perfection that which is declared in 1 Cor. 12:26, “If one of the members be honoured all the members rejoice with it.”
Apr 22, 2008
NWA08 and T4G08
The above tags are shorthands for two recent conferences in the US that I can only follow from afar (thank God for the internet). Presented in both conferences are huge Gospel-centered and Christ-focused banquets that are rarely served in today's churches. If you browsed through them, or better yet listened to and pondered upon them, trust me, there is no way you won't be moved, convicted, transformed by the Holy Spirit.
1. New Word Alive Conference 2008
Speakers: D.A. Carson, John Piper, Terry Virgo
Adrian Warnock did a full coverage of the event including summary notes of all the sessions, audio and video interviews, and all in his blog.
2. Together for the Gospel Conference 2008
Speakers: Ligon Duncan, Thabiti Anyabwile, John MacArthur, Mark Dever, RC Sproul, Albert Mohler, John Piper, CJ Mahaney
Tim Challies is the man who did a terrific coverage on this conference; all audio, summary notes, and youtube clips on the sessions can be downloaded in and from his blog.
1. New Word Alive Conference 2008
Speakers: D.A. Carson, John Piper, Terry Virgo
Adrian Warnock did a full coverage of the event including summary notes of all the sessions, audio and video interviews, and all in his blog.
2. Together for the Gospel Conference 2008
Speakers: Ligon Duncan, Thabiti Anyabwile, John MacArthur, Mark Dever, RC Sproul, Albert Mohler, John Piper, CJ Mahaney
Tim Challies is the man who did a terrific coverage on this conference; all audio, summary notes, and youtube clips on the sessions can be downloaded in and from his blog.
The Christ-like Martins...
I am running a new sermon series on Christian Character from the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7, for the next few months. Will post my sermon notes here. Here is the ad placed in a local Indonesian paper in Melbourne:
What does a worship leader do?
Bob Kauflin, Director of Worship Development for Sovereign Grace Ministries, offered a profound, reformed definition of worship leader:
He then carefully unpacks the above definition in 17-part short posts here, which I think is a must-read for every worship leader. You can opt to listen to his message and download.
An effective corporate worship leader,
aided and led by the Holy Spirit,
skillfully combines biblical truth with music
to magnify the worth of God and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, thereby motivating the gathered church
to join him in proclaiming and cherishing the truth about God
and seeking to live all of life for the glory of God.
He then carefully unpacks the above definition in 17-part short posts here, which I think is a must-read for every worship leader. You can opt to listen to his message and download.
MacArthur on Studying the Bible
This method suggested by John MacArthur is a slow approach of studying the BIble, but is worth doing.
The above quote is taken from the transcript of one of his sermons you can find here.
"Take a book of the Bible and read it repetitiously for 30 days. And here’s how I did it. I took the book of 1 John, 1 John has five chapters and I read 1 John every day for 30 days, just simply read it in the same version 30 times in a row. In fact I became so enthralled by it that I actually broke the pattern on the first book and read it ninety days in a row. But at the end of 30 days I knew what was in 1 John just because of the repetitious reading. In fact, I began to visualize my Bible and if anybody asked me to this day what it says in 1 John 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 I’m pretty familiar with that because of repetition. That’s how your mind retains things. In fact if somebody says, “Where in the Bible does it say,`If we confess our sins He is faithful and just,’” that’s easy, 1 John chapter 1 left hand page, right hand column halfway down. You know, you begin to visualize your Bible because of the familiarity of the text as you go over it and over it and over it.”
The above quote is taken from the transcript of one of his sermons you can find here.
Discouragement and Dissatisfaction in Preaching
A quote on preaching from Jeremiah Burroughs taken from his book Gospel Fear, page 80-81:
... and another quote from C.J. Mahaney taken from a panel session at the T4G’08 conference:
HT: Ray Fowler
"It may be a use of a great deal of encouragement to all the ministers of God to preach to people. It may be that sometimes even they are discouraged, and think to themselves, "Lord, how hard are the hearts of men, and how difficult it is to work upon the hearts of men! I have labored with all my might. I have studied and sought to invent all the arguments I possibly could, the most moving arguments that I could possibly imagine. When I have been in my study, I have thought to myself, 'Surely if the Lord is pleased to bless these truths that I am to deliver, they will work upon the hearts of people.'" And when it comes to the preaching of that sermon, perhaps the minister finds that they are not at all stirred one whit. "Why, Lord, what shall I do then? I cannot think ever to speak things that are more powerful than those that I have spoken, and those have done no good. Therefore I am afraid I shall never do good."
"Oh, no, do not say so and do not think so. The Lord is pleased sometimes to show us our vanity this way, and to rebuke us. Many times the Lord will not go along with the ministry of the Word when it comes with the greatest power and the strongest arguments and, yet, at another time, the Lord will be pleased to bless a word that you only speak in passing. It may do more than all the others. There is scarcely any one faithful minister in the world who observes the work of God upon his ministry who does not find this to be true. Yet this is no argument why a minister should not labor with all his might and come with the strongest arguments. He is bound to do his duty. Aye, be not discouraged.
... and another quote from C.J. Mahaney taken from a panel session at the T4G’08 conference:
I think we should remain dissatisfied with our preaching, so that we are always motivated to grow in our preaching. But I think there is a difference between being dissatisfied and being discouraged. For me, when I’m discouraged, normally that reveals the presence of pride, that to some degree in my preaching I was attempting to impress rather than serve.
HT: Ray Fowler
Apr 19, 2008
Bolehkah Orang Kristen Minum Alkohol?
Berikut tiga artikel menarik tentang etika Kristen terhadap beer, wine, spirits, etc.
The Christian and Alcohol - Richard Land and Barrett Duke, Criswell Theological Review.
To Drink or Not To Drink: A Sober Look at the Question - Norman Geisler. Criswell Theological Review.
The Bible and Alcohol - Daniel Wallace.
The Christian and Alcohol - Richard Land and Barrett Duke, Criswell Theological Review.
To Drink or Not To Drink: A Sober Look at the Question - Norman Geisler. Criswell Theological Review.
The Bible and Alcohol - Daniel Wallace.
Apr 17, 2008
The Schemes of the Devil
"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." (Ephesians 6:11)
In his book the Art of War, the 6th century BC Chinese general Sun Tzu wrote one of the most crucial military strategies that is still being followed in our ultramodern world today: "Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster." What a relevant strategy to be used in our spiritual war against Satan.
1. The Apostle Paul used the phrase “the schemes of the Devil' (from the Greek word METHODIA) which signifies an orderly, planned, logical, subtle, systematized, and effective scheme. What Paul is saying to the Ephesians is that Satan is very thorough in launching his artful, cunning, deceitful attacks. Behind him is thousands upon thousands of years of experiences in attacking Christians. The only other use of Methodeia in the BIble is in Ephesians 4:14 where immature Christians are prone to be "tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes." Satan counterfeits God’s word, masquerades as the teacher of God’s word, and envelops human minds with lies or half-truths that tickle human ears.
His schemes are very lethal because each is tailor-made for each believer, meticulously customized to each person's specific weaknesses. It was not marketing experts who first came up with the idea of mass customization. It was Satan. It was rightly said that if God loves you and has a wonderful plan for you, Satan hates you and has an evil plan for you. And that plan is filled with fully customized tactics aimed at our weakest points. He's got you in his filing cabinets. Your file for example says: Subject has a constant preoccupation with lust. Then below it. Strategy: Late at night when he is alone, seduce him with the thought that online pornography is OK, and that as Christian adults he can cope with it without being enslaved. Let him think that it won’t harm his soul because everyone else is doing it, and no one will find that out. Lead him to believe it's only an entertainment, a thrill that is simply a few clicks away.” (more of these tactics can be found in CS Lewis' masterpiece The Screwtape Letters)
2. If you want to read Satan's Curriculum Vitae, it's in the Bible. He is a liar and murderer (John 8:44). He deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. He afflicted Job. He tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Satan "disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). He follows us everywhere, "walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). Satan hinders, obstruct, hinder our God-honoring plan to serve Him (1Thessalonians 2:18). He influences and infiltrates our minds (John 13: 26-27, 30; Acts 5:3).
What he did in the past, he will certainly be doing today and in the future. That is why Paul reminds us that the real battle is not against people, no matter how mean they are to us at times, the real battle is against invisible supernatural beings who are determined to disrupt, discourage, disillusion, discomfort, disarm, disrupt, dissatisfy, distract, disappoint, disgruntle, dishearten, distress, disqualify, disquiet, disturb, disunite, destroy, and deceive us.
Satan knows exactly your weak points. Do you know your weak points?
Satan knows you. Do you know him, so much so that you always stand firm against him?
I am certain Satan has also read Sun Tzu's Art of War. He knows you inside out. Our only hope to win the war is that we do know this. That Satan is only a created being who has been defeated by Jesus Christ our Lord on the cross. That is why Paul wrote "“be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (6:10).
In his book the Art of War, the 6th century BC Chinese general Sun Tzu wrote one of the most crucial military strategies that is still being followed in our ultramodern world today: "Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster." What a relevant strategy to be used in our spiritual war against Satan.
1. The Apostle Paul used the phrase “the schemes of the Devil' (from the Greek word METHODIA) which signifies an orderly, planned, logical, subtle, systematized, and effective scheme. What Paul is saying to the Ephesians is that Satan is very thorough in launching his artful, cunning, deceitful attacks. Behind him is thousands upon thousands of years of experiences in attacking Christians. The only other use of Methodeia in the BIble is in Ephesians 4:14 where immature Christians are prone to be "tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes." Satan counterfeits God’s word, masquerades as the teacher of God’s word, and envelops human minds with lies or half-truths that tickle human ears.
His schemes are very lethal because each is tailor-made for each believer, meticulously customized to each person's specific weaknesses. It was not marketing experts who first came up with the idea of mass customization. It was Satan. It was rightly said that if God loves you and has a wonderful plan for you, Satan hates you and has an evil plan for you. And that plan is filled with fully customized tactics aimed at our weakest points. He's got you in his filing cabinets. Your file for example says: Subject has a constant preoccupation with lust. Then below it. Strategy: Late at night when he is alone, seduce him with the thought that online pornography is OK, and that as Christian adults he can cope with it without being enslaved. Let him think that it won’t harm his soul because everyone else is doing it, and no one will find that out. Lead him to believe it's only an entertainment, a thrill that is simply a few clicks away.” (more of these tactics can be found in CS Lewis' masterpiece The Screwtape Letters)
2. If you want to read Satan's Curriculum Vitae, it's in the Bible. He is a liar and murderer (John 8:44). He deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. He afflicted Job. He tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Satan "disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). He follows us everywhere, "walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). Satan hinders, obstruct, hinder our God-honoring plan to serve Him (1Thessalonians 2:18). He influences and infiltrates our minds (John 13: 26-27, 30; Acts 5:3).
What he did in the past, he will certainly be doing today and in the future. That is why Paul reminds us that the real battle is not against people, no matter how mean they are to us at times, the real battle is against invisible supernatural beings who are determined to disrupt, discourage, disillusion, discomfort, disarm, disrupt, dissatisfy, distract, disappoint, disgruntle, dishearten, distress, disqualify, disquiet, disturb, disunite, destroy, and deceive us.
Satan knows exactly your weak points. Do you know your weak points?
Satan knows you. Do you know him, so much so that you always stand firm against him?
I am certain Satan has also read Sun Tzu's Art of War. He knows you inside out. Our only hope to win the war is that we do know this. That Satan is only a created being who has been defeated by Jesus Christ our Lord on the cross. That is why Paul wrote "“be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (6:10).
Apr 15, 2008
Willow Creek on the Spotlight
A few years ago I was rather shocked to find that while Willow Creek is not a Fortune 500 company, it has been featured as one of the Harvard Business Review case study materials studied by MBA students globally.
In light of their recent 'repentance' (see my previous post), here are a few web-based articles which look at Willow Creek from a careful, biblical perspective. But first, a comment from John Hendryx about this 'repentance'.
The Gospel According to Hybels & Warren
Nathan Busenitz
Church Growth Gone Mad
A sobering look at the church growth seeker-sensitive models
Copyright 2003 by Clay Miller
In light of their recent 'repentance' (see my previous post), here are a few web-based articles which look at Willow Creek from a careful, biblical perspective. But first, a comment from John Hendryx about this 'repentance'.
So based on this research, Willow (and other churches based on their model), have decided to bring back more doctrinal teaching for discipleship and growth. Our first response to this might be "great!" but upon closer inspection it is evident that no real changes have been made whatsoever - which shows they have learned nothing. Why? Because this decision was derived from a poll and not the word of God. It is obvious that the consumer is still sovereign in Willow churches. And as long as they are sovereign whatever new doctrinal teaching that they plan to implement is already deeply flawed at the outset. Until the Word of God drives the content of church, including the reason and pattern of doing church, then you have dethroned God and set man in his place. This philosophy of worship assumes the Pelagian view of man that believes Christianity is just a product like any other product and that sold in the markets. Biblical preaching, in this model, is not what God uses to raise up the dead, but rather, Christianity is decided by a democratic vote. This is disastrous to the faith and, if evangelicalism has any hope of surviving, must be confronted lovingly but firmly so that we recapture the truth of the gospel.
The Gospel According to Hybels & Warren
Nathan Busenitz
Church Growth Gone Mad
A sobering look at the church growth seeker-sensitive models
Copyright 2003 by Clay Miller
"Oops...", said Willow Creek
This news hit many Christian blogs in the past few days. Since whatever happens in Willow Creek will not stay in Willow Creek, but will have ripple effects throughout its huge church networks in the US and globally, it is worth reposting it here. Think what this piece might imply for your church's strategy. And ponder whether their next move is indeed the kind of move in which God will be truly glorified. The church is His church and should be run in His way, according to His will, for His glory.
----
April 11, 2008
Live from Shift: Willow Implements REVEAL
Greg Hawkins tells about the big changes Willow Creek is making.
Today, Greg Hawkins, executive pastor at Willow, recapped the study and then shared some changes that the church is now making in response to the research. He said they’re making the biggest changes to the church in over 30 years. For three decades Willow has been focused on making the church appealing to seekers. But the research shows that it’s the mature believers that drive everything in the church—including evangelism.
Hawkins says, “We used to think you can’t upset a seeker. But while focusing on that we’ve really upset the Christ-centered people.” He spoke about the high levels of dissatisfaction mature believer have with churches. Drawing from the 200 churches and the 57,000 people that have taken the survey, he said that most people are leaving the church because they’re not being challenged enough. Because it’s the mature Christians who drive evangelism in the church Hawkins says, “Our strategy to reach seekers is now about focusing on the mature believers. This is a huge shift for Willow.”
One major implementation of this shift will occur in June when Willow ends their mid-week worship services that had been geared toward believers. Instead the church will morph these mid-week events into classes for people at different stages of growth. There will be theological and bible classes full of “hard-hitting stuff.” Hawkins said most people are very enthusiastic about the change.
Willow has been wrestling with the research from REVEAL since 2004. Hawkins said, “We’ve tried incremental changes for four years, but now we know we have to overhaul our whole strategy.” Small steps are no longer the method; Willow is revamping everything. “It would be malpractice for us to not do something with what we’re learning.” In the larger REVEAL survey taken by 200 churches, people were asked what they want most from their church. Three of the top four responses were:
1. Help me understand the Bible in greater depth
2. Help me develop a closer personal relationship with Christ
3. Challenge me to grow and take the next step in my faith
Hawkins said that sometimes Willow gets accused of managing the church based on market research; of simply giving people what they want. “Look at what they want!” he said while pointing to the screen. “They want the Bible, they want to be close to Christ, they want to be challenged. Yes, I will give them what they want!”''
... the entire piece can be read here.
----
April 11, 2008
Live from Shift: Willow Implements REVEAL
Greg Hawkins tells about the big changes Willow Creek is making.
Today, Greg Hawkins, executive pastor at Willow, recapped the study and then shared some changes that the church is now making in response to the research. He said they’re making the biggest changes to the church in over 30 years. For three decades Willow has been focused on making the church appealing to seekers. But the research shows that it’s the mature believers that drive everything in the church—including evangelism.
Hawkins says, “We used to think you can’t upset a seeker. But while focusing on that we’ve really upset the Christ-centered people.” He spoke about the high levels of dissatisfaction mature believer have with churches. Drawing from the 200 churches and the 57,000 people that have taken the survey, he said that most people are leaving the church because they’re not being challenged enough. Because it’s the mature Christians who drive evangelism in the church Hawkins says, “Our strategy to reach seekers is now about focusing on the mature believers. This is a huge shift for Willow.”
One major implementation of this shift will occur in June when Willow ends their mid-week worship services that had been geared toward believers. Instead the church will morph these mid-week events into classes for people at different stages of growth. There will be theological and bible classes full of “hard-hitting stuff.” Hawkins said most people are very enthusiastic about the change.
Willow has been wrestling with the research from REVEAL since 2004. Hawkins said, “We’ve tried incremental changes for four years, but now we know we have to overhaul our whole strategy.” Small steps are no longer the method; Willow is revamping everything. “It would be malpractice for us to not do something with what we’re learning.” In the larger REVEAL survey taken by 200 churches, people were asked what they want most from their church. Three of the top four responses were:
1. Help me understand the Bible in greater depth
2. Help me develop a closer personal relationship with Christ
3. Challenge me to grow and take the next step in my faith
Hawkins said that sometimes Willow gets accused of managing the church based on market research; of simply giving people what they want. “Look at what they want!” he said while pointing to the screen. “They want the Bible, they want to be close to Christ, they want to be challenged. Yes, I will give them what they want!”''
... the entire piece can be read here.
Kuliah di Australia: Apa Uniknya?
A short article I recently wrote for a local Indonesian magazine in Melbourne called BUSET (Bukan Sembarang Tabloid), in their March 2008 edition.
--------------------------
Jika Anda punya uang $45,000, apa yang Anda paling ingin lakukan dengan uang tersebut? Beli mobil baru yang keren? Bayar down payment untuk mortgage rumah? Adakan pesta mewah di Dockland selama 7 hari 7 malam? Bagaimana kalau ambil Bachelor degree di salah satu universitas di Australia, karena itulah yang dilakukan sekitar lima belas ribu mahasiswa Indonesia. Meski merasa sakit hati saat membayar sekitar $45-60K untuk mendapatkan tiga atau empat huruf dibelakang nama (BBus, BEng, BArt, asal jangan BLoon), banyak yang rela hidup menderita selama tiga tahun bergaul dengan textbook. “Demi masa depan, bo!”
Itu sebab saya pikir pengalaman tiga tahun di uni yang super mahal tersebut harus dinikmati sebesar-besarnya. Dimanfaatkan setinggi-tingginya. Dan dijalani sebijak-bijaknya (apalagi kalau kita pikirkan betapa mayoritas rekan-rekan kita di tanah air yang berusia 17-24 tahun tidak pernah merasakan universitas). Itulah tujuan kolom baru “Sarjana BUSET” ini. Untuk kolom pertama ini, saya ingin memberi preview tentang menu kolom kita setiap bulan. Tapi tentu menu tersebut bisa disesuaikan dengan selera atau kebutuhan Anda sebagai para pembaca.
Saya menulis kolom ini dari kacamata seorang eks-mahasiswa yang kini berada di sisi lain dari pagar pendidikan, yaitu sebagai dosen. Jadi kalau dulu saya kesel sama dosen yang gayanya lebih galak dari Hitler tapi otaknya tidak lebih gede dari pak Ogah, maka sekarang sayalah si Hitler-Ogah tersebut. Bedanya, sebagai dosen, saya tidak merasa seperti Hitler atau pak Ogah, lebih seperti gabungan antara Gandhi dan Einstein (hahaha…).
Menurut saya, selain biayanya yang mahal, minimal ada 5 hal lain yang unik tentang kuliah di Australia
1. Budaya Belajar Aktif
Jangan kecil hati jika Anda kaget ½ mati melihat beda antara metode belajar/ mengajar di SMA di Jakarta dengan universitas di Melbourne. Begitu Anda masuk uni semester pertama, ada sebuah asumsi yang tidak tertulis, yaitu bahwa Anda harus aktif di dalam semua hal. Aktif berpikir, aktif berpendapat, aktif bertanya, aktif memberikan solusi, aktif berstrategi mengatur waktu. Hal ini berlaku di kelas, dalam membuat assignment, dst. (tapi jangan ‘aktif’ waktu ujian berlangsung). Dan semua itu memakai Inggris sebagai bahasa pengantar.
Dalam pengamatan saya, disinilah letak kelemahan kita sebagai orang Indonesia dibanding dengan orang bule atau orang Asia lainnya yang berbasis Inggris (India, Singapore, Malaysia). Kita tidak aktif bukan karena kita bangsa yang bodoh (Indonesia meraih emas lho dalam Olimpiade Fisika dan Matematika Internasional). Tetapi karena budaya pendidikan kita dari TK sampai SMA tidak mendorong kita untuk aktif mengekspresikan diri kita dengan sistematis dan logis secara verbal maupun tertulis, apalagi dalam bahasa Inggris. Budaya paternalistik “guru selalu benar” yang sangat kuat membuat kita pasif, hanya bereaksi terhadap perintah guru. Inisiatif dan kreatifitas biasanya dianggap kurang ajar.
2. Modal Kemampuan Dasar
Hari pertama Anda kuliah, Anda akan langsung merasakan betapa kemampuan dasar seperti mendengar, membaca, menulis esai, berpikir kritis dan kreatif, mengemukakan pendapat, berargumentasi; semua itu penting untuk bisa sukses di Australia. Topik-topik ini akan muncul dalam kolom ini dalam edisi-edisi berikutnya.
Mendengar, misalnya, kelihatannya sepele, tapi ternyata tidak semudah yang kita pikirkan. Mengapa? Karena mungkin dosen kita berasal dari salah satu kota kecil yang terletak di pedalaman Victoria (Wagga Wagga, misalnya), jadi bahasa Inggrisnya sangat medhog Aussie. Jadi yang kita denger cuma “wha rhe wha rhe wha rhe wha, maaitt.” Tapi seriously, di lecture kita dituntut bukan hanya bisa mendengar, tapi mendengar untuk mengerti keseluruhan dari konsep yang dipaparkan. Dan beda dosen Indo dengan dosen Aussie. Dosen disini tidak boros kata-kata. Tidak bertele-tele. To the point. Padat. Itu sebab setiap kalimatnya penting. Jadi mahasiswa yang mendengar dengan serius akan merasa kecapaian setelah mengikuti kuliah yang cuma 60 menit!
3. Kemandirian dan Disiplin yang tinggi
Anda mungkin sudah tahu bahwa rata-rata orang Australia itu individualistis. Yang Anda mungkin belum tahu adalah bahwa Australia memang negara kedua yang paling individualistis setelah Amerika. Dalam konteks seperti itu, maka di kelas, Anda praktis diharapkan untuk memang bisa mandiri, baik oleh dosen maupun oleh sesama mahasiswa (maksudnya: Jangan nanya-nanya gua, jangan nyontek assignment gua). Belajar sendiri, ngerjain assignment sendiri, research sendiri, dst. Meski bisa ada study group, pada akhirnya banyak hal yang mesti dilakukan sendiri. Bahkan dalam group project sekalipun, setiap anggotanya mesti mampu menghasilkan kualitas kerja yang minimal seimbang dengan yang lain secara individu.
4. Partisipasi di kelas
Soal partisipasi di kelas, dari pengalaman saya mengajar di Monash Uni (sekitar 7 tahun), mahasiswa Indo itu biasanya paling pasif. Memang ada mahasiswa Indo yang aktif, tapi itu perkecualian. Kalau orang bule, belum ditanya mereka sudah angkat tangan tidak sabar untuk memotong kalimat saya. Di kelas Leadership saya, tidak jarang saya mesti nerusin kalimat saya sambil mata saya memandang 2-3 orang bule yang tangannya lagi di udara mengacung. Pandangan mata tersebut seakan memberitahu mereka, “Tunggu bentar! Tanggung ini kalimat. Ga sabar amat sih!” Demikian juga mahasiswa Asia lainnya relatif lebih aktif partisipasi, termasuk dari China yang menurut saya rata-rata Inggrisnya juga belepotan. Sering mereka ngomong satu kalimat yang panjang, dan setelah selesai, saya tidak ngerti samasekali apa yang mereka katakan. Jadi dengan sopan, saya minta mereka ulangi lagi. Kali kedua, tetap saya tidak mengerti! Hahaha… Point saya adalah meski Inggris mereka pas-pasan, secara umum mereka lebih berani berpendapat menyatakan pendapat.
Mengapa partisipasi penting? Karena dengan berpartisipasi, Anda pasti lebih ingat topik yang sedang dibahas. Kalau kita pernah mengutarakan pendapat tentang suatu isu, kemungkinan kita ingat isu tersebut saat exam sangat besar. Ada manfaat lain memang, tapi tunggu deh kolom yang akan datang. Khan ini preview!
5. Paradigma Ilmu
Apakah hal yang paling berharga yang kita dapat dari program bachelor di uni? Yang pasti, Anda tidak dapat menjadi seorang pakar hanya dengan modal S1. Tetapi yang berharga adalah paradigma berpikir yang kita bangun. Misal, jika Anda mengambil program bisnis (BBus atau BCom, misalnya), disadari atau tidak, Anda akan mulai membangun paradigma bisnis. Kita dikondisikan selama 3 tahun untuk berpikir tentang untung-rugi. Lulusan akuntansi akan berpikir bagaimana memaksimalkan shareholders’ value. Lulusan marketing akan berpikir bagaimana segmentasi, target market, dan positioning produk atau jasa akan menjadikan produk/jasa tersebut the major player in the market. Lulusan manajemen akan berpikir strategis untuk melakukan sintesis dari setiap bidang mencapai sinergi 2+2 = 7. Dan seterusnya. Paradigma ini berharga (dan bisa berbahaya) untuk menolong kita sukses dalam karir.
Ada banyak hal yang lain, tapi ruang terbatas untuk kolom ini. Ikuti kolom berikutnya. Kalau Anda ingin memberi tanggapan atau pertanyaan seputar seluk-beluk dan lika-liku hidup sebagai seorang mahasiswa, silakan tulis email ke redaksi BUSET
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Jika Anda punya uang $45,000, apa yang Anda paling ingin lakukan dengan uang tersebut? Beli mobil baru yang keren? Bayar down payment untuk mortgage rumah? Adakan pesta mewah di Dockland selama 7 hari 7 malam? Bagaimana kalau ambil Bachelor degree di salah satu universitas di Australia, karena itulah yang dilakukan sekitar lima belas ribu mahasiswa Indonesia. Meski merasa sakit hati saat membayar sekitar $45-60K untuk mendapatkan tiga atau empat huruf dibelakang nama (BBus, BEng, BArt, asal jangan BLoon), banyak yang rela hidup menderita selama tiga tahun bergaul dengan textbook. “Demi masa depan, bo!”
Itu sebab saya pikir pengalaman tiga tahun di uni yang super mahal tersebut harus dinikmati sebesar-besarnya. Dimanfaatkan setinggi-tingginya. Dan dijalani sebijak-bijaknya (apalagi kalau kita pikirkan betapa mayoritas rekan-rekan kita di tanah air yang berusia 17-24 tahun tidak pernah merasakan universitas). Itulah tujuan kolom baru “Sarjana BUSET” ini. Untuk kolom pertama ini, saya ingin memberi preview tentang menu kolom kita setiap bulan. Tapi tentu menu tersebut bisa disesuaikan dengan selera atau kebutuhan Anda sebagai para pembaca.
Saya menulis kolom ini dari kacamata seorang eks-mahasiswa yang kini berada di sisi lain dari pagar pendidikan, yaitu sebagai dosen. Jadi kalau dulu saya kesel sama dosen yang gayanya lebih galak dari Hitler tapi otaknya tidak lebih gede dari pak Ogah, maka sekarang sayalah si Hitler-Ogah tersebut. Bedanya, sebagai dosen, saya tidak merasa seperti Hitler atau pak Ogah, lebih seperti gabungan antara Gandhi dan Einstein (hahaha…).
Menurut saya, selain biayanya yang mahal, minimal ada 5 hal lain yang unik tentang kuliah di Australia
1. Budaya Belajar Aktif
Jangan kecil hati jika Anda kaget ½ mati melihat beda antara metode belajar/ mengajar di SMA di Jakarta dengan universitas di Melbourne. Begitu Anda masuk uni semester pertama, ada sebuah asumsi yang tidak tertulis, yaitu bahwa Anda harus aktif di dalam semua hal. Aktif berpikir, aktif berpendapat, aktif bertanya, aktif memberikan solusi, aktif berstrategi mengatur waktu. Hal ini berlaku di kelas, dalam membuat assignment, dst. (tapi jangan ‘aktif’ waktu ujian berlangsung). Dan semua itu memakai Inggris sebagai bahasa pengantar.
Dalam pengamatan saya, disinilah letak kelemahan kita sebagai orang Indonesia dibanding dengan orang bule atau orang Asia lainnya yang berbasis Inggris (India, Singapore, Malaysia). Kita tidak aktif bukan karena kita bangsa yang bodoh (Indonesia meraih emas lho dalam Olimpiade Fisika dan Matematika Internasional). Tetapi karena budaya pendidikan kita dari TK sampai SMA tidak mendorong kita untuk aktif mengekspresikan diri kita dengan sistematis dan logis secara verbal maupun tertulis, apalagi dalam bahasa Inggris. Budaya paternalistik “guru selalu benar” yang sangat kuat membuat kita pasif, hanya bereaksi terhadap perintah guru. Inisiatif dan kreatifitas biasanya dianggap kurang ajar.
2. Modal Kemampuan Dasar
Hari pertama Anda kuliah, Anda akan langsung merasakan betapa kemampuan dasar seperti mendengar, membaca, menulis esai, berpikir kritis dan kreatif, mengemukakan pendapat, berargumentasi; semua itu penting untuk bisa sukses di Australia. Topik-topik ini akan muncul dalam kolom ini dalam edisi-edisi berikutnya.
Mendengar, misalnya, kelihatannya sepele, tapi ternyata tidak semudah yang kita pikirkan. Mengapa? Karena mungkin dosen kita berasal dari salah satu kota kecil yang terletak di pedalaman Victoria (Wagga Wagga, misalnya), jadi bahasa Inggrisnya sangat medhog Aussie. Jadi yang kita denger cuma “wha rhe wha rhe wha rhe wha, maaitt.” Tapi seriously, di lecture kita dituntut bukan hanya bisa mendengar, tapi mendengar untuk mengerti keseluruhan dari konsep yang dipaparkan. Dan beda dosen Indo dengan dosen Aussie. Dosen disini tidak boros kata-kata. Tidak bertele-tele. To the point. Padat. Itu sebab setiap kalimatnya penting. Jadi mahasiswa yang mendengar dengan serius akan merasa kecapaian setelah mengikuti kuliah yang cuma 60 menit!
3. Kemandirian dan Disiplin yang tinggi
Anda mungkin sudah tahu bahwa rata-rata orang Australia itu individualistis. Yang Anda mungkin belum tahu adalah bahwa Australia memang negara kedua yang paling individualistis setelah Amerika. Dalam konteks seperti itu, maka di kelas, Anda praktis diharapkan untuk memang bisa mandiri, baik oleh dosen maupun oleh sesama mahasiswa (maksudnya: Jangan nanya-nanya gua, jangan nyontek assignment gua). Belajar sendiri, ngerjain assignment sendiri, research sendiri, dst. Meski bisa ada study group, pada akhirnya banyak hal yang mesti dilakukan sendiri. Bahkan dalam group project sekalipun, setiap anggotanya mesti mampu menghasilkan kualitas kerja yang minimal seimbang dengan yang lain secara individu.
4. Partisipasi di kelas
Soal partisipasi di kelas, dari pengalaman saya mengajar di Monash Uni (sekitar 7 tahun), mahasiswa Indo itu biasanya paling pasif. Memang ada mahasiswa Indo yang aktif, tapi itu perkecualian. Kalau orang bule, belum ditanya mereka sudah angkat tangan tidak sabar untuk memotong kalimat saya. Di kelas Leadership saya, tidak jarang saya mesti nerusin kalimat saya sambil mata saya memandang 2-3 orang bule yang tangannya lagi di udara mengacung. Pandangan mata tersebut seakan memberitahu mereka, “Tunggu bentar! Tanggung ini kalimat. Ga sabar amat sih!” Demikian juga mahasiswa Asia lainnya relatif lebih aktif partisipasi, termasuk dari China yang menurut saya rata-rata Inggrisnya juga belepotan. Sering mereka ngomong satu kalimat yang panjang, dan setelah selesai, saya tidak ngerti samasekali apa yang mereka katakan. Jadi dengan sopan, saya minta mereka ulangi lagi. Kali kedua, tetap saya tidak mengerti! Hahaha… Point saya adalah meski Inggris mereka pas-pasan, secara umum mereka lebih berani berpendapat menyatakan pendapat.
Mengapa partisipasi penting? Karena dengan berpartisipasi, Anda pasti lebih ingat topik yang sedang dibahas. Kalau kita pernah mengutarakan pendapat tentang suatu isu, kemungkinan kita ingat isu tersebut saat exam sangat besar. Ada manfaat lain memang, tapi tunggu deh kolom yang akan datang. Khan ini preview!
5. Paradigma Ilmu
Apakah hal yang paling berharga yang kita dapat dari program bachelor di uni? Yang pasti, Anda tidak dapat menjadi seorang pakar hanya dengan modal S1. Tetapi yang berharga adalah paradigma berpikir yang kita bangun. Misal, jika Anda mengambil program bisnis (BBus atau BCom, misalnya), disadari atau tidak, Anda akan mulai membangun paradigma bisnis. Kita dikondisikan selama 3 tahun untuk berpikir tentang untung-rugi. Lulusan akuntansi akan berpikir bagaimana memaksimalkan shareholders’ value. Lulusan marketing akan berpikir bagaimana segmentasi, target market, dan positioning produk atau jasa akan menjadikan produk/jasa tersebut the major player in the market. Lulusan manajemen akan berpikir strategis untuk melakukan sintesis dari setiap bidang mencapai sinergi 2+2 = 7. Dan seterusnya. Paradigma ini berharga (dan bisa berbahaya) untuk menolong kita sukses dalam karir.
Ada banyak hal yang lain, tapi ruang terbatas untuk kolom ini. Ikuti kolom berikutnya. Kalau Anda ingin memberi tanggapan atau pertanyaan seputar seluk-beluk dan lika-liku hidup sebagai seorang mahasiswa, silakan tulis email ke redaksi BUSET
The danger of blogging
A recent article in New York Times on the phenomenon of over-blogging, reposted in The Age here. I suppose as with other things, blogging in moderation should be the case.
Of course, the bloggers could choose other work but they profess to love the nonstop action and the opportunity to create a global media outlet without a major up-front investment. At the same time, some are wondering if something has gone very wrong: in recent months, two among their ranks have died suddenly.
Other bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, exhaustion and other maladies born of the strain of producing news and information for the always-on internet.
Apr 10, 2008
Christians at War (Spiritually)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-13)
It is seemingly odd to many that the Apostle Paul ends his eloquent letter to the Ephesians discussing spiritual warfare. He started the letter with an elaboration on our spiritual blessings in Christ. This glorious standing we have as adopted children of God is elaborated in the first three chapters. Then he became very practical, discussing how our position in Christ should radically alter the way we live, work, behave, think, feel, speak, and relate with others in the context of marriage, parental, and employment relationship. His exhortation ends in an unexpected turn, reminding Christians that in taking that spiritual journey in Christ, we will have turbulent times. In fact, he essentially said that we are virtually at war with the Devil.
This perpetual battle with the Evil One is an inevitable consequence of our lives in Christ. Salvation in Christ brings upon us a peace with God on the one hand, and a war with Satan on the other hand. There is no neutral ground. We are soldiers forever in active duty ready to engage the enemy in a spiritual fight. Woe to those who say that life in Christ consists of peaceful, serene, happy lives with no conflict and struggle. It may come as a shock to a new believer to learn that the Christian life is a battlefield and not a Wonderland or Disneyland. But think of it as a shock therapy. Because then we have to get comfy to be foot soldier in this spiritual combat. Why? Because as this new Christian starts to know Christ and grow in the maturity of faith, he or she will find him/herself as a combatant in a battlefield. The more she is willing to trust and obey God, submit to Him radically, the more she feels the thick of the pressure in that war.
On the other hand, there is something terribly wrong that if you and I have lived our lives as Christians for years and years, but never experience a spiritual struggle. There is something seriously mistaken in our Christian live if we never shed tears in prayer before the Sovereign God when we are tempted by Satan. We need to seriously question our faith if we have no, as one author put it, " tug-of-war for your soul" because that means our lives will not be different from non-believers who are under the influence of the Evil One: "You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:1-2).
Note that every Christian is at war. It does not make any difference if you a new believer or a spiritual giant like Charles Spurgeon, Billy Graham, or Richard Foster. You know what? In fact, if you are Spurgeon, Graham, or Foster, you are more likely to experience the Devil's attacks that are more subtle, rigorous, and deadly. Here is the irony of this spiritual battle. Yes, it is true that our obedience and submission to God is the greatest weapon in defeating our foe, but the more we strive to do that, the more lethal the attacks launched by Satan. Those of us who preach week in and week out must beware. The mere fact that we do a 'monologue' for 30-60 minutes in the pulpit every Sunday can turn us into a spiritually delusional, self-righteous person.
That is why Paul wrote “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (2:10). Be continually strengthened in the Lord. The only way we can survive and win is by relying solely and wholly on God. One author put it well: "Self-sufficiency in spiritual struggles is spiritual suicide." The phrase "in the power of His might" is an important one, referring to God's power that resurrected Christ from the dead (1:20), who become ours by virtue of our redeemed status in Christ. Not only that it is a mighty power. But we are also strengthened in the truth of Christ's death on the cross has conquered Satan and the power of death. Jesus is seated far above all principality and powers (1:20). This victory already took place, but is yet to be brought into consummation when He returns. In the meantime, we Christians are at war and as long as we fight with our spiritual eyes turn upon Jesus, we can experience the power of His might working in us.
When was the last time you had that spiritual sensitivity that Satan was making his move on you and you felt tempted, but you tried to fight it by kneeling, praying, reading His word, meditating on and memorizing it, and asking for strength from God?
It is seemingly odd to many that the Apostle Paul ends his eloquent letter to the Ephesians discussing spiritual warfare. He started the letter with an elaboration on our spiritual blessings in Christ. This glorious standing we have as adopted children of God is elaborated in the first three chapters. Then he became very practical, discussing how our position in Christ should radically alter the way we live, work, behave, think, feel, speak, and relate with others in the context of marriage, parental, and employment relationship. His exhortation ends in an unexpected turn, reminding Christians that in taking that spiritual journey in Christ, we will have turbulent times. In fact, he essentially said that we are virtually at war with the Devil.
This perpetual battle with the Evil One is an inevitable consequence of our lives in Christ. Salvation in Christ brings upon us a peace with God on the one hand, and a war with Satan on the other hand. There is no neutral ground. We are soldiers forever in active duty ready to engage the enemy in a spiritual fight. Woe to those who say that life in Christ consists of peaceful, serene, happy lives with no conflict and struggle. It may come as a shock to a new believer to learn that the Christian life is a battlefield and not a Wonderland or Disneyland. But think of it as a shock therapy. Because then we have to get comfy to be foot soldier in this spiritual combat. Why? Because as this new Christian starts to know Christ and grow in the maturity of faith, he or she will find him/herself as a combatant in a battlefield. The more she is willing to trust and obey God, submit to Him radically, the more she feels the thick of the pressure in that war.
On the other hand, there is something terribly wrong that if you and I have lived our lives as Christians for years and years, but never experience a spiritual struggle. There is something seriously mistaken in our Christian live if we never shed tears in prayer before the Sovereign God when we are tempted by Satan. We need to seriously question our faith if we have no, as one author put it, " tug-of-war for your soul" because that means our lives will not be different from non-believers who are under the influence of the Evil One: "You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:1-2).
Note that every Christian is at war. It does not make any difference if you a new believer or a spiritual giant like Charles Spurgeon, Billy Graham, or Richard Foster. You know what? In fact, if you are Spurgeon, Graham, or Foster, you are more likely to experience the Devil's attacks that are more subtle, rigorous, and deadly. Here is the irony of this spiritual battle. Yes, it is true that our obedience and submission to God is the greatest weapon in defeating our foe, but the more we strive to do that, the more lethal the attacks launched by Satan. Those of us who preach week in and week out must beware. The mere fact that we do a 'monologue' for 30-60 minutes in the pulpit every Sunday can turn us into a spiritually delusional, self-righteous person.
That is why Paul wrote “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (2:10). Be continually strengthened in the Lord. The only way we can survive and win is by relying solely and wholly on God. One author put it well: "Self-sufficiency in spiritual struggles is spiritual suicide." The phrase "in the power of His might" is an important one, referring to God's power that resurrected Christ from the dead (1:20), who become ours by virtue of our redeemed status in Christ. Not only that it is a mighty power. But we are also strengthened in the truth of Christ's death on the cross has conquered Satan and the power of death. Jesus is seated far above all principality and powers (1:20). This victory already took place, but is yet to be brought into consummation when He returns. In the meantime, we Christians are at war and as long as we fight with our spiritual eyes turn upon Jesus, we can experience the power of His might working in us.
When was the last time you had that spiritual sensitivity that Satan was making his move on you and you felt tempted, but you tried to fight it by kneeling, praying, reading His word, meditating on and memorizing it, and asking for strength from God?
Apr 9, 2008
Commentaries, anyone?
If you want to buy the best commentaries on certain books in the Bible and do not know which one, the following annotated bibliography from the folks at Denver Seminary is very helpful and comprehensive (at least for me). And the list is always updated when the new edition of the Denver Journal is published. Here is the latest list from the latest edition:
Old Testament
Prepared by M. Daniel Carroll R., Hélène Dallaire, and Richard S. Hess.
New Testament
Prepared by William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Susan M. Hecht.
Apr 7, 2008
Theologian-Pastors and Pastor-Theologians
Found the following in Justin Taylor's blog which was posted originally by Owen Strachan in his blog. I think it aptly captures one of the great needs of the church of Jesus Christ:
But with this minor squibble aside, let me say something that I've been thinking a bit about. Just as we need "theologian-pastors" (by which I'm referring to theologically astute pastors), so also are we in great need of "pastor-theologians" (by which I'm referring to academic scholars who bring pastoral concerns to bear on their work). There is a gigantic need for exegetes, historians, theologians, systematicians, and philosophers who see their work as done, generally speaking, in service of the church. Perhaps you've encountered scholars who don't seem to practice such a philosophy of scholarship, but who do theology in such a way that they talk in abstracted terminology, chase rabbits (for multiple books or classes) that have little relevance to an actual person, and generally show evidence of forgetting that their ministry is accountable to their local church and responsible for equipping pastors and laypeople. Such a class of thinker, it is hoped, is on the wane in Christian circles, even as the ecclesiastically attuned class of theologian is on the rise.
These scholars do not study, publish, and teach to pursue their own eccentric interests and doctrines, but to assist Christians in the task of understanding the Bible and its teachings as they apply to life and ministry. For this class of thinkers, church members are not a burden, but an audience; questions of all theological stripes are tackled not simply to satisfy one's curiosity, but to teach believers; and writing is composed not to wow fellow academics, but to instruct local church pastors and their members. This is not to say that there is no place for theological, historical, exegetical, and philosophical works of advanced depth and narrow focus; there is, and I would never seek to belittle such projects or demean them as unvaluable. These endeavors may well have value, perhaps great value, and we should regularly encourage our scholars to undertake them and to engage in the highest levels of scholarship. At the same time, it is my personal conviction that we should encourage our gifted scholars and teachers to reach us with their teaching--and not only this, but to aim at us. How blessed we would be if theologians styled themselves as pastor-theologians, and aimed to instruct the local church not incidentally, but primarily.
We need theologian-pastors (shepherds). This is our greatest need. But we also need pastor-theologians (scholars). We must be careful not to think that only one group is important. We do not need merely a continuing recovery of a vital, doctrinally focused pastorate. No, we need the continuing recovery of men like Carson and Sweeney and Ware and Mohler and Hamilton and Packer and Akin and Wells who engage in the sacred task of Christian scholarship in order to bless, help, rescue and vitalize the local churches that populate our world. Here's hoping that the future will bring, as I think it will, an army of doctrinally savvy, theologically precise, culturally engaged pastors who will lead local churches with great energy and faithfulness. And here's hoping that marching alongside them will be a great cavalry of scholars, who will help those pastors to steer Christians away from error, to love truth and live life doxologically, and to emerge victorious in the great struggle for true life that engulfs us all.
Apr 6, 2008
10 Hal yang Membuat Saya Bersyukur ttg Gereja
Hari ini gereja tempat saya melayani, Indonesian Christian Church, jemaat Indonesia dari Scots' Presbyterian Church, berusia 3 tahun. Dalam ibadah ulang tahun tadi saya kotbah dalam bahasa Inggris berjudul HERE I STAND dari Efesus 6:10-20 (akan saya post summary-nya dalam waktu dekat). Ada sekitar 80-an orang hadir, 15 diantaranya diteguhkan menjadi anggota berdasarkan pernyataan iman (by profession of faith) dipimpin Senior Minister kita, Rev Douglas Robertson.
Umur gereja ini tidak jauh berbeda dengan umur anak saya yang kecil. Tapi dalam waktu yang relatif singkat, ada banyak kenangan manis yang kita lalui sebagai jemaat. Dan dalam semua itu ada tangan Tuhan yang bekerja dengan apik menenun benang kehidupan bergereja. Berikut 10 hal yang membuat saya bersyukur kepada Tuhan atas jemaat ini, yang sekaligus menjadi encouragement bagi saya:
1. Setiap individu yang hidupnya diubahkan oleh Tuhan selama 3 tahun tersebut. Yang tadinya tidak percaya menjadi percaya. Yang tadinya malas ke gereja sekarang aktif melayani Tuhan. Yang tadinya cuek sekarang peduli terhadap kerohanian orang lain.
2. Orang-orang yang melayani tanpa banyak bicara, tanpa pernah mengeluh, dan tulus memberi yang terbaik untuk Tuhan di berbagai bidang pelayanan di gereja. Mereka inilah yang Tuhan pakai sebagai tulang punggung gereja dalam arti yang sesungguh-sungguhnya dari minggu ke minggu.
3. Tim pengurus yang solid, kompak, cinta Tuhan dan kompeten. Mereka yang berdoa, berpikir satu-dua langkah lebih dahulu ketimbang jemaat, dan mempedulikan setiap jiwa yang Tuhan kirim utk kita layani.
4. Liz Diacos dan tim guru sekolah Minggu dengan kurikulum yang biblikal dalam bahasa Inggris untuk anak-anak di gereja.
5. Tim musik yang semakin lama semakin mantap, dengan strings dan choir dibawah pimpinan Elie Cung.
6. Ministers dan Elders yang sangat supportive terhadap pelayanan jemaat Indonesia dari sejak awal gereja mulai.
7. Keragaman jemaat. Tujuh pasang young couples yang baru menikah antara 3 bulan - 3 tahun. Profesional muda, singles, mahasiswa, mature-aged people yang menjadi 'orang tua' bagi mereka yang masih muda.
8. Gedung gereja yang begitu megah dan agung, dan letaknya strategis persis di jantung kota. Parkirnya gratis lagi di commercial car pak yang mestinya bayar $11 untuk parkir,
9. Kesehatian jemaat menjalankan pelayanan gerejawi secara mandiri tanpa adanya seorang full-time pastor/minister bagi jemaat.
10. Ekspektasi terhadap hal-hal yang besar yang Tuhan akan kerjakan melalui jemaat ini di tahun-tahun yang akan datang.
Umur gereja ini tidak jauh berbeda dengan umur anak saya yang kecil. Tapi dalam waktu yang relatif singkat, ada banyak kenangan manis yang kita lalui sebagai jemaat. Dan dalam semua itu ada tangan Tuhan yang bekerja dengan apik menenun benang kehidupan bergereja. Berikut 10 hal yang membuat saya bersyukur kepada Tuhan atas jemaat ini, yang sekaligus menjadi encouragement bagi saya:
1. Setiap individu yang hidupnya diubahkan oleh Tuhan selama 3 tahun tersebut. Yang tadinya tidak percaya menjadi percaya. Yang tadinya malas ke gereja sekarang aktif melayani Tuhan. Yang tadinya cuek sekarang peduli terhadap kerohanian orang lain.
2. Orang-orang yang melayani tanpa banyak bicara, tanpa pernah mengeluh, dan tulus memberi yang terbaik untuk Tuhan di berbagai bidang pelayanan di gereja. Mereka inilah yang Tuhan pakai sebagai tulang punggung gereja dalam arti yang sesungguh-sungguhnya dari minggu ke minggu.
3. Tim pengurus yang solid, kompak, cinta Tuhan dan kompeten. Mereka yang berdoa, berpikir satu-dua langkah lebih dahulu ketimbang jemaat, dan mempedulikan setiap jiwa yang Tuhan kirim utk kita layani.
4. Liz Diacos dan tim guru sekolah Minggu dengan kurikulum yang biblikal dalam bahasa Inggris untuk anak-anak di gereja.
5. Tim musik yang semakin lama semakin mantap, dengan strings dan choir dibawah pimpinan Elie Cung.
6. Ministers dan Elders yang sangat supportive terhadap pelayanan jemaat Indonesia dari sejak awal gereja mulai.
7. Keragaman jemaat. Tujuh pasang young couples yang baru menikah antara 3 bulan - 3 tahun. Profesional muda, singles, mahasiswa, mature-aged people yang menjadi 'orang tua' bagi mereka yang masih muda.
8. Gedung gereja yang begitu megah dan agung, dan letaknya strategis persis di jantung kota. Parkirnya gratis lagi di commercial car pak yang mestinya bayar $11 untuk parkir,
9. Kesehatian jemaat menjalankan pelayanan gerejawi secara mandiri tanpa adanya seorang full-time pastor/minister bagi jemaat.
10. Ekspektasi terhadap hal-hal yang besar yang Tuhan akan kerjakan melalui jemaat ini di tahun-tahun yang akan datang.
Apr 4, 2008
Koruptor tidak beda dengan Pelacur
This sort of remark from a Regional Head of Police is like a fresh breath of air in the intensely corrupt country like Indonesia (ranked one of the worst countries in the 2008 Transparency International Index of Perception of Corruption). When I read it (albeit 2 months late), I can't help feeling morally obligated to support it by posting part of his interview in this blog. At the core, corruption is a spiritual disease, a manifestation of the sin of greed and discontent that neglects the existence of a loving, sovereign God. Pak Susno, God's blessings upon you in your endeavor to fight corruption in Indonesia.----
Kapolda Jabar Irjen Pol. Susno Duadji: “Jangan Pernah setori Saya”
Sumber: Pikiran Rakyat, Edisi 10 Februari 2008
RABU (30/1) lalu, Kapolda Jabar Irjen Pol. Drs. Susno Duadji, S.H., M.Sc., mengumpulkan seluruh perwira di Satuan Lalu Lintas mulai tingkat polres hingga polda. Para perwira Satlantas itu datang ke Mapolda Jabar sejak pagi karena diperintahkan demikian. Pertemuan itu baru dimulai pukul 16.00 WIB. Dalam rapat itu, kapolda hanya berbicara tidak lebih dari 10 menit. Meski dilontarkan dengan santai, tetapi isi perintahnya “galak” dan “menyentak”. Saking “galaknya”, anggota Satlantas harus ditanya dua kali tentang kesiapan mereka menjalani perintah tersebut.
Isi perintah itu ialah tidak ada lagi pungli di Satlantas, baik di lapangan (tilang) maupun di kantor (pelayanan SIM, STNK, BPKB, dan lainnya). “Tidak perlu ada lagi setoran-setoran. Tidak perlu ingin kaya. Dari gaji sudah cukup. Kalau ingin kaya jangan jadi polisi, tetapi pengusaha. Ingat, kita ini pelayan masyarakat. Bukan sebaliknya, malah ingin dilayani,” tutur pria kelahiran Pagaralam, Sumatera Selatan itu. Pada akhir acara, seluruh perwira Satlantas yang hadir, mulai dari pangkat AKP hingga Kombespol, diminta menandatangani pakta kesepakatan bersama. Isi kesepakatan itu pada intinya ialah meningkatkan pelayanan kepada masyarakat yang tepat waktu, tepat mutu, dan tepat biaya. Susno memberi waktu tujuh hari bagi anggotanya untuk berbenah, menyiapkan, dan membersihkan diri dari pungli. “Kalau minggu depan masih ada yang nakal, saatnya main copot-copotan jabatan,” kata suami dari Ny. Herawati itu.
Pernyataan Susno itu menyiratkan, selama ini ada praktik pungli di lingkungan kepolisian. Hasil pungli, secara terorganisasi, mengalir ke pimpinan teratas. Genderang perang melawan pungli yang ditabuh Susno tidak lepas dari perjalanan hidupnya sejak lahir hingga menjabat Wakil Kepala PPATK (Pusat Pelaporan Analisis dan Transaksi Keuangan). PPATK adalah sebuah lembaga yang bekerja sama dengan KPK (Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi) menggiring para koruptor ke jeruji besi. Berikut petikan wawancara wartawan “PR” Satrya Graha dan Dedy Suhaeri dengan pria yang telah berkeliling ke-90 negara lebih untuk belajar menguak korupsi.
Apa yang membuat Anda begitu antusias memberantas pungli atau korupsi?
Saya anak ke-2 dari 8 bersaudara. Ayah saya, Pak Duadji, bekerja sebagai seorang supir. Ibu saya, Siti Amah pedagang kecil-kecilan. Terbayang ‘kan betapa sulitnya membiayai 8 anak dengan penghasilan yang pas-pasan. Oleh karena itu, saat lulus SMA saya memilih ke Akpol karena gratis. Nah, waktu sekolah, kira-kira SMP, saya punya banyak teman. Beberapa di antaranya dari kalangan orang kaya, seperti anak pejabat. Sepertinya, enak sekali mereka ya, bisa beli ini-itu dari uang rakyat. Sejak itulah, terpatri di benak saya, ada yang tidak benar di negara ini dengan kemakmuran yang dimiliki oleh para pejabat. Maka, saya sangat bersyukur bisa berperan memberantas korupsi saat mengabdi di PPATK. Itulah tugas saya yang paling berkesan selama ini karena bisa menjebloskan menteri, mantan menteri, dan direktur BUMN, yang memakan uang rakyat. Ada kepuasan batin.
Pengalaman di PPATK itukah yang membuat Anda menabuh genderang perang melawan pungli saat masuk ke Polda Jabar?
Seperti itulah. Akan tetapi, harusnya diubah, bukan pungli. Kalau pungli, terkesan perbuatan itu ketercelaannya kecil. Yang benar adalah korupsi. Pungli adalah korupsi. Mengapa korupsi yang saya usung? Karena sejak zaman Majapahit dulu, korupsi itu salah. Apalagi, jika aparat hukum yang korup. Bagaimana kita, sebagai aparat hukum, bisa memberantas korupsi kalau kitanya sendiri korupsi.
Oleh karena itu, sebagai tahap awal, saya “bersihkan” dulu di dalam, baru membersihkan yang di luar. Bagaimana saya mau menangkap bupati, direktur, dan lain-lain kalau di dalamnya belum bersih dari korupsi. Kalau aparatnya korupsi, tamatlah republik ini. Tahap awalnya biasa saja. Umumkan, lalu periksa ke atasan tertingginya, yaitu saya, selanjutnya keluarga saya. Setelah itu pejabat-pejabat di Polda. Baru kemudian ke kapolwil, kapolres, dan seterusnya.
Kenapa harus dimulai dari saya. Karena saya pimpinan tertinggi di Polda Jabar ini. Ingat, memberantas korupsi bukan dimulai dari polisi yang bertugas di jalan raya. Kalau di pemerintah, bukan dari tukang ketik, atau petugas kecamatan yang melayani pembuatan akte kelahiran. Akan tetapi, dimulai dari pimpinan tertinggi di kantor itu. Artinya, saya sebagai pimpinan jangan korupsi. Bentuknya macam-macam, seperti mendapat setoran dari bawahan, setoran dari pengusaha-pengusaha, mengambil jatah bensin bawahan, atau mengambil anggaran anggota saya. Oleh karena itu, saya tidak akan minta duit dari dirlantas, direskrim, atau kapolwil. Tidak juga mengambil anggaran mereka, atau uang bensin mereka. Jadi, kalau di provinsi, misalnya, ada korupsi, yang salah bukan karyawannya, tetapi gubernurnya. Memberantasnya bagaimana? Mudah saja. Tinggal copot saja orang tertinggi di instansi itu.
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Berbicara soal penanganan kasus korupsi. Betulkah mengusut kasus korupsi bagaikan mengurai benang kusut. Pasalnya, para penyidik tipikor Polda Jabar mengaku kesulitan mengungkap kasus korupsi dengan alasan perlu kajian yang mendalam atas bukti-bukti sehingga memakan waktu lama?
Hahaha.... (Susno tertawa lepas). Mengusut kasus korupsi itu jauh lebih mudah ketimbang mengusut kasus pencurian jemuran. Mengungkap kasus pencurian jemuran perlu polisi yang pintar karena banyak kemungkinan pelakunya, seperti orang yang iseng, orang yang lewat, dan beberapa kemungkinan lainnya. Kalau kasus korupsi, tidak perlu polisi yang pintar-pintar amat. Misal, uang anggaran sebuah dinas ada yang tidak sesuai. Tinggal dicari ke mana uangnya lari. Orang-orang yang terlibat juga mudah ditebak. Korupsi itu paling melibatkan bosnya, bagian keuangan, kepala projek, dan rekanan. Itu saja. Jadi, kata siapa sulit? Sulit dari mananya. Tidak ada yang sulit dalam memberantas korupsi. Kuncinya hanya satu, kemauan yang kuat. Harus diakui, itu (memberantas korupsi) memang susah karena korupsi itu nikmat. Apalagi, saat memegang sebuah jabatan.
Contohnya saja posisi kapolda. Siapa sih yang tidak mau jadi kapolda. Ibaratnya, tinggal batuk, apa yang kita inginkan langsung datang. Pertanyaannya, mau atau tidak terjerumus di dalamnya (korupsi). Kalau saya, jelas tidak. Itu hanya kenikmatan duniawi sesaat saja. Untuk apa sih duit banyak-banyak hingga tidak habis tujuh turunan. Gaji saya saja sekarang sudah besar. Mobil dikasih. Bensin gratis. Ada uang tunjangan ini-itu. Sudah lebih dari cukup. Anak-anak saya juga sudah kerja semua. Bahkan, gajinya lebih besar dari saya.
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Langkah Anda memberantas pungli dan korupsi di tubuh Polda Jabar kemungkinan akan memberi efek pada pengungkapan kasus dengan alasan anggaran yang minim. Menurut Anda?
Kalau kita pandang minim, pasti minim terus. Kapan cukupnya. Kalau anggaran sudah habis, jangan dipaksakan memeras orang untuk menyidik. Mencari klien yang kehilangan barang di sini, memeras di tempat lain. Siapa yang suruh? Bilang saja sama rakyat, anggaran kita sudah habis untuk menyidik. Kita tidak perlu sok pahlawan. Perilaku memeras atau menerima setoran itu zaman jahiliah. Tidak perlu ada lagi anggota setor ke kasat lantas atau kasat serse, lalu kasat serse setor ke kapolres, dan kapolres setor ke kapolwil untuk melayani kapolda. Jangan pernah setori saya. Lingkaran setan itu saya putus agar tidak ada lagi sistem setoran.
Bukan zamannya lagi seorang kapolsek, kapolres atau kapolwil bangga karena mampu membangun kantornya dengan megah. Dari mana duitnya kalau bukan dari setoran orang-orang yang takut ditangkap, seperti pengusaha judi, dan penyelundupan. Tidak mungkin dari gaji, wong gajinya hanya Rp 5-6 juta. Menurut saya, anggota yang melakukan itu hanya satu alasannya, ingin kaya. Kalau ingin kaya, jangan jadi polisi, tetapi jadilah pengusaha.
Sikap Anda tersebut kemungkinan memunculkan pro dan kontra di lingkungan kepolisian?
Lho, kenapa harus jadi pro dan kontra. Peraturannya sudah jelas mana yang boleh dilakukan dan mana yang tidak boleh. Korupsi jelas-jelas dilarang dan ancamannya bisa dipecat. Jadi, tidak perlu diperdebatkan. Titik. Bagi saya, siapa yang menjadi pemimpin harus mau mengorbankan kenikmatan dan kepuasan semu. Nikmat dengan pelayanan, dengan sanjungan, serta nikmat dengan pujian palsu. Malu dong bintang dua jalan petantang-petenteng, tetapi anak buah yang dipimpinnya korupsi dan memberikan pelayanan tidak sesuai dengan standar. Malu juga dong kita lewat seenaknya pakai nguing-nguing (pengawalan), sementara rakyat macet. Itu juga korupsi.
Polisi yang korup sama saja dengan melacurkan diri. Jadi, kalau saya korup dengan menerima setoran-setoran tidak jelas, apa bedanya saya dengan pelacur. ***
Apr 3, 2008
Servant Leadership
In my leadership class today, we discussed core values and their importance in shaping our lives. We learned the core values of individuals like William Wilberforce which helped him to persevere in pursuing his calling. We also did an exercise to identify our core values. Everything went well as planned until one student asked THE question I've been anxiously hoping to avoid: "Sen, what's your core values?" There was a deafening silence for about three seconds, into which I felt many years of studying, teaching, researching, and living were squeezed. Then I began to answer, "I will tell you just one of them It's making a positive contribution to the world through academia in the field of leadership."I then proceeded to tell them that my heart resonates with the idea of servant leadership. I believe that to a large extent, everything rises and falls with leadership (for better or worse, that is). I also believe that servant leadership is most God-glorifying, Christ-exemplifying, Spirit-enabled approach of leadership (which I did not elaborate in class for reasons that have to do with political correctness). Thus far I believe that I should spend a good portion of my life introducing the biblical concept of servant leadership into the organizational and church life, despite its slow and small trickle-down effect.
History taught us that the academia is a well-beaten path towards incubating and disseminating significant, lasting ideas. A case in point: I recently co-authored a blind, triple peer-reviewed article in the Journal of Management Studies. The painstaking process took nearly 2.5 years (though in the end I'd it's worth doing since it's one of the top-tiered journals in the field of Management).
Everyone who has published in peer-review journals has experienced rejections by journal editors or reviewers or both. They are not easy to accept, particularly if you have spent months and years writing a particular peace. Many years ago, I thought that I should be resilient because, to use Nietzsche's catchphrase, 'what does not kill me makes me stronger'. But upon further soul-searching (I am only doing this once in a blue moon), I believe these words penned by J. Gresham Machen best capture my motive in persevering the publish-and-perish academia setting. The quote is taken from his article Christianity and Culture published in The Princeton Theological Review, vol 11, in 1913:
"What is today matter of academic speculation begins tomorrow to move armies and pull down empires. In that second stage, it has gone too far to be combatted; the time to stop it was when it was still a matter of impassionate debate. So as Christians we should try to mold the thought of the world in such a way as to make the acceptance of Christianity something more than a logical absurdity."
Post-note: On the day I received in my mailbox the hardcopy of the article, I also received in my email inbox that my other paper got rejected. God has His way to ensure that I stay humble, to always remember my created-limited-corrupted nature.
Apr 1, 2008
Young, Restless, Reformed
Ini salah satu buku yang saya ingin beli dalam waktu dekat, baru terbit bulan April 2008: Young, Restless, and Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists.. Yang membuat buku ini unik adalah karena ditulis oleh Collin Hansen, jurnalis termuda dan juga editor-at-large dari Christianity Today. Selama dua tahun dia melakukan survey jurnalisme-nya terhadap sebuah angin segar yang terjadi di Amerika.Kebangkitan Calvinisme di US dalam dekade terakhir yang dipelopori oleh orang-orang seperti Ligon Duncan, Al Mohler, John Piper, C.J. Mahaney, Mark Dever, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, Mark Driscoll, dst. (mereka sering tampil bareng di banyak conferences) menjadi sebuah fenomena baru yang banyak mempengaruhi remaja-pemuda berusia 20-an tahun. Ini sebuah momentum sejarah yang Allah tentukan dalam kedaulatanNya yang saya kira akan memaknai kembali dengan intensif arti dari kata "Re-FORMASI."
Salah satu orang yang memberikan endorsement terhadap buku Hansen diatas adalah D.A. Carson. Berikut yang ia tulis:
"While other movements have been making a bigger splash in the headlines, a number of strategic ministries have been quietly (and sometimes not so quietly!) upholding the doctrines of grace, planting churches, seeing people converted, teaching the whole counsel of God. These are now beginning to coalesce in a variety of mutually encouraging ways. It is a pleasure to recommend Collin Hansen's survey of some of these movements. This is not the time for Reformed triumphalism. It is the time for quiet gratitude to God and earnest intercessory prayer, with tears, that what has begun well will flourish beyond all human expectation."
—D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Sebelum buku ini terbit, pengarangnya Collin Hansen telah menulis sebuah artikel yg menjadi cover story Christianity Today edisi September 2006, berjudul: "Young, Restless, and Reformed: Calvinism is making a comeback--and shaking up the church." Artikel ini menjadi one of the most-read articles di majalah tersebut.
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