Chinese churches in America

Thankful for the past weekend of catching up with old friends. A brother recently wrote about a particular burden of his:

“In my personal experience in the DMV area, Chinese-American or Asian-American churches are either:

1) Family Churches
2) Just YA’s / Single’s / Young couples

Young Adult’s ministries are either thriving, dying, or non-existent. Praying for more churches with solid inter-generational fellowship.“

There could be, in the same way second-generation Asians are trying to navigate and define their standing in the mainstream culture, a spiritual parallel of identity-seeking that causes this disconnect within the second-generation church with respect to fellowshipping across generations.

To the praise and glory of our God, there are a couple examples where this true inter-generation fellowship and love occurs, albeit with specifically 1.5-generation and primarily Chinese-speaking members. One comes out of a city church where the leadership holds deep convictions about manifesting God’s covenant to his people – think children sitting through the entire service and young adults actively serving the disabled and elderly. Another example comes from a selfless, sacrificial love on the part of some young adults in a suburban context, where that environment costs them career and social advantages.

Both were Chinese churches, one presbyterian and the other non-denominational (baptist), yet both saw how desperately they needed each other for the sake of their own discipleship with Christ (Acts 2:44). Even more ideal would be the marriage of the best of these two theological traditions: a deep covenantal commitment to each and every member (Hebrews 10:24-25) while each one heeds the call to diligently strive for individual holiness (Colossians 1:29).

The potential perspectives and gifts that could be shared across generations simply blows the mind. Thank you again for the brothers who hold this vision by the Spirit.

Bonhoeffer on the Christian’s call to action

Finished reading Renate Wind’s biography on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whose life and mind are so complex that they stumble the modern reader attempting to caricature him in either conservative or liberal frames. In contrast to a recent biographical work by Eric Metaxas, Wind’s take has a liberal bent (consistent with the observation that she herself is a female pastor).

There has been criticism lodged at Metaxas for attempting to superimpose the American right-wing agenda on Bonhoeffer’s perceived beliefs on Christian ethics and relationship with government. I also hold reservations on whether Bonhoeffer would consider himself aligned with political conservatism -- if not merely due to the lack of compassion it has often presented itself with in the culture wars.

During the end of his life, he expressed reluctance to lord religion and insert the name of God into all issues (even in cases of Christian encouragement of comfort!) precisely because he wanted to so exalt the name of God and prevent the name from being stained as it was by the Nazi-supported Protestant church. Sounds familiar now with the public’s resentment of prayers offered without the corresponding action. If there has been any action, it’s a Christian university president calling on his students to resort to violence.

Bonhoeffer’s disdain for the church losing her way is reflected in this quote:

“Our church, which over these years has fought only for its self-preservation as though that were an end in itself, is incapable of being the vehicle of the reconciling and redeeming word for human beings and the world. So the former words must become powerless and fall silent, and our being Christians today must consist of two things: in praying and doing what is right among men.”

For Bonhoeffer, prayer and action were two sides of the same coin. He wanted to live and act “as if there were no God,” at least not the God that relieved him of acting. Because if Christians were to start doing those activities of compassion and loving our enemies, we would find ourselves a lot closer to God in desperate prayer.

From Residence to Home

It’s been a great week where I’ve been finally able to settle into Queens. Though labeled New York’s “most boring borough,” Queens is pretty ideal, and I can’t help but wonder if some of my colleagues in deafening Manhattan yearn for a little bit of “boring” as they work themselves to death. Rego Park is ideal in that Costco, Russian produce, the post office, the parks and rec, the library, and the train station are all one block away. The Chinese eateries are split between Elmhurst and Flushing in which Rego is in the middle, but really, my generous apartment space accommodates any Chinese food preparation I will undertake.

One fear (“fear” by the way is usually way too strong a word for males in talking about domestic things, but “concern” didn’t quite fit but it’s ok I’m over it) I had in coming was if I’d be able to make friends. I know many a young adult that struggle to establish themselves because making friends with people twice your age in a borough filled with immigrants while on a consistent work schedule is not easy. Christians have it a little easier because of an immediate network and spiritual kinship (Hebrews 10:25), but without immediate family in the same unit it’s still very difficult to feel “at home.”

Enter the Puerto Ricans. In my apartment building there resides an extremely hospitable Puerto Rican family who have been New Yorkers longer than I have been alive. I was asking fellow tenants basic questions about getting cable internet, and the next thing I knew, I was in a Puerto Rican apartment drinking French press coffee, Portuguese Porto, whiskey, Argentinian wine, Long Islands, and green tea while talking about life, marriage, and “Fantastic Mr. Fox” until midnight. Unbelievably hospitable. Us Chinese, with thousands of years of history, need to learn again what it means to be human, because as far as I see, the average Chinese immigrant in Queens treats complete strangers sub-dirt.

I look outside my window overlooking the courtyard, and our Russian super is trying to build community as well, getting involved with whatever he can. Last night, the neighbors and I went out to see the city’s most not-so-secret secret skyline by Long Island City – and it was unobstructed New York skyline magic. Queens is magic, and hopefully I can pay it back by learning a Russian and Spanish phrase or two.

Pray without ceasing

And don’t put that added pressure of “it doesn’t work until I’m broken because that’s when it’s most passionate” as if you’ve discovered some formulaic approach to 2 Corinthians 12:9-11. Brokenness is not a matter of the circumstantial or existential, but the spiritual reality is that we’re all broken. Right now. Status quo. Baseline. It is just a matter of realizing it.

It doesn’t matter who you are. Where you’re from. What you did. You are broken. Heed not the line, “I’m a good man, with a good heart” from John Mayer’s Shadow Days when your flesh is still bent and inclined towards destruction. How many other song references can I make lol.

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere (2 Corinthians 2:14). Prayer is effective so long as our hearts sincerely have the Matthew 6:9-13 posture.

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"Surprised by God"?

Perhaps I’m not a fan of the semantics that involve the word “surprise,” but in the contexts where worshippers ask God to execute something they would deem miraculous, it is almost like Satan putting God to the test (Matthew 4:7). Having written before about God’s will being abundantly clear in order that we be effective disciples, the Christian life is not about “surprises” but an everlasting, sustainable joy. Surprises, therefore, connote some vacillation of that joy.

Let’s take this presupposition: if you are a Christian, then you would agree it takes more “faith” not to believe in God than to believe, because God’s presence is much more obvious than his absence. Therefore, you are never really surprised when God answers prayers. I wasn't surprised on the mission field. Yes, there occurred many amazing coincidences and providential acts that brought much joy, because the God we prayed to was looking out for his name being famous (Psalm 115:3, Colossians 1:16). The Christian prays with the heart of making God famous and nothing else (Luke 6:9).

I’m not knocking on prayer for miracles, but oftentimes our definition of a miracle can be so man-centered. A restored limb benefits one person; a changed heart can transform communities and generations. Is not joy the ultimate goal? And is not joy consummately found in Christ? We have not because we ask not (Matthew 7:7-12).

Can we as a people celebrate at the end of our prayers even when nothing has occurred? David certainly did amidst his betrayals (Psalm 3:8). And have we not greater assurance than David - for the historical death and resurrection of the LORD Christ is rock-solid security that God will deliver us from the hands of our enemy!

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I forgot how to write

But talks with +Brian Han always get me thinking though. +Samuel Yang knows that I tend not to write on the blog when things in life are going decently and I have friends around to pass the time (which is why I write more at school).

So in this respite I have before engaging in more fun friend&family stuff, I thought to synthesize main winterbreak takeaways just as a chronicle.

1) Humility brings life into relationships.
The fact that I love talking to my dad and him to me is too novel. Gone are the days where I think my family and friends are an obstacle to my agenda, and instead they now are the agenda. Notice the difference in thinking a) I must preach the gospel to my parents so that I can convert them, versus b) God will give me the words to say and he will soften their hearts. Second prayer has been more effective, and the first will naturally manifest itself in love should I continue to personally cling to the power of the gospel (Romans 1:16). I am nothing without the gospel.

Do any of these ministry activities surprise you? Watching TV, learning Chinese, gambling, drinking, karaoke-ing, gchatting, bboying. I've been humbled to learn these activities are not a waste of time if I aim to build relationship. Engaging these things with prayer make the episodic apologetics (yes, should and always will be there) more meaningful. Though the episodes have been less frequent, they have been more powerful because of the built relationship.

2) God is pleased by Christ, so he is pleased with me.
No reason to be, however. I exaggerate, I continually wake up with hopelessness, I fail to consistently feast on Christ. But in the moments when I submit to the first commandment, my soul rests in divine freedom (Galatians 5:1). How can I fear what tomorrow will bring if God has, is, and always will be for me (Matthew 6:34, Romans 8:31)?

Kingdom work is tiring but it is freeing (Galatians 6:9). We are free to do what we were made to do and so our souls, as well as the heart of God, brims with joy. But the moment we take any credit is when we stand condemned, existentially and eternally. So we now view Matthew 25:31-46 in light of the gospel, whereby the benefits afforded to us by Christ's death can only give us sheep God-praising attitudes in the midst of our work as opposed to self-praising.

Can you believe it? Everyday your heavenly Father says, "Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:23)." The little everyday affirmations I receive from church leave me completely speechless. I can't see how God's working in my life, but you can? Yet even these are just a sweet but shallow foretaste of the commendation to come (1 Corinthians 4:5).

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So Willis, where do we go from here????
STAY HUMBLE.
KEEP REACHING OUT AND RELATING.
CONFRONT IF YOU HAVE TO.
PRAY HARD.

Penn, after all these years, your mountain of expectations still scares the crap out of me. But on team Jesus, I'll stay on the offensive til the very end (Matthew 16:18).

We love God for what he says about himself

It is a great irony to me that Calvinists are stereotyped as logic-driven. For forty years my experience has been the opposite. The Calvinists I have known (English Puritans, Edwards, Newton, Spurgeon, Packer, Sproul) are not logic driven, but Bible-driven. It’s the challengers who bring their logic to the Bible and nullify text after text. Branches are lopped off by “logic,” not exegesis.

Who are the great enjoyers of paradox today? Who are the pastors and theologians who grab both horns of every biblical dilemma and swear to the God-Man: I will never let go of either.

Not the Calvinism-critics that I meet. They read of divine love, and say that predestination cannot be. They read of human choice and say the divine rule of all our steps cannot be. They read of human resistance, and say that irresistible grace cannot be. Who is logic-driven?

For forty years Calvinism has been, for me, a vision of life that embraces mystery more than any vision I know. It is not logic-driven. It is driven by a vision of the ineffable, galactic vastness of God’s Word.

— John Piper