|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| 섹션 |
 |
AFMI > |
등록일 |
|
2011-05-20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 작성자 |
|
관리자 (admin) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| “Do we now see a new thing that springs up?” |
|
| Editorial Comments….. John Kim |
|
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
(Isaiah 43:18-19)
This is what God declares, ―See, I am doing a new thing!‖ He is indeed now doing a new thing. As He is doing His own work, the issue is not a matter of confirming whether it belongs to Him or not but perceiving it as His. As Paul and Barnabas perceived what God was doing among the gentiles in Antioch, there was no doubt about the intervention of God‘s hand in the marvelous work among the gentiles. It had never taken place in human history then.
But we tend to keep dwelling on our own biased experiences when we see or hear something totally new to our eyes or ears. Jesus appealed us have eyes to see and ears to hear His work and words.
Since we have been living in rapidly changing world of modern society with enjoying many en-tertainments resulted by advanced technologies and sometimes being surprised by global disasters, we seem to overlook what God is really doing among the unreached. However God has been doing His own redemptive work in a way that He declared as ―a new thing‖. We may be able to realize how He develops His kingdom only when it already became a big tree. In a sense we need to be
ready to be surprised when we hear on-going Jesus movements among the unreached.
Do we think it is still possible that God is doing similar work as in the New Testament in this post modern society among the unreached? Numerous Jews and Gentiles came to the Lord in dramatic way from within their own socio-religious contexts as John Ridgway explained in detail through his article ―The Movement of the Gospel in New Testa-ment Times with Specific Reference to Insider Movements”. He described those movements in the New Testament as in-sider movements so persuasively. You will appreciate what he describes even better if you come and hear more about his own field experience among Shinto Buddhists and reflections at the coming event of AFMI-ASFM annual conference. (See the next page)
The meaningful communication for the Gospel spreading resulting in the movements often times must be made between messengers who become like the recipients in a God given context and those recipients who are encouraged to keep re-maining in their socio-religious situation where they are called by God. Harley Talman who will also present at the coming conference of AFMI-ASFM reflects on this principle briefly in this bulletin as an emphasis. (See his article titled by Become Like So They Remain Like.)
Apostolic role must be essential part in the movements go-ing beyond a specific socio-religious group. John Ridgway recognized it and emphasized its crucial role in his article. From this view, Trevor Larson gives you some understanding and practical field reflections on how God is working so that the Gospel can jump over from one socio-religious group to another. A couple of articles dealing with ―jumping over one‘s own culture‖ for the Gospel sake in this article seems to allude a special role of missionaries as outsiders. With insider per-spectives, we may expect to see ―ekklesia‖ forming and grow-ing within and through the existing socio-religious networks. This cannot be a church-panting. But what needs to be planted is mission structure. There must be a great cooperation area between insiders and outsiders when they work together in mission. Mission planting sounds much plausible that church planting.
When we observe the insider movements, we are very much concerned about the issue of syncretism. However, again as John Ridgway mentioned in his article, it is unavoidable in any way. Thus the issue should become the matter of how to help the new believers in the movement so that they can take any problems they face to the Word of God for meaningful com-munication between the two. People may think this as self-theologizing. Usually, the Word of God is introduced in writ-ten form. However, Rick Leatherwood says in his article here, ― Today 65% of the unreached peoples in the world do not read and write.‖ And thus he calls for ―Oral Bible‖ by sharing a short reflection on the Bible translation job. The Word of God must be the central part always in the movements even among the illiterate.
Daniel Shin Jong Paik dug dipper ground in the area of the dynamics between religious ―form and meaning‖ in contex-
lualization by explaining the case of Naaman‘s petition. His missiological interpretation on this case can be compared to others as there have been long debates on it. He insists that the interpretations of the passages in a narrative like Naaman‘s story must be in agreement within the context and not in con-flict with each other. He finds such conflict in previous inter-pretations from others who were engaged in the debate. He sees the Naaman narrative as a case showing the positive inner coherence between one‘s conversion in other religious back-ground and consequent petitions. His argument seems to be concluded with an appeal to abandon the quick judgment on the insider‘s reaction after conversion taking place even though it looks like a compromise or a syncretistic behavior.
This year too AFMI will be running a training course consisting of four modules. Three pages on backside will give you the information in detail as before. It is strongly recom-mendable training as long as you eager to see more workers moving around the world with His Kingdom perspective and ministering among the unreached with insider perspectives.
October 4-8 will be a great chance to you to know much more about ―what God is doing for His own redemptive work‖ among the insiders living out with the Gospel within their own socio-religious contexts. See the invitation letter on next page and you are encouraged to come together with your colleagues who want to share the great burden for the remaining tasks among the unreached. AFMI-ASFM continues to seek for global cooperation in this urgent area as God is calling the 11th hour workers in the last mission era.
We appreciate many Western workers in frontier mission, who influence others in worldwide mission movements by contributing invaluable articles and sharing their field reflec-tions. But at the same time we definitely need much more Asian workers who can also join this worldwide missional influence especially in frontier mission. We await many more Asian workers‘ paper contribution. Please feel free to contact with the editor of this bulletin for the paper contribution or anyone on the steering committee of ASFM-
AFMI. (See the next page)
A special issue (proceedings of SFM-AFMI annual confer-ence) will be prepared for the next one. See the paper call on the cover page of this bulletin. I would encourage you to knock the door prayerfully. You will be welcomed to join the ASFM as long as you are willing to go ahead with the purpose we have on the last page.
I look forward to meeting you at the annual conference of AFMI-ASFM in SEA on Oct 4-8, 2011.
May His abundant blessings be with you as you seek for His Kingdom.
John Kim
Editor
|
|
|
| |
|
 프린트
 메일보내기 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
)
)
)
)
