English 241 2018 08 ISSUE期 YEAR年 MONTH月 轉化教會l 改變社體l Reforming the Churchl Transforming the Community PIETY IN PRAYER, GOD’S DIVINE PRESENCE THE WORLD METHODIST COUNCIL SPIRIT OF METHODISM: PIETY IN PRAYER, GOD’S DIVINE PRESENCE HOLDING FAST TO THE TRUTH THROUGH THEOLOGICAL STUDIES “TENTMAKING” AS AN APPROPRIATE STRATEGY FOR MISSION TODAY EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD, ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD SOCIAL HOLINESS YOUTH WITH PURPOSE Bishop & Mrs Kwang with all the Pastors, Local Preachers and leaders, and members of Trinity MC at the 25th Church Anniversary. 官会督伉俪与赴会之全体传道人、本处传道、教会领袖及三一堂会友们拍于廿五周年庆典上。 Bishop & Mrs Kwang and Pastor Esther Yung with members of the newly constituted Local Church - Solomon Islands Methodist Church (溢恩 堂) on 19 August. 左图示19/08官会督伉俪与杨小琳传道及升格为所罗 门群岛堂会（溢恩堂）之会友们同影。 Solomon Islands MC (溢恩堂) new Local Church Executive Committee. 右图示所罗门群岛溢恩堂之首届执事会留影。 Cutting the 29th Anniversary cake – Eight Mile Plains Methodist Church on 26th August. 左上图示26/08福恩堂欢庆二十九周年切蛋糕时影。 * More photos front inside cover for Chinese. 更多相片在中文版的封面背页 。 BISHOP’S E3 EXHORTATION ONE WORLDWIDE METHODIST FAMILY THE WORLD METHODIST COUNCIL Bishop Dr James Kwang As part of the World Methodist family, our Conference Lay Peninsula. We must believe in that, and much of this work Leader, Brother Joseph Ting, and I as your Episcopal head, will need our full prayer support. were nominated by the Executive Board in our June 2016 meeting to represent the CMCA at the World Methodist Moreover, we as contemporary Wesleyan Methodists Council (WMC) for the quinquennium from 2016 to 2021. must continue to follow in the footsteps of our founder, John Wesley, who started Methodism as an evangelistic The first WMC meeting for this quinquennium was held after movement. Therefore, Wesleyan Methodists must first and the 2016 World Methodist Conference in Houston, Texas on foremost evangelise to the lost and send missionaries into 4 and 5 September. We attended the second meeting held in the whole world. The WMC member churches continue to Seoul, Korea from 12 to 15 July 2017. carry out this task. The WMC is a worldwide association of Methodist, Wesleyan, In an age of migration, many Wesleyan Methodists seek and related Uniting and United Churches. It engages, new homes outside of their home countries. Like in our empowers, and serves member Churches by encouraging own context, the CMCA, it was immigrants who planted unity in witness, facilitating mission in the world, and fostering churches throughout the diaspora, sometimes in areas ecumenical and interreligious activities. where other member churches are present. At this WMC meeting, we decided to start a Consultation Process to listen The Council corporately promotes evangelism and mission and learn from experience, strengthen communication and along with faithful worship and mutual learning as we are cooperation, and eventually draft and adopt a “covenant of called to fulfil the Great Commission in making disciples of all mutual support”. nations (Matthew 28:18-19). Together, we are to encourage and build up one another to remain obedient to the Great At the opening session of this WMC meeting, all the Commandment of Jesus Christ to love God and to love our participants were nourished by a lively time of worship led neighbour (Matthew 22:37-39). by the Worship and Liturgy Committee. The great hospitality of our Korean Methodist hosts enabled the officers and the Currently, WMC has over 80 million members, affiliates of delegates to achieve a lot in a short period of time. The WMC Wesleyan Methodists, and United and Uniting Churches, General Secretary Ivan Abrahams, the member from the spread across 138 countries. Lake Junaluska Headquarters and treasurer Kirby Hickey, the President Dr. J C Park, and Vice President Gillian Kingston This quinquennium second Council meeting was held in led the sessions with inspiration, grace and humour. Kwanglim Methodist Church in Seoul; the delegates were aware of the high expectations for major progress in peace I thank God that as World Methodist Evangelism Regional talks after the Inter-Korean Panmunjom Summit. At the Secretary for East Asia, I was invited to be part of the opening session, the President of the World Methodist decision-making Executive Team at this WMC meeting. Council, Dr. J.C. Park, delivered a timely message on how we all need to participate in the work towards the goal of May all glory be to God as we unite together to serve our uniting the Korean Peninsula. He expounded on the story Lord on the World Methodist Council. in Luke 5:18-25 of the paralysed man who was helped by his four friends as they came together to bring him to Jesus, and whom through their efforts was made whole by Servant of the Lord, Jesus. Dr. Park brought home the point when he likened the ‘paralysed’ Korean Peninsula to the paralysed man – the combined support from nations in all four corners of the world is required to witness the ‘miracle’ of a united Korean James Kwang THEME TOPIC E4 SPIRIT OF METHODISM: PIETY IN PRAYER, GOD’S DIVINE PRESENCE Rev Dr King Tai Tie President, SCAC A few years ago, I was leading a devotion in a joint meeting of Previously, I thought some older people or spiritual giants principals and deans of various seminaries in Malaysia. I led who shared how they woke up in the morning to pray for everyone in a song previously written for a prayer meeting in 1 or 2 hours were able to do so because they were getting a Methodist church. After we sang, a non-Methodist seminary older and didn’t sleep as much, hence they woke up to pray. principal remarked, “The Methodist Church is a church of But the 30- to 40-year-old great evangelist and revivalist of prayer!” This comment is positive encouragement in praise China, Dr Sung, woke up early every morning to pray. He of the Methodist Church. After all, prayer was one of the often wrote in his diary: “The morning has broken, I wake unique features of the Methodist revival movement led by up to pray watchfully and earnestly.” He said, “In the past, I the Wesley brothers. Piety in prayer is a spirit of Methodism. viewed evangelistic work as important, but now I see prayer as more important than anything else.” Dr Sung was a man A decade or two ago, I was conducting a revival meeting at of prayer. He actively collected and wrote down prayer a Methodist church. The title was “Kneel until the floor caves requests, and spent many hours praying for the saints. His in”. The message was on the prayer of the prophet Daniel, definition of faith was: kneeling to see God working. He on how he persisted in prayer despite what he faced in the emphasised: “Only united prayer can bring real revival to a lions’ den, and how he had since set the example of prayer church; united prayer is the priority for the church’s revival. for many generations to follow. I emphasised that prayer is Prayer is the strength to work for God. When prayer stops, speaking to God while also listening to God’s words; prayer work stops. If the church doesn’t pray, it will die, and when is to enter into the divine presence of God, to express our they face the Lord in the future, many people will regret that love and need to him in faith. In the message, I used the they didn’t pray enough on earth.” prayer of John Wesley as a practical illustration, as John Wesley prayed at 4am every morning, followed by open air The founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, evangelism at 5am. His wooden kneeling mat in his prayer developed a life of discipleship, especially the habits of room even had dents in them from his knees. devotion and prayer, because of his mother, and he inherited the long lasting tradition of the puritans. His diary shows that When I preached the message, the Holy Spirit not only for his whole life, he woke up at 4 or 4.30am almost everyday used me, but also touched me to continue speaking of other to pray consistently. Prayer was embedded in all his daily prayers such as that of Daniel and John Wesley, which activities. During his afternoon rest and after afternoon tea, involved costly prayer lives. I declared to the audience, Wesley often had another devotion and prayer session. “Brothers and sisters, I don’t really care how this message Prayer before sleep was also another routine for him. His will help you or what action you will take after hearing it, but teaching and words on prayer might not be as numerous I can tell you, I’ve decided, from tomorrow onwards, I will or as detailed compared with his teaching on salvation, but wake up at 5am to pray!” his diary shows that he prayed unceasingly; his prayer life features more prominently than his teaching on prayer. He Thanks be to God! Since that day, a morning prayer at 5am was a Christian who truly practised prayer. has become my spiritual habit. Slowly, I realised that the 5am morning prayer is practised in every part of the world; John Wesley said, “When we think of God or speak to him, the Korean church, for example, has maintained morning when we work or suffer for him, everything is prayer; beside prayers at 5am for over a hundred years; mainland Chinese his love, we don’t long for anyone nor any desire, but to church also has a “5am of China” (whether they have please him. … Everything a Christian must do, even during persisted with this 5am prayer is another matter), and even his meal or sleep time, is to pray.” the Malaysian native people of Sarawak and Sabah, after the spiritual revival, would rise at 5am to pray, young and John Wesley emphasised the five means of grace, which are all.