Life in the Spirit Seminar
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Life in the Spirit Seminar
Anonymus Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:08 am
Our Diocese had been conducting Life in the spirit seminar for the past thirty years or more and it seem this was the way forward for the future of the our Church.
Yet today, there remains only a handful of active church servers; those who are actively serving the lord and helping in the church. Our fortnightly prayer meeting attendance remains skeleton low. Our local Bishop during his Sunday homily expressed concerned on this and encouraged everyone to join cells groups.
What actually has gone wrong? Where was the zeal as when they were first baptized in with the Holy Spirit. Someone once told me that we just sow the seeds and let God do the rest. This is very naïve and trying to escape responsibility. Any farmer would be able to tell you just sowing seeds will not produce a good harvest. There is still a need to water the seeds constantly and add fertilizer every now and then before you can get a good harvest.
It is very true during the last two centuries; European Missionaries came and sow the seeds of Christ in this region. Thereafter, it is up to the Diocesan parish priests to cherish and deepen the Christian faith among the newly converts. They established education institutions and schools. They brought in nuns and sisters to assist and open up hospitals to take care of the sick.
Today, after these European priests and brothers have long gone, these duties now falls on the hands of our local priests. Where are the hospitals visits? home visits?. There is so much talks on serving and sacrifices but none in action.
Undoubtedly, many of our newly converts left to join other Protestant Dominations they can grow with community care and love. It is just like after planting, we just let others transfer the seedlings to a more fertile soil.
There is really very few who really show care and love for the people. One exception is our late Fr. Anthony Wan. Who really sacrifices and care for the people.
Nowadays whenever you ask any priest to perform any functions they would expect some form on gifts or “Ang Pow”. Fr Wan was truly a follower of Christ, he even donated his clothes to his parishioners and expected no rewards just like Mother Theresa.
Young people are eager to look towards the future, old people like to wander in the past. As I grow in age, I understand more and more clearly the influences on me of people who have been shaping me for good reasons. We do not expect prefect priests or perfect parishioners, God purposely created us to be lacking in some fields so as we need to seek and work with others to fill in our short comings.
I sadden me to learn and constantly hear of our priests and church leaders reprimand parishioners in Public of their faults. This is a show of disrespect for others. If they are perfect, they wound not be in the church, they would be in heaven.
“As they persisted with their question, he straightened up and said, 'Let the one among you who is guiltless be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7
Yet today, there remains only a handful of active church servers; those who are actively serving the lord and helping in the church. Our fortnightly prayer meeting attendance remains skeleton low. Our local Bishop during his Sunday homily expressed concerned on this and encouraged everyone to join cells groups.
What actually has gone wrong? Where was the zeal as when they were first baptized in with the Holy Spirit. Someone once told me that we just sow the seeds and let God do the rest. This is very naïve and trying to escape responsibility. Any farmer would be able to tell you just sowing seeds will not produce a good harvest. There is still a need to water the seeds constantly and add fertilizer every now and then before you can get a good harvest.
It is very true during the last two centuries; European Missionaries came and sow the seeds of Christ in this region. Thereafter, it is up to the Diocesan parish priests to cherish and deepen the Christian faith among the newly converts. They established education institutions and schools. They brought in nuns and sisters to assist and open up hospitals to take care of the sick.
Today, after these European priests and brothers have long gone, these duties now falls on the hands of our local priests. Where are the hospitals visits? home visits?. There is so much talks on serving and sacrifices but none in action.
Undoubtedly, many of our newly converts left to join other Protestant Dominations they can grow with community care and love. It is just like after planting, we just let others transfer the seedlings to a more fertile soil.
There is really very few who really show care and love for the people. One exception is our late Fr. Anthony Wan. Who really sacrifices and care for the people.
Nowadays whenever you ask any priest to perform any functions they would expect some form on gifts or “Ang Pow”. Fr Wan was truly a follower of Christ, he even donated his clothes to his parishioners and expected no rewards just like Mother Theresa.
Young people are eager to look towards the future, old people like to wander in the past. As I grow in age, I understand more and more clearly the influences on me of people who have been shaping me for good reasons. We do not expect prefect priests or perfect parishioners, God purposely created us to be lacking in some fields so as we need to seek and work with others to fill in our short comings.
I sadden me to learn and constantly hear of our priests and church leaders reprimand parishioners in Public of their faults. This is a show of disrespect for others. If they are perfect, they wound not be in the church, they would be in heaven.
“As they persisted with their question, he straightened up and said, 'Let the one among you who is guiltless be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7
Anonymus- Guest
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