The ABC is visible on the lower left of the trunk, with two branches carrying the six languages of Africa into which it has been translated. Next to it is the Slavic Bible Commentary (in Russian). Above them are the Latin American commentary (in Spanish) and the South Asia Bible Commentary (initially, in English, but now emerging in local languages, like Hindi, pictured here). Across the top of the tree are the ones from and for the Arab world (in Arabic), the ‘big country’ and the Central & Eastern European Bible Commentary. Amazing.
Sparked by 1 Cor 1.18—2.5, I liken the journey to the sermon to be akin to visiting ‘five corners’: (1) Written Word; (2) World; (3) Listener; (4) Preacher; and (5) Living Word. Next time, Seba’s work will remain open before me as I unpack ‘the Listener’.
Three Chinese festivals. One gospel. Six preachers. What does ‘contextualised preaching’, one that is both biblically faithful and culturally relevant, look like? It will involve both the ‘affirmation and confrontation’ (295) of culture — always. The careful, restrained way in which Tan exegetes the culture (the ‘World corner’ above) and then, with an assured grasp of the gospel, the way he arrives at the conclusion that ‘all three festivals contain elements in harmony with the Christian faith … (as well as) elements contrary to the Christian faith’ (331) — it is masterful.
Nominalism sits alongside syncretism. Both nurture ‘a form of godliness while denying its power’ (2 Tim 3.4), a ‘spiritual lethargy’, in local churches. It is far easier to see it ‘over there’, rather than ‘in here’, as they kinda hide in plain sight. My visits to NE India, once with Johnson, took me back to arriving in the USA for theological study, as a 21 year old, at a time when 40-60% of the country was in church on Sunday. A staggering figure. But then asking, “How can such a large amount of salt and light have such little impact on society?” Nominalism. Syncretism. Raih references research which shows that evangelistic work by Indian Christians is not vibrant because two-thirds of the Christians in India need themselves to be evangelized.
About Me
the art of unpacking
After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.
Recent Posts
Apart from the eight years in which we were based overseas, Barby has been working at the Refugee Resettlement Center in Auckland since 2002. This year she is a ‘release teacher’, spending one day each week in three different classrooms, with three different age groups. Impressive—and demanding. One day is spent with 11-13 year olds—from…
There is something pleasing about image and word working in concert together, isn’t there? I was reminded of this again with a visit from my friend—and close colleague in Langham Partnership for more than 15 years—Pieter Kwant. the son, with song Pieter and Elria, who had popped-in for three days the week before, have a…
It is clever, isn’t it? The enduring inability of foreigners to spell (and pronounce) the name of their country has led to a marketing campaign, with everything from t-shirts to coffee cups, reminding us to get our vowels right. And if that strategy proves to be unsuccessful, there is always the fallback Bart Simpson option:…
If ‘Incredible !ndia’ can headline a tourist campaign for India, what about Magnificent Mongol!a for that large land-locked country in Central Asia? Here, let me try and make a start—because there was plenty of magnificence on display when I visited last month… a walk My hotel was on a major intersection near the center of…
My records show that this is my 800th post, going all the way back to 2nd February 2006—913 weeks ago. Yes, I do think about stopping often enough and I certainly think about deleting dozens of posts, but I keep going because of three loves: (a) I love chatting away to myself, shaping-ideas and smithing-words;…
Her workplace and his birthplace are barely 60kms apart in South India—but the places they occupy in our home could not be more different. Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur takes her place across an entire shelf! … while V.S. Azariah of Dornakal looks decidedly lonely, in comparison, doesn’t he? Yes, just a solitary book—and it is…