Spiritual Disciplines
The University of New South Wales has three semesters each year. I thank God that the Cantonese Christian Fellowship not only meets every Thursday evening, but also has a cell group where I can learn together with the students. During the first and second semesters, another pastor and I led the students through the “Alpha Cantonese Teens Series” to explore the Christian faith — both with believers and seekers. This semester, we decided to try something new and shift our focus to spiritual growth. Together, we are learning and practising several spiritual disciplines.
Over the past few weeks, we have been putting retreat, meditation, Lectio Divina (divine reading) and fasting into practice. Using Rev. Chi-Hok Wong’s devotional book "Experiencing God", we began with retreat and meditation. We spent time together and also alone quietly before God: reading articles and Scripture, meditating, and praying. Many young people felt unfamiliar with drawing near to God this way. They are unaccustomed to slowing down, stillness, or meditation. As a result, we spent about 30 minutes completing one exercise. Afterwards, the students shared their sense of discomfort, yet they were willing to keep learning.
Three weeks ago, we learned about Lectio Divina through a YouTube video. Lectio Divina was also something new to me (even though it is a long-standing tradition in the Catholic Church). I was first introduced to it about four and a half years ago during my theological studies. Since we couldn’t find any YouTube videos teaching Lectio Divina in Cantonese, we decided to follow an English one for our first attempt. Once we had grasped how to practise it — how to read, meditate, and pray — we chose another passage and tried again, this time in Cantonese. Through this practice, we all learned to slow down a little, allowing God’s Word to sink into our hearts so that we could respond to what He was saying to us.
Two weeks ago, we studied the biblical teaching on fasting and prayer. Each of us then chose something to give up temporarily: I chose to fast for one meal; one student decided to give up mobile games for three days; another chose to stop watching reels for a week — as a way of practising self-denial and using that time to pray more.
I hope these spiritual disciplines will not be things we do only occasionally, but that we will continue to practise them willingly, so our lives may keep growing in the Lord.
Apostle Paul encouraged his spiritual son Timothy this way: “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1Tim4:7-8)
屬靈操練
新南威爾士大學每年有三個學期，感謝神廣東話基督徒團契除了在週四黃昏的聚會外，還有一個細胞小組，讓我可以和學生一同學習。在第一和第二個學期，另一位傳道人和我一起透過「啟發(Alpha)少青系列粵語版」，與學生探討基督信仰，對象包括基督徒和未信者。而今個學期，我們「搞搞新意思」(創新一下)，將焦點放在基督徒的靈命成長，我們一同學習和實踐一些屬靈操練。
在過去幾個星期，我們一起操練退修默想、神讀(Lectio Divina/ divine reading)和禁食。我們用了王志學牧師所編寫的靈修著作「經歷神」，一起操練退修默想。我們一起、又各自安靜在神面前 - 看文章，讀聖經，默想，祈禱。年輕人都不習慣這樣去親近神，因他們不習慣停下來、安靜、默想，所以我們只用了大約三十分鐘去完成一課操練。在操練後，學生分享了他們的不適應，但他們也願意繼續學習。
三週前，我們透過YouTube的影片去學習「神讀」。其實「神讀」對我來說，也是「新」的事物（雖然它是天主教會的傳統方法)，因為我只是在四年半前，在神學院第一次學習到什麼是「神讀」。因為在YouTube中找不到用廣東話操練「神讀」的影片，我們只好跟着英文的影片先試做一次。待掌握了如何實踐「神讀」——怎樣讀、怎樣默想、怎樣祈禱，我們就再選用另一篇經文，用廣東話做一次。在這操練中，我們都學會了稍稍慢下來，讓神的說話讀進我們心中，以致我們能回應神的話。
兩週前，我們一同學習聖經中關於禁食(祈禱)的教導。之後我們各自選擇了暫時要禁戒的事 - 我選擇了禁食一餐，有同學選擇禁玩「手遊」三天，也有同學選擇禁看「連續短片」一週，去操練放下自己的慾望，並用這些省下來的時間多去祈禱。
我期盼這些屬靈操練我們都不是偶一為之，而是我們都樂意不斷實踐，以致我們的生命能不斷成長。
使徒保羅這樣鼓勵他屬靈的兒子提摩太：只是要棄絕那世俗的言語和老婦荒渺的話，在敬虔上操練自己。「操練身體，益處還少；惟獨敬虔，凡事都有益處，因有今生和來生的應許。」(提前4:7-8)。
