Theological Training in Community Living
Time flies! I have spent six years at HKBTS. For the first three years, I served as a staff member in the library, which was my first step toward my ministry. In the latter three years, I studied in the Master of Divinity program at the seminary and embarked on this never-ending theological journey.
The Calling
Looking back on how I was called to ministry, I realize that it was a time of turmoil in my life. I was under overwhelming pressure and was uncertain about the way forward. Nonetheless, God saved me and placed this sacred calling in my life so I could make a fresh start.
Later, during a prayer experience, the Lord Jesus invited me to be His worker, to walk with Him into the ripened field and to harvest crops together with Him. At that moment, I was saddened by the shortage of workers in the harvest. I felt a sense of urgency to respond to this call and decided to enter the seminary to become equipped.
The Journey
When I entered the seminary, the biggest lesson I had to learn was how to live in a community. This was not easy for me as I am an introvert. I am thankful that the seminary made room for us to “learn how to live” and to learn to become Christians after God’s own heart. Realizing that Jesus Christ’s salvation is not just about individuals being saved, but also about building up a community that belongs to Him, we not only need to have a reconciliation with God but also with others in the community and with nature.
In my community life, one of the most memorable moments took place during the study of the Hebrew language. The course required us to complete three Hebrew translation exercises. For students with little language skills, this was undoubtedly rather frustrating. However, our class chose to work together on all three exercises by organizing study groups before submitting each assignment. Group members discussed to work out the best answer. We deliberately invited students who were not doing well to participate. Our group spent four to six hours discussing each exercise word by word and helping the less capable students to complete them together.
At times, I reflected on whether it was worth spending so much time to complete the assignments in such a way because I am a fairly independent person. Working alone is always much more efficient than working together, and I was confident that I would be able to complete the exercises on my own. Yet upon reflection, I recognized that it was a challenge for me, whether or not I was willing to sacrifice for my brothers and sisters who were lagging behind. Even if it took more time, or if I had to give up efficiency, or if I had to change my style of doing things alone, would I still be willing to stand with those who were lagging behind and walk with them so that they could keep up? I realized that the community of the Kingdom of Heaven is not about individual breakthroughs—rather it is a community of solidarity. No one is going ahead, and no one is lagging behind. Perhaps this is what God sees as a community of unity.
The Future
Such thoughts prompted me to reflect further: “Who is the most neglected group in churches?” I would say it is the elderly. Compared to the youth, fewer full-time ministers and co-workers are serving the elderly, and fewer resources are devoted to the development of elderly ministries. In addition, as many young people have emigrated overseas due to social changes, many of those remaining in Hong Kong churches are the “left behind” who are elderly and are in dire need of pastoral care and support. During my two-year pastoral internship, I realized that the elderly are a great treasure and can be faithful intercessors, ministry promoters, and servers of churches. This motivated me to become “a pastor for the elderly” upon graduation so that the elderly can experience love and acceptance in the church community.