上帝的女忠僕

 － 記李美玉傳道：我信仰上的母親

踏入基督教信仰，這是我這輩子當中所做的最關鍵，也是最勇敢、冒險的選擇。

李美玉傳道與夫婿 謝仁和先生

出生於台灣農村鄉下的傳統家庭，綿延香火祭拜祖先，可以說是天經地義的為人父為人子的責任。父慈子孝應該就是指這種世代相傳的家庭與社會價值吧。基督教雖然在在我五、六歲時就開始進入我們的村落撒種、傳播(一九五六年李美玉傳道接受溪湖教會委派開拓梧鳳佈道所)。無奈傳統強固的宗族結構對基督教把祭祖當成偶像崇拜而悍然排斥，視為是斷喪家庭倫理的大不赦、逆道行徑。皈依基督教乃被論定為不孝的行為，難以被村中父執、親友接受。即便當時梧鳳教會第一代信徒黃維堯長老，是村中的長者廣受尊敬，得以讓教會在鄰里間自由活動，不受干擾。至於要人改宗歸信，真是談何容易。教會的宣教工作因此很務實的鎖定以兒童事工為切入。

記得童稚時期，由溪湖教會來的傳道、信徒開始在黃長老家的庭院，舉辦野外主日學，講聖經故事、教唱歌、學白話字。受到漂亮的聖誕卡片以及休息時間的糖果、餅乾吸引，曾跟著村中的孩子同伴在庭院中、榕樹下、田野間享受這由教會提供的假期中難得的趣活。至於在幼小的心靈中種下多少福音的種子，自己也無從評估。不過，教會因此不再是完全陌生之地倒是肯定的。

這些童稚時期的依稀記憶既模糊又深刻。待我再次踏進教會已是初入高工青澀、強說愁的年紀。那是一個月色皎潔、蟲鳴四起的旁晚，教會晚禱的歌聲把我和那些日子常溺在一起聖嘉引進了教會。兩人悄悄的坐在教會長條椅子的最後一排，聽著講台上女傳道的證道，柔和卻堅定而樸實的聲調，讓陌生的我們感覺親切、自在。一小段代禱時間後結束了聚會。人數不多的會友彼此問候，也熱烈的招呼我們。在偏鄉的農村第一次體驗一群人安靜的聚會，親切的交通、互動，虔誠的彼此代禱，以及熱烈的歡迎陌生人。這大概就是基督徒習以為常的團契交誼吧，對我這陌生人而言，它是人間一幅美好的畫像。是我羨慕的生活氣氛。維堯長老和李傳道(當時大家都稱呼她李先生)殷切的邀請我們繼續來參加。

享受聚會安詳、溫暖與親切的氛圍以及背棄傳統、改宗皈信另一個宗教，這是當時從沒聯結起來的兩件不相關的事。剛開始總是不斷說服自己，週三的禱告會，週六的聖歌隊跟信教沒有關係。只要不參加主日禮拜就沒有背教的問題。只是這種自我說服持續不久，背教的問題也經不起實際生活體驗的挑戰。相對於過去農家生活的單調、枯燥，教會團契提供的知性、多元，充滿趣味的選擇，加上李美玉傳道慈祥、愛心的關照，很快的就讓我重新定錨人生應有的方向：我想要一個活潑、愛心與創意的未來。我待在教會的時間越來越頻繁，也越待時間越長。李先生有五個子女(兩男三女)，雅珠姊和夫婿潘元嘉兄都在就讀神學院，雅珠姊讀音樂系，元嘉兄讀神學系，他們一有空就回來帶領團契，協助主日禮拜。二女兒雅麗年紀大我一些。大兒子雅宏跟我們一群契友同輩，也是團契凝聚的核心，三女兒雅孃和小兒子雅德年紀較小，也跟著大夥兒進進出出。團契人數逐漸增加，不同的學習、各類活動也隨著豐富。李先生待我們這些契友有如己出，虛寒問暖無微不至。有一次在不經意的談話中，小女兒雅孃有點近似忌妒的口吻說：「我媽媽對你比對我們這些兄弟姊妹都要好」。我不知道其他的兄弟姊妹是否都這麼認為，不過李先生她待我如己出，我的確是感同身受。其實，我之所以慕道成為基督徒，除了福音信息的感召外，對當時傳道人家庭的和樂融融，彼此相親之氣氛的羨慕也是重要的因素之一。

Break Down the Walls of Division

2023 Annual Member's Meeting 

Council For World Mission (CWM) 

Changhua Taiwan, June 10, 2023 

 Huang Po Ho 

 Director of Academy for Contextual Theologies in Taiwan

For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility (Eph. 2.14) 

Introduction 

Rev. Dr. Jooseop Keum, General Secretary of Council for World Mission, Distinguished delegations of CWM member Churches, guests and my dear Taiwanese colleagues: It is a great honor to be invited for this opportunity to talk to this annual member's meeting of CWM in my beloved home country of Taiwan. Many thanks to CWM family and general secretary Dr. Jooseop Keum for the invitation.The theme of this annual meeting is "Break Down the Walls of Division" which is taken from the Biblical passage in Paul's letter to the Ephesians (Eph. 2.14), where Paul had tried to convince the Ephesians that they were brought into the Christian community as equals and one with the Jews. And pointed out that this new status of the Gentiles was the fruit of the work of reconciliation through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 

This theme of "Break Down the Walls of Division" not only brings us back to the central message of the Christian faith, which the theologies of modern ecumenical movement derived from, it also timely reflects our critical contexts in the geopolitical tensions and the threats from the rivalry between two empires, that have forced the world to face a potential world war. The theme also reflects the nature of CWM as a missionary body and its commitment to "Oikomene". The very title of "Council for World Mission" shows the pioneering ecumenism of this group. It was changed from its original name "London Missionary Society (LMS)", a sending organization to evangelize the world, into a common fellowship of all missionary partners. Over the years, CWM has implemented many inspiring programs to combat empires and economic globalization, and to decolonize different sociopolitical hegemonic forces and irrelevant Christian mission. The theme thus is duly and urgent. 

 

The Wall to the Gentiles 

A key phrase in this passage which draws our attention is "Break down the dividing wall", this dividing wall has been further described as a "wall of hostility". A dividing wall is created by hostility. We have to be reminded here that the audients of this passage were the Ephesians Gentiles, who were the recipients of the letter and were treated hostile by the Jews. In the former verses, Paul had counting the inferior status of the Gentiles, he said: 

And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air... Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called“uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands) remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. (2.1-2a,11-12) 

According to Paul's perception, gentile Ephesians status were inferior and contrast to that of the Jews:

 1) The Gentiles were called the uncircumcised by those who had claim to that of circumcision.         Here was the first of the great divisions. 

 2) The Gentiles had no hope of a Messiah; 

 3) The Gentiles were aliens from the society of Israel, and was not the holy people (ho hagios'         laos). 

4) The Gentiles were strangers from the covenants on which the promises were based. 

5) The Gentiles were without hope and without God in the world. 

It is to these downtrodden people of gentile Ephesians that Paul address on this topic of Break Down the Walls of Division. The gentile Ephesians were the one to be segregated by the wall of division, which was built by the self justified superior Jews. Ephesians did not have the ability and power to destroy barrier, yet they were granted the opportunity to cross over the wall to join the Messiah community. Paul was here to remind them the fact that their identity of being a Christian, was not attained through their human efforts or achievement by paying their own prices, nor by the grace from the oppressive Jewish party, But "have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

In another word, the message that Paul constructed in these sentences, are not a command nor an instruction for the Ephesians to take actions to break down the wall, instead, he points out that it is the intention of God, and reminded those who have being segregated outside the walls, that this has been realized through the graceful events of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The wall here that Paul pointed to was a symbolic expression of the curtain of the holy Temple, which was created by the Jewish community to segregate and preventing the Gentiles to approach closer to the holy sanctuary of the Temple. This curtain according to Paul was the dividing wall of hostility. he said: 

by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Accordingly, for Paul to Break down the wall was not the final purpose, instead the genuine purpose was to overcome discrimination and make peace between the Gentiles and the Jews, and to reconcile both of them to God. 

Walls Are Product of Human Spirituality 

Mission： Church in Formation 〔認同：在地宣教〕

本土神學文集第六冊命名為「認同：在地宣教」，英文則以Mission: Church in Formation來標示。試圖把宣教、認同、與教會三者連結起來。宣教是教會形成的激素與定型，甚麼樣的宣教產出甚麼樣的教會。教會因此不只是宣教的果子，也是持續宣教的動力。而宣教missio Dei是一種受差的行動，因此是道成肉身的實踐，真實的宣教必定是像耶穌道成肉身一樣的「認同的宣教」，也就是在地宣教。通過愛與認同，從事的在地宣教，毫無疑問地會建立起釘根本地的教會。本書透過反省筆者任職長老教會總會研發中心期間，主持台灣基督長老教會「21世紀新台灣宣教運動」研發的過程與內涵，以及期間面對全球化議題所做的基督教宣教的論述，配合早年出版之「本土神學與本土宣教」一書，以及年輕時在美國紐約協和神學院跟隨黑人神學家James Cone做研究時翻譯他的一篇短文「教會是甚麼」一起組成，時間前後跨越數十年，範圍涵蓋多層面向，希望從本土神學的角度，將神學理論與實踐結合，來呈現宣教的本質，也印證在地宣教的走向並期許教會能夠持續的本土化，來成為人民的盼望。

Embracing the Household of God

My new book on "Embracing the Household of God -- A Paradigm Shift from Anthropocentric Tradition to Creation Responsibility in Doing Theology" is published as PTCA book series no. 7. This is a new shift of theological endeavors to a more inclusive and holistic concern of the mission of theology. Thanks to my good friends and brothers: Dr. Wati Longchar and Dr. M.P Joseph for their tireless works to bring this book out. The supports from ETE WCC for the publication is also appreciated. 

台灣基督長老教會總會研究發展中心研究方案的分析與檢討

黃伯和/ 長榮大學
講於總會研發中心研討會 (2012年7月24-25日於新竹聖經書院)

Church in the process of Building

前言

在總會屬下設立一個專事研究的的研發機構，曾在總會各種場合中經過相當一段時間的醞釀與討論。在研發中心成立之前，總會因應各種議題，曾設立不同的研究小組。一九九八年在兩位前總幹事楊啟壽牧師及羅榮光牧師的邀請下，筆者從神學教育的崗位轉任總會研發中心負責籌設和規劃的工作。當時的總委會與總會同工對此一新的機構期許很高，對中心的成立和事工的推動也非常支持和配合。總會事務所的運作一向以事工為導向，過去研究性的工作都是交給屬下神學院或另設小組為之。要在事工導向的機構中設立研發中心，其屬性定位以及橫向聯繫的操作是一項考驗。

到總會赴任之前，我連繫、拜訪了幾個相關性質的機構，包括當時的國策中心，中研院的朋友以及幾個民間企業的研發部門。了解研發部門在企業體中的角色以及運作的情形。為了使研發中心與總會的事工具有加乘的作用，我們乃把總會研發中心定位為以「宣教」為導向的研發單位。希望藉此為總會廣納人才，提供宣教智庫的機能。定位確立後，我們便將研發中心的組織架構成三大塊，以研發為主兩邊側翼有圖書資料室與網路資訊室作為支援。成立初期研發中心的人力不多，除了主任兼研究員及一位研究助理外，再把原來總會事務所的資訊組同仁以及對總會歷史資料熟嫻的葉牧師納入研發中心的編制。中心的人力雖然不多，我們透過環狀結構，從中心核心同工，擴延到事務所的同仁，再向外廣邀各不同研究方案相關的學者、牧長以及相關專家，形成龐大的研究人力資源。這也是個人在總會任職期間，對總會資源之豐沛感受最為深刻而感動的經驗。在四年的研發中心任內，所開發的許多研究方案，大都是藉由這些熱情委身的學者、牧長無怨無悔的投入所完成的。