We have a three-prong strategy this year...
1. Learning as a community (probably use Grudem's Systematic Theology)
2. Inspire serious reflections on our faith in 'everyday language'
3. Engaging our neighbors in respectful and winsome dialogues
Was thinking lately how we could 'engage' our neighbors in meaningful discussions about faith, truth and life from a biblical worldview...
Perhaps using what we learnt to good effect in real-life practice... where the rubber meets the road... Meng Wai unintentionally gave me an idea...
It seems, "What better place to do it in our context than in public forums like
Malaysiakini.com? There's space for freedom of speech there..."
The letters column were hi-quality stuffs read by thousands of Malaysians - Malays, Indians, Chinese, Iban, Kadazan etc... representing diverse faiths, vocations and cultures...
Current hot topics being discussed are 'freedom of religion and apostasy', interfaith dialogues, nation building, evolution and God; and just out of the stove, a defense of pluralism by Catholic theologian Edmund Chia, who studied under Edward Schillebeeckx.
I think evangelical Christians are under-represented in the marketplace of ideas that is the internet and occasionally, we respond with knee-jerk reactions...
We need to be intentional, organised and prepared for long-haul engagement and timely response at the speed of Net discourses.
This seems like a good opportunity to exercise some respectful and informed 'interfaith dialogue'...
Is anyone interested to come together and contribute his or her skills as ambassadors for Christ as a cross-denominational team in the public square?
Contact me at hedonese@yahoo.com
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4 comments:
Dave, want to join but scared to try and write - currently I do better in real life, face to face, somehow, I am limited in writing. But I will try, nevertheless.
ooh, sounds interesting esp the grudem and mkini part. i'll be liberated fr UM less than a month's time and I'm free to express myself. keke.
edmund chia is a la salle brother, one of the thinkers/founders of this whole La Sallian network which is very active and vocal socially, mobilizing youths irregardless of race or religion for their cause, something lacking in evangelicalism as well.
I think 'everyday language' is very important too. I think this whole tension between going deep and being relevant is actually a false dichotomy.
Hey count me in though I dunno how much a "brethren" can do and how much presbies accept us? Keke.
hello friend,
it's so great that u & some of your friends started this SPECIAL GROUP called AGORA. the most important thing i see is that a reading culture is developing among the christian community. bring your group to SUFES ya, doesn't need to buy books all the time, can look c look c mah.
GOD Bless brother.
Martin fr your local bookstore.
:) Great! Now, we have a couple of folks responding... hehehe...
Brethrens are welcome!
Martin, you have no idea how much you, Jacob and Rodney influenced Leon and I while we were part time staffs at Evangel Bookstore :)
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