Skip to main content

Retreat......share of thought (part 2 of 2)

The book of Nehemiah recorded the account how Nehemiah brought back his people and rebuilt the nation. In Neh 1-2, we were told how Nehemiah received the vision and mission. Surely it should have come from the heart and prayers. With the vision he had, he planned. He recruited his people for the vision and mission. He shared his vision with the people. Coincidently, some of them already had the same vision (Neh 1:11, Neh 2:18). God was at work! Another interesting insight is why Nehemiah requested materials for rebuilding the wall and not labor force from the king. In the context of MU ministry, we believe God will prepare his people for the campus vision.

Further study on Neh 3-6 revealed the obstacles during the rebuilding of the wall. Attack and threat from enemies as well as internal problem were some of the hindrances. However, it was Nehemiah response that overcome these obstacles. The main principles: be steadfast, stand firm and remain faithful to the calling or mission. Be it in the student ministry or any ministry, these are the underlying principles. Lets examine our heart if we still carry on the calling. Nehemiah also set an example to be moderate and considerate to the poor. Talking about being salt and light to the people.

As we closed with Neh 7-13, we can see that after the completion of the wall, all the people came back. It must have thought that Nehemiah’s ultimate plan was to rebuild the nation. And it went on with the restoration of the word of God in people’s heart. As we think back on MU ministry, surely we need to rebuild the wall. Surely the word of God need to be restored in people’s heart. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Pray to Lord, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

Comments

Anonymous said…
How do we deal with low morale and labourers fatique, after seeing years of unfruitfulness in UM campus?
Anonymous said…
Ya, it's a very relevant question for UM ministry. Is the unfruitfulness due to our sin? or it's God who do not make things done? Organising retreat and sharing do not really solve the problem as it is our personal conviction and commitment to God.
Anonymous said…
However, retreat, sharing, prayer, bible discussion (especially in small group) do help us to see clearer what God's plan is.

Popular posts from this blog

The wedding of ....

This wedding has some similarity with ours but, by comparison in every detail, each is still distinctly unique.

Kumano Kodo - Day 2

After a good rest, I departed for Hosshimon-oji. The hotel provided free transit to the Hongu area, so I saved some time waiting for the bus. The plan for the day was a 7 km walk from Hosshimon-oji to Oyunohara. Since my next lodging was in the Yunomine Onsen area, I decided to add an extra walk from Oyunohara to Yunomine Onsen, which was about 2.2 km. At Hosshimon-oji, the trail is essentially a connecting route to the Takijiri trail. The previous stamping station was about 800 meters from Hosshimon-oji, so I made a detour to Inohana-oji. That detour added approximately 1.6 km to my journey, taking about 30 minutes or more. From Hosshimon-oji (after detouring via Inohana-oji), I started walking toward Hongu Taisha, which was about a 2.5-hour walk. Along the way, I stopped to rest and take photos. It was quite a leisurely walk. Part of the trail is paved, while the rest consists of forest paths lined with cypress trees (I guess). By the time I reached the town around Hongu Taisha, it w...

Kumano Kodo - Day 1

Just came back from Osaka last week. It was my personal and solo trip of the year. There were only two main focuses of the trip — the Kumano Kodo and the Expo 2025 Osaka. Let me share my experience from the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage. Well, it felt more like a hike in my local hills. I chose a 4-day, 3-night walk with a boat trip included. This route was the simplest, covering only about 7 km of walking (though I added some extra distance for personal exploration). It was Route 3 of the Nakahechi route. By collecting 10 stamps along this route (at designated stamping points), I should be eligible for the Dual Pilgrim certificate if I complete the last 100 km on foot of the Camino de Santiago in Portugal. All my accommodations and packed lunches were arranged through the official Kumano Travel website. Although the booking response was a bit slow, I managed to receive confirmation about 2 or 3 weeks before my flight.  To get to the Kumano area, I took a train (Kuroshio limited express) ...