Teach Listening - 5 Tips

TITLE: TEACH LISTENING - 5 Tips
Written by: Conrade Yap
POINT: We learn so much about learning how to do expository preaching, what about helping the congregation toward expository listening?

At Regent-College, one of my favourite courses is expository preaching, conducted and eloquently taught by Professor Darrell Johnson. As a required course for MDiv students, we go through the basics of learning to do exegesis, to interpret the passage and their contexts, and to be faithful to what the texts say. A unique approach is the way Professor Johnson encourages each student's preaching practice time. He asks for fellow students to evaluate the 10 minutes preaching effort. All of us are encouraged to listen well, and to give feedback so as to help the student improve. I have many enjoyable times, being encouraged that I am not the only person nervous about preaching up front.

Indeed, speaking in public is one thing. Trying to be faithful to the Bible without becoming boring is an art. In this sense, preaching is both an art as well as a science. Yet, for all the expository preaching that we learn, what about the standpoint of the listener? Is there such thing as 'expository listening?'

According to Ken Ramey, there is. Ramey has just released a handbook called "Expository Listening: A handbook for Hearing and Doing God's Word." As I think about it, it certainly makes sense. What good is there for TV stations to transmit signals, if people do not have any television sets? What good is learning to speak eloquently in French, if the people we speak to do not understand French? Likewise, if we preachers spend so much time in preparing expository sermons, what about spending some of this time to teach the congregations how to listen?

I believe that preaching is one of the greatest privileges given to any Christian. Mind you, we can easily turn preaching into a pathway for super-stardom. When this happens, we are in danger of leading the people away from worshiping God. We end up putting ourselves on the pedestal instead of serving the people by pointing their eyes of Jesus. In teaching listening, we connect with the congregation even more, as they understand more of where we are coming from, and we seek to understand where they are coming from. Here are 5 tips I have for teaching listening.

Four Kinds of 'Friends' Every Pastor Needs

This is a very thoughtful article that should be a good resource for pastors and budding pastors. Entitled: "4 Types of Friends Every Pastor Needs," Ike Reighard, a pastor of more than 30 years, from Kennesaw, Georgia, writing for CrossWalk.com distills four different kinds of people that all pastors need to surround themselves with. Leadership can be lonely. (That is an understatement).

According to Reighard, we need a 'DEVELOPER' to bring out the best in us. We need a 'DESIGNER' as a kind of a mentor who walks alongside us. We need a 'DISTURBER' to rough us up in case we become too comfortable in smooth-sailing ministry work. We need a 'DISCERNER' to give us a fresh perspective of our calling as pastors.

Personally, I think Reighard misses out one important 'D.' A DISCIPLER. You can read the rest of the article here. Thanks to alum Stanley for first bringing this to my attention.

conrade

Dr Bruce Waltke Resigns from RTS

This is a special update on one of Regent-College's beloved Professors. Dr Bruce Waltke has resigned (6 April 2010) from the Reformed Theological Seminary because of a theological dispute between Bruce and the powers to be, at RTS. It seems that the controversy was first stirred by a video entitled: "Why Must the Church come to Accept Evolution?" The crux of the matter is that Waltke urges Christians not to completely reject evolution. In other words, it is entirely possible for a Christian to accept evolution. Theistic Evolution.

Dr John Stackhouse has written a posting on his own blog, largely in defense of his colleague.

For me, I think it is a regretful situation. In the words of Brandon Withrow, "any professor who really wants serious academic freedom needs to look elsewhere."

Personally, I do not hold the view that Dr Waltke holds, but I do not agree that he should have been forced to resign, simply based on one belief. From my interactions with him, Waltke is not one who willfully imposes his ideas on others, but respectfully offers them for consideration. For more information, check the following:

1) Biologos (the site video that started it all)
2) Dr John Stackhouse blog
3) Official News from RTS
4) Good roundup by Brian LePort
5) Cosmos (Dr Ross Hasting's Response)
6) Official Re-conciliatory Note from RTS

I wonder why in this particular case, both Waltke and the rest of the academics did not 'agree to disagree' and carry on life as normal? That is, is it necessary for Waltke to resign just because of this one issue? Or is this the proverbial feather that breaks the camel's back? Maybe, it is simply to let matter explain itself, like this note.


conrade

Daffodil Day 2010 (April 9th)

Today is Daffodil Day. This is an initiative spearheaded by the Canadian Cancer Society. For the day, the public is welcome to wear a little daffodil. Due to the ease of getting onto the Internet, anybody in the world, with an Internet connection can remember their loved ones, and friends afflicted by cancer. It may not bring immediate healing in itself, but just letting those who are affected by cancer, that we are with them, brings a certain kind of comfort that only companions can provide. Wear one today. For me, I remember Insu, Maureen, my late 4th uncle, and others who have left this world after battling bravely with cancer.

Photo credit: Canadian Cancer Society

You can get your Daffodil pin by clicking here. "Wear a badge of courage for someone fighting cancer."

conrade

Re-post: Three Scattered Thoughts on Good Friday

The following is first published under my blog: Yapdates.

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Today is Good Friday. I wake up reflecting on Jesus and thinking about the Cross, the World's continued ignorance of Jesus, and how the Church continues to be under unfair labeling by media.

1) Thinking of Jesus and the Cross
It is a time to remember Jesus being captured, cursed, and crucified at the Cross. As we enter the last week of Lent, that climaxes in Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday, it is good to remember the work of Christ. It is important to know where our faith, our Christian belief centers on. It is Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. It is because of Jesus' willingness to go to the cross, and die for all mankind, that we have hope. The Apostle's Creed says it poignantly, which is a summary and uniting statement for the vast majority of Christian denominations and quarters.

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried:
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;

2) Thinking about the World Ignoring the Cross
Good Friday is a significant event for Christians all over the world. I know of some friends who would rather forget Christmas, instead of forgetting Good Friday. It is significant because, it is not Christmas, but Jesus's death on the cross that is the act of dying to give this world a new hope and opportunity to be restored back to God. About 2 billion people in the world have adopted Christianity as their faith, almost a third of the world's population. That is a significant number.

Unfortunately, I feel that many are not willing to take into consideration this number. Take Google for example. As a search company, their algorithms work on the basis of popularity and numbers. The more people links to a particular site, the more 'important' and 'relevant' this information is. On special days, on their plain white background search page, there will be special pictures to commemorate a significant event on the day itself. For example, when the Winter Olympics started, there was this:

Winter Olympics - Feb 20th, 2010

For special days like New Year's Day, it will be like this:

Happy New Year - Jan 1st, 2010

Not Good Friday. While many countries with a Christian presence declare Good Friday a national holiday, the giant search corporations prefers to remember the birthday of Hans Christian Anderson, the story teller. Even Halloween gets to have their icon on Google. Not Good Friday. Not Jesus. It is another example of how the world conveniently ignores Jesus, in favour of other gods.

Good Friday - Apr 2nd, 2010

So Hans Christian Anderson is more significant than Good Friday. Mmmmph. Either someone is a big Hans Christian Anderson fan, or he is plain ignorant of the significance of Good Friday. Come Easter Sunday, what do you think you will see? I think the Easter bunny and the chocolate eggs will dominate the headlines. Again!

3) Thinking of the Church Carrying the Cross
A thought provoking article was written by Dr David Horn of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has recently returned from some humanitarian projects in New Orleans. He makes a sharp comment asking: "Where is Brad Pitt Now?" When the Katrina crisis first blew over, many people pay attention. The media swarm the place for coverage. People give generously to various agencies to help the hurricane victims. That was back in 2005. Now, about 5 years later, where are the famous movie stars? Where is popular media? What happens to the rebuilding projects that began with so much fanfare?

Not the movie stars. Not the big-time media. All they are doing right now is to look for the latest and the greatest excitement happening in town. Katrina is no longer exciting. Horn further observes that the real people picking up the pieces left behind, the ones who are faithfully and quietly helping are the religious groups, like Churches and many other faith based organizations. Where are the stars? What is the media portraying religions, especially Christianity?

Horn makes a stark contrast of the difference, and the injustice that is inflicted on Christianity.

"Which brings me back to Brad Pitt. Where is he now? One of the unsung songs in the national media, now that the television cameras are gone after five years, is that it is almost solely faith-based organizations—churches, Christian schools, and other religious organizations-- that are still packing their bags and heading down to New Orleans to patch the city back together again. Where did everyone else go? But why should the national media care? They already have their story. And the story is that apparently the church is full of hypocrites who think about little else but heaven." (Horn)

So while the Church continues to pick up the pieces, and be faithful to help in little ways, the mass media in general continues to portray the Church as a bunch of hypocrites only concerned about heaven. What kind of reporting will that become?

conrade

Against Self-Righteousness

This article is written to remind fellow theological students (like me) and Christians in leadership to beware of self-righteous behavior. I offer it to my fellow Regent alumni for consideration. Simultaneously published on Yapdates.

conrade

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Title: Against Self-Righteousness

Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 26 Mar 2010

"Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 1:2)

A) Self-Righteous Christians
Sometimes, it is embarassing to see that the self-righteous Christian tends to be those who are more affluent, more educated, more experienced, and more connected to the powers of this world. The root of self-righteousness is pride. For Christians, some of the unkindest things have been said to fellow believers. In the name of God, they claim to have the word of God and talks in a way that makes them more righteous than others. This is called self-righteousness. Some of the worst culprits of self-righteous behavior happen to be those who have been educated a little more than others. It could be a theology degree. It could be a special course attended. It could be a seminar with distinguished speakers. It could also be a direct association with a famed professor or speaker. Whatever it is, the claim to be right, tends to be based on works and self-worth to justify one's words. When these things happen, it is hard to be humble. It is hard to be gentle on dissenting views. It is hard to show grace.


Paul the Apostle is a top solicitor in Jewish circles at that time. He had influence. He had charisma. He also had a good following among Gentiles. He had the courage to face up to Peter when Peter is wrong (Gal 2:11). He too had the courage to admit when what he writes is not from the Lord (1 Cor 7:12). It is one thing to express a personal view. It is yet another, to use the name of Christ to state a particular opinion.

B) Self-Righteousness in the Church at large

"Many of our own children's questions stem from observing the defensiveness and mean-spiritedness that pervade so many expressions of Christian faith in America and around the world. They realize that many other religious groups have also become more extreme, even violent, in the ways they press for or against social change. But because they themselves are Christians, they are most disturbed by the attitudes of other Christians."
(Douglas Jacobsen & Rodney Sawatsky, Gracious Christianity, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006, 12)

One reason why Christianity tends to appear on the wrong side of the public eye is because of the way they behave. By claiming to hold the truth, sometimes, they see the world so back and white, that they tend to issue an ultimatum in such a way that, if one does not believe in Jesus, they will definitely go to hell. The problem I have is that such statements tend to be too judgmental. I do not want to go into theological explanations right now. My question will be: Will such a statement be helpful to the non-believer? Most likely, it will be something that will push people further away. I remember reading about a Buddhist who was staying in a Christian seminary. Many believers tried to convert him, even saying that the Buddhist will go to hell if he does not believe in Christ. In reply, the Buddhist said that if that is the case, he will remain a Buddhist and choose hell so that he can go and comfort the people who are suffering there.


This should show us that Christians should not behave in an arrogant way. Christians need to lead the way toward humility, not pride.



C) Self-Righteousness in the Board meeting

If a person stands up in the middle of a leadership meeting to claim outright, "The Lord spoke to me about what we should do."  It is truly amazing, when this so-called word from the Lord, tends to agree with his own personal viewpoints, like buying a plot of land, or approving a major church building expenditure, or an action to be meted out on a church member. For the rest of the people, it is hard to argue against something that is called 'word of the Lord.' When this leader says things that rides on God's authority, the rest of us are not really given much choice but to follow and to obey.


Discernment is something that needs to be constantly tested and tackled together within a community of believers. Leaders especially need to be extra careful not to speak so condescendingly, that it leaves no room for others to hold an alternative position. The way forward is toward gracious love via speaking the truth in love and grace.


D) Self-Righteousness in the Theological Classroom
Just because we know a little more Greek or Hebrew, just because we know who is Barth, Anselm, or Bonhoeffer, just because we can outline the Church history through the ages, or read through the Bible hundreds of times does not give us a license toward self-righteous behavior. I remember my Greek class where my professor regularly reminds the class that a little bit of Greek can be a temptation to sin by boasting and by putting down other people. I think the professor is right on. It reminds me of the 3 major attitudes we need to adopt when studying theology: Humility, humility and humility.



E) Antidote Against Self-Righteousness: Speaking with Grace
Conviction is good. If it is done with patience and love for the hearers, it is edifying. If it is done in the gracious spirit of correcting one another in Christ's love, it is redeeming. The trouble is when we speak in a way to gives another person no room to hold an alternative position. It is like saying: "This is the truth. Take it or leave it." It can be hard to swallow. For weaker believers in Christ, it can come across as spiritual bullying. God forbid. Let us all practice gracious speaking in our communications. Let those of us who think they are strong, bear with the failings of the weak. It is only when we adopt a lower sense of self-importance, that we can begin learning to speak with grace.


The Apostle Paul does this quite remarkably. In his letter to the Ephesians, he begins and ends with God's peace and grace (Eph 1:3, 6:23-24). This is important. By starting and closing with the Lord's peace and grace, it tells the reader that whatever is written and taught, is to be laced with graciousness. Let me offer three reasons why we need to practice gracious speaking.


1) We live by grace
Christianity is unique from other religions because it is a relationship given to all who believe, purely by grace, not works. We receive, then we can give, not the other way round. Paul expresses it clearly:


"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." (Eph 2:8-9)


What kind of a relationship do we have with one another. Let me suggest that our relationship must begin with us recognizing that we are forgiven sinners in the first place. We have been saved by grace, not of our works, but by faith in Jesus.


2) We live by God's Mercy
If there is anyone more deserving of death, it is the sinner who refuses to repent, or think that he is more righteous. There is no one righteous, no not one, says Paul, for the wages of sin is death. If God has been merciful to us, should we not be merciful to others as well. The parable of the wicked servant is a case in point (Matthew 18:21-35). Having been forgiven of his debts of ten thousand talents (like millions of dollars), the servant goes on to demand repayment of 100 denarii (like a few dollars) from another person. If we do not show grace to one another, it is like us, who have been shown multiple acts of mercy and grace, refusing to show a single act of grace and mercy to another.


3) We live to be peacemakers

We live in a world that has experienced two major world wars. Since the end of WWII, there has been an average of 40 wars throughout the world. Even right now, wars are still being fought. For countries that claim to be peaceloving, the way citizens treat one another does not exactly reflect this attitude. Look at the parliamentary debates. Look at society meetings. Look at the many demonstrations in the streets. Look at the newspapers that report and sensationalize many hot warring topics. Controversy sells.


Christians are called to be peacemakers. This is an active command. In our world of broken relationships, we need more peacemakers. Christians have an exciting opportunity to lead the way. If we feel we need to correct another brother or sister in Christ, ask ourselves what 'right' we have? Maybe we should pray more. Maybe we should seek to understand more than to be understood. Maybe we should simply wait for a better opportunity, or to pray that someone else will be the first to speak. Whatever it is, learn to make peace through gracious speaking.


May we all learn to avoid self-righteous behavior. May we choose instead to rest on the righteousness of God, and to allow all our actions, our words and our deeds stem from a life of grace built on the work of Christ.


conrade

FW: "The Blind Side": A Movie with Christian Themes

We have long heard of how many non-Christians are cynical about Christians being able to practice what they preach. Arguments are plenty, for and against. The vocal evangelical right group have often come under heavy criticism for not being as Christian as they claim to be. So, it seems that one way to remind them to practice what they preach is through a movie story. Based on a true event, "The Blind Side" shines a way how Christians ought to live out their faith by bringing hope to those who are less fortunate. See the full review here.

conrade