For HK Caring Ministry
Over the past 6 years, I have heard quite a few pastors maintain that regardless of the HK situation they need to be with their flocks.
Admirable.
Respected.
This is increasingly needed as the HK economy has been spiralling downwards:
- Unemployment rate creeps up;
- Eateries closures chart up;
- Real estate slips down.
Moreover, justice, the perennial counterpoint of grace in sermons, is nowhere to be found:
- Independent bookstores are closing, tired of fire department, Food & Hygiene, Business registration and other visits and temporary closures;
- Political party couldn’t even get a private restaurant to host a dinner, a few times cancelled late on pretext of a/c and kitchen issues;
- Person Non-grata couldn’t even book a tennis court;
- Foreign journalists are getting turndowns in visa to come to HK;
- Politicians released from jail are bused directly home, unlike old times being welcomed and hugged just outside of jail;
- Fakes in bottled water supplied to government emerged;
- Faked mainland “uber-like” driver nabbed;
- Form IV student faking award winning entry with foreign professional firm product;
- High ranking police officers getting off with slap on the wrist community services.
Sermons exhorting grace and justice are running out of the latter.
Reality is preachers simply avoid or shut down that half.
Only grace is left!
But justice?
It’s conveniently pushed to the Day of the Lord.
Better not exhorted nor demanded nowadays.
The price for speaking out from the pulpit is too steep.
Before the police knock on the door, senior deacons would have had a word with any youthful preacher.
Church unity and harmony demand not bringing up societal ills and authorities wrongs.
Those preachers who can’t live with that eventually move overseas.
All’s left are domesticated, “justice” having been castrated.
But still, it’s argued, plenty inside the “Grace” half are still aplenty though:
- Evangelism;
- Tithing;
- Bible;
- Mission;
- Holiness;
- In-Christ mystic union.
But soon it’ll be met with cynicism if not contempt from the pew if the pulpit only preaches on Grace and dares not demand Justice.
Domesticated preachers and preaching are not really ministry any longer!
Then what of those faithful pastors who still want to stay and minister to the flocks?
Lots of ministries, those which have long been getting less resources than preaching and teaching, for reasons still unknown and unjustified.
These are summed up as Caring Ministry, which to me are really “pastoral”.
There are so many of them to visit, in hospitals of course, even at home.
Many are older parents whose children have fled overseas to avoid the suffocating Hong Kong, to provide a healthier future for their own young children, or even to keep their mental health after six years of unrelenting pressure.
Then there are those younger but for lack of education or confidence dare not venture overseas.
They are facing increasingly unbearable economical and societal pressure yet without any hope of an exit.
These people need God.
Or servants of God to talk to, to comfort and simply to pray with them, and frankly they covet, for them.
Yes, they address you as pastor in church, may even pay for you in restaurants when they see you.
And, how grateful they would be if you as pastor visit them at home and pray with them?
You will be surprised.
I surely was, back in SF.
And I don’t even have to mention you bringing materials support to them.
Those that you as pastor can call upon the congregation and mobilise other Christians.
So lots of ministries.
Why waste time in sermons which will be rejected in cynicism and contempt as the congregation hears nothing from the pulpit demanding justice from the authority?
Please do pastoral ministry.
Visit the people.
Pray with them.
Share the goods.
Be Christ with them.
You will do good.
