Christfulness in Chinese

Tao Fong Shan Christian Center has just published a collection of spiritual exercises from the Courses and Retreats under the heading ‘CHRISTFULNESS’.

The book can be ordered from TFSCC at contact@tfscc.org – Price 58 HKD

Christfulness in Chinese – Preface by Dr. Tong, Wing-sze

Tao Fong Shan Christian center has just published a collection of Spiritual exercises from the Courses and Retreats under the heading “CHRISTFULNESS”.

Preface by Dr, Tong Wing-sze and contents:

湯序

每逢參加奧勒牧師主領之「基督滿全」(Christfulness)退修,總讓我想起1936年道風山基督教叢林出版之《東亞基督教道友會禮拜儀式和聖禮》,本山的禮文書除載有早上的晨殿、黃昏的晚殿、公共懺悔、個人懺悔、靜坐、基督讚以及景尊頌外,其中「道風山歌」的歌詞更是我們在山上學習「基督滿全」的最佳寫照:

美矣哉,吾等之道風,崢嶸崛起萬山中;

樹林間鳥語清晨好,采玉雲天夕陽紅!

早晚蒙聖靈之引導,聖殿內或松下祈禱,內心得蒙主光照。

潛心修養,愛惜光陰,彼此勉勵,親愛精誠;

成大工,覺己救人!

從2017年起,道風山挪威差會亞略巴古為了延續開山祖艾香德牧師之遠象,交通中西靈性傳統,差派丹麥分會同工奧勒牧師來港,不單擔任道風山基督教叢林牧師,更藉此推動「基督滿全」日常靈修操練法至香港以及其他華語地區,作為北歐教會送給華人信徒的屬靈瑰寶。

過去兩年間,奧勒牧師每月定期在山上舉行「基督滿全」退修,多次與本港不同教會,為中國內地牧者,在本山基督教靈修指導高級文憑課程以及信義宗神學院開辦「基督滿全」課程,惠及香港,內地以及東南亞各地信徒。在以上各有精彩的「基督滿全」靈修操練中,我們遇見很多潛心修養之同道,亦接收了很多有關「基督滿全」靈修操練法中文資料之殷切需求。

適逢踏進道風山開山九十週年紀念,得蒙道風山挪威差會亞略巴古的鼎力支持,本山將奧勒牧師「基督滿全」日常靈修操練法之中文教材集合成書。除了在引言中介紹「什麼是靈性」以及在總結中以「身體禱告」作默想練習外,本書主要分為五大部分簡介「基督滿全」以及其四大面向:基督與我一起(Christ with me)、基督在我裡面(Christ in me)、基督在你裏面(Christ in you)和我們在基督裏面(Together in Christ)。每章輔以四則「基督滿全」靈修操練資料,供讀者修習。

本書得以出版,見證著道風山挪威差會亞略巴古繼往開來,承繼「十字蓮花」使命,藉此謹向亞略巴古總幹事洛克牧師致以衷心謝忱。本書付梓之際,特別要感謝為本書作內文翻譯的明心,以及負責序言翻譯、封面設計與內文排版的敬業。最後,僅以「道風山歌」向奧勒牧師致以晚輩最高之敬意:

道風普扇,遍及西東,

天國降臨,世界大同!

此聖工,努力同負!

湯泳詩

道風山基督教叢林主任

羅序

湯序

自序

引言                                                      什麼是靈性?

第一章                什麼是「基督滿全」(Christfulness)?

私人的懺悔

洗滌心靈

心靈的醫治

彼此代禱、醫治心靈

第二章                基督與我一起(Christ with me)

  1. 聆聽主的聲音
  2. 耶穌默想
  3. 創造你的確據
  4. 一個簡單的日常禱告

第三章                基督在我裡面(Christ in me)

耶穌釘十架的聖經默想

耶穌禱文修習建議

以耶穌禱文為他人代禱

以主禱文作代禱

第四章                基督在你裏面(Christ in you)

先知恩賜

領受聖靈的指引

找到自己恩賜的指引

明陣步行

第五章                我們在基督裏面(Together in Christ)

世界的光

你已見過那真光

我常與你同在

服事

總結                                                      如何默想————身體禱告

Christfulness in Chinese – Introduction by the author, Ole Skjerbæk Madsen

Tao Fong Shan Christian center has just published a collection of Spiritual exercises from the Courses and Retreats under the heading “CHRISTFULNESS”.

Introduction by the author, Ole Skjerbæk Madsen

The English word Christfulness sounds like Mindfulness – even though it is a biblical concept (Ephesians 4:13). This similarity is intentional, because I wanted to introduce Christian spirituality and understanding of human nature into a milieu where people seek spiritual practices – whether secular or religious – that might improve their wellbeing in body, mind and spirit.

Christfulness was first introduced at spiritual fairs (expos) in Denmark. In the West inspiration has come from the East for attaining a holistic wellbeing. Practices of a religious origin were transformed and even secularized. Thus, Mindfulness has been introduced to the West as a nonreligious practice to cope with stress and pain. Mindfulness has its roots in Buddhism as a part of the noble eightfold path leading to enlightenment, and Buddhist teachers have generously shared mindfulness with non-Buddhists as a means to greater awareness – without introducing the whole “program” and without proselytism. In the West mindfulness is not seen in the wider context of enlightenment. The main idea is to reduce stress and to manage pain. To some practitioners this is a fully secularized practice that is often combined with other practices, e.g. cognitive therapy and positive psychology and positive pedagogy – and in this secularized form it has come back to the East. However, in the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at University of Massachusetts that introduced Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction they operate with two epistemologies – that of dharma and that of science, medicine, and psychology. Thus you may expect to meet a worldview and understanding of human nature that is influenced by Buddhist thoughts and experience. Other teachers and practitioners are unaware of what worldview and understanding of human nature that may or may not be involved in practicing mindfulness.

We present our spiritual practices as Christfulness in this arena of secularized and religious spiritualities to be totally transparent of the basis for our spiritual practices. When we use Christfulness as a term for Christian spirituality we set our practices within a specific Christian worldview and understanding of the human person. We state that we practice our faith with a specific aim: we are aiming at maturity and unity of humans in relation to one another and in relation to the surrounding world. Thus, Christfulness can be understood as a spiritual process towards maturity and wholeness – in traditional Christian language this is a process of sanctification – a process that starts at the individual level but is only fulfilled in relation to others and to God.

We follow 4 phases as it will be described in the book

  • an experience of God’s love in Christ as a protecting and accompanying presence (Christ in me)
  • an experience of “Christ in me, the hope of glory” (Christ in me)
  • an experience of seeing Christ or the image of God in others (Christ in you), and
  • a vision of a redeemed mankind as the body of Christ (Me/us/together in Christ).

We emphasize the Christian content of our spiritual practices not to exclude others or to devaluate other practices. We think we have much to learn from meeting the spirituality of other peoples of faith as well as from secularized forms of spirituality. We recognize the good results in stress reduction and coping with pain, not least in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. We recognize some of our own practices and similar experiences in what are shared from other practices than our own. And we invite others to practice with us.

We hope together with people from other traditions to meet in an open space for generous sharing. We know that many people have found a common ground in meditating together even though coming from different backgrounds. We likewise want our own spiritual practice to bring about such an open space and meeting place, and it is exactly for this reason that we emphasize our basis in Christian faith. This transparency and honesty give our guests and fellow pilgrims in spirituality the right to be themselves as they are invited to take part in our spiritual life.

Thus, you are welcome. We offer you to drink of the water of life that we ourselves have tasted. We want to share with you what has made our hearts whole.

Jesus taught us not to be stressed, not to worry, because God is loving-kindness, and each one of us is a loved child of God. Come, let us join in a spiritual journey together.

The book can be ordered from TFSCC at contact@tfscc.org  – Price 58 HKD

A great book on Christfulness

Christfulness® is an expression of faith, but Christfulness is also an interpretation of life with roots in the Bible and Christian theology. In this combination of practice and teaching, Christfulness is also experience. Therefore, the author of Christfulness, Ole Skjerbæk Madsen, sometimes describes Christfulness as the practice that leads to… Continue reading