The Minster Retires

Paul King wept.
It is the last day of service, the last Sunday worship, the last communion, the last sermon preached. The minister of Nicholson Square Methodist Church is retiring after serving 11 years in this church. A couple of weeks ago there were already a farewell lunch gathering (which I did not join but heard that it was overwhelming) and a Sunday evening dialogue (which I did join). Still, it has been an emotional moment today, especially toward the end of the service when the choir sang a very touching tone after the benediction.
Finally over the tea and coffee, Paul had to take out his handkerchief to wipe his tears after saying his final words of thanks and receiving gifts.

Paul brilliantly preached on John 8:1-11 (Jesus forgave a woman caught in adultery) and 1 Cor 1: 10-25 (Paul, Peter, and Apollos).
John 8: the tension between being strict on things and being more accepting toward human weakness yet maintaining discipline – ‘I don’t condemn you, but don’t do it again’.
1 Cor 1: great analogical play of the ministers own names: don’t get caught up in personality cult – neither Paul (King) nor Peter (the incoming new minister) matters, but God. Don’t even be caught up with the personality cult of Jesus.
When he came 11 years ago, Paul said, there were about 155 – 160 people in the church. Now there still are. In the tide of church attendance decline in the whole UK, he is thankful for this. Also he is thankful for baptising a new member today. How about that! I bet British churches today do not often see people being baptised. What a surprise. But it’s intriguing that they do not use water in the whole liturgy.

(taken from my personal journal > 4 July 2004)

重遇舊情人

重遇舊情人

「舊情人是個在腦海中飄過的感嘆號 … 」- 周潤發舊歌：《舊情人》

過去幾天 (7月1 – 3日)，我參加了『耶魯 – 愛丁堡宣教歷史研討會』。耶魯和敝校堪稱研究宣教歷史和世界基督教 (World Christianity) 的世界頂級重點單位，天下有雙，最近十四年來雙劍合璧，每年輪流主辦此研討會，今年剛好輪到敝校，益左我近水樓臺食到正。研討會各國高手雲集，學術報告大多扎實有料到，令我有如連續三天「服食過量學術」(academic overdose)。

但世事難料，我竟在此重遇那久違了的舊情人，三天日夕相對令我心靈悸動，卻又可望不可親叫我輾轉難眠。
話說這次研討會裡，一共有五篇關於十九二十世紀在華傳教士的論文，愈聽就愈想起我的學術舊愛，思潮澎拜意難平。
回想八十幾年前在波士頓讀神學，還未坐定便班門弄斧未死過，研究人家美國福音信仰教會的社會觀。跟著那個風雪紛飛的一月，修讀「歷代教會的社會思想」，首兩個星期便要狂啃Ernst Troeltsch的經典巨著The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches (當然不是全部看完啦)，囫圇吞棗根本消化不良，跟著還要讀其他的social teaching of the Black Church，social teaching of the Roman Catholic Church … 諸如此類。
從那時就開始萌生了一個奇怪的念頭，還對老師說，將來要寫一部《中國教會的社會思想》 (Social Teachings of the Chinese Church)。老師說，好哇，你說不定會成為中國的Troeltsch。
往後幾年一直都頗為密切注意這個「她」，成為我搞傳媒和文化以外的學術外遇，偶爾還妄想有朝把她娶進門。然而我自覺對中國現代歷史四分一桶水都無，始終不敢造次。加上生活磨人，漸漸的，我們疏遠了，她的一切變得愈來愈陌生。是我始亂終棄。
沒料到，2004年7月 …。正是：驚鴻一瞥莫道春遲似霧水 … 。
不過請放心。會後第二天午後散步的時候我已經搞通思想了，現已重回現實，回到我的「傳媒文化與神學」的東宮那裡，畢竟我們是真心相愛的。

「舊情人是個做到最好偏錯失的結局，是對是錯也好，長夜裡不必想得太多。」
- 周潤發舊歌：《舊情人》

順帶一提：埋頭九個月，我終於在上個星期面對了研究生評核議會，舌戰三師近兩小時，我自知神學部份是我研究計畫的致命弱項 (早就話自己神學渣啦)，必遭直插，卻沒料到會殺到如此血流成檯 – 那夜失血過多腦震盪，無心睡眠腦交戰。
最後雖然他們強烈要求我修改2046樣野，但總算通過了，決定推薦我成為正式博士研究生 (full PhD student status，大約相當於美國制的博士候選人PhD candidate)。當老師口頭宣佈決定時，我只是平靜地說一聲謝謝，暗暗舒了一口氣，卻沒有特別覺得開心。還是後來愛人在電話裡的祝賀提醒了我，是應該開心的。
昨天再跟老師見面，我把當日評核的結果總結為最重要的兩大方面，他聽完之後即說：你漏了最重要的一樣，就是你通過了評審，那不是最重要的嗎？那才是你最重要的成果呀！喔噢！哈，又係！

小插曲：
我在研討會裡竟然認識了咱們循道衛理教會會長’s的老師 – 是前任和現任會長 (李炳光牧師和李鼎新牧師) 多年前在英格蘭進修時的老師胡德牧師 (George Hood)，是位四十年代在潮州宣教、後來駐守馬來西亞廿多年的退休傳教士。

(originally my Letter from Edinburgh 4 > 4 July 2004)