Making a Difference Throughout Boston (Dr Hammond) (4/14/14)
Notes by Lana
Bethel’s Mission:
· Youth Development Services
· Local Partnerships
· International Programs / Partners
The Fatherhood Program:
· Piloted by Bethel in 2000, this program has been replicated successfully around the state
· A model training course offered in partnership with local courts to 300 fathers & their families
Generation Excel:
· Year-brown mentoring, academic support, mental health services, arts, sports & leadership development for 500-600 high-risk youth
· “Do The Write Thing”, a creative writing & performing arts, & therapeutic program for at-risk & high-risk girls
· 90% of our girls graduate from high-school in 4 years, versus 67% for other Boston Public School females graduating
Bright Horizons:
· A youth development program for Juvenile male offenders
Local Partnerships:
· Boston 10 point Coalition
· Black Ministerial Alliance ~ 20 year leader
· Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO)
· Nursing Home Partners
· Educational Partners – MATCH School, Parkside
From Boston to Sudan
· Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) – I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of 2 things I had a right to, liberty or death if I could not have one, I would have the other
· Slavery: not long ago – Estimated # of slaves in the world today = 10-30 million
· Modern day slavery: 600K – 800K (>70% females, >50% children)
· International crime industries: $32 billion generated annually
· Life is cheap – average price of a slave in 2009 = $90
· Sudan: generations of conflicts
· The work of the Kingdom is not pretty, & not easy
· Sudan was predominantly a Muslim country, but South Sudan is now a Christian country & the churches get to stay (7thday Aventist, Catholic churches)
Sister’s Keeper
· Who will be my sister’s keeper? My sister’s keeper envisions a world where all women across the globe can imagine, create & sustain vibrant & joyous communities
· Hebrews 10:35
· Partners with resourceful & resilient Sudanese women & girls living in Sudan & throughout the Diaspora community
United Nations: Millennium Development Goals
· Eliminate gender disparity in primary & secondary education preferably by 2005, & at all levels by 2015
· Girls wanted to become doctors, teachers, pilots & business women
· In 2007 – Women’s Peace School was started – Next steps is to do teacher training & development
· Be faithful to what God has called you to, even right now
Questions for Reflection:
1. Where is your Sudan?
· Push against your back against the wall, & coming to realize that Jesus is all you need, & Jesus is all you have!
· It is not going to be an easy place, & maybe it will be a lonely place- but it is the place that you will really grow in Christ
2. Who will be your sister’s keeper?
· If it is not you, then who?
· If it is not now, then when?
Background:
Passover
• Most important holiday of the Jews. Historical context: Exodus. Similar to Chinese New Year: to commemorate the people being delivered from bondage.
• Central to the Passover is the Passover lamb that each Israeli family would eat during Passover.
In the Exodus, the blood of the Passover lamb marked the house of Jewish people to prevent them from experiencing judgment that God was executing on Egypt. The Passover lamb was to point to Jesus, who would die so that his people would not experience judgment and spiritual death for their sins.
Political situation
• The land of Palestine was under Roman empire. Pilate is the governor. The Jewish people could not put anyone to death; only Pilate can.
What just happened prior to ch 18: the last supper
Remind people to read ch 18 and 19 as narrative, not as teaching.
Keep in mind to explain:
• The various prophecies from Old Testament.
• Jesus’ death is not merely important on its own, but his death and resurrection need to be considered together.
Read: John ch 18, 19
Some themes:
Person of Jesus as shown in his way to crucifixion
• Obedient
• He had option to not go through this, but he chose to.
God has ordained this ever since the beginning. Jesus’ death is not an accidental tragic happening; Jesus chose it
• Just because you know the outcome doesn’t mean the process has to be easier. Though Jesus knew the outcome would be resurrection and salvation of his people, the path to the cross is one of pain and humiliation. The same lesson can be drawn for Christians.
Q: what does this story tells us about the person of Jesus? How does the way Jesus faces his crucifixion tell us about him?
Q: imagine yourself to be Judas, or Peter, or Pilate. How would you feel if you were in their shoes?
Would you have acted the same or differently?
Q: Christians, throughout the world and throughout history, are known to face death, whether through sickness, disasters, or martyrdom, with courage and with hope. Why do you think it is the case?
Lesson 11: Building bridges of love – Paul Biswas (“Faith” in Bengali) (4/7/14)
Notes by Lana
Contextualizing the Messenger
· Incarnational lifestyle evangelism
· The message is important the messenger is more important to communicate the message
· Missionaries can only make their message effective if they are recognized as credible messengers
· The gospel is more than a message
· It is an introduction to life under Christ’s lordship
· As missionaries or cross cultural servant we need to contextualize ourselves (1 Corinthians 9:20-23 - To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law(though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings)
· Gospel = introduction to life under Christ’s lordship
· There are 5 gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John & your life!
Recommended book: Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally by David J. Hesselgrave
How can missionaries contextualize themselves?
1. Following the Biblical model of Incarnation / Style
· Incarnation from a Hindu’s perspective: John 3:4 - Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered that he must be born again
· No other religions require a change of the inner heart; most measure by external / physical changes
· Jesus is our model
· Philippians 2:6-9 - who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name
· His renunciation & identification
· Other religions aim to “reach upwards to God”; but God “incarnated & came down to us / identified with us”
· We are on His mission
· John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth; 20:21 - Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
· He was giving His disciples the authority – with the same credentials as what His Father gave Him
2. Practicing humility
Different aspects of humility
· Challenged by the importance & difficulty – requires special effort to see beyond the limits of our cultures
· Need to understand the culture & we need to appreciate the culture that we are going to
· By immersing ourselves in the new social environment
· Missionaries need to go & start where people are – we need to see the needs & issues of the local people that we are reaching out to
· Recognize locals by leaving your own superiority complex
· Trust the spirit – humility relies on the Holy Spirit
· Sacrifice & service – follow the example of missionaries like William Carey, Hudson Taylor, David Livingstone, Henry Martin, Jim Eliot, Adonirum Judson, David Brainerd, Annie Armstrong, Lottie Moon, Amy Carmichael, Mother Teresa & others – Models of Incarnational Ministry
· It starts with passion & commitment
· Identification without loss of identity
· Credibility
· Integrity
Having a sense of belonging in a new culture (1 Corinthians (9: 20-23)
· Relationship – “Building the bi-cultural bridge” (Paul Hiebert)
· Forming special bridging relationship
· Finding effective roles both in the culture & church (1 Thess 2:8-12)
· Present the relational God by relating with the people of the culture where missionary serves
· Attitudes
Missionary’s Entry Roles: Becoming a Learner
· Culture shock (> for short term missionaries) & culture stress (> for long term missionaries) (Hiebert)
· Initial role: Becoming learner (Donald Larson) – role of a learner serves well
· The Hindus: “Jesus is A way, Atruth & A life” – because they believe in many gods, but Jesus says “He is THE way, THE truth & THE life”
· Jesus is exclusive but the gospel is inclusive – He is the way, the truth & the life, but his message is for everyone!
Bonding & Relationships with locals
· Bonding as early attachment
· Language & culture learning – Language learning as a social, rather than academic activity; “learners” rather than “students”
Identity with Integrity
· Serving in Terrorized, Globalized & Pluralized world – Do missionary destroy culture?
Triple Audience & a 3 Dimensional Identity
· Unreached community – to whom we present the gospel
· The on looking secular world – to defend the gospel
· The church-to recruit co-labor
Communication in Social Settings
· Tribal societies – elders dominated
· Peasant societies – social grouping & people movement
· Urban societies – individual decision
Basic Principles to Communicate Effectively
· Knowing social structure & dynamics of communications
· Knowing face-to-face or homogenous societies
· Making personal friendship
Missions & Money – the Complex Issue
· Contextualize lifestyle
· Missionary has to leave the “compound” mentality
How Shall They Hear – Jim Zvara (3/31/14)
Notes by Lana
How shall they hear?
· You can’t steer a ship that is not moving
· The Biblical Perspectives – Matt 28:18-20 – It wasn’t a last min plan, but it has always been the heart of God since the OT
· If people don’t have God’s word in their language, how can they hear?
Uzbeks:
· Uzbeks: 29 million
· Majority in Tashkent & Bishkek
· Muslim by culture & heritage
· Challenges: cultural pressures & a lack of religious freedom
· 8th largest group in the world without a translated Bible
Bible Translation
· Contextualizing God’s Word – communicate the message, not dispensing it! It must be meaningful to the responders! Heart language of the people!!
· For all languages
· Progress of Scripture Translation:
a) Prior to 1818: 100 languages
b) Since 1818: 1893 languages (“Explosion of Bible translation!”)
· The greatest missionary in the world is the Bible in the mother tongue – William Cameron Townsend (Founder, Wycliffe Bible Translators, 1934) – William’s experience in Guatemala – an elderly man asked him: “If your God is so great, why doesn’t HE speak MY language?”
Some Facts:
· Total: 1967 languages
· Americas: 81
· Africa: 790
· Europe: 76
· Asia: 616
· Pacific: 404
· 1967 languages with probable need of Bible translation (includes languages without a written form)
· 2798 languages with some or all of the Bible
· 518 have an adequate Bible
· 1275 have an adequate NT
· 1005 have Scripture portions
Quiz:
1. The bible was originally written in 3 languages – True!! Greek, Hebrew & Aramaic (Different from Islam, who believes that Classical Arabic is the holy language)
2. The NT was written in classical Greek. It was meant for academics & scholars, & not for the common people – False!
- “Holy Ghost” Greek? Nope, it’s koine Greek (Common Greek)! The teaching of the testaments was aimed at the common people; therefore, they used the language that was understood by them!
- Neh 8:8 – They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear & giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read
- God is transcendent, but He is also Emmanuel!
3. Other languages use sounds, which we don’t have in English: True!
- 3000+ proper nouns
- Sound & syllable patterns (especially names!! It’s important that they don’t sound foreign!)
4. There are some languages which have no grammatical system – False (Their grammatical system has just not been studied)
- Tanishganimdan hursandman – Tani-sh-gan-im-dan hursand-man! (nice to meet you!)
- Rev 1:1-2 – The revelation of JC, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw – that is, the word of God & the testimony of JC (Uzbeks: only one word for He=She=It; also no adjacents)
- Rev 5:6a - Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures & the elders (translated into “the lamb is standing BEFORE the throne, in the middle of a circle surrounded by the 4 living creatures)
- Rev 13:8 (17:8) – All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the book of life, the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world (Refer Rev 17:8)
5. For every word in English there is an equivalent word in all other languages – False!
- Walmatjarri, a language of Australia, has no word for “but” (or “except” or “unless”)
- Jesus said “….No one comes to the Father but by me” – John 14:6 (use “only through”)
- How do you know whether it is a good translation: One of the key step is comprehension testing – get someone who has not read the text before, you read out loud together & get a dialogue going – asking them to tell you what they understand from the text (8-10 people)
6. Literal translations best communicate the meaning of the source language – False
Form & Meaning
· Rev 3:20 – Here I am! I stand at the door & knock. If anyone hears my voice & opens the door, I will come in & eat with that person, & they with me
US | Africa | New Guinea | |
Meaning | Seeking entrance | Seeking entrance | Seeking entrance |
Form | Knock | Call | Cough |
Dealing with Figurative Speech
· Psalm 24:3-4 “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? He who has clean hands & pure heart.”
· Problem: many people groups believe that clean hands belong to lazy people!
· Important fact: Figurative speech usually does not transfer from one language to another without serious distortion of the meaning. The Bible uses figures of speech often. This is one reason why many minority groups are unable to identify with & understand it!
· Rev 22:15 - Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters & everyone who loves & practices falsehood. (In the Uzbek languages – it just means literally DOG)
7. Translators should have an intimate understanding of the language & culture of the people for whom they translate – True!
Example of translations (Same words, different meanings)
· A dangerous toy. This toy is being made for the extreme priority of the good looks. The little part which suffocates when the sharp part, which gets hurt is swallowed is contained generously
· John 3:16 – educated native speaker of Ziga for the Jesus Film: “God wanted to possess the earth so much that he sent his only son so that whoever was deceived by him would not perish but would become a wandering ghost”
· In ziga cultural background:
a) Zealous for land ownership – “God wanted to possess the earth”
b) Relatives often used as go-betweens – “sent his only son”
c) Tricks & scams very common – “whoever was deceived by him”
d) Peoples who die become ghosts, those who are die a horrible death will wander forever – “would not perish…..wandering ghost”
· Luke 23:48 – “When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts / chest and went away” (Important to understand the meaning of the words culturally!)
a) Jew: remorse, sorrow’
b) Western: he-man
c) Mezquital (Mexico)
d) Angerl Boken (PNG): Victory
· Songs of Songs 4:1-2 – How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing (Uzbeks: For them, sheep are black, goats are white – Solution: switch the words “goats & sheep”) – Prototype theory: cultural mismatch – right word, wrong idea!
· Mic 1:8 – For this I will lament & wail; I will go barefoot & naked; I will make lamentation like the jackals, & mourning like the ostriches(Uzbek: you mourn like a young camel – Solution: don’t use “ostriches, but young camel”)
· Psalm 23:5 – You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head (That’s how you treat the guest of honor) with oil my cup overflows (Uzbeks: “rubbing oil on my head & that is a gesture of honor”) (My cup overflows – wine; for the Uzbeks: you fill the teapots half full so that they can have opportunities to refill it; but change the word cup to bowl – overflow with food!)
8. It would be best to teach everyone to read English or the country’s trade languages so that they can read the English translation without reinventing the wheel - False
Quotes:
· “In my country the English languages is widely known & used. But when a young man wants to say to his sweetheart, I love you, he says it in the local dialect, not in English, because it is his soul speaking to her soul” ~ Philippines Evangelist
· The reason for God by Tim Keller 2008 (Pg. 41-42)
· “The Bible itself is now clearly out of control in many parts of the World – Wycliffe Bible Translators are right: once people get the Bible in their own languages you can readily expect that there will be an explosive growth!” ~ Ralph Winter
Isaiah 55:10-11 - As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Scripture Engagement: Contextualizing & the Delivery
· Huge challenge: making scriptures available
- Scriptures in electronic format
a) “Holy Book” Bible program
b) GoBible for mobile phones (dumb phones!) (www.ibt.org.ru)
· Global Media End of 2012 (www.tomiahonen.com) – Population: 7:18 billion – Mobile: 7:18 billion
· Apps: And Bible, Pocket Sword etc
- Videos – eg. Lost sheep (culturally appropriate)
- Storying – tell stories & ask them for feedback – you will also get to understand what is going through their mind
Tips on Bible Translation:
- Find the book which is technically easier to translate
- In Central Asia: they love proverbs – first book
- Muslim world: start with the OT (eg. Life of David & Sam / life of prophets)
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