Spiritual Partner

No doubt my wife has been my life & spiritual partner for the past 19 years. However, she is my lovely wife, not my mentor. Although I have learned lots of life wisdom from her...

Sometimes I feel pretty lonely as I do not have spiritual mentors whom I could turn to while I encounter various church issues & ministry challenges. I missed the time in the seminary when I could always ask various questions from some professors with spiritual insights. It is a drawback when an inexperienced pastor became a lead pastor -- not by my own choice, but a calling I could not refuse years ago -- as you lead the church, it is hard to have spiritual mentor & partner inside the church...

I was so glad this week when I met another pastor from another city during our district conference. We both feel the importance of spiritual disciples. We both enjoy reading books by Richard Foster, Eugene Peterson & Henry Nouwen. I don't know when I will talk to him again, but I decide to pray to God for spiritual mentor & partner, here in Ottawa, & maybe even at OMAC...

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17).
   

A Revival Retreat

A friend from another sister church invited me to attend a pastoral retreat last week. It took me 1 hour to get to the retreat side outside the city. When I drove along Ottawa River against the morning traffic, my heart started to praise the Lord for His creation...

The speaker, a fellow pastor from the US, has deep passion & conviction for spiritual formation & spiritual disciples. As a pastor (and a lead pastor particularly), I often feel overwhelmed by various ministries, e-mails, meetings, visitations & sermon preparations. This one-day retreat reminds me that I am a child of God, a husband & a father before being called to lead the congregation & take care of the flock. Once again I am reminded that "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

Guess what? I started to write my spiritual journal again. It was almost 7 years ago, a period of discernment & uncertainty about the future after seminary, when I wrote my spiritual journal intensively. 

I pray that I will be drawn closer & closer  to Him every single day, not only during the retreat day. 

I pray that everyday I will have time for spiritual retreat in the midst of busyness...   

To Build a Christ-Centred, Spirit-Empowered & Mission-Focused Church

I attended our denomination's (C&MA) district conference earlier this week in Kingston.

During the conference, our national president shared a new vision for local churches: a Christ-centred, Spirit-empowered & Mission-focused movement. 

A movement needs a group of people & churches which share the common vision & take actions. It is my sincere hope that OMAC (Ottawa Mandarin Alliance Church) & our congregation will embrace this vision and be a faithful witness to the city & her Mosaic community!