Study sermons

TPCSTL-all July 23, 2017

1. How could we approach a sermon before we actually hear it? 我們能夠如何接觸一篇還沒有聽到的講道？I mean as soon as the title and the related Scripture are available, the study could start. This is what I need when I try to forecast the sermon in the newsletter sent out before Sunday.
   
   Right now I am trying the question-based-question-oriented method of learning. 目前我在嘗試「基於疑問、指向疑文」的學習法。
   
   From the title:
   1. how to translate into English properly? 如何恰當地譯成英文？"The rules in the home of God", "the rules applicable in God's home?",... is it about the home or the family... 這是在談住家還是家庭呢？
   2. who are the maker and the interpreters of the rules? 規矩是由誰訂定、解釋的呢？
   3. how the violations are recognized and prosecute? 犯規怎麼看出來，怎麼起訴？
   4. is everyone qualified to make judgmental ruling? 每個人都具有審判的資格嘛？

TPCSTL-all July 9, 2017

1. One of the foundation for studying and learning from sermon is to put aside judgmental urge and hypothesize that the sermon carries profound messages for us to ponder for the rest of our life. Never try to think that the sermon is good or bad. 研讀講道跟從講道學習的基本功夫之一就是把論斷的衝動擺一邊，假設正在處理的講道包含一些奧秘，足以讓我們搞一輩子。不要嘗試去判斷一篇講道好或是不好。
2. Christians are characterized by continuous learning and growing rather than memorizing many dos and donts. 基督徒的特質在於不斷地繼續學習、繼續成長，而不是背誦許多「誡命」。

2017-10-9
A case of sermon and the following studies - "Family" at TPC-STL in English. 

http://hopegardening.blogspot.com/2017/10/family-sermon-at-tpcstl-on-october-8.html

live recording http://stltpc.org/all-resource-list/sermon_10082017/

Stages/levels of sermon study as suggested in the Sunday School class called Wilderness at TPCSTL:

1. Compare "What I hear as I remember".
2. Compare "What I understand as I hear and remember".
3. Compare "What I understand as what the preacher means"
4. Compare "What I guess that the preacher skip for me to figure out."
5. Compare "My questions about what I hear".
6. Compare "My guessed answers to the questions".
7. Derive the theology and the faith-related issues based on what we hear and guess.
8. Interpret what we hear and guess for application in life.

Church Information

Every organization cannot live without information
There are many areas and lessons to be developed and learned regarding church information.
There are many issues to be addressed regarding the usage, application, management, and archiving of church information. 有關教會資訊的使用、應用、經營、保存牽涉到許多議題需要探討、論述。

1. The sources - the information in the Bible and from the Bible 聖經--基督信仰的源頭訊息以及源自聖經的相關訊息
2. The Sermons 講道
3. The hymns and the hymnals 聖詩和聖詩集
4. The liturgy 禮拜用資訊（包括宣召、祈禱文...）
5. The Church Bulletin 教會週報或禮拜順序單
6. The church newsletter  教會週報
7. The church letters (added 19:55 2017/7/31) 信件
8. The church bulletin board.佈告版
9. The church library圖書室
10. The church announcement and flyers 教會傳單
11. The rosters 名冊
12. The minutes of meetings and decisions. 會議紀錄及決策記錄相關的文件
13. The records and statistics of activities 活動的紀錄和統計
14. The financial books 財物帳冊
15. The reports of all kinds, including the ones for the annual membership meeting 各樣報告書
16. Testimonies of the members (added 0:06 2017/8/26) 會員/會友見證

2017/7/31 There could be some major informological dimensions/factors crossing all the categories. Generally, in the data management profession the followings have been itentified:

1. creator and the authorizer of data / information 資訊的製作者、授權者
2. steward and stewardship of data / information 資訊的保管者
3. rights to view / use 使用權限
4. rights to modify / correct 更改的權限
5. sources 資訊源頭
6. transferring agents, if any 移轉者
7. retention periods 保存期限
8. rights to dispose and the methods of disposition 拋棄的權限及方法
9. information types - e.g. drafts, announcement, news forecast / report, minuets, literal writing, legal document, original/duplicate/translation, etc.  資訊的種類
10. effectivity with start-stop dates 效用及效期
11. ...

Generally speaking, the control and the management of information require the attention to the following areas 一般而言，管理與經營資訊時需要顧及下列數項：（也需要持續更新這些項目）

1. the unit of information: single word, string of word, paragraph, chapter, book, page, line, article,  資訊的單位: 單字、字串、段落、章節、書、頁、行、文章、等等
2. the sources of information , including the original maker those with rights to correct or update, the required ability/rights of the original maker of the documents and the consequential maintainers 資訊來源：包括最初製作者；有權更正、更新者；原始文獻製作者與更新者的條件與訓練
3. the form and formats of the information and the media: words, sound, images, single sheet, book, magazine, certificate, electronic file, optical disc, photograph print, audio tape, video tape, etc. 資訊型態與媒體：文字、聲音、影像、單章、書冊、期刊、證書、電子檔、光碟片、像片、錄音帶、錄影帶、等等
4. The attributes of the information: numeral, characters or alphabets, image, etc.資訊本質：數字、文字、圖像、等等
5. the rules and regulations for the making and updating of the information 製造與更新的規矩與規範
6. major and/or the original usage 主要/最初用途
7. extended usage (known / potential ) 延伸用途（已知與潛在）
8. Period of storage: required by the laws, for historical value, the time limit when in use, the gaps of accessibility when in use (inactive for update or maintenance) 保存期限：法律規範的期限、歷史價值的期限、使用中的可取擷期限及休息（更新/維修）期限
9. The needs for protection: personal privacy, business privacy, management privacy, propriety copyright, rights of writership 保護需求：個人隱私、商業隱私、管理隱私、著作財產權、著作人格權、原貌及媒體功能

• informology is a term I frame to mean the knowledge of and about information. 「資訊學」是我自創的名詞，意指有關「資訊」的知識。

Here is a sample of how a pastor might inspire, lead, and teach through writing. 下面是一個範例，展現出牧者可能如何透過寫作引發、領導、教導
The original letter is in Chinese. 原文是中文。
Try to list the key elements of writing in the letter. 試著列出信裡的寫作元件看看。
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Subject: 最後機會，請趕快報名暑期營會 The last opportunity, hurry to sign up for the summer events.
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2017 02:02:13 +0000
From: Mei-Hui Lai <Mei-Hui.Lai@pcusa.org>
To: PCUSA Asian

親愛的牧長兄姐收信平安：Peace be with you, dear sisters, brothers, and the pastors,

近日一些事工帶來許多鼓舞歡欣，與你們分享。I would like to share with you some the encouraging experiences in my ministry.

芝加哥的加拉太研讀本聖經研習會，彷如週間查經班全員聚會，在重新裝潢的芝城教會煥然一新的聯誼廳舉行。託巴基斯坦牧師載來的一套八本的研讀本聖經各家庭幾乎都各買一套。大家準備往後自行靈修或查經班可好好運用來查經，令人振奮！
The workshop for studying the "study edition of the letters to the Galatians" in Chicago is like a weekday Bible study class gathering all participants together. It took place in the newly remodeled fellowship hall of the Chicago church (Taiwanese church assumed?). Almost every family involved has bought an 8-volume set of the study edition brought to the site by a Pakistani pastor. Everybody was excited about utilizing the set in the future Bible study activities.

隔天我跑去參加菲裔教會主日禮拜，下午該教會韓裔牧師帶領十位長執，巴基斯坦牧者也帶來六位長執，一起來台灣教會參加芝城地區的教會牧長聯合事工研討會。大家有非常美好的事工研討與交流，預定八月中將一起前往參與菲裔教會的郊外野餐活動，十二月初則參與巴基斯坦教會的音樂文化活動，並往後的其他事工交流。好不熱絡！The next day I went to join a Sunday worship of a congregation of Philippine heritage. In the afternoon, the pastor, an Korean, of that Philippine church brought ten of their church officers, along with the Pakistani pastor with six of his church officers, attended the joint ministry study of the Taiwanese congregations in the Chicago area. We had wonderful sharing and study. We also planned to participate in the picnic of the Philippine congregation in August and the cross-cultural music sharing at the Pakistani church in December, and many other activities to come. What a warm feeling!

轉往紐澤西參加了佳壇教會接待的日本中學生的手鐘團演奏會，吸引了滿堂附近台灣同鄉們的熱情參與與掌聲，真是盛夏的一大美好饗宴！週末則參加了東區聯合靈修會，除了紐約紐澤西各教會的踴躍出席，還首次迎來費城教會牧者兄姐的參加！接受陳中潔牧師老當益壯的信仰挑戰！好多青年的與會，好多不同的講堂，讓老中青歡聚一堂，真是無比的精彩歡樂！I turned to New Jersey to join the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church of NJ in greeting the high school bell choir from Japan. The choir receive the warm reception and appraisal from the Taiwanese in the community where the church locates. That was a beautiful feast in the hot summer! During the weekend, I participated in the joint retreat of the Eastern Taiwanese Presbyterian Churches. In addition to the enthusiastic attendance from the churches in New York and New Jersey, we greeted the participants from Philadelphia for the first time.  We encountered the "older-and-stronger" challenges of faith from the Rev. Tiong-kiat Tan,  There were many young people in the retreat and many concurrent sessions to bring the people of different generations together. That was wonderful joy unparalleled.

主日我參訪了在紐約的六間亞裔長老教會，在兩間華人教會遇見兩位年輕新牧者，在巴基斯坦教會則遇見熱情歡迎，他們熱鬧的詩歌音樂充滿歡欣愉悅。泰國教會青年說想進神學院，帶他與中會總幹事見面分享，真是充滿新希望的一天！Sunday, I visited 6 Presbyterian churches of Asian heritage and met two young pastors at two Chinese churches and encountered warm and enthusiastic welcome at the Pakistani church full of pleasant joy. I took a young man at the Thai church expressed the desire of studying theology. I took him to meet the Presbyter to share the vision. That was a day full of hope!

禮拜一開車抵費城，在日本教會女牧師的家則遇見一位熱情的菲裔青年，說他正收集預備資料，準備到日本東京參與人口販賣蒙難者之救援工作，參訪費城中會，他們正在慶祝三百週年的宣教。Monday, I drove to Philadelphia and met a young Philippine man at the home of the pastor of a Japanese church. He shared with me his preparation for participating in the rescue work for victims of human trafficking in Japan. I visited the Presbytery center where a celebration of the three-hundred-year anniversary of ministry was going on.

禮拜二來到Charlotte，年輕的緬甸牧師所服務的Providence長老教會正慶祝兩百五十週年，見識到東岸有著眾多會友的長老教會，海內外宣教歷史悠久而熱情持續；也去參訪了Billy Graham Library與BBC總部，學習到運用媒體的巨大影響力與凝聚力道，捐款以少聚多都以百萬美金計算，在全世界所作的多語言福音傳播無遠弗屆，許多有心的工作者長年在此默默耕耘！令人讚嘆！I arrived Charlotte where the Providence Presbyterian Church, served by a young Burmese pastor, was celebrating 250th anniversary.  I had some first-hand exposure to the East Coast where population of Presbyterians is high with both domestic and foreign mission work has long history and is continuing. I also visited the Billy Graham Library and the headquarter of BBC and learned something about the influential and cohering power of mass media and the effect of small donation, .

這個週末也有Charlotte地區性的亞裔聯合事工研討會，之後我將沿路探訪，開車南下前往佛州參加有色婦女集會與新移民女牧者之聚會。There is a joint seminar on Asian ministry in the Charlotte area, this weekend. After that I will drive southward to Florida for gatherings of the colored women and the gathering of the female pastors of new immigrants and continue visitation on the way.

不久即將在亞特蘭大舉行的研習會，敬請把握最後機會報名哦！歡迎參加！We will have seminar in Atlanta. Remember to catch the last opportunity for singing up. You are welcome to join!

長老會的歷史：改革與不斷改革 The history of Presbyterian Church: reformed and reforming continuously

在美國建立多文化和包容性教會的挑戰和應許 The challenges and promises of establishing multi-cultural and inclusive congregation.

2017 牧長信徒研習會，8月14-18 日在哥倫比亞神學院舉開。Christian seminar for the pastor, and the lay, August 14-18, 2017 at Columbia Seminary.

好多人在問詢與報名，請趕快報名。詳見報名表 Many people are inquiring and registering. Hurry up! see the registration form.

各項暑期營會，請爭取機會與會，請勿錯過，加油再出發！There are many summer activities available. Don't hesitate and miss. Refuel, re-energize, and re-start.

盼不久相見！Hope to see you soon!

平安 peace

美蕙 Mei-huei

Parish Music School / worshops

Introduction:

• This is about using the church facility and the culture of christian music to serve the communities and the general public at the same time spreading the testimony through music which is potentially some essential factors in human life and daily living.
• The actual business plan would be done with other software in other formats.

Abstract:

• The purposes of a church music school (or workshops) must be uniquely reflecting the mission of the church, especially the parish culture, and distinguishable from the secular music schools.
• The functions and the styles of music instruction and training must reflect the special testimony of Christian faith and the special needs of the participants.
• The church / congregation demonstrates the faith through musical expression and the provision of musical services to the community.
• The members of the church provide the services of administration of the facility and the business affairs of the music ministry in t he community.
• The congregation develops human resources, both in management and the music, needed by the music ministry.

The purposes, functions, and processes:

1. The mission and the purposes of parish music school is for ordinary people to implement faith, grow, and testify spirituality through music and music activities rather than developing professional performers.
2. The processes, the management, and the demonstration of the parish music school must reflect the Christ-like characteristics of Christian endeavors, rather than the traditional training through rigid disciplines.
3. The actions and the processes in the parish music school are preferably multifaceted rather than single-targeted.

Key elements

• types of activities - individual music lessons, ensemble music lessons, group music lessons, group study of music literature and other related forms of art including faith oriented actions, hymn singing and recording, personalized documentary recording, ... and other new activities to be invented.  
• facility - rooms, platform, sound equipment, tables, chairs, chalkboard, whiteboard, projection screens, projectors, copy machines, computers, bulletin boards, parking spaces, restrooms, drinking fountain, coffee machine, etc.
• human resources: (showing how various type of ability might contribute in a real scene)
• group facilitators / instructors
• music coaches / instructors
• music composer / arrangers
• lyric writers
• theologians (help interpreting the music theologically if on-site)
• musicologists (help interpreting the music musicologically if on-site)
• process recorders - writers, video-photographers
• managers / administrators
• course syllabi
• business processes - the whole set of general business processing and documentary for history and expansion of the ministry
• techniques - new techniques and procedures for every elements will be evolved, developed, and documented

Types of activities: workshops are preferred to the individualized instructions/lessons

1. group workshops
2. one-on-one workshops

Facility: (Mentioned here are special ones that are needed by the music ministry. If the equipment were kept at the church special space would be needed for managed access and usage)

1. rooms for private lessons with sufficient privacy and visibility for openness avoiding accusation of sexual harassment.
2. rooms for group lessons without interference of overflowing sound or noise.
3. low-cost audio-visual equipment for practices, recording, play-back, projection, etc. for easy management with minimum risk
4. backdrop for video recording

Individualized instructors / coaches, for one-on-one workshops:

1. inspire and support the inquisition of the participants.
2. provide consultation or guidance for interpreting music with multiple dimensions at various levels.

Group facilitators / instructors:

1. motivate the group participants by observing and supporting the various orientations, communication styles, background knowledge, skill levels, abstraction levels, etc.
2. guide the group sessions toward constructive functions and temporary summary of each session.
3. record /document the session, inviting the collaboration of the participants. 

Sample session:

1. discussion and singing of any given hymn with documentary recording of any willing singers
2. arrange and practice music for special ensembles and/or special occasions.
3. discuss and sing any given songs chosen by any participants.
4. introduce new hymns to the congregation.
5. introduce to the congregation some songs to be sung by the church choir
6. create special lyrics, melodies, arrangements, through group workshop, for special occasions.

Lead a Christian Worship Service as a liturgist

We can handle this subject in three levels: basic, intermediate, fluent.

• Basic

1. Appearance - avoid distracting the congregation from the liturgy to the person handling the liturgy.
2. the sound - aiming at the people at the farthest location and limited ability of your languages
1. volume of speaking - 
2. volume singing - with confidence, sing into the microphone to play the role of a lead singer; otherwise, without confidence, stay away from the microphone to sing as one of the congregation. 
3. enunciation - emphasize the consonant with clear attack that reflects the certainty of the intention
4. tempo - properly slow for the non-primary users of the language as well as those with hearing difficulty
5. 
   
3. Selection of liturgical writings: Using generic existing liturgical writings, published or not, try to apply properly. Be "generic", without specific reference to special days or special teachings.
4. Enunciation:  focusing on loudness, flowing, rhythm, and clarity. 
5. Minimize mistakes in sequences, timing, wording, pitches of sound, etc.

• Intermediate

1. Selection of liturgical writings: write your own liturgical statements
1. from personal experiences in spiritual growth
2. from Sunday School learning
3. from the sermons in the past
4. from other sources of inspiration, e.g. web sites
2. Compensate for whatever going wrong

• Fluent

1. Selection of liturgical writings: write your own liturgical statements that reflect or facilitate the whole worship services, in sermon or other factors. 
1. from the Scripture reading for the Sunday worship scheduled to be the liturgist. 
2. from the sermon for the Sunday worship scheduled to be the liturgist. 
2. Enhance the effect of worship avoiding perceived misconception of "showing off"

Unofficial introduction to the church building of Taiwanese Presbyterian Church of Greater St. Louis

1. The church is built on a land given by the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy. 這個禮拜堂建在一塊由長老教會中會所提供的土地上。
2. The land was originally a farm land purchased for new church development. It satisfies the minimum required size of 5 acres.這塊土地原本就是中會為開拓新教會而買的，因此這土地面積符合中會的最低標準 — 5 英畝。
3. The site was considered not suitable for the convenience of transportation to and from where the majority of the founding members live when first introduced by the Presbytery. 這塊土地最初被認為不適當，因為距離大部分創會會員的住家較遠。
4. It was after the construction of highway 141 was announced and the building committee gave up many potential plots we started to re-consider this lot. 公告建設141快速道路之後，建堂委員會放棄幾十個地點後才覺得這塊地可以成為有效的選項。
5. The building committee ran a special workshop over a weekend led by a church architect from Taiwan to learn the arts and the methods of church design and construction.建堂委員會請台灣專門設計、建築禮拜堂的建築師來進行一次週末的研習會，一起學習設計及建築禮拜堂的方法。
6. A local architect, who, with experiences in 250+ cases of designing and constructing church buildings and a member of neighboring Bonhomme Presbyterian church, was recommended by the Presbytery。中會推薦一位有250件建堂經驗的建築師。他是鄰近斑濃長老教會的會員。
7. The building committee found out that the innovative design reflected the concepts of the building committee very well. 建堂委員會發現建築師所提出的設計很快就跟委員會提出的概念非常貼切。
8. The primary innovation is in the space that facilitates the teaching of Jesus, cited by the committee,  “…go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:24) 創意主要在使空間支持建堂委員所提，實踐耶穌所說：「…先去與弟兄和好，然後才來獻你的供物」。
9. The design guides the participants into the open fellowship hall before entering the sanctuary or any spaces of other functions and re-enter the common space to live up the lessons learned. 這設計引導人們在進入禮拜廳或其他用途的空間之前先進入開放的共用大廳，然後回到公共大廳去實踐所學。
10. The open fellowship hall makes it possible to see everyone entering the church and easy for new comers to feel at home by seeing everything without waiting for guides. 開放的交誼廳使新來的人很容易就受到關注，立刻覺得自在，因為一目瞭然，沒有神秘感，不必等人引導。
11. This addresses the needs of an immigrants' congregation where a unified theology might not flow and variant and complicate cultures and possibly contradicting interests could be common scenes. 這反映台灣人移民教會的特殊情境 —單一神學不存在，而差異、複雜、甚至互相抵觸的利益卻可能是常態。
12. The fellowship hall, like the front yard in the traditional Taiwanese residence, is the most used space that consumes more energy than the surrounding rooms except the kitchen. The design call for every room to contribute lighting and aesthetic view in addition to the innovative vertical skylight that minimizes direct sun burn.
13. Flexibility and multiple functions have been a priority in the original design to remind that Christians perform multiple functions for the Lord rather than being limited to single functions.設計時優先考量彈性與多功能。這提醒我們基督徒要為上帝發揮許多功能，而不拘限於單一功能。
14. The lighting in the common hall utilizes direct sun light and those passing through the surrounding rooms. This reminds that every component of the church contributes to the commonality of the church. 交誼廳的光線包含直接的日光與各個周邊房間所傳輸的光線，提醒大家，教會的各單位都要對共同體提出貢獻。
15. At the pulpit the preacher is constantly alert of what's going on beyond the protected sanctuary because of the see-through glass. 透明的玻璃，使得講道者隨時會注意到庇護中的禮拜廳之外還有世界。
16. As Jesus mentioned that worshipping God is not limited to form or location, those serving in the hall can see, hear, and participate in the worship services. 回應耶穌所說，敬拜上帝不拘形式與地點，這個設計使得留在大廳服事的人在禮拜進行中仍能看見、聽到、參與禮拜的進行。
17. The building has designed intentionally without columns and corridor to make every inch of spaces functional in multiple ways.故意使整個建築物裡面看不到柱子與走廊。這表示每個單位都需要派上用場發揮多元用途。
18. There is no wall for hanging portraits, common in many church buildings. A sign at the entry displays the pledge to glorify God rather than individuals, such as those donated for the stained glasses that upgrade the building. 到處沒有牆壁可掛許多教會建築物裡看得到的人像。大門旁有顯示要將榮耀歸於上帝，而不是任何個人，如，特別捐贈追加免窗簾、免清理的彩色玻璃而使建築升格的人。

Smart Guy Syndrome 高手症候群

A syndrome is a set of medical signs and symptoms that are correlated with each other. The word derives from the Greek σύνδρομον, meaning "concurrence".^[1] In some instances, a syndrome is so closely linked with a pathogenesis or cause that the words syndrome, disease, and disorder end up being used interchangeably for them. 

I have talked about 電腦高手症候群 since 1995 when I taught "Introduction to Computer" in Taiwan.
Now, July 17, 2017, I ran across this web page using the same term talking about something slightly different. - 黑暗執行緒 http://blog.darkthread.net/blogs/darkthreadtw/archive/2004/01/26/289.aspx

The syndrome of a smart guy that I have observed include the followings: (21:25 July 17, 2017)

1. The smart guys learn with the depth, the width, the timing, or the tempo of learning exceeding that of the peers.
2. The smart guys might not be the favorite choices of working partners because the not-as-smart partners might end up appearing to be less qualified and feeling embarrassed.
3. The smart guess might become targets of attacks from the less smart partners. 

The smart guys could prevent the ill-effect of the syndromes by doing the followings:

1. Patiently share the knowledge with the less-smart people.
2. Provide timely help  to the less-smart people without asking for payment.
3. Acknowledge the contributions of the less-smart people and share the gain with them.