Nowadays many churches don't take theology seriously. Many pastors preach on the podium after only one or two years of theological training. Their theological foundation is weak. Apart from some ethical doctrines, they haven't given believers more guidance of truth. Pastors with limited professional knowledge can't answer believers' growing doubt of the world. It is the biggest contradiction in many churches.
When I was studying in a theology class, my teacher didn't like me because I had too many questions. Whatever question I put forward, the teacher would tell me: "Pray more with an awestruck heart and God will guide you." It seemed that the method could solve all kinds of problems. However, there is no master key in the world. I dislike their answer.
So I don't advise the believers of our church to study in a so-called basic theological class. They could teach you nothing except some laws and regulations. Generally the teachers there don't understand theology. In my church, the most popular pastor doesn't always say hallelujah. They just helped to solve believers' practical problems.
In the past believers relied on God due to passion. Pastors constantly cheered believers up. The believers didn't have any rational thinking. We are in a rational age nowadays. The original mode of shepherding can't meet the needs of well-educated believers. If we solve the practical problems of believers, they will naturally believe in God. Pastors should lead believers to a brighter place with their rich spiritual knowledge.
Dr Ma Youzao said in his book that believers who really love God should know God instead of just flattering God. Flattering God needs passion while knowing God requires ration.
Jesus realized a miracle when he was alive. He fed five thousand people with only five cakes and two fish. Then a great number of people followed him due to passion instead of ration.
Such a large church just fell down after Jesus said that they wanted to eat his flesh and drink his blood. They didn't know the meaning of his word so they no longer followed him.
However, those who looked calm still followed Jesus. As Jesus's disciples said, Jesus knew how to have eternal life, we should rely on nobody but him. It was clear that they achieved the result due to rational thinking. Today the church in China faces the same kind of problem. We should change the passion of believers into rational thinking. Let's guide them to love God with the driving force of exploring the truth.
When answering believers' questions, we can't only tell them to rely on God. We should also offer them practical suggestions. Some pastors could only say a sentence when they are faced with believers' questions: Rely on God and you will...... This sentence is just like a political slogan. Some pastors always answer believer's questions with the truth of God. They will never answer them with such a simple sentence.
I know a couple who were believers of a church near mine. The wife had cerebral hemorrhage and stayed in bed all day. Her husband served her every day. The pastor of the church went to visit them. The pastor constantly asked the couple to reflect on their sins and not to blame God.
The husband was angry and said:" It was kind of you to visit us. However, every time you came you always said we were sinners. We can't bear that. You are too noble. We can't afford to believe in Jesus. Don't come again please."
After being driven out, the pastor even complained that the heart of the sinner was quite stubborn. It seems that when believers have diseases or meet with difficulty, some pastors will accuse the believers first without caring about them.
They think the believers who have bad fortunes must have conducted crimes.
Some disciples of Jesus were also like this. Jesus let them know love is much more important than blaming. It is obvious that the pastor I mentioned above just tried to solve the problem by putting the burden on others' shoulder, but he failed.
I used to read such a story. A person who wanted to have a son inquired the monk of a temple. The monk said that he could realize his dream as long as he was pious. A year later, the man had a daughter. He questioned the monk and the monk said he was not pious enough. If the person had a son, the person would definitely say the monk had magic power.
What's piety? There is no standard answer to this question. This is why many people don't want to rely on God. If something good happened, pastors would say that it was the magic of religion. When something awful happened, they would say believers were not pious enough. This is typical folk religious superstition instead of theological thinking of Christianity.
Shepherding believers only with passion will make them flatter God only. Rational shepherding will make believers understand the secrets of the faith because we tell them the truth. In Pauline epistles, Paul pointed out practical solutions to different kinds of problems of believers. He didn't say: "Pray at home and everything can be resolved!"
I hope every pastor will be willing to study both theology and the secular world. Nowadays the believers of the church are no longer the elderly. The quality and knowledge level of all citizens are improving. As a pastor, we also need to improve our professional knowledge so that we will be able to meet with the believers' real needs.
Translated by Emma Ma
