From UBF-centered To God-centered

I heard about the motto “back to the bible” while we suffered division among us. I was sure that our church was the world's most Evangelical church until that time. When I was in college I attended a summer conference. A staff shepherd equivalent to the pastor of a local church arranged shoes and his wife cooked for God’s flock sweating. I believed there was the truth in this meeting, since leaders set an example in humility and service.

In the midst of division, however, I watched many senior shepherds behaving contrary to the teachings of the Bible whom I respected and followed as if they were an Apostle. I was much disappointed to see among us the fight and slander only rife in the newspaper. During this time Samuel Lee was in agony and urged us to go back to the bible. It was the God’s message for us. Even now he speaks to us, “go back to the bible.”

Our community is supposed to study the Bible more than any other communities. Are we returning to the Bible and in the Bible? What does the motto mean? Is studying the Bible hard same as going back to the Bible? I believe that it is not. In order to go truly back to the Bible, we should be aware of the following.

1. I believe we should focus more on God than ministry

A sister's mother suddenly succumbed to illness. As she watched her mother in the hospital she remembered her staff shepherd. She called the center to reach him. While the phone rang, she hung it up. Everyone in the center was busy with inviting freshmen – very important ministry. “How dare I ask my staff shepherd to visit the hospital in this kind of situation?” It was unthinkable to make such request in those days.

Everything among us has focused on ministry. 1:1 Bible studies, Sunday worship, fishing, conference, sending missionaries and so on – all these are biblical and please God. But those become regulations if we lose their original purpose. I am afraid that valuing achievements most regardless of process has pervaded our church.

The Lord came to Jerusalem in order to take up his cross. His heart was heavy and in deep pain, facing the upcoming cup of suffering for the sin of mankind. On the way, however, he found one lost sheep, Zacchaeus. The Lord did not say, “Zacchaeus, I am sorry. I have the great mission to take up my cross. So I have no time for you. Think about it. What else is more important?” The Lord did not focus on his task, but on God. So he put everything aside and went with Zacchaeus. In order to go back to the Bible we must learn this Lord.

2. We must be aware that what UBF does is not always Biblical

One day a sister who was assaulted by her uncle in her youth came to me after she found that I was a shepherd and psychologist. Her uncle was dying of cancer. After she heard his desire to see her before death, she was suffering from trauma that had been buried in her sub-consciousness. It was too much to bear. I thought for a moment, “how can I help her?” At the beginning I was about to give her a Bible questionnaire and set an appointment for 1:1 bible studies according to my routine procedure. But I realized that such an approach might not fit to her. So I chose a different approach, which was to treat her through counseling. Starting from psychotherapy techniques, I met her more than 10 times. At the end I was able to help her with the words of the Bible. If I had helped her with traditional UBF approach, I would have failed.

Going back to the Bible is to boldly get rid of our habits and paradigm, and make endless effort to find and practice its essence. Every day I pray to struggle to truly go back to the Bible. I pray to make a move from UBF-centered to God-centered and from UBF tradition to Biblical essence.