My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
May I send you greetings and peace as I begin my six-month sabbatical for rest, reflection and quiet prayer. I have always found it hard to take a “rest”, because work is never finished. It is difficult to stop when not all our projects are done. But I am learning that we do not wait for work to finish in order to stop. Sabbath requires surrender. We need to rest even when our work is not done. In doing so, we surrender our sense of our own importance to the larger forces at work in the whole of creation. If we stop, it does not mean that the whole world will stop. So to take a rest requires the kind of humility to admit that we are not indispensable. And I am learning this right at the beginning – to surrender to God who is working out His good purpose for His church. I will be spending time to learn how to be quiet and listen to the Lord. I will attend some courses. I will spend time to walk and pray. I will also spend time with some Christian leaders to seek their counsel. I will spend time in a monastery to learn silence. At the end of my sabbatical I will also spend time with Pete Scazzero to learn how to develop emotionally healthy spirituality.
In my absence, Archbishop Bolly has appointed Bishop Moses Tay as “facilitator” to find God’s way forward for our Diocese. Bishop Moses was our first Archbishop and has served as Bishop for many years. He is a man of deep spiritual wisdom and insight. He will be stationed at the pastors’ apartment 2 weeks at a time. Anyone can make an appointment to see him.
I have also appointed my Commissary with the full concurrence of the House of Bishops. My Commissary will act on behalf of the Bishop as is the practice when the Bishop is away from the Diocese. This time, I have decided to appoint Rev. Herbert Tong because I wanted someone outside of our present group of senior clergy. I do not want to see any of our present senior clergy to come under any attack and being accused of being one of Bishop’s cronies. Rev. Herbert served as the Dean of All Saints’ Cathedral for 5 years. He served in Labuan, Sandakan, Tawau, Tongud, and at Christ Church Likas before. He knows our Diocese well. He is also very senior in ordination. He is a man of prayer and he listens to the Lord’s leading; After he made his “exit” from the Diocese, he has continued to serve under an honorary licence issued by Bishop Yong Ping Chungtill today. His ministries to the wider church include teaching, training, counselling and preaching. I have great confidence that the Lord will give him leadership to oversee the Diocese in these 6 months. He will operate from the Bishop’s office and will make visits to churches from time to time. I ask all our members and leaders to give him the fullest support. If you have a need to see him, you can arrange that with the Diocesan office.
I want to thank many of you for your support and prayer. In the end, we will all face God for judgment when all our works will be revealed by fire. So let us not judge before its time. The fruits will tell the tree. Let us all work together to “build strong local churches in the Diocese and beyond that are passionate in worship, powerful in preaching and prepared for effective mission and evangelism”. Let us not be distracted but to focus our resources and strength to build up the church and to mobilize our church to reach the nations.
I hope to see you after I return. Please pray for me and I will be praying for you. 2Co 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
The Rt Rev Datuk Albert Vun Cheong Fui
主内亲爱的弟兄姐妹，
在主里向您们寄予问候与平安。我正开始我六个月的安息年假期，有休息、静修反思以及安静祷告的时刻。我时常都觉得难以停下来‘休息’，因为工作似乎永远都做不完。当我们的许多工程计划还未完工之际，更加觉得难以停顿下来休息。但我学习不要等到所有工作都依计完工之后才停下来休息。安息需要降服。我们需要安息，纵然我们的工作还未完成。如此，我们才会把自己的重要性降服于那创造万有者更大的力量。如果我们停下来歇息，并不表示全世界将停顿。所以休息正是要求我们谦卑承认我们自己并非是那不可缺少的人。而我从一开始就学习这功课 ~ 降服于那按着祂美意运行在祂教会的全能上帝。我将用时间学习如何安静和聆听主的声音。我将参加一些课程。我将用时间与主祷告同行。我也将与一些基督徒领袖一起并寻求他们的辅助。我也将用些时间在静修院中来学习静修的时刻。在我安息假期的最后期间，我也将花时间来向 Pete Scazzero 学习如何发展美好健康属灵的情绪。
在我休假的期间，Bolly大主教已委任郑灵光会督成为我们教区的‘导督者’（facilitator），以协助为我们教区寻求神的道路。郑灵光会督是我们教省的第一任大主教，且担任会督职位多年。他有深厚的属灵智慧与洞察力。他将于每次两周的时间驻在我们的教牧公寓。任何弟兄姐妹都可预约会见他。
我在得到主教院的一致同意下也委任了我的代理会督。我的代理会督将代表会督执行工作，这是教区一向在会督的缺席情况之下所实行的做法。这次，我决定委任汤锡光牧师，是因为我要一位不是在我们当中的现任资深牧师群体的人。我不愿看见在我们当中的任何一位现任资深牧者遭受攻击及被谴责是会督的密友。汤锡光牧师曾在诸圣座堂担任5年的座堂长。他也曾在纳闽、斗湖、东谷以及里卡士基督堂事奉。他很熟悉我们的教区。他也是一位在早期被按立的资深牧者。他是一位祷告的领袖且常聆听神的带领。当他以前决定“退去”教区的岗位时，他仍然继续持有杨平忠会督所给予的牧师执照事奉直到今天。他向众多教会服事的事工包括教导、训练、辅导以及讲道。我有极大的信心上帝会赐予他领导力在这六个月内照顾监督我们的教区。我恳请我们所有会友及领袖给予他最大的支持。倘若你需要会见他，你可向教区办事处作预约安排。
我要向你们众人的支持和祷告表示感谢。在末后的日子，当我们各人的工程都经过火的试验时必然显露，那时我们众人都将面对神的审判。所以让我们不要在那日子临到之前就作审判。所结的果子将显露那棵树如何。让我们大家同心合力“在教区和海外建立刚强的本地教会，热诚敬拜、权能证道、以准备有效宣教和布道”。让我们不分心，但却能专注把我们的资源和力量投在建立教会以及动员我们教会传福音直到万邦。
我盼望在休假回来之后看见你。请为我祷告，而我也会为你们祷告。
哥林多后书12:9 “祂对我说：‘我的恩典够你用的；因为我的能力，是在人的软弱上显得完全。’所以我更喜欢夸自己的软弱，好叫基督的能力覆庇我。”
拿督温昌辉会督