| Letters of Aquila and Priscilla |
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Foreword |
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The forty-seven articles contained in this book are a compilation of the articles that appeared in the newsletter of Couples for Christ Jakarta Expatriate Chapter, Letters of Aquila and Priscilla, from 1995 to 1998. The original articles were written for a very specific group – the members of the CFC Jakarta expatriate community – and for a very specific purpose – to exhort, to inspire, to admonish, to inform, to instruct, to correct, and to challenge the members of that community. In order for a wider audience to better understand and appreciate this book, the articles have been edited and, in some cases, rewritten, revised or expanded. A few articles are meant for the correction or instruction of some members of the community, e.g., We are no more than servants. These articles therefore can be fully understood and appreciated only by those who have had close association with the community. However, most articles are of general interest. These include articles that are meant to encourage, e.g., We proclaim Jesus crucified; to challenge, e.g., Greet no one on the road; to teach, e.g., I am bringing you good news; and to inspire, e.g., It is good for us to be here. A number of articles are in the form of sharing of experiences arising from events that occurred sometime prior to the time of writing, e.g., You are the Christ, They have no wine. While the articles cover a varied number of subjects, evangelization is the pervasive theme. In fact nearly all the articles, from the first, We cannot talk of man without woman, to the last, We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, echo the central mission of the CFC community, which is new evangelization. However, a number of articles have evangelization as the main subject. These include the following:
A number of articles explain what community life is all about, what the culture of Couples for Christ is, and what being a member of a Christian community really means. These include the following:
Some articles tell the story of the community in Jakarta, describing how God has guided the community from its beginning. These include the following:
Then there are articles whose main subject is the Blessed Mother, in her role as intercessor and as the Star of Evangelization. These include the following:
A few articles written during the difficult period of the regional financial crisis and political turmoil in Indonesia are meant to assure the community of God’s continuing protection – to assure them that God is the Lord of history, that he is in control, that he has a plan, and that plan is good. These include the following:
There are also articles that are highly personal in nature, dealing with some members of the author’s family or with the author himself. These include the following:
Necessarily, the articles reflect the kind of religious literature that the author is familiar with. For this reason, a list of the books and references that the author has read and used is presented at the end of the book. The interested reader may wish to refer to these books and materials to get a deeper insight of the subjects covered by the various articles. While the reader may not have any familiarity with the names and places mentioned in the various articles, it is hoped that the message can still help inspire and challenge everyone to respond positively to God’s universal call to make disciples of all nations. |