Archive for August, 2003
My Daddy – Stephen Kit always used this phrase whenever he recalls his Bible Study days with the Bethal Series. As I approach my ordination on Sunday, I couldn’t help but overflow with a heart of gratitude towards God and many people whom he has blessed and they’ve been a blessing to me. None of them are ordained clergy but they are kind of “unsung heros” (ordained by God to bless) who’ve contributed in very “practical”-down-to-earth ways with a touch of God’s joy and kindness!
In no particular order …
1. The Leongs – Gave me my first proper PC & printer (plus modem) as a gift which later turned into a wonderful tool for me to explore beyond boundaries! And now, again … my Neo-suit (Vestment) as I call it – my robe (or alb) cincture (the rope thingy around my waist ) and stole (kind of like a tie around my neck) .. . but more than that is some advice and lots of encouragement over the years!
2. The Lims – Uncle Lim just went back to the Lord a couple of weeks ago. But we’ve know this family since I was born. And if it wasn’t for John inviting me to the Setapak Christ Lutheran Church (CLC) Student Fellowship, I wonder how this will all turn out. I told him on Monday of how important that invitation was … in fact, I met May Chin and got married in CLC. So, you can imagine!
3. The Phangs – Auntie Phang has done a wonderful job with the robe (alb), her personal touch in tailoring and the whole family’s friendship to us goes way back with the Leongs and the Lims. In fact they were part of the first CLC youth fellowship!! Uncle Pang’s constant smile and kind words has lifted me up I dunno how many times! His quiet faith itself energizes me.
4. The Tans - Blessed BLC with one of their sons – James!! 
But, in their own way .. behind the scenes they’ve truly invested in our lives consistently without fail and giving a pat on our backs in their own special way!
5. The Seets – Extras during the STM years really made a difference. Stay-overs, late night sharings, wrestling with issues together, etc. The quiet support personally especially during the STM years took away lots of worries to make space for books as well as openness to grow.
6. The Foongs – Right from my teenage years of transportation until gentle words of advice especially when we were transitioning to BLC they have walked alongside us ..
7. The Maus – Talk about being available when needed … especially Eric to share God’s word with us since our beginnning in BLC. And now, seeing God bless them with their hearts desire is a tremendous joy! Great listeners and cheer leaders … they lead each other to cheer for us I think!
8. The Tews – Our peers – we go way back from either Form 3 and Form 5 to today! Amazing … For their unconditional acceptance, patience, and honest feedback, and the honor to be their sons God-parents.
9. Add to the list people – of course there are more … we’re just so blessed!
10. And of course – I must mention the immediate Kit Family and Long Family. It’s great to have a safe home where we can be ourselves and know there’s always support, correction and guidance from our siblings (walking alongside us) and our parents (who’ve walked ahead of us and charted a way with their life example, struggles and sharing!)
James Tan sent me some photos … I liked this one .. which is a glimpse of Mars from his point of view (read camera!) .. thanks for sharing. We were busy eating at Keng Hiong, Brickfields with two LiFe Groups combining for the first time -i.e. Lighthouse & Giving Tree! Interesting isn’t it .. while busy eating and talking – something far much bigger was happening “under our nose”, I’mean “over our heads”!
Another heavyweight goodie from Kraus:
_____________________________________
Defining the Spiritual
Before this talk about a spiritual God-dimension can be very useful in our service strategy, we will need to define the spiritual dimension. I would identify it as follows:
1. the self-understanding of ourselves and others as children of God in the image of the Creator, namely, that characteristic which makes it worth a Mother Teresa’s self-sacrifice to give a fellow human being a meaningful death in a compassionate setting.
2. the personal quality of human beings that opens them to the transcendent dimensions and moral demands of life, namely, submission to and trust in God (faith) which enables them to put compassion and self-sacrifice (love) ahead of their own egocentric (sarx) desires and fears.
3. the intuition of a destiny beyond physical mortality (hope) which leads them to risk death in the pursuit of human value and well being.
4. the self-awareness that humankind’s highest self-identity and ultimate meaning is found in solidarity (koinonia) under the loving dominion of the God whom Jesus called Father.
With this understanding of humanity’s essential nature, it becomes obvious that the human problem is fundamentally “spiritual.” Or to put it negatively, it is not simply technological, political, or economic. But in order to understand what this means we need a new conceptualization of spirit.
The human spirit is not a separate part of our individual being like an arm is part of the body. It is not something distinct from and added to our bodies and minds and somehow more essential than they are. Rather, spirit is a holistic term. Spirit describes the whole human being in his/her wholeness made “in the image of God;” for example, not as an “economic animal,” or a “tool-making animal,” but as a “spiritual animal.” The whole self is more than the sum of the parts. In theological terms, it is a creation of the Spirit of God and shares in that Spirit.
So the spiritual describes the texture of our total being. It is the distinctly human dimension of our being both individually and socially. We might speak of it as both a transcendent and depth dimension which involves us in relationship to God and to each other — what the Bible calls the “heart,” i.e, the personal depth of our being. It expresses itself most clearly in our self-image which is simply the under side of our God-image; in our motivations, our underlying assumptions and rationalizations. It is expressed in our human cultures.
Read the rest of this entry »
Just watched the trailer for Mel Gibson’s Movie “Passion” with Kelvin at A Fan Website for Icon Production’s “PASSION”
My newly baptized Christian Kelvin said, “hoah! it’s so real”. I felt … I had nothing to say. Just a sense of awe.
A comment by Michael Novak says “Gibson’s achievement springs not solely, not even mainly, from a cinematographer’s art. Whether he intended it this way or not, perhaps because he puts on film the unadorned directness of the gospels, “The Passion” is a meditation and a prayer.”
Some say the movie is going to be controversial … I’ll make up my mind after watching it. Now, after the trailer … I want to spend sometime meditating on Christ’s love for me and the whole of humanity again!
More from Kraus … A Theological Basis for Intervention Ministries
First, then, let me explain what I mean by “catalytic.” In chemistry, of which I know very little, a catalytic agent is one that induces change without compounding with and changing the molecular structure of its host elements. “Catalysis,” however, is a process of modification, of releasing the host element from inhibitive obstructions and inducing intrinsic changes in it.
Using this as a metaphor I would describe a social catalyst as a change agent that induces desired modifications in the host culture which are integral and intrinsic to its well being. The implication is that although the changes are desirable and desired, there are inhibiting elements that prevent the changes taking place. The catalyst attempts to work respectfully and unintrusively to induce changes that will enhance the host culture.
Read this article by C. Norman Kraus
Here’s some stuff that caught my attention and needs further digestion:
this image is from Dan Kimball’s The Emerging Church .. got me thinking as the renovations “knocks off” officially & literally today at the Father’s House!
View image
Hmmmm …. I can’t wait for the third installment for Lord of the Rings. I think the Trilogy either in movie form (Jackson’s interpretation) or original (book form) provides loads of pictures-analogies-metaphors for life, Apprenticeship with Christ and the whole 21-C ministry we’re involved in as Ambassadors for God’s kingdom.
How interesting it would be when our LiFE Group meetings, and Council Meetings, even pastors’ gatherings look like the above … of course, there’s more meaning embedded in and beyond the picture. If you know what I mean …
.jpg)