November « 2004 « Sivin Kit's Adventures

Archive for November, 2004

Ben & Chris … and Mr. C

November 20th, 2004, posted in Blogging

After Mblog messed up I’m glad my young friend Ben Ong is back blogging here (and it’s always nice to be included in his post.) I’ll self-indulge a bit by quoting part of the post … simply because it’s encouraging and it sums up last night from another person’s point of view.
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Last night, I met up with Sivin, May Chin and Gareth at MPH Mid Valley, where he conducted a forum on media literacy. It was kind of Sivin’s dream topic (since the first time he’d been engaged to facilitate, a few months ago). Sadly, due to time constraints, we could only skim the surface.

But I think he found it all worth the effort when a student from HELP Institute, Chan, stayed back to ask a few questions. As it turns out, he was the very kind of person Sivin had been looking for, for a long time — a seeker in every sense of the word. The discussion leaned towards the philosophical, and reached a certain profundity where both realised it would be better to meet up again sometime to continue to conversation…

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Another delight yesterday was meeting Christopher Choong in person whom I linked a few post ago on his reflective piece as a “brethren”. He was also nice to recapture our time together here …
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It was great meeting Sivin Kit in person, not to mention in action as well.

Aside from the food, which was of course no less important (haha!), the topic on Media Literacy captured my interest because I’ve heard it mentioned by both Brian McLaren and Curtis Chang about the need for a new media to reach our postmodern generation. Then of course, I was hoping to get some tips on how to initiate meaningful conversations based on movies, moving beyond the nice, cool, interesting, boring, etc kind of remarks.

Such a pleasant surprise when my friend told me that Sivin would be the facilitator, speaking of added value eh…And such a shocking surprise to find a small group in which we were expected to participate! Thought we could slip-off as backbenchers…

Nonetheless, it was an eye opening experience. Observing the different characteristics coming into play was really something – an opiniated Indian, a Malay war-movie buff, a pro-American manager, an uncertain ‘how do we know’ lady, a seeking HELP student, and not to mention us, the ‘younger’ representatives. *grin*

Intriguing how a simple dialogue like this could generate topics such as ‘what’s right in a plural world’, Bush-Kerry debate, Nazis and the concentration camps, and some others that fell off my frail mind. Short as it was, some deeper questions in life were brought to light.

Looking forward to joining one of the emergent conversations soon!

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It’s a bit strange posting up what other people posted which included me in it Anyway, maybe I need some “wine for my stomach” (I’m preparing my message for tomorrow and Paul’s personal words of concern to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23 somehow really resonates with me somehow. That’s a whole other story) Anyway, it was great to see Ben yesterday considering he’s in the midst of his final exams and a delight to meet Chris for the first time. And then of course, I’m looking forward to continue my conversations with Mr. C a very interest non-Christian who ask fabulous questions!

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The Sabbath Mind

November 19th, 2004, posted in Meditation

I genuinely echo these words from Chris Erdman … my mind is brought back in time to one of my first quiet retreats with David and Joyce Hugget more than 8 years ago, I really treasure the gift of solitude, space and silence there which I’m more than ready and open to recieive it once again.
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Amidst a busy time I am needing to find some sabbath space where ever I can find it. I must let the mind find its contemplative place in order to have anything worth saying, anything worth doing. For without the quiet, speaking becomes a mere clatter of words, and actions become pushes and prods.

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Random Thoughts with Mango Citrus

November 18th, 2004, posted in Random Thoughts

One thing about staying in KL/PJ is that we don’t get to witness a sunset like this one (which I was pretty happy to capture in Port Dickson two days ago!)

It was nice to read this reflective piece by one brethren (small b) who’s determined not to blunder – Plymouth Reloaded. I just spoke in a special evening service organised by the nearby brethren assembly which was nice. Anyway, the piece made me think about my small “l” – Lutheran heritage again. I was pretty tickled when a friend of mine visited an Anglican church lately expecting liturgy but got a big dose of Charismatic excitement … I know I’m first and foremost a Christ-follower … but reality tells me I’m not a a-historical person.

With more than 40 comments Maggi has done it again (i.e. stir up a good conversation!) with her piece – Resentment and theologians. Jonny Baker responds here. I used to have some pretty good chit chat seasons over tea or lunch with a NT specialist and it kept me on my toes .. and he felt free to pick on my experimantal ideas. I think I’d like to resume this practice. Let’s see … first Seminari theoloji Malaysia must accept me for the Master’s programme huh?

It was nice to eavesdrop on Professor James D.G. Dunn (it’s the first time I’m hearing his voice) and Bishop N.T. Wright’s “An Evening Conversation on Jesus and Paul” and also download some lectures here (here’s is when I pause and thank God for the internet, amen! Thank Paul Fremont for the link)

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Random Thoughts after Port Dickson

November 18th, 2004, posted in Random Thoughts

I think this is the second time Gareth has come to Port Dickson (about 1 half hours drive south from where we stay). The last time, he wasn’t too excited about the beach and sand. This time he seemed pretty excited and I think he always looks kind of cute with his hat!

It was a good break from the city. Port Dickson (PD) no longer is much of a tourist attraction compared to other places especially the Islands like Redang Island or Tioman Island. But, I have many fond memories which go way back to our family outings when I was a kid and also quite a number of church camps as a teenager too! It’s always more then just the place isn’t it? It’s more about the “magical moments” we have with family and friends. There are also special “grace moments” ofpersonal and spiritual renewal as well …

It wasn’t a total break though mentally at least … after two nights in PD, I was already on the way again yesterday morning to Seremban for a session with a Scripture Union (Malaysia) National School Christian Fellowship Leaders camp on the topic “Surviving as a Student”. Thankfully … I think both the audience and I “survived” the session we had fun!

It’s also been a break from blogging for a while .. my longest break so far …

Managed to read Christianity Rediscovered by Vincent J. Donovan quite a bit. Not only did I find my mind stimulated and challenged, but my heart was deeply moved by the stories told. More thoughts on this after I finish the whole book.

I was also delighted to just spend time with family and friends .. I admit didn’t talk much (which is not that usual) but there’s a time for silence and just “being” there. As the year is coming to an end, I sense this will be quite a “special” phase and season for me personally and I need the time to just “allow” the Spirit to work (to put it more theologically!). Come Holy Spirit!

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A therapeutic whinge or poison?

November 10th, 2004, posted in Meditation

These are the closing words in a frank wise piece from Maggi Dawn
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There is a place for a bit of therapeutic negativity, but there comes a time when you have to choose. Either go back and make it better, or go elsewhere and find something that suits you better, or just go elsewhere. There will always be battles to fight; there will always be whinges to have; there will always be things wrong with the church, whether it’s trad, emerging or whatever. There’s nothing wrong with a therapeutic whinge every now and then, and it’s just a fact of life that things have to be toughed out from time to time. But if you feel like whingeing all the time, something’s wrong. If the core of your life isn’t positively committed to where you are and what you’re doing, you’ll end up poisoning yourself, and the people around you. You can’t build a church on a foundation of what’s wrong with another church. It doesn’t work.

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Habits of Holiness

November 9th, 2004, posted in Meditation

From Three Things “Gentile” Christians May “Never” Understand …

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Yes, actions need to be intentional actions. Hypocrisy is a real danger. But I was raised believing that the intention to please God had to precede the action. My exposure to Judaism makes me think that it doesn’t matter which comes first. A typical non-Messianic Jew thinks he or she needs to make themselves feel thankful and only then give thanks. I want to give thanks and allow that to help me to feel thankful.

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Travel Mercies

November 9th, 2004, posted in Books

John See beat me in posting up something on the book lauch at MPH 1 Utama, he even throws in a short except!

Anyway, I was there too … and was deeply encouraged by the turnout and most of all delighted to catch as much as I could from Soo-Inn’s talk. Here’s a cute picture of him doing an imaginary flag raising motion while telling his first story from schooldays … which indirectly brought back some memories of my own.

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The Da Vinci code & God’s Jewish accent

November 9th, 2004, posted in Meditation

I’ve been enjoying the insights and wit of Conrad Gempf lately especially this one from “Might Jesus have been secretly married?” where he says,

“I don’t know about you, but I am SO tired of answering questions about Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Last week it was the Discovery Channel and since they wanted to devote a whole programme to it, I doubt they’d like my comments:

Dan Brown is a novelist and The Da Vinci Code is fiction. Asking a New Testament person to comment is like asking a Marine Biologist to comment on Finding Nemo. The expert is of course going to say that sting rays do not sing and clown fish do not talk.

Enjoy the thriller for what it is, but when the lights come on it’s time to leave the cinema.”

The other article I’m looking foward to check out is Three Things “Gentile” Christians May “Never” Understand

Community Revisited

November 8th, 2004, posted in Church

I recall reading these insights before somewhere … Thanks to Fred Peatross for highlighting them again below (for more checkout What is community building? and the downloads).

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Faith communities talk about community as if all are in community but there is some hard-work ahead for those who want to live in genuine community.

M. Scott Peck has outlined some stages groups go through to reach community.

Pseudocommunity—a “stage of pretense” that pretends there are no differences that could cause conflict. Because this stage takes time and work, and is not easy or effortless, may never get beyond this stage.

Chaos—this is when “profound differences” emerge, and chaos follows in the wake of trying to obliterate the differences. This stage can be self-destructive or a retreat to pseudocommunity. It means loss of control—giving up some control for sake of community.

Emptiness—the “hard, hard work” when members work at getting rid of everything that is in the way of genuine community—”prejudices, snap judgments, fixed expectations, desire to convert, heal, or fix, the urge to win, the fear of looking like a fool, the need to control,” is a slow, painful process that requires open conflict and discussion—people must pass through the pain of intimacy; churches plaster over the pain rather than pass through it; we avoid pain at all cost.

Community—often comes suddenly and dramatically, in a spirit of peace. “There is more silence, yet more of worth gets said. It is like music. The people work together with an exquisite sense of timing, as if they were a finely tuned orchestra under the direction of an invisible celestial conductor. Many actually sense the presence of God in the room.” Community comes when people feel they can be “real”—they don’t have to like one another but must care about each other.

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A Pagitt Parable

November 8th, 2004, posted in Fun stuff

somehow this parable did more to me than make me laugh … Thanks to Doug Pagitt

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A man came home and said to his wife, “Honey, I have terrible news. I am dead”.
“You are not.” said his wife.
“Yes I am”, the man shot back.
“Go and see your doctor, see what she says”, replied his wife.
“Good idea, then you will see for sure”, said the man.

So, the man went to his doctor.

The doctor said, “How may I help you”.
The man said, “Well, you see, I am dead and my wife does not believe me. I thought your word would prove it to her.”
“I don’t think you are dead” said the doctor.
“Yes, I am!”

The doctor said, “Well let’s do some tests. Do dead men bleed?”
“Of course not” Replied the man.
“Then we could check and see if you bleed, then we would know”, offered the doctor.
“Deal.” Said the man, “Poke away”
The doctor poked his finger with a needle and blood came running out.
The man sat down, starred at his finger. He shook his head and began to sigh and weep.
“I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it”, the man said.
“Dead men do bleed”.

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