Archive for May, 2005
I’m feeling a little better after a solid two day camp with about 30 youths at the Rawang Lutheran Church Chinese camp. Arrived last night around 1.30am. I enjoyed the late night drive. But one must be very careful because there are quite a view high-speed heavy vehicles!
I don’t know how I managed with a severe sore throat at the camp. The campers were very gracious to me … My mandarin wasn’t great but somehow we could still connect. Again, a number of personal conversations were very precious and energizing – especially with those who are not Christians in the camp.
I noticed the “cultural” difference between the youth I engaged in the last 2 days and those I usually come into contact with in the more urbanized KL and PJ. The element of “respect” for example is so much stronger amongst the youth that I met in this camp- more communal as well … less individualistic.
Had a good breakfast with Gareth today … he had his “Big Pao” and I had my Nescafe. It was good to re-connect with my son. tonight hope to re-connect more with my daughter. She was pretty much asleep last night when i returned. I was pretty much asleep when she left with May Chin this morning. Happy to re-connect with my wife of course, let’s not forget the amazing one!
But, rest I must get …. refreshing is a must … another camp this time more intergenerational and family oriented… and also I suspect I need to swith my “cultural” lense again – to a more English speaking Malaysian setting. Ah … before doing anything more … i shall feed myself and sleep.
It’s hard to rest “in-between” two camps (heavy speaking and interaction kind of engagements). I admit .. maybe because I don’t go just as a professional speaker … I tend to invest a significant part of myself in relationships with those in these camps (even though for some cases it’s more short term then long term) – and all this needs energy. And I’m only human – limited.
and there’s some other family engagements around the corner … I’m looking forward for my kind of first family holiday for the year 2005. And looking forwards to pause, “defragment” myself and “re-organized” priorities, and relook what potentials and watch for limits.
The Monastry
who knows they might bring in the show to Malaysia? Alexander Campbell has a nice summary of Tony’s Story
Deep Ecclesiology 2.0: History
I’m following this with interest. If deep ecclesiology has it’s focus “rather than favoring some forms of the church and critiquing or rejecting others, we see that every form of the church has both weaknesses and strengths, both liabilities and potential.” Then I think it’s a promising concept to see in practice.
THE LOCAL CHURCH IN MISSION:BECOMING A MISSIONAL CONGREGATION IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY GLOBAL CONTEXT AND THE OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED THROUGH TENTMAKING MINISTRY
The Missional congregation caught my attention … and tentmaking bit is a bonus! With paragraphs like this .. I’m listening .. and feel extremely encouraged, affirmed and challenged … Read on,
“It is our deep conviction that congregations both in the West and in the Two-Thirds Worlds must make the transition to become “missional congregations”. Just what is a missional congregation? Missional congregations are those communities of Christ-followers who see the church as the people of God who are sent on a mission. To a large extent their identity is rooted in what they do apart from a church service or a church building. They cease to yield to the Christendom assumptions that the surrounding culture will naturally want to come to church, or that coming to church is the goal of all mission. They no longer see cultures in terms of Christian and non-Christian. Instead all cultures, be it the historic West, former colonies of the West, or countries with little Western contact are all equal candidates for mission involvement. These Christ-followers seek to embody the way of Christ within their particular surrounding cultures and not necessarily within the four walls of a church building or service.”
“It seems safer to remain in our congregations and hope people will come to us. Maybe the safest place for the church is to be where Jesus is.”
These are timely words for me to put into practice … thanks Kitty Cheng for the reminder.
1. Thou shalt NOT be perfect, nor try to be.
2. Thou shalt NOT try to be all things to all people.
3. Thou shalt leave things undone that ought to be done.
4. Thous shalt NOT spread thyself too thin.
5. Thou shalt learn to say NO.
6. Thou shalt schedule time for thyself, and thy supportive network.
7. Thou shalt switch off, do nothing, regularly.
8. Thou shalt be boring, untidy, inelegant and unattractive at times.
9. Thou shalt NOT even feel guilty!
10. Especially, thou shalt NOT be thine own worst enemy, but be thy best friend.
it’s been a tough week .. coughing, sneezing and now stomach ache … I really hope I’ll be able to pull through this coming week … in one piece – kyrie eleison.
we had an enjoyable semi-formal combined LiFe Group today .. simple food – just Satay, fried rice, Pizza, Hokkien Mee, Mangoes. Lai-chee+100plus Drinks, fried fishballs and sausages … used had very fruitful conversations on “Learning” – spinning off to topics on Mentoring, styles of learning and the difference between knowledge and wisdom. The kids were having a good time .. and it was good to connect with newer as well as older friends.
I’m glad I survived this morning’s talk/message for Full Gospel Assembly Youth event “Just guys”. physically it was hard as I stuggled with a weak body. A youth came up to me later and encouraged me that he felt God speaking to him 
and his time here was worthwhile. I remember coming to this church as a youth with May Chin for a youth conference so it was quite a feeling to now come as a speaker.
Preparing for the message tomorrow has been nourishing … and I found the notes by Brian P. Stoffregen and Richard Donovan both affirming and helpful.
I feel a little better now … and hope to finish off final preparations for the 2 day Chinese speaking youth camp with a bunch of about 30 youths. I’ll be cutting down on this kind of engagement for the second half of the year. It’s a Lutheran camp so I’d like to do my bit … but I’m finding myself stretching a little too much nowadays. Time to readjust for more long term health and effectiveness.
This means practicing how to say “no” nicely – seek for better ways to achieve our common goals together … REALLY looking forward for a holiday soon.
10 Questions for Brian McLaren (via ChipSmith)
Here’s what the interviewer says about the interview, “This is a very long interview. I had planned to edit it, but I would’ve done it an injustice in so doing. So if talk of postmodernism bores you, scroll down to the segments on the media and especially his views on the religious right using the government to censor television. You’ll find him thoughtful and provocative.”
Deep Ecclesiology 1.0
It will be fascinating to see how Andrew Jones fleshes out the concept.
D. A. Carson: Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church
ah .. this book again … but Ryan Bolger from Fuller Seminary has quite a lot to say!
McLaren: A Response to The Last Word and the Word After That
Scott McKnight chips in his intellegience to help us along
not feeling so good … will sleep after watching the Making of Star Wars III.
I was very excited facilitating the informal dinner at Little Penang Cafe at Mid Valley whicih later moved to Starbucks tonight. I’m missing from the picture (which I don’t mind really!) because I’m capturing this moment.
I felt it was a good mix … On the left Rev. Tang (who’s interest includes contemplative spirituality & church history), next to him is Pastor Chan (who’s interest is in his words politics & public theology) both are the Chinese speaking pastors of our denomination. On the right, Dr. Truscott (who’’s focus is on historical theology – specifically on Chrstian initiation & liturgy as well as Cathecumunate) paying us a friendly visit and Rev. Greininger (who’s interest includes theology & practical ministry) our close friend offering perspectives from America and Germany respectively (with insights from their experiences in Japan as well as Papa New Guinea). This is the kind of dialogue, laughter, conversation and interaction that I find so nourishing and fun!
We moved in and out of all kinds of topics from Malaysian food to our ministry experiences, some joys and frustrations with our contexts and observations. We talked about Christian Initiation, affirmation, rites of passage, llturgy and it’s relation in a communal faith as well as a link to the world we live in. We tossed ideas on what it means to work constructively and creatively, how we can engage people who do not use overtly “theological categories” but think more in “practical categories” (I borrowed this insight from listening to Doug Pagitt last night … very helpful). Of course, I admit there were not many conclusions that we came to … but that’s the nature of conversation … in it’s informality we are given space to allow our minds to try out different options and directions.
I believe we will use different contexts and opportunities to settle on some more concrete answers, work-in-progress models, and flexible strategies or steps forward. So, it’s nice to bring my fellow Lutherans together representing in someway the east and the west, academic and pastoral, theological and practical, etc. I find joy in “creating” or “facilitating” environments like this.
I could imagine a little how Luther’s table talks were … just a little. Maybe not so much in form (coffee replaced beer in this case) but definately in substance!
Thanks to empyreum for this link. It brought laughter to my otherwise frustrated afternoon.
Of course, I’ll carry on my “imaginary conversation” slowly .. because it’s going to be a busy two weeks for me .. I’m trying to be an “unbusy” pastor … but I will fail upfront these two weeks as far as busyness is concerned. Loads of repenting and realignment after these two weeks after a good few days in an Island for holiday (yippiee! more on that later)
Here’s some blogs I’ll be checking out … for glimpses of the convention and whatever that will spark from there..
Adam Cleaveland – nice chronological approach.
Dan Kimball – one of the few emergentYS line authors who blogged about the convention.
Susie Albert Miller – I think my first link to her was something related to intergenerational concerns … will check her out more.
Aaron Klinefelter (Aaron also has worked hard so we could listen to the podcats provided by conversatio fide)
Will Samson – he threw in some interesting reflections which I hope to engage.
Mark Oestreicher – facinating insider view.
Jay Voorhees – loved the Kitty photo he posted up .. and I think I’d introduce him to my Methodist friends and the Gregory of Nyssa Quote he has on his blog really rocks!
Emerging God – a new blog I’ve been following.
Latina Liz – with a recomendation from Rudy Carrasco I realize I need to check this blog out for a wider perspective!
I’ve always found it hard to enter into a “critique” mode … I find it hard to do a book review and offer a critique on the authors ideas. By this I don’t mean I’ve tossed out the need to be criticial or as a person I don’t easily dish out criticisms. What I’m saying is it’s just “hard” and in some way a more “draining” exercise for me. I know we can’t swallow everything we read or hear. And we need to be on guard especially when in our Malaysian context there’s a greater tendency to just follow the crowd, ot the trend or what pragmatically works. So, there is a need for IMHO some kind of “healthy critique” mode we need to operate at some point. And thus, “Critical thinking” is not to be eliminated. But, somehow … it’s not as energizing for me … necessary at times but not so prefered most of the time. If there’s something I disagree with, there’s a tendency that I’d “critique” it in general (as in not personal) and probably just focus on what I find “connection” with … and put more energy there.
That’s why the whole “conversation” mode appeals to me so much. For stuff I’m ignorant I’d rather be silent, or ask questions, or wait and give some time before I say something. And then, at times even suspend judgement for a while (I know that’s hard because internal battles go on in my mind during this stage), learn some patience – give the other some space to continue. When engaged in “conversation” mode … I think the “critique” element is there but not so much at the forefront .. so as not to stop the “flow” of conversation. A lot of restraint is needed so there’s meeting of minds, ideas, and possibilities at some point. There’s a kind of “safety” in this kind of environment … and yet there’s definately potential for “change” to happen … not in a head on collision way often when one is in a “critique” mode, but more in a subtle way where it’s not the other pressurizing us to adpot their view point .. but the listener given space to make adjustments or alignment themselves. Very likely, it wouldn’t be exactly as expected from the speaker but it’s “change” nonetheless.
So, I prefer “conversations” without ignoring the need to “critique” when needed. But I suppose it’s more about what comes to the forefront … a more level ground “conversation” marked by much restraint, space and patience – allowing the “critique” mode to be more subdued while not extinguising our critical faculties .. emphasizing the relational dimention of truth-engaging, or knowledge-exchange with a strong accent on the human face than just dabbling in the exchange of ideas and disembodied knowledge.
I’m not sure how much sense I’m making here … but … it’s therapeutic I must say.
with all the above off my chest, I’d like to continue with much appreciation to many bloggers who blogged their notes, feeings and insights … from the recent Emergent Convention 2005 in Nashville. As one who was unable to make it for obvious reasons of distance, I find myself in no position to offer “critique” but it would be fun to pick some aspects and have an “imaginary” conversation with stuff that just “resonate” or “connect” (that’s the fun this whole internet and blogging experience offers) so, on with the conversations …
Thanks to Chronicles of William for bringing up to surface again this prayer …
The Blogger’s Prayer 1.1 by Andrew Jones (June, 2002)
Our Father
who lives above and beyond the dimension of the internet
Give us this day a life worth blogging,
The access to words and images that express our journey with passion and integrity,
And a secure connection to publish your daily mercies.
Your Kingdom come into new spaces today,
As we make known your mysteries,
Posting by posting,
Blog by blog.
Give this day,
The same ability to those less privileged,
Whose lives speak louder than ours,
Whose sacrifice is greater,
Whose stories will last longer.
Forgive us our sins,
For blog-rolling strangers and pretending they are friends,
For counting unique visitors but not noticing unique people,
For delighting in the thousands of hits but ignoring the ONE who returns,
For luring viewers but sending them away empty handed,
For updating daily but repenting weekly.
As we forgive those who trespass on our sites to appropriate our thoughts without reference,
Our images without approval,
Our ideas without linking back to us.
Lead us not into the temptation to sell out our congregation,
To see people as links and not as lives,
To make our blogs look better than our actual story.
But deliver us from the evil of pimping ourselves instead of pointing to you,
From turning our guests into consumers of someone else’s products,
From infatuation over the toys of technology,
From idolatry over techology
From fame before our time has come.
For Yours is the power to guide the destinies behind the web logs,
To bring hurting people into the sanctuaries of our sites,
To give us the stickiness to follow you, no matter who is watching or reading.
Yours is the glory that makes people second look our sites and our lives,
Yours is the heavy ambience,
For ever and ever,
Amen