Sivin Kit's Adventures

Archive for August, 2006

Malaysia is celebrating 49 years of independence today!

The exercise book (HT: Jeff Ooi) above gives me lots of memories of carefree primary and secondary school days. I recall when I was the head prefect in one of the secondary schools I lead the school assembly everyweek in reciting the Rukun Negara which is printed at the back of this exercise book. Considering where we are at lately in our country, reading through the principles makes one pause and pray and reconsider how one can be authentically a true Malaysian citizen.

“The philosophy has five main points. In the Malay language: Maka kami, rakyat Malaysia, berikrar akan menumpukan seluruh tenaga dan usaha kami untuk mencapai cita-cita tersebut berdasarkan atas prinsip-prinsip yang berikut:

1. Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan
2. Kesetiaan kepada Raja Dan Negara
3. Keluhuran Perlembagaan
4. Kedaulatan Undang-Undang
5. Kesopanan Dan Kesusilaan

In English: We, citizens of Malaysia, pledge all our energy and efforts to attain these ends guided by the following principles:

1. Belief in God
2. Loyalty to King and Country
3. Supremacy of the Constitution.
4. The Rule of Law
5. Mutual respect and good social behaviour.”

These were sincere words I managed to express my hopes for the days to come. My prayer is this retreat will bring us closer to where God wants us to be as a person and as a people.
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Foreword

Welcome to the BLC 2006 Church Retreat!! Selamat datang ke Taman Lutheran Lakeview! And now the Christian greeting …

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ …

I’m really excited about the retreat. Hoong Guit and the team have done such a wonderful job preparing for it. It’s been quite relaxing for me. I’ve hardly done any thing so far except making contacts for Soo-Inn, Bernice and the LCMS Orang Asli Ministry .

This year is also special because it’s the FIRST time we have a theme talk speaker. Soo-Inn is no stranger to us. He’s our friend, mentor and no. 1 cheerleader. On a more personal end, he has walked with me through the ups and down of my own life and ministry. I appreciate it very much. What’s exciting about this camp is Soo-Inn & Bernice will have 4 days 3 Nights to connect with us as a church community (with many new friends) through the main sessions and many conversations which will emerge. All with the view of ultimately linking us to God’s amazing grace!

In this retreat, we’re opening up space for ourselves once again for God’s grace to be at work in us. And my prayer is, his grace will also work through us. Whether it’s praying or playing, eating or sleeping, speaking or listening, laughing or even crying, we are praying for Christ to meet us wherever we are at. We are also trusting the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, feelings and wills to align them with the ongoing story the author of life is crafting here and now.

So, enjoy the whole camp in all it’s fullness. Rest well. Enjoy the exercises. Get to know people (especially new ones). Open our horizons when we’re visiting the Orang Asli brothers and sisters. Practice spiritual disciplines afresh (with the support of others – in short, group devotions are important). Sing your hearts out thanks to fresh air. Appreciate those who’ve planned the camp and are in charge of stuff. Participate fully. (Add to the list).

During this whole camp, I’m keeping these words close to my heart allowing them to soak me with God’s goodness and presence. I’d like to share them with you. Because the Living Word – Jesus can meet us through these words.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. – Eph 2:8-10 (NRSV)

Recaptured by Grace, Living by Grace!

Sivin Kit

Pentecost
August 31 – September 3 2006
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The paper back version of this book has discussion questions which is an added value. I’ve asked a local bookstore to bring it in. Hopefully soon

I read the chapters on “Homosexuality” and “Sin” again in preparation for the workshops I was conducting and found them most helpful. One key thing I appreciate about the conversations between Tony Campolo and Brian McLaren in this book is they never discuss the issues in abstract and brings the topics to a level that is practical and personal. There are points where both the authors would disagree or would prefer more emphasis on certain aspects. And yet, they do so with respect and civility. Good stuff.
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Why I Kissed Calvinism Good-bye
I never seriously dated Calvinism. I admit having some admiration but it’s mostly been from a distance.

Bonhoeffer is a total Rock Star
What a cool title! Interesting quote here which made me think a little more: “By now Bonhoeffer had observed Christians and others, finding, as he said, that it was easier to talk about God with unbelievers than with Christians. One is reminded of the answer given by Jurgen Moltmann to the question, “are you, then, a Universalist?” to which as a good Calvinist he had to say “No!”, but he added, “I sometimes suspect that God is.”"

The Rise of Neo-Fundamentalism 2
I’m following Scot’s series closely:
“Here’s my thesis: the core driving force of Neo-Fundamentalism (like the old) is a remnant mentality. That is, it believes the following:

1. That it alone remains true to the fullness of the gospel and the orthodox faith.
2. That the Church worldwide is hanging on a precipice and will soon, if it doesn’t wake up, fall from the faith.
3. That the solution to this nearly-apocalyptic church situation is to tighten up theological stands and clarify what is most central and most important for the Church today.
4. That the major problems are theological drift, church laxity, and evangelical compromise with either modernity and/or postmodernity.
5. That it is “Neo” because it arises within Evangelicalism today and will either break from it or seek its widespread reform — and therefore its particular characteristics are determined by contemporary Evangelicalism. E.g., it isn’t really concerned about dancing and movies and “mixed bathing.”"

Sent a Letter Lately?
Nope. But after reading this I should!

Here’s some pictures to give a feel of some of the moments I managed to capture on my handy Canon A70 at the E06 conference where I took 4 workshops on the same topic.

Overall the E06 conference is one of the most well organized and well thought through conference I’ve ever been part of specifically for teenagers, college goers and young adults, I thought the three streams gave it the speakers a good framework to focus our sessions and workshops.

On a personal note, I felt most taken care of as a workshop speaker with one person assigned to make sure I have my coffee, and the equipment or notes are always ready. Wow! I felt pampered. At first it was strange, and yet later I just enjoyed it. And Janice who was helping me out did a FANTASTIC job (a round of applause everyone). E Hoon was also a wonderful support from her first email to me until the final instructions for the closing day. There were many more people working behind the scenes. I think this must be celebrated and acknowledged!

Most if not all of the participants in my workshops very lively, attentive and asking good questions. I could see in the eyes of many – the desire to learn, and work through issues that concern them relating to the theme “How then shall we live?”

I think there was an advantage for more intimate interaction when the workshops were limited to not more than 40 people. So, there were good questions and answers between me and them, and we could easily have break-out groups of 4-5 people for mutual conversations. Later, getting everyone back was good so we could hear from other groups as well and then I did a wrap up. My focus at the end was to emphasize Grace and graciousness especially in the light of out topic “Loving Thy Neighbor: Negotiating the tension between Dogmatism & Tolerance”. Closing the workshops with everyone holding hands in a circle (BLC style) and praying was especially meaningful for me whether it’s the act of forming the often imperfect circle to the act of praying together.

I didn’t manage to go for the plenary sessions or the concerts. I think the Carnival was a good idea getting people into the streets for some practical work. so, my comments are limited to my workshops and whenever I had contact with people before or after the workshops.

One enriching and fruitful conversation was with a more senior pastor and I . I couldnt help smiling with a chuckle or two when he said getting the few of us to do the workshops is like “outsourcing” specialists to bring our expertise into the conference. I admit I was a little shy when he said that, and appreciate the confidence and trust he had on us. For me, I merely thought of this as playing my part as friends of those who are part of the organizers, and more importantly doing my part as a member of the wider Christian family. We both desire “God’s will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven” in the lives of these young adults specifically (Hey! I’m included in this bracket.. I’m 34!). We use a different “language” to describe what we are doing (I’m sure how we view ministry and process through stuff will be an exciting dialogue topic in days to come)… keeping the right focus before us in the end is what REALLY matters.

My heart was warmed when I heard one person share with some tears in her eyes how she felt re-connected to God. There were also numerous outside of the workshop conversations with participants which were very helpful. for me these are always previous times where what God is doing is clearly still in progress (and not limited to the official sessions)

During the last day, I also appreciated a low key no-hype-and-yet-reflective time of prayer, letter writing, and relooking at one’s journey of faith and recentering oneself for the post-conference realities. My pastor friend smiled when he told me, “I didn’t know you could use a disney song for an altar call ..” It’s been quite a while since I’ve done “ministry time” in this way. I liked the way it was adapted for this context. In BLC, this kind of prayer ministry is done during the Holy communion (and often we can’t cover all the people and there’s limitations of time). Listening to some of the requests for prayer and witnessing some genuine tears encouraged me to give thanks to the responsiveness that was present that day.

This “responsiveness” is one that needs to be celebrated and also guarded. And my prayer is that Malaysian leaders especially pastors like me will continue to upgrade ourselves so we can not only be fellow travellers (and often cheer leaders) to them, but also play the role of spiritual directors/mentors, and catalysts for healthy theological reflection and compassionate praxis. This “responsiveness” will need to grow in due time with wisdom and maturity so our faith will last in the long run and continue to be relevant to our times.

I believe that was the purpose of the organizers of the above conference was towards this end. And I’m thankful to be given a chance to play my part in not just the intended purpose of the organizers but more importantly what I perceive to be God’s vision for the growth of a faithful community of Christ-followers in our nation. It’s got to start somewhere. That somewhere is often right before our eyes.

Thanks DJ for offering us his recorded conversations. I think this is a good example of what the emergent conversation is about from our “limited points of view”.

Here’s the downloads for part 1 (mp3) & part 2 (mp3).

There were some “robotic sounding” moments perhaps because of the internet connection (mostly when I was speaking *grin*). Listening through the conversation again was helpful because I think I did miss some of it here and there (must get a better quality headphone/mic)

I resonate with what DJ is saying here:

“I felt good that I’m no longer the only Asian face interested in the emergent conversation. It’s also fascinating to hear how the emerging church conversation in Malaysia started up and has many similarities (far as I know) to how it started in the US. It really is best labeled as a conversation.”

And the closing comment by Tim Liu (sorry I missed linking you in the last post) is great supper for thought tonight.

“In my experience, AsAm churches tend to be even more conservative in terms of practice than American churches. They tend to be slower to adapt to changes and are rarely forerunners in ministry innovation. Many people (such as Dan Kimball) see the emerging church as a response to the contemporary worship movement. But in my (Chinese) church, we are barely contemporary. We still have those who feel that drums are of the devil. So I think the Asian churches maybe just need more time to catch up. Also, I wonder if anyone else notices the overlaps between the postmodern culture and the Eastern/Asian worldview? For example, preaching in narrative and in non-linear flow of thought is normal for Asians. When I preach to the 1st genearation adults in my church, they love to hear stories and narrative. Its already part of how they communicate. Another example is the emphasis on community and relationships in the Emerging church. Its already is a central part of asian culture. So in a lot of ways, I could see the AsAm church very welcoming to some aspects of the emerging church if it is presented in the right way.”

“Can Christians be civil in a world falling apart?

Philosopher and ethicist Richard Mouw is concerned that, too often, Christians seem to be contributing more to the problem than to the solution. But he recognizes–from his own personal struggle–that it’s not easy to hold to Christian convictions and treat sometimes vindictive opponents with civility and decency.”

The paragraphs above invites us to look into the book. My reason was simple and perhaps existential – How do we engage in conversation with someone who holds strong convictions who are different from us? We tend to focus a lot on how to persuade the other person to accept our views of positions. But increasingly I believe we cannot pursue that process with out the practice of “convicted civility”. This book introduced me to this helpful term.

The relevance of this particular approach and reflection is urgent as I witness needed dialogue and healthy debate within the Christian community (and even beyond that) often degenerating into fruitless disputes and off-tangen directions which after some time drain the resources within us for better things ahead.

Richard J. Mouw is one self-proclaimed Calvinist who breaks the stereotype of a crusading philosopher, scholar, and author in the Reformed tradition. I found myself receptive to the gems he offers.
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Thanks to DJ Chuang for inviting me to 2nd Asian American Emergents Skypecast. As you can see my “link” to the conversation was due to the words “Asian” and “Emergent”. But more importantly, because DJ Chuang and I have been in touch with each other for some time. So, at heart it’s this friendship that opened up this possibility.

Nice to hear and get to know new people (All in the USA): David Park, Ben Pun and Peter Ong. I thoroughly enjoyed it when they were talking about how this whole emergent conversation connects or has nuances in relation to the Asian American Church context. In many ways, some of the issues are similar to where I am at or what I’m hearing bow in my interaction with Young Adults and College Kids My hope is that they can contribute in some way to the wider conversation specifically through emergent village which would be an interesting dynamic. While some of us are figuring out how all this relates globally through Amahoro

Overall this is my first experience of doing a Skypecast. And within the limits (as well as the possibilities) of internet technology, I found it an enriching experience – especially to connect with others.

I’m looking forward to see/hear how the Mp3 come out when DJ is done with it

How to Write More Clearly, Think More Clearly, and Learn Complex Material More Easily (HT: Fernando Gros)
Content is great … powerpoint presentation so so. My blog commenting will improve too!

Top 10 Strangest Lego Creations
It’s still my favorite since I was young. Looking back I think playing with Lego has shaped me somehow. I’m passing on my “treasures” to Gareth and Elysia!

The Rise of Neo-Fundamentalism
Sobering … “There is a conviction among Neo-Fundamentalists that one can’t err if one gets too conservative, but that is the sin of what I called “zealotry.”"

Exploring the role of women in missional churches of the western world…
Discussed this in the context of the “Orang Asli” (Aboriginal) ministry on Friday.

Scum of the Church: How the drive for “excellence” is driving young adults from the church
Young adults getting more airplay these days.

Seven Thesis @ Testimony
how does “Testimony” connect with preaching?

Sometimes we miss something, and there are those who are kind enough to point it out to us. In regards to the serious matter in the previous post on Multiculturalism in Malaysia. A nice new friend pointed out a very important missing letter which (humorously) would change the meaning of the whole sentence and send us into all sorts of unintended directions. So, I decided to post the following on The Star Online: Blog. Here’s what I sent them (just in case it doesn’t come out! For whatever reason)

Please allow me to point out an important “error” (albeit a humorous one) in your web version of Dr. Ng Kam Weng’s article on “Multiculturalism – how can it be wrong?”. Your version states Dr. Ng words here:

“I wish to stress that open debate on pubic philosophy is itself testament to the robustness of our national Constitution that envisions the task of nation building to be inclusive and open to positive contribution from all citizens regardless of race, culture and religion. ”

I suspect Dr. Ng intended us to engage in civil conversations on public philosphy. That is where our focus should be.

I laughed quite a bit after thinking through an imaginary discussion if it was based on the original “erronous” quote.