Sivin Kit's Adventures

Archive for January, 2007

Belligerent, Bullying Believers: Spite, not the Spirit
Maybe we should just call it what it is “bullying” – not the more religious sounding word “admonishing” – Prof. Stackhouse’s words are worth some time here: “…not that everyone should pretend to be happy with each other. The point is not that we should avoid honest disagreement, even criticism. The point is the Golden Rule, and the apostolic injunction to “speak the truth in love“–sincerely seeking the good of the other person, not just seeking to get something off one’s chest.” Read the whole post .. the specifics give the context of these words.

Reflections for a Conversation on Theology in Congregational Life
I confess that I find more energy reading stuff like this than church growth books right now.

Compiling a list of the Best Contemporary Works of Theology
Interesting list … the results here The 15 Most Important Theological Works of the Last 25 Years is food for thought – fine food indeed .

The Delightful Terror of Reforming Theology
I admit. .. right now I’m still in my “Chim” mode (I’m finding it hard to translate that word – but it’s something to do with dealing with “seemingly sophisticated maybe intellectual and not so down to earth stuff”) But this is good stuff … when you read words like: “Good theology should be both disturbing and comforting. “ For more read Delightful Terror II

The Uncommon Lectionary
I love the revised common lectionary but this is equally worth checking out.

On Faith: A Conversation on Religion with Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn
wide variety on the panel.

Ok with all this “chim-ness” off my chest … normal blogging shall resume? Let me look for some cute pictures!

Well, it’s true … Brian McLaren is not big in Malaysia But for some of us he was the face of the what the emerging church/emergent conversation is all about. He was kind of the usher for many of us in order to face our doubts, honestly deal with our questions, and see an example of how one deals with his critics. In short, be a Christian as well as a Christian leader in today’s world full of polarities.

My introduction of him was more as a pastor who wrote what I still think is a pretty good book considering the purposes it set out to do. The Church on the other side was my entry point (ok to be more precise it was the earlier book “Reinventing the Church” but seriously I prefer the revised version). Here’s a sample pdf.

Here are some self-descriptive comments on himself and insightful statements in his preface and introduction which got me sitting up. One thing I learnt about reading Brian’s books, his prefaces and introductions are very important to understand him properly.

“This book really deals with the church as a love affair, a spiritual romance, a labor of love, a work of faith and art. It sees the church as a community that must be understood and befriended, not just a machine to be tinkered with and tuned up.” (p. 7)

Every pastor needs to hear those words. So often being part of the church especially in leadership feels more like a burden rather than a blessing.

“.. the church isn’t ours; it’s God’s. … it isn’t ours; it’s us.” (p. 7)

This is so liberating … and changes the whole way we can view “church”.

“The question for us is how the church will emerge, take form, and develop in the postmodern matrix. And if I am right, this isn’t just something we think or read about; this is something we can participate in.” (p.
After hearing more than one merely academic and intellectual discussion on ecclesiology, as a pastor we always ask “So, What’s next?” or “what are some things we can do about it?”. I can understand why many pastors or leaders find it easier to go for “how to fix the church” kind of conferences (I confess I’ve been to many too) because at least they can go away feeling they can do something about it. So, while mere pragmatism is always a danger lurking behind the scenes, I guess the initial desire is to want to participate in how the church can develop. It’s easy to get lost along the way and get caught in the busyness of it all … but it’s never too late to stop, pause and reconsider where we are going.

“I am more interested in stretching your thinking here than tweaking your techniques, so what you learn here won’t be easily boiled down into new tricks you can try this Sunday. In the same way, I must similarly advise all you thinkers and academics: I am a practitioner, not an academic (although I used to be a college teacher). As a “practicing pastor” I am rooted in the everyday and down-to-earth tasks of giving sermons, causing and resolving conflicts, answering phone calls and emails about who’s singing what in the second service this Sunday, performing weddings and funerals, and that sort of thing. I guess you could say I am a reflective practitioner … focused on the down-and-dirty of doing ministry, but trying to have a high-altitude understanding of when, where, how, and why we are doing it.” (p.
This I think was the first time I read the phrase “reflective practitioner” and thought to myself … “Hey! I can be that .. and I want to!”. It was interesting the other day when I shared with someone about the upcoming Friends 2007 event and Brian who’s coming to speak (it’s nice to be able to say I’ve got a friend whom I knew for the last 6 years who’s coming). The person looked interested and then asked, “How big is his church?” My reply is “I don’t know”. And then we conversed further on what is the content of the event. For me, it didn’t matter how big or “successful” Brian’s church was even when I first read the book. What I was looking for was how can I be a faithful pastor leading a young congregation that got “resurrected” in the here and now! This particular book gave me some confidence to authentically work this process out without falling trap into the popular trends and forces which can easily demoralize one (if they define their self-worth by them).

For me, I believe the answer/s to the many rumblings and rants and frustrations to what many people are not Christians as well as unchurched Christians about the church isn’t more explanations and excuses (which may or may not be helpful). And even though Biblical as well as theological expositions on the vision of the church are important but often may sound distant and makes us feel we’ll never reach the ideals in our lifetime. What’s crucial is (with all the theological, biblical and historical resources as well as openness, creativity and sensitivity to the Spirit working in and through community) … There needs to be “alternatives” – community of Christ-followers, friends and family who are willing to “participate” in a kind of church which consciously guards against the idolatry of consumerism or traditionalism and humbly engages the context of our lives while reengaging with the Biblical story we find ourselves in And pastors and church leaders play an important role in this process – whether it’s being a hindrance or helpful along the way.

There are times when it’s easy to slip into a kind of “Elijah-am-I-the-only-one” syndrome. But, in recent years there are grounds for me to be a little more hopeful. That’s where I would like to put my energies in.

Phew! … I feel better doing this post. Very therapeutic. Just before I turn softy and fuzzy … I’ll leave the quote Brian left behind on p. 16 in his introduction:

“In 1970, Francis Schaeffer saw the change coming:

Brian’s comments made me think about the kind of church and Christianity I pray my children would see and grow into and something I want to participate in.

“I was in college when I first read those words. Now, over the threshold of the twenty-first century, with my own kids in college, Schaeffer’s words about revolution feel even more poignant, more stirring. I want to give my children a faith intended for revolution, not status quo. And not just for my children. I want that for myself — and for you.”

The emergent Malaysia site has new articles up in our Articles Section. What we hope to put up is not just specifically emerging church & emergent conversation related material. But the broader concerns which has got us talking and thinking in the first place.

Here’s some appetizers:

Hooked On The Numbers
“… A long time ago, in another life, I worked as a pastor. The highlight of my week then was finding out the worship attendance of the most recent worship service. If the numbers were up, I felt a certain joy, a hidden gladness, a secret pride of my church and my ministry.

If the numbers were down, I would think up all sorts of reasons to explain why the numbers had dropped, for example, “it’s the holiday season, and many of our folks are away.” I felt apologetic when friends visited on Sunday and the numbers were down. I was hooked on the numbers.”

A Spirituality For Activists
“… I am excited by this development. This is no manifestation of the old “social gospel.” Many of the new generation of Christian activists were not yet born when the term was coined. Many of them come from churches committed to evangelism.
But there is a new generation emerging that intuitively recognizes that you can’t separate evangelism from social concern. They realize that you can’t just preach the truth. You must live it out as well, and live it out in every sphere of life.”

Understanding Spiritual Formation
“… There is often confusion when the terms spiritual formation and discipleship are used. Many people regard both terms as similar. On the superficial level, they are similar. Both are aspects of sanctification. Discipleship is the process of making disciples. Unfortunately, in the last two decades, discipleship has become a program. In some churches, if one has completed a certain number of courses, he or she is a disciple. Discipleship has a strong emphasis on head knowledge and behaviour modification. Spiritual formation is more holistic in that it aims at both head and heart knowledge with character formation by the Holy Spirit. It can be regarded as ‘discipleship plus’”

and of course a couple more related to Brian McLaren since he’s the guest speaker.

A Generous Orthodoxy
“… I must say that Brian is very generous in his assessment of the state of the church and other Christians. I wish other and other were as generous towards him. Fortunately there are other.However, in terms of orthodoxy, I saw how he cleverly tred his way between theological landmines without setting them off. He also skirted the edges of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy without being pulled in. Though I do not agree with everything he wrote, I have enjoyed his explanations and tried to see things from his point of view.”

The Secret Message of Jesus
“…My understanding of the Kingdom of God is that it is the rule of God in our lives, starting now and extending into eternity, involving all spheres and dimensions of our lives as we follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Basically, McLaren said the same thing. What surprised me is that from the way the book was written, it was assumed that other Christians who will be reading his book do not share the same understanding of the kingdom of God as I do. How do these other Christians understand the term, kingdom of God, I wonder? Would I have understood the kingdom of God differently if I am not who I described above. Would it be a secret message then?”

The Church on the Other Side
“…As a young pastor turned church planter ministering in these times of fast changing realities (whether we call it post modern transition or not), I am challenged by McLaren’s book to reconsider many ’sacred cows’ I’ve inherited in the course of my church life, seminary education, and interaction within the Malaysian Christian community in general. These ’sacred cows’ include the search for the perfect church model/structure (usually with a “Big is better” mentality), or the particular evangelistic programme that will solve all our problems (usually copied wholesale), or some revival experience that will rev up the whole nation at one go (usually one mass event), or clinging on to a particular theology or tradition that is considered most faithful to God (most of the time without considering the differences in historical and cultural contexts).The list goes on! Certainly, there is much value in these things, and through them I have discovered helpful tools for ministry. My philosophy of ministry has also been expanded and my heart has been warmed by the passion behind these efforts.

And yet I am concerned that in our desperation to make things happen in our churches, we are tempted to grasp at any available answer or to resort to ‘fix it all’ solutions. However, the real answer lies in having a proper understanding of the momentous changes that are happening in the world today. Only then will we be able to develop an effective response that integrates theology, mission and church ministry. In this regard, McLaren’s book serves as an excellent resource for struggling pastors.”

I got an email today which made me think again about the terms “emerging” and “emergent” … for me I found it helpful to keep my usage of the language to “emerging churches” and “emergent conversation”. It just makes it easier for me to navigate in my own mind how to work through the issues raised thus far.

I’m not sure how Ray Anderson’s book An Emergent Theology for Emerging Churches is being received in USA or other countries. But his approach is to me useful to deepen how we do theology and ministry here in Malaysia. The main value is to keep theological reflection close to everyday church & ministry praxis. This is crucial in at least our discussion here in Malaysia where we get the debris of whatever is going on in the English speaking world. Some see “emerging churches” as some kind of anti-institutional and trendy kind of movement, others might hear the word “emergent” and have their heresy hairs standing up, often we are tempted to see this all things revolving around these two words “emerging” or “emergent” in “either/or”, black and white, or “dangers to avoid”/”solutions to our problems” categories which to me misses the whole point of the conversations and innovations thus far.

Therefore, based on my consistent use of the term “emergent conversation” to connect my thinking more in terms of the theological (even philosophical) aspects of the way we work out what it means to be a Christian and Church today, while the term “emerging churches” is what all this looks like in concrete and communal form … this distinction (not division) I think resonates with what Ray Anderson says in the following :

“This is why I argue that we must recover an emergent theology, not merely explore the edges of an emerging church in its attempt to make the message culturally relevant.

Here is my case: An emergent theology is messianic. That is, it is a theology that is anointed and Spirit-led to point the way forward. An emergent theology is like the finger of John the Baptist, pointing into the world and saying, “Here is the lamb of God” (John 1:29). Emerging churches are missional. That is, these are churches that only exist as the continuing mission of Christ (the Messiah) in the world. Emerging churches are like Jesus arising out of the water of baptism, anointed by the Spirit, and moving into the streets and market place to heal, promote justice and seek peace.

An emergent theology is revelational. It is a theology of the Word; it is the bread come down from heaven; it speaks truth and opens minds and hearts. Emerging churches are reformational. They seek to put new wine into new wineskins; they want to renew the church that already exists and translate the older formulas of the faith into new paradigms of contemporary communication.

An emergent theology is Kingdom coming. It is a theology that proclaims a new order of God’s reign already present as a transforming spiritual, social and economic power of liberation and rehabilitation of humankind. Emerging churches stress Kingdom living. They seek to be the gathering of all who seek the blessing of being ‘grace-filled’ believers and the empowering community that sends them forth as Spirit-filled disciples.

An emergent theology is eschatological. It has the mind of the risen and coming Christ as well as the heart and soul of the historical Jesus. It is a theology that keeps hope alive by preparing the way of the future into the present while, at the same time, keeping faith alive by “looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Emerging churches are incarnational. Their language is that of the people; their message is communicated through culture; their presence in the world is ordinary so as to get within arms length to embrace others with extraordinary love.”

If that is what the “emergent conversation” and “emerging churches” is all about which I think it should be then — three cheers and let’s move on. if it’s just about spinning in circles whether it’s theological and philosophical arguments and dabbling in ministry innovations devoid of depth then I sure didn’t sign up for that. So far, my limited experience as a quiet outsider has been more positive than negative while not blindly following whatever I see is blowing in the air (honestly I’ve been there and done that in a different “life” which is another story)

In the light of the above, then this Friends in Conversation 2007 event we are organizing is not so much of promoting a specific church model or branding … the goal is to create space where we can collectively engage in a listening and learning process to see where we can go from where ever we are as Christians and as Church with a “proper confidence” in Christ towards the future. This is what I’ve signed myself up for.

Are you an E-word?
Fascinating closing … “Should you care to know, one thing the word “emerging” seeks to capture is the older sense of evangelical for a new day.

I’m a follower of Jesus — orthodox, catholic, protestant and therefore sometimes (but clearly not always) “evangelical.” Five terms, in that order, so help me God. “

Boundary Marker Spirituality: A Story
We need to hear the stories – both the painful and also the graceful!

WHAT KIND OF CHURCH?
I sent this to at least 2 Bishops, 1 seminary principal and a bunch of friends

the starfish and the spider
I love the word “catalyst” … and maybe I should get this book and think about it more.

creative leadership (pdf)
This looks like a great presentation .. I loved the marriage of text and image in it.

Apologetics as Dialogue
Interesting picture with the post.

imagination and god’s future
staring with a cool quote by Einstein, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” made me download his article!

Is the New Testament Reliable?
Just in case someone asked. I’m planning to listen to the whole NT at least 4 times this year!

This sound trax is more helpful for this week

our little website re-emerges with much life and vitality thanks to wonder Bob.

We added in some new stuff in:
Articles
Creeds
Blogs

all of this is a very beta mode right now. But it’s great to see the site growing healthily!

It’s encouraging to see the registrations gradually coming in. I think the online registration form is helpful.

Reading the participants expectations are fascinating … interesting how the word “emerging” crops up … whether it’s emerging trends or emerging church. Right from the start we wanted a broader focus and we still are heading there. But we also believe all must come as they are.

My entrance to the overall conversation was more through Brian McLaren’s writings and interaction with Jason Clark years ago (until now). Of course, there’s also a good dose of articles from Next-Wave Ezine.

And I’ve been consistent through the years (ok not that many blogging years *grin*) highlighting some of us have been talking and thinking about similar concerns with the “emergent” conversation and/or “emerging church” phenomena albeit in slightly different language for a pretty long time. I’ve heard echoes of this during my days in seminary, and also different readings here and there. What interests me at this stage as was then, is how all this can be fleshed out in a local church context, wider Christian community as well as globally.

At this stage, I’m still hesitant in using the term “emerging church” partly because unlike the early days, today it’s easily boxed into either a kind of “brand” or “trend”. And some amount of energy is needed to first unpack the term, and maybe redirect the focus to the concerns which originally inspired the term in the first place. But then again, that’s the reality of our world where blogging is faster than publishing … for good or ill.

As far as the “for good” part, I hope our little effort through this event will help those coming to go beyond the superficial discussions on theology, spirituality and ministry/mission to a more integrated conversation which plugs the church back into the God’s agenda for the world.

I’ll need to get ready to work out some details with the conversation facilitators and follow up on our Roman Catholic friends and see how is their participation. But before some energy can be put there on Monday, I’ll need to focus on my own church council meeting tomorrow, preparations for our upcoming AGM, Sunday Worship and also the post-worship baptism and affirmation class (we’re starting with the Creed which is cool), and also other family responsibilities.

There is no one full time organizing this event … and everyone is chipping in as much as they can while juggling 101 other responsibilities. I’m so grateful for their partnership in this. Some already have been putting in extra efforts.

I’ve already picked out all of Brian’s books I have .. and hopefully start my series “Brian McLaren: Introductions” series … I chuckled when I got an email and the person asked “Who is Brian McLaren?”. Now that brings the matter into perspective. at least in our Malaysian context.

THE 2006 WILLIAM BELDEN NOBLE LECTURES
I’m listening to the first lecture now …

The Right Reverend N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham, England
Introductions by The Reverend Professor Peter J. Gomes

October 23, 2006
“God the Creator: The Gospel in a Gnostic World” (mp3)

October 24, 2006
“Jesus the Lord: The Gospel and the New Imperialism” (mp3)

October 25, 2006
“Spirit of Truth: The Gospel in a Postmodern World” (mp3)

the best summary of Luther’s De servo arbitrio
I saw the book but it’s VERY expensive. The following is good for supper tonight:
“1) God is a person, the almighty creator of all that exists, the sovereign Lord and sole acting agent over his creation, totally responsible for all that takes place.
2) The Creator is by definition hidden from his creatures but has revealed himself in his incarnation as Jesus Christ and in Holy Scripture.
3) God has chosen from among fallen sinners people to be his own children and has restored them to their full humanity, that is, to trusting i him, through the work of Christ.
4) God acts in his Word, condemning sin through the law and conveying Christ’s benefits to his chosen people through the gospel, in oral, written, and sacramental forms, called collectively the means of grace.
5) Human beings are creatures and thus totally dependent on God their Creator. 6) This dependence of the human creature on God can be explained and defended by a doctrine of absolute necessity, that is, that all things happen necessarily as God designs and decides.
7) Human beings are responsible for their own disposition and actions but are sinful, captive to Satan and their own desires, and thus totally dependent on God for liberation from their sinfulness. Human beings are designed by God with active minds and wills that are to be dedicated to carrying out their callings in obedience to God.
9) Believers are engaged in a lifelong struggle against their own abiding sinfulness. Their lives are lives of repentance.
10) God is not responsible for evil. No explanation of the existence of evil and its continuation in the lives of believers in possible.”

a confession
A confession which includes a wonderful prayer .(which I particularly like even thought my confession would be different) …
“Dear God,
Your followers make me crazy. I’m totally a jerk about this and I’m sorry. It’d be great if maybe you could try and improve some of the theology on the ground here, and if that’s not going to happen then help me to not be so arrogant. Be with those whom I find most irritating and show me how to love them. This is pretty much only going to happen by your grace, which in the past has done for me what I could never do for myself, so I’m trusting you again. Your will, not mine be done (we can all be thankful for that)
In Jesus’ name,
AMEN”

Here’s A Quick Way to Lower Your Stress
I hear about “stress” all the time … and perhaps after listening to all the mp3s above and reading the confession and Luther’s gems .. one needs to lower their stress too …

I stumbled on The 2disc Mp3 version at Glad Sounds Jaya SS14. I’ve always wanted to “listen” to the Bible … and this version really raises the bar and sets the standard in terms of the quality of audio Bible reading.

I’ve just finished listening to the whole Gospel of Luke (started last night), continued in the afternoon, and heard the last chapter 15minutes ago.

Here’s an interesting piece from International Herald tribune:

“… The 21-hour production, which lists for $49.99 (€39), features the voice talents of more than 250 singers, clergy and actors, including Denzel Washington, Cuba Gooding Jr., Angela Bassett and Alfre Woodard. Blair Underwood portrays Jesus, and Samuel L. Jackson, who played a Scripture-spouting hit man in “Pulp Fiction,” is the voice of God.

He called it “a gift from our community to the world to be shared and appreciated by all.”"

It’s not a cheap gift but it’s worth the price. After listening the Gospel of Luke, I’m ready for more!

My friend Jason Clark in UK is one whom I’m listening too (and I miss the fun we had when we last met some years ago face to face, I still remember the prayer in the van before the train ride) …

I read the following with much excitement and interest on his post Slightly More Solid Church

“I am going to blog my Ph.D research from inception to hopeful completion. I start my supervision this week, and hope to complete in summer of 2013. I wonder what twists and turns it will take
as I read, reflect, write, and (I hope) have your ongoing input and thoughts?

So how’s that baby looking? “