Sivin Kit's Garden

... a full life, not a half life ...

Thanks to Maggi Dawn for this repost from this Sojourners Interview with Philip Yancey (whose many books has blessed me and stirred me!)

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"When I started writing [Rumors] I would have said that the three things that brought me back to God were not religious things. They were not Billy Graham rallies or gospel tracts. They were the beauty of nature, classical music, and romantic love. When I encountered those three things, suddenly I had this "ding! ding! ding!" experience.

I discovered that the world is actually a smiling place, not a scowling place; that God wants me to have a full life, not a half life, not a two-thirds life..."

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U-Turn

How often we need to first STOP! and then make a U-turn to get on our way back HOME

It's been a crazy season for me this past 1-2 months. At times because of my own doing, mostly because of other people's doing :-) Anyway, when "doing" over shadows "being" then it's time to STOP! Make U-turns and get to a place where "we find our hearts true home""(to use a Richard Foster phrase).

I think in the olden days the word "Repentance" was trying to get that message across ... I've used it more with words like "confession", "sin", "forgiveness", "absolution" ... I think it works also for words like "direction", "vision", "passion", etc.

I miss you already ...

Yes, the woman next to me is supposed to be my wife ... at that time we were on our honey moon in UK haing out at Leicester Square. The artist seemed to have a different view of how May Chin should have looked like. She looks much better in person!

The Father's House

It's going to be a strange one month for me ... someone told me this will be an important time for me as well as BLC. I'll have to wait and listen to the "voices" echoing the small whispers of what I believe God will do in the life of our young community. But, I can at least be more "involved" with what He has install for me ... :-)

The age old phrase "Follow me!" struck me ... again with freshness today. And how often one maybe so involved with how others are "following Christ" that not sufficient attention will be given to that fundamental personal "following" which is the basis of communal "following" together.

Some plans are in place for my "journey" next week onwards, and yet I'm also "wondering" what's my personal spiritual journey going to be with two significant aspects of my life - i.e. the local church community I'm part of and family, will be in some way "unplugged" from my "routine" daily pathway. It's a little scary even for a kind of "open to possibilities" person like me.

It's my seventh year in "fulltime" ministry since graduating at 25. I'm thankful for this "mini-Sabbath" God has given me, in fact, it's truly an unexpected gift ... and yet, I would be dishonest if I didn't say I'm a little "fearful" as well ... the unknown is always not so "bright" and "shining".

well ... maybe it's just this whole "missing" loved ones that's occupying my mind ...

"Papa!"

Gareth has been "exploring" human language quite well lately ... watching him experiment with sounds, expressions, reactions, imitations and a whole lot of stuff ignites the "child discovery" part of me.

After getting our "reasonably budget" digital camera finally yesterday ... I'm also going to do some "exploring" of my own ... hehe ...

Revised editions

Well, after Daniel reworked his Ngoy blog site (thanks to Blogger) there's some good real-down-to-earth insights on life in Malaysia.

And David morphed his site with typepad with a brand new DB on DB with a cool quote thrown in that reflects the greys hiding in the hairs on his crown!

Happy blogging away ...

Quest for Rest

Thanks Jonny Baker for this new interactive adventure

Forge Mission Training Network

We have some Aussies in BLC who are not only resident aliens :-) but really have become family, maybe that's why there a kind of "connection" with anything Oz :-) I've appreciated the interaction with Stephen Said and the insights from Hamo both very much involved with the network!

Random thoughts after the "Ministerium" Meeting

Just realized that I haven't been posting Random Thoughts for some time.

Also realized that "Ministerium" is a German term after a Google search (I'm so dependent on Google nowadays!) Anyway, the meeting today was meant for all the ordained pastors of the Lutheran Church in Malaysia (just in case you asked)

I strongly felt that we need to meet more frequently and really get into matters that matter :-) In general, I felt we had a fruitful meeting.

I'm glad we managed to get the rough cut of "The Calling" VCD (which is part of our project to encourage more to consider pastoral ministry) out for the meeting today. Lots of rough edges, probably need to scrap my narration and switch it with a female voice, but I think it raised some interest and awareness of what we've been doing so far.

The curry was GOOD!

I managed to personally share an idea with another pastor and I could feel some "resonation" from him on the matter of starting a kind of "what's your educational efforts" conversation going probably in September or October. It was first sparked in the education committee meeting, then I shared it with a network of pastors I'm part of, and now one to one. Change is a long term project.

I noticed again and again the strength and gift of administration in one of our pastors and this is exactly what we need as we transition with a new set of leaders for the denomination as a whole. How can we complement each other as pastors within the denomination? (especially when one "sees" our small denomination as a network of congregations rather than a rigid institution!)

Of course, we as pastors need to learn this right at the grass root level even in our own congregation. For this, I'm thankful especially to BLC who's been my teacher (and many more of course).

There's that tension ... on one hand a need for "freedom", "creativity", "permission-giving", "decentralization", etc. and the on the other hand, a need for "order", "clarity", "unity", "alignment", "connection" etc, it's quite a challenge.

Living in past glory won't help anyone, we need to "learn" and move on. Jumping into the future with no thought will lead us no where, we need to "pause" and reflect and listen to one another. And all this applies directly in our spiritual development first and foremost. And them, flows into the "space" in which we serve in.

"The Butterfly Effect" ... I've been thinking about this lately. And maybe I'll catch the movie , but the idea of "Change one thing, change everything" may give us some hope when it comes to our overall church life. And it also gives us some caution as well. I guess, I've seen "small changes" work both ways ... to help or to harm, for good or for evil.

Lego Church

Thanks to Youth Specialities for the link to this Incredible Lego Church ...

As a young boy, I've always enjoyed the times when I was constructing, designing, and building stuff with my lego blocks. And i think these experiences are formative in who I am today (alright I'm trying to psycho-analyze myself here!). Thus, the whole desire and need to "be constructive" and looking into "possibilities" ...

I'm inspired to get out my Lego set and start some constructing ... :-)

Recalling Our Own Stories

I "accidently" saw this book in MPH 1Utama and "intentionally" got it and am reading it side by side with Calling & Courage. As usual good books are hidden somewhere in those bookshelfs that just need to be "discovered"!

I like these insights on spiritual renewal and much much more:
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Spiritual Renewal is finding a fresh, novel, and creative way of allowing the call to reorient our present lives so as to bring replenishment and hope. Spiritual renewal is a process of connecting our original motivation for ministry, and then moving systematically into examining areas of our lives in light of that call. (p. 4)

A basic assumption in spiritual renewal is that the call is ongoing. consequently, the project of existence -- the dominant story of our lives -- is being renewed by God each day. Connecting with this trancendent activity brings renewal into our lives.(p. 5)

... Perfection refers to flawless performance. Realism refers to performance that is permeated with a grace-filled acceptance of our limitations and flaws (and our strengths). (p. 8)

...Our task is to reedit, or reauthor, our own mythologies where they make it difficult to carry out our call. In reauthoring the myths of our lives, we assume that the call from God. God's call is like an unfolding drama in which new meaning is disclosed daily, and as the called we are invited to participate in these new meanings and possibilities. (p.13)

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Games Night

I'm looking forward just let the little hair that I have down and have a good meal and laugh! Moh Foong did a pretty good job with this ... (I prefer this one more than the first design)

Missional Communities

Since reading the book Missional Church, I've thinking a lot about it and using the reflections and insights in our own BLC & Malaysian context. Missional Church is a concept and paradigm that's worth the effort and thought, and personally more energy into how it can work.

I was somehow drawn to this old post by Ted Bednar on Missional Communities It's good to be "tugged" back to what excited me to be part of the "resurrection project" through BLC (Bednars words in Bold followed by my responses, kind of trying to do a duet thing which I find helpful).

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To me, the concept of being 'missional' seems like stating the obvious -- that the church's mission is to reconcile humanity with God. As it is currently used, a missional church seem more of a return to our biblical mission and a reaction against the church growth/mega church movement.

Looking back until today, I realize that this is very true for me personally and I didn't just want to be a "professional" pastor doing business as usual. There's a deep desire in me to connect with our Biblical mission and serve out of a stronger theological centre (as opposed to mere talk on methods and pragmatic concerns!)

In Next Wave magazine, Todd Hunter defined missional communities as, "a group of people who are highly intentional about truly obeying Jesus' commands so as to increasingly be like him. The individuals pursuing this life-goal are in community. They live out their new, loving, powerful kingdom reality not as 'Lone Ranger Christians' (going about their work-a-day life isolated except for an hour on Sunday), but non-negotiably as a vital part of a group of Christ-followers."

Indeed Todd Hunter personally was an important catalyst to keep me on the ground working through grass-root realities. In fact, BLC's LiFE Groups are in some way my personal hope that this can work out. At times we get entangled with the "how-tos" (that's just reality) , but fundamentally the "variety of methods" we try is our feeble attempt to live out what Todd talks about here. We need some perseverance and encouragement to keep going.

A missional community attempts to integrate an individual's desire for spiritual formation and needs of the greater community. A missional church is focused on supporting an individual's purpose in life for the greater purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission.

This is where it's tricky because of the "tension" of our consumeristic self with the genuine desire for formation and community. However, I think we have not deviated from this focus... now it's the need to put more effort into making steps "visible" to help others along the way, and making "space" for this to happen.

Dr. Clark D. Cowden writes, "The missional church movement realizes that we are no longer chaplains to a Christian culture. We must be a missionary people in our own land. Every congregation needs to be cross-cultural missionaries to its community. We must move from the mindset that the church is a provider of religious services to Christian consumers to the shaper of an apostolic people on a mission to a fallen world."

I think this is where Malaysia is different. Here I don't think we have played the "chaplain" role (at least not like the west). Maybe. there was a time where we did to some small degree during the colonial period and when we were more involved in the education system. Right now, I don't even know many schools that still have "chapel" (I've only spoken in one!) The fact is IMHO we're still very much in the margins of almost everything, and our voice is sqeeky soft.

But, the challenge to be missionary people is even more valid for us. The danger of a consumer mindset is real. The church being a provider of religious services seems to be a prominent model (I may very well be wrong, I'm ready to be corrected by my fellow Malaysians in regard to this unrearched-intuitive hunch). I'm not too sure how much the "seeker-sensitive" movement (in terms of "seeker services" for example) has made an inroad to our churches but Rick Warren is popular! The "purpose-driven" church book played some role in our story as well. But may be those who emphasize the "supernatural" connects with our surrounding culture which is still very open to the unseen world and forces. The danger of us being open from "supernatural" to "superstition" (i.e. blind faith) is a reality IMHO in many Christians in our context.

A missional church seeks to incorporate its members into being part of a larger purpose, encouraging them as subversives, giving them tools to engage their culture, teaching them how to bridge and interact with culture, setting a biblical agenda for holy living, fostering spiritual formation, developing spiritual giftedness, encourage social action, and serving in community

A lot of work is needed here, right from the local church level to the national level. On a positive note, I think the soil for all this to happen is actually "fertile" and I think we are somehow trying in our own scattered ways. And yet, the inner and outer "demons" we face are subtle and damaging. For example just talking about our inner struggles, the lack of theological reflection and centering while we're busy to get the job done or simply just trying harder. Thus, we're just using a blunt saw trying to achieve our goal! And then, the trouble "insecure" & "abusive" leadership has been a growing concern to me lately after hearing one horror story after another (on the outside these leaders are supposed to be directive and visionary but actually a lot is done out of personal issues unattended). And when our ministry is not birthed out of healthy spiritual formation and health the tendency is just to dwell on technique and abilities, gifts and charisma ...

Thus, the next paragraph on leadership is relevant.

Eddie Gibbs again says, "In postmodern society, church leaders ... must be apostolic in that they are venturing into new territory as well as reclaiming lost ground to bring people to Christ and to multiply missional communities. The confidence, technique-based ability to manage the present and face the future have been replaced by the need to seek God's wisdom and strength afresh for the novel and unanticipated challenges that face us in our ministries." Missional communities simple seek leaders who think and act apostolically, rather than like a CEO.

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What are economists learning about religion?

Thanks to Jordon Cooper for this link on What are economists learning about religion? Food for thought again ...

1. Religious participation is negatively correlated with economic growth.

2. For the most part religious belief (as opposed to participation) is not correlated with economic growth. Belief in hell is positively correlated with growth, however.

3. Religious pluralism makes people more religious. In other words, the more options available, the more likely that religion will be found appealing.

4. As a country becomes wealthier, its people tend to become less religious (the U.S. is an outlier here; we are remarkably religious for our level of wealth).

The Best Things in Life are Free

I thought the title was pretty engaging ... a brief skim through the article had some statements that caught my attention. Some food for thought, the business world often pushes us to think further :-) or at least know what people are thinking so we're more aware *grin*

All in all ... my favorite part is still just the title ...

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... If your goal is growth, the only way to achieve it is to market a product or service worth talking about--a purple cow (as I called them in my last book). With all the clutter out there, you're either remarkable or invisible.

... The perception of how we should do innovation is wrong. We've drawn it as a complicated, expensive, time-consuming process that should be done like most corporate initiatives: slowly, expensively, with massive buy-in and with lots of planning. No organization ever created an innovation. People innovate, not companies.

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"Open Source" Planning

I found the Emergent Convention Planning Blog to be a wonderful way of "eavesdropping" and "peeking" into the whole process of planning an "event" or "Learning Space" so others can be introduced to new ideas, refined in existing reflections, or challenged in other ways, etc.

As one who's in a traditional denominational education commitee setting (where so often we get so little done), this blog gave me a breath of fresh air! And even from a local church point of view, my mind wandered into a few "good" directions in how we can facilitate a more integrated "learning" environment for our "toddler/kindergaten 4 year old church"!

And I love those "Lego" pictures, Lego was very much part of my childhood!

A Pregnancy Cannot Be Hid

With two new births the last few weeks and two more coming, the whole "image" of pregnancy is just too glaring for me not to ignore. Thanks Christ Erdman for a great follow up post A Pregnancy Cannot Be Hid | From Acceptance to Martyrdom? Here's the second paragraph to wet your appetite:

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I want to meditate on all this more deeply. We are only sent to preach Christ--to serve as evangelists, witnesses, those who testify--and to do it all as Jesus himself did it all (John 20.21). Jesus prayed for us, "Father . . . As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (John 17.18). What might it mean if we took Jesus' “as” and “so” more seriously? Theology is important, but so is ethics, and theological ethics, according to Jesus is naturally evangelistic. The Enlightenment colonized the church into highly rational and abstract modes of theological discourse. But if the collapse of Modernity offers the church a gift, I wonder if it offers us the gift of the recovery, rediscovery, and reimagining of the gospel ethically--that is, bodily. I think this is what the incarnation urges upon us, and what Jesus' prayer over us does in us. I think this is what Jesus urges on us in his “as” and “so”. Newbigin taught that the congregation is the one true hermeneutic of the gospel. We are an embodied testimony, the "as" and "so" of Jesus' sending in the Spirit.
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Interview with Dallas Willard (Pt2&3)

Thanks Stephen Shields for the links to get the full conversation...

Three Strands of Emergent Thinking about Church

I was drawn to read THREE STRANDS OF EMERGENT THINKING ABOUT CHURCH, and was happy to find there's a place in the article that encourages "soft voices". Awesome stuff here!

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...Building church community is not just a “moral responsibility,” it’s also a formational responsibility, a missional responsibility, a pastoral / incarnational responsibility to care for and love the “sheep” that God has entrusted to particular congregations, it’s a leadership responsibility, its our responsibility because together we are church.

... Healthy church becomes people taking responsibility for maintaining an individual and collective spiritual ‘diet’ that grows and nourishes them, for allowing God to form them…it’s wayfarers on a journey home together, bringing their giftedness to a mix of theology and praxis, it’s accompaniment not duty, it’s dreams and hopes nourished by Word, Spirit, meals, and the ‘give and take’ of conversation; it’s “doing” more than speaking; it’s caring for people rather than talking about caring; it’s people nourishing, loving, praying, receiving, and generously supporting the sense of giftedness and call that rests on each other. It’s friends encouraging and creating the kinds of base ‘soil’ conditions (e.g. values, practices) within which Christian community can deepen and flourish. Friends together “carrying” and enriching the vision.

... The implications of the gospel are always richer and broader than my “seeing,” my experience, and my understanding. I need woven into my life the diversity of others who together with me share a dream for church.
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Random Thoughts with Mango Citrus

Opps ... I left my mobile phone in the car! I'm getting forgetful lately ... and yesterday I actually forgot an important "appointment" . Graciously, I somehow managed ... confessed to some BLC members today. Oh how weak we humans are!

Relooked at the Ooze and think I should put it as a link ... good stuff there!

Strange to spend this Sunday afternoon alone ...:-)

I was encouraged by Sigrun who shared with me the last two messages on Job and Ecclesiastes helped her. It's feedback like this that "energizes" me when I know my efforts help others forward ... especially these two OT books are pretty "tricksy"!

I came across a link in the faithmaps yahoogroup on Chick Publications (that some Malaysian Christian bookstores still sell) check out The Nightmare World of Jack T. Chick. I don't agree with everything the Roman Catholic church believes and does (but then we don't even agree amongst ourselves we Protestants), but I think spreading "hate" & "paranoia" should never be our style!

The "dechurched" is a growing reality amongst Malaysian Christians locally as well as overseas. Found out more are going this direction yesterday. It's a good time to pause and refine what we're doing! Frankly, it's sad and yet we shouldn't just throw up our hands giving up or just point fingers at people!

It's also a reality that at least in KL/PJ, there's cross migration of Christians from one bigger church to another, or people leaving the mainline churches either to independent churches or going into "dechurch" mode. The mainline churches are feeling it a lot ... and now even the pentecostal churches like the Assemblies of God are feeling the pinch. Where do we go from here?

Home Alone

I'm home alone tonight, miss a-boy Gareth and mummy May Chin (thankfully they'll be back from Singapore tomorrow) ... wonder how I'll survive being away for a month :-(

Hope & Help for the "Institution"?!

(Thanks David Berry for this energizing photo entitled little blessings)

Thanks to Maggi Dawn for reminding me of this post I love My Mega Church

The post cautions me from"mega-church"-bashing ... even though I don't "feel" called to lead BLC in that "model". Of course, I've given up on "traditional church" basing when I realized how much I've learnt from them ... and having a friend who is genuinely exploring the "micro church" & "house church" option ... I'm all ears to listen how's the adventure so far :-)

Healthy and Hopeful quotes in BOLD ...
(with a tinge of concern and caution)
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... Brian McLaren brainstormed possibilities for the groups to take advantage of the traditional churches around them and create a hybrid approach to assembling. While it is cozy to really bond with the eight people in your house church, there is also something wonderful about singing with a few hundred – or thousand – people, even if you do not know most of them. And, it seems as if it would be a good reminder that no one has a corner on the worship market.

... the leaders reminded Mayhem attendees often that micro church is not right, better or more godly. It’s simply responding to the current realities and willing to do so without looking like church. For the micro church movement to maintain its power and effect it must be willing to move to whatever is needed, even if that means a return to large assemblies. The hallmark of this movement is not small but rather intentional, responsive and loving.

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And thanks to BLC's very own David Berry for sharing a "sheeps" point of view on Church Friend or Foe ?

Knowing David personally and listening from him face to face, I've learnt that God has never given up with us "messed up" people ... and I've had the joy to see how God works in the life of this resident alien in a "Lutheran Church" context ... whether it's Australia or humid Malaysia!
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I have had a mixed walk since I found Jesus that has been hot and cold with a very lengthy period of not attending Church at all. It was not due to being hurt however by the Church but rather my seeking too much of self and not thinking about God other than on a peripheral level. I have always believed of course but my knowledge was so vague and imprecise that I could not express it for myself much less others.

Since being in KL however my eyes have been opened considerably to the possibilities of God. I have begun to study what it means to be a christian. I have begun to open my ears to what he is telling me and though I do not always like it I know it is right for me. Mostly what I have learnt is that it is hard to be a true disciple, I recognise that I am that rich young ruler who walked away sad, I recognise that I am full of sin, I recognise that I am proud and arrogant and I recognise that we are meant to serve. This is what Jesus was telling us when he washed his disciples feet. He did not say serve to the extent that you ignore everything else but he was definitely saying serve.

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Last but not least, thanks to Jason Clark for the link to a great post on Church, Incorporated by
Mike McNichols
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This has gotten me to think a little more about church trends. In the "emerging" church environment there is often a call to decentralize, resist organization and loosely connect with others in highly intimate, relational environments. It seems to be non-organization, yet very "Me incorporated", in my view.

What if we started seeing our churches as organizations that did seek to bring "member value," but also as ones ethically committed to their communites? What if our churches started seeing themselves not only as spiritual, worshipping groups, but also as organizations that carry ethical responsibilities in their respective communities?
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England Boleh!

Nice to witness England getting a decent win 3-0 over the Swiss at Euro 2004 after being defeated 1-2 by Zidane (opps I meant France right?) in the last game!

"Boleh" means "Can" or "Able" in Malay! *grin*

Different Point of View

It's always encouraging to read from others how they experience BLC whether it's the worship gathering or LiFe Groups (which is merely the surface of deeper stuff that's happening). Some from our own members as well as visitors.

"A different point of view" is not necessarily an opposing point of view but one that's just from a "different point" :-)

Some encouraging responses from on different aspects ...

Post-Worship Gathering goodies
Holidays, and this and that
Sermon Thoughts
7 Habits

LiFE Group gems
Profound Proverbs
Faith in the Midst of Pain!
Job Finished!
Ecclesiastes!
Unsatisfied

Other tid-bits!
BLC's 4th Anniversary
As I wait....
Feeling Disconnected
Cooking Class 2
Thank You Lord

John K

How many people has a brother who's not just clowning around (professionally and getting paid!), can talk with his mouth shut, and has a "magical" touch with his fingers? And more importantly get's to stand next to our longest serving prime minister at a party!? (he's the one with a black hat)

and his "hound"-like older than him 9 years brother ... me *grin* managed to sniff out his blog .. allow me to introduce the more cool-looking and entertaining Kit in the family (and kind hearted, hardworking, God-loving, etc) ... drum-roll ... Introducing:

John K: Radical for Christ

Managing Your Time

Even though this article from Youth Specialities was meant for Youth workers but I think the Dilbert-sounding points are relevant to all :-)

I picked out some statements that "struck" me ... OUCH! Oh! Aiyah! ... (but read the whole article to get the context and flow)
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... get organized or go insane

... stop doing the stuff that doesn’t matter and focus like a laser on what does

... The time you allot for a task should be based on how much time it deserves.

... Schedule time in your day to grow.

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Todd Hunter Interview

Thanks to Jason Clark for getting this put together and Shephen Shields for organizing it a little. To have a outline, background and audio for the interview click HERE

Interview with Dallas Willard (pt1)

Thanks happydaydeadfish for the link

Wise words in abundance as always from Dallas Willard:
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The greatest challenge the church faces today is to be authentic disciples of Jesus. And by that I mean they’re learning from Him how to live their life, as He would live their life if He were they.

... I’ve heard leading speakers in the last few years say on their television broadcasts that ‘Grace is only for guilt’. Now, there’s nothing more clear in the New Testament than that this is not true. But, this whole picture was developing in a way so that Grace was firewalled off from ordinary life and couldn’t get through. This misunderstanding of Grace as a mere transfer of credit just totally destroys the teaching of Grace in the New Testament. Grace, as it’s taught in the New Testament, is God acting in your life and that’s why, for example the great passages like 2 Peter 3:18, ‘Grow in Grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’ … you can’t do that if Grace is just for guilt. The only way you can do that is to get more guilty.’”

... If you just do inductive Bible study on Grace you’ll see that Grace is for life. We would’ve required Grace even if we had never sinned. So Grace is God acting in our lives.

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NGoy7

A round of applause to our never-grow-old but tummy expanded council member to blogsphere ... Introducing:

NGoy7: Life together as One and beyond...

Our journey as friends go way back about 15+ years ago, our paths somehow were separated and then reunited and now moving along together ... the quest is to simply live for God, and live simply as well :-) and trusting our living will make a difference in our time here in earth.

Restoring a Damaged Faith

Thanks to Prodigal Kiwi for highlight this article entitled Restoring a Damaged Faith in his post Reconstructing the Dechurched and the Broken

I've always had the "unchurched" in my mind in my personal readiness to "reach out" and more and more the reality of the "dechurched" forces me to decide on how I may respond to them. Both terms may sound "impersonal" (I admit that), but the people whom are connected to us are human beings with genuine hurdles, hurts and struggles. And the fact is even I myself is but another "wounded healer" (to use Nouwen's term). I too am also in the ongoing process of "restoration".

Consider the following words well said:
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Some of us who continue to labor hard and long within the church identify with the alienation and pain the dechurched feel. We, too, bear the scars of commitment. We, too, react negatively at times to the "God-talk" that surrounds us. We, too, yearn for the day when personal healing and justice-making will be everyday experiences in the life of the church.
That very identification can enhance our efforts to accompany the dechurched on the road toward healing and wellness. It also provides the unique opportunity to experience, in their transformation, our own transformation as well.
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In the church, but not of it ...

Maggi Dawn has always brought clear thinking into the emerging church conversation and church life as a whole which I deeply appreciate. As one who's in a small denominational Lutheran setting while having relatively much freedom to explore, I appreciate the statements found in her post "In the church, but not of it ..." (her words in BOLD) and I decided to allow those word to spring my own “unrefined” reflections.
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This got me thinking further on the theme of the connection between old and new forms of Church. There's a lot of talk about the kind of innovative 'party church' or house-group churches run by people like TallSkinnyKiwi, Alan Creech and many others; there's lots of good stuff going on there. And there is another whole raft of people - me included - who have experimented with 'new forms' and ended up doing the 'emerging' thing within the context of the traditional, or institutional Church.

There are times when I meet Christians who give me the impression that "nothing" much can happen in the more traditional/institutional context I'm in, just because I'm not part of the "bold", "daring", "independent", "radical", ... etc. things that's "most happening" in Malaysian Christianity.

But, being part of BLC and the Lutheran Church in Malaysia has given me a "on the edge" kind of perspective and place to serve rather than just being so called "cutting edge". It has been a very humbling and enriching process. And in spite of often “struggles” that few will understand because of this “less traveled path” I've chosen, God somehow keeps breathing hope in me when I'm tempted to see otherwise.

But in both old forms and new there is suspicion and resistance about the form of Church that 'we are not'. Traditional churches have always had their die-hards who wouldn't countenance anything new. But there is also a tangible (and understandable) antipathy towards the traditional church among some proponents of Emerging/Emergent - often because it was bad experiences of church that pushed them not only into Emerging church, but into an independent setting as well.

I recall in my previous ministry setting (prior to BLC), I would easily write off the so called “ineffective” forms of church (as we saw it) just because it's “traditional”. There was a kind of pride that we were more “advance” in our ways until more and more I felt that in the midst of being “open” to new things we were actually “closed” to new insights that could have been “unearthed” in our traditional forms and heritage.

After I seriously finished reading through our model constitution for a local congregation as well as the constitution of the denomination 4 years ago, I realized it was not as rigid and inflexible as I perceived it to be (ok! Maybe some of the interpretations given by certain “authority” figures maybe one sided). Overall there's room for experimentation while being anchored in the best of our past, and a kind of “fence” to keep us from running of into some form of “sanctified individualistic” lone ranger syndrome (which some do by leaving the denomination, others while remaining in the denomination)

For me, 'Emerging' within the context of a trad setting has at least 2 purposes - a) I believe the whole Church needs to 'emerge' into the present and the future, and b) I believe that both old and new forms of Church have treasures that they should share with each other. The experimental daring of new forms is a breath of fresh air to the tradition (in fact, the tradition is basically made up of a collection of daring experiments that have stood the test of time, so to reject things because they are new is a ridiculous bit of double-thinking). But the history, theology and stability of the tradition is a much stronger umbilical cord than Emerging groups would sometimes like to admit (especially if it's just those traditions that have recently burned them).

It's funny that in the past four years, as I've been deeply challenged and spurred forward by those in the emergent/emerging conversation (Jason Clark has been a great encouragement I must say!), I've also actually been also profoundly linked more and more to my own Lutheran heritage specifically (through interaction with the wider Lutheran communion, thanks to involvement with Lutheran World Federation activities and reflecting through the best writings &theology that's produced in the past as well as present as much as I can, introduced by Lutheran teachers and theologians I got in touch with) and the wider church historically and globally.

To me, I don't necessarily see both as antithesis. And especially in our Malaysian context (and specifically my denominational context), though there are “forces” that seem to pull innovation and tradition apart, personally I think it's actually possible to integrate the process. Much of the battlefield is in our “minds” (i.e. paradigms, mental models, etc), of course our egos/pride must be guarded too (which usually is the main problem). And in reality, someone needs to start somewhere and I'm always tempted to say “Why isn't someone else doing something about it?” And if slowly and organically and wisely one becomes two then three and so on ... things become even more exciting. This kind of thinking changes the way I may view some of the “boring” meetings or committees I'm part of (where to some we maybe wasting time) but this might actually be the place where a seed of change can be planted. Why should I underestimate God?

There are good and bad renditions of both old and new forms. I long to see the visionaries, the pastors, the theologians, the teachers and the artists in both old and new connect up and share their treasures. We'll all be richer if we do. But in both old and new forms of Church we need to resist the temptation to tribalism (the belief that only we have the right way of doing it) which is death to any church community. Maybe, to subvert St Paul's phrase, we need to be "In the church, but not of it..."

“Tribalism”(the belief that only we have the right way of doing it) is a real danger in Malaysia maybe not so much structurally ... because as a minority and a group strongly wants to survive and thrive, we do work together through new networks being set up or other forms available (e.g. Council of Churches Malaysia or the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship and the Christian Federation of Malaysia) and yet how deep and how far we can go may be hindered more due to a “hidden mental tribalism” (cf. Spiritual pride or prejudice?) which will ultimately hurt our corporate witness here and now and beyond.

For me, change must start with myself, and through the congregation I serve in, flowing to the connections I'm part of denominationally and inter-denominationally, and somehow regionally and globally in whatever way possible ...
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LifeSwitch

Thanks Jonny Baker for this link. I suppose the whole idea of starting again and afresh is actually an attractive one especially when we can let go stuff that may hold us back.

Pregnant with Jesus

Chris Erdman is one of the new blogs I'm reading lately. His reflections here entitled Pregnant with Jesus: the Body, Hospitality, and Evangelism is timely in my mini-quest for a more wholistic practice of "evangelism" at its best!

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We in our day have allowed ourselves to be bullied away from the supreme joy of evangelism. We've been led to believe that evangelism is about method, content, and contest. And since most of us don't have the method, don't know enough, and shy away from a confrontation, we don't think we're up to the evangelical task. Sad. I'm certain that we're missing out on a great wonder.

Albert Peyriguere once said, "Perhaps living Christ is the supreme way to speak of him. There are too many apostles to speak about him and not enough to live him." If "Christ in us" is "the hope of glory" (Col. 1.27), and Communion or the Eucharist makes this mystery visible, tangible, real, then might we not be empowered for a different kind of evangelism--that is, a bodily, experiential evangelism rather than merely matching mental wits with another, using words, logic, rational argument for conquest? The latter seems to me to be largely foreign to the approach of Jesus, and even of Paul, the apparently most rational of the New Testament writers.

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Unforgettable

Well it's not always we have four "Reverends" conducting Holy Communion in Bangsar Lutheran Church (BLC). :-)

Thanks Raymond for the photo (from Last Sunday's worship gathering)!

Family Time

I treasure more and more these days of the "family" time we can have ... thanks Chin Hor for this picture taken the last sunday of 2003.

I know DB is on the way back after some weeks away, it's good to know the Berry family will be "reconnected" as well as "re-glued" back to the BLC family. I'll be off almost a month from July- August, it's not going to be easy.

Ten "no! No! NO!" on food

May Chin would say "I warned you!" ... But then maybe Robert Farrar Capon would say "Ah! Forget it ..."

Recovering Imagination

Thanks to textweek for this ...
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From Sojourners, July 2004, "Heaven in Henry County," by Rose Marie Berger, an interview with Wendell Berry:

"The serious question is whether you're going to become a warrior community and live by piracy, by taking what you need from other people. I think the only antidote to that is imagination. You have to develop your imagination to the point that permits sympathy to happen. You have to be able to imagine lives that are not yours or the lives of your loved ones or the lives of your neighbors. You have to have at least enough imagination to understand that if you want the benefits of compassion, you must be compassionate. If you want forgiveness you must be forgiving. It's a difficult business, being human."

Random Thoughts after Wan Tan Mee

I was intrigued and disturbed when two older men were going on and on about illegal prostitution in the Klang Valley in Cantonese. I couldn't help but eavesdrop since we were sitting on the same table. Reminded me how often I get a different side of Malaysia while having breakfasts at the nearby market food stalls or coffee shops. This "side" is often the realities on our context that really hurts humanity.

"2.45am" will be a time many in Malaysia will be united as a nation as well with others in the Globe for a "religious" ritual inspired by a smaller round object - this time the place of pilgrimage is Portugal - Euro 2004. Many will adjust their lives to accomodate watching various teams and stars run from one side of the field to another while trying to get a ball behind a net. Ok ... I might adjust a couple of nights too (I'm guilty as well) ... but then it's still food for thought, right?

While walking back, I thought about the "conversations" sparked because of the price of petrol in Malaysia and how people responded to the initial email and the chain mail proposal. Two areas hit me: First is how a seemlingly small change (in this case petrol price) can have big impact on all areas of life. Second, is how economics have so deeply infiltrated our being as humans , and we find it easier to engage in conversation over this than spirituality which needs equal amount of attention if not more.

This morning the final of the three responded to the Gmail invitation. This grassroot way of inviting people has been very instrumental in my own "evangelism" re-construction. :-)

Culture Guide for Individuals

For another take on "culture" especially related to individuals ... check out Issues in the Assesment and Diagnosis of Culturally Diverse Individuals (don't let the long title scare you!)

Random thoughts after a good lunch

I really enjoyed yesterday's lunch with our very own PJ working girls! And just a while ago a lovely time with our forever young looking council member. I kind of decided that I'll "just make the phone-calls" and I'm glad I did. So, often we wished that we should have done something with our relationships when we could just put the same about of energy from feeling bad about wishes unfulfilled to making it happen!

Gmail finally allowed me to invite three others to try out their free email service. I was pretty excited ... and sent my last invitation out this morning. Interesting responses to the invitations, the first one had difficulty signing up (so I'll have to take it step by step with her). The second one easily signed up and is enjoying the benefits. The last one is hmmm ... I'm still waiting to see what happens.... The whole process gave me some insights on "evangelism" which I've been thinking about here (on the word) and there (on "normal"people). Three invitations given, three different reponses and I too need to handle it differently.

The "baptism & affirmation" (formerly known as Cathechism) class at the Father's House last night was pretty energizing with a dance of sharing, questions, answers, laughter and prayer. The variety in this small group of 8 is amazing ... from more Chinese educated to English educated, some "pre-modern" responses to "post-modern" reactions, male and female perspectives, the raw excitement of some, and the refined patience of others, etc. "Organized Chaotic" learning can be quite fun but it does require a different of skills ... primarily the ability to navigate on the spot while keeping our eyes on where we're going!

Dare Connexions

I "googled" and finally found John Bowen's website. I appreciate the facty that he made some of the booklets available online (that's especially helpful for people like me on this side of the earth!)

Some funny titles are like ...

The Gospel according to Robin Williams

God and The Simpsons

Jesus is alive, Elvis is alive

What Jesus says to Smashing Pumpkins

The more serious sounding titles are ...

The Spiritual Worldview of Lord of the Rings

Does God care?

What's So Special About Jesus?

Jesus the only way?

The Millenial Matrix

Thanks Jordon Cooper for making The Millenial Matrix by Rex Miller available to check it out. Leadership Network introduced us to the concepts of The Millennial Matrix© & The Ministry Transition Timeline© in Winter 2000.

And now the harcover book is coming out! :-)
but it's going to be very expensive for us here in Malaysia :-(

Theology for Everyone

Thanks Stephen Shields for this Christianity Today interview with NT Wright.

Here's some quick catches ...

... One of the reasons that I left the academy some years ago and went into full-time work in the church instead was that I found I was getting more of a buzz myself out of meeting clergy who were at the [coal] face, if you like, than simply teaching undergraduates who wanted to know "How soon can we finish this tutorial and then I can get off and play tennis?"

... I think one of the critical things that I have worried about a lot is that many people when they hear the idea of kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven, they think it simply refers to a place called heaven where you go when you die. That is clearly not what it means in the New Testament. It's like kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven. It isn't kingdom as in a place; it's kingdom as in kingship, as in sovereignty, as in rule.

... So much of the Bible is appropriately metaphorical and we need to know what it actually refers to. But much more important than that is to get into our heads what the New Testament really is banging on about, which is resurrection, which is not a synonym for going to heaven when you die, but is what is going to happen after that.

... It isn't a matter of simply taking a step of faith; it is a matter of signing on with the acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord. When the disciples made the decisions to down tools and follow him around Galilee, they were saying with their feet as well as with their hearts, we're with this man. Wherever he goes we're going to go, too.

... It would be a very trivialized read of Jesus if we imagined that Jesus simply came to give us a set of teachings on every possible subject that we might ever want to know anything about. And that's not how the early Christians saw Jesus at all. There are all sorts of lessons that need to be learned about how you use the New Testament authentically and with wisdom instead of cutting and chopping and picking out bits.

...

Christianity is Asian?!

"The church began in Asia. Its earliest history, its first centers were Asian. Asia produced the first known church building, the first New Testament translation, perhaps the first Christian king, the first Christian poets, and even arguably the first Christian state. Asian Christians endured the greatest persecutions. They mounted global ventures in missionary expansion the West could not match until after the thirteenth century." ~ Samuel Hugh Moffett, A History of Christianity in Asia: Volume 1, Beginnings to 1500.

For a short history on early Asian Christianity on the web issue #43: Time for Reorientation was a good start. OK! I admit after the Asian Church Leadership conference, I'm still floating in a concentrated "asian" mode ... the global awareness will kick back in soon :-)

Evangelism for "normal" people

I found this book hidden somewhere in the 1 Utama MPH bookstore. The price was good, the footnotes showed we had common influences (e.g. Clark Pinnock & Robert Brow, Brian McLaren, Lesslie Newbigin, C.S. Lewis, David J. Bosch, N.T. Wright, etc). That was enough for me to get the book and begin browsing through it a while ago.

I like what he says in the intro ...

"My hope is to show that evangelism is, or at least can be "normal" for all those who consider themselves followers of Jesus. After all, Jesus, the archetypal evangelist, is also the most normal person who ever lived, in the sense that he most fully illustrated the Creator's intentions for human life." (p. 16)

Random Thoughts after The Day After Tomorrow

I was actually suprised that I enjoyed this movie. Rotten Tomatoes Movie Review compilation is mixed (as usual)

The special effects were spectacular of course, the message straight forward, the focus on people were pretty touching at times (if dwelt longer may have drawn out some tears from us), and the music was actually haunting and soothing at times. Maybe I'm tired after the ACLC and a movie like this was timely. Nothing too hard on the intellect, some tug on the heart and a decent message!

While driving home I was thinking about the Dennis Quaid Character's persistence to save his son and somehow connected it to our loving Father's love towards humankind imprisoned in our impossibilities and our own disasters (which is plenty!)

Of course, our whole responsibility to the environment, the human pride and preoccupation with economics over environment, etc were the backdrop for some human drama. And it did make me wonder when was the last time I talked about us as stewards of creation. Hmmm ....

Thought about my exposure to the Lutheran World Federation related activities and events plus the connections made with people from different parts of the world. Like it or not, it has broadened my perspective and understanding on my Christian journey and our global journey whether scattered in our own context or gathered in specifically focuses causes or concerns.

I was also surprised in the opportunities opened up for me personally to serve, to grow and to learn more than I could ever imagine. It's strange when there are times we don't ask for anything and it's offered to us. And today another possibility came up ... we'll wait and see what's going to happen.

For now, I'm just getting ready for rest day no. 2 and that's coming tomorrow!

The Medium is the Worldview

Rex Miller's article The Medium is the Worldview – Beyond Postmodernism has some important points for "reflection" & "action". I'll just pull out a few that hit me!

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... The nature of print created a mindset that produced Modernism. The nature of broadcast created a mindset that produced Postmodernism. If we look at the nature of digital interactive media we see already how it is reshaping the minds of tomorrow.

... When our communication tools change, our perception’s change and impact our understanding of the world. This alters our psychology, shifts our interaction with others and leads to new institutions that better support these new relationships. At some point along this continuum a new worldview emerges.

... Old virtues of mass and strength are liabilities in a new world of complex volatile change. Flexibility and adaptation are the new assets.

... “When it becomes necessary to develop a new perception of things, a new internal model of reality, the problem is never how to get new ideas in, the problem is how to get old ideas out.” – Dee Hock “Birth of the Chaordic Age” p 135.
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"Evangelism" is a good word!

"Evangelism" does not seem to be a popular word in many circles - even Christian circles nowadays. I was intrigued to read it now being used by those involved with Open Source projects and software development. I found the lessons very relevant actually. This article is worth some "translating" for our own context.

Guy Kawasaki's 6 Simple Rules for Evangelism
Posted on: 04/16/04
by Mary Tyler

Many Open Source projects fail to catch fire not because they aren't useful or interesting technology -- it's just that the project wasn't evangelized properly In search of evangelizing dos -and don'ts, Open Enterprise Trends spoke with legendary high-tech evangelist Guy Kawasaki, one of the men behind the visionary and commercial success of Apple Computer.

To help Open Source advocates with their momentum-building efforts, Kawasaki has some simple rules and perspectives on what makes a good software evangelist. Some are deceptively simple to understand and apply. Others may sound simple, but can be tough to do right.

1. Your Code Isn't "Cool" Just Because It's Open Source. Kawasaki's first caution may suck the wind out of the sails of some Open Source evangelists, but he says it's simply good advice. "I wouldn't position products as 'Open Source' for the sake of being Open Source cool," Kawasaki said. While Open Source does have some growing momentum -- and cachet behind it -- advocates need a much fuller story behind their Open Source project. As Kawasaki put it: "Companies don't buy things because they are 'Open Source' -- they buy things because they work -- obviously. Open Source can help 'working' come true, but a piece of crap that is Open Source is still a piece of crap."

So, while Open Source can be a great departure point for the capabilities and features of your code, don't let it be the whole trip. As Kawasaki warned: "Never expect people to buy a piece of crap for religious reasons."

2. You Gotta Believe. If you can leap over the (low) hurdle of proving that your code project is Open Source -- and it does something useful, Kawasaki said it's time to move on to the nature of your evangelist.

By definition, evangelists want people to "believe in [the] dream," Kawasaki told OET. "Evangelists deliver the good news and get people to believe in it and spread it further." So, it stands to reason, to be an effective advocate, the evangelist must first be convinced that his "good news" is helping make the world a better place. Unless he believes-- really believes -- he can't be authentic, Kawasaki said, and people can spot a faker a hundred e-mails away.

Evangelism is not publicity or public relations -- those deal mostly with drawing attention from the media. Evangelism is about regular people, not tech journalists. Moreover, "a publicist or PR person doesn't have to truly believe in what they do," Kawasaki explained, "-- though it sure helps. An evangelist starts from a belief and goes from there." In spreading good news about a better, cheaper, more secure product, evangelists empower decision-makers to step away from the status quo. This requires the ability to think out of the box -- beyond the traditional ways of doing things.

The good news? It really doesn't require any special technical knowledge to be an evangelist, Kawasaki confided. "Evangelism is all about believing -- not what you studied or where you worked in the past," he went on. "Evangelists can have an absolutely irrelevant background -- for example, I have a psychology major and worked in a jewelry company before evangelizing Macintosh."

3. Blend Enthusiasm with Knowledge. While enthusiasm is key, product knowledge is a must for evangelism to be most effective. But the best strategy for finding evangelists isn't to cull out the product gurus and choose from that group. Instead, expose as many people to the product as possible. "This seems like a duh-ism," Kawasaki joked. "But, you need to 'let a thousand flowers bloom' and then work with flowers that are blooming," he said. "Don't waste your time with buds that don't open. Once you have people enthused, it's time to get them conversant with the product, deeper into what they need to know to be really effective."

4. Don't Start at the Top. Once an Open Source project has an evangelist, now those people need to figure out whom to evangelize. The answer, Kawasaki says, is to avoid starting at the top. Success almost always comes from evangelizing to the middle and bottom of an organization. "Few CIOs will buy an 'Open Source' product," Kawasaki explained. "It just sounds too risky." Yet by making it possible for many people to test drive your product, you avoid seeming like you're trampling them with your "cause." Underneath this is the idea that people are smart and they are looking for better ways to fulfill their needs. When they find a better way that they understand and can use, they'll adopt it.

Kawasaki suggests that evangelism drives word of mouth - it's a formalized grassroots outreach. The evangelist gets people charged up at the lowest levels. So, the official evangelist's role will often be to evangelize from outside organizations -- with companies they don't work or consult for. "This isn't a sales job. This is opening people's eyes to a technology that you love," Kawasaki noted, adding, "Not everyone joins the revolution on the first day. Whatever you do, don't blow them off as 'bozos.' Anyone who's not fighting against you is fighting for you." Though you might be the official Project Evangelist, you can't be everywhere at once.

5. Sow Seeds with Individuals. Kawasaki recommended always remembering, as you evangelize your project, you are tapping into the needs and imaginations of individuals -- not passionless companies - especially at the outset. Although individual project members can help you evangelize, he noted, most Open Source project members don't work on those projects full-time; they have "day jobs" and other outside interests that might also benefit from your project.

To help members evangelize better, Kawasaki advised offering them some training in demo-ing your project and in talking about its benefits. As a rule of thumb, Kawasaki said your "lead evangelist" should develop four or five simple "talking points" that should be conversational and slightly provocative, to promote discussion about the product. Though you may know the most about your particular area of development, you must guide the product demo without seeming too intrusive. The most convincing benefits, Kawasaki noted, are ones people find themselves.

6. Avoid Evangelism Gotchas. "Inside evangelism" can be complicated by the fact that, as an employee of or consultant to a company, you're not supposed to "work for" a potential vendor. "Be careful about appearing too enthusiastic about an [OSS] product," Kawasaki said, "or [you] might be typecast as a wacko." What's more, you can face serious repercussions if you're perceived as not putting your employer's interests first.

ACLC ~ Completed

Well, I didn't expect that the whole LWF Asian Church Leadership Conference (ACLC) would require and demand the amount of energy from my limited resources :-) But, I'm thankful I could somehow play a part in facilitating the event and learn what it means to serve.

Rev. Ginda Harahap said there's three kind of leadership in his closing remarks today. He used three words to summ it up, "Serious", "Relax" & "Completed" . I understand him to say we had all these elements and he stressed we completed what we set out to do in the conference ( I realized I missed one day or two on blogging about it ... too tiredlah!).

For me, I'm looking forward to have some good sleep, spend some needed time with May Chin & Gareth, sleep again ... re-orientate myself back to normal, and simply rest at least two full days (even though I owe someone a movie review).

And yet, deep down I know the work for Christians in Asia definately is not complete, in fact, we have merely begun. And the echo of one closing remark still rings in my head that often we (at least the Lutheran leaders) are trapped in resolving definitions and not moved to concrete strategies to act. Of course, we've been "burnt" by many concrete strategies which seems to work that's almost devoid of solid thinking. Sometimes, I feel the awareness of all this is part the cross I carry in my own discipleship, and it drives me to come out of this either/or mentality. And in many ways it's painful as well to see others often moving away towards their own extremes when in reality - solid thinking and concrete strategies are essential for real short term as well as long term impact in our side of the earth.

I'm glad the ACLC is completed but I'm well aware that the work is most definately not completed yet .... Lord, help us along the way!

Lutheran Communion & more!

It's kind of a "dream" worship gathering for me personally. And it was really special to hear the words of institution spoken in Arabaic by my new friend and Arab Christian brother Rev. Samer Azar (from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordon). The middle eastern dimension was very enriching and authentic.

On top of that, it was a delight to have four pastors from different countries conduct the Holy communion today. Rev. Wolfgang (from Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Germany and our frequent BLC worshipper & wonderful encourager) joined Samer and me together with Rev. Erkki (from Evangelical Lutheran Church in Finland) and the four of us served Holy Communion and blessed the children while BLC council members were free to pray for those who came out.

Of course, there were also many other elements that enriched today's worship and allowed us to catch a glimpse of heaven. Our African (Bostwana) Lutheran friends in Malaysia joined us today, the other ACLC participants - Kaz (from Japanese Evangelical Lutheran Church), Man Hei (from Tsung Tsin Mission of Hong Kong) & Tanya (from Lutheran Church of Australia).

I had a chance to talk with someone later at the ACLC about what does being part of the Lutheran Communion mean. For me it's the chance to worship together in opportunities like today and being aware that we're connected to a larger body beyond ourselves. And the picture of Lutherans from different countries worshipping together as well as kneeling before the Lord humbling ourselves at the Holy Communion really meant a lot for our young four year old church (looking forward to see Chin Hor's photos!).

Of course, there were guests who are not "Lutherans" joined us as well today ... and while we appreciate our Lutheran history and heritage ultimately it's about being Christ-followers united in Christ, empowered by the Spirit and reflecting the image of our loving father that really counts.

And may the international flavor of today's worship and communion point us beyond our individual differences of race and culture, age and preferences to the one who has united and is uniting and will finally unite us in that final day!

When we gathered in our usual circle, it brought greater meaning because of the different nations represented (and other friends visiting from other churches included), and as the word of blessings were proclaimed by the four of us pastors (in German, Finnish, Arabic, & English), I just felt wow! what a blessed bunch we are ... and in a quiet way, I felt the Spirit moving indeed!

20 Point American Rant

Thanks to Geoff Holsclaw for this link to get one thinking (one may not agree with every single point).

Read on just in case the link doesn't work ... (quite an exercise of self-therapy I must say *smile*)
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Summers at home bring me into regular contact with Christians who still have issues with things that just shouldn't be issues with Christians. So I apologize if the following doesn't really interest any of you. This is pure therapy.

I am sick and tired of Christians who apply their faith to a set of pet issues while ceding the rest of the moral world to the Republican party platform. It is a lukewarm Church that uncritically accepts the economic, political, and international status quo and condemns as ‘liberal’ and ‘unpatriotic’ those who dare to test social realities against the Biblical visions of the Kingdom of God and to call for reform when those realities fall short of the glory of God. Therefore, I submit this rant:

1. America is not God, and Americans are not God’s chosen people. Prosperity is not proof of righteousness. If you would claim to be a Christian, then you are a Christian before you are an American. Period.

2. America was founded just as much or more on Enlightenment Deism as it was on the Bible. And even if it was supposed to have been founded on the Bible, its history of slavery, conquest, and Manifest Destiny should be enough to convince anyone that it did not remain true to any Biblical vision that may have inspired its beginnings. This does not mean there are no good things about America. This simply means that, as in any nation, there are many evil things, too, and Christians should be the first to recognize and condemn them. The support of Southern Christians for slavery, which still lingers today in the form of excuse-making and unapologetic nostalgia, is despicable.

3. If domestic policies like abortion should come under the scrutiny of the church, then so should foreign policies like wars and Third World debt. It is possible to be a patriot and disagree with my nation’s foreign policy. In fact, automatic support for American foreign policy simply because it is American is the very definition of unpatriotic - someone who doesn’t care enough for his country to try and stop it from going down the wrong path.

4. Abortion kills people. War kills people, too. Christians should be the most reluctant to go to war, the most cautious, the most ready to recognize the evils that are complicit even in just and necessary wars - they should not be singing along happily with Toby Keith songs about putting our boots up the asses of dirty Middle Easterners. Questions about going to war need serious moral examination, not the unconditional, always-available support of shallow ‘patriots’ who seem eager to betray commandments of the New Testament for the sake of a homeland in which they often profess to be ‘just a-passin’ through’.

5. Sex is not the most serious moral issue. Questions about sex are not inherently more pressing than questions about money, economics, the environment, war, debt, education, poverty, art, music, books, or gluttony. That sermons and youth group lessons devote so much time to things that concern individual people (like sex), and so little to things that concern large groups of people, is tremendously unhelpful. It is also tremendously unhelpful to cast sexuality as something that’s always evil until you get married. That’s like saying it’s wrong to get hungry until you sit down at the dinner table.

6. Homosexuality is not the Greatest Evil. Also, the story of Sodom and Gommorah is not about homosexuality.

7. Stories about brutal genocide in the Old Testament should not be passed over, as if it’s an easy thing to accept that God commanded people to skewer babies on pikes in order to judge their parents for sins that none of us today care about.

8. Philosophy is not evil. Philosophy is unavoidable. Everyone does philosophy. It’s just a question of whether you do it well or badly.

9. The following method for rating the moral status of movies is stupid: sex is the worst, language is second worst, and violence is mostly acceptable, as long as it isn’t rape. Why is it worse to hear the word ‘fuck’ than it is to see Arnold Schwartzeneggar blow someone’s brains out?

10. Dispensationalism is bad theology. The Left Behind series is supremely bad theology, and anyway the writing is horrible.

11. ‘Liberal’ and ‘conservative’ are useless terms. Equating Christianity with conservativism is profoundly ignorant and unhelpful.

12. The idea that 90% of climatologists are irresponsible ideologues, while Rush Limbaugh offers the objective and scientifically sound position on global warming, is simply incredible. It has to be a truly pathological strain of ‘common sense’ that legitimizes such lunacy.

13. There is a bounty of resources in the Christian faith for addressing environmental issues waiting desperately to be recognized and employed by the Church. Stewardship, the cultural mandate, creation order, frugality, humility, moderation, justice, Sabbath, the Kingdom of God . . . take your pick. It’s stupid to equate concern for the environment with ‘godless communism’.

14. To read the Bible like a science or history textbook is to read the Bible unbibically. Biblical literalism is unbiblical.

15. Politics should not be about winning power for Christian groups so we can ensure the moral purity of our nation. Politics should be about working for justice for all people.

16. Christians who passionately defend public postings of the Ten Commandments should be just as ready to passionately defend public postings of The Beatitudes.

17. Trying to figure out the reasons for things like terrorist attacks and anti-American sentiment, and wondering whether the US might have done anything to provoke those sentiments, is not unpatriotic. It’s just plain common sense.

18. The US probably shouldn’t provide weapons to one brutal dictator in order to topple another brutal dictator, and then condemn the first brutal dictator for having those weapons in order to validate the invasion and occupation of that dictator’s country at the cost of billions of dollars, hundreds of lives, and the stability of the region.

19. Smoking and drinking are health issues, not moral issues. Health itself is a moral issue, but that means that spreading card tables with pies and cobblers and sloppy joes and potato chips at church potlucks is just as morally significant as smoking and drinking. The principle should be moderation, not mindless abstinence.

20. Evolution happens. That it happens does not mean God is dead, or that the Bible is worthless, or even that evolution is an air-tight theory - it just means that Genesis isn’t a scientific document. If you want to challenge the theory of evolution, fine - but don’t challenge it by brandishing copies of Genesis 1&2 and publishing stupid picture books that glean anecdotal evidence for a young earth from the story of Noah’s flood.
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ACLC ~ Day 3

Actually June 5th is also our wedding anniversary, but that will need another post. :-)

The whole days programme was packed as usual. I was intrigued by the morning devotion which revolved around the "water" metaphor. There was even a special "water communion" where participants were invited to taste "water" while identifying with those where having "drinking" water was a genuine struggle (I recall a LWF telling me this is NOT Holy Communion so don't worry it's OK, that was amusing). Maybe some of this might sound strange to our more "conservative" minded Christians here in Malaysia (it's always easy to cry out "liberal" - fancy - overcreative, etc) Personally, I appreciate any genuine effort to try to connect our worship, and message to the realities of our daily life. And yet, I also believe there's an important need to have a Christ-centredness in our approach that we will allow that to shine a distinctiveness of the kind of worship we offer and whom we represent.

Then the "money matters" session is eye-opening with the reality of the financial struggle organizations like LWF will face in years to come. For example, one interesting point was whether they could meet the budget even for the next assembly in time. The relalities of the financial crisis of many mainline denominations due to church membership decline and tax revisions especially for churches that had close relations to the state in the past will really hit them personally but definately affect their contribution to programmes related to the LWF. Never before (I presume), has the organization of this stature faced such a challenge. The LWF Office for Finance and Administration has an uphill battle ahead (opps ! must be careful with military metaphors here *grin*).

A challenge was also given to the Lutheran Communion in Asia of how we can move from the mere receiving end to a place where we can give. This call was given in the context of the Lutheran endowment fund. I suppose when one deals with "money matters" there's a lot of blank faces and silence. As always it's a delicate matter, I wonder why? :-) How one raises money is important these days ... it does reflect our values huh?

I had to skip the afternoon and evening because we were invited to a Confirmation Service of one of our friends. This brought back some memories of my own confirmation. Ah .. another post needed for this too!

I was actually looking forward to "engage" Dr. Karen Bloomquist's paper on "Engaging Theological Challenges as Asian Churches" out of personal interest. She's part of the LWF Department of Theology & Studies I read her paper before I vanished from the conference for a while. She highlighted our response to "economic globalization" in her paper (For related papers check out the following : "Engaging Economic Globalization as a Communion" and "A Call to Participate in Transforming Economic Globalization." and also "Reclaiming the Vocation of Government" ) I'm planning to interview at least two or three people for a response later.

ACLC ~ Day 2

How often do you have fun with a Bishop? Well, I did with Bishop Dr Edison MUNTHE (from Simalungun Protestant Christian Church) tonight at the special Lutheran Communion Dinner Banquet that just finished a couple of hours ago. Here's a picture of him (on a more seriousness note at the recent LWF assembly)

I was very encouraged by him as I lead the songs when the banquet started, he was just clapping and moving along. At the end, he was so "responsive" and joined me up stage with some "Hallelujahs! and Praise the Lords" and we got everyone moving and walking (or marching around the tables) to the African song "We are marching in the light of God." Very memorable indeed ...

Rev. Samer Azar has been an interesting person to know (I got a true middle eastern Holy Kiss today at the end of the banquet!.) We are so different and yet we have some similarities... we're both 32 this year! I'm pretty excited how this week's worship will turn out in BLC with him as our guest plus one from Japan, another from Hong Kong, one from Australia, and very likey one from Finland and one more from Indonesia. It looks like another multicultural interaction (reminding me of a previous visit to BLC by the Asian Youth consultation 2 years ago)

That's just two people who has left a deep impression on me ... as usual I treasure the opportunities to learn and interact with those who are different in me and yet in our case we're united in Christ.

I need to blog about it before I sleep. There's more ... when there's more time :-)

Asian Church Leadership Conference

This conference (ACLC for short 4-7 June 2004) is actually organized and coordinated by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) (for a glimpse of the past click here)

It will start tomorrow morning with Bishop Gideon Chang sharing and Rev. Philip Lok leading the opening worship at 8:30am (wow .. early for me!). It's pretty much consumed most of my energies this whole week since I'm part of the local host commitee (appointed by Bishop *grin*).

I don't know how to explain it ... but the task behind the scenes can be overwhelming with so many variables at work (e.g. handling people from diverse cultures, last minute changes and challenges,arranging the delegates to respective congregation visits, confirming the speakers for Sunday services, juggling other responsibilities that are newly assigned?! and loads of other stuff ... add to the list!)

I've been requested to write from a Malaysian Lutheran perspective (LCMS to be specific) on the conference. :-) I'm not too sure whether I'm the right person. I know too much inside stories (*hahahaha*) Anway, I guess ... this blog is my amateur musings. When I get the official piece out then I can look back and compare the difference (and the amount of editing that it had to go through).

Anyway, no matter what ... it's always an honour to be hosts to our guests from all over Asia and other parts of the world. I'm actually looking forward for this Sunday because somehow I could arrange hopefully one from Finland, one from Australia to come (because we have these two nationalities represented in BLC), the speaker should be from Jordon (that will be cool ... imagine the words of institution for Communion in Arabaic), of course, possible some old friends from Indonesia and Hong Kong. We'll see ... sounds like I'm more excited about the multi-cultural flavour they'd bring to BLC worship than ACLC?! *smile*

Ministy for All!

Who is a “minister”?

Pastors are.

They practice the ministry of identity. Their work is among believers.

They are called to help us learn about our potential in Christ.

I need this ministry to prevent amnesia—

that disease of the mind that causes me to forget who I am as a Christian.

But I am a minister too!

I practice the ministry of vitality. My work is in the world.

I am called to be salt, light and leaven in a sick and broken society, Monday thru Saturday.

My ministry protects the world from anemia —

that disease of the blood that slowly robs the system of its health.

All Christians are in the ministry!

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Written by Pete Hammond, from Gospel and Culture Network Newsletter
(thanks to Prodigal Kiwi for the link)

The other side of Bush

DJ Chuang ended with this in his post ...on passion for compassion "Why does it all have to be so political?! :("

Politics can be so complicated ... because humans are complex beings, we're such a mix bag of influences, ideas and impulses (trying to alliterate *grin*). After talking with two Americans last week, I realize there are reasons why many Americans (especially some Christians) would vote for George W. Bush in his re-election campaign. For some the choice would be straight forward, for many others it may be a genuine struggle.

For all, when it comes to complicated issues like politics, I guess we're called to engage it with prayer, discernment, reason, humility, and the mosaic of kingdom values that allow us to transcend one sidedness to really understand and act the best we can. It's much easier to just hide in a mountain somewhere (or a "self-constructed safe haven"), the fact is we live in a multi-constructed complex world and we're called to play some part in it's re-construction towards the final picture tucked in the last pages of the Bible.

The Bible Jesus Read

While preparing for my book of Job messages, I found some interesting info and insights in this book that helped me along the way. First, the interesting bits.

The book of Job so fascinated John Calvin that 159 of his 700 sermons centred on it. p. 47

I mentioned Job here and there and this is the first time I've really based two messages on Job and realized its not enough.

When Robert Schuller compiled the Possibility Thinker's Bible, he found only fourteen verses to highlight in the book of Job) p. 48

Now that is an interesting observation ... and now the insights ...

“If the Book of Job reaches across two and a half milenium to teach anything to men and women who consider themselves normal, decent human beings, it is this: Human beings are sure to wander in ignorance and to fall into error, and it is better – more righteous in the eyes of God – for them to react by questioning rather than accepting. Confronted with inexplicable injustice, it is better to be irate than resigned. ... I started my journey into this book with doubt in my faith and have come out with faith in my doubt.” ~ William Safire summary of the book of Job in The First Dissident (quoted by Yancey p. 60)

The book of Job represents a step beyond the “contract faith” assumed in most of the Old Testament: Do good and get blessed, do bad and get punished. p. 47

For a significant episode of my Christian journey it was very much a “contract faith” model. The turning point came especially when my mom was admitted to hospital during my first year in seminary, that I believe put me in a situation where for all honesty's sake I seriously rethought what kind of “faith” Christians are called to respond to God.

The second important episode is when May Chin & I (as well as many in my previous church) journeyed with a 20+ year old sister bed-ridden in coma state for 18 months with prayer. That was a time when I was introduced to Philip Yancey's crucial books Where is God when it hurts? & Disappointment with God. I was also writing a theology paper on theodicy (the problem of evil) during this time of intense involvement ministering to her and learning to walk with her family. I didn't do well in the paper, a lot of emotional involvement went through the reflection process.

Seen as a whole, the book of Job is about faith,the story of one man selected to undergo a staggering ordeal by trial. His response presents a message that applies not just to suffering people, but to every person who lives on planet earth. p. 49

I saw all sorts of responses ranging from prophecies of miraculous healing to severe spiritual warfare often sincere attempts (which viewed “faith” more as believing she's walk out of hospital.) One unforgettable one after she died 18 months after being in a coma state, is how one person who persistently prayed for her healing couldn't accept this fact and in contrast how her mother stuck with her belief in God.

It helps to think of Job as a mystery play, a “whodunit” detective story... we learn in advance (cf. Chapters 1-2) who did what in the play, and we understand that the personal drama on earth has its origin in a cosmic drama in heaven – the contest over Job's faith. Will Job believe in God or deny God?p. 49

The book does not provide answers to the problem of pain -- “Where is God when it hurts? -- for the prologue has already dispensed with that issue. The point is faith: Where is Job? How is he responding? p. 53

Will we believe in God or deny God? This existential questions forces us to look beyond the more rational-laden “Why God?” I've learned that we will ask the “Why?” questions and I suppose that's just part and parcel of our human quest for meaning. But the “Will we ...?” question keeps me connected to personal God – my creator (whom I believe is truly interested in our well-being in totality), and it gently nudges me to the “What's next ...?” questions.

The core plot: the best man on earth suffers the worst calamities, which poses a test of faith in its most extreme form. p. 53

Michael's Mobile Blog

With his permission my "old" friend Michael Foong has allowed me to link his site "the the rest of the world" that's connected to this blog.

Introducing .... the baby inspired Michael's Mobile Blog! (made in Malaysia ... heheh)

Like Chee Leong, Mike and Pheik Kin go way back with May Chin and I during our high school days. More so for May Chin since they were in the same schools together (that's another story). The birth of his blog coincides with the coming birth of their first child. Our prayers and excitement are with them every step. This season is really a baby boom season for BLC (with baby Gabriel jumping into our world yesterday at 10:55pm!) as well as our friends! wow! more to come ...

The Ministry of Inconvenience

Thanks Paul Tan for making this available ... I've know Dr. Goh Chee Leong since we were teenagers serving as Christian Fellowship Presidents in our respective schools. Now, he's a psychologist and I'm a pastor. Both of us learning these precious lessons he so well put in his article.

________________________

The following episode from Jesus’s life has always struck me, more so, since I started studying psychology.

Mark 1:40-42

May God grant us the heart of Christ that loves and the mind of Christ that chooses to be kind and the hands of Christ that reach out and touches lives.