Sivin Kit's Garden

Random Thoughts after A-G-O arrived!

This week has been a good week ...On Monday, Andy Morgan's little book packed with bite-size wisdom Under Pressure: How to Avoid Getting Squashed By Pressure arrived. I like it ... in fact I think there's loads of goodies there we so called "adults" could use! Thanks Andy.

Then of course, the package above with a personal smiley from Jen Lemen (wow!) came yesterday. And you can imagine the excitement I had opening it! Lo and behold ... I think I'm the first one in Malaysia who has a copy ... hehehe (I'm willing to stand corrected on this).

Now, I can get on doing some work and contributing to the group blog aGenerousOrthodoxy.com. I think I will have something by 5pm later. Now I can move beyond the sample chapter (By the way, I aksed one local Christian bookstore to bring it in, hopefully we'll have some copies in October. Let me know if you want a copy!)

so, I suppose some thoughts will spill out in the garden here (someone told me to newcomers it's more like a jungle - I admit I am messy, and I think I'm pretty complex as I age).

With Emergent Malaysia taking some baby steps (you can read it here step one, step two, step three, and some notes here, notes 1, notes 2, the Church on the Other Side (which I think is a usual starting point kind of book), A Generous Orthodoxy would give me some directions on how to keep us moving along together.

I like what Brian pointed out in a recent article Bless This House?: Why efforts to renew the church are often misguided

"...what's really going on beneath all the superficial talk of "emerging church." Far more than cosmetics are under consideration: the very purpose of the church, the gospel, and the pastorate are being re-thought. If that doesn't disturb, surprise, or excite you, you don't understand what is being said.

Everywhere I go, on the fringes and in unexpected places (including in all the wrong denominations where this sort of things shouldn't happen), I discover churches and leaders who are grappling with these deep questions. They want to be blessed in order to be a blessing to the world. Their dream does not stop with the church. They're thinking about God's kingdom coming on earth as in heaven.

Whatever conversation I'm interested to be part of at a deeper level relates to what he says above (I'm not a Brian junkie by the way .. I just like his style). Maybe it's been done at the seminary/academic level, or amongst the more "intellectual" group, how about at the grass root level where most pastors are and where the people live? These are the places where "genuine" change is needed. But we need to start listening and talking first. Anyone else wanna join?

By the way, I found the arrival of Andy's book to be "interesting" .. with so much going on I need every little bit of wisdom to "Avoid Getting Squashed By Pressure" ... it's already a challenge pastoring a young church, being a father of an energetic 2 year old (and soon one more coming), not forgetting I have one wife who needs tender loving care, and a load of other stuff on my plate. God's grace is always sufficient ... that I know ...

A-boy with Yeh Yeh

This is a rare shot by John Kit (my younger brother) of my Dad and his grandson Gareth during Dad's birthday on the 9th of September.

We also managed to have time for dinner together last night (which was mooncake festival!) These are precious moments we treasure.

Facing the Fury Within

From SacredGateway this morning (cf. Luke 9:51-56, when Jesus' disciples told the Lord to command fire down to burn the unwelcoming Samaritans),

"When we calm down in prayer, similar furies and indignations can rock us. As we stop moving, and quiet our bodies, resentments can bubble to the surface of our mind. Let them bubble and burst. It will not take us long to see that anger, if we indulge it, becomes a burden on us, not on those who offend us. As long as we want revenge and without forgiveness, we are wasting adrenalin, and in one part of our mind we are holding God at bay."

Emergent Malaysia Notes (one more)

I'm delightfully surprised by the responses "generated" by our so called first pretty informal gathering actually. Even thoughts from some one who missed the meeting like My Tightrope had some worthwhile questions feeding our future conversations here Emergent Rising and Knees Knocking..., and I thought I was going to have a day of rest today, turned out my mind is still on overdrive! Here's an excerpt from his post:

What is exciting me most about the "Emergent" movement is the rethinking about our relationship and (to use an increasingly common word) conversations to God and to everyone. Sounds almost cliched but that is exactly what is needed. A rethinking needs, no pun intended, to be thought out. In this particular loci of time, when theology, good and bad, is becoming more prevalent among the masses, when religiosity is giving way dogmatic deconstruction and when our elders start to squirm in their seats and wonder about the good ol' days.

Where then is the balance? How do we emerge the church in the greater society while holding on to the non-negotiable commandments lest syncretism creep in? How do we balance the touchy-feel conversations and keep our relationships real and fruit bearing to other people looking in? How does the Emerging Church fit into our tapestry of cultures, filial bonds and moral-tradition codes and how can it be relevant without the frequent bumbling Christian toe-stepping evangelism approach? Lotsa questions and lotsa looking forward tos.

Emergent Malaysia Notes (dua)

"Dua" means 2 in Malay. Here's another set of notes and a comment from an overseas friend, I like the "the Church is always “emerging” everywhere around the world. " phrase which is why we decided to jump in and join the party!

From The Confessions of A Hedonese

Had a most stimulating conversation at Bangsar Lutheran Church in the first Emergent Malaysia meetup last Saturday. It's a great pleasure/privilege to meet up with Sivin and other online frens who share a passion for theology and mission

From CS Lewis, we know these qualities can co-exist in harmony to the glory of God and the good of man!

From Steve K.

Is the “emerging church” just a Western/American thing? I think not. In fact, the Church is always “emerging” everywhere around the world. Brian McLaren has been writing some fascinating stuff about the “post-colonial” church in Africa. Another part of the world that I have a great love for is southeast Asia, and I’m excited to pass on the news that there is a growing movement in Malaysia. My heart and my prayers are with my brothers and my sisters in that part of the world.

The Waiting Room Pt. 2

After more than one failed attempt in some kind of online interactive community, BLC's Community Blog The Waiting Room has sprung to life in an unexpected way. I think it's also a great place for people to have a glimpse of "happenings" in our corporate lives on the edge of Bangsar and beyond!

James has posted an important Question & Answer section to help people know what's going on.

Here are some nice snapshots of what happened yesterday:

Stepping In! which is connected to Conversations with Jessisca! and of course the food connection after the worship gathering is expounded in Refreshment day

While some had the chance for the much coveted taking-care-of-our-body Sunday afternoon siesta, a bunch of us spend some time with youth from another Lutheran church with the theme Run the Race (which as you can see with so many pictures evidence that I got my Canon A70 back!)

Random Thoughts in the Growing Room

(I'll talk about this picture at the end of the post...)

Theological Reflection is one area that needs "emergency" emphasis in Christian leadership in Malaysia. I told Andy Morgan that I'm "100% with you on "whatever your view, i do think that the church and its leaders must start to think theologically. " Especially, in my context this is much needed emphasis. We are challenged to "think pragmatically, experientially, devotionally, etc" But a lot of our problems apart from personal character flaws and emotional health issues do stem from the lack of effort to think theologically ..."

It's really nice to have a peek at what many emerging, post-modern churches all around the U.S. look like and get some "feel" of the concrete lives they live. Thanks to Rodger Sellers Travel Logs we get to join him in a way (via abductive columns)

I'm happy this morning to be reminded of Lessons for Transforming Churches from The Church of the Saviour which I still find an uphill journey to see all these values become a reality in our church. But, I'm challenged to think long-term ... so, perseverance is a must!

ok and now some comments on the picture.

First, a big congratulations to Rev. Dr. Hwa Yung who is now the Bishop of The Methodist Church in Malaysia. He was very instrumental in planting the seeds, and preparing the soil in me to "Think Theologically" as my former principal and lecturer in Christian Theology and Asian Theology in Seminari Theoloji Malaysia. Then, it was simply "surprising" & "accidental" (because we were in a wedding dinner upstairs when they were in a thanksgiving dinner downstairs) that we could also catch up with his wife Dr. Lee Bee Teik who was the pre-marital counsellor for May Chin and I. We were delighted that both of them could catch a glimpse of Gareth. Of course, Jerng their son stayed with us for a little while and somehow our relationship links have been connected since. So on one hand, meeting now Bishop Hwa Yung :-) always reminds me of the importance of theological reflection in Christian leadership and seeing Dr. Lee reminds me of the importance of relational connections.

Emergent Malaysia Notes

These two individuals just have the amazing ability to construct beautiful paragraph art pieces with words. In short, they take better notes than me! Here goes some excerpts ...

From Messy Christian's Emergent Malaysia's first meet (click the link for some cool pictures from her point of view)

Wah, sound so grand but actually it's just a couple of folks getting together to tell their stories. It was a 'safe' place to confide, hence therapy - something I didn't think the meeting could be.

The fact that we could do something with our way of looking at Christianity and our faith and affect some kind of change was exciting. (The ability to create change is a big part of who I am.)

From Alwyn Lau's Story Loci

It was a lively session, facilitated by Sivin (who, if I'm not mistaken, sought to 'deconstruct' the Asian inclination towards silence! *grin*!). Met up with my Hedonese pal whom I haven't seen since, well, some time, and who introduced me to the phrase, 'evangelical Muslims' (how about 'emergent Muslims', some of whom we may be seeing at the UMNO General Assembly this past few days?). Also present were Messy Christian (who boldly kicked off the conversation by sharing how relieved she was that her questions didn't prove her 'weirdness' - in some ecclesial eyes, at least - but have in fact been pondered on seriously by many emergent authors, e.g. Kimball, McLaren), Yew Khuen and his fiancee ("I'm here because of her," said YK who also added with a grin that there's something profoundly true about the statement), pastor and church-planter Alpha and his wife (from whom some of the best lines of the day were spoken, e.g. "Emergent represents church history in the making", "We ought to care for the 2 and 3 as much as we care for the 2 or 3 thousand"). Delightfully, there was one theme constantly, err, 'emerging' which kept the stories united, giving everybody common ground, that of how drums were equated with 'revival' in some churches! (And do I hear somebody thinking of African tribal music?!)

Emergent in Malaysia ... baby steps

At first I thought could it just be me? I dont't think I'm the only guy who resonates with a big chunk of the stuff in Emergent Village right?

Then some emails exchanges transpired. The next thing is three of us young men met up - three pretty good looking I must say (all praise to the creator! *grin*) Three coming from quite different starting points but with common questions and apparently converging on a similar journey and of course one must mention some interests sparked by Brian McLaren and NT Wright and some other cross-interests here and there (actually there was a fourth one - most "cool" looking chap actually was and still is stuck in UK at the moment, we await thy return oh philosopher).

We lay silent for some time ... but began blogging (or tried to) but the emails, the phonecalls, and whenever possible face to face meetings but usually separately. A five guy somehow got "included" ... then later started blogging I had the honour of meeting him for the first time today ... we tried hard to try to meet together but then ... it was just typical Malaysian schedules (read - busy! - for all sorts of reasons) I also noticed the lack of female participation here and I was the only pastor (which I didn't mind)

And then off I went to UK and then later Germany for a month this year. Upon my return I just did a jump first, fear later and we finally fixed a meeting and asked some interested females and other friends to meet up ... had interest even coming from those who read this blog.

Some could make it, others said maybe the next round, one fell sick and others due to other reasons. I was happy three wives turned up (that increased female participation immediately together with another three ladies! Thus a total of 6) One Toddler and one baby were eaves dropping ... and the 6 of us guys
(wow! it's the number 12 for adults! )

Not bad for a start ... let's see what's going to happen when we meet again in November 6.

Now, I have 101 things I'm reflecting on ... all in all ... Thank you, Lord. My heart is full of gratitude as well as a load of questions to ponder.

The Waiting Room

Thanks James Tan for getting this started ... we'll see where it'll go from here.

Introducing: The Waiting Room

BLC's Community Blog - the Gatherings, Life Groups, discipleship, social issues, prayers, worship experiences, insights into the Scripture... no random statements of who we had lunch with and what our dogs ate for breakfast. The place where strangers get to know us as a community, who we are, what we're like, how we function, and to experience what it'll be like to be a part of us.

Posted by sivinkit at 11:46 AM | Comments (0)

Islam Hadhari

This will be occupying my mind for a while ... so what are Christians in Malaysia busy thinking about? What's occupying the matter between our ears?
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The concept, which also calls for moderation and a balanced outlook in life, was first promoted in January but this was the first time the defining principles had been formulated in tenet-form.

* Faith and piety in Allah
* A just and trustworthy Government
* A free and independent people
* Mastery of knowledge
* Balanced and comprehensive economic development
* A good quality of life
* Protection of the rights of minority groups and women
* Cultural and moral integrity
* Safeguarding the environment
* Strong defences."

~ From New Straight Times

- for the full speech by YAB DATO' SERI ABDULLAH HAJI AHMAD BADAWI, UMNO PRESIDENT (and also our Prime Minister) click here
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Pieces that made me stop ...!

Thanks Andy Morgan for alerting me to the following two pieces that made me stop ... I felt sad, I felt sick, I got angry ... I reflected ..., I resolved... repented ... prayed ... the list goes on!

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Piece No.1 ~

Last Sunday Christian evangelist Jimmy Swaggart shared a shocking confession to his congregation during a worship service that is broadcast to a global audience. In the middle of his sermon, Swaggart proclaimed that he would "kill" a man that looked at him with romantic intent.

(applause)

taken from sojourners

Piece No.2 ~

an iranian woman has applied for a court order to restrict her husbands beatings to once a week instead of every night.
"my husband is violent and beats me virtually every evening. i thought he would stop after the birth of our child, but it has got worse," said maryam j.
"i dont want a divorce. my husband is violent. it is in his nature. i just want him to promise to beat me only once a week," she told the judge.........

summoned to explain himself, the husband said: "i hit her because a wife should be afraid of her husband and this way i oblige her to respect me."

(Andy's comments)
i wept when i read this. i wept becaue women are being abused and attacked and beaten in our world today. it is absolutely mind blowing to think that for this woman, a good thing for her would be for her husband to beat her once a week. our lives can be hard - but for millions of people around the world life is unimaginable.

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Christians in Malaysia - 2 views

Messy Christian actually got it started in here post Questions from the West about the East and this morning BK had a go in the post on The Malaysian church I think I need to have a go at it ... the questions are good and it makes one have a fresh look at one self. Of course this is a very grass root exercise ... more observations and reflections rather than in-depth research ... but we must start somewhere.

Here's a sample of their take on Question 1 . What is the seemingly most attractive thing about Jesus to Asians/Malaysians? What distinguishes Christ the most?

Messy replies ...

That he is a personal God. Not a God that is silent, or a mere philosophy or concept, but a God that communicates with you and is very real. And that He loves you ... the concept of grace, for one, is one of the most attractive as well. He is the only God I know that offers that - I don't have to do a series of things to gain His love.

BK answers ...
Hmmm.....would that be grace? That is personally how I would feel anyway. The fact that we're getting something completely undeserved is an alien concept in this little part of the world, where performance is paramount, and eye-for-an-eye is a common attitude. That our wrongdoings, our rebellious attitude would be completely be excused by God if we place our faith in Jesus. I think that a lot of Malaysian Christians truly treasure grace, and at the same time, it is a big stumbling block for others who find it hard to believe that we cannot get into heaven on our own merit.

I think the other thing that really appeals to us is that Jesus is personal. The idea of having a relationship with God, from my limited observations, really captures the hearts of us Malaysians.

Debating styles & Journalism

Thanks Conrad for this interesting look at the coming USA presidential debate here - When George Meets John and I like what Conrad highlights on how this is what journalism should be, i.e. Personal but based on in-depth research, balanced but not artificially so. (I dedicate this post to all my journalist friends, reporter wannabes and truth seekers/communicators out there!)

TULIP

Nice one from Leaving Munster which is actually from Brian McLaren's revised/reinterpreted "TULIP".

T - Triune love
U - Unselfish election
L - Limitless reconciliation
I - Inspiring grace
P - Passionate, persistent saints

Random Thoughts after DA Carson reminder

I'll keep it short ... ok I'll try.

On Monday, the traffic to the DA Carson first Bible Exposition on Revelation entitled how to beat the dragon" was horrible. But the place was packed with people. The Klang Valley Bible Conference in their own words, "exists to encourage Godliness through expository Bible teaching" had a good start indeed. There was IMHO more than 800 people at one glance. Obviously there's a hunger (or a "market") for Bible teaching :-)

As far as exegesis and exposition is concerned, I found it helpful and took one and a half mind map worth of notes. There were a vast range of age groups with quite a substantial from the youth/young adult range (surprisingly). I asked one youth after the talk how did she find it, she admitted finding difficulty following the exposition (for me it was ok, but then I realized for many they may not have the background to absord the amount of info in Prof. Carson's talk - even though he was a excellent communicator)

I thought maybe Dr. Carson might throw in a few remarks on Emergent/Emerging Church ... but nothing was mentioned. As far as a Bible expostion is concerned (which is supposedly his expertise and full-time preoccupation), I found his talk much better than the half-baked end-time alarmist sermons we get so often here in this part of the world. And honestly, I was rather touched to see the "hunger" for Biblical teaching while having a good look at the captive audience.

That's why I have mixed feelings .... towards someone like him. On one hand when they stick to exegesis and Bible exposition, it's very helpful and needed for us here especially... but when I hear his talk on the Emerging Church online he stumbles more than once in providing a fair "exegesis" of the so called "emerging church movement". So, on one hand I left Monday night appreciating the Bible exposition on Revelation (well done), and yet on the other hand, I'm puzzled how the treatment on the Emerging church can be so ... less than "excellent" (content-wise) :-)

It's after reading Maggi's post "Don Carson and the Emerging Church",that reminded me to key in my random thoughts above (i forgot quite a bit that was bubbling on Monday night). I recall Carson taking a swipe at "signs and wonders" before too and recently "open theism" gets quite some knocks ... here in a ministry founded by him Christway Media where you can hear some talks by him. I was suprised he's also gone into songwriting ...

So while I think I did learn much on Monday night ... and I've a sense of respect for his Bible teaching and efforts to serve the church. I think it's ok just to have a healthy "skepticism" to discern that his exegesis of "culture" today or applications on issues arising from "the emerging church" discussions would need a friendlier nuanced position ... that's my 2 Malaysian cents (which after conversion isn't that much in sterling pounds, Euro, or US dollars - but that's ok!).

so, I couldn't keep it short ... :-P not too sure whether I made sense as well ... just trying to join the conversation ...

Future of the People of God

Thanks Jason Clark for pointing me to download a load of MP3s here on "The main talks given by Tom Wright at the Future of the People of God conference" (a nice bonus reflection by Jason is good reading too)

Another word of thanks to all those at Open Source Theology and Church_SHIFT for making these available to many of us who couldn't make it to the conference, a Big TERIMA KASIH (thank you in Malay)

Jesus Asked

Nowadays, it's not surprising to first read the blog before the book, and I was first introduced to Conrad Gempf by Jason Clark. When I saw Conrad's book at SUFES bookstore I couldn't resist the temptatation to get a copy. I thought about it before - i.e. how Jesus always had interesting questions and the way he used them. And now there's a really fun-serious-witty-wise book that invites us to enter this "questioning" environment in the Gospels. Here's a free sample chapter! Plus I think the cover is fantastic :-)

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Jesus was a bit different from other religious teachers. Moses wanted to tell you the Law of God. Prophets were always telling you what the Lord was saying. But apparently, if you met Jesus on the street, he was more likely to ask you something than to tell you something. Even when other people asked him a question, he often replied with one of his own. ~ p. 19
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I asked a few questions to a group of "thinkers" and was delighted with the response.... made me think of more questions!

Good Intentionality

To read the following in context and why I've been talking about "Intention" lately at least at BLC and in conversartions, one must check out the article "The Tension Regarding Intention" by Todd Hunter
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Let's see if we can find an imaginative way forward. First, with reference to all three issues—evangelism, leadership, and spiritual formation—the answer to misuse, usually in the form of manipulation, is not no use, it's correct use. We cannot live unintentional lives in any important area of life. And despite the language seeming to the contrary, no one is now doing so. Those focusing on "just relationship" or "just community" are intentional also in that they want to eliminate manipulation. But action must be taken to implement that or any other vision. We cannot live without intention; made in the image of an intentional God, that's simply not a choice available to us.

Third, regarding manipulation, just don't do it: place manipulative tactics in your mind, circle them, and draw red lines through them. A big key to successfully leaving manipulation behind is to find a way to feel secure about our eternal life. We usually manipulate and control out of fear and insecurity, hence the need for spiritual formation again.
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On the Edge of Bangsar

Here's my fresh attempt to get my fellow pilgrims and pioneers (in short: Council members) started in a group blog using Dan Kimball's book The Emerging church as a springboard. And of course, James kicked me a little further because of another idea he has (which I'll leave it to him!). Anyway, here it is ...

On the Edge of Bangsar: figuring out how one can dance to the beat of a different djembe

The Invisible World

Thanks Movable Theoblogical for pointing me to Gordon Cosby's article The Invisible World

Here's some stuff that just stands out!

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Nothing in the Christian life works unless we get the hang of prayer. Christianity as a theological system, as an ethical and moral system, simply won't do. Unless we can connect with another order of reality, the whole thing is just too exhausting to try to work through. ...

1) We have to have a basic, fundamental conversion, a metanoia, or turning around. The most fundamental way of describing this conversion is that we become aware of the invisible world. The central conversion of metanoia is to pass from the visible world into the invisible world of the almighty uncreated energies of God as the foundation of all reality. We have to make a decision that it is in this invisible world that we are going to live. ...

2) Recognize that this whole order of being, this world which is there, is a gracious reality. It is ready to flow into me if I can open to it as a gracious reality. It is for me. This coming into me will bless me, thus it is a blessed reality. ...

3) I f I'm aware that that realm is there, if f I'm aware that it is a gracious reality, then I have a possibility of surrendering to the ocean of love which is ready to pour in on me. And what pours in?

Christ pours in, the Holy Spirit pours in, the Father pours in, this trinitarian life actually, literally comes into me as I open, as I surrender with abandon to the whole realm of reality which is there. Christ comes through the door once closed but now opened and He brings everybody with Him. Often when He comes in I find that He has His arms around my mission group members, and all of His Church. He brings with Him all of the broken ones. These broken ones are within me, these wounded ones are within me, the murderers are let in, and the idiots are let in.
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Random Thoughts while Spidey dances

Thanks Knowtown for the spidey dance :-) made my Friday evening a little more fun.

Since I'm somehow going to talk about "Change" this Sunday using "Who moved my cheese?" as the title ... it was a delight to actually stumble the official link below:

Personally, nothing beats reading the book in your hand ... the whole book! But, I do realize it took me a long time before I reached this "state" :-) Maybe for many summaries will get their taste buds warmed up ... and then during the traffic jam here in KL, we do have time for reading because no one is moving! (DB how about that huh?) .. There's loads of stuff here:

I've been really thinking here and there about what was said here in The Seal of the Blog, Tony Price's words here really got me thinking about my own blogging, he says ...

"... as a general rule, I try not to write anything that I would not wish to be read by
1 my mother
2 my boss (the Bishop)
3 my wife
4 the weakest brother or sister in the congregation, who could be scandalised by something I write."

(Thanks Maggi for the link and also the thoughts on Wedding Day)

Maggi's wisdom on Weddings will be useful for the two couples who are getting married in October and December. Here's what she says:

"...weddings are not just about couples, but about communities. Western society would have us believe that marriage is a private matter between two people. But it's more than that - it has a ripple effect on the whole of the community that surrounds it - from the children and extended family that make up the household right to the furthest link in the community. THe love of the couple can generate love outwards. Or it can exclude and diminish.

The second thing is that being in love is normal for the CHristian gospel, not a temporary state. Often in church I've heard people say that true love - God's love - is nothing to do with the passing euphoria of being 'in love'. There's some truth in that, of course, but it seems a shame to me to imply that God's love is worthy, boring and based in a commitment that endures despite a consistent lack of joy and enthusiasm."

ok ... now, let's go dancing with Spidey ... I'm really looking forward for BLC's mooncake party tomorrow Saturday night at 7pm!

Duet with Erwin McManus

Thanks Subvergence for this interview with Erwin McManus. I'll try to duet with his thoughts and maybe make some harmony :-) (Erwins gems in bold, my pebbles in italics)

“World views are far more important than generations. You have to understand the material from which a person is shaping his or her world view and how to speak to this emerging world view that is formed from multiple, conflicting views of reality.”

I'm attracted this proposal especially here in Malaysia. I found few really aware of the nuances of the modern/postmodern discussion and though using generational catergories might be helpful, I find it can also easily distract us from a more holistic approach. So, while being aware of the premodern/modern/postmodern lens, and also the generational lens ... trying on the worldview lens I think will move the conversation forward and across borders better.

“Every human has God placed evidences within their soul. Postmodern evangelism is extracting those evidences from the soul and show them to them. I say, 'Inside you is a craving you need to listen to.'"

I'm still intrigued why many Malaysian Christians and churches are locked into the idea of Evangelism that's actually "trapped" in modernistic-rationalistic-enlightenment bound ideas and we've never really passed through that phase (in depth at least). So, something like what Erwin says here though actually resonates with many of us, some might fight it strange or "New Age"? A dose of Paul in Athens (cf. Book of Acts) might relief that fear! For the more adventurous, extra nourishment in Missions history or MIssion theology will do lots of good too!

“Its not about structures, strategies, programs or patterns. If you don't rediscover the apostolic, you'll die!”

Now, I'm a little jumpy when the word "Apostolic" is used here ... I love it's Missional sense, faithfulness to the original call of Jesus sense, and of course the link with the best of "Apostolic" spirituality and history since the early church. But, the realist in me is also aware of the more "restorationist" view point when the word "Apostle" is used here in the side of the world. ... and most of the people who claim to be "Apostolic" or wear the title "Apostles" aren't people I'd be comfortable being "authentic" to, and "trust" their theological or missional leadership. I admit I'm reacting aganst the worst of evangelical-charismatic-pentecostal abuse. But, when it's rightly and faithfully used within a "generous orthodoxy" (grin) and a missional agenda that's not human centred as mentioned (i.e. preoccupation with structures, programs, etc) ... I love the ring of that!

“The most revolutionary thing you can do is call people to pray. Pray for the emerging church and young pastors and the churches in the future that make you uncomfortable.”

Thanks Erwin, for knocking that nail on the right spot. I think this is a most needed call. In the midst of great conversations emerging, and converging ... as well as mutual partnerships and friendships. This call may have been neglected (as long as prayer doesn't become another programme again!).

“First, The sermons that are changing the world are the ones where the pastor is real--sharing his journey with the congregation. Second, stop preaching sermons and start telling stories. Third, Break though the pressure to be a great preacher and become a great leader.”

I like the "real--sharing his journey" bit. I must admit this may not be what some are looking for. The perceived security of "know all the answers" kind of sermons is still popular or at least seen as the right way to "semonize". As for telling stories ... many here tell lots of stories in the form of testimonies .. what's amiss in some scenarios is when it becomes more of stories about us rather than the story of God working in us and in history. And on the third aspect, I too agree especially for younger pastors or may I say even older pastors? that being a great preacher is still seen as an ideal. For me, my weekly sermon/message preparation process is part of my own discipleship and leadership. And I believe in the process of being a great-good-servant-leader one needs to learn how to communicate God's truth working in my personal journey as well as the corporate journey of the church. Maybe it's more like blogging but in the pulpit?!

A journey of a thousand miles

I remember being struck by this quote when it was spoken by the commentator during the closing ceremony of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games. I think it helped nudge me into baby action steps!
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"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
~ Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu
Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)
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I found the additional notes from The Quotations Page very helpful.

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Although this is the popular form of this quotation, a more correct translation from the original Chinese would be "The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one's feet." Rather than emphasizing the first step, Lau Tzu regarded action as something that arises naturally from stillness. Another potential phrasing would be "Even the longest journey must begin where you stand." [note by Michael Moncur, September 01, 2004]
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A9

Thanks TallSkinnyKiwi for refreshed info on the launch and existence of Amazon's new search engine http://a9.com/..

I typed my name "sivin kit" and was stunned when i saw a my pictures at the side ... then I tried a few other names and "phew! wow! aiyoh! Hmm ..." Will there be a shift of power as far as search engines is concerned? We'll just wait and see huh ...? :-)

The Call to Discipleship... Revisited

Bonhoeffer's words really cut through (the link I gave here has good brief history and pictures - this is where I got this younger looking Bonhoeffer). As I'm reading his classic book Discipleship which I seriously think God is using my interaction with its pages to shake me up, stir me, and shape me ...

(refering to Mark 2:14)
"The call goes out , and without any further ado the obedient deed of the one called follows. The disciple's answer is not a spoken confession of faith in Jesus. Instead, it is the obedient deed.

... Jesus calls to discipleship, not as a teacher and a role model, but as the Christ, the Son of God." p. 57

"The disciple is thrown out of the relative security of life into complete insecurity (which in truth is absolute insecurity and protection in community with Jesus): out of the foreseeable and calculable realm (which in truth is unreliable) into the completely unforeseeable, coincidental realm (which in truth is the only necessary and reliable one); out of the realm of limited possibilities (which in truth is that of unlimited possibilities) into the realm of unlimited possibilitiies (which in truth is the only liberating truth." p. 58, typing this made me pause a few times!" p. 58

"No further content is possible because Jesus is the only content. There is no other content besides Jesus. He himself is it.

... Christianity without the living Jesus Christ remains necessarily a Christianity without discipleship; and Christianity without discipleship is always a Christianity without Jesus Christ. It is an idea, a myth." p. 59

Complexity Theory and Emerging Church

Thanks Maggi the link to these timely insights:

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The Millennium Matrix

I remember mentioning about the book and the articles before , here. It's a useful way of looking at the present scenario of cultural shifts and ongoing changes in our world. MPH 1 Utamahas copies .. I got mine there yesterday (and made my confession to May Chin later...)

Here's some quotes for tasting after a quick glance through its pages (Miller's words in bold, my immediate bite-size reactions in italics):
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Most people sense that something is different or even wrong, and everyone seems to have a theory as to why. Few of these theories, however, offer a real framework for navigating change." p. ix

Any "framework" won't be perfect, but some are more useful and others or helps us see reality better. I was thinking of a particular solution someone passionately is advocating which is build on some interesting observations but faulty analysis because of a less-than-helpful "framework." So, even though the solution project to the problem is a start but needs severe revision and tweaking.

"... Many churches and denominations are isolated from the realities of their community and the larger culture. In fact, they have moved to build support services and a culture cut off from the larger community." p.xii

This is so so true ... and even though we might be using the most modern techniques or tools or even trendy ideas ... we might look similar on the surface but are actually miles apart from the realities and thinking of those we are trying to reach. And worse, is when we just pump in more energy (with some guilt) doing the same old thing, thinking the same old thoughts ... when it;s not really touching lives in a deeper level ...

"... Many churches are so fragmented and activity-driven that they have little opportunity to develop strong relational bonds." p. xii

This is one thing that I've been hyper-sensitive about coming from the kind of background mentioned in this quote. Of course, the danger of over-reacting and being totally clueless, lazy and no direction is there too. But, we in Malaysia need to seriously get our act together ... and STOP! Learn to "love" and develop strong relational bonds again before we charge into another project.

"The church is not losing ground. On the contrary, we're simply awakening to our true condition." p.12

So often, I wonder whether we as leaders really know what is our true condition ... are we folloing our own illusions or chasing human-made dreams which sound grandiose but are actually distracting us from REALLY putting our full resources and gifts into proper use. Time to Wake up folks!