Sivin Kit's Garden

Random Links 122 (Special Focus on Malaysia)

While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry
Sometimes when you are a way for so long (in my case 27days for others maybe 2.7 years or more ... it depends), I found myself looking at my own country with fresh eyes. Apparently, Michael Backman is getting a lot of attention.

‘Amok’ Season Again: How We Perpetuate The Myths Of Empire
I overheard some of the concerns when I was in Germany, so now I'm catching up on the reading. There are also other articles I will be checking out in The Other Malaysia

A policy of basic respect
This lady makes so much sense with these words in the context of Malaysia, "Basic ground rules should be set and strictly adhered to. Statements that hint at compromising national unity in any way should be reprimanded. This should apply to all leaders in all public discussion, including parliamentary debates. Condemnatory insults of any race or religion should not be tolerated under any circumstance. In short, there should be conscious effort to move away from clamour and steadily towards rational dialogue."

'Choice a cornerstone of Islam'
I was surprised to read this considering our current climate where it could be deemed a little to religiously sensitive for such comments and yet, I appreciate us having the chance to openly and humbly discussing such matters with a healthy confidence in who we are and a generosity to listen to others who are different from us. ...

"Azzam, the author of several books and a commentator on Al-Jazeera and the BBC, also said Muslims should not make such a big deal of those who chose to leave the religion.

"If submission to Allah involves free choice, then the same principle must apply if one wants to leave the faith," he said.

He noted that the Quran did not stipulate any punishment for apostates at all, and the punishments spelt out by the hadiths had to be contextualised.

"In Islam's formative years, going in and out of Islam was used to sabotage the community, and hence was viewed as treason.

"But if one leaves the religion out of free choice, let them become what they want."

He said Muslims should be more confident. "Nothing will happen to Islam if people leave the religion.""

Life as a secret Christian convert
I found this piece giving me a glimpse from a secret Christian convert's point of view. Especially the following ... ""I feel that I am all alone in this struggle," she says, "and I am frightened because I am alone against the odds.""

"We" are all back!

I confess one of the things bugging me throughout my trip back is whether my checked-in luggage would arrive. The plane was delayed in Nuremburg and I had to slightly run to make sure I arrived with a decent time for Gate F3 in Amsterdam airport. And I knew the transit time was a little short this time compared to when I went to Germany (which my luggage didn't make it with me). So, you can understand why I packed my luggage more "strategically" this round with almost all of my clothes in the checked in luggage and the "goodies" and "gifts" with my hand-held luggage and notebook bag. The three bottles of wine which were gifts had no choice but to be with the checked-in luggage because of the STRICT new laws on Liquids for hand carry luggage.

So, it was a great relief to have ALL my luggage this round. Gareth and Elysia made my heart melt with their greetings. Both of them have grown so much in 27 days .. especially Elysia's vocab and way of carrying herself. It's times like this you feel "wonderful" as a father.

I think May Chin will be happy with clean laundry I brought back ... :-) The guesthouse I stayed in had the facilities and I'm glad I managed to wash and dry all my clothes in Germany before my return. I'm still waiting for her to come home from work ... that's the less than perfect part of my arrival. And yet the reality of her "work situation" this week with last minute meetings. It was nice to separately put the children to sleep.

I hope to have the day tomorrow conducive to "re-orientate" myself back to life here. There's still a long way to go ... for many things in life. I'm thankful for my 27days in Germany and there's a lot of raw experiences to be reflected upon. I'm not realizing how "intensive" the whole experience was with the planned and unplanned elements. And I think some space is needed for quite a while to "focus" a little more on the changes I'm undergoing, and to discern what is God doing in my life and in the world today.

Gloria in excelsis Deo

Vater Unser im Himmel

It's almost 27 days away from home ... :-) I'm back from a nice dinner with Thomas Paulsteiner, the East Asia representative and contact for Division for World Mission Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (World Mission ELCB). The food was good (as usual) and the conversations helpful to slowly bring the whole time I've spent in Germany to a gradual close.

It's time to go back to Malaysia tomorrow. I'm thankful to have the last "assignment" to be at Lauf's Christuskirche Sunday morning contemporary worship service. It REALLY felt the closest to what I'm used to at Bangsar Lutheran Church (perhaps it's God's way of preparing my "transition" back to Malaysia). Pastor Thomas Hoffman has become from an initial contact to a close friend. I've even recorded him playing drums (which is very good in my opinion) but that will be for another time where I have more energy. :-)

I feel I need to wind down a little now. There will still be a morning devotion tomorrow with an evaluation and discussion afterwhich will be a farewell lunch. Then packing and off I go to Nuremburg Airport back to KLIA via Amsterdam. There are a few songs which has caught my attention during my visits and stay here. This one which is based on "the Lord's Prayer" is one of those memorable ones. I thought I'd post it up to close the evening. In many ways, I believe my time here has been one way to allow the truth and reality of this prayer to be embodied and expressed in all I am, all I say and all I do ... in small unofficial ways and in more focused programmed ways too. But this is more then about my experiences, it's about how God is working still in his own way to see his Kingdom come in respective situations in Germany and Bavaria specifically. When all is said and done, the focus is still on his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven ... and we should start by being grateful that we can have a part in this process. Looks like I will return to blogging either in the Amsterdam Airport or back home in Kuala Lumpur. for now a prayer ... "Our Father ..."

[The Lord's Prayer in Song Video]

(The Lord's Prayer in German)
Vater Unser im Himmel,
Geheiligt werde dein Name,
Dein Reich komme,
Dein Wille geschehe,
wie im Himmel so auf Erden.
Unser tägliches Brot gib uns heute.
Und vergib uns unsere Schuld,
wie auch wir vergeben unseren Schuldigern.
Und führe uns nicht in Versuchung,
sondern erlöse uns von dem Bösen.
Denn dein ist das Reich und die Kraft
und die Herrlichkeit in Ewigkeit.

Amen

Amazing Alois

Alois Schwarz must be in Philipines right now as one of the speakers of the major Lutheran Church in the Philippines meeting. He was a fine host for me when I was in the Hof District and specifically in Tauperlitz last Friday until Sunday before I came near to Munich. I'm impressed with the website of the Evangelisch-Lutherisches Dekanats Hof. I liked the way they used a plate to organize all the churches and ministries in the surrounding villages and towns.

Alois speaks very good English and is well traveled. He's the only single pastor I stayed with. So, it was interesting for me to see life through the eyes of a pastor who is single as well. We were also flexible with our schedule a little when it might have appeared to be not workable - which I REALLY appreciated.

Alois included me very much in the life of a local church pastor during the weekend which included a dinner at Mexican restaurant with the council members of the church, a birthday party of a 70 year old lady (which before I left I shook hands with a retired medal winning swimmer!), and a special bonus was conducting an infant baptism with him at Kirchengemeinde Kautendorf. So, while there was not so much of big meetings kind of events. I could have a better "feel" of what a local church pastoral ministry is a more village and even rural area in Bavaria.

Our conversations helped me see clearer the areas we need to be watchful in Asia. Alois has not only spent time in Canada for his theological studies, he's also worked in Papa New Guinea and served as a lecturer of Church History and Old Testament in the Phillipines. My mind was drawn to think about leadership issues in our Asian churches, and the way we utilize our resources, as well as what can true partnership between the North/western and South/eastern churches mean in the 21st century. Now we are in a time where we can work as true partners as we humble our hearts and minds together for an agenda for the church and God's mission bigger than ourselves.

Another special thing I will remember is our morning devotions together and evening prayer with a candle lit in the middle to center our scattered thoughts. As I understood better the German scenario in terms of life, religion and especially the Christian faith .. the lighting of the candle reminded me again and again God is still working in Europe perhaps not in the same way as Asia but we must not underestimate where Christ is working. Our role is to see where the Spirit is working, encouraging the people who are responding, and come alongside and serve Him faithfully wherever we are!

The Kurth Family

It's hard to keep up with the events chronologically, so I decided to go with the flow. Time is ticking fast, the temperature is surprisingly warm for this autumn in Munich, the sun is shining bright right now. Manfred has been explaining to me how this climate probably is due to the warm air blown from the Mediterranean sea towards the south of Bavaria. Manfred is quite an amateur ecologist too as I learnt so much about trees and animals during our conversations in the car :-)

When I arrived I was fascinated by the family piano passed on through generations in Manfred's family. It has even survived the war and has bullet marks on it!!! I did notice how Africa is still part of the family and they talk fondly of their experiences there as missionaries with the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (The wooden Hippos were nice!). Sabine is also a pastor. So, this is the first family I stayed with where both husband and wife are pastors (currently Supermom Sabine is not serving in a parish full time though).

The three daughters Magdalena, Johanna and Esther are lots of fun since day one. I call them the three sisters that don't fight and we laughed. Watching Esther do her homework with the guidance of Sabine is very entertaining. Her facial expressions when she gets the spellings right is a delight. When she makes mistakes you suffer with her :-) Johanna speaks English well and I think my presence provided a chance for her to practice .. well done! Magdalena is even taller then her mother!!! And yet she is still very young ... she will 13 soon and like many children here is in her confirmation class. I could see the responsible big sister in her.

Of course, a picture of the bed I slept in the last couple of days ... a bed from Africa! :-) One of the added values of the teaching program thus far has been the chance to "live" with families here. And the last few days, our conversations was a mosaic of topics that went beyond mere church and mission related issues. I think we cannot divorce all the other aspects of our lives when we relate to each other.

Last night was fun when we watched a UEFA Champions League football match together with a glass of wine. Sabine was surprised by my knowledge of the players ... I joked and said I know enough to talk about it even though I'm not a FAN! At other times, we talked about parenting, discipline, education, and culture.

Very often, it's in these non-formal conversations, I found myself re-looking at my own upbringing, and the "multi-mix" culture I'm part of in Malaysia, it also provided stimulus to consider what is possible for the future - as it's too tempting to see "culture" as a static environment. I believe and observe that there's a lot of dynamism in "cultural changes and shifts" today, and perhaps just perhaps, we do play a part whether big or small in shaping the culture. And with that consciousness, we can move forward. Right now I'm not thinking in terms of "culture wars" but more a "gardening" or even "ecological" way of thinking about culture. Well.... that's just some seed thoughts with the sun shining on my fingers :-)

Zugspitze

[Quick View at Zugspitze video]

At 2,962 m (9,718 feet), the Zugspitze was one place I'm glad I could visit today with Manfred Kurth as my guide (official website here). After being here for 22 Days around various places in Bavaria from North to South, finally I had a "REAL" initiation to winter weather at -3 degrees celsius at the peak :-) But then the wind blew the cold cut into my skin. It was a challenge holding the camera and taking a quick video above. I'm glad I got the extra clothing I needed from Manfred and had this little cute cap from Papa New Guinea to cover my head and ears:-)

I admit I was amazed at how fast the cable car pulled us up to the peak. It was nice seeing people skiing (I'm really lousy at it so I was satisfied just being there and taking lots of pictures!). And I loved to see the beautiful scenery and touch snow (ok! I'm a kid at heart *grin*)

I was surprised to see a chapel and was told by Manfred perhaps it was built to remember some people who died in an avalanche years ago. As we were trying to get down he took a video of me. Nice to be on the other end of the camera, I looked and felt like a fat man trying to get down with leather shoes in soft snow.

The weather was good today and it was good to have a break. I'm looking forward to complete my time here in Germany and return home next Monday. There are still at least three more assignments to do - with tomorrow's religious education classes, and then speaking at a youth camp, and closing with speaking at a Sunday service in Lauf. So, this little breather (even in a place with thinner air) was much appreciated.

[Sivin in the Snow Video]

Ecumenical Service and Evening Talk

It was a special opportunity for me to participate in a Ecumenical Service at Cantate-Kirche Kircheim tonight. It was part of a special "Day of Repentance" and the text I was given to speak from was Revelation 3:14-22. It was a unique service for me for a number of reasons:

1. I realized "ecumenical" was more understood as between Lutheran and Catholic here (where as my perception was inclusive of more other denominations from a Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian view). Fascinating how one needs to check on the overtones of the words we use for differing contexts.
2. I appreciated the creative parts of the service where we sang the Kyrie eleison in between three short plays which were meant to get people thinking about their Christian faith in a culture where Christians are less likely to "stand firm, stand up or speak out" on their beliefs.
3. I had the chance to participate through preaching, serving the Holy communion as well as giving the final benediction in Chinese.
4. From my view, it was simply worth celebrating both Catholic and Lutheran participating in communion together and there was a little part where we held hands to receive the parting short blessing which reminded me much about BLC in Malaysia.

[Cantate-Kirche Kirchheim Evening Talk Video]

After the service, we immediately moved to another room for the evening talk. I felt the atmosphere very open and was surprised when a senior man Mr. Klaus came up to me before we began and told me he has been to Malaysia but that was 1979. One amazing thing throughout my travels thus far is meeting Germans who have been to Malaysia :-) He chipped in when i was showing the Durian with the phrase .. "It smells like hell but tastes like heaven!" I had a good laugh with that.

The discussion was lively after sharing about Malaysia in General and Christianity in Malaysia. As usual there were a lot of interest in The Status of religious freedom in Malaysia. Of course, my approach was more from a personal and pastoral point of view. It's always good to clarify any misconceptions and yet be honest with challenges we face.

There's a lot of complexity and dynamism especially at this stage of our history in Malaysia. And all the players - from religion to politics, ethnic concerns to economic considerations, government to the people, etc. need to walk wisely and yet openly towards a future we can all embrace. Kyrie Eleison!

All in all we had a good evening, the closing applause in the video indicated their appreciation of my sharing. Some of the post-service-talk conversations helped me discern where God is working especially emphasizing what's more essential in terms of church life. One lady's sharing was especially encouraging when she mentioned after hearing about our adventures the last 6 years in BLC - that community, sharing life, and joy is more important than the temptation fo focus on buildings for example. If that's one thing she got from what I shared then I rejoice. Another lady shared with me earlier on being encouraged by the cooperation of different denominations in Malaysia. And it's true there's much we can celebrate at a local church level as well as national level.

And yet, deep down like anyone who is truly plugged in to the Church .. there are many areas we need to work on and improve. Sharing the story of BLC as well as being a Christian and a pastor in Malaysia again and again has helped me re-affirm the values I've been exploring and trying to embody these past 6 years. And yet, there's also sparks where I'm reminded where we may have missed something or need to be watchful of pitfalls. It's always good to re-look at the core mission and vision of what other ideas need to center on.

It's a little late ... and I'm glad tomorrow there's a break :-) good to relax a little. Praying for good weather.

An Evening with Vivaldi & Bach

[Choir Practise - Vivaldi Video]

I was impressed with this Lutheran Church choir ... joining in the choir practice was a lot of fun especially when the choir director was so energetic, passionate and intelligently helping the members interpret the music.

There were times where even for someone like me who's not so into classical music, I could appreciate the paradox of the simple and the complex in the music, the environment of worship the songs were meant to evoke, and the harmonies as well as the dissonance, ... etc.

Though this wasn't a concert setting with everything all sorted out, I felt drawn into times of stillness as well as adoration. Not bad for one who's music diet tends to be ambient, rock, pop, acoustic, folk, jazz or modern music. There was something special with these musical classics from Vivaldi and Bach. I think when I return I might check out some CDs!

[Choir Practise - Bach Video]

What's Your German Name?

Your German Name is:

Fabian Tobias

I couldn't resist this since I'm here. I typed in Sivin Kit and the results were the above!

Quiet Thoughts after another good beer and conversation!

Sometimes we find a most scenic moment in the most hidden place. In the case of the picture above it's a pond found near a small village in the region of Hof where I was at last weekend - in a place what people would call the Bavarian Siberia. :-)

Now, I'm near Munich ... and have a wonderful bed to sleep and a delightful "very good" Wi-fi connection which I didn't expect. So, maybe I could update more than I expected.

Just came back from a choir practice and now have a fresh appreciation of Bach and Vivaldi :-) I think what impressed me most wasn't just the church choir but the passion of the young twenty something music student choir director. My batteries ran out so I'll probably only be able to put up a video tomorrow. This was not part of the original program, it was more of joining the lifestyle of my host Manfred and Sabine.

I found the not part of the "official" program bits enriching and expanding my horizons. One of the unexpected "blessings" in this trip is to have a better understanding of the history and development of African Christianity through the eyes of longer term missionaries who've lived there. First, it's a wonderful introduction to a continent which I feel is more distant for me geographically and historically. Second, it purges my naivety about how Christianity develops there and specifically cultural questions. Third, I find my horizons expanded even more when it comes to seeing Christianity worldwide and what is possible for the future (as well as areas we need to keep an eye on).

It was fun to teach Esther (Manfred and Sabine's youngest daughter) some Chinese. So far I've lived with five families in Germany and all at different life stages and with their uniqueness. The conversations with a nice beer always opens up personal as well as spiritual topics worth the time spent here.

I'm glad to be here right now. I do miss home and am prepared to go back. And there just simply too much to process all at one go. For now, I'll be thankful for every moment which has passed and the episodes which has yet to unfold. It's a full day tomorrow and Wednesday.

I'm looking forward for at least one day of planned sightseeing perhaps to the alps near to Munich :-) Of course, a good weather helps. It's getting colder now. It's time to sleep.

Food & Beverages... thus far!

The hosts in Germany have been very kind to me .. exposing me to the variety of Bavarian specialties ....

often we eat at home ....

I had some snacks in my room, and Malaysian Maggi Mee just in case :-P

I did my own fushion once *smile* and have grown used to the more normal German breakfast ...

Sausages are yummy here ... (and this comment is coming from me --> a grandson of a butcher).

and .. Sauerkraut. is quite an experience!

The cold meat, bread and cheese evenings were interesting.

at times I'd be surprised by German versions of curry turkey!

Pre-Christmas Chocolate cookies!

Sausages again! Yummy!

simple dinner ...

a special treat was this lamb dish ... Oh my ... I'm speechless!

Many Germans like sweet things ... ice cream in autumn was fun!

I even had Mexican food one evening ... El Paso!

Bread, cheese, coffee was a breakfast norm ...

Had an interesting snack at a birthday party of a 70 year old lady! The Cheese cake was "heavenly"!

The last supper on Saturday last week .. was a nice homecooked meal.

I yielded to the temptation to try a noodle dish at the ONLY Chinese restaurant. This is the only meal I paid for myself ... thus far apart from some snacks. As I said the hosts has been generous and kind to my "growing" body!

And of course, the wine has been great and the beer incomparable with what we have in Malaysia ... I was introduced to "healthy" beer :-) Prost! Cheers!

and .. one more week of German food!

(Note: this post is not an accurate portrayal of the "total program" which I'm part of ... but these were delightful interludes! *grin*)

Quick Thoughts in the Room 312 Bed

It's nice to be back after sleeping in another bed for two days. Now, I'm back to where I started November 2. How time flies. It's one more week left in Germany.

I found myself tickled when I was arranging some pictures of some of the food and beverages I've had thus far. There's been work of course, but there has also been some good food. :-)

This morning was meant to be a Day of remembrance for those who died in the war as well as those who died the past years. My morning started with a dose of reality when I got an SMS news about the passing of a friends mother. Lord have mercy.

The autumn I have experienced thus far has been kind to me according to all the Germans I've talked thus far. It's been a little warmer and sunnier than usual. They say I brought the sun with me :-) maybe I might see snow before I leave? I did see snow when i arrived. That would be a nice way to sandwich my trip.

Ah! I can't help but wonder about my shorter connecting flight schedule and the transit period (especially hoping the luggage won't be delayed again!)

Tomorrow is supposed to start with a day off ... well, looks like a day of travel too. Munich (or at least near to Munich) here I come.

Keeping in Touch

[Video Call with the Kits I]

Thanks to Skype ... we could still be in touch ... for quite a number of times already. We just need to time ourselves a little bit. These video calls made being away a little easier ... just a little.

Singing Grace

[Singing Grace Johannes Style Video]

This is the video I promised in an earlier post. I loved little Johannes' energy and enthusiasm as he led us every time before a meal :-) This unofficial episodes are pleasant surprises!

Which type of Blogger are you?

Well ... another quiz would be fun ... it's pretty accurate at least about the camera! :-) But the Journalist comes to a close second, which says ...

"You love recording. You record the events that happened to you during the day, and you usually note them down in a fluent and formal language. You normally receive a lot of props and comments since you are sociable and it is comparatively easy to give you a comment. Seldom will a journalist write about his/her VERY personal feelings on a blog � secrets are secrets to them!"

perhaps the readers can tell me? :-)

What World Leader Are You?

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

I did this for fun before I get ready to blog again after being a way for some time. I was surprised by the results. I think I'm far from the "Mother Theresa" Ideal ... :-) May be the 10Euro Beer + Chinese noodles I had has gone to my head :-P

Back to Bed in Bayreuth

It's good to be back to a familiar bed (the one above) in Bayreuth. Sleeping in different beds during this 26 days in Germany is very much part of this whole experience here. So, it's not just the official "Teaching-Preaching" program that I'm part of. Last night was the first time I ever slept in a room at a special home for the elderly (the bed is the picture below). Due to some arrangement difficulties, both Christian Pohl and I were not able to be housed at one of the church members home. And she was kind enough to make this special arrangement for us.. We even had breakfast at the canteen at the home for the elderly canteen this morning!

Again, there's more than I can post right now as the physical body is tired after two days of traveling to and fro from Marktheidenfeld. The trip there was a short focused trip with a one night stay arranged with the help of Gerhad Durst a young 33 year old pastor who is involved in religious education in schools as well as the youth work of the parish.

Christian Pohl was a good driver and a wonderful conversation partner. The topics of our conversations went beyond the state of the Church in Germany to especially his experiences and interests in East Africa. Here's an Article he contributed for the Dictionary of African Christian Biography on an interesting man Paul Pera , also called Paulo Mwamribwa , who was the founder of the first protestant mission school in the Gombero area in Digoland, Tanzania. I was encouraged to see Christian's desire to uplift the contribution of the local people during the missionary era in Africa.

Tomorrow until Sunday, I will be sleeping in a different bed. Tonight, I'm planning to get some needed rest in the bed in Bayreuth (the first one above!) :-) Not sure whether I can managed any blog posts until Sunday evening. So until the next round ... Cheers!

Dedicated Thomas & Family

The name Thomas is often associated with "doubt" but meeting Rev. Thomas Hofmann who's the pastor of Christuskirche at Lauf, was a great new connection and the word that came to me is "dedication". Both of us are similar in age. He looks younger though he is older. We have similar and yet different stories and pathways in ministry. One thing that keeps us together is being centered on Christ and his mission in and through the local church. It's fun to note the church and the parsonage is on Martin-Luther-Str. Cool!

There's so much I could talk about in Lauf because we had many fascinating conversations and engagements. But due to time, and my tendency first to focus on the people I met rather than just talking about the places and programs, I thought I'd quickly post some pictures here first.

One of the little "moments" I enjoy is when little Johannes his three year old son leads us in the table grace with a song (I'll try to post a video once Youtube is finished with their down time!). And this little boy is so energetic and always talks to me in German and tries to get me to play with him. Before I left his big sister Marie was having her party and Igregard her mom was busy preparing for the party while Thomas had to send me back to Neuendettelsau.

I could say more about the ministry aspects of the time in Lauf. But for now, as I look back in those few days we are together. It was more like being adopted into their family and understanding what a local congregation pastor like Thomas and his family life is like. Talking with his wife Igregard (I hope I got the spelling right!) gave me insights into a pastor's wife in Germany. And it's not surprising that the expectations on pastor's wives whether in the villages and/or in the city parallel much of what we experience in Malaysia. What I was happy to hear is how she is coping well as they await their third baby soon!

On a ministry note, I will be delighted to close my trip here in Germany by participating in their Gottesdienst in moderner Form (modern service) on November 26, speaking and sharing their with their congregation. More on Lauf .. another time.

Lunch is soon and I'll be off to another place from Bayreuth to talk to some young people and tomorrow do a number of religious education classes with evangelical and catholic students (note: evangelical in Germany is a short hand for Protestant *smile* - which sounds good to me!)

Warm Faith at Roßtal

I'm at Bayreuth right now but the updates are slow unless I have internet access like now. There has been many activities both formal and informal which has kept me busy. All of them serving a a new "text" for me to reflect on my own "context" and prayerfully in time a "renewed text" or script will emerge as I consider what it means to be a Christian "Glocally".

A quick remark on some amazing women I met at a small village at Roßtal on November 7 Tuesday.

What impressed me most was their faithfulness meeting together for at least 20 years with a focus on being aware on missions overseas (esp. Africa and Papa New Guinea) and contributing with their efforts in raising funds as well. They always have visiting guests from overseas and it was their first time having a Malaysian pastor :-) And they said it was nice to have a younger pastor too .. heheh

Mrs. Ultscht and her husband was kind to treat me with a typical German supper which is cold meat, cheese and bread :-) and the evening was at a church room with a group of ladies who were full of energy and inquisitiveness. the atmosphere was even livelier than the pastors meeting earlier in the afternoon. The "energy" level was high that evening and contagious for me. At first, I was a little tired after a whole day of traveling and meetings but when you have a bunch of women with such "warm faith" towards God, and his mission in our world - what else can you do but get "boosted" up.

The rapid fire questions and comments were a delight to interact with. And while it's easy to always focus on the declining influence of Christianity in Europe or the diminishing membership in churches, I think it's important not to forget the stories sof humble unnamed women like them who have been faithful in their own way towards the Gospel. These stories are communicated less to the wider world where we tend to focus on the dramatic. As far as I was concerned, the power of the Spirit was present on all of us that night .. and it was a "revival" meeting as far as I understand it.

Perhaps the last 6 years, God has been reshaping a lot of my perspectives and paradigms. And suddenly, it's a wonderful to be able to "See" things I previously would have not noticed. And especially in an age where mostly "younger" people are uplifted in terms of mission or church work, I think we must equally appreciate those who have gone before us and serving to a ripe old age.

So, Prost! (Cheers!) to all the women in this group in Roßtal! Your warm faith has been a blessing in our cold world!

Quiet Thoughts before I pack again...

The KLM Royal Dutch Airlines were kind enough to pay me 70Euro for my damaged bag. So, it was good to get this new one for a "fair" price according to my new German pastor friend Thomas Hofmann when we were in Lauf town centre.

Today was supposed to be a day off ... and in the morning I managed to catch up with some blogging. But from the lunch onwards, it was a delightful time for interviews, conversations and a dinner appointment. One was planned earlier. Two were confirmed when last week and yesterday.

I enjoyed the interview because it gave me a chance to respond to questions, clarify points of "muddle-ness", think about areas I didn't notice, and one thing I realize is how much of an "oral" communicator I am. It's so much easier for me to be in an interview than writing an article (I'm a little sad now because I couldn't get into completing one today - that's another story).

It was also good to reflect once again on my journey as a pastor and especially since re-starting Bangsar Lutheran Church with a group of friends. Then since being in our denomination EXCO and serving as the Education chairman I felt I could talk more intelligently about the wider church we are part of. ( I'm surprised we have a new website design! But it's still very much work in progress)

The conversations on the wider church and Christianity in Malaysia further stretches my understanding of the socio-cultural-political and religious climate of our context. It's easy to slip into a simplistic black and white mode. But to share with nuance and honestly as well as a sense of the dynamism which we are going through was quite an experience. There is much to be grateful for. And there's a lot we need to be watchful.

I'm eating well. Sleeping ok ... and preparing for colder weather as the days progresses. It's harder to predict how other locations will be like. But I've been forewarned. I'm not sure whether I've put on weight (which is a concern especially to my wife!). I must say the potatoes have been good .. sausages are excellent, meat is yummy ... Salad is a daily affair, drank quite a bit of coffee ... the little beer and wine I've had thus far has been tasteful :-)

and now it's time to pack for the next week or more ... waking up early to take a train tomorrow. Guten Abend ...

One Day at Nürnberg

November 7, started with a foggy morning but a nice scenic drive to Nürnberg. The appointment was to get to know about the work of the Amt für Gemeindedienst (Department for Parish Ministry).

I was delighted to hear from Rev. Markus on the work of Kirche Mit Kindern. I love the logo. It's very inclusive for children, and I like the idea of the cross and the boat. what was encouraging was a value which I personally feel is important, i.e. Children are part and parcel of the church. They are members of the church. So, often we adults see ourselves creating programs "for" the children, and unconsciously they become the "objects" of our ministry. But it's so cruicial in all age groups especially with children we learn to be church "with" them.

Markus and I talked about the theology of children and what are their contributions to the church. Yes! They have much to contribute and also challenge our so called more "refined" ideas. This of course naturally connected to couples, and families, as well as parenthood and Markus' female colleague (sorry can't remember the name right now) shared about the courses they provide for pre-marital sessions, marriage enrichements and parenting seminars. There's a whole lot of resources this department offers to the congregations and churches here in Bavaria.

One thing I noticed, in comparison to Malaysia ... we in Malaysia tend to tap on the resources of parachurches or independent organizations for support like the above. But here at least in my contacts with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria all aspects related to church life from children to adults, from social work to missions work has specific institutions or departments to support the work.

It was also in conversation with them that I begin to "feel" and "see" the importance of the support of local church pastors, or their district deans in letting people know about the resources available. Of course, the challenge is often mentioned that many pastors in Germany are bogged down by administration.

It was fun to show them some of the videos I brought with me on how we try to integrate the children in our worship. And I managed to share some of the values we are trying to embody with our experiments whether in corporate worship or "sunday school". We had a good time of learning from each other. I couldn't help but sense the strong "resonance" and agreement in the direction churches need to go towards the future - starting from children right to families. But the challenge before us is equally daunting ... internally, we as Christians and especially leaders need to "put our own house in order" as well as rework our priorities. Externally, we are confronted with weakening marriages and family ties in this fast busy changing world.

A delightful surprise was when Markus and I could speak in Banasa Malaysia (or Indonesia). Markus spent some years teaching theology at a seminary in Sulaweisi. And I was delighted to hear of the contextual theology arising from Indonesia. He gave me a book TEOLOGI BENCANA - Pergumulan Iman dalam Konteks Bencana Alam dan Bencana Sosial (which I skimmed through this morning and looks promising). Oaseonline.org is a wonderful website with resources that I'll be looking at later.

One of the challenges I think we face in Malaysia, Indonesia or Asia as a whole is the encouragement towards development contextual theology and praxis which is needed from the church leadership. It would be tragic if all these efforts are confined to the seminary or a few individuals. I believe local church pastors and people in the grass-roots can contribute and work together with those in the academia and theological education for a more complete representative theology which touches on the realities and questions from the location we are in.

after a good morning meeting, Gerhad Stahl took me to Nürnberg city center and we spent some time there visiting ancient churches which we rebuilt. I had a deeper insight to Nürnberg this 2nd time as Gerhad told me how the whole city went through world war II and the tragedies resulting from that.

This time I had the chance to climb up towards the fortress area and had a wonderful view of the whole of Nürnberg. The Nürnberg sausages was a nice climax for lunch.

The afternoon pastors meeting was short and swift as far as my part was concerned. They had lots on their agenda and was kind to give me a slot to share and to have a short Q & A. This is where I began to understand more on what many have been telling me about .. the "administrative workload" which often shadows the more "people-oriented" ministry that many pastors would see as important. In a time of open conversations, it was interesting to hear from one of the pastors (there were at least 15 present) that planting a church or having a focused church ministry (minus the administrative overload) would be a "dream"! I'm not sure whether he meant that as what they would want or he meant it was a distant dream where near to impossible to achieve.

Anyway, I was happy to have this chance to share with fellow pastors. The other questions usually ranged from Christianity in Malaysia, Christian-Muslim relations, why people want to become Christians in Asia, etc. It was good to clarify and clear some misconceptions as well as honestly share on the real challenges we face as a minority population.

Gerhad told me later he felt the "energy" in my presentation and also interaction with the pastors. I smiled because these pastors are important for the local churches to flourish wherever they are. And I know how easy it is for a pastor to feel discouraged due to busyness, or little results, or forces beyond their control. We as pastors need to be challenged, and we need encouragement at all times. No one can truly understand what a pastor feels and thinks unless he is one himself. Thank God for those who are supportive. But I believe mutual encouragement from fellow colleague is needed today more than ever. Forget about competition. We need to find ways to re-work administrative tasks. My prayer is that pastors will arise to take our calling seriously by focusing on areas god has empowered us and equipped us to do. More on this another day. :-)

Augustana

it's 9:12PM and I thought I'd update as much as I can tonight. The weather is cold and wet outside. And I'm waiting for my clothes in the washing machine :-)

I'm way behind schedule as far as posting all I've done so far, and the places I've been. I'll quickly re-start from November 6 when we visited The Augustana-Hochschule. I've been there before during the Summer School 2004, but thanks to Mary from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELC-PNG), I get to join a more personal guided tour and a chance to meet some of the faculty.

I was surprised to have chance to actually speak some Mandarin and Cantonese when I met a doctoral student for New Testament studies from Hong Kong. It's interesting to know he was from a Pentecostal background and he yet he says he liked Lutheran theology and has joined one of the Lutheran Churches in Hong Kong. Later we had tea with Prof. Dr. theol. Dieter Becker and I was surprised to have some chance to speak in Malay (or Indonesian since he was teaching for some time in Indonesia).

It was a good conversation, and I found the article he wrote and passed on to us helpful for me to have a better grasp of protestantism in Germany. We also had an interesting little discussion on Homosexuality in Germany and its affect on the German church and ministry. We talked about church life and theology post world war II and how that affects the way German Christians live and think.

It was good to know that they are happy to take in students from other countries but one needs to at least know German to join any of the programs there. I was happy to have a chance to get a feel of what a "seminary" (or in this case a unique divinity school) is like here. And the conversations with Prof. Becker and earlier a guided tour by Pfarrer Dr. theol. Moritz Fischer gave me a glimpse of seminary life here.

later in the evening, my education was further enhance by talking with Mary from a research institute in PNG. And our topic drifted into her research on witchcraft and sorcery which was fascinating. Mainly because of not just her research but also the stories (which includes murders) which surrounds the worldview of those engaged in such beliefs (even for Christians!). This raises many questions of culture, values, belief systems, conversion, contextualization, spirituality, etc. My mind was blown away ... This trip has been enriched by not just contacts with German Christianity but also other surprises like conversations with Mary from PNG.

Ministry with the Helmreich Family & Nicodemuskirche

it's 5.28PM, Nov 7 ... the sky is already dark and I'm supposed to be off for a women's meeting (with supper!) leaving at 6:10PM. But I thought I'd quickly put a post before I go.

The focus would be on the weekend ministry I had at Nuremberg with a Pastor, his family and the congregation he's part of.

I was picked up on Saturday by Rev. Gerhad Helmreich (Helmreich means Rich Helmet apparently) and a lay leader for Missions work Ursala and we had a evening drive back to his home at the suburbs of Nuremberg.

Elizabeth (Pastor Helmreich's wife) welcomed us at the door and I was later also introduced to my translator for the Sunday service and meeting - David Helmreich (a good looking 28year old English/Geography major who will be a teacher after he finishes university).

After dinner which was noodles ... we went to prepare for the LCD projector (they call it "beamer" here) and I was surprised to see a more "modern looking" church as compared to what I've seen in Germany thus far. This church was built in this century (which was a change *smile*). I was interested to get to know Robert who joined us later for the evening. He and Pastor Helmreich are planning to start a group for young adults (which is a missing group in the church). Most of the church attenders are senior citizens, and perhaps those more middle aged with their teenage children (who in this culture would be confirmation candidates). So, it was refreshing to hear about this effort to "reach new people" (esp. unchurched people - who might be nominal Christians).

So, it was nice to give a more "private" viewing of some video clips to Robert and the Helmreich family, and had some good conversations. Pastor Helmreich with his smile was always affirming and encouraging. Based on our conversations and input from Robert. I get the impression that Germany is "hard" ground when it comes to living Christian faith. My mind couldn't help but think of what Lesslie Newbigin who prophetically highlighted when he returned from India to UK how hard it is to communicate the Gospel in more "post-Christian" Europe. It's heartening for me to feel it more as I get in touch with people serious about sharing and living the Christian faith in Germany for example.

[Evening Worship at Nuremberg Video]
The evening ended with a beautiful (unexpected) time of worship with Rev. Helmreich leading us to sing "Father, I adore you". I REALLY valued this because it closed our evening with a sense of the sacred and a moment of peaceful prayer. The weather may have been cold outside, but I was delighted to be in a household of warm faith.

The next morning I slipped into the white robes and put on the green stole (provided by the Missionswerk) and stepped into the service at Nikodemuskirche Nürnberg ready to share a message entitled "Love your neighbor, Love your enemies" based on Matthew 5:38-48. I realized the service wasn't following strictly the normal Lutheran liturgy (which was another unexpected surprise). And I felt the general atmosphere to be open especially as I shared (with David translating excellently - that's what his mother said!). I later gave them a short appetizer for the meeting after the service where I shared our BLC story and lessons I've learnt living and serving as Christian (and a pastor) in Malaysia.

[Worship at Nikodemuskirche Nürnberg Video]

I was surprised a third time to see many people stay back (for German standards it's quite good to have 20-30people stay on after service). We had a great time especially during some Q & A sessions where they asked about life in Malaysia, reaching younger people, relations with people of other faiths, etc. So, I felt the weekend went very well ... and some of my fears about whether I could relate were dispelled.

For me personally, the time with the Helmreich family and people like Ursala and Robert were precious. It's like the Spirit is blowing life into the German church through people like them. And I just wanted to encourage them to persevere and not give up in spite of the challenges from all areas whether it's church institutional structures or the already secular and increasingly post-Christian or irreligious climate of German culture. This hope is not based on anything else but the promise of Jesus to be with us and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

A special time I had was with David, and interaction with him gave me insights into what young people like him are looking for in the Christian faith and the Church as a whole. While it's hard for younger people to relate to the church, it doesn't mean they are not interested in genuine faith and spirituality. David has been to Taize for example. The question remains for the church in Germany how will they face such challenges. And I think it's important for the worldwide Christians to continue supporting them in whatever way possible. There's more I'd like to say but it's 6:08PM and I'm off to another meeting ...

East-West-German-Malaysian Fusion

It's 7:36AM, Tuesday, November 7 ... and it's cold outside with what seems to be thick fog (which I prefer in comparison to hazy smoke *smile*)

I thought I'd post up a quick loop of my dinner last Sunday. The host at the Guest house I'm staying was kind enough to leave some food and a special notice for me so I won't be hungry. May Chin tucked in some Maggi Mee in the suite cases before I came .. so they come in handy when you need them.

So, I did a kind of "fusion" attempt with what was there in the fridge and what I had with me ... It's nice to eat this "fusion" dish I cooked up especially when the weather is cold at night. The hot soup with the ham .. yummy! :-)

As usual there are more reflective moments applying the above insight in terms of theological thinking, missiological musings, educational philosophy, sociological insights, .... etc. hahahahah ...

I'm off to breakfast and a full day of program today ...

Credo

I can only tell you what I believe; I believe:
I cannot be saved by foreign policies.
I cannot be saved by the sexual revolution.
I cannot be saved by the gross national product.
I cannot be saved by nuclear deterrents.
I cannot be saved by aldermen, priests, artists,
plumbers, city planners, social engineers,
nor by the Vatican,
nor by the World Buddhist Association,
nor by Hitler, nor by Joan of Arc,
nor by angels and archangels,
nor by powers and dominions,
I can be saved only by Jesus Christ."
- Daniel Berrigan (via Journey with Jesus)

Daniel B. Clendenin's update was interesting. .. perhaps we could begin looking at our own lives and make our own versions (as an exercise for ourselves), he says ... "I like to update and expand Berrigan's repudiation of false hopes and misplaced trust. I cannot be saved by George Bush or Jesse Jackson, by Hillary Clinton or Condi Rice, nor by their successors or opponents. I cannot be saved by Green Peace or the ACLU, by Focus on the Family or by Promise Keepers. Which returns us to the Psalm for this week: "Blessed is he whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God" (146:5)."

At Evang. Luth. School Ansbach

[At Evang. Luth. School Ansbach Video]

Friday morning November 3, started with beautiful snowflakes on my window with the surise.

Later after a typical breakfast here with cornflakes, milk, cheese, bread and cofffeee, I proceeded to the morning devotion at the chapel. Another visiting guest Rev. Schaffer (if I'm not mistaken) the president of the Lutheran Church in Argentina shared the devotions in German based on the scriptures from the Losungen (which I noticed to be a popular devotional guide for German Christians here):

"The Watchwords (German "Losungen") of the Moravian Church (http://www.ebu.de), well-known in many lands in booklet form, daily feature a word of the Old Testament chosen by lot and a suitable word of the New Testament."

During the time of welcome and a few words for me .. I could manage .. " Guten Morgen ... Ich Heiße Sivin Kit" to help with connecting with people :-)

Gerhad Stahl (I put his last name because there are many Gerhads in Germany!) then drove me to a school in Ansbach. Here's the info on my program about the school.

"In Germany most of our Schools are run by the Government, but some Church Parishes run private schools. The Government contributes money towards those schools, additional money out of church funds and from private donors is involved. The School at Ansbach offers their students a combination of normal morning lessons and after-school-care in the afternoon and during holidays for those whose mothers are at work. The week 29th October to 3rd November is a school holiday, but a group of about 20 kids, age 7 – 11, are staying for their holiday programme. During this week, they decided on “getting to know Malaysia”. You have been invited to top their last day of the Malaysia project."

The kids were pretty patient with me and well prepared. There was a paper with the questions written asking about food, animals, the games that we play .. I introduced them to our "Wan Tu Sum" - Bird, Water, Stone version of a simple game. Ok I admit, these are different versions of it over the world. maybe that's proof we are from one humanity? *grin*

I got some stuff from Central Market which you can see the kids having fun in the video above. I showed some pictures of Malaysia from the more developed City as well as the rural areas. They had more of the Malaysian jungle and forest as well as beaches in their mind. So, I guess, giving a more balanced picture is good :-)

Lunch was interesting because the teacher was explaining Asian fruits to them ... like Lychee, Starfruit and Papaya. They loved the fruits. And the teachers shared with me a local Malaysian delicacy the kids tried to cook yesterday - MAGGI MEE GORENG *smile*

[Asian Fruits in Ansbach video]

Later after lunch, We tried to play Sepak Takraw which was more challenging since the kids were little young for leg coordination. So I switch to our classic version of "Monkey" game where they could throw the ball around with some kids in the middle trying to catch or block the ball. It was lots of fun.

For me, it was a little learning curve as well to adapt to the younger kids. Language was a challenge but we had a great time connecting .. some of the kids tried to speak English which was fun. Gerhad did a great job translating. And for short attention span kids they did great!

Before Gerhad and I left, we had some further conversations with the three teachers with Cappucino and some cakes.

One thing I loved about the kids were their initiative to volunteer and their participative nature. It was interesting to talk with a young boy and he shared how he prepared his food in his lunch box. He was really bubbly and was full of energy for discovery. Cecilia who was sitting next to me during lunch really devoured the Starfruits! Going to this school brought back lots of memories of my time as a child in England and the joy of learning that I cultivated there. It will be tragic if our Malaysian education system continues in "achievement-based" mentality and lose out the most important thing I believe for a child - the desire to discover, learn, probe and be creative as a growing human being. And to see the "Wonder" in their eyes to new and even foreign things is rewarding!

Brief Recap: Flight To Germany

It's 9:14AM now .. Monday, November 06, 2006. The weather is "cool"

I thought it would be good to do a quick recap of the journey to bring us up to speed for those "traveling" with me in Germany. :-) It think I'll make this short.

Do I miss the kids and May Chin? Yes .. and yet, we've had more than a few Skype Video chats with has helped a lot. Thank God for decent technology and wireless internet access in my room 312 on the highest floor here.

KLIA airport is always impressive and after a little more travel these past years, it's getting a little easier to navigate my way on to the plane. Nowadays, they are strict on luggage only 20kg allowed to be checked in! May Chin packed enough clothes and I brought other items which were enough to be overweight. The fine was to be in Euros!!! Thankfully, adjustments could be made, so after some relocation in terms of hand luggage and the check in luggage I manged ... phew!

The Royal Dutch Airline (KLM) Boeing 747 was a comfortable plane. I was happy to have three seats for myself and the space was so needed for the 8 hours of sleep I got (which is rare for my travels thus far). The bottle of wine (I'mean small bottle of wine) helped my body switch to sleep mode better :-) Food was ok ... and I made sure I had plenty of water.

Getting through Amsterdam Airport for the transit was simple. But the 5 hour wait was a little long (but at least I won't miss my flight). Suddenly, I noticed my return flight transit time is shorter. so, fingers crossed! I have a history of "adventures" when it comes to connecting flights. I prefer my adventures to not be in the airport:-) It was nice to sit on their comfort chairs to sleep a little and I noticed the more artistic nature of the whole airport design and decoration here and there. Interesting to see a small casino (and no I didn't go in). Catching the sunrise was a pleasure.

My most favorite part of this journey to Nuremberg, Germany is the time to read, journal, pray, sleep and have some "solitude" I consider this to be a great gift thus far after leaving the busy life of Kuala Lumpur. Even though the program here in Germany is all organized well and appears to be packed and purposeful, there is an inner quietness and unhurriedness whichI value. Perhaps it's a mere mindset shift, or heart adjustment. But, even as I key in these words now - that's the state I'm in. And I'm grateful for that.

Catching Up before Sleep

it's been a full day since the 8.15am devotion until now .. which is about 10:17pm. We arrived back at about slightly after 8pm. It was a full and fruitful day which I will share after I allow for some "catching up" - similar to lots of things in life ... the need for this is crucial because we are so tempted to move on to the next agenda on the list before allowing our "souls" to catch up with our "bodies."

It was good to manage to do a Skype Video conference with May Chin last night. I had to "google talk" a friend into calling May Chin to be online (thanks sister "eve's daughter" for helping). Talking about the missing luggage made me wonder whether I had a self-fulfilling prophecy or whether I have "six sense" or whatever because it REALLY happened as I was concerned about delayed luggage. Thank God it arrived just before dinner last night! :-)

This picture and this look reminds me of one of my own photos in the airport where (I think) I sent off my Dad for further studies in UK. What I remembered significantly was when Gareth cried as I stepped toward the lift to get on the train to KLIA. Glad he was ok later. He asked me about the missing luggage yesterday, it was nice to be "cared for" by Gareth.

I think I need to sleep now. More to catch up .. but the body is crying out for some rest. I will respond to that cry now.

Snow at Neuendettelsau

[Snow at Neuendettelsau video]

Gerhad Stahl was there to welcome me at the Nuremberg Airport. But there was more, as we approached the ELCB Missionswerk (Division for World Mission ) Guest House, Christmas seems to have come a little earlier.

Funny, the one surprise - which may not have really surprised me happened! The luggage I checked in didn't arrive:-P So, it's a little exciting in that sense. More later. I need some rest. And I'll throw in a picture after the snow stopped and how the guest house looks like. The last time I came it was summer, this round is different.

Quiet Thoughts in Amsterdam Airport Schipol

The flight went pretty well this time ... I got one seat with two next to me EMPTY! Yippie ... what a nice stretch when it comes to sleeping huh? I did manage to get some sleep which was good.

I decided against watching the onflight movies because it usually makes me more tired. Royal Dutch Airlines had these nice reminders to drink lots of water and do some body exercise which helped me a bit. The small bottle of red wine really helped with the sleeping bit :-)

I woke up after sleeping a mostly decent 8 hours plus. Found the solitude quite inviting as other people were still asleep. So, I started my re-reading on The Household of God by Lesslie Newbigin and later moved on to Ray Anderson's The Shape of Practical Theology refreshing and nourishing (Check this review if you like).

I'd glad I could continue my travel log (or special journal for this trip). Surprisingly, this round the space opened by this trip was conducive for some needed "centering". So, it doesn't have to be that bad after all :-)

a short time of meditating on Rev. 3:14-22 was helpful and noticed things I didn't before. It was a "beyond the lukewarm bashing" kind of reading. The Revelation texts especially this letter to Laodicea is fertile for reflection and sharing.

Food has been good on the plane ... then again I'm not too picky. As long as I have potatos and sausages? right? :-)

14 more minutes left.

It was hard leaving when I saw Gareth crying and later we talked on the phone while I was on the train to the airport. It's perhaps the first time he's sending me off on a long trip like this. The last time I returned I felt he grew up a lot. I suspect it's going to be the same this round with Elysia too.

It's 6:03am here my boarding time is 8:40am at least. Then it's another 1hour plus flight to Nuremberg. I do hope I have internet access as much as possible. One of the things I enjoyed the last trip was the change to keep this blog updated with pictures, reflections and other goodies.

11 minutes left.

it's 2 degrees celsius outside I heard on the plane ... Hope Germany would be slightly better. Our Malaysian pants are pretty thin!!!

it's 6Euros for 30minutes wireless connection and 10Euros for one whole day connect. I'm glad someone left some extra time for me to use FREE!

8 more minutes.

well, what is in stall for me as well as for my hosts in Germany :-) There's a program already planned. People are ready. I'm finalizing my preparations when I arrive and see what's the final agenda and activities lined up. BUt as usual, God has his suprises (please not missing flights, not losing luggages, and not unpleasant one ok Lord? I've had my share). After all is said and done, we need to be open.

and with 6 minutes left. I'll end my time here until I reach Germany. It might be good to check some mail. Until we meet again.

An Apology and a Reply

I came across a little exchange which is a wonderful model of true conversation and graciousness (amongst Christians in our country). With their permission and in the words of the one who replied in another email to me, "Use for the furtherance of God's people and the building up of his people to be salt and light." I think in Malaysia this kind of tone and exchange is needed. We offer this up for those who would like to hear and do likewise.. (I've taken the liberty to change their names to two fruits loved and easily found in Malaysia *grin*)

_______________________________________________________________________

Dear friends,

...............................................................................................................................

Dear Brother Durian,

Older Brother Mangosteen

_____________________________________________________________________

Rowan Williams - Sharing the Good News

"As I attempted to get myself out of bed this morning, late!! I was struck by the radio broadcast between John Humphrys and Rowan Williams, where Rowan Williams was invited to evangelise John Humphrys and engage with his unanswered existential questions arising out of life experience. It was one of the most profound interviews and spiritual moments that I have heard for a long time. I found it deeply helpful in my slight life of gloom at the moment. I really recommend listening to it." - From the Moot blog

I was also struck by this interview after coffee. Listen to it here It's uplifting to witness how the Archbishop of Canterbury plays his role as an evangelist (and to some degree an Apologist) and what was the content of the conversation. EXCELLENT!

Letters to Christians in the U.S.A.

Thanks Brian McLaren for initiating this effort. It's great to hear one Malaysian voice creating some vibrations here. I thought it would be good to pick out the "Letter from Malaysia" and highlight it here. Every time I'm off overseas for a trip or am part of some international conference, My Malaysian consciousness gets heightened :-) Thanks Reuben for being one of the first to respond.

_______________________________________________________________________

Letter from Malaysia
Dear Brothers and Sisters in North America,

We know that your country, the United States, is one of the most
exceptional, resource rich,
lands-flowing-with-milk-and-honey of our
present day. When the world looks at America today however, it
immediately, wrongly and rightly, perceives of disproportionality, in
terms of political clout, air-time, military force, or even basic
things you take for granted, like opportunity- compared to the rest of
the world. Some are legitimate woes, brought about by the workings of
a system of national and international economic and political
governance that treads on the rights of the poor. But some are
woefully inaccurate, as one need only to look at the situation in your
Deep South and elsewhere to see the unequal balance still existing
between the different peoples and races within your country, as well
as the tremendous resilience, at least on the rhetorical level, of
attempting to right some very grave historical wrongs.

But our plea, at the present time, from the rest of the world, is that
you look beyond your borders, and we don't just mean your physical,
geographical ones. Look beyond your borders of class, of race, of
creed, of political opinion, of your own little townships and hamlets,
of your cities and corporations, beyond your façade of high-school,
college, and grad-school, beyond your spiritual myopia, into a reality
that you and the rest of the world face. Look towards the destitute,
the defenseless, the millions going to a certain death because of war,
poverty, disease, and the tens-of-millions already living a crushing
mortality through the grind of their mere daily existence. Look
towards a world and environment that has witnessed savage brutality.
Think of yourselves as citizens of the world, as we are- who groan, as
you do, for the righting of wrongs. Make these things, the concerns of
the world, your concerns as well. And live it.

Look beyond the introverted world of media and glossy magazines,
towards the bleak, stark faces of the world looking back at you. Stand
from a viewpoint removed from where you usually stand- detach yourself
from your pedestal, destroy it, and attempt to gaze back at the world
as it truly is. Growing up in any strong, overriding culture carries
with it a certain habit of under-appreciating the viewpoint of the
other, or worse, dressing these opinions around your own. You will
realize that the rest of the world understands you better than you
understand it, due to your central, prevailing position- so be humble
as you speak.

You have much to teach the world and much to give. But we long to see
you, brothers and sisters, as that— beloved siblings, but on the same
level playing field. Not above us in terms of a self-perpetuating
aggrandizement, but as equals, who hold the keys to each other's
mutual enrichment, fulfillment, and leadership in the many shared
arenas of our common lives. The world does not like to be bullied,
have its name sullied, or have causes dropped when their time in the
limelight has passed over. So treat us and the problems of the world
with honesty, integrity, and we'll protect your names as well. We want
to stand by you as brothers and sisters, fighting the battles that
matter, on the same turf, for the same reasons. That is, as our wish
is for the rest of the world, our hope in these perilous times.

Sincerely,
Reuben Liew
International Civil Worker in Malaysia
____________________________________________________________________

Random Thoughts after packing

I told Gareth after reading another Thomas the train story with him (again!) before he was falling a sleep tonight - "I love you Gareth. Papa Loves you." His reply was simple in a very Manglish way, "I love you also" :-)

28 days is pretty long this round. When I was young and single, I would feel more excitement and anticipation. There's some level of that too for this particular "assignment" to Germany. But the difference now with a young family and knowing the challenges May Chin will have in my absence has changed the whole dynamic when it comes to traveling.

It's nice to appreciate some of the quietness tonight. The nap did me some good.

There's still stuff to finish tomorrow. I'm looking forward to a lunch with some sinners :-)

Elysia sat quietly while I was finalizing some details with Carmen and Joey who are getting married in December immediately when I return. She just woke up from a "power nap" and did very well. When Mummy came back, she went to mummy!

I'm pretty laid back in some ways. And yet looking at the German Trip schedule is hmmm ... well planned :-) I hope to really enter some level of "orientation" by tomorrow morning onwards.

28 days would give me some distance from Malaysia and plug me into a different context for a decent amount of time. I'm wondering what surprises await me. Prayerfully, good ones.

Elysia surprised me today when I went to pick her up. I saw her very much occupied with her wooden toy activity independently doing her stuff. How fast the children grow! Her vocab is expanding fast too.

As usual, May Chin did "all" if not "most" of the packing ... she's wonderful. I'm wondering what books to bring there to read. heheh.