Sivin Kit’s Garden

The phrase "it’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness" is a very slight alteration on the less common Chinese proverb "’Don’t curse the darkness - light a candle." The advice given is "if something is wrong, do something about it rather than complain. - Everything2

You can start now by lighting a candle and say a prayer here!

This "better" way keeps me away from the "bitter" way.

WE NEED OTHERS to explore with us the edges of our fear and faith. We grow spiritually only in and through our relationship with God and with others.

- Rueben P. Job and Marjorie J. Thompson
Companions in Christ: Embracing the Journey

(via Upper Room Daily Reflections)

It’s becoming harder as I grow older to say good-byes. But, like it or not, it’s becoming more and more frequent the past few years.  After 2 of my good friends moved on one in Singapore and the other in New Zealand end of 2006, I thought I was left alone for a while to explore the edges of my fears and faith. But thankfully, Ian and Raj came along timely and three of us discerned the need for us to be fellow companions in Christ, sharing our lives, mutually trying to hear what God is saying to us, and praying for each other.  Todd joined us the last quarter of 2007, and the group became a pleasant four. We will become three again,  This time Ian will be returning home to the UK with his amazing wife and 2 wonderful girls! Those of us left behind in Malaysia wish him all the best.

Gareth told me last Sunday after church that he had a special Sunday school.  Apparently, they had a special foot washing ceremony.  "Papa, Uncle Ian washed my feet today, Papa." That broke me, and it still gets me choked up. It was not only special for Gareth but special for me too. Because Ian’s impact during his time here not only is in regards to his work, and also fellow companions - the big boys - in the above photo, but becomes even more significant in the memory of my 5plus year old son Gareth, when a "bigger" man humbled himself to show a "little" boy what servanthood is. It has imprinted in the heart of my growing son a meaningful memory and metaphor which will last a lifetime. It’s more than the symbolism of servant hood, but for a formative part of BLC’s Sunday School and Gareth’s experience of it (with the other kids), Uncle Ian (as they fondly call him) was their companion. "Are you going to miss Uncle Ian, Gareth?" I asked Gareth a while ago, he said, "Yes, Papa". Many of us will … Thanks Ian.

We had a nice final meeting on April Fool’s Day … which I was reminded in the evening that it was BLC’s birthday as well. So many vibrating thoughts are running in me right now.  But whether it’s my own journey, or the journey of BLC, the truth of "we need others" is one which I feel more convicted than ever. And this is no joke! With the amount of change, and pressure, and intensity some of us face on a daily basis especially when we seek to respond to a call to live life differently with faith, hope and love combined with justice, mercy and humility … it can be lonely. This is where at the right time, at the right moment, the right people come along side us .. and we become friends in conversation as well as friends in a common journey of discovering and rediscovering ourselves — and in the process our ultimate friend guides us gently along the way, and we get to know his will and his ways better too.

I can’t remember the four of us literally washing each others feet, but I know for sure we learnt a lot of about serving each other by humble listening and discerning prayer.  Oh yes, the meals after our monthly gatherings were always icing on the cake of friendship! Todd couldn’t join us for the last lunch for understandable reasons So the three of us went to the Baba Low’s 486 restaurant at Lucky Garden for old times sake.  

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During my last visit in Germany for a Preaching Teaching Tour through the churches and schools, one of the most memorable churches I remember was Christ Church on Martin Luther Street in Lauf. Apart from the wonder pastor and his members, there was a piece of artwork in the entrance of the church which has left a deep impression in me.  What the church member/artist did was to take broken glass to make it into a few standing pillar like displays. Pastor Hoffman told me the idea was that even though we are like broken and useless glass originally meant for trash, we can still be like these pieces to form  a beautiful work of art to reflect God’s beauty and glory. To all the broken (and even "useless") glass out there … a little phrase is ringing in my ear, we sang on Sunday … "There is hope in His name …our God saves!"

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I recall walking through a lawn cemetery once in Labuan Island.  It was a war memorial park, where many soldiers from the commonwealth countries who served in Malaysia were buried. Each tombstone had a sentence or two in which they were to be remembered by.  Some of these young men who died in the war barely touched 22-23 years old. The walk that evening as the sun was setting was sobering.

I think the question is worth asking not just when we are 83 years old. But even now, "By what legacy of faith do I want to be remembered?".  Last night, when I had a chance to interact with a small group of college students, I recalled a question which helped my decision to become a pastor… it was "What would I regret most at the end of my life, if I didn’t do it?" It’s  big picture question, it’s more to frame perspectives than to get specific steps.  But within that frame, the little steps we take would make more sense.

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We have already stepped into the 50 day season of Easter.  Yes! After the 40 days of Lent, we have another 50 days of Easter! And the song continues to ring … "The Kingdom of God is Justice and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit, Come Lord, and open in us the gates of your kingdom." We have spent some time (prayerfully and hopefully) during Lent on self or corporate examination, now it’s a good time to shift gear into EXPLORATION .. and see where is God opening up the gates to his path of putting things right … ask him even now, where are the openings? And then step in …

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My mind is brought back years ago, when I sat waiting outside the operation theater for mom to come out from the surgery. We were all surprised later to discover she had colon cancer.  It was my first year in seminary, the learning from life, and mom’s struggle to recover the next few years taught me much about the fragility of human life, the power of prayer, and the care of family and friends …. Most of all the experience shook me to the core in my walk with God, changed my perspectives on life here on earth, and reordered much of my priorities … "Dark Nights" have a way of pushing one in that direction. Of course, it could go the other way to a journey of despair, hopelessness, bitterness and doom … but for me, and especially for Mom, the resurrection power of Jesus was experienced in the midst of the rough challenges of cancer and every fear and worry which goes with it. Nothing too dramatic, but the slow walk was sure and significant.

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Easter –> An Answer and a Question.  I like that … this Lent Season started with a clear consciousness of a 40day time of reflection, which got "interrupted" by  a delightful intense period of history making, and during the Holy Week pulling back again to what’s the center of our living, moving and being … and as the sun rises on Sunday morning … we’re drawn again to a life of faith, hope and love … a life still with many questions, and answers, … answers which lead to more questions, and questions which open up to more answers, and the cycle continues until that eventful day when the answers and the questions fade away in the light of his glory and grace! ..

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These harmonics vibrated from March 23 - 31, 2008

THE MOST AUDACIOUS enlivening, freeing, joy-creating, humbling, life-transforming reality of the Christian faith is not that God will be with us, but that God is here, right now. God is here in the midst of suffering, in the midst of short-coming, in the midst of triumph, in the midst of our greatest fulfillment, and in the midst of our broken-heartedness.

- Gregory S. Clapper
When the World Breaks Your Heart

(via Upper Room Daily Reflections)

So often our minds are focused on where God is supposed to be tomorrow, or where has God been yesterday, that we lose sight of his presence breaking through here and now. I must confess it’s hard when there are so many immediate demands coming from all directions. And we are so prone to attend to what is urgent, that we are unable to even stop and pay attention to God’s presence right before us.

While trying to keep up with Gareth and Elysia running up and down the slides and swings at the playground this morning, one such moment came through these leaves which suddenly caught my attention. It was short, it was simple, and yet even now while looking at them, God was there with us in our laughing and running, God will be with us tomorrow as we pack up and go for corporate worship together … but God is here now with the 2 older ones playing in their room, Ewan sleeping next to me, May Chin getting dinner ready .. and me. .. just catching my breath

HOLY JESUS,

I hear God’s mighty “Yes!”
in your Resurrection.
You invite me to live also,
and I want to say “Yes!” to you.
Take me out of the tomb that imprisons me,
lead me into the morning of new life,
and walk with me wherever your love may lead.
Amen.

- Peter Storey
Listening at Golgotha: Jesus’ Words from the Cross

(via Upper Room Daily Reflections)

TAKE FROM ME, gracious God, all that separates me from you — my sense of past sin, my pride in present achievements, my anxieties for the future. Make me self-forgetful as I gaze on you, and let me know the joy of finding my true self in you. Amen.

- Helen Julian CSF
The Road to Emmaus: Companions for the Journey through Lent

(via Upper Room Daily Reflections)

BLC opened for the Stations of the Cross on Wednesday night 8pm and we ended about 10.30pm.  It rained like it always does during Holy Week in Malaysia. I was a little surprised by the turn out and was delightfully encouraged by the response thus far.  The creativity of each station complemented the depth of the guided experience.  Every person involved setting up the stations really put in their heart and soul.

It was a good time of at least for me to quietly observe how each person takes their time along a journey of looking at Jesus and looking at their own hearts.  In some conversations after some finished the stations, we also discovered how other people were drawn into the whole time of prayer and contemplation making this walk not just about ourselves and Jesus, but also others who are somehow linked to us one way or another.

I hope to have my own walk on Thursday night.  I’m glad we decided to make a return and do the more classical version of the stations this year. 

GOD OF NEW BEGINNINGS, you call us in strange ways, often disrupting our customary life to make pilgrimages of faith. When we hear that call and obey, sustain and strengthen us for what lies ahead. Amen.

- Richard Morgan
Settling In: My First Year in a Retirement Community

(via Upper Room Daily Reflections)

The Lent season didn’t turn out the way I expected.  I would have preferred a more leisurely reflective 40 days.  But I plunged into an intensely reflective pilgrimage taking me to places I never imagined I would be physically, as well as spiritually. Whether it’s new friends and fellow pilgrims along the way, or risks I took without knowing what lied ahead, all of these became for me God’s call towards a greater unknown, a more intense unplanned for existence, but not without purpose or direction.  Suddenly, all the seeds planted through the years are slowly growing beyond possibilities to actualities.

I don’t have any complaints for the interruption or disruption of my original plans for Lent. This Holy Week allows for some long awaited slowing down for recollection and meditation. Prayerfully, I would find more clarity in how all the jigsaw puzzles fit in the bigger picture. For now, I can only rest assured I’m led by the God of new beginnings one step at a time.

Looks like I’ll just pick the latest ones for sharing …. it’s good to slow down again after an intense period of change.

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I remember an old song we heard with a chorus, "If God closes a door, he opens a window." This phrase has stuck in my mind since. So often, we get stuck and don’t know what to do, or how to proceed if what we thought was an "opening" is closed. And yet, these are character building times because our preferences goes through a needed refining process. As we go through this purification process we see clearer the real open doors before us, and we step forward in faith … always a little shaky but forward nonetheless.

Other times, even when we are not asking for it… open doors are right before our eyes.  And we stand in awe of the providence of God, and our confidence in him grows. I really felt that this week as I sat around with some people I would have never imagine I would have cake and coffee with years ago.  But now is a reality, I never craved or asked for it. But this door had been wide opened for me which is inline with how God has been shaping me these years … I’ve taken some small steps again … with much thanksgiving and reverence.  Holy Ground is not limited to space, but it’s wherever God’s presence is leading me …

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I think many of us want to experience peace and joy in this lifetime. What strikes me here is the inclusion of "righteousness" (or "right-ness", another translation is "justice") in the equation … because without righteousness, the peace and joy we experience is hollow at worst and short term at best. The recent events and reactions surrounding the socio-political shift in our nation has created an environment where a lot of our prejudices, ignorance, and immaturity can easily surface.  The bad part about this, is that it can easily be abused to generate conflict, the good news is we can now address these weakness (and even sins) clearly because it’s no longer hidden. The area we can start is our "thinking" and "talking".

Paul is right when he says,"Our right thinking and talking will produce in us right walking before God and our sisters and brothers." The new life in Christ … opens up a softened heart for the sensitive treatment of the Spirit and the Word. Like the song we sing based on Psalm 51 so clearly helps us to pray, "Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me".

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Apologies for not being up-to-date on the devotionals.  After the Elections, it’s been a pretty crammed week with meetings and emergencies But I do find the daily emphasis for each devotional timely for us.  While it’s tempting to just focus on the transition of power and realignment of power due to the political shakeup in our nation thus far.  I’m reminded of the urgent "rebuilding" which is needed immediately … especially on the ground with fellow citizens and friends.  We as Christians can be those who are catalysts in this regard.  Starting with every smile, and every initiative in conversation, and every act of kindness … let’s do it

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I’m still overwhelmed by Elections 2008 in Malaysia and encouraged by the courage the Malaysians managed to generate to make a tough choice. While some have criticized Christians for being emotional, or the voters as emotional … there are the people who use the emotion of "fear" to keep people in their status quo. But often for longer term change, we need to endure some shorter term uncertainty … and that’s ok. Because what comes after will truly bless others beyond our imagination.  The time for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsamane was hard, and his death on the cross is no joking matter … but it gave life to all even until today.  This is the one whom we worship and follow.

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"The fear of man" - especially those who use threats to push us into a corner for their own gain, paralyzes us. The "fear of God" - the kind which is birthed out of our love for God, and what is right and just empowers us to do what is right, right the wrongs, and as a result be a blessing to those we encounter …

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These harmonics vibrated from March 5 - 15, 2008

Okay everyone … let’s pause … let’s cool down … let’s allow things to settle a bit …let’s get some perspective … let’s realign out thoughts .. and rearrange our default mode of operation to a new way of  thinking, feeling, and doing …

Let this dance be a source for meditation for all.

I realized I started off backwards in the pilot "Harmonics" Post.  Let’s start at the very beginning

As the year begins, I felt it would be great for us to have a common short devotional which can serve to unite our minds and thoughts.  Please don’t see this as spam but rather reminders to prayer and meditation - the very basics towards a life of wisdom.  Someone asked me about how to be closer to God this week, I’m sure there are many ways… and personal prayer and meditation of the Bible is surely one which we cannot miss. Of course, you can sign up for the Upper Room daily devotional yourself, but I’ll see whether I can add a line or two when I send it through Rumahpapa. May I invite us for a 30day challenge? Stick with giving 5 minutes each day for reading through this until February 5. And see what happens? It has all the basic elements of simple prayer, meditation and concern for the world and everyday life. Doing it together also gives us a topics for conversations in LiFE Groups, and common pointers where we can prepare for  the weekly worship and communion.

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we don’t like to talk about "sin" but I’m reminded of the consequences of "sin" in our own actions and the lives of others today. The response to sin is not loathing in it, but rather seeking forgiveness and power for change

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This struck me because we’ve renamed the weekly BLC Liveupdate (a name I took from anti-virus programs) and Papyrus (the material used for writing in the 1st century) to BLC WEEKLY MANNA (going further back to the Old Testament which we get the verse here today).  For me the WEEKLY MANNA, is to also point us to the daily Manna and nourishment we need each day.  After finishing 28 chapters of Matthew by Listening Mp3s from http://www.zondervan.com/tbe (available in BLC Library). The last three days have been especially full of the story of God - or good "feeding". I don’t remember exact details of what I eat daily, but its needed for that day. Similar ly, the daily feeding of scripture is not for rote learning but what is needed for the day.  And that’s enough for me.  What I fear is many of us are starving because of no nutrition from the Bible at all, or malnutrition of feeing on everything else apart from Scripture. HOpe these daily devotionals will help.

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My first thought was a replay of the movie "Pay it Forward" I watched years ago - where a little boy had this idea of whenever you get help from someone you "repay it forward" to help three other people and that will change the world. A couple of phrases emerged for me today from the main scripture text in 2 Cor 9:6-12 … "sow bountifully", "enriched in every way", "supplies the needs of the saints", "Thanksgivings to God."

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" Thank you, Lord God, for the gift of your written word and for the gift of your Son, to whom the scriptures lead us."

The above prayer represents my posture when it comes to reading-listening-feeding from the Bible. The "breakthrough" moment for me (again and again) is when the reading and meditating of the Scriptures create a space for me to enter conversation with Christ, deal with the self-talk inside myself, and helping to revise the way I look at the outside world.
a HIGH for me this past week, is listening to 28 chapters of Matthew while I was driving, and while I putting the kids to sleep, when I was waiting for the next appointment. It’s about 5 minutes each chapter … so a journey from my place to PJ for example, covers 20-30minutes and that’s 5-6 chapters.  Amazing.  The quantity is fine, but the major blessing was to simply meet Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew again. Plus, when I was listening I felt it was from the ear to the heart

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