Sivin Kit’s Garden

well, I’ll be missing from this Garden for a couple of days … and also one week … but I’ll be in action with DUMC’s Campus Camp. The camp theme is “Not Ashamed ..” Obviously, I think the general feeling is that many “Christians” are ashamed of the Gospel … for whatever reason! Sad but so true … if only we really knew its impact on us!

4 sessions in total … let’s throw in some Luther-style table talk, huh? Play with Mah-Jong paper and Markers! Get into the STORY through ACTS … mini-conversations here and there. Ahh … what’s gonna happen when we talk in the van afterword? … brain juices pumping … Straight talk coupled with Bent Talk, images, metaphors, analogies, can’t help it … but God is creative right?

I pray He’ll do some creative work in the opportunities he’s given to me. I believe He’s ongoing in his creativity. I prefer this view of creation - where he created in the past (sure!) and still creating today (wow!). And through the redemption of Christ .. re-creating us (who are so broken, disintegrated, fragmented, blur?!) .. hey, that gives a new twist to RE-CREATION.

I’ll be missing …
May Chin & Gareth (in parallel .. some people think I only miss my son! Oi!)
BLC … the community God has placed me in. I missed them at JB a couple of weeks ago …
Blogging … (that’s oklah! not so bad!)
Loh-mai-Kai & Pan-Mee & Nescafe (my current breakfast diet for one week)
My small table where I journal, listen to the Scriptures and pray!
The Green Kanchil (David Beckham’s favorite car?!)

Soon .. in Action ….
at Chee Foo School .. Cameron Highlands (hmmm .. weather cool!)
with GOD .. who’s already working …
in the lives of people who are thirsting for God (I believe) and ready to resist “control” from powers & forces that’s not looking totally into our real interest!

BTW, I finished 90% of My Ordination paper on “Lutheran Pietism” & “LCMS”. I’ll miss that a little too … hope to wrap it up on Sunday … somehow! Kyrie Eleison … Lord have mercy! How we all need that … Mercy!! Too many “Magic” promises in the air nowadays (which fail to deliver!) … MERCY, yes … new mercies for today .. shower them down Lord, as we pray!!

Got linked to Mind Media Life Enhancement Network - And my results are … (still trying to understand myself huh?)

Auditory : 37%
Visual : 62%
Left : 29%
Right : 70%

Sivin, you possess an interesting balance of hemispheric and sensory characteristics, with a slight right-brain dominance and a slight preference for visual processing.

Since neither of these is completely centered, you lack the indecision and second-guessing associated with other patterns. You have a distinct preference for creativity and intuition with seemingly sufficient verbal skills to be able to translate in any meaningful way to yourself and others.

You tend to see things in “wholes” without surrendering the ability to attend to details. You can give them sufficient notice to be able to utitlize and incorporate them as part of an overall pattern.

In the same way, while you are active and process information simultaneously, you demonstrate a capacity for sequencing as well as reflection which allows for some “inner dialogue.”

All in all, you are likely to be quite content with yourself and your style although at times it will not necessarily be appreciated by others. You have sufficient confidence to not second-guess yourself, but rather to use your critical faculties in a way that enhances, rather than limits, your creativity.

You can learn in either mode although far more efficiently within the visual mode. It is likely that in listening to conversations or lecture materials you simultaneously translate into pictures which enhance and elaborate on the meaning.

It is most likely that you will gravitate towards those endeavors which are predominantly visual but include some logic or structuring. You may either work particularly hard at cultivating your auditory skills or risk “missing out” on being able to efficiently process what you learn. Your own intuitive skills will at times interfere with your capacity to listen to others, which is something else you may need to take into account.

hmm … interesting!

I first came across this Poem is by Francis Thompson (1859 - 1907) in the Seminary library … though I’m not much of a poet and literature freak, the imagery and language caught me and dragged me through it’s passion and intensity (I had to perservere to finish this long poem! phew!!) A member at LiFE Group nudged me to get this! So …

Who is this guy Francis? Here’s two descriptions from the net:
A failure for so-long; a one-time opium addict; died of tuberculosis.
His poems, mainly religious, are rich in imagery and poetic vision.

Who was he? A brilliant addicted poet, a tortured soul, writing of the genius, the Godstuff, in us all. We can quest God or negate Him. Job, Jonah, Psalm 139 and Julian share this. The happiness is in the seeking, the misery in the denial. We are Prodigal Sons and Daughters of God, awaiting the Wedding Feast of Parables . . .

and now the Poem …

I picked up this little booklet by Tom Wright and read it while trying to get Gareth to sleep. It didn’t work, but his little glares at me with such stillness was rewarding enough. I jotted down some gems in my journal. Share some here …

“I love Quietness … because there comes a time when I realize I don’t know what to say anymore, and when I realize it doesn’t matter.”

“Beyond words … there is forgiveness that is offered with no need for explanations or excuses”

I think I’m an extrovert most of the time (I think) … I don’t mind talking, sharing and enjoy conversing with people. But even for me, I do enjoy a moment of Quietness. I’ve learnt to enjoy it! And I’m still learning the beauty and rhythm of speech and silence.

My mind is jammed .. no creative juices for the “Pietism” Paper … 2 more days to go (my own deadline!

Looking forward for tomorrow night 7pm .. yeah! (gotta call my friends later!)

Wonder what’s gonna happen tonight at “Giving Tree”? hmmm…

Missed lunch today .. hunger pangs?

Pat on the back 10 mini-sit ups bravo!

Blogs have been rather serious … this one more relax!

Finally, Todd Hunter Blogs again …

Loads of stuff on Children & Intergenerational Worship on my mind.

Phew .. gonna come down from Cameron on Sunday and dash to KLIA to fly to KK! Lord have mercy!

Understood Capon better after at least second reading .. his words massage the mind too.

Tried breaking up the Pringles into four pieces to give my mind the illusion I’m eating more when it’s actually less. huh?

Emails on 4 Question Survey coming in … shared about LRT episode to BLC last Sunday, wonder what would happen if they tried it too?

God-son 4 year old Adam helped me pull the grass from the mini-drains last Sunday … that was fun. We talked …

Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” is really good! Amazing direction!

All nights occupied, weekend packed with DUMC campus camp, whole week seminar next week … phew!

Lots of nitty-gritty stuff awaits me … Arrrgggh!

Thank God for Edward …

It’s gonna pour …

Silence …

Last week, a fellow LiFE Group member said that “ACT 2 : The Fall” was the juicy bit of Griffin’s Article “STORY”. ACT 1 was on Creation. We’re supposed to talk about what Christian’s have traditionally called “the Fall” tonight. I’ve long given up just seeing it as a historical past event alone. I realized that the effects of the “fall” and it’s replay is happening daily.

On a smaller scale, our “willful” refusal for God to define life’s meaning makes us set ourselves as “god” (who am I to think I have a best perspective?). On a bigger scale, this morning’s frontpage on the horror of the Canny Ong abduction and murder case takes rebellion against God and the effects of the fall to the extreme! Being a Christian is about letting God’s Story define me .. and shape me… and warn me!

Two quick reflections on Griffin’s section (his in bold) …

“Male and Female were created to be dependent and find their ultimate meaning in their creator. The choice to rebel set up a long and ferocious battle between God and his creation.”

I don’t think I’m “dependent” in a mindless way (e.g. praying for direction in a fortune-telling way - zap me God!). I believe God has given me some form of “independence” too (e.g. I can understand myself, my context, often a few options are available to choose from, and its not life-threatening though risk is involved!) But the “dependence” on finding “meaning” is something I’m appreciating more these days. Because I find there’s a battle in the marketplace of human minds and hearts to define “meaning” for us (e.g. the so called “American Dream” or “XYZ dream” usually marketed to us so someone elses “dream” can be fulfilled). A good dose of Ecclesiastes will purge one from such illusions … soaking in God’s Story does wonders!

“The “fall” story demonstrated to Israel that any transgression of God’s covenant stipulations would bring severe consequences. The storyteller shares that God takes freedom seriously. To play outside of the set of boundaries is to be bound.”<i> (emphasis mine)

That last line was a killer sentence! whack! Our choices indeed have consequences. And often we don’t even need God to judge us or even talking about God punishing us. The results of our resistance or rebellion is enough to take us DOWN (and others too)! It’s so sad … when intelligent human beings like us who are created in God’s image can do STUPID things that not only hurt us, and those around us but also God. I remember once Dr. Hwa Yung (my Christian Theology lecturer) highlighted that Sin is Irrational … how true! Repentance is simply .. recognizing our foolishness and returning back to His WISE ways … It’s quite simply actually. We complicated it with our own rationalizations (cf. often excusing our actions) or even religiousity (cf. making it harder than it should be).

Ironic isn’t it ? … those who want to be free to play as they like are actually bound, and those who appear bound are actually free to play with full enjoyment!

Our choices often miscalculated … the consequences often beyond our control … why fight against God when one can be ?FREE?

May the song play on … “It was for freedom, that Christ has set us free …” Lord, I choose you, because You first CHOSE me!

This prayer popped out from the JB Wesley Bulletin few Sundays ago when we were worshipping at KUKUP, Johor. It’s meant to be used before the Scripture readings and the Sermon. Well .. I just like it!

“Lord, Open our hearts and minds
by the power of Your Holy Spirit,
that, as the Scriptures are read
and Your Word proclaimed,
We may hear with joy what
You say to us today. Amen.”

So, whenever I READ, and REFLECT, getting ready to RESPOND to GOD, I know the SPIRIT is hovering over me to bring GOD’s creative work to surface from my chaotic waking (and even sleeping) hours!

After preaching almost weekly at BLC for the past three years plus, sharing whenever there’s a chance given to me and recalling my Homiletic classes both during seminary days and after, as well as struggling with sweat and sleepless nights simply hoping to present what I believe to be God’s message to us in our times (now that’s an awesome responsibility) — These books (I prefer to see it as these authors) really - I mean - REALLY helped me … I’ll put in one quote each (in italics) and my comments later.

(Amazon seems to be giving good discounts on these gems!)

1. The Four Pages of the Sermon:A Guide to Biblical Preaching by Paul Scott Wilson

“God is missing from in many of our sermons.” p.20

“We have inherited forms of preaching that have served previous generations well. But they did not ask, any more than we generally do, whether good news must sound like good news.” p.21

I read his earlier book the more technical “The Practice of Preaching” and loved it, but it was this more simple version of the “in-depth” ideas introduced to me in “The Practice of Preaching” which gives me the needed Instruction & Inspiration to persevere in preaching!

His “4 Pages Sermon” Model provides not only a framework for preaching but actually a “Theological Paradigm” for thinking about preaching. I really found his “This Tiny Dog Is Now Mine” Idea great for sermon unity. It’s simply keeping focus and sermon unity with One TEXT, One THEME, One DOCTRINE, One IMAGE, One NEED and One Mission.

2. Thinking in Story: Preaching in a Postliterate Age by Richard A. Jensen

“It is important for us to know how preaching was done in the past and to think about how preaching might be done in the future to keep up wiht the changes in communication” p.2

“Our “speaking for God” rests on the biblical understanding that words have creative power. … Jesus Christ is this creative word of God incarnate. … In our preaching we carry on this “speaking for God”. We don’t just talk about God’s Word. No. We speak for God. We speak God’s Word on God’s behalf.” p.17

Rarely, does one have a chance to personally interact with the author himself (face to face!). But, I think God was gracious enough to allow BLC to be the venue for Dr. Jensen’s Pastor’s School on Homiletics to the LCMS in 2002. And I was his driver!

Though using stories is not that new for many of us, for me it was thinking in story that really fascinated me! And especially when he worked through the passages of the Gospels, it was illuminating indeed (made me fall in love with the Biblical Text again and again!). Plus before he left, he gave me three of his books on Preaching Matthew’s Gospel, Mark’s Gospel and Luke’s Gospel (3 Years worth of lectionary material … wow)! Cool …

3. The Foolishness of Preaching:Proclaiming the Gospel against the Wisdom of the World by Robert Farrar Capon

“If you can make up your mind, when you go into the pulpit, to forget everything except Jesus Christ and him crucified, you’ll have nothing to give them but Good News” p. 13

“In the Bible, “the Word of the Lord” is always Someone speaking to you, not just someone writing memos for you to read at your desk.” p.61

“Prayer is just talking with Someone who’s already talking to you.” p. 68

Capon always has a way with crafting words, sentences and thoughts and throwing in potent images and analogies for right brain people like me who love it! I finished this book with a healthy confidence that’s it’s ok to appear dumb or even feel foolish before a world that’s so full of its own self-cooked wisdom. I just need to keep my focus on what’s really precious - what’s TRUE Wisdom - Christ!

“Preaching” as a term or a word seems to be in people’s bad books. “To be preached at ..” is considered unpleasant if not distastful. “I’m not here to preach at you …” would appear to be more acceptable. But, originally .. the word “to preach” is an ordinary word - simply meaning “to announce” or “to proclaim” or “to let people know the news”. And in our case as Christians - the Good News! Well, that’s enough for me to like this word and appreciate it. I do this “act” of preaching at least every Sunday at 10am during BLC’s Worship Gathering and whenever I’m invited to do so (more formally than usual). Now, I also begin to see it coming out from my life informally - through any opportunity that arises. Now that broadens this “announcing the Good News of Christ” and brings it down-to-earth right to streets, coffee shops and even LRT!

It’s all my assistant’s fault (hehehe). I played for the first time an online game (a Hulk smash up game!) at the Hulk Website (what a website! Some of the details are staggering not just in style but also substance!) - WOW! Anyway, the smashing buildings bit and thumping cars as well as cracking the street was quite therapeutic actually I can still remember my assistant laughing at her pastor.

I smashed up some of my fear too today! When i took the Light Rail Transit (LRT) from Asia Jaya to Bangsar and with one more station to go. There was a tug in me to ask the stranger standing next to me the “4 Question Survey”. I did it with email, how about LIVE - the challenge went. Fear … discomfort … rationalizing … Tony Compolo (in the Elevator - my church members will understand why this bit came!) … blood gushing … the whole works. Ahhh ….

“Excuse me! Can ask I you 4 questions … no strings attached”,
He turned around puzzled (maybe not knowing how to respond) and said, “ok!”

Alright .. he didn’t know what is a Gospel, not even a book in the Bible.
Dunno Apostle Paul
Dunno what’s “born again”
and no close friend has told him they are “born again”.

“Thanks …” Phew! … hey, I FEEL GOOD .. I SMASHED UP my own inhibitations & fear. COOL …
“By the way, I didn’t get your name (sorry)?”,
He said, “Chew”, “My name is SIVIN” I replied.
There was a another puzzled look.
“SIVIN … S-I-V-I-N, thanks again.”, I smiled.

Prayed for CHEW when I came down the Escalator. Prayed for My Courage Quotient. And Gave Thanks to The ALMIGHTY …