WoW28: Sermon is about passion

I recently rekindled this passion while preaching about 1st Corithians 12. It kind of reminded me what it means to give a message from the heart. This entry is a timely reminder to myself to never lose this fire. Preach the faith!

This sermon by William Willimon is one of the best I have ever read. It is passionate preaching indeed.

A wake and a funeral

Sometimes you have to go searching for a message. But sometimes a message comes to you, as if from God. I just experienced such a moment with the wake and funeral of a beloved elderly sister in my zone.

2nd Tim 4:7-8
"7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."
Intro
Many times when we see this passage, we think about the hardships of Paul as a missionary. But the importance is simply to "finish faithfully".
Point 1: The imagery of a Race. How it is important to finish honorably. And how hard it is given the trails and temptations, see vs 3-4.
Point 2: The imagery of the righteous Judge. We will be given a fair verdict for our deeds on earth.
Point 3: The imagery of the "appearing". This often refers to citizens awaiting a royal appearance. Feel the expectancy and waiting, and the joyful reception the follows.
Conclude: A rewarding life. To get your just prize for a life of worship.

Hebrews 11,12
Intro
A testimony about the subject matter (the dead) is also meant for the listeners (the living).
Point 1: The Christ that lived in the subject is also living in us. It is an eternal bond that makes us run the same race.
Point 2: The Witness. A life of faith. Living with an aim to shed temporal pain and pleasure for a reunion in eternity.
Point 3: The Cheerleader. The crowd of witnesses are cheering us on.
Conclude: We too must run this race for the joyous reunion in the heavenly place awaiting us.

WoW27: It is not the intensity or the competition that matters, true sportsmanship lies in finishing the race.

An update

I have been busy but the tough parts are manageable now. I still have a script to complete by this week. But life has been good to me and I am loving the moment. What I learn from experience is that as long as the work is meaningful, tough is not a problem.

Here is a good story about the work of Wits and Wagers. I hope you like it too. Also, if you are a reader, please drop a comment once in a while.

A good true story to share

For my millions of readers, this story is for you.

It is about going the extra mile to help somebody in need.

Closing a chapter

The road was long and hard. But I have finally completed my selection of stuff to cover on philosophy. It wasn't easy, and half the time I couldn't understand what is going on. Nonetheless, it is a worthwhile endeavor.

I have some loose ends to cover, which is the rest of theological history beginning with the Oxford movement.

After that, I will be covering cell group leaders equipping next year. Sound like another fun trip is about to begin.

FFoB5: Cover your head because of the angels

One of the hardest verses in the Bible is 1st Cor 11:10 "That's why a woman must have authority on her head, because of the angels." (Tom Wright's translation)

There are dispute over the meaning of authority and on the nature of the angels. My personal inclination is that the verse is trying to teach that women must have control over her head. She must not bow to any pressure to "liberate" her dressing to demonstrate her new found freedom in Christianity. Not only is the order of the church important, the angels (representing the created world) are watching whenever we worship.

WoW26: You cannot see enrichment, you can only feel it

Out of curiousity, I researched on Uranium enrichment. One of the biggest shockers is how little difference in weight and appearance there is between enriched and non-enriched uranium. Yet, it is precisely the enrichment that makes a world of difference into the power of the uranium.

Such is the same for us to be enriched by Christ. The power is just not the same. The original uranium is transformed.

WoW25: It is not how much you eat, but what you eat that matters

John 6:35-40

We know all about food. Junk food can only make you fat, but nutritious food strengthens the body. We need good food to grow. And that is why we don't give junk to babies, and also why we call mal-nutritious milk black-hearted milk. Because the baby cannot grow.

Jesus is the bread of life. Is your spiritual baby growing?

6 guys

I have selected 6 guys. What do they have in common?

Jonathan Edwards
George Fox
Friedrich Schleiermacher
William Wilberforce
William Carey
Charles Wesley

They are all Christians from the period post 30 years war to pre WWII. They are the most outstanding contributors in the 6 fields I have laid out in Church History: leaders, mystics, theologians, activists, evangelists and artists.

WoW24: The inner world is bigger than the outer world

There are many books that speak about the journey inwards. One of my favorite writers on this subject is Parker Palmer. One time, I had to buy a book for a friend leaving overseas. Since she is in education, I bought To Know as we are Known. Since it is a relatively thin book and not sealed, I flipped through its content. I was astounded by its content even though I had been rather familiar with Parker Palmer's thoughts. "Holistic knowing is deep self-knowledge that engages the person morally and spiritually with the life around oneself."

Let me end with a poem on loneliness from 李白：

月下独酌

花间一壶酒，独酌无相亲。
举杯邀明月，对影成三人。
月既不解饮，影徒随我身。
暂伴月将影，行乐须及春。
我歌月徘徊，我舞影零乱。
醒时同交欢，醉后各分散。
永结无情游，相期邈云汉。

WoW23: Fame has little to do with Content. It is Publicity.

李白has 2 famous poems about the resentment of lonely women. The one that is better written is
玉阶怨
玉阶生白露，夜久侵罗袜。
却下水晶帘，玲珑望秋月。
Literary scholars find this poem more profound in that in not mentioning any resentment at all, resentment is expressed.

However, to non-scholars, I believe the more famous poem is this one.
怨情
美人捲珠簾，深坐顰蛾眉。
但見淚痕濕，不知心恨谁。
Waiting
A lady fair rolls up a beaded curtain.
Sits lingeringly, with her fine brows knit.
The wet stains of her tears are apparent.
Against whom does she bear a resentment?

Why so? Because in the movie《方世玉》,the main lead's father 方德 recited this poem to his wife 苗翠花. Such is life, even of poems.

FFoB4: Poetry and Religion

There is a close knitted relationship between poetry and religion. This is especially so with the OT prophets because poetry has incredible power to persuade. In speaking about God, the prophets thought it best to use more subtle forms of expressions. It is not only attractive, but arresting and shocking even.

"Poetry has the capacity both to speak about things that are very familiar, and to lead the imagination on to new ways of thinking and understanding. Poems do not give cut and dried meanings, but are often open to several interpretations. It is in this openness that the reader is invited to think about God." G McConville in Exploring the Old Testament v.4 Prophets

- NIV - (Isa 5:1-7)
1 I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.
2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.
3 "Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?
5 Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled.
6 I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it."
7 The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

With a simple imagery about a vineyard, powerful words about social justice, God's righteousness and His wrath is conveyed. Who is not moved?

In continuing on my series on Chinese Poetry, this is one which expresses thoughts on Buddhism. Note how in the last line, the poet is immersed into silence and nothingness.

常建：题破山寺后禅院
清晨入古寺，初日照高林。
曲径通幽处，禅房花木深。
山光悦鸟性，潭影空人心。
万籁此俱寂，惟馀钟磬音。

WoW22: Indirect communication hits harder

There are many poems about war. Describing the misery it brings, and so on. But this one is by far the most compelling. It describes a lonely newly-wed wife. And her regret to send her husband to seek for honor in the battlefield.

王昌龄
闺中少妇不知愁，春日凝妆上翠楼；
忽见陌头杨柳色，悔叫夫婿见封侯。

WoW21: Stand on the shoulders of giants to see further

The english equivalent is from Isaac Newton. But the truth is universal. To have a far and wide perspective, we need to go higher. And the way to do it is to learn from history and build your foundations on the wisdom of others.

王之涣
白日依山尽，黄河入海流。
欲穷千里目，更上一层楼。

WoW20: The resilience of nature is the expression of hope

I have heard it said that because Singapore is not seasonal, we do not experience a proper rhythm of life. There is the abundance of spring, the melancholy of autumn, the solitude of winter and the messiness of spring when nature expresses itself. It portrays the manifold moments of life as well as spirituality.

The Chinese poets have a unique way of saying that there is always a way out, akin to the Christian marketplace saying "He will make a way, where there seems to be no way".

王维
行到水穷处，坐看云起时。
For most people, the point of travel is to reach a destination. You climb a mountain to reach its peak, and similarly, when you reach the end of the river, it looks like it is time to turn back. But the poet here instead decides to sit down and watch the rise of the clouds. What do you know? There is yet another scenery to behold!

陆游
山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村。

Half shocked

The mid-autumn event went really well, 60+ turned out instead of the expected 30+. I think there is a third of the crowd that is not in Mark zone, but no matter. The night was cozy and enjoyable.

I am continuing my series on Tang poems despite the fact that my game on Chinese poetry half bombed. Well, just because the world has moved towards pragmatism is no reason for pastors to remain unromantic.

There are many who wonder if part of my name means small, as in 小. Nope! It is 晓, which is often used to mean understanding or morning. In my case, I thinks it means the break of morn. Here is a famous poem on the morning of spring by 孟浩然.

春眠不觉晓，处处闻啼鸟。
夜来风雨声，花落知多少？

WoW19: We must accept an existence of solitude

If you look forward, you cannot see the images of the past. If you look backwards, you do not see a legacy to come. If you contemplate your insignificant existence in an infinite world, it forces you to drop tears.

陈子昂
前不见古人，后不见来者；
念天地之悠悠，独怆然而涕下。

王维
《竹里馆》

独坐幽篁(huang2)里，弹琴复长啸。
深林人不知，明月来相照。

Chinese poetry

I am into Chinese poetry lately because of the research into games for the mid-autumn festival programs. Which just goes to show that there is a lot of work into designing a game.

This is a classic and a truly touching line 王勃：

海内存知己，天涯若比邻。

As long as you have true friends by your side, the far corners of the world will be like your neighbors.

WoW18: Positive nagging is to be loved and feared

I learned the art of Positive Nagging from my friend KY. Needless to say, it is something that all pastors must do. Just as my senior pastor nags about exegesis, I am a constant nag about cell group and righteous living. But positive nagging is to emphasize on the love and care that comes with the nagging. Strangely, a little tweak is all it takes to transform an irritating reminder into an empowering affirming encouragement. In whatever you do, do it with a little more love.

WoW17: A people of power takes effort

Last night was a fun time of learning Mill and Comte. We are now dealing with the supreme experts in atheism. I like these guys and their ideas. No hatred, no contempt, just describing reality as they see it. And for most parts they are right, Christianity has not progressed intellectually.

Which is why I am extremely proud of my guys, they stuck it out with me despite their busy schedules in school. Given time, they will become giants. Just as how James Mill trained John Stuart Mill and how Henri de Saint-Simon influenced Auguste Comte, a people of power begins with our journey together this year to plow through the thickets of historical theology and philosophy.

WoW16: Strength of message comes when you can combine vision with the heart

I was researching on mid-autumn festival programs. I come across some Chinese poetry. This one by Zhang Jiuling 张九龄 is especially striking.

Why is it so powerful? 海上生明月，天涯共此時.

Because it creates a powerful image that translates into a deep felt moment in the heart. Max Lucado has power like this too.

An expansive view of the moon on the horizon. A distant loved one sharing the same magical moment. Priceless.

望月怀远（张九龄）
　　海上生明月，天涯共此时。
　　情人怨遥夜，竟夕起相思。
　　灭烛怜光满，披衣觉露滋。
　　不堪盈手赠，还寝梦佳期。

WoW15: There is a wealth of knowledge in all fields

You know the Chinese saying "every job has its top scholar"? It's very true. These weeks have been fun as we looked to install a playground for the church. It is only with research that we discover there is so much stuff into building a playground. Slides, rock-climbing, tunnels, obstacle courses can be integrated into great fun for children and youths.

Check out the two top playground equipment suppliers of Singapore:
1) www.ctart.com.sg which has much better product quality than any we have seen so far.
2) www.playpoint.com.sg which main strength lies in unique dexterity stuff.

They are the ones responsible for those installations in West Coast Park, which is the one of the best places for playgrounds here.

WoW14: God is better than any alternative

Thanks to the lesson on Ludwig Feuerbach, famous for his "Anthropology as religion" philosophy, I am firmly convinced that the world needs "theology as religion". Why? Because there is just no better alternative. Feuerbach's atheistic arguments are the best I have come across so far, and I applaud his noble humanitarianism. But ultimately it is subjective and that is a reality that is sad but true. Mankind is just not that attractive. I would love to remove the "opium of the people", but the drastic fate of communism and capitalism is just plain evidence that a world without God is no alternative at all.

One of the Blogs I visit: Mightygirl

This latest post is kind of what I tried to do here but much better.

I like this one best: "Don’t make assumptions, and don’t take things personally."

WoW13: When it comes to religious lay people, all religions are the same.

I have been reading this. It is a Buddhist book of fables. I have found that when it comes to understanding profound truths, all religions have the same problem. The general masses have difficulty understanding and appropriating wisdom.

The first fable is about this fool who went for a meal. He blamed the food for being tasteless so the host added some salt, and he found it tasty. He thought "the taste comes from the salt, if I add more, it will be even better". He shallowed a whole cup of salt, and upon realising his foolishness, spit them out. What is the moral of the story?

※....笨人吃盐....※

....从前有一个笨人，到朋友家里去作客，主人留他吃饭，他嫌菜没有味道，主人就在菜中加了一些盐，他吃起来味道就觉得很好了。笨人心里想∶『菜的味道好是从盐中得来，不多的就已这样好吃，那麽多吃些，味道一定格外好了。』这样想了以後，笨人就向主人索取了一杯盐，一口吞进嘴里去，不料咸得要命，就急忙把盐从嘴里吐出来。

....这故事比喻∶修行人适当地节量饮食，少欲知足，是对於身体和修行都有好处的；但一般外道宣传，矫枉过正，索性提唱不进食，认为这样就可以得道，因此有断食七天或十五天的，结果影响身体，困饿而死，对修行却一点儿没有益处，这是错误的。那种作法和笨人吃盐一样，是可笑而愚蠢的举动。

What I know best

I can't believe how many times I am guilty of this.

Good thing I'm married.

Personal updates

1. I am on the road to recovery thanks to a couple of paracetemols. Wonder drugs they are.

2. I have completed reading History of Art and skimmed by History of Music. I wished I had done a better job with History of Literature, but life's too short for perfection.

Please make it stop!

The family is not feeling well for ages now, with cycles of flu circulating relentless. Prayers needed please.

WoW12: The most profound truths are the most simply expressed

"There really is no such thing as Art. There are only artists."

This is the first line in the most popular book on Art history, or even Art itself. Such depth in understanding of reality can be applied to Theology, Music and Literature and almost all other fields of arts and social science.

Which brings us to the main point of contention with Barth. Yes, let God be God. But we continue to despair as Man.

Another Blog to introduce

One of the more interesting facts about Becky is that she is born in the same year as one of the two more famous Blogged about kids.

One if them is Leta.

It is always comforting to know what is going on in the parenting lives of other parents with kids the same age. Of course, having a cell group with similarly young parents help too.

A Blog that I frequent

One of my favorite HK actress turns out to be Christian.

It is always interesting that Christians groups are found in every circle. All the best to their efforts to transform the world in all that they seek to do.

Go check it out.

WoW11: Basic principle of life

I just read an excellent book half way. Stories of the Courage to Teach.
WoW11: Basic principle of life is to See through it and to See it through.

Such a simple aphorism to remember, but yet such profoundness. To understand reality completely, but yet possess the vitality to finish the journey in a worthy manner. It is a principle I can live by.

Anti-latria quote

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love."
— Mother Teresa

This is the opposite of all that I strive for in life. From reading Romance of 3 Kingdoms and watching 雍正王朝 I have always dream of doing epoch-making life-worthy great things. How wrong I am.

FFoB3: Who is this prophet?

In Titus 1:12, Paul cites a Cretan prophet who said "Cretans are always liars, vicious brutes, lazy gluttons."

His name is Epimenides.

The bad reputation of the Cretans come from their claim that they have the tome of Zeus (thus saying that he is mortal). Most people then think they are liars because they think of Zeus as immortal.

The same quote is also found in Acts 17:28.

This verse is also famous for the Epimenides paradox. There is an inherent logical inconsistency because Epimenides is a Cretan. To make a statement that Cretans always lie will make a paradoxical statement because here is no way to assign a consistent truth value to it. It is neither true nor false. Hence some mock at Paul for saying that Epimenides' statement is true (Titus 1:13).

A New Quote for Pride

Why we can never be proud.

Boardgame cafes in KL and Bangkok

Settlers closed in KL and Bangkok! Tough business indeed. Check it out.

WoW10: Things only start to change when you own the problem

I just read something about the politics of Mexico in the 80s. Here is some background.

Since PRI has been the ruling party for decades, PAN the main opposition blamed the poor economy on PRI. PRI being the government for so long, blamed the economy on the people, and mainly the Indian south. But whatever it is, nobody felt responsible to do something about the economy itself.

That is a terrifying thought for the church. If the opposition blame the church leadership, and the church leadership blame the congregation, and nobody own the problems, real transformation will never take place. Time to stop pushing blame, and take the difficult part of changing yourself.

Question: Smoothness or Authenticity?

I just went to a dinner last night. The host made a 15 min speech. His delivery triggered something I read in the novel Duke of Mount Deer.

WeiXiaoBao was trapped by a bunch of people who thought he had killed his own master. One of his wives, ShuangEr, came to his protection and told the true account. Despite her poor delivery (since she is shy and not eloquent), the audience believed her. Later, WeiXiaoBao retold the actual events, and he is great with his words because he used the mannerisms of the street story-tellers, but he was far less convincing.

"韦小宝这时可得意了，手舞足蹈，述说往事。他的叙述自然精采生动，
事事惊险百出，但在群豪听来，却远不如双儿所说的可信。"

What about you? Smoothness is more important or authenticity?

Time to return

Been busy the past few months with all the stuff to do over restructuring. But I think it is time to start recording my thoughts once again.

Last night I had a dream about the late Elder Lee. Frankly, I was afraid he would start speaking to me, cause my late grandfather-in-law spoke to my father-in-law in a dream recently. So in my dream, he merely looked at me with his usual frown.

No special thoughts, other than a bigger certainty in me that there is a greater reality out there than our mere material existence.

I'm back from exile!

I solved an irritating firewall problem on my computer and now I can access Blogger again!

Down to Norton!

All thanks to this Geeklist:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/21773

Upcoming quote

"It is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission."

Random quotes

I have been busy, but I do need to kick start my chronicling process once again. Some quotes that I have been using in my lessons so far:

1. The mark of an immature man is to die nobly for a cause, the mark of a mature man is to live humbly for the same.

2. When we are young, we learn to control others, when we mature, we learn to control ourselves.

Comments so far on the lessons?

Plato or Aristotle?

"It has been remarked that everyone is born either a Platonist or an Aristotelian. Plato and Aristotle, this is, represent two different attitudes toward the world. Plato was a perfectionist whose inclination, even in discussing the problems of practical politics, was always towards a utopian solution that was impractical precisely because the perfect is never realized in this world. Where Plato was otherwisely and idealistic, Aristotle was practical and empirical.
Plato's bias towards mathematics was symptomatic of his general point of view... ... For Aristitle, in contrast, biology was the leading and, as it were, model science. Just as it is natural in discussing Plato's views to draw example from the field of mathematics, so it is natral in any discussion of Aristotle's views to take examples from biology. In mathematics we are dealing with perfect but lifeless entities; in biology, with imperfect but living ones." W.T. Jones

Are you a Platonist or an Aristotelian?

Platonic Christianity

WoW9: To get a right relationship with God, get a right relationship with the Church

"Political theory is not merely an adjunct to ethical theory; indeed, for Plato it was almost the other way around, since he believed that the good life is possible only in the good state. Here again Plato is poles apart from the Christian tradition, which, in emphasizing the individual's effort to get into a right relationship with God, has tended to stress solitariness and to regard what sociologists call "interpersonal relations" as a dangerous distraction. Plato, in contrast, held that only in and through these relations can the individual achieve his good." W.T. Jones, The Classical Mind

The author may not be right in assessing the truth about Christianity, but the accusation is certainly valid about its bias. Get a right relationship with your Church, more often than not, it will make for a more healthy relationship with God.

Extremely busy

A joke to share:

Herman and Henrietta were touring their brand-new house, a house that Henrietta had paid for with her money, a fact of which she often reminded Herman. In each room of the house, she said to her husband, "Herman, if it were not for my money, we wouldn’t be here." Herman didn’t say a word.

That afternoon a truck delivered to the house a load of furniture, furniture that Henrietta paid for with her money. After the furniture was in place, the couple toured the house again. As they observed each room, beautifully appointed and magnificently decorated, Henrietta reminded her husband, "Herman, if it were not for my money, this furniture would not be here." Again, Herman was silent.

Late in the afternoon a truck came with a special piece of furniture which was to be the focal point of the den, a combination stereo-television-computer all wrapped into one gorgeous piece of furniture which Henrietta paid for with her money. When it was in place, Henrietta again addressed her husband, "If it were not for my money, that piece of furniture would not be here." Finally, Herman spoke, "Honey, I don’t want to make you feel bad, but if it were not for your money, I wouldn’t be here!"


"Measure wealth not by the things you have, but by the things you have for which you would not take money."