Sunday, November 29, 2009

Review: Leaving Microsoft to Change the World

I bought this book because it was on offer. This describes the reason for the bulk of my purchases. I started buying motivational self-help books a few years ago when I realised that I lack communication skills. So the mission for me is to learn how these professionals communicate their ideas in a clear, powerful and memorable way. Looking back, I think I've come a long way in developing myself. Church members have been remembering my sermon points a lot better now.

I bought this book because it looks like a good and interesting story, but it turned out to be far more than that. It was a lesson on how to do non-profit the right way. The founder John Wood laid out a few principles that made people willing to contribute to his cause. Specific tangible results, low overhead and a passion for his work, these are all things that made Room to Read great.

I basically finished this book in one day, cover to cover, because of the captivating narrative. This is a guy who sacrificed it all to make his dream to educate the poor come true. And over and over we come to know of people who merely wanted a chance to learn more. My immediate response is that I want to share this book with everybody involved in missions and the like. Highly recommended.

Friday, November 27, 2009

FFoB 13: Signs and the "I AM" sayings of John

The church is currently doing a sermon series on the I AM sayings of John. The reason is because we will be celebrating this year's Christmas season from the perspective of John. Jesus is the "Word became flesh". He fully manifests the glory of the one and only.

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.

4In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

The Prologue of John explains clearly how Jesus the Word fully manifested the glory when he became flesh. He is the true light, life, glory, grace and truth.

This is therefore the reason we are doing the I AM series as the Advent messages for this year's Christmas season. The I AM sayings placed throughout the gospel of John explains how the ministry of Jesus is the revelation of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.
i) 我是生命粮 I am the Bread of Life (6:35,51)
ii) 我是世界的光 I am the Light of the World (8:12; 9:5)
iii) 我是门 I am the Gate (10:7,9)
iv) 我是好牧人 I am the good Shepherd (10:11,14)
v) 我是复活生命 I am the Resurrection and the Life (11:25)
vi) 我是道路真理生命 I am the Way, the Truth and the Life (14:6)
vii) 我是真葡萄树 I am the True Vine (15:1)

Related to this point is also how there are "signs" performed by Jesus throughout the gospel.
a) 2:1-11 Water into Wine at Cana - "Jesus did this, the first of his signs ... and manifested his glory" ( 2:11 )
b) 4:46-54 Official's son near death at Capernaum - " the second sign that Jesus did" ( 4:54 )
c?) 5:1-9ff Healing of a sick man at Pool of Bethesda - called a "work," not a "sign" (7:21; cf. 5:17)
d) 6:1-14ff Feeding of the 5000 - "When the people saw the sign which he had done..." (6:14 )
e?) 6:16 -21 Walking on water ( never called a "sign", and does not function as one! )
f) 9:1-7ff Healing of a man born blind - "How can a sinner do such signs ?" (9:16)
g) 11:1-45 Lazarus raised from the dead - "they heard he had done this sign " ( 12:18 )
Jesus didn't just performed miracles to show his power (unlike in the Synoptic Gospels). These signs were done to reveal Jesus' unique identity.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

FFoB 12: What went on with the Old Testament




This picture is taken from the Wikipedia. It shows the relationship between all the ancient copies of the Old Testament. The Protestant OT is mainly translated from the MT (200-900AD). The Catholic OT is based on the MT and the Apocrypha from the LXX (300BC). Since we will be speaking on the additions to Esther, it is good to know the relationship.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The Problem with Palin

I am genuinely disturbed by some of the right-wing enthusiasm with Sarah Palin. It is not so much the conservative viewpoints that is alarming. It is the anti-intellectualism, and the incredulous notion that that is something to be proud of. John Stewart sums it up clearly.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
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The relevant potion starts 4min into the clip

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

FFoB 11: Arise, Shine!

I recently heard a children song called "Arise, Shine" which is indeed very beautiful. The tune emphasizes on the word Shine and the children will throw up their hands to represent the explosive shining forth of the light. The ignorant me thought all along that this song is based on Ephesians 5:14

"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."

It is only upon googling for the song that I realize that the words are actually based on Isaiah 60:1

"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

Well, despite the embarrassment, it is still a good lesson for me. It is likely that this early Christian hymn recorded in Ephesians is based on a theology similar to Isaiah. Here we have good evidence of the early belief in Christ's divinity. Just like the Lord, Christ is the glorious light that gives life when it shines on you.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Church History is like a tree



I like the use of this imagery to depict church history and was glad to find a chinese one online. Although we may appear to be vastly different and at odds on many issues, the reality is that we are still one single organism and we all branch out from the same root. This picture is evidence that I am not alone in this vision.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

FFoB10: Capstone or Cornerstone

The New testament reinterpreted Psalm 118:22 to define Jesus in Matt 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:7. If you read NIV, you get: "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone". If you read NASB, you get: "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone". What is the difference? Well, Capstone refers to "one of the finishing or protective stones that form the top of an exterior masonry wall or building. It looks like this:

Cornerstone however refers to the "first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure." It looks like this:


I think both translations are possible and depending on which one you choose, you will derive a different meaning of the phrase. If you think of Jesus as the Capstone, he is the stone that presses down and holds down the entire structure. When the Capstone is removed, the structure implodes. Willimon's description of Jesus as the Capstone brings out this nuance, (although his title is Jesus the Cornerstone). This is his sermon: Jesus the Cornerstone.

"Now at the Chapel at Duke, where I usually preach, the chapel is built in the style of true gothic buildings, with no structural steel, with each stone resting upon stone in the fashion of true medieval architecture. High above the crossing there is something that's called a capstone. All the soaring arches thrust their weight upward and meet right up there in the center at the capstone. If that capstone, which I’m told weighs over a ton, were removed, the whole building would collapse. To expand Ephesians’ architectural metaphor, if you were to remove Jesus, the capstone of the whole Church, it would collapse." - Willimon

On the other hand, if you think of Jesus as the Cornerstone, he is the stone at the bottom corner that the entire building plan aligns itself with. Everything is an extension based on that stone. This is especially important for religious buildings because that stone marks out the original position of the previous temple or shrine or holy place. Tim Gallant's sermon brings out this nuance with his focus on Christian unity. This is his sermon: God's new temple under construction.

"So verse 20, then, helps us see if we have indeed discovered the temple of God. If, as Paul writes, this temple is founded upon the apostles and prophets, with Christ Himself as the chief cornerstone, then the features of the temple come into focus. If a society calls itself a "church" but has moved off the foundation of the apostles and prophets - you are not looking at the temple of the living God. If a society calls itself a "church," but is not founded upon the Person and work of Jesus Christ - you are not looking at the temple of the living God. The Church of Christ does not worship a goddess. The Church of Christ does not worship humanity. The Church of Christ does not worship the flag. The Church of Christ is founded squarely upon Christ and His cross and resurrection." - Gallant

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Tired of Churchy and Christianish people

Tony Jones started a call-out to fellow Christians called Ending Christian Euphemisms. I wholeheartedly agree with his sentiments. I have never failed to roll my eyes (secretly) when I hear the statements like "This is not biblical" or "The Lord laid it on my heart". Seriously, do you need the extra divine support for your decisions? Can't we all just agree that I am as spiritual and biblically well versed as you are? It never fails to show that people using such statements are trying to one-up their arguments because they don't stand up to rational scrutiny by themselves. My advice to such folks:

1. I know the bible too. Obviously the reason we are arguing is because we hold different hermeneutical principles. So let's lay aside the pissing contest of who has better bible knowledge, and talk about the issue at hand.

2. Yes, you and God have a special relationship. Well, so do I. If God wants you to do something, it must have better reasons than a "just because". Let's hear that one, since it is much more verifiable.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Recommendation: Notes From Off Center

Notes From Off Center is a Christian blog that I always find insightful. Drew Tatusko is a Presbyterian who received his theological education from Princeton and is now serving in Mount Aloysius College. The reason I like this blog is because he thinks quite differently from me, but his arguments are always so compelling and deep that it forces me to rethink my assumptions. He also have the great gift of making profound thoughts personal and heart-felt.

I recommend this post that I like very much:
My God is a Predator.

Monday, November 16, 2009

The Exchange Principle

I am truly benefiting a lot from reading Winning with People by John Maxwell. Among his many gifts is his uncanny ability to read people very well. I talked about this in my sermon Consider the Water, which is based on the famous "This is Water" commencement speech by David Foster Wallace.

Wallace said this:
"A huge percentage of the stuff that I tend to be automatically certain of is, it turns out, totally wrong and deluded. Here's one example of the utter wrongness of something I tend to be automatically sure of: Everything in my own immediate experience supports my deep belief that I am the absolute center of the universe, the realest, most vivid and important person in existence. We rarely talk about this sort of natural, basic self-centeredness, because it's so socially repulsive, but it's pretty much the same for all of us, deep down. It is our default-setting, hard-wired into our boards at birth."

Anyway, in talking about the Exchange Principle in his Patience principle, Maxwell wrote this:

To develop patience, you need to appreciate how other people think and be sensitive to how people feel. Every person thinks... ...
- his problems are biggest
- his jokes are the funniest
- his prayers should get special attention
- his situation is different
- his victories are the most exemplary
- his faults should be overlooked

So true.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Best Things in Life are Free II

For the last couple of years, I have been using Introduction to the Old Testament by Prof Christine Hayes from the Open Yale Courses online as my basic guide for OT teachings. If you are looking for something that is scholarly astute, well presented and well balanced, there is nothing better I've come across. I consider it an absolute must-try if you want to gain a better understanding of OT.

It is with great excitement that I come to know that there are new free online courses given by Yale:
1. Introduction to New Testament History and Literature by Prof Dale Martin
2. Introduction to Ancient Greek History by Prof Donald Kagan
3. Death by Prof Shelly Kagan

If they are only half as good as the course by Prof Hayes, I would be immeasurably grateful. Good times ahead.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

FFoB9: The Art of Speaking

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

"Most of Paul's moral exhortations are the sort that most ancient moralists uttered. Despite many points in common with the ethics of his culture, however, Paul often cites the Old Testament as his ethical authority. Ancient wisdom literature often emphasized learning to speak rightly; many sayings in proverbs emphasize the idea, including the encouragement to speak gracious uplifting words." - The IVP Bible Background Commentary

Proverbs 12:25 An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.
Proverbs 15:23 A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!
Proverbs 25:11 A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

It seems that many Christians still need this lesson from Paul. They think that they are doing the church a service by saying things to "improve" the church. How about just learning to appreciate what is already there? And if you have to speak, speak lovingly.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Should Ben Witherington apologize?

There is apparently a mini-storm over Ben Witherington's comments about Sheffield's Department of Biblical Studies. This appeared in an article about the department's survival in Christianity Today.

In one of the paragraph, it says:
"Bruce, the noted author of books such as Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free and The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, founded Sheffield's department of biblical history and literature in 1947. But not all faculty have shared Bruce's conservative convictions. Evangelically minded faculty, including Andrew Lincoln and Loveday Alexander, were not replaced with scholars who held similar views. Other faculty were "bent on the deconstruction of the Bible, and indeed of their students' faith," according to Ben Witherington, a New Testament scholar at Asbury Theological Seminary."

This led to Stephanie Fisher confronting Witherington on his blog, and snowballed further when he defended his views about the way Sheffield conducts its teaching on those who are more conservative in their faith. You can read James Crossley's response to his comments here.

My thoughts on the matter is that I think the secular and critical way Sheffield do biblical studies is actually a good thing. As long as students who go there know what is in store for them (a secular education), I think the existence of Sheffield department of biblical studies definitely adds value to the overall academic world.

However, judging by Witherington's comments, he is probably not too happy about some who have lost their faith because of their education there. That is unfortunate from a religious point of view, but it is just private opinion. Now that there are those who demand an apology for his deeply-held sentiments, demanding proof of his accusations. How can such evidence be produced without leading to more unhappiness? I don't think that is possible. I guess the best he could do is to apologize for making his private unhappiness public, but that would satisfy no one. Now he is just choosing between a rock and a hard place. Poor guy.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Thoughts on War

Dulce et Decorum Est is a poem by Wilfred Owen about the horrors of war during the WWI. The poem describes how a bunch of soldiers were escaping gas bombs and graphically presents the horror of a particular young man struggling for life.

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.

GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.--
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

The title of the poem makes a mockery of the poem by Horace.

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori:
mors et fugacem persequitur virum
nec parcit inbellis iuventae
poplitibus timidove tergo.

"How sweet and fitting it is to die for one's country:
Death pursues the man who flees,
spares not the hamstrings or cowardly backs
Of battle-shy youths."

How sweet and fitting indeed.

Perhaps it is Memorial Day, we have an excellent reflection on the ethics of war by Dr. Richard Beck: Grandpa and Pacifism.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

How are you feeling today?

This was the ice-breaker for my cell tonight and a damn good one. I do assess my own feelings everyday. If I am feeling bad, I will try stuff that help alleviate stress. It is an important spot-check for me because my state of mind can easily affect others. If I am feeling down, my message is likely to be negative.

Fortunately, things are moving along fine in church despite a hectic schedule ahead. What always keeps me upbeat no matter the situation is if I know there are challenging tasks to come. I get motivated by learning and stretching myself. In the year ahead, two things stand out.

1. The project on Esther, including the apocrypha passages, looks daunting but very very unfamiliar. I like that feeling. Let's explore God in a new way.

2. A bunch of loving people is joining the church choir. I hope this can be a life giving love that continues to pay it forward. Time will tell.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Age and Maturity

John C. Maxwell is really good with presenting ideas on leadership. That is his obvious gift, besides a genuine great personality. He is able to convey relationship concepts using direct and graphic words, making understanding really easy. I am reading his book, Winning with People, and it is most enlightening. I especially like this phrase:

"We often expect maturity to come with age, but the truth is, sometimes age comes alone."

So true.

Friday, November 06, 2009

FFoB8: Additions to the Book of Esther

The church will be doing the book of Esther in the sermons for the bilingual service next year. I've known for quite some time that there are additional passages to Esther in the Apocrypha, which means that we disagree with the Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox on the canonicity of these passages. Nonetheless, I thought that since we are doing a serious study of Esther, it should be a fully comprehensive one. It doesn't harm to talk on a couple of prayers right?

It turns out that the additions are pretty long and there are 6 passages in total. Oops! Looks like it will take a few sermons to cover them. Why the additions? There are a few reasons.

1. God is largely absent in the original story. These additions attempt to give more theological depth to Esther and thus explain the events with a more active version of God.

2. The additions also help to explain some questions, like the inner motivations of the main characters. While the original leaves more to the imagination, the additions tell us more blatantly why Esther feels disgusted about being queen or why Mordecai doesn't bow to Haman.

3. Lastly, the additions also add drama to certain portions of the narrative that are overly brief. In particular, the texts of the edicts were given, thus giving more credibility when relating the tale.

Looks like we will be having some fun analyzing this very Jewish story. Certainly, the before and after effects of the additions will let us think about how looking at the story from different angles let us learn something new about God.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Ben Witherington Strikes Again!

When I was studying in TTC, I had a crisis of faith. The issue was whether we had misunderstood Jesus. The idea was that the theology of Christ and the self identity of Jesus may be very different. It become more and more troubling for me as I go down the rabbit hole of the quest for the historical Jesus. At that time, one book came to my rescue: The Christology of Jesus by Ben Witherington. In a well organized manner, Ben outlined how we can understand Jesus' interpretation of himself, and the conclusion was that Jesus' idea and our traditional idea isn't very different. The book was very well-reasoned, and I felt convinced.

As the years passes, I continue to see him as my idol, and often respect his opinion on theological subjects. His reply on the Da Vinci code is an example of well thought out scholarship: The Gospel Code. However, he does lean towards the more conservative camp, I so see that we disagree on the more controversial topics. My beliefs are still traditional, but I lean liberal on politics. I am simply more convinced about equality and social justice when applying the law.

Today, as I was catching up on his blog. This post is especially good: Why Arguments against Women in Ministry aren't biblical. Some of the more conservative bible-thumping parts of the Presbyterians in Singapore still use literal readings of the bible to justify their stand against woman pastors. This post is a perfect explanation of why they are so misguided.

"As I have learned over many years.... the problem in the church is not strong and gifted women. ... ... No, the problem in the church is not strong women, but rather weak men who feel threatened by strong women, and have tried various means, even by dubious exegesis to prohibit them from exercising their gifts and graces in the church." Witherington

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Review: Yes Man

I have been reading motivation books for quite a while besides my usual religious literature. The reason for doing this is because I want to learn how to convey ideas and concepts effectively like what many of these motivational speakers do. Like it or not, we may have an important message, but if the medium is a boring convoluted presentation (i.e. most sermons), nobody is getting fed and bringing anything home with them. It is with such endeavors that I come across the book by Danny Wallace: Yes Man. It is about the real life adventure of the author when he tries to change his life by saying yes to every single proposal. Would you want to the party? Yes! Would you like to try this product? Yes! You get the idea. It is a motivational message presented in a humorous autobiographical style. Inspirational and funny, hence I finished it quickly. I think the book is just ok for what it is trying to say: namely, be open-minded about invitations of life and good things will come your way.

The movie adaptation however is extremely well done, despite the usual over-expressions of Jim Carrey. Many of the silly ideas of the book like wild adventures to Amsterdam (because of a secret message) or the correspondences with a Nigerian scammer were removed. The movie keeps a good pace in telling the audience how the adventure to say yes to everything works out, and I think the romantic subplot with Zooey Deschanel is quirky and sweet. To say that the movie brings out the best of the book is a gross understatement. This script is a good example of what proper editing can do in bringing out the essence of a sermon.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Review: Bedtime Stories

I bought this DVD despite the negative reviews, something I don't usually do. I am also not a fan of Adam Sandler's brand of humor, which is usually a not so successful guy and not too intelligent, whose sincerity somehow gets the girl. The wedding singer is the only one I like because it is not too stupid. The reason for the purchase is simply because I like the genre where story-telling and real life coincide and I think the best movie on this is Big Fish. Movies like this are important because I think the modern society with its emphasis on empiricism and historicity has lost the beauty of a well-told story no doubt also based on actual events. In the fanatic obsession with actual details, we forget that the truth of the matter is often bigger than the sum of its parts. Well crafted stories that creatively utilizes embellishments and narrative arrangements and other literary devices can present the reality more deeply than a recollection of facts. It is in the pursuit of such unique perspectives that I ventured into films like The Brothers Grimm and Hoodwinked. These films often challenge our mindset on what is involved when an event is retold.

In Bedtime Stories, stories made up by kids come true in the life of the main character Skeeter. That is the main draw for me. I think the movie succeeds very well in making the fantastic imaginations of children become a reality in Skeeter's life. How the events play out for Skeeter despite the impossibility when we listen to the bedtime story version from the kids the night before is the main plot, and that did not disappoint me at all. If you want a good and deep movie, this is obviously just fun family fare. But if you are searching for something like the hermeneutic of life, how life is interpreted, I think this film is worth a try.

The best part about the movie is when Wendy confronted Skeeter for telling her kids that there are no happy endings in life. I think that is something we can all think about.

Monday, November 02, 2009

Review: (500) Days of Summer

I've always liked romantic comedies. It speaks something about me. I like romance and I like happy endings. I'm an idealist and I like to feel good. Despite so, I also like it when a movie tries to be inventive with a tried and proven formula. 500 days of summer is not your average romantic comedy. It has a non-chronological narrative and well, there is a twist in the end. This movie tries to answer one basic question: is there a special someone meant for you?

The movie deals with this using the 2 main characters: Tom who comes from a happy family and has a romantic picture of love and Summer who comes from a broken family and has a "why so serious?" attitude towards commitment. In the end, both learned a little more about the entire picture of love from each other. I like that kind of stuff too: kind of like Sense and Sensibility.

This movie also has a good Sixth Sense moment, where a line transforms how the movie is interpreted. For me, it is this line:
Rachel Hansen: Tom, I know you think she was the one, but I don't. Next time you look back, I think you should look again.