Bible Drama
I like this: dramatized reading of the Bible with music. My dad has an entire set of CDs of an audio Bible, but now, it’s available online!
Android, baby!
To blog with a picture of my blog means I’m not blogging on the usual means to blog.
Thanks to Android and my sweetheart who convinced me tooth and nail to get a smart(er)phone, I now blog from phone! Smart, right?
Update
Hey Edie
Ah, I know, I know. You’ve been waiting long. I did get your emails and they were really encouraging, hearing about how you overcame your illness, had a great time on holiday and enjoying your work. And oh, meeting someone special too eh? *ahem*… *ahem*
Welcome on the couples’ bandwagon/boat. I’m almost a year ahead of you! haha.. almost. Two Mondays from now, it’ll be exactly a year. Loved every moment of it, loving her more, and looking forward to the journey ahead. I’m sure it will be exciting for you too.
Heard from Edith that ministry’s been taking you places huh. I’ve been around mostly, except for a trip or two to Penang. Haven’t travelled much since Cape Town last year and I’m itching for some.
Work’s been OK. I’m sensing a bit of a plateau at the moment. Like I need something new. A greater challenge, or a more powerful cause to work for. But I was also forewarned that I would enter this plateau phase just about this time in practice. Maybe it’s just a phase and I need to challenge myself. Maybe not a new job (not yet, at least. I love my job), but new areas of law or involvement in the Bar.
How’s Eddie doing with his LLB? Surviving?
Just a quick one to let you know that I remember you. We’ll catch up more soon!
grace
Day 7, 8 and *poof*
Yes, this blog went AWOL for a while. Blame that on a lack internet connectivity, hectic conference schedule (and last minute vuvuzela purchases), an 11-hour flight home, jet-lag and work. Yes, I procrastinated.
Two major issues rang through my mind on Day 7, and one major sound through my ears. The session on Humility, Integrity and Simplicity dealt with the issue of Christian example – our lack of exemplary character being the biggest obstacle to world evangelisation. It got me questioning not just ‘obvious’ sins in my life, but even mindsets of pride, for e.g. we bring the Gospel to an unreached people group because “they want what we have and they need what we have”. It’s a fine line, but a serious one, if our motivation to present the Gospel is solely one of necessity (“they need the Gospel and WE have it”) because that infuses pride.
Secondly, I attended a session talking about men and women in ministry. What really rang in my mind was the phrase ‘multiplying workers’, i.e. by affirming and allowing women (and men) to be effective servants of God through enhancing all the gifts God has given them, even if that gift is traditionally or culturally accorded to men (or women). I initially felt as if the session was an unknowing imposition of Western “female rights” on other cultures around the world, until I realised that yes, God can and will use women in their gifts and strengths to do areas of ministry with results that may far surpass men. All those in favour say “I told you so”. And it taught me how much more I ought to affirm my girlfriend’s strengths and talents. Numerous, I must add.
Day 8, for me, was three words: Eradicate Bible Poverty. Those three words had been used over the few days nearing the end of the conference and usually dealing with the need for translation of the Bible into more languages. However, it brought greater understanding when the phrase also addressed Bible poverty in communities where the Bible already exists, and have existed for ages. The lack of Scripture engagement was the issue. Learning about it, and thinking about how I can encourage greater Scripture engagement in my ministry was really challenging. Because it also dealt with my own level of engagement with Scripture, which isn’t very well by far.
And Day 8 ended with the awesomest, most beautiful, most wonderful and most elaborately conducted communion service ever! With an orchestra, a huge and colourful choir, great hymns, meaningful liturgy and such corporate excitement, we lifted up our praise to God and gave Him all the glory. WOW (for everything)
I’m back in KL now. Back to work, back to the usual routine of life, back to the everyday struggles of the Christian journey. What’s next from here?
Well, I hope this blog won’t go AWOL again before I share it with you!
Day 6 – Getting Younger
Day 6 proved to be loads of fun, spending time with young people, hearing from the heart of an HIV/AIDS researcher advocating abstinence in a culture that defies it, and of course, studying the Word of God together with my awesomely-convened table group, listening to an exposition by Vaughan Roberts.
We were challenged to also look at the world’s unengaged, unreached people groups who have never heard the Gospel and do not have access to the Gospel. Looking at the list, praying about it, and letting God place a people group in my heart was a heartbreaking journey for me but one that I pray will lead the nations to the Lord.
I’m also looking forward to praying with the Sudanese people tonight as well.
The night session celebrated God’s work in Africa and highlighted children, young people and the impact of sports in mission. It was a night of joyful celebration as I sat with a table of Filipinos, one of whom could speak Cantonese, Hokkien, Mandarin, Tagalog, English, Spanish and a plethora of local dialects, and a dancing Bishop.
Perhaps the most impactful time I had yesterday was a conversation I had with an HIV/AIDS researcher who co-wrote a book that presents statistics that challenge conventional belief in the spread of HIV/AIDS and upholds abstinence and faithfulness as the key to curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Her challenge to uphold Christian values in the midst of a growing sexual rights movement has been a difficult journey that God is bringing her through. But it was very encouraging to see her heart and desire and having to work through her weaknesses as well.
In that conversation, a lot of my desire to deal with the issue of rights and responsibilities and to advocate the concept of responsibility, a passion I had in my time as a lecturer which has been set to the backburner over the past few years, was revived.
Academia in time to come, perhaps?
Day 6 was great. Now, to Day 7.
Day 5 – Wheeeeeee!
Day 5 was the official day off at the Congress. Which means, no theologizing, and much touristizing!
A bunch of us Malaysians rented a car, ‘kidnapped’ a Bangladeshi, the subject of our care and blessings for the day, and took a drive all the way to the Cape of Good Hope.
In the journey, we stopped to watch penguins, eat fish and chips, buy gifts, take photos, visit a museum, see baboons, ostriches, fake giraffes, whale bones, sleep, admire the beauty of His creation (ok, so some theologizing inevitably seeped into this blog entry)
It was a good day off, with lots of fun, experience, photos and bargaining to buy a vuvuzela (which I absolutely regret not buying, hence I blew it – pun intended)
Tomorrow, back to Congress and more exciting stories ahead!
Day 4 – The People Around Me
Yesterday brought a lot of thinking through on some issues that have already been brewing in my heart.
For example, the seemingly increasing divide between proclaiming the Gospel, and social justice. But John Piper (perhaps the most excited preacher I’ve seen – he is excited about the Word like a kid excited about a new toy) brought to our attention a thought from Ephesians 3: that all Christians are and should be concerned about suffering, especially eternal suffering. Helped to put some of our concerns into context.
Praying with a group of people for Somalia was very enriching for me. And hearing what goes on there breaks my heart.
Tim Keller’s thoughts on reaching the cities was also amazing. He weaved in Biblical truths that just opened my eyes to the work God can and is doing in the cities.
Also challenged me to think about how I can ground my thoughts, ideas and challenges in the Word of God.
That’s a little tidbit for now.
Today is free day at the Conference, and a bunch of us are heading to the bottomest part of Africa – the Cape of Good Hope.
Till then!
PS: I’ll finish off with a lawyer joke I heard from the Bishop of the Church of Ireland
“Do you know why lawyers are buried 150 feet deep? Because deep down, we’re good people”
Brilliant, simply brilliant.
Day 3 – … and Reconciliation
Day 3 ended with a very sobering thought on the Middle East and the broken world.
There was in some ways a celebration of what God is doing throughout the Middle East, and having the opportunity to pray for about an hour with two Christians from I*** (insert four-letter name of restricted access country famous for an American invasion during the Bush administration), really brought me to praise God for the awesome work He’s doing, but yet understand the difficulties and the very real concern of martyrdom in the expansion of the Kingdom.
Several of the delegates in the Congress were also HIV positive, bringing to light the issue of HIV/AIDS in the light of the Gospel and Ephesians 3 – about the whole of Christendom being saved by grace, not of our own works. The need to address judgmental attitudes within the Church is so important, because we, like any person with HIV/AIDS, are saved by the grace of God, not by what any of us did/did not do.
God in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself – Paul, in the letter to the Corinthians.
Day 3 – Of Peace…
Studying Ephesians 2 today was wonderful. One of my table group members offered to do a jig for all the wonderful things we learnt, because it really lifts us up with joy.
But one of the major things I learnt in Ephesians 2 is the idea of the peace that God ‘is’, God ‘gives’ and God ‘makes’ – the Prince of Peace enabling us to be reconciled with Him and with each other.
Truly a theme of magnanimous magnitude, as we see the brokenness of the world around us. And how I have been challenged to BE an agent of reconciliation in the midst of the brokenness in my country.
It’s been a great experience, and I suspect that despite the increase in ‘younger leaders’ in this conference, I’m guessing those 26 years and under only make up 2% of the delegates. That’s my guess, because I have yet to see more of those my age.
Despite that, I have also been celebrity starstruck, as have some of my friends in the Congress too. Over the course of our involvement in missions, we’ve heard big names and famous people in the missions arena. And here they are!
Lots of “oh, so THAT’s David Garrison!” and well, you get the picture..
A bit more on Day 3 later tonight (Cape Town time) after the night session…
Truth Be Told…
That would be my theme for Day 2 at the Congress. From the exposition of Ephesians 1, to the plenary session on Truth, and the remaining sessions for the day, ‘truth’ stood out like a very healthy thumb (unlike a sore one) for all of us to uphold.
As I type this, Day 2 has ended and I am soon off to bed. It has been tiring, but my time here has continued to be wonderful, meeting with people, hearing stories, listening to new insights, and being challenged in many different ways.
Some highlights for today:
1. A thought about evangelism
Ajith Fernando, while delivering his exposition on Ephesians 1, had this to say about the way we deliver the message of the Gospel:
“We tend to focus on what is easy to understand, instead of labouring to teach what is true and deeper.”
What he said rang true to a conversation I had with my girlfriend just a few days ago about how very often the message of the Gospel that I (or we) deliver is solely based on what God has done for me – healing me, giving me good grades, etc – and not about the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. What we end up delivering is a palatable, unoffensive ‘gospel’ that goes the against the very nature of the Gospel of Christ.
I was very challenged to think about how to deliver the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth effectively and responsibly.
2. Sudan and I
I got to know a Sudanese teacher who shared with me some very deep issues in relation to the Sudan referendum in January 2011 and the impact it may have on Christians in North Sudan, the South Sudanese living in the North, the possibility of impending persecution. About 5 years ago, I have had Sudan on my heart – to pray for and to see God do an amazing work there. To hear from him was eye-opening, heartbreaking and yet, in a good sense, mind-blowing. I’m hoping I get to pray with the Sudanese delegates later in the Congress.
3. Marketplace Ministry & Missions
At the People At Work multiplex (the funky name for ‘workshop’), I was challenged to understand the nature of ministry in the local church and the marketplace, and how the church ought to view and build up the 98% of its congregation and bridge the Sunday-Monday gap.
The issue it raised today echoed what has been slowly growing in my heart: that whilst the church openly declares that it does not believe in the sacred-secular divide, its actions prove otherwise.
From the way it expects people to serve in the local church (and by that, marketplace ministry is not included), to the subtle perception of ‘full-time’ ministry as being ‘superior’ to other jobs, I think a major revamp of mindset is required. And it is not done by empty slogans.
4. Unreached People Groups – solely ethno-liguistic?
I was taught to see unreached people groups (or whatever new name is given to it nowadays) to be ethno-linguistic, i.e. the people groups are defined by their race, language and culture with the common position that they have no access to the Gospel. This is further cemented by the idea that the word “nations” in the Great Commission refers to “ethne”, or people groups based on ethnicity. Hence, it would seem that the task of fulfilling the Great Commission is one of bringing the Gospel to ethno-linguistic people groups and if we define it any other way, we may lose focus on the priority of the Great Commission.
As much as I believe that we need to remain focused on those people groups, the phrase “people groups” are now increasingly used to apply to people in the marketplace, or those in schools, who actually already have access to the Gospel. Is such a definition acceptable? Will it affect the priority of the Church in bringing the Gospel to those who have never heard and do not have the opportunity to hear?
Just some thoughts. As I go along, I also pray that God will show me more of what He wants me to do in my life as I process these thoughts and seek Him.
Day 3 to come!
