Faith in Search of

Come be with me

ispan — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:07:52 +0000

I was very encouraged by this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcrquIz6IlU

Keith Duke is another artist I discovered through the pray as you go site (http://www.pray-as-you-go.org) after Margaret Rizza. Too bad their music has not reach a larger audience here in North America.

Codex Sinaiticus online

ispan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:21:48 +0000

See the site : www.codex-sinaiticus.net/

See the wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Sinaiticus

It is online now: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8135415.stm

Awesome!!

Mission trips do not need to be foreign

ispan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:15:49 +0000

Want to help those who suffer?

You want to serve people or you want to alleviate some suffering. There is a need right here right now within our nation.

Mission trips do not need to be foreign.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/06/02/dying-pain-report-602.html

“Throughout Newfoundland and Labrador many of the most vulnerable, terminally ill and those with life-limiting illnesses continue to suffer hideously,” says a needs assessment report completed last fall for the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre in St. John’s. CBC News obtained a copy of the report, which has not yet been publicly released.

“They struggle daily for medications and services and such as medical care, home care, nursing and medical care. They struggle through the bureaucratic roller-coaster of endless paperwork for admission to acute care, respite care, palliative care and long-term care facilities … because of the lack of these same basic services in their individual communities.”

The report, written by Fiona Shaw, found that palliative care is currently a specialized service available to less than 10 per cent of the people who die in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The report found that the lack of services is only bound to become more serious, as cancer is expected to eclipse cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Famous but dead

ispan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:10:42 +0000

Mr. Michael Jackson had his memorial service yesterday with much media frenzy. Of course he was famous.

Within a short span of time in June the following famous people were no more.

Michael Jackson

Farah Fawcett

Ed McMahon

I am not interest in measuring the lives they lived. I am in no position to do that. Instead I am more interest in the fact that our society pay attention to them or in other words consider them famous.

I cannot say it better then the following quote:

“The opposite of tradition has no name. Yet we know what it is. It is a life lived only in the present, which is necessarily an uninformed life, formed by whatever happens by. It is a life not consciously assimilated to authentic heroes, and so a life doomed to be unconsciously assimilated to bogus celebrities. It is a life not measure against the past, and so unexamined, a life not worth living.

Jesus said, “Turn the other cheek.” Without his example, and without the examples of the saints, the injunction has no meaning. The letter without the Spirit, which I take to mean content without context, speech without biography, present without past, kills. The Spirit, the animator of heroes, gives life.”

“Luminous Dusk” by Dale C. Allison Jr. Eerdmans 2006, p135.

Consider two other persons whom you may not have heard of who also died recently:

Ray Anderson, who was a professor at Fuller:

http://theconnexion.net/wp/?p=5412

http://faith-theology.blogspot.com/2009/06/ray-s-anderson-1925-2009.html

Fr. Lawrence (Lorenzo) Rosebaugh , who was a priest in Guatemala City:

http://www.ronrolheiser.com/columnarchive/archive_display.php?rec_id=465

http://www.nonviolentworm.org/Milwaukee14Today/MemorialServiceForLorenzoRosebaughOMI

Prof. Martin Hengel, NT specialist at Tubingen:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.obituaries/browse_thread/thread/fd4c9026d37c1da9?pli=1

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/religion-obituaries/5811664/Professor-Martin-Hengel.html

http://publicchristianity.org/Videos/hengel.html

Who we notice on the obituary pages may well give us insight into where we put our priority.

Another re-start

ispan — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:05:59 +0000

It is a wet soggy day in the big TO and I am suffering from EPL (English Primer League) and 24 withdraw syndrome. (I actually went out and bought 24 season one and two; got them at Father’s day special at Wal-Mart)

I need to do something so I am reviving my blog. It will take a little time to re-org it somewhat but it will come slowly.

You are what you read

ispan — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:57:36 +0000

(I wrote this about three months ago)

I believe “you are what you read”, like “you are what you eat”. So I did an experiment. I logged everything (as much as I could remember) I read in a typical week. Then I attempt to draw some conclusions what I am based on my readings.

1. E-mails: everyone got e-mails to read, some you want to read, and some you don’t. I read somewhere between 50-80 emails in the pass week at home and at work from non-mass mailing or subscriptions. Mostly written in poor English and only about two are inspiring.

Btw, do you know “spam” is 30 years old already!! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7380788.stm

2. Menus: I went out to eat about three times this week so I got to read three menus, not very memorable.

3. Traffic signs, advertising in stores, bus stops, and elevators. I have a disdain for advertising. I believe it diminishes your soul.

4. Product labels and instructions. I believe it is a conspiracy to have labels. What they are doing is dump their responsibility on ordinary citizen. Let’s be real, I have not a slightest clue what those ingredients are. Even if I knew; how does that help me decide what to do? I am no expert on food, pharmacology and any vast number of products. It is just too easy to put something on a label and then say “I told you so” and “use at your own risk”.

5. News I read news on the web from CBC, BBC, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun and London Times. Yes, I am biased towards American media.

6. Fantasy baseball news: I have been playing fantasy baseball for almost 10 years now. It is a fun diversion and keep me inform about the great America pastime. I don’t really have a favorite team but I sympathized with the Cubbies because they are cursed.

7. Football news: I am an ardent football (not American barbaric football) fan, my favourite team is Arsenal. I read from BBC, ESPN and Setanta sites.

8. Documents at work: My job title is Business System Analyst, so I read, talk and analysis. These documents are technical and formal and occasionally “propaganda oriented”(as in marketing). Some times I write them too.

9. Jesus creed Weekly Meanderings: http://www.jesuscreed.org/?p=3733

I read this almost every Monday, so to get some positive vibe and catch up on interesting things.

10. Book will survive: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-0420_bookfutureapr20,1,4796966.column

I sure hope so, so learn to read if you have not yet. I know some university student who cannot read. I mean they can read but they read without understanding, so that is really not reading.

11. Fortune cookie Bible: http://www.jesustheradicalpastor.com/the-fortune-cookie-bible

Good post about how we way too often take verses out of context, bible teachers are not immune to this serious disease.

12. Interview with NT Wright: http://trevinwax.com/2008/04/24/trevin-wax-interview-with-nt-wright-on-surprised-by-hope/

The bishop does not sleep, he talks and he writes. Take note of the part about what C S Lewis missed in his addresses collected in “Mere Christianity”.

13. Stanley fish: http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/french-theory-in-america-part-two/index.html?hp

Fish is a prominent American literary theorist and legal scholar who also does some social criticism. Also influential for the readers-response hermeneutics approach.

14. Things Christian like: http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/

Very funny, I like the “Highly specialized Bibles” (#94), which I’ll append the “fortune cookie bible” as an exotic ethical entry. (See item 11)

15. Ben Myers Blog post on Jesus and management theory: http://faith-theology.blogspot.com/2008/04/management-theory.html

You may think this is blasphemy, but I found it funny; also introduced me to Bob Sutton. (See next)

16. Bob Sutton blog: http://bobsutton.typepad.com/

There are some good ideas worth checking out.

17. About David Packard: http://hpphenom.blogspot.com/2008/04/ethics-of-silicon-valley-leaders.html

This is good piece for business ethics discussion.

18. Mark Nanos on euangelion on the “weak” in 1 Cor 8-11: http://euangelizomai.blogspot.com/2008/04/mark-nanos-on-weak-in-1-corinthians-811.html

Not necessary agree with Nanos on the interpretation but always good to interact with good scholars.

19. Maggie dawn weblog: http://maggidawn.typepad.com/maggidawn/2008/04/after-mcdonaldi.html

Summary: http://www.alisonmorgan.co.uk/Drane%20-%20McDonaldization.htm

Review: http://www.helwys.com/bookreviews/mcdonaldization_bkrev.html

Got introduced to John Drane and his writing, interesting; another entry into the reading wish list.

20 http://www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/KLICE/publications0.html

Never heard of this organization or publication but many interesting articles are available here.

21 Krister Stendahl obituary and essay:

Obituary: http://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/article_archive/stendahl.html

Essay: http://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/bulletin_mag/articles/35-1_stendahl.html

You should read at least the essay. I was reading his work “Paul among Jews and Gentiles and Other Essays”, may be it is time to finish it. I have this habit of reading a theologian’s work on his/her passing as an act of commemoration. I went back to “Meditation of Christ” after Torrance passed away last year.

22. Sarah Coakley on forming a silent prayer group: http://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/bulletin/articles/coakley.html

23 Liturgical year: http://inhabitatiodei.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/five-theses-on-the-christian-year/

24 Peter Enns suspension follow up:

http://faith-theology.blogspot.com/2008/04/theological-basis-of-peter-enns.html

Now I really want to read his book.

25 http://www.ssrc.org/blogs/immanent_frame/2008/04/24/secularism-and-critique/

Charles Taylor is thought provoking.

26 http://biblical-studies.ca/blog/wp/2008/04/22/exiled-gods-in-the-ane-and-the-bible/

Got introduced to Martti Nissinen.

27. An article by Archbishop of York, John Sentamu. I have been frequenting the sites of Archbishop Sentamu and Archbishop Rowan Williams recently. I find both them to be saintly man. This articles shows a bit of that: http://www.archbishopofyork.org/784

28. I am currently reading Baron Frederick von Hugel’s “Letter to a niece” and Jeremy Mercer “Time was soft there”. I remember one time talking to a friend about a mutual female friend getting acquainted with a local theologian and I quirked, “May be theologians have this knack for pretty young thing.” I am naughty. Bad boy. Mercer’s account on his stay at the Paris legendary bookstore Shakespeare and Company got the Bohemian blood in me boiling. The title alone is worth the read, “time is soft”, so poetic.

I read too much and do too little; at least that is what my wife always says. From what readings attracted me I think I am concern with hermeneutics. I am concern that I focus more on the process than the message. I am interested in social issues but not necessary political. I like the traditional spirituality but not with a new age slant. I like confessional and not just analytical. I like the lyrical as much as the intellectual, perhaps more so. I am a generalist trying to be a specialist. I admire the specialist but cannot bear the burden and monotony of specialization. Interesting?!

Let me know what you find out if you are doing a similar experiment yourself.

Graduating students

ispan — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:28:56 +0000

Many students from our church are graduating this year. Since I have been the Sunday school teacher for quite a few of them so I was asked to say a few words at a presentation. Well I only got to use the first and last paragraph but here is the entire planned script.

First, I just want to acknowledge the blessings that all of you have brought to us at TCBC. It has been and continues to be a pleasure to have you with us and I must say that is partly why we are here and you are teaching us to understand that. It really does not seem that long ago when I met some of you after worship and we exchange greetings and you said,” I am new”. Now you are not new but old or older and so am I.

Speaking of old, about 20 years ago, I was at a similar occasion. That was in Kingston, I was in graduated school and I was with a group of new high school students who came for their last year of high school and hoping to enter university after that. Needless to say, new to a country and having immediate pressure to earn good standing to enter university was not an easy time. So a group of us tried to help them grow/survive both as a person and as Christian. Looking back I just don’t know how on earth we dare to do that. We were just kids; we need help as badly as they did. Anyway, when end of year came and people were set to depart. Six students out of their own got together and offer a song, during service as a parting gift for us. I can still remember that occasion vividly. The song was “The Purple Robe” and I had tears in my eyes after spending a lot of time with them; recalling all the ups and downs, blood, sweat and tears. I remember asking myself while listening, “what will they be like in 20 years?” I wished them all ended up to be great men and women of God, doing great things.

Now, 20 years later, I still kept in touch with 5 of the 6. One is in HK, one in Calgary/Edmonton, Two in TO and one in Sydney, Australia. All married and some have children, No one become head of state, CEO, school principle, no leaders in their field that they have chosen, or anything like that. Some not even leaders in their own home. One told me he just finished reading “Why men don’t go to church anymore?” and empathizes with all the symptoms. Not bad people, not tragic but not quite great men and women of God, doing great things. May be another 20 years?

Not to be bringer of bad news, you will probably be like them in 20 years. Dreams don’t often become reality. Reality is not always kind but always there in your face.

I wonder what happened. I do not know what happened to them but I know what happened to me. It was simple, I don’t know what took me so long to understand this but again that is reality. I had habits since university and that stayed with me. I have been and still am an escapist, not escape artist, just a guy who likes to run away from real problems. I can run away because I had some smarts, smart enough to get by. I had a great fear of facing the nitty-gritty things in life and so I escaped to lofty sounding slogans like living for God and doing great things for God and did not realize great things for God starts from the smallest and apparently insignificant decision. I am learning now, but it is a lot harder now than 20 years ago.

So, let me leave you with this. Don’t learn from me. Don’t escape from reality but meet it face to face. The problem you are running away from whether it is relationship with your parents, fear of opening yourself up or just plain school work are not going away. They will come back in different form. So don’t let escaping becomes a habit. Habits whether good or bad will follow you for a long time so learn to form good habits. Be real. Your future starts here and now. Start making the tough decisions now. Maybe be after this service you need to talk to some one you don’t usually do. Go home and start reading. If you don’t have a book to read, talk to me, I’ll lent you one and read it with you. Again, be real, don’t fabricate you faith, and don’t fabricate your life. And remember your future, your real future starts from your next decisions.

Any Given Sunday 10

ispan — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:20:31 +0000

Another Sunday but this was a weird one. I headed to church listening to Bach’s cantata BWV 166. Text for movement two goes like this,” I will think about heaven and not give my heart to the world”. What should we think about?

I was not into worship at all. Good sermon on Ephesians 6:18 but not for me today. I suppose I know little about worship. And ironically worship was what we talked about in Sunday school. A bunch of things were said. Things like:”worship is about God and not about us”, “everything is worship”, “worship is all consuming act to an all consuming God” and “true worship is exciting and not boring”. You know what I am just not into it. I think these concepts are too high sounding for me. To me worship is an act of obedience, it is not about us, yet it is about us. It is about us just doing what God pleases but not necessary understanding the meaning, feeling excited and even engaging. It is more like an imperfect act from an imperfect people towards a perfect God who treasure our imperfection. (Did I really say that?)

Today my worship came from the following three moments.

1. I briefly spoke with Mr. C. and he said something about coming back later for the second service. I watched his hunched back as he walked away and feeling sad not being able to have him worshiping with us today.

2. Just bantering with the students and trying to retrieve a lost frisbee from a tree.

3. A blessing from C, who wished God fills me all day and all the time. I lost the exact wordings but I can remember the Spirit.

As for the “official” worship, well, it was just the “official” worship, not the real worship.

I won

ispan — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:16:14 +0000

I won my first ever fantasy basketball league last week. I was sitting 2 points back in second place the day before the last games and won by 0.5 point on the last day. I never win a fantasy basketball league ever mainly because I don’t follow the game much. My winning testifies to the fact that you can actually win with some dumb luck.