Non-stop weekend September 28, 2005
Posted by yuling in Journey.add a comment
Dear Horse God, I know I don't usually pray to you. Sometimes I doubt you even exist, but if you're willing to grant me luck… please… stamp your hoof for once.
- Fry, Futurama
So a friend has given me advice re: my blog… to shorten the entries cuz some people *ahem* have short attention spans. Really, this is just asking you to pray for me this weekend. So if you will stamp your hoof several times for me throughout the week, that'll be great.
I will be having a busy weekend:
Fri, Sept 30: all-TO CCF/IVCF Praise Night at OISE (UT Campus). The speaker is Ken Fong (Urbana 2000 and pastor of Evergreen in LA). Being a AFC university staff worker, I will have to help out with some of the things in the background. Please pray that the spirit of unity will permeate the hearts of the students.
Sat-Sun, Oct 1-2: I'm heading up to UWCCF's Fall Retreat to help train their leaders. It's exciting times for them and they've asked me to help facilitate a workshop about Leading Small Groups… and then *gulp* speak about "The Servant's Heart" on Sunday Morning. Please pray that God will speak through me and that I will not rely on my own strength, will not manipulate, and ultimately help equip the saints for God's ministry.
Mon, Oct 3: bright and early on monday morning, I will need to help set up for Ken Fong's talk to the local asian pastors. Man… I cannot do mornings right now. Please pray that I can help out with a spirit of humbleness (much like Brother Lawrence in Practicing the Presence of God).
Tune in again for more 'brief' updates.
Not the Bible – but getting the point September 22, 2005
Posted by yuling in Reading.add a comment
This is not the Bible.
- Walter Wangerin Jr, re: The Book Of God
I ended up reading 8 books out of my 10 book challenge. The 2 books that I did not finish were involving leadership, so I figure since I'm in a 'leadership development' class at tyndale, I will supplement those books with the ones from my class.
One of my leadership books (the making of a leader) explores the lives of various leaders, then tries to systematically explain how God develops leaders. From that book, I've been thinking about this one quote a lot: "Watchman Nee's intake of Scripture was not just for knowledge. He learned to recognize God speaking through the Word".
I have to confess that through my readings (biblical and otherwise), it's mainly been about knowledge. It's been mainly about developing my orthodoxy (right belief) and not leading enough to my orthopraxy (right practice). It's such a huge temptation for me just to absorb more and more from my studying (as I think that's how God primarily speaks to me), but then develop a very critical/condemning attitude to my fellow followers of Christ (in actuality, I think I'm critical of them because it's an outlet for my self-criticism). I think I needed to bring light to those dark thoughts so that I can begin to build up my character.
In spite of said confession, I really appreciated the many things that I learned from my readings. One of the books that I read was 'The Book of God: The Bible as a Novel' by Walter Wangerin Jr. Wangerin is popular Christian writer and has recently published 'Paul: the novel'.
Here's an excerpt from a review by Publishers Weekly:
"This is not the Bible," Wangerin (The Book of the Dun Cow; Miz Lil and the Chronicles of Grace; etc.) says of this newest work. But it is a novel featuring many of the Bible's most dramatic characters. He partitions the whole into eight parts: half focus on personalities (The Ancestors, Kings, Prophets, The Messiah), and half concern themselves with epic themes (The Covenant, The Wars of the Lord, Letters From Exile, The Yearning). Retelling the stories of the Bible in novelized form allows Wangerin to be more selective: no slogging through seemingly endless genealogies or the minutiae of military conflicts for him. Instead, he imagines the finer points of the tension between Sarah and her slave, Hagar; the words Isaac might have used in blessing Jacob; or the drama of Jesus's baptism by his cousin, John. In doing so, he also makes some curious inventions. Does Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, become a justifiably more interesting character, for instance, if he is presented as willingly making nails for the evil ruler Herod to use in crucifixions? For adult readers who are intimidated by the sheer bulk of the Bible, or for those who desire a novelist's different perspective on some very familiar stories, Wangerin is likely to be a welcome voice; for others, however, the novel will feel like an ornate but pale imitation of a great book.
What I loved about Wangerin's approach is that he is trying to reproduce the spirit of (what I think) the bible. The bible is basically God's story as told through the lives of people, their letters, their songs, their rules, their stories.
I found myself asking questions about biblical narratives that I typically don't ask. For instance, why would God bring expand the story of Judah in the middle of the story of Joseph (Exodus 38)?
I started asking questions about minor characters like Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1). Is it possible that he would have a possible working relationship with King Herod?
A more pointed question for me when I started to read the story of Judas (the disciple who betrayed Jesus). What was his motivation to betray Jesus when he was his disciple? What was his perception of Jesus? Are we correct in our typical fashion of condemning him? Do I publically/privately condemn other people the way I would condemn Judas?
Although the book is not perfect, and there are many biblical stories that are missing, I really enjoyed the narrative style that Wangerin demonstrated with this book. If only we can all see how people's stories fit into God's great story, what a dream that would be.
Tune in again for more episodes from the incredible tales of tyndale.
Summer Reflection September 9, 2005
Posted by yuling in Confession.add a comment
By discovering the best and most valuable narratives and qualities of an organization, participants can construct a new way that has the most important link to the past and the most hopeful images of the future.
- Mark Branson, Memories, Hopes, and Conversations
It is good to be back.
After over a month away from blogging, I feel like I'm missing out an important part of my life journey. I'm thankful for the rest and busyness and the last while and I'm eager to share my stories and I hope you will share yours with me someday. Since there's just too much to list in one blog (including several book reviews), I'll just include a few 'episode capsules' about the last month.
7th Inning Stretch
Thank God for a wonderful softball season. This year, I was actually able to join team RECONCILIATION from my homechurch, TCBC. It was a struggle skillwise because I haven't played for nearly 2 years and haven't done any type of extended physical activity for nearly 6 years (I'm using flowery language to cover up my lack of working out). Aside from the frustration of ability, I think I did improve (at least got more healthy towards the end of summer) and enjoyed practicing with the team.
The great part of the game this year was that our team was becoming a community. It was neat to see all these different people with differing life experiences, life stages, beliefs, eccentricities come together and really desired to BE together. My thoughts drift through many memories: from our typical friday night practices by the beach (after 45 min driving dt), Wally's pink socks, bowling, Steve the HULK, Davin's kung fu stretches, after practice dinners, winning a bat at the CCSA banquet, making the playoffs… and so many more. As summer has come and gone, and so too did our time playing softball in the sun – I know our team is seperated by distance but I think we'll still carry the sense of community that will last at least another year. All blessings to you guys on the team. Let's not wait til next season to reconnect.
TCBC Recon Leaders – thx for everything. You guys did a great job. God bless.
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
Some of you may not have heard, but my brother Shu-Ling is now studying in Louisville, Kentucky @ Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He's doing a Masters of Divinity majoring in Worship, and I pray that God will equip him for the work that has generated so much passion in his ministry and in his heart. Those of you who did not know me and him when we were younger… well, let's just say the title to this is quite fitting. He was always the 'heavy' little brother (as he didn't get his growth spur til much later). He was always the goofy one, the joker, the misfit.
Through our lives as brothers, we've had our moments of warm intimacy, of cold distances, of asian-prideful-respect. But in spite of it all, I think we've grown more closer now then before (even compared to the days when our parents dressed us in the same outfits). I have to confess that so much of our conversations are usually me telling him why this messed up, or why that won't work out the way he thought it would. Really, I can only recall one moment when we prayed together, just the two of us, over the phone, and it was one of the great memories that I will cherish. So as we're both stumbling towards where we think God may be leading us, here's hoping that there will be more moments like that one phone call.
Dai – All the best to your growth in knowing Jesus – that your relationship with Him will not be self-serving, but that it will grow exponential in your own heart as well as rest of the world.
Memories, Hopes, and Conversations
Recently, I came back from a retreat over the long weekend with my english congregation. It was a good mix of fun activities (high ropes, rock climbing, TRAMPOLINE), quiet times (physical rest, meditation), sharings (in SG, by the campfire), and challenges (AI! AI!). The Retreat Committee had asked the EMC to prepare a program for the last night of the retreat… something that will challenge the attendees to 'take the next step'. Man… so vague, no direction, aw well – I love it that way. So what happened was that I proposed a process for organizational changed called APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY (AI). this was taught to me in my leadership class with Greenman and I thought it was so wonderful, so revolutional, so… Christian… hmmmm.
In very big brushstrokes, the AI process basically harnesses God's gifts of memory, gratitude, and stories. Through very positive sharing, we would hear one another's positive stories about the church, and strive to build our ministries around these stories. The more typical fashion of problem-solving is done by tackling the problem. Yet often when we problem solve in that fashion, we end up becoming overly negative, criticizing one another, and then we create a culture that is based on condemnation and defecit-based thinking. Well, that was not going to happen at this retreat. We basically asked each other 6 questions:
1)Reflect on your entire time at Toronto Chinese Baptist Church (TCBC). Remember a time when you felt most alive, most motivated and excited about your involvement. Describe the circumstances and your involvement. Who was involved? How did you feel? What was happening?2) Don?t be humble ? this is important information: What are the most valuable ways you contribute to TCBC ? your personality, your perspectives, your skills, your activities?
3) What are the most important things TCBC has contributed to your life? Who or what made a difference? How did it affect you?
4) What have been the most important spiritual experiences, lessons in belief, or steps of faith that have occurred for you at TCBC? Describe what and how they happened. What was most helpful?
5) What are the essential, central characteristics or ways of life that make TCBC unique? What is most important about TCBC?
6) Make three wishes for the future of TCBC.
After asking these questions, having massive brainstorming sessions, we tried to articulate possible visions, ministry implementations… possibilities that the english congregation can pursue. It was so refreshing to hear the potential of our church based on people's life stories. I'm just dreaming right now, but I'm hopeful that this method of conversation can develop the proper attitude so that all of TCBC can come together and really desire to move where God may be leading us.
Me Defined
So now, wut's up with me? huh… well, I had my Tyndale orientation on weds and I met the faculty as well as my fellow class of 05. It's definitely different from univ as I probably won't even see the people in my major (due to taking core courses at different time slots). In many ways it's so much easier to develop friendships and community, yet in some other ways it's harder… you're expected to be 'spiritual', and I find myself easily trying to 'front' on a spiritual way. This leads to other challenges/tensions that I have felt serving at AFC and TCBC's EMC that I need to work on ASAP (I should just use acronyms for this entire blog).
Because of my increasing understanding about the modern/postmodern debate, I'm becoming more frustrated by my co-workers/peers and their attitudes. When I try to create dialogue or offer my position (in regards to all matters being affected by modern/pomo tendencies), I'm either misunderstood, labelled as a heretic, or even worse, personally growing bitter/resentful due to their complaints. I'm not so frustrated that I want to squeeze the life out of people. I think I'm at the level of frustration that Hybels describe as 'holy discontent'.
What hurts my pride as well as my spiritual development, is that I know this holy discontent is coming from God. I believe God shares my frustratings by the lack of generous dialogue/understanding between christians over issues as minor as admin, and as big as belief/attitude. Yet while I'm trying to paint my criticizing attitude as righteous, I know I'm not being generous with my fellow bros/sis as well. Not being generous with their modern way of thinking. So right now, I'm praying daily for a pure heart – a heart that includes sexual purity, purity of motives, of attitudes, and of speech. It's going to be tough times but definitely exciting times. I'm really thankful for this verse right now, and I'm hoping to 'incarnationalize' it into my very being.
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious–the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Philippians 4:8,9
Tune in again when I start compiling the book reviews.
