Paul Long's Ramblings

Jackie Evancho video

2012-01-26T09:46:00.000+13:00

My Uncle sent me this video link. Really nice song / prayer

Wow. She can sing and sounds so much like an adult ....

Captain Coward ...a new masculine sexuality problem?

2012-01-26T09:10:00.001+13:00

A friend sent me this article and it may me think. Actually I am not sure how to react as I had never before this really thought of the subject of masculinity and the new "sexuality emancipated world" from this perspective.

But one thing that almost immediately came to mind is the "perfecto Italiano" cheese ads that I have seen recently on NZ Television (I found a couple on youtube and embedded it after the article).

I do remember a number of occasions when I was much younger (*sigh* - the good old days? :-)) being told off by a few times by some girls (back in the 80s) when I opened the door for them (as in when entering a room, I instinctively open the door and hold it open for them to pass through first) and when I offered to carry their bags etc.

Reason given was in the area of "do you think I am helpless?" and "I can do it myself, I don;t need your help", (can't remember the exact terms). But I do remember the context was that it was insulting to them as it was seen as that I was implying that they as women (girls) were weaker than men .... And that was in Malaysia ...

Anyway, have a read and tell me what you think

Captain Coward’: Behold our brave new sexually emancipated world

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/captain-coward-behold-our-brave-new-sexually-emancipated-world
by Hilary White, Rome Correspondent

SANTA MARINELLA, Italy, January 23, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – What kind of man sneaks away under cover of darkness from his own sinking ship, leaving nearly 4200 passengers and crew to fend for themselves? What kind of men knock aside old ladies, little girls and young mothers to get to lifeboats first? Why, modern men, sexually emancipated men who have been raised on the tenets of feminism and our “contemporary” mores.
What can an expression like “women and children first” mean to modern men who have been taught all their lives that women are nothing more precious than sexual playthings, and children nothing more than a disposable burden?

The capsizing of the Costa Concordia, one of the biggest cruise ships plying the Mediterranean, filtered into the English language press a week later and everyone has now heard the recorded phone conversation in which coast guard captain, Gregorio De Falco, furiously orders the ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, to return to his vessel. Schettino replied by repeatedly lying, while trying to flee in a lifeboat.

Passengers were left to rescue themselves aided by hired entertainers and a few crew members. One woman was quoted saying, “There were big men, crew members, pushing their way past us to get into the lifeboats.” Another passenger, a grandmother, said, “I was standing by the lifeboats and men, big men, were banging into me and knocking the girls.”

Francesco Schettino ("Captain Coward") has become the world's most hated man. But is he so much worse than any other modern, sexually emancipated man, raised under the tenets of feminism?

In the first days after the Costa Concordia tipped over in shallow water 300 yards from shore, all of Italy was gripped by shame at reports of Schettino’s behavior. He was arrested after he got to shore and charged with involuntary manslaughter and abandoning his ship. He was caught trying to get into a taxi, having reportedly asked the driver to “get me as far away from here as possible.”
Nicknamed “Captain Coward,” Schettino has become the focus of national fury for Italians fed up with the all too frequently accurate stereotype of Italian men as vain, feckless, irresponsible, selfish and untrustworthy permanent adolescents.

But the problem is not limited to Italy. It seemed apropos that the same week bad-boy American Catholic apologist Michael Voris was doing a series of videos on the emasculation of men and the effects of feminism on the Catholic Church and the world in general, a topic few in the Church dare to broach.
In one video, Voris mentioned the type of men who are approved by the feminist-controlled media: weak, stupid and ineffectual, who need to be ruled over by strong, hip, intelligent women. In the last 50 years, the Catholic institution has followed the world in adopting the feminist model. That ideal, Voris says, has driven strong men out of the Church and out of family life, pushing them to find a channel for their masculinity in unhealthy avenues like criminality and the objectification of women.

After watching one video, I sent Michael an email asking that he remember to talk about the flip side of feminism’s misandry, its vilification and demonisation of masculine strength. According to the tenets of the ideology, strong men are violent, evil and terrifying. Instead of heroes protecting women and children, feminism depicts strong men as brutal monsters, wife-beaters and child abusers.

The Costa Concordia disaster brought into the limelight the effects on men of feminism, and her strumpet daughter, the Sexual Revolution. Feminism has killed the cultural priority of men protecting and being responsible for women. In one video, Michael Voris spoke of the “hero’s journey,” the traditional western cultural archetype of the boy who leaves home, faces and overcomes adversity and becomes a man capable of protecting a family. But our feminist-inspired anti-culture, coupled with a soul-deadening consumerist materialism, has tossed these concepts out.

By telling women they don’t need men, by demonizing the value of masculinity, feminism has at the same time told men that they never need to grow up. If feminism has told women they can sleep around “like men,” it must be remembered that this implies that men may do the same right back. Instead of insisting that men grow up, marry a woman and protect and care for their children, it has offered men women as toys while offering women the Pill, abortion and family court as the back-up plan. Feminism defines “equality” as men and women competing equally in the labour market and using each other equally as objects.

A while ago, I read an interesting, though deeply frightening, website that claimed to be in support of men against the feminist world. In one article, the clearly angry men pointed out an unjust double standard in family law. The legal system, now held firmly in the feminist claw, holds them financially responsible for the children they father when they split from the mother. The article pointed out, however, logically enough, that at the same time feminism demands that contraception and abortion be freely available. Why then, if women are now allowed to use men as sexual objects, should a man ever be held responsible for fatherhood? Why should men be routinely financially ruined by family courts when abortion is legal, a lot cheaper and easy to get?

Why indeed? Feminism, because it is essentially dishonest, childish and self-serving, will never own up to the logical conclusions of its premises.

Recently, the popes have written against the kind of feminism that promotes abortion and contraception while hammering a wedge of hostility between men and women. Universal promiscuity, contraception, legal abortion, easy divorce, together with a youth-worshipping, madly materialist culture, they have said, has created an atomized society of isolated consumers for whom all relationships routinely end in abandonment. A vast cultural catastrophe that leaves children without fathers, tells women they don’t need men, and men they can remain happy, care-free adolescents their whole lives.

This message seems to have come through especially loud and clear in Italy where it is only too easy to find men who are the embodiment of the self-indulgent stereotype. The effeminate man-child is a plague in Italy; vain, self-important, shallow and self-seeking mamma’s boys who live in their parents’ house into their thirties and forties. The once-family oriented Italians are increasingly either divorcing or refusing to marry in the first place.

Italian journalist Rosaria Sgueglia writes in the Huffington Post that the former master of the Costa Concordia is one of those Italian men who match the stereotype point for point. Italians are “furious,” she wrote, at “people like Mr. Schettino [who] do nothing but compromise the already damaged image the rest of the world has of Italian people.”

“The average Italian man is said to be narcissist, egomaniac, coward, selfish, unable to follow basic procedures and unable to follow the rules. True or not, it’s a stereotype, a stereotype which is strongly proved by the latest, tragic events in Italy.”

While Italians vent their fury on Francesco Schettino for being everything they hate about themselves, it must be remembered that many countries were represented in the crew roster of the Costa Concordia. The disaster has the fingerprints of our poisoned and dying western culture all over it.

Reading the reports of the Costa Concordia, I could not help but recognize the results of our society’s new priorities. Many observers made the comparison with the Titanic disaster. One hundred years ago, 1st class men lifted steerage class women and children into lifeboats in the full knowledge that they were giving their lives. The captain of that ship was last reported seen holding a child in his arms seeking a way to save her. A hundred years later, we have a coast guard officer shouting at “Captain Coward” to “Vada a bordo, cazzo!” … Get on board, damn it!

Behold our brave new sexually emancipated world.

Perfect Italiano Cheese ads

Old Singapore based ad on teachers

2012-01-25T10:01:00.000+13:00

After watching this year's Petronas CNY ad on youtube, this Singapore ad came up

Worth watching. I suppose what attracted me to this ad was a conversation I had with someone a few days ago, in which one of the things that was brought up was related to what I be doing if I did not chose to become a pastor. My immediate answer was "a teacher", which I think surprised the person :-)

Not so much teach in a seminary as a lecturer but a regular school teacher. I do fondly remember my 15 months teaching ESOL in a boarding school when I was much younger! And I do remember almost making the jump to leave being a church "full-time worker" at one of my many struggling stages to taking up a job teaching "moral studies" at a private higher learning institution ...

But I think teaching is one of the noblest professions to be called to, and I find it sad that many in the teaching line do not love teaching - it is just a "mundane job". I am grateful that here in NZ I have gotten to know some people in the teaching profession who are clearly called to teach. They have a passion and love for their students that inspires me. Teaching is clearly their vocational calling.

May there be more teachers entering the teaching profession like the one in this ad!

p/s will get back to my ramblings / reflections on "Pastor: A Memoir" soon ... still haven't completed the book because I keep re-reading certain chapters :-)

Forgiveness, the Cement of Community Life (Henri Nouwen)

2012-01-25T08:37:00.003+13:00

Forgiveness, the Cement of Community Life

Community is not possible without the willingness to forgive one another "seventy-seven times" (see Matthew 18:22). Forgiveness is the cement of community life. Forgiveness holds us together through good and bad times, and it allows us to grow in mutual love.

But what is there to forgive or to ask forgiveness for? As people who have hearts that long for perfect love, we have to forgive one another for not being able to give or receive that perfect love in our everyday lives. Our many needs constantly interfere with our desire to be there for the other unconditionally. Our love is always limited by spoken or unspoken conditions. What needs to be forgiven? We need to forgive one another for not being God!

Community, a Quality of the Heart

The word community has many connotations, some positive, some negative. Community can make us think of a safe togetherness, shared meals, common goals, and joyful celebrations. It also can call forth images of sectarian exclusivity, in-group language, self-satisfied isolation, and romantic naiveté. However, community is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another. Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own (see Philippians 2:4). The question, therefore, is not "How can we make community?" but "How can we develop and nurture giving hearts?"

Some Ramblings and Reflections on The Pastor: A Memoir” by Eugene Peterson (Part two)

2012-01-18T09:44:00.000+13:00

It is interesting to me that for Peterson (at least in his younger days), felt that seminary professors were clearly regarded as top of the church hierarchy. Pastors to him were "shadowy, undefined figures in the background" (p.21). He of course changed his mind rather quickly saying he found himself (it was a surprise to him) preferring the four days he spent in the congregation to the two days he spent teaching in the classroom.

I have been told and I do agree that one of my gifts is that of teaching. And I have been asked many times of whether I should seriously consider going for further studies and one day teaching at a seminary. I love teaching. I love to try and create order and practical application from the Bible. I love to show that the Bible is immensely relevant and practical. BUT I have long come to the conclusion that academia is not for me. I don;t have the discipline required. Neither do I have the intellect required. Never much of a struggle there.
But interestingly it often is an open secret wish that I had the capacity and call to be a seminarian ... not for the love of academia, with its research and writing papers but to escape the church! Obviously wrong motives and so it is good that God in His wisdom decided not to equip me to such a task!

BTW it seems to me today that seminary professors are generally no longer regarded as being on the top of the church hierarchy! Well, at least in Malaysia ... :-) But I digress :-)

Anyway, Peterson's point was basically that the classroom was too easy as it was too tidy, orderly, too limiting ... . But in the congregation, "...by contrast, everything was going on at once, random, unscheduled, accompanied too much of the time by the undisciplined and trivializing small talk." (p.21)

I guess put that way, the church (as in the congregation) is far more exciting. In a sense I agree, but there are many days where I wish the church was more like the seminary classroom - everything neat and tidy, focused, with everyone there self motivated to learn and contribute. The mess that is the church sometimes overwhelms me.

More troubling for me is the stray thoughts that flit through my mind every now and then that make me question whether being a pastor is who I am. I prefer the neatness, the order. I get frustrated at times with the mess that is the church. The many uncertainties that is the church cause me a lot of inner tension and I know because it too often shows up in my dreams. Every time I visit someone, or have an appointment / meeting, I tend to "imagine" the worst case scenario" because I know life is messy. And I wonder how I am to cope or help when my life is equally, if not more messy.

But Peterson is right that the flip side of the coin of all this "mess that is the church" (not his phrase but mine), there is also amazing things that remind me that God is at work and there is real hope. In his words ... "heroic holiness, stunningly beautiful prayers, sacrificial love surfacing from the tangled emotions in a difficult family situation, a song in the night, glimpses of glory ..." I have seen all these and more as a pastor. And perhaps I might have missed some of these if I were not a pastor.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 helps a lot though I must admit that I have not been able to actually "delight" in weaknesses, insults, persecution etc.

9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I still struggle with the challenges and joys of being a pastor. On the good days I think "there is no other vocation as wonderful as this!". On not so good days, I whine (Kiwi's call it whinging") to God about wanting out .... (ahem - it's called "prayer" :-)) But I am glad that the good days far outweigh the not so good ones and I have grown up enough to be able to see beyond the circumstances.

And Peterson has a wonderful phrase which I like in this book "Intently Haphazard" (which is the way he begins part 2 of his book. Will share about this in part 3. But I love it as it goes hand in hand and expresses so well what I have long ago realized is my understanding, my "philosophy of life".

Do US courts justify Sharia-based Crimes? (Tawfik Hamid)

2012-01-18T08:54:00.000+13:00

In the USA, some rights are more equal than others?

Reminds me of ... "All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others"

Do US courts justify Sharia-based Crimes?

By Tawfik Hamid

www.tawfikhamid.com

A federal appeals court has blocked an Oklahoma voter-approved measure barring state judges from considering Islamic and international law in their decisions.

Muneer Awad, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Oklahoma, sued to block the law from taking effect, arguing that the Save Our State Amendment violated his First Amendment rights.

The court stated "When the law that voters wish to enact is likely unconstitutional, their interests do not outweigh Mr. Awad's in having his constitutional rights protected."

Awad argued that the ban on Islamic law would likely affect every aspect of his life as well as the execution of his will upon his death. The appeals court pointed out that Awad made a strong depiction of how this ban would be potentially harmful.

"This is an important reminder that the Constitution is the last line of defense against a rising tide of anti-Muslim bigotry within our society and it is pleasing that the appeals court recognized that fact," Awad claimed. "We are also hopeful that this decision serves as a reminder to politicians wishing to score political points through fear-mongering and bigotry."

Speaking after Judge Miles-Lagrange's decision in 2010, Mr Awad said the ruling provided an opportunity to "demonstrate that Oklahoma's Muslim community simply seeks to enjoy the civil and religious rights guaranteed to all Americans."

1- The above comments about Sharia law do not properly depict how controversial the risks to society would be if considered. Fundamental principles of Sharia law that are not only approved but also unchallenged in Islamic Jurisprudence include the killing Muslims who convert from Islam to another faith, the stoning of adulterers, and the killing of gays [1]. Furthermore, it justifies polygamy, pedophilia, and beating women to discipline them. If the judges of the Oklahoma Court knew that the basic principles of Sharia Law promote such inhumane and derogatory acts and still lifted the ban on it, it would subsequently end in catastrophe. Not only would it be a disastrous to our society but it would also show a level of ignorance within the U.S judicial system that ultimately must be treated accordingly.

2- If one day Mr. Awad wanted to kill another Muslim because he converted to Christianity (or any other faith), would the Oklahoma court uphold his 'constitutional right' to practice Sharia Law and kill that Muslim - as Sharia Law dictates - or will they uphold the 'constitutional right' of the other Muslim to practice his 'Freedom of Religion'? In other words, should the court of Oklahoma protect such constitutional rights that arouse criminal activity (an example being the killing of apostates) but not protect such constitutional rights that allow citizens to freely select their faith and convert out of Islam without being threatened? The court MUST explain this discrimination in respecting once 'constitutional right' over another.

3- Courts must be able to find sources for Sharia Law that illustrate how it DOES NOT promote the above mentioned criminal activities. Such sources must be cited appropriately and it must be noted whether any major Islamic institution approves it. Removing the ban on Sharia Law -without showing even one single approved Sharia text that rejects the crimes mentioned above - can be seen as a form of endorsement for legalizing such criminal acts.

4- Some may argue that the ban on Sharia Law is discriminatory against Islam, as it did not ban other religious laws, e.g. those acts in the Old Testament that promote, what would be considered today to be, criminal activity. The answer to this point is simply that the practice of the law or the 'jurisprudence' in mainstream Christianity and Judaism (for instances) clearly stands against implementing these laws in our modern day and age. Sadly, the only mainstream religious jurisprudence that still promotes and practice criminal acts - such as killing apostates - is the Islamic one (i.e. the Sharia Law). That is why we see killing apostates, stoning adulterers, and killing gays considered to be legal in Islamic countries that practice Sharia law, such as Saudi Arabia, but we do not see such practices legalized in the Vatican or in Israel.

5- Another argument could be that even if Sharia Law promotes the previously mentioned crimes we can only punish a person if he committed these crimes. We have a precedent that challenges this concept. The American law forbids driving with a relatively high Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) as itmay lead to an accident or killing of a person. In other words, the American law criminalized driving with a high BAL despite the fact that not everyone whose BAL is high causes an accident. The law did not wait for an accident or tragedy to occur to justify criminalizing driving with a high BAL. The American law simply used consequential common sense that if driving with a high BAL increases the possibility of causing an accident then it must be considered illegal. The same principle MUST be applied to Sharia law as practicing this law can threaten other people's lives (such as the lives of apostates, adulterers, and gays) and lead to increases in the possibility of killing innocent people. In other words, as we do not wait for accidents to occur to punish drivers with a high BAL, we also cannot wait for Sharia-based crimes to occur to ban Sharia law.

6- The US declaration of independence clearly stated that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." The Judges who lifted the ban on Sharia law must explain to us how allowing a law that justifies the above mentioned crimes can fit with our "unalienable Rights" of Life, Liberty, and pursuit of Happiness.

Accepting Sharia Law that shamelessly allows killing apostates, adulterers & gays AND promotes beating women, pedophilia and slavery is ultimately destructive to our unalienable Rights and as the declaration of independence stated "whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government." The US courts simply do not have the right to deprive us from our "unalienable Rights!"

[1] Sharia Law also promotes Non-Violent teachings such as personal cleanness, however, the above mentioned violent principles represent integral component of it. Denying one of these principles -such as denying apostasy Law -is considered a form of Apostasy that deserves capital punishment (beheading) according to all 4 mainstream schools of Islamic Jurisprudence (Shafeii, Maleki, Hanbali, and Hanafi).

January 2012 garden photos

2012-01-13T19:53:00.001+13:00

Had decent weather today so I did some weeding of my vegetable patch ... and some harvesting.
Messy garden, over crowded and a bit of a pain (the weeds) but some nice tasty and fresh produce. Quite an apt analogy of the Christian life. :-)

Some of my taro. I look forward to harvesting the leaves next week (huge)
and cook some lupulu.

My dwarf apple tree - with fruits. I like it because the tree "died "
but returned to life

My kafir lime tree now has fruits. Still small but getting bigger
Going to be so good when I cook :-)

Long bean plant that is doing very well

Due to over crowding the carrot leaves are extra long (to fight for the sun)
but the carrot is quite small. Left the others in the ground and see whether next month,
they get any bigger

Long beans from just one plant - and onions

potatoes mingling with my carrots and taro.

potatoes ... but from another area. They spread everywhere

one of my salad plants

my cucumber plant. forgot what variety. Bought just one seedling last year
for fun - under $2.00. Tiny pathetic plant that has about 8 leaves.

But it still had one cucumber - prickly cucumber though.

I look forward to more harvest as it is still summer - though a colder and wetter one. And waiting for my chilly plants to bear fruit. Some green chillies are finally coming to view.
Tomatoes not doing so well but hey, some green tomatoes are also finally in view

Some Ramblings and Reflections on The Pastor: A Memoir” by Eugene Peterson (Part one)

2012-01-11T15:18:00.000+13:00

Some Ramblings and Reflections on The Pastor: A Memoir” by Eugene Peterson (Part one)

I am really enjoying this book. It really “resonates” with my soul. (I like that word “resonate” J) I am only half way thought it but thought that I should jot down some of my thoughts, as I think it will help clarify my many stray thoughts.

And my thanks to Alex Tang for sending me this book!

The foremost thing that really stands out for me is the realization (or reminder) that a pastor is not both “born and made” (as in the phrase “ ______ is born and not made”). It is “both / and”, and not “either / or”. But “made” is probably not the best word to use … “formed” would be a better choice.

I found it interesting that from the very beginning of reading the book, I found myself thinking (almost in parallel) about my own stories that shaped my identity and calling. That’s another key word that kept popping up – stories, more specifically “my life stories”.

It is very clear to me that Peterson is right in asserting that “The ways in which the vocation of pastor is conceived, develops and comes to birth is unique to each pastor”. (p6).

And I like the word he uses as a “modifier” of the “ambiguity and mystery” of the working life of a pastor: “maybe”. My parallel word to his “maybe” is “depends” J

I discovered quite a long time ago, I think about eight or nine years ago, that my personal life story is very important in the way God shapes who I am. This came out of period of time a mentoring triad (with Soo Inn and Sivin) that I decided to take my first personal one day retreat and disappear with my Bible, pen, notebook and a guide book and spent the day praying, reflecting and writing out a time line of my life, taking particular note of the “highs and lows” of my life, as well as the incidents (stories) that remained in my mind from childhood. Some were not exactly highs or lows but the fact that I remembered them so clearly alerted me to the fact that they were somehow significant. And significant they certainly were.

I had dinner recently with some younger friends and as my wife and I were sharing some of our stories – from how we met etc., it once again reinforced how important my stories and our shared stories are, and I could see again with greater clarity how these stories helped shaped my life.

And “coincidentally” a couple of days ago, I watched an episode of ST: TNG entitled “First born” which was a story about Worf and his son Alexander, and a theme in that episode that helped tie the story together was that of how important it was to “know our stories” and “tell our stories” because these stories formed their cultural identifies. A bit of a tangent I know but hey, it’s my ramblings J

What was helpful was the reminder that stories are set in “place” and “time”. Place is important as is “kairos” time. What was intriguing to me was how I could visualize very clearly the places (scenes) of significance to me. The time though was unclear – dates and even years are vague but interestingly only the “chronos” time.

The “kairos” moments remained very vivid.

On a side note, it was a reminder for me and a (slightly at least) deeper awareness of significance “land” and “place” is in the identity and worth of certain people groups. First of all of course, the land of Israel for the Jews, my Orang Asli friends in Malaysia and now in NZ, the Maori.

And now that I have bought my own little house that I call home, I find myself becoming more attached to it in a way that is hard to explain (even to myself). Makes me think of heaven as well – wondering what the “mansions” or “rooms” are like – the “dwelling place” Jesus is preparing (see John 14:1-3) for us. Sounds very physical to me – not just a spiritual analogy.

Anyway, it is good to get the ball rolling on reflecting on this book. Perhaps part two next week ….

Utility bills ramblings

2012-01-06T09:30:00.000+13:00

I found this Sojourners "Quote of the day" relevant to me.

"Proportionately, that segment of the population pays more of their income toward utility bills. If we can cut those bills down. we can really help them." - Matt Clark, Habitat for Humanity's national director of construction technology, on why Habitat is putting a new emphasis on energy-efficient “green” houses for low-income families.(USA Today)

Cost of living, rising cost of utility bills (rates keep going up *sigh*) has been a topic of conversation I have had many times over the last couple of years. In some conversations, many of us even shared with one another the amounts we pay for our utility bills.

And as I get semi regular visits from representatives from different power companies (trying to get me to switch from my provider to theirs ...) I take the time to discuss (and with one even argue) the pros and cons of switching or staying. And even with a single company, there are various options - not just in billing but different plans. I have been in NZ for almost 5 years now and I have been with three different power companies, and ... also three different phone and broadband services ...

If this makes no sense, check this site out ... http://www.switchme.co.nz/
Complicated right? Well, at least for someone like me :-)

Anyway I do agree with the quote that a person can spend too high a proportion of one's income on utility bills (for me electricity, water, phone).

My boys can testify about how much I nag them about the rising bills (and in all fairness, I use as an indicator - not the amount on the bill - as rates keep going up) but also the actual power usage / consumption that the bill is based on.

But I think I am doing pretty well. Have managed to get the electricity bills down for most of the months and I do think that putting in extra insulation is worth the initial investment - as it is slowly paying off. Most of my bulbs are energy saving ones - just can't change the "down lights" that came with the house. And lots of nagging on long showers using too much hot water etc has also helped a little :-)

And the current summer time is great as weather is warmer so no need for heating.

On power companies, the current one I am on actually has the highest rates but I have decided to stay with it. (BTW, I suspect that there is some truth in the assertion that power companies that are semi-privatized charge their customers more). Reason simply is that their discount for prompt online payment is very high and since I am the kind of person who is extremely fussy about paying my bills on time, it benefits me! I have argued with sales people with their calculators and based on my past bills, I still save a lot more. And I do like their customer service people - they are efficient and when they promise to do something or get back to me on inquiries etc., they actually do it on time. And it helps that they have been honest with me and gave me a $50 rebate to thank me for being a loyal customer :-)

Trouble is, my house is old and wooden so there are limitations in trying to make it "green and energy efficient), especially in the colder months. But a bonus for me is that my boys like the cold weather so they do not use the heaters as often as others might. Good to have "thick skinned" boys! :-)

Have been toying with the idea of asking my boys to contribute to the electricity bills (a small percentage). Might be a good way to help them to be more responsible in how they use electricity. If they have to pay, then it is reasonable that they may be more responsible.

An Invitation to The Great Conversation (Sojourners)

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000+13:00

A helpful piece from Sojourners. I think it is hopeful and I like the way she ends her piece ...
"... may we honor the Go-Between God by creating a safe space for all people to join the Great Conversation".

An Invitation to The Great Conversation

In 1943, in the throes of World War II and one of the most fraught times in contemporary human history, the psychologist Abraham Maslow published a paper explaining, as he understood them, the five basic, motivating needs common to all of humankind.

They are:

Physiological (air, food, water, sleep, etc.)
Safety
Love/Belonging
Esteem (confidence, achievement, respect of others and respect by others)
Self-actualization (morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, and acceptance of facts)

While Maslow’s theories are humanistic, they have a connection to religion and spiritual life in what he called “peak experiences,” and what the religious world might call epiphanies — moments of clarity or ecstasy when the enormity of the wonder of the physical world, harmony with others, and relationship with the transcendent, with God, are felt in powerful, transformational ways.

Maslow argued that those who are the healthiest — the most “self-actualized” — had peak experiences more frequently than those who were not.

I’ve always found it compelling that Maslow developed his theories in a time of war, division, and insecurity. The son of Russian Jewish immigrants to the United States, Maslow looked at the world — battles raging in Europe and the Pacific, the full scope of the Holocaust and its horrors coming to light — and saw them not as struggles to be fought against but problems to be solved.

He sought positive solutions — through greater understanding of humankind on its most basic and universal level — to bring about peace and, in a sense, justice.

At the dawning of 2012, we find ourselves in nervous, troubling times not unlike 1943. Wars and rumors of wars. Seemingly unbridgeable divisions at home and abroad. Natural disasters, some of them of our own making, some not.

Economic insecurity on a massive scale. Political acrimony and ideological polarization. Slavery still exists, AIDS remains a pandemic, humans are still trafficked, and children and the most vulnerable continue to be exploited.

Surely, these are troubled times.

But, taking a cue from Maslow, how do we solve our problems and not just survive them?

And how do we, as people of faith, help bring about the solutions?

As I look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, I would humbly suggest that there is something missing that may be the key for us today. We humans — all of us — need, in a fundamental and profound sense, to be heard.

We need to be heard, and not just listened to; we yearn to be understood, to be known.

At Christmas, we celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the moment when God reached God’s hands into human history and said, “Here I am with you. Let’s take a walk and get to know each other better.”

A California vicar I know likes to describe the life of faith — the Church — as “The Great Conversation.” It is a conversation to which we all (and what part of all don’t you understand?) are invited. When followers of Christ share their faith with others, they are inviting them to join the sacred conversation.

This is evangelicalism in its truest sense. This is what we are called to do. By the One, by Emmanuel, “God with us.”

My dear friend, (and most recently my boss), Sojourners CEO Jim Wallis, said recently that the 2012 presidential election is expected to be the most mean-spirited and vitriolic we’ve ever seen.

That may be true, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it must be that way.

We can solve that problem one conversation at a time.

A conversation is an exchange of ideas between people. It’s not shouting our opinions or beliefs at one another. A conversation requires listening, hearing, and being heard. It does not require agreement with or even affinity for the other parties in the dialogue.

But in order for conversation to take place, civility must be its guiding principle. Civility is more than superficial politesse. It does not mean saying, “excuse me” or “thank you” and then driving a metaphorical knife into the other person’s back as soon as they are out of earshot.

Not only is civility necessary and right, it is also the loving thing to do. (Jesus did say his followers would be known by their love, not by the soundness of their arguments or their witty repartee.)

Civility means listening respectfully, hearing honestly and genuinely, and creating a safe space where all may trust that they genuinely are being heard.

For Christians, it means recognizing that conversations are sacred encounters and that God is literally present in them. This is the “Go-Between God” that John V. Taylor describes in his beautiful 1967 book The Go-Between God, God in the Holy Spirit who helps us make connections with others we’d never make on our own. This is the God who is as powerfully present between people as in them.

In this New Year, may we Christians, together with all people of good faith, work to find a solution to the discord that currently reigns in our society and not simply mourn its presence.

In this season of Epiphany, may we honor the Go-Between God by creating a safe space for all people to join the Great Conversation.

Vene, Sancte Spiritus…

Cathleen Falsani is Web Editor and Director of Social Media for Sojourners. She is the author of four books, including her latest, BELIEBER!: Fame, Faith and the Heart of Justin Bieber."

Living the Moment to the Fullest (Henri Nouwen)

2012-01-06T08:24:00.002+13:00

A wonderful way to view "patience"!

Living the Moment to the Fullest

Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. Patience is not a waiting passivity until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later and somewhere else. Let's be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.

misc fun yet thought provoking comics

2012-01-05T11:31:00.000+13:00

I think they speak for themselves :-) These have been on my PC desktop for a long time now, collected over a few months.

Letting Go of Old Hurts (Nouwen)

2011-12-31T07:42:00.000+13:00

How true ...millions upon millions of people are still fighting and carrying on hate that began hundreds of years ago ...Christ can break the cycle

Letting Go of Old Hurts

One of the hardest things in life is to let go of old hurts. We often say, or at least think: "What you did to me and my family, my ancestors, or my friends I cannot forget or forgive. ... One day you will have to pay for it." Sometimes our memories are decades, even centuries, old and keep asking for revenge.

Holding people's faults against them often creates an impenetrable wall. But listen to Paul: "For anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old order is gone and a new being is there to see. It is all God's work" (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). Indeed, we cannot let go of old hurts, but God can. Paul says: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not holding anyone's fault against them" (2 Corinthians 5:19). It is God's work, but we are God's ministers, because the God who reconciled the world to God entrusted to us "the message of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:19). This message calls us to let go of old hurts in the Name of God. It is the message our world most needs to hear.

101 things I am thankful about in 2011 (part three)

2011-12-30T10:42:00.000+13:00

62. Living in New Zealand. Specifically West Auckland. Beautiful, green, less density, free parking and quiet ... And near enough to the city centre if I ever want to go there. Ha! As if :-)

63. Prayer. The privilege to enter God's presence via prayer at anytime on anything!!

64. The Sunday School children. Well, generally anyway! LOL. Just kidding. Full of life, helpful, friendly ...

65. Reuben and his teams. The worship / music teams and the AV. Wonderful man with persevering and pastoral commitment. Not easy to get people involved and the effort shows especially when I reflect on the situation before he stepped in and the amount of energy and time he took to get us this far!

66. Reflexology and my wife's willingness to use it on me! Really works well. First used internet, then library books, then bought a book and DVD on trademe.

67. My $4 mini study table - tiny thing but us it everyday. Coffee or tea on it in the morning to watch TV, even at night, and to place my notebook etc. Great buy even if doesn't match anything

68. The cars - love my 1996 Ipsum - still running well. Just the right height for older folks so that it is easy to get in and out. Great for packing people in, and used often by others for the towbar feature. Some major repairs needed in a couple of months though - fingers crossed it won't be too expensive.

69. Thomas - my mechanic. Good friend to have and totally trustworthy and very reasonable charges. I leave all the maintenance to him knowing all our family cars is in good hands. Great service too - I can drop off my car and he drops me home / office and later sends it back and I drop him home if he needs a ride.

70. My wife's 1992 Nissan - great bargain at $1650. Old and I hope it passes its WOF check next month . But it is a smooth drive and Thomas did a wonderful job of putting in speakers and a radio cheap!!

71. My Feijoa trees. Still as tiny and short as can be but the flowers are so beautiful and red and it looks like it will be another great season next year! So big and sweet.

72. Phone cards. Especially when I listen to stories of how expensive it used to be years ago for people to call overseas (especially Malaysia) - we all use it often to call family (and sometimes friends) in Malaysia

73. The DVS system. Has certainly made the house smell fresher and has helped regulate the dampness a lot! Especially recently with my wife getting allergy related ailments, have to keep the window shut at night and the DVS system helps heaps or it would be extra stuffy

74. Extra insulation. Power consumption has clearly dropped and we have used the heaters much less as the house feels more comfortable and warmer. Good investment

75. Heat pump in the living room. Sure has helped heat up the house faster and it was nice using the air con a few times this year

76-80. Handymen friends. Wonderful things these able friends have done for me and my family - fixing this and that, making this and that etc. Thanks Sam and Cynthia, Greg and Su and Nilesh.

81. Henri Nouwen. Daily does of Henri Nouwen has been very helpful to me.

82. Mono plastic food wrap 600 m size! For anyone who has had to struggle with food wrap (cling wrap), this super size food wrap has made one of the regular things in life so much easier! Thanks Sam for helping me get this.

83. Lions club $1 book sale. It's on almost every month though I only go a few times a year. Always fun to browse through books (even if 90% of them are fiction novels that I am not interested in). Usually find a few gems.

84. Salt lamp. I think it does make a difference. Negative ions theory and I have had less problems with my allergies.

85. Sponge balls. Almost always in my pocket and always useful :-)

86. My dehumidifier. An extra boost during winter. And a great must use when hanging washed clothes indoors. Saves on dryer usage and helps clothes dry so much faster (and also so it doesn't smell funny)

87. Visitation. It's a well received ministry and it is a blessing to do.

88-90. HOUSE. Both having a house to call home and the TV show (can't wait for the new season). Has a different feel than CHUCK but I think these two shows are my top three current TV shows

91. THE BIG BANG THEORY - as in the TV show. My third "must watch show". I love the gang and how they interact - especially Sheldon and Koothrapalli.

92. Books. Book lovers will get this. Just a general thing. Nice to be surrounded by books and read them - even if they are sometimes commentaries :-)

93. My NT cutter and metal ruler. Will count them together but I use them so often and they are constant reminders of good old things and good old days. I bought them when I was an undergraduate in seminary - that was back in 1987 for a course under Low Chai Hok .... and these two things have lasted and lasted (though I have had to buy lots of new blades)

94. Rubber cement! Was amazed when I came to NZ and found that I could not buy it here. Found out this year that it is now being stocked at one speciality shop. But rubber cement is one of my super versatile must have things (Almost like duct tape?.) I use it very often

95. Plastic stackable boxes (when on sale). Another crazy thing but I seem to keep buying them to organize my books and magic stuff. Very useful and cheap. And every now and then I need to reorganize ...

96. Jokes and funny stories. I still collect them and they help keep me sane. I keep saying things like "this will make a good sermon illustration" but never really use them :-) But what would life be without humour?

97. Missionaries. Some are personal friends and others are people my church supports. But I do appreciate all of them for their commitment to missions. And especially those who take time to write and keep in touch (and happily agree to give our church a priority slot and come and share!). Hearing their stories helps keep me and my church connected to what is going on around the world and how important it is to get involved.

98. Preaching. I have grown to accept and feel more confident that I am called to preach. Had a dinner meeting last night and realize afresh (confirmation) that I need to take on more preaching as it is blessing people. Expanded my outside preaching to a second church this year (so now two outside my own church), and next year have agreed to take a slot at a Filipino church camp (but my condition was that it not be the final Sunday slot as I am busiest on Sunday)

99. Pastor's Notes. It has been hard doing this but it has been a good discipline as one of the objectives I made for doing it was to help prepare me to be as fresh as possible for the day I have to take on even more regular Sunday preaching. Hmmm.... and also to try to be more concise and less "cheong hei" as I have the "need" to keep qualifying my statements :-)

100. Opportunities. So many opportunities each year and this year has not been different. Opportunities to help make a difference in the lives of individuals, or small groups, the church, and even the community. No energy, time or ability to take most of them BUT I am glad they are always popping up as it forces me to pray, reflect and act ...

101. LIFE! Yes - just being alive. To be is to do, to do is to be, doo bee dooo be doo! (paraphrased from a T-shirt my mum gave me. It has to do with Plato, Socrates and Frank Sinatra :-)

101 done - though I think there is a lot more!

101 things I am thankful about in 2011 (part two)

2011-12-24T13:05:00.001+13:00

Okay here goes part two ...

31. Kelston Community Church

Detailing this will probably cover the rest of the 101 things .... so I won't. But I love this church and being her pastor. I am not saying it is easy (it is in no way a perfect church) but it is not too difficult as there is genuine support from the members of the church.

32-33. Elders. I have incredible church elders who though different in temperament and styles are a testament to Christian maturity and teamwork. I think the most important thing for me is not things like "leadership skill" or "vision casting" but godliness and a pastoral heart. Our elders to me have this in abundance. It may seem rather cliche but I honestly do not know how I would manage without the three - Robert, Lye Chye and Max

34-38. Deacons. In a church where many are happy to serve but will not (for various reasons) take up official church leadership, agreeing to be a deacon is a big thing. And while I do not subscribe to the idea that deacons are "junior elders", it is a blessed thing to me that (IMHO) my church deacons have attributes of elders. Amazing bunch who work very hard and I do know how difficult it is for them to balance ministry and their other responsibilities. (Unlike popular misconceptions, working life in Auckland, NZ is not laid back - like other parts of the world, many people here also work long hours). I pray for them regularly as I know they do for me - Hock Fie, Elizabeth, Shereen, Jin.

I hope that by end of 2012 more will join the team - hence my starting on a series from the Pastoral epistles. Going to be a tough series. Pray for me!

39. OK, so I "cheated" a little in my numbering :-). Here's a wonderful one - ministry allowance! It is a wonderful thing to have a ministry allowance for my personal development. Sure beats the days where I had to scrimp and save to buy books etc. While I did not use any this year to go for a pastor's retreat, I used all my allowance on books and other various resources. :-)

40. Cyber spiritual director - Alex Tang. Alex has been a good and generous friend and I am glad that last year I had the chance to actually meet him face to face in Auckland. I am still enjoying his last book he gave me (slow read) and by end of Jan 2012 I will post more about this book.

41-22. Cyber doctors. Wonderful that on FB I have access (well, at least just in a limited advisory way) so many people in the medical line. Hahaha. My former GP ("Dr. Siew") and dentist (Belinda") among them! Makes up a little that I can't visit them for my medical needs. But I must say it is a blessing that my NZ GP happens to be a former Malaysian and so it makes it very easy to talk with him.

Taken at their church office during a West Auckland pastors
fellowship meeting, which Derek organizes.

43. Mr. and Mrs. Jones. It has been good to get to know Derek and Judy Jones - pastors of the church across us that meets in a local High School. We are so different yet we share a growing bond. They are charismatics in a charismatic church and Samoans. But they have extended friendship and fellowship and I hope that in 2012 we can work more closely with each other.
I am the only Chinese / Asian in the group ... mostly Pacific Islanders but I feel right at home.

44. Food - old and new recipes. I am thankful I managed to create a few recipes that I and my boys (and others - depending on who!) find yum (Yum is a Kiwi phrase)
Learning to cook better has been for me a wonderful way to relax and create on the fly ...
My Hokkien mee is still popular. Added char kueh teow to the mix but I must say that this still needs work though my family has no complaints :-)
My lamb curry is still pretty good as is my version of beef rendang (ahem - all cooked without using ready made packet spices) and now I have added my version of fried chicken (which was a hit the last time I cooked it for a fellowship dinner).
My "Fah sang wu" has had mixed reviews as sometimes it comes out so well, and other times ... so so.
What has been fun however is my quick to cook soups - my pumpkin, kumara and potato soups has been a blessing, as is my two styles of tomato soup and my own lemon tom yam style soup
And ah ... my beef stew and seaweed salad (my mother's recipe and her Sabah seaweed)

OK, I won't "cheat" and count every recipe as one individual blessing, though I think that would be fair as honestly, it each evokes special memories.:-)

45. Thermo-mix. This present from my mum has been a blessing though of late I have not used it as much as I want to as I prefer cooking the old fashioned way (and it being summer, I can cook outside more often so the house doesn't smell!) But it was great for winter cooking and I know it will be in 2012

46. Kelston Community Trust. Becoming a trustee has been a blessing as it has opened many doors to ministry opportunities and making friends. It has been very encouraging getting to know many of the trustees better especially some of the school heads. They are some of the most committed people I have ever had the privilege of getting to know. Makes me wonder how well Malaysian youth would fare if they had such teachers and headmasters!

47. My magic box / table. Expensive but it has been such a wonderful tool. My last two shows using it made my magic show so much easier to do and more "professional". Especially with the modifications done by Nilesh!

48. My house slippers. Even now (first month of summer) I use it. Somehow it helps prevent me suddenly sneezing which can actually set off a bout of hay fever. I get a new pair every year (very cheap)

The Littles saying their farewells before John
prayed for them.

49-50. The Littles and John Cheah. Going to miss the Little family heaps now that they are moving to Taupo. Blessings in so many ways - as individuals (the girls too) and as a family. But serving with them for almost 2 years has been very enriching especially this year when they stepped in and co-lead the youth group with John, freeing me from the concerns of youth ministry (of which I am way too out of date). Thank God for John who each year grows so much in his ministry and leadership. Knowing my temperament, I should be worrying about the state of the youth ministry (at such a crucial juncture too) with the Littles departure but there is this inner peace in God's grace and knowing John's leadership abilities and commitment to God and the youth. What a nice change to feel this way!:-)

51. Portable Induction cooker. What a joy to have this cooker so I can cook outside too. Heats us fast and it is so nice to have consistent decent heat when I cook. Saves me electricity too! I love having this cooker.

52. CHUCK! Crazy I know but this is the only TV show I actually record so I don't miss it and my wife and I can watch at leisure interuption. I think it has been the only TV show I actually follow (now that HOUSE is no longer airing). The show never fails to make me laugh - especially Chuck and Morgan's antics.

53. My radio / CD player. This one is very old and 11 Watt speakers (total). It has to be at least 20 years old as I remember having it when I lived in Kampar before Andrew was born. And it still works!! I use it practically every time I cook - whether to listen to the radio or a CD. It even has a cassette deck.

54. COAST Radio Station. Some find it strange that with Christian radio available I do not listen the the Christian channels. I love listening to Coast radio as it plays oldies! :-)

55. Podcasts / I-tunes U. Wish I had more time to listen to podcasts BUT every now and then when I have time and need a lift, some inspiration, perhaps a different or fresh perspective I got o my podcasts and listen to a sermon. I think my favourite for 2011 is still William Willimon. His style is so unlike mine and I would even say that I disagree with a lot his style of preaching (the way he words things etc and gasp even his exegesis?) BUT he makes me think (most of the time) and I like that.
I think podcasts has been a blessing to me as a solo pastor who still does not have a strong network of pastors I connect with on a deep level, hearing the thoughts of words from Christian leaders meets a real need.

56. Clean water. I kid you not. I love the fact that I can drink water from the tap! Of course I have a water filter, kindly installed FOC by a former elder, Albert. (Makes me thank God for him very often!) But when I read about the problems of fresh water around the world and water borne diseases, this is a huge blessing that I want to ensure I do not take for granted. Plus living in Malaysia where my mum has a commercial capacity water filter (used for swimming pools) to filter the water that comes from the pipes and a 2nd one to make sure the water is doubly fit for drinking .... Nuff said

57. My local library and comic books. I love the system here. I book what i want online and then I get an email when the books arrive (put on hold shelf for me) and then when I do my weekly post office run, I pick up the books. And the only books I borrow nowadays are comic books (ahem ... GRAPHIC NOVELS). Great way to relax.

58. My guitar. It is now pretty "banged up". Can no longer use a strap, the internal pick up has long been unusable. The bridge is cracked and will need changing one day soon. It is also a bit "warped" But it is still giving me great times and sounds. Used it for caroling again this year and it brought back great memories of when I bought it and how I bought it. Interesting that mid 2011 I started playing it more often (I keep it in my office) - not just for home group meetings etc but for special items (never thought I would be doing this again) and for pleasure as well. Picking up playing a few songs and signing - oldies of course and it is relaxing.

59. New home group / church members. It is exciting to meet and plan early this month for a new home group for 2012. Been praying about this most of 2011 and am so thankful the core is excited and ready. It will be exciting for me as the core will be our Pacific Islander families. And we have some dreams for Island style music .... and it is interesting that the name they chose is "Harmony". It is exciting to see the slow seed of integration of PI members with the church as a whole. Something most say will not work due to cultural differences but I believe otherwise.

60. Laidlaw College (formerly BCNZ). They have had two Auckland Church Leaders Days in 2011 and it is all FOC. Really appreciate the way they seek to bless church leaders and pastors. The day seminars have been eye openers and keeps me in touch with some of the wider issues facing the church in NZ. I am excited that the new principal has agreed to speak at our church next year. Each year I get some of their lecturers to come preach at our church and everyone of them have been a blessing

61. The Gans. In case they should read this, wont' say anything lest I embarrass them but what a family! Three generations of inspiring people whose service and friendship continues to bless me and the church

Ok, better stop now .... will continue another day. But hey, the list keeps flowing.

101 things I am thankful about in 2011 (part one)

2011-12-24T10:49:00.000+13:00

The year is almost over and it is a good time to reflect. So will see if I can list 101 things I am thankful for 2011. Obviously can't do it in one post and I have no idea how long this will take BUT I think it is a good exercise :-)

No specific order of preference - will be fun to see what pops into my head! Will be a fun exercise too in "word association"
OK. Here goes

1. God
2. Father
3. Son
4. Holy Spirit

Hahaha. Not trying to cause a heresy by naming four but this is actually how my mind works. Often in quiet or difficult moments I return to how thankful I am that I know God and that God is with me. No matter what people say "God is indeed great!"

But then there are times when I specifically think of God the Father, then often God the Son, and at other times, especially over the last couple of months, God the Holy Spirit. Not going to try to explain this theologically but those who are Christians will probably understand what I mean.

5. Merv

As I think of the Holy Spirit I also think of Merv Coates who gave us three messages recently on the ministry of Holy Spirit in our lives. And his contribution to me and us as a church at KCC. A wonderful example of a man of God with a huge pastoral heart - especially for the poor and marginalized.

6. Uncle Max
7. Aunty Helen

So much to say about this couple. So I won't try.... except to say that I am grateful for two models of godliness and Christian maturity that have helped me keep my path straight.

Hmmm.... looks like this list contains lots of people, so one more and I will go off on a tangent and come back to more people. But it does remind me that people are the most important (and of course I will get back to my wife later!!! :-))

My sharing a little on Beryl before giving her the PTBK award

8. Aunty Beryl - as I have a picture of her to post - getting the local "Proud to be Kelston Awards". What to day except she has been a wonderful sounding board and counsellor to me and the words of someone at the awards said it best "Thanks for nominating Beryl. She is is an incredible woman"

9. Strawberries - specifically my strawberry patch. Such a wonderful harvest practically every day. Have eaten them as is, with ice cream, as strawberry shakes, as mixed fruit smoothies, and given away bunches to some many people - neighbors, friends, church members, my wife's colleagues (especially them as they love strawberries). And the best part is, the original two plants are still spreading its roots and if I look after them well as I always do, harvest for 2012 may be even more abundant.

Took this a week ago. As you can see, a lot of fruit each day
and many are now getting bigger!

Something special about picking my own strawberries realizing it is a miracle of God that plants bear fruit and yet it also requires me to do my part. I planted, I watered etc but God gave growth!

10. My old DELL Inspiron notebook. It's really slow and HDD is but 60 GB but it still runs well. It's now 7 years old ... My son's much newer Toshiba died after 4 years (just when the extended warranty ran out - conspiracy! :-))

Everytime I use it I remember and quickly pray for Dr. Cheah Wing Yin who bought it for as a surprise graduation gift. Old blessing but a wonderful blessing that keeps on "giving" especially for the encouragement he has been to me - making that effort to let me know that my "personal sacrifices" despite the many hurdles to finish my 2nd masters was the right thing to do

11. My LG external DVD writer. It is now also 7 years old and setting up takes time - power source, usb port, get adapter etc and it is slow .... But it still serves me well. I use if fairly often to back up my DVDs etc as the DVD drive in my office PC is a ROM (can't even burn CDs), and the DELL notebook only burns CDs. Grateful for it!

12. Star Trek! Hahaha. This one is true. Watching ST: TNG when I am free is a very relaxing thing. Will one day get all the DVDs.... And I love the optimism of Gene Roddenberry (even if I disagree with some of the basic assumptions of his philosophy). And it is amazing that a couple of decades ago, he already predicted the use of ipads! :-) And many episodes give me lots of food for thought.

13. My biomag mattress protector. It has helped my sleep improve tremendously!!

14. My 2nd hand $6 blender. It is now 4 years since I bought it on trademe and I use it so often. Makes funny noises at times but has served me so well. The lemonade, the ice slushees, milkshakes, fruit cocktails, my version of "tagalog" and even blending my soyabeans

15. Trademe. Love it. Got so many things cheap via trademe. Can probably list off hand 20 things bought from trademe that are blessings but that would not be as challenging for this exercise.

16. My KMart $15 jacket. Had it for more than 2 years now and it is so comfy. During colder weather I think I have worn it almost everyday. And though it has been washed numerous time it still looks decent and it dries fast too :-)

17. Balloons and pump. The amount of joy I have derived and given from my balloons I doubt can be expressed. I use it very often and in so many ways on occasions that surprise even me. For example, yesterday I went to my local butcher's shop and gave balloons to the staff (with the owner's permission of course) to say thank for the marvelous service and to wish them Merry Christmas.

18. Mad Butcher, Glen Eden. I must say that in all my years of going shopping (in Malaysia and NZ) the staff in this shop are the friendliest and most efficient I have ever experienced. And this has ALWAYS been the case since I starred shopping them for a year now. Hence the reason why I made the balloons :-)
They really go out of their way to help their customers and their "how are you today" greeting is actually genuine.

19. Allan and Veron. Think of balloons? I think of these two! :-) Need to say again a big thanks to this couple for introducing me to balloons and magic and for being my supplier for very affordable balloons! Still blessing me even though I am now in NZ.

20. Twenty already! Wow. That was fast. Ok, let me bring up MAGIC .... First of all "Magic" in general. Actually helps keep me sane among other things. I think magic has helped develop the creative spark in me. Long way to go but it is nice to see clear progress. And of course it is an amazing means for making friends (though balloons beats "magic" hands down) and of course ministry.

21. This year I got to know a magician Keith Garrett (amateur like me and I think my age too but way better than me) who has been very helpful to me. Really appreciate the developing friendship and his advice. Nice to have someone to bounce off ideas and who gets back to me fast.

22. Francis Wee. The budding seven year old magician. Inspiring to see his dedication to magic and nice to have someone else to pass on what I know. He actually reads the books I gave him and works out the principles and practices (with patter too)!

23. Credit card. off tangent again but I am thankful for my credit card. I use it to buy stuff online, pay bills etc and it has been a time saver etc. (BTW, I only purchase things via credit card when I have funds so I do not pay interest). A credit card helps in so many ways that I never thought would a couple of years ago.

24. My wife. Not that I associate "credit card" with wife :-). My favourite Proverb says it bests ... Proverbs 18:22 (p/s KJV rendition sounds more elegant)

25. My boys. They can drive me crazy at times but they are God's gift to m. Psalm 127:3-5 says it well.

26. My mother. Clearly she is one of my best friends. How she blesses me is beyond description. She's a "no holds barred" person whom I still look to for advice and I whom I call up regularly to chat.

27. Itouch. Gift from my mother - 3 years ago and still going strong. Very useful indeed even if my eyesight makes it a tad harder to read nowadays.

28. My mobile phone. Also a gift from my mother - a couple of years ago - one of her old phones. This one has loads of features, most of which I don't use. The ones I do use though are so helpful to me - the calendar function which allows me to out in my appointments. I have become one of those people who feel lost if they do not have their mobiles with them.

29. Facebook. Never thought I would say this but I think it is a blessing though at other times I feel like just disconnecting and de-registering". I find it interesting that many people actually follow my updates (thought they do not comment - as some tell me outside FB). Kind of nice and yet scary (but then again why should it be since no one forced me to post updates). I know, FB has loads of pros and cons etc but I think the pros at the moment outweigh the cons. It is therapeutical and it does keep me in touch with friends (main feature I like)

30. Blogger. With so many people leaving blogging in favour of FB, I still like this free blogger site as it does a better job of recording my thoughts and ramblings (for better or worse). I deactivated years ago a previous account (Multiply site) and destroyed years of blogging and sometimes I wonder if I should do the same as there is so much talk on privacy issues etc. But then I think blogging is a good risk as it helps me remember the fact that we are fallen creatures and vulnerability while risky is one of the key things that makes me human.

OK. 30 is a good place to stop for now.

A Christmas reflection “Grown up Christmas List” (Pastor's notes)

2011-12-21T09:43:00.000+13:00

Final pastor's notes for the year. Will resume in February 2012

To read, click HERE

Blessed Christmas to you all and hope some of my pastor's notes has been of some help and blessing to some of you.

The Freedom to Refuse Love (Henri Nouwen)

2011-12-17T10:18:00.002+13:00

So true ....

The Freedom to Refuse Love (Henri Nouwen)

Often hell is portrayed as a place of punishment and heaven as a place of reward. But this concept easily leads us to think about God as either a policeman, who tries to catch us when we make a mistake and send us to prison when our mistakes become too big, or a Santa Claus, who counts up all our good deeds and puts a reward in our stocking at the end of the year.

God, however, is neither a policeman nor a Santa Claus. God does not send us to heaven or hell depending on how often we obey or disobey. God is love and only love. In God there is no hatred, desire for revenge, or pleasure in seeing us punished. God wants to forgive, heal, restore, show us endless mercy, and see us come home. But just as the father of the prodigal son let his son make his own decision God gives us the freedom to move away from God's love even at the risk of destroying ourselves. Hell is not God's choice. It is ours.

Searching for a peaceful Islam (Tawfik Hamid)

2011-12-16T11:48:00.000+13:00

Taken from http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/searching_for_a_peaceful_islam

Dr Tawfik Hamid is an Egyptian medical doctor and Islamic scholar residing in the US. As a medical student he embraced the teaching of radical Islam and joined Jamaah Islamiyah, a terrorist group headed by Ayman Al-Zawaherri who went on to become second in command of al-Qaeda. Now he is campaigning for a reformation of Islam based upon peaceful interpretations of classical Islamic texts. MercatorNet sought his views about violence and Sharia law.

MercatorNet: The interim government of Libya has announced that "Any law that violates Sharia is null and void legally". Is it possible for a country which embraces Sharia law also to support human rights?

Tawfik Hamid: No. The reason is that Sharia law as taught in mainstream Islamic books and by the leading Islamic institutions still teaches anachronistic medieval practices such as beating women, killing male homosexuals, stoning adulterers, and killing Muslims if they convert to other faiths or reject a basic tenet of traditional Islam.

Sharia law has not adapted to the modern world. This explains the absolute silence of most, if not all, Islamic scholars when it comes to denouncing violent teachings. You can see the end of human rights in any place that practices Sharia law such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan under the Taliban, or Somalia.

Some countries like Egypt have a secular law built on Sharia principles. This could respect human rights but it is still not the Sharia law itself. At this stage of human history any system that applies Sharia Law itself cannot respect human rights.

MercatorNet: Some people in Britain and the US support a limited acceptance of Sharia law in their own countries. Is this a good idea?

Tawfik Hamid: In theory this sounds great. In practice there are serious problems. Those who claim that Sharia law will be used only to settle family matters are naïve. Polygamy, wife-beating, inequality between men and women in inheritance, and marrying girls as young as nine are all acceptable under Sharia law.

If we allowed Sharia family law, we would countenance discrimination against Muslim women even though secular laws forbid discrimination. You cannot have two contradictory legal systems working in the same country. The complexities involved are mind-boggling. If a Muslim man beats his wife, should police stand by and watch, or arrest him? After all, he is doing nothing wrong under Sharia law.

If a Muslim man were to insist on applying Sharia law so that he gets double the inheritance of his sister, while the sister insists on following a secular law that promotes gender equality, which law will be enforced?

MercatorNet: You are basically living in exile in the United States because of your interpretation of Islam. What caused you to shake off the extremist views of Salafi Islam?

Tawfik Hamid: I was an eager follower of Salafi Islam when I was a medical student in Egypt. But I started to question the radical views 1980 when one of the leaders of Jamaah Islamiyah of Egypt called Ahmed Omar (he was a fellow medical student) asked me to join a group of members of JI to kidnap a police officer and bury him alive. I just could not tolerate this. It was the beginning of the awakening of my human conscience. This gradually led me to withdraw from the radical group until I reformed.

MercatorNet: You have argued that violence against women is an integral part of the conventional interpretation of Islam and a preparation for terrorism. Could you explain this?

Desensitising a human being to the use of violence creates a mindset that accepts using violence against others. For example, if you taught a child to torture cats then you cannot be surprised if he grows up to become violent towards humans. When you teach a Muslim man that it is OK to beat women according to the Qu’ran (Surah 4:34) and use violence against them, you help desensitizing this man to the use of violence towards others, and even to terrorism.

MercatorNet: You contend that almost all approved interpretations of Islamic core text and Islamic jurisprudence books promote violence to spread Islam, the murder of apostates, violence against women, polygamy, and stoning for adultery. But most Muslims would not do these things or even approve of them. Why is there a gap between theory and practice?

Tawfik Hamid: The gap between theory and practice has several explanations.

First of all, many Muslims are only cultural Muslims or ritual Muslims who do not really strongly promote the practice of these values and are satisfied by the cultural and ritual part of the religion. These people usually rely on the peaceful verses of the religion and typically say that the passages which exhort readers to violence have not been interpreted correctly.

Second, many Muslims have been raised in civilized societies and thus their consciences and sense of humanity cannot tolerate violence. However, they are deeply attached to Islam and unable to criticize it or reject its teachings. Because this group does not have a theologically based refutation of these violent principles they live in a process of psychological denial of the violent teachings.

Finally, there are Muslims who strongly believe in these violent principles but do not put them into effect either because they are unable to do so or because they are afraid of the negative consequences.

MercatorNet: You have called upon Islamic scholars to produce an authoritative interpretation of the Qu’ran which rejects violence. Is this possible? The Qu’ran contains many verses which seem to support violence.

Tawfik Hamid: Yes, It is possible to interpret the Qu’ran peacefully. At my website, Islam for Peace, I analyse many of the disputed texts. The most relevant of these is whether the Qu’ran instructs Muslims to kill all infidels. There are several Sura [verses] which are interpreted in this way: The infidels are your sworn enemies (Sura 4:101}; Prophet, make war on the infidels (Sura 66: 9);Never be a helper to the disbelievers (Sura 28:86).

Accepted literally and uncritically these verses support extremism. However, a pivotal matter of linguistic importance is often overlooked: the significance and usage of the definite article, "al" (ie, "the"), which precedes the various disparaging Arabic words (kafirun, mushrikun) that describe non-believers in the Qu’ran and which are often translated as "non-believers," "infidels," "idolaters," or "polytheists."

The use of "al" limits the verse (and thus the commandment) to a specific time and place in history and to a specific group of people who were obstacles to the establishment of Islam in its nascent phase.

Had the intention of the Qu’ran been to universalise the application of these verses, it would have used the expression "man kafar," rather than "al-kafereen". "Man kafar," literally means any one who does not believe in God, while "al-kafereen", the infidels, denotes a specific group of people: those who fought the Prophet Mohamed in the early stages of Islam.

MercatorNet: Who speaks for Islam? This seems to be the question at the heart of your concerns. Which school truly represents the Prophet’s teachings? The Sunni, the Shi’ite, the Sufi?

Tawfik Hamid: It is hard to answer this question as the Prophet is presented in completely different manners by these groups. For example, the Sunni teach that Mohamed married a nine-year-old girl when he was more than 50 years. The Shi’ite teach that she was 18, which seems to be the true version. The Sufi do not focus on these historical stories. Instead they focus on stories about the Prophet that shows his love and mercy for others.

I would like to be pragmatic in this situation as I cannot tell for sure what happened in human history. So, I would say that the understanding of the Sufi school of thought about the Prophet is the most peaceful one and the one which should be followed.

Tawfik Hamid is a senior fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies in Washington DC. He is the author of Inside Jihad: Understanding and Confronting Radical Islam.

Want to read more articles by Tawfik Hamid Click on the links below

How to deal with radical Islam | 8 November 2011

AN ADVENT REFLECTION Some thoughts on Luke 1:26-38: Something about Mary

2011-12-15T13:07:00.000+13:00

Pastor's notes for 18 December 2011

To read click HERE

Some thoughts on Galatians 4:1-7: Living as grown-up sons

2011-12-09T11:23:00.000+13:00

Pastor's Notes for the 11 Dec 2011 bulletin

To read, go HERE

This is funny .... Umno veeps ready for sacrifice

2011-12-02T13:22:00.000+13:00

I honestly thought this was funny in a sad way ...

Taken from Free Malaysia Today - which can be found here

Dec 1, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno’s three vice-presidents said today that they would withdraw from contesting in the coming general election if the party leadership believed they could not win.

One of them, Hishammuddin Hussein, said this was the kind of sacrifice Umno needed from its members as it prepares for an election that would test its ability to survive.

He cited the willingness of former Terengganu menteri besar Idris Jusoh to “sacrifice himself” and not contest.

Zahid Hamidi said he and the other vice-presidents received a text message from Idris informing them of his decision.

The other vice-president is Shafie Apdal.

In his address to the Umno general assembly this morning, Umno president Najib Tun Razak made clear that the meeting would be the last before the 13th general election. He indicated that the party was in need of a transformation that would include a shift in winning methodology and the deployment of only “winnable candidates”.

“Not a problem whatsoever, three of us,” Hishammuddin told reporters during the break following Najib’s speech.

“This is an indication by our party president. Those who cannot give victory to the party must conduct self-criticism. If we can no longer bring victory, then we have to back down.”

Party leaders believe internal splits were one of the factors behind Umno and Barisan Nasional’s dismal performance in the 2008 election.

Najib, an unelected party president, is in need of a strong mandate, ostensibly to allow him to carry out economic reforms he has promised as the country’s prime minister.

If they do not have the confidence to contest their traditional easy to win seats, why are they still hanging on to their VP posts?

Their willingness top sacrifice themselves sounds so noble - but it is clearly more being afraid to lose face by losing. This is spin politics at its funniest

So if / when the other candidates lose, will they be made the scapegoats. And if they win, will these non contesting VPs still keep their cushy party posts?

Some thoughts on Galatians 3:23-29: A new era of freedom and equality in Christ

2011-12-02T11:11:00.000+13:00

For the 4th December 2011 bulletin

To read, click HERE

The Individual and the Internet The Quest for Community (Church Colson)

2011-11-29T08:40:00.002+13:00

From Colson's BreakPoint commentary. Excellent piece - no need for me to comment further

The Individual and the Internet
The Quest for Community

November 28, 2011

Man was made to live in community. In Genesis 2, we're told it's not good for man to be alone. And in a classical world the worst punishment was to be banished from society, because you had no meaning once you were.

Our founders in America created a country that respected individual rights and liberties, but always in the context of the people. And the people united in communities and associations, which secured individual rights from an otherwise all-powerful government.

So you had a balance. And in the context of those communities, we prospered like no other nation on earth. Tocqeuville when he came to America praised the civic virtue of Americans -- their collective self-reliance in building hospitals, schools, churches, etc. But in recent times, not only in America but throughout the Western World, "individual autonomy," the code word of modern liberalism, has become ascendant outside the context of community. And not surprisingly, as radical individualism grew, the power of government grew as well, especially in the 20th Century.

Here's why.

Robert Nisbet argued in his 1953 book, The Quest for Community, that radical individualism caused communities to break down. Family, church, clubs, groups, associations, that came between the individual and the state, all weakened in the face of this desire for individual autonomy. So it's no wonder we've witnessed an explosive growth in government over the last fifty years. But as face-to-face communities decline, people are flocking to virtual, online communities. Many see these as "communities for a new generation."

A recent conference revisited Nisbet's ideas in light of online communities. The results were not encouraging.

Christine Rosen, senior editor of The New Atlantis, noted that in a face-to-face community, I come as I am. In virtual communities I come as the image I want to project. The resulting interaction is too tame to be called community. Instead, as Wheaton College professor Read Schuchardt added, we end up with narcissistic groups of false selves.

Rosen acknowledged that in the online world we may have more friends than we could have in face-to-face community. But the quality of those friendships is so poor that sociologists have coined the phrase “migratory friendships” to describe digital friends who have lots of information about each other, but don’t actually know each other.

The hard work of genuine community has been outsourced, she said, to technology -- so we become the product of our technology, shaping our image to meet the demands of the market.

Well, what are we to make of this? Virtual communities cannot replace real, face-to-face communities. They can't perform the function of providing meaning and fellowship in the same way. And they certainly can't serve as intermediate structures between the individual and an all-powerful government. Virtual community is really no substitute for the real thing.

For the sake of our well being and freedom as men and women created not to be alone, it is so vital now that the church be a catalyst for rebuilding real communities in a very real way.

Some thoughts on Galatians 3:21-22: Only Christ can set us free from the prison of sin

2011-11-25T09:50:00.001+13:00

Pastor's notes for 27 November 2011 bulletin

To read, click HERE

What else is unconstitutional in Malaysia? (RPK)

2011-11-22T12:14:00.000+13:00

A fine piece from RPK ... http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/45147-what-else-is-unconstitutional-in-malaysia

Ok, my quota of time for Malaysian politics has been reached :-)

What else is unconstitutional in Malaysia?

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said it is unconstitutional for a person to be homosexual in Malaysia. “In reality, in the country’s constitution it is not allowed, including sections 377(a), (b), (c) and (d) which prohibit sexual relations between two men,” said Jamil, who is in charge of Islamic affairs and head of the Malaysian Department of Islamic Development (Jakim).

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Actually, if the minister really wants to follow the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, there are many more things that are unconstitutional, and being a homosexual is certainly not one of them although he can argue that it is against the law.

But then, being against the law (meaning: it constitutes a crime) does not make it unconstitutional. For example, raping your own mother or sodomising your own father is also a crime. But that does not make them unconstitutional. So is robbing a bank, murdering your wife, cheating on your income tax, taking bribes, misusing public funds to pay for your wife’s lavish shopping, etc. They are all crimes but can’t quite be called unconstitutional.

The minister, being not that intelligent and downright ignorant, as most Malaysian ministers are, does not appear to know the difference between what is unconstitutional and what is a crime.

Anyway, if you refer to some of the Articles in the Constitution below, you can see that there are many practices and policies in Malaysia that are unconstitutional (and at times opposed to Islam as well). Maybe my learned minister would like to talk about these as well.

Detaining someone without due process of the law is unconstitutional as per Article 5. And to use ‘emergency laws’ that waive the need for due process is unconstitutional when Malaysia is not facing any emergency and whatever emergency it did face in the past (such as The Emergency, May 13, Konfrontasi, etc.) have now ended (which means the emergency laws no longer apply). This is like still using WW1 or WW2 emergency laws when WW1 and WW2 have ended a long time ago.

Discrimination, quotas, preferences, etc., based on race or religion is unconstitutional as per Article 8. You can argue that the New Economic Policy (NEP) overrides the Constitution but Article 4 does not allow this. Anyway, the NEP was not a law passed by Parliament and that is why it is called ‘the aspirations (hasrat) of the NEP’. It is merely an aspiration and not a law. Hence, to force Malaysians to comply with the NEP violates the Constitution.

Asking for the citizenship of any Malaysian to be withdrawn is unconstitutional as per Article 9. So Umno should stop asking for the citizenship of Ambiga and others to be withdrawn.

Malaysians have the liberty to express their opinion as per Article 10 even if they wish to opine that religion is bullshit, God does not exist, or that the monarchy is outdated and corrupt and should be abolished in favour of a Republic of Malaysia. Opinions are allowed and expressing them is not a crime.

Malaysians have the liberty to believe in any religion they want to or to reject religion totally under Article 11. Even if they wish to reject all forms of religion and become atheists, that is their constitutional right. The only thing the Constitution forbids is to propagate these beliefs to Muslims. However, if that person has declared that he/she no longer believes in God, then that would make him/her an apostate and, technically, that person would no longer be a Muslim. Therefore, propagating to ex-Muslims would not constitute a crime since they have on their own freewill become apostates.

Setting up institutions of learning exclusive to any one race is unconstitutional according to Article 12.Therefore, UiTM, according to the constitution, must open its doors to all races (but whether they would want to enter UiTM is another matter altogether).

Yes, if you want to talk about what is unconstitutional then let us talk about what is unconstitutional. And being gay is not one of them. The above, however, are. But does the minister understand this? Most likely not! Or else he would not have been made a minister. Instead, he would have become a Blogger like me.

******************************************

PART II - FUNDAMENTAL LIBERTIES

Article number: 4

• (1) This Constitution is the supreme law of the Federation and any law passed after Merdeka Day which is inconsistent with this Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.

• (2) The validity of any law shall not be questioned on the ground that -

• (a) it imposes restrictions on the right mentioned in Article 9 (2) but does not relate to the matters mentioned therein; or

• (b) it imposes such restrictions as are mentioned in Article 10 (2) but those restrictions were not deemed necessary or expedient by Parliament for the purposes mentioned in that Article.

• (3) The validity of any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of any State shall not be questioned on the ground that it makes provision with respect to any matter with respect to which Parliament or, as the case may be, the Legislature of the State has no power to make laws, except in proceedings for a declaration that the law is invalid on that ground or -

• (a) if the law was made by Parliament, in proceedings between the Federation and one or more States;

• (b) if the law was made by Legislature of a State, in proceedings between the Federation and that State.

• (4) Proceedings for a declaration that a law is invalid on the ground mentioned in Clause (3) (not being proceedings falling within paragraph (a) or (b) of the Clause) shall not be commenced without the leave of a judge of the Supreme Court; and the Federation shall be entitled to be a party to any such proceedings, and so shall any State that would or might be a party to proceedings brought for the same purpose under paragraph (a) or (b) of the Clause.

Article number: 5

• (1) No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty save in accordance with law.

• (2) Where complaint is made to a High court or any judge thereof that a person is being unlawfully detained the court shall inquire into the complaint and, unless satisfied that the detention is lawful, shall order him to be produced before the court and release him.

• (3) Where a person is arrested he shall be informed as soon as may be of the grounds of his arrest and shall be allowed to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of his choice.

• (4) Where a person is arrested and not released he shall without unreasonable delay, and in any case within twenty-four hours (excluding the time of any necessary journey) be produced before a magistrate and shall not be further detained in custody without the magistrate's authority:

Provided that this Clause shall not apply to the arrest or detention of any person under the existing law relating to restricted residence, and all the provisions of this Clause shall be deemed to have been an integral part of this Article as from Merdeka Day.

• (5) Clauses (3) and (4) do not apply to an enemy alien.

Article number: 8

• (1) All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law.

• (2) Except as expressly authorized by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent or place of birth in any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment.

• (3) There shall be no discrimination in favour of any person on the ground that he is a subject of the Ruler of the State.

• (4) No public authority shall discriminate against any person on the ground that he is resident or carrying on business in any part of the Federation outside the jurisdiction of the authority.

• (5) This Article does not invalidate or prohibit -

• (a) any provision regulating personal law;

• (b) any provision or practice restricting office or employment connected with the affairs of any religion, or of an institution managed by a group professing any religion, to persons professing that religion;

• (c) any provision for the protection, wellbeing or advancement of the aboriginal peoples of the Malay Peninsula (including the reservation of land) or the reservation to aborigines of a reasonable proportion of suitable positions in the public service;

• (d) any provision prescribing residence in a State or part of a State as a qualification for election or appointment to any authority having jurisdiction only in that State or part, or for voting in such an election;

• (e) any provision of a Constitution of a State, being or corresponding to a provision in force immediately before Merdeka Day;

• (f) any provision restricting enlistment in the Malay Regiment to Malays.

Article number: 9

• (1) No citizen shall be banished or excluded from the Federation.

• (2) Subject to Clause (3) and to any law relating to the security of the Federation or any part thereof, public order, public health, or the punishment of offenders, every citizen has the right to move freely throughout the Federation and to reside in any part thereof.

• (3) So long as under this Constitution any other State is in a special position as compared with the States of Malaya, Parliament may by law impose restrictions, as between that State and other States, on the rights conferred by Clause (2) in respect of movement and residence.

Article number: 10

• (1) Subject to Clauses (2), (3) and (4) -

• (a) every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression;

• (b) all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms;

• (c) all citizens have the right to form associations.

• (2) Parliament may by law impose -

• (a) on the rights conferred by paragraph (a) of Clause (1),such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, friendly relations with other countries, public order or morality and restrictions designed to protect the privileges of Parliament or of any Legislative Assembly or to provide against contempt of court, defamation, or incitement to any offence;

• (b) on the right conferred by paragraph (b) of Clause (1), such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, or public order;

• (c) on the right conferred by paragraph (c) of Clause (1), such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, public order or morality.

• (3) Restrictions on the right to form associations conferred by paragraph (c) of Clause (1) may also be imposed by any law relating to labour or education.

• (4) In imposing restrictions in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof or public order under Clause (2) (a), Parliament may pass law prohibiting the questioning of any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignty or prerogative established or protected by the provisions of Part III, article 152, 153 or 181 otherwise than in relation to the implementation thereof as may be specified in such law.

Article number: 11

• (1) Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it.

• (2) No person shall be compelled to pay any tax the proceeds of which are specially allocated in whole or in part for the purposes of a religion other than his own.

• (3) Every religious group has the right -

• (a) to manage its own religious affairs;

• (b) to establish and maintain institutions for religious or charitable purposes; and

• (c) to acquire and own property and hold and administer it in accordance with law.

• (4) State law and in respect of the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Lubuan, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam.

• (5) This Article does not authorize any act contrary to any general law relating to public order, public health or morality.

Article number: 12

• (1) Without prejudice to the generality of Article 8, there shall be no discrimination against any citizen on the grounds only of religion, race, descent or place of birth -

• (a) in the administration of any educational institution maintained by a public authority, and, in particular, the admission of pupils or students or the payment of fees; or

• (b) in providing out of the funds of a public authority financial aid for the maintenance or education of pupils or students in any educational institution (whether or not maintained by a public authority and whether within or outside the Federation).

• (2) Every religious group has the right to establish and maintain institutions for the education of children in its own religion, and there shall be no discrimination on the ground only of religion in any law relating to such institutions or in the administration of any such law; but it shall be lawful for the Federation or a State to establish or maintain or assist in establishing or maintaining Islamic institutions or provide or assist in providing instruction in the religion of Islam and incur such expenditure as may be necessary for the purpose.

• (3) No person shall be required to receive instruction in or take part in any ceremony or act of worship of a religion other than his own.

• (4) For the purposes of Clause (3) the religion of a person under the age of eighteen years shall be decided by his parent or guardian.

Random photos but mostly of my little garden

2011-11-22T12:04:00.000+13:00

Took these photos a couple of weeks ago. Got a few spare moments so uploading them.

My blueberry bush. I bought one a 2.5 years ago but the ground I planted in was too harsh for it,
so it died (at least that is my excuse :-)) but someone else who is a good gardener had a similar
problem so I think this is the reason ....
This one is about 1 year old now and I decided to plant it in a pot for better control
and it is already fruiting. Did not expect berries so fast!
Better cover with some netting soon or the birds will eat them all up

I am so happy that my dwarf apple tree is "rebudding"(?) ...
It is almost 2 years old and all the leaves died and fell off before winter!
The leaves were attacked by insects and were rotting and I made a big
error of putting in the wrong fertilizer (same ones I use for my feijoa trees).
I checked with the nursery and they told me that that fertilizer was NOT meant for
trees in pots at it would be too strong.
Leaves fell off and the tree seemed to die.
But I kept it in the pot hoping for a small plant miracle
and a few weeks ago, new buds and leaves started coming out! :-)

This is my dwarf lemon tree (6 months old) as I find that I now use lemons often in my cooking
and thought it would be nice to have a lemon tree.
Wow. Did not expect again to see so many flower buds. A bit confused as it is now summer and
I thought it was a winter fruit.
The pot on the right (half cut off) is my "kaffir lime" tree which i still going strong (a year old I think?)

Luca - a semi-regular visitor to our church. He is a most lovable young boy.
Here he is with a present he won (our church "lucky draw" for registrants of our recent
"Light Party"). Went to visit him with my fellow junior magician Francis to visit and present him
with his prize. He was so cute ... drew me a tank you picture (for the magic show and the present)
and addressed it to "Pass the Paul"

One of my church neighbor's BBQ :-) Four piglets on a spit.
No I did not attend the party - just chatted with them over the fence
and took this photo.

My two modified planter boxes. In the foreground are some of my chilli plants.
Background is my row of salad leaves.

This was my first batch of 2011 strawberries from my garden.

This was picked on Sunday and took this photo this morning of the strawberries
which I placed in a large bowl. Different sizes and may not look so great but
different people who have tasted them tell me they are very sweet and not sour :-)
Must be my TLC :-)

2 weeks ago, took a photo of my strawberry plants

My strawberry plants - wider view. I have them growing in front of my house

Some of my other plants in my odd shaped planter box (formerly a sand pit) .
Messy I know .... There's taro, potato, salad, carrots, beans and tomatoes.

Is email really that essential for contemporary church based ministries?

2011-11-22T09:15:00.001+13:00

Is email really that essential for contemporary church based ministries?

Decided to try a personal experiment. Sunday after dinner I decided not to check my emails till Tuesday morning. So pout away my i-touch as well. Usually when at home my it-touch is within easy access so I can just casually check my mail (and FB too) whenever I feel like it.

I figured that after Sunday dinner was a reasonable time (as it is after church service, meeting people, a special meeting and caroling practice) and Monday was after all my day off.

Quick observations:

On my 3 email accounts (all gmail), I had a total of 79 emails meaning some are conversations (emails on the same subject)

From one email address (my low priority email) I had 15 are news items (various lists) of which most are pretty easy to choose to delete (all from one mail address). Basically If I have time I may scan or even read ... (news, ministry lists). Takes a couple of minutes

ONE email I will have to respond to (but at my leisure as it is a video sent to me on a subject I am interested in).

My (generally) middle priority email address: It's also an email address I use as it is much easier for people to remember. I had 26 emails.
Many are specific ministry based emails - some lists and some actual emails. Half of them I treat the same way as my low priority email address emails and many are advertisements (the kind you get sent when you register a product / purchase online), book clubs etc.

Noted FIVE that required reading or a response:

1. One from a church member on a personal matter
2. One from "Chalk Illustrated" - latest pdf magazine attached
3. Two from my library letting me know some books are ready for pickup
4. One on a possible local resource that might be worth a closer look

On my usual / primary email address: 39 emails

Of which needs reading and most a response / action: ELEVEN emails that require my attention and response

1. Two different conversations on our building project
2. One on missionary news
3. One from my electricity supplier (managed to get them to give me a $50 credit) :-)
4. One on the Sunday School Christmas drama script
5. One from a ministry email list that has also been forwarded to me by a certain friend (which indicates I need to read it)
6. Two different email conversations on our church worship ministry
7. One on our upcoming church BBQ
8. One on details and needs of a local early childhood centre using our church next month for their graduation (in which I am involved in)
9. One from a former (associate) church member on a personal matter

* There were also two others related to our local church ministry (which I answered before dinner)

Total is SEVENTEEN emails so My unscientific conclusion .... one can't run away from emails! At least not me :-)

Active Waiting (Henri Nouwen)

2011-11-20T15:32:00.000+13:00

Active Waiting

Waiting is essential to the spiritual life. But waiting as a disciple of Jesus is not an empty waiting. It is a waiting with a promise in our hearts that makes already present what we are waiting for. We wait during Advent for the birth of Jesus. We wait after Easter for the coming of the Spirit, and after the ascension of Jesus we wait for his coming again in glory. We are always waiting, but it is a waiting in the conviction that we have already seen God's footsteps.

Waiting for God is an active, alert - yes, joyful - waiting. As we wait we remember him for whom we are waiting, and as we remember him we create a community ready to welcome him when he comes.

Pakistan Telecom Authority bans 'offensive' text messages including the use of 'Jesus Christ'

2011-11-20T08:41:00.000+13:00

In my prayers this morning before Sunday worship

Friday, November 18, 2011

Pakistan Telecom Authority bans 'offensive' text messages including the use of 'Jesus Christ'

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

LONDON, UK (ANS) -- A Pakistani Christian leader has attacked The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) who is reported to have told mobile phone companies to begin blocking text messages containing "obscene" words including "Jesus Christ."

Wilson Chowdhry asks, "How long until we see signs like this on Pakistani highways?"

Mobile phone companies Telenor Pakistan and Ufone confirmed to the BBC that the PTA has sent them a "dictionary" of banned words and expressions.

The PTA has reportedly ordered operators to begin screening text messages by November 21, 2011.

"Ufone say they are now working on how to block the offending words," said a BBC story. "A letter dated November 14, apparently written by Muhammad Talib Doger, an official at the PTA, has been leaked to Pakistani media.

"It states that mobile phone operators should begin screening the words, provided on a list attached to the letter, within seven days."

The BBC went on to quote Anjum Nida Rahman, corporate communications director for Telenor Pakistan, as saying, "We have received both the dictionary and the memo and we're discussing a way forward."

Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman, British Pakistani Christian Association, has told the ASSIST News Service that one of those "offending" words is "Jesus Christ."

In a message sent to ANS, he said that among the words and expressions that have to be blocked are:

* Athlete's foot
* Flatulence
* Jesus Christ
* Monkey crotch
* Back door
* Bewaquf (foolish)
* Bakwaas (nonsense)
* Wuutang (a presumed reference to American rap group the Wu-Tang Clan.)

"The inclusion of the name of Jesus Christ within this list of offensive words is another example of the intense hatred that resonates within Pakistan towards Christians," stated Chowdhry.

Baroness Caroline Cox: Peer for the Queensbury London seat at the House of Lords at a 2009 demonstration in London about religious persecution in Pakistan. Wilson Chowdhry is in the background and Alex Chowdhry, his brother, is nearer the front of the picture

"Such censorship would be received with great animosity in the democratic countries of the West. Moreover such intervention flies in the face of the freedoms of expression that Pakistan's Government has committed the nation too.

"It beggars belief that Jesus Christ could be considered a word offensive to Muslim's as he is written about as a great prophet in the Quran. It would seem that Pakistani Muslim majority hatred for Christians exceeds the love for one of their own prophets. The selection of other words raises further questions. I am baffled at terms such as 'Athletes foot' and 'flatulence' receiving a ban when they are commonly used medical terms."

Pakistan has seen a big increase in mobile phone use in recent years with 100m Pakistanis are now estimated to be mobile phone users.

I wonder how many of them who are Christians will risk using "Jesus Christ" in a text message and, if they so, what the punishment will be?

Dan Wooding, 70, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly "Front Page Radio" show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK and also in Belize and South Africa. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 200 countries and also provides a regular commentary for Worship Life Radio on KWVE. You can follow Dan Wooding on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his aut obiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel "Red Dagger" which is available this link.

** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

Random thoughts and ramblings on IT and community

2011-11-19T11:45:00.000+13:00

Just got back from visiting some church neighbours to invite them to our Christmas BBQ. Met a very nice couple ... friendly and were happy not just to take my invitation leaflet but wanted to chat etc. Told them they made my day as it was so nice to have people willing to chat with me (a stranger). Their response? I also made their day by being willing to actually go door to door and speak with strangers and invite them to a BBQ. And the husband made this comment: "You made my day also. It's so nice to see that neighbours exist!" :-)

They were surprised too (and also impressed) that as a church we did not charge people (not even a gold coin donation). It was so refreshing to talk about our jobs, our coming to NZ (they have been in NZ since 2000). our thoughts on community etc. And hobbies too ... did my trademark sponge ball routine which was much appreciated. :-) It is interesting that this couple sees the value of my magic in that it is a great way to break the ice and open the door to get know people

Sad that they have a training activity that clashes with the BBQ - though they will try to make a late appearance. But they would like to invite me for coffee and conversation next month!

I found it very interesting that they are IT people but are concerned that IT can be very depersonalizing and how they are trying hard to make their IT business and training incorporate the human touch (not their actual phrase but my words in trying to paraphrase their thoughts). We ended up chatting more as my concern (for a long time) has been how IT seems to be making us dispense with face to face meetings (when we are actually able to meet face to face). Connecting / communing via with physical presence is so important.

All my elders have been very wise in pointing this out to me a number of times that we need to make most of our decisions via face discussions and not via emails, as I am one of the "email communication" culprits :-). Not that I want to decide most things via email but often there seems to be little choice due to everyones' busy schedules. It takes discipline to use emails to just list out the bare bones of an issue for thought and prayer so that later discussion would be more effective and efficient.

It made me think of some quotes from the latest Genii magazine article (Nov 2011) where Jon Racherbaumer cites a book (Douglas Rushkoff: "Program or be Programmed: The Commandments for a digital age")

Digital networks are decentralizing technologies. They word from far away, exchanging intimacy for distance. This makes them terrifically suitable for long distance communication and activities, but rather awful for engaging with what - or who - is right in front of us. By using a dislocating technology for local connection, we lose our sense of place, as well as home field advantage."

... "In the emerging, highly programmed landscape ahead, you will either create the software or you will be the software, it's really that simple: Program, or be programmed. Choose the former, and gain access to the control panel of civilization. Choose the latter and it could be the last real choice you get to make."

BTW, in case you are wondering, Genii magazine is a magazine on magic! Being a good magician is not just doing a few tricks learnt off youtube. Many of us magicians are part of a magic community, and our love for magic is not divorced from the realities of life - the world of magic takes seriously the world of arts and science - art, drama, psychology, philosophy, mechanics, chemistry, literature etc.

It has been a good morning of visitation.

NZ Electoral commission sure makes voting easy

2011-11-19T10:00:00.000+13:00

Especially for my Malaysian friends. NZ election day is on 26 November and this is what I received in my mail this morning. IMHO ... Impressive

I blanked out some details ... but how cool is this?
I have an Easy Vote Card and based on my precious voting experience,
the whole process took me about 10 minutes

On page 2, overleaf, note that the simple instructions are given
in 20 languages!! (19 actually as instructions given in traditional
and simplified Chinese)

Page 3, the names of the candidates and their parties
and the polling places in my area.
And I can vote anywhere I choose.
The fun part for me is that the nearest one for me a few doors
away from where I live.

Next page, (overleaf) which I have not bothered to upload, advanced voting places for those who may find it difficult to vote on voting day!!

Next leaflet ... three pages of the Party lists of all the parties

Curious to know more? Go to : http://www.elections.org.nz/

Is this scam supposed to work on me?

2011-11-19T09:37:00.000+13:00

Is this scam supposed to work on me?
Got this yesterday and gmail marked it "important" . Had to remark it spam!

Hi

Just hoping this email reaches you well, I'm sorry for this emergency
and for not informing you about my urgent trip to Madrid, Spain but I
just have to let you know my present predicament. Everything was fine
until I was attacked on my way back to the hotel, I wasn't hurt but I
lost my money, bank cards, mobile phone and my bag in the course of
this attack. I immediately contacted my bank in order to block my
cards and also made a report at the nearest police station. I'm
physically ok and fine but I'm urgently in need of some money to pay
for my hotel bills and my flight ticket home, will PAY BACK as soon as
i get back home.

Kindly let me know if you would be able to help me out so I can
forward you the details required for a wire transfer via the western
union money transfer service. I don't yet have a local phone (still
gathering my bearings and such), so email is probably the best form of
contact for now. I will expect your response soon.

Thanks
--
ThomasLee

Some thoughts on Galatians 3:19-20: A unique mediator (Pastor's Notes)

2011-11-17T12:23:00.000+13:00

Pastor's Notes for the 20th November 2011 bulletin

To read click HERE

November 2011 - 10 books for $10 ramblings

2011-11-16T10:11:00.000+13:00

Last Saturday I dropped by the Lion's Club $1 book sale and I picked up the following ...

Mythology has always fascinated me so nice book to add to my library.
Been reading of late a little more on existentialism and humanism for last week's Sunday sermon
so Paul Tillich obviously caught my eye.

A biography I think I should read (one day!) and Camus ... well, a decent student of theology / philosophy
should at least have one of his books right? :-) Would rather have found "The "Plague" but for $1
no complaints.

Already begun reading this old book on theology. I like these old SCM paper backs - usually very readable.
And DeBono ... well for a $1, why not? :-)

Now I have a KJV Bible promise book, and NIV version and a Message version :-)
Last Sunday my sermon had a lot of references to atheistic existentialism so this book
certainly caught my eye.

These two on a whim. I already have the CS Lewis book but my copy may be more dog eared than this one :-)
And the chess book was not for me. One of my church youth loves chess so I bought it for him

Pity I wasn't there earlier as I saw a Henri Nouwen book on a pile of books in one of the boxes. I reached for it and a man glared at me and took the book and put it under the other books. Oops, how was I to know it was his pile of books? I have never seen anyone buy a whole overflowing box of books before.
(The books for sale are put in boxes and left on tables and chairs)

Have plans to reorganize my time next year - to find a place where I can go and make myself do more systematic reading and reflection. Trouble is my house is way too crowded and there is no conducive space. More time in the office perhaps? But office is also not the most conducive.

Today brought our spare kettle to the office and coffee etc. Maybe of I reorganize?

But no time now ...

"Good morning" Sunday rambling

2011-11-13T08:51:00.000+13:00

Good morning. Wonderful Sunday morning. Up early. Cool weather and a bit cloudy but now sun breaking through. Birds chirping everywhere. But my netting seems to work better so most of my strawberries are safe! Sorry birds :-)

Preaching today, caroling practice in the afternoon and going to plan to cook fried kueh teow for dinner as weather will be sunny and I can cook outside and not stink up my whole house with oil :-)
Tomorrow's weather forecast looks sunny and so I plan to completer some of the gardening work that I have been neglecting due to the weather (goods excuse right? :-))

Here's a wonderful story (I hope) to start your Sunday morning from "Cybersalt" and now time to switch off my PC and open up the church!

Good Cooks

When my son was 11 years old, he got a small job helping out with a traveling carnival while it was in our town.

He didn't come home at lunch time, phoning instead to tell me he was fine and had found a few days work helping out at an exhibit. He turned up for supper as usual however after he finished work.

I asked him how he had managed at lunch and he told me he had made some new friends at the carnival, some young men who were twin brothers, and their mom and dad. They had paid him a few dollars and invited him for lunch in return for helping them set up their exhibit and wanted him to return the next day to help with other chores.

I was glad he had found new friends but a little apprehensive about the type of people that might be traveling in a carnival.

"Oh Mom, these are just normal everyday people like anyone else. They just work at a carnival instead of in a store or something. Come down tomorrow and meet them yourself," he said.

So the next day I went to the carnival and to the exhibit he had directed me to. The twin brothers turned out to be Siamese twins, joined at the chest. He hadn't thought this fact was noteworthy enough to mention.

When I talked about it later to him he said, "Yes, I noticed that too. Do you know that their mom has to make all their clothes because it's so difficult to find anything to fit them? They're also really good cooks. Today, Joe, the one on the right, made me spaghetti for lunch."

What others see first in a person (or persons) is not what a child considers important. Where I saw Siamese twins, he saw people having difficulty buying clothes that fit, and young men who were good cooks.

It was a lesson I have thought about many times over the years.
- Charlotte Mansfield

When do you say "grace"?

2011-11-12T12:31:00.002+13:00

You say grace before meals.
All right.
But I say grace before the play and the opera,
And grace before the concert and the pantomime,
And grace before I open a book,
And grace before sketching, painting,
swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing;
And grace before I dip the pen in the ink.

- G.K. Chesterton

Thank you for this!! :-)

What works is working!

2011-11-10T11:57:00.001+13:00

I admit I am tired. I feel stressed out more often. While stress should be expected in any job (or life for that matter) and I do think some stress is actually good to keep me focused ... but it bothers me a bit that now when there is a lull in activities and pressing deadlines, I still feel stressed out.

But what is good is to have a bit more time to think and pray about such matters. Some of the stress is from my personal life (no surprise there) but more seems to be related to things like ... identity, job, calling etc.

Last month I rambled a bit on the question of church growth and leadership and what it means (or should mean) to be a pastor. The link is HERE.

I think one problem is clearly that I am unconsciously trying to wrongly emulate the apostle Paul! :-)
i.e.. 2 Corinthians 11:28 ... Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

It is wonderful to begin reading Eugene Peterson's The Pastor: A Memoirs sent to me by my good friend Dr. Alex Tang. Will blog on the book one day when I finish it

Anyway, it would seem that as the church grows and more opportunities for ministry grows, there's this natural struggle to want to be involved (test the ground?). I have turned down a lot of "possibilities" (being realistic) but then there is this strange nagging voice in the back of my head telling me that I need to work harder (nagging voice?! ... can't be from God! hah!).

But as my blog title states ... "What works is working!" Yes, spiritual things such as prayer is important and I do pray a lot more now (have to or die!!:-)) BUT hard work is a key foundation to ministry "success". Makes me think of the sign that was placed around the local boys high school by their former headmaster )(recently retired) ... DHW - which stands for "Damned heard work!" :-) His way of reminding his students that there is not short cut to academic success.

It's been almost five years now since I arrived in NZ, to my church and my local community and like the fruit trees and plants I first bought a few years ago, I am seeing flowers and fruits! Not only am I now an invited trustee of the local Community Trust but I have to fit into my new role of "VIP guest" at some local school functions. Still feel awkward but I am realizing too that ministry means turning up for functions, sitting in the VIP section and even at times being part of the "procession". It is of course and honour to be a VIP at school prize givings, graduations, performances etc and I do believe attending these functions is important to build relationships with community leaders.

And I have notes that some people have been consistently coming out to our community based annual functions, and more and people now do recognize that we exists as a church etc ...

It has been DHW by many committed people in my church for us to get this far (myself included :-)) and I thank God for everyone allowing the Holy Spirit to convict and lead them.

Why am I rambling away again so soon and not making sense? The catalyst for this blog was this email I got this morning ... made me so glad that another pastor who is having ministry success thinks and acts the way she does ...

From Will Willimon's email list. Helpful and encouraging as usual!

After serving well as a member of the Bishop’s Cabinet, Lori Carden was appointed to our beloved but troubled congregation in Columbiana. Lori is leading a dramatic rebirth there. I asked her to share some of her leadership insights with the rest of us. One thing that makes this narrative remarkable is that I ordained Lori! Only a couple of years ago!

Will Willimon

TURN AROUND

Dear Bishop,

Upon reading your request I thought to myself, “He wants to know what is working? Well heck, working is what is working.” I humbly submit that I don’t have grand initiatives to carry us forward for years to come. My ministry has been more fundamental than that. I am simply working!

I set personal goals for myself. I make a minimum of nine contacts each week. I send three personal emails or cards, I make three phone calls and I make a minimum of three personal visits each week. In the book “Making a Good Move” by Michael J. Coyner this is part of what is known as “paying the rent”. If I stay focused in accomplishing this each week, then by the end of the year, allowing for two weeks vacation, I will have made a minimum of 450 contacts with my flock per year.

I spend time in prayer for my people. Don’t just blow this off as some pious statement. Seriously, I spend an hour each week with the directory in hand, looking at the photos, thinking of the people, asking God to bless them and to give pastoral discernment as to how to love them and lead them.

I took time to listen to as many people as possible. This was difficult because much of what I heard was repetitive. The opinions were strong and divided. It was very very hard for me not to offer rebuttals, take a side, and offer promises or to jump into a fix-it mode. Pastors need to use their ears not just their mouths. We have to check our defensiveness at the door. I possess a strong personality, so this took much prayer. After I had listened to them, I found most of them to be happy to listen to me.

I held a “state of the church dinner” and spoke to all of them at once. I called for complete transparency in all activities and works of the church. I spoke plainly and deliberately. I told them I was not there to worry about “hurting feelings” or who “might get mad and leave” but to lead us in Christ’s mission. I named the elephants. This takes a tedious balance of courage and humility. I spoke and watched as eyebrows raised and heads nodded in affirmation. They then knew that I was not afraid of much and was there to care for the good of God’s church first and foremost. The people here welcomed such candor and it seemed to bring us closer. I will hold these dinners twice per year.

I expect much and we do much. We must never underestimate God’s people. Let’s face it; our churches are filled with brilliant people and specialists of every kind. Pastors don’t know it all. It is our job to offer direction for people to engage their gifts. However, pastors have a large role to play in helping churches own and shape their identity.For example, I was told that this church pretty well shuts down for the summer, giving people “a break” and that it always has. I asked what I thought was a good question, “What are we breaking from?” I was told that the leaders were tired. My response was that we need fresh leaders and servants. I met with people and declared that we were not doing any less for the summer than any other time of the year. We kept our Wed. night children’s program going. All teams and councils met as usual.

I raised the bar. Now, worship attendance did drop again for summer this year as I had been warned, but people now know that the church doesn’t stop. I have great expectations and hopes for next summer’s attendance and involvement to be even better. It takes time to change the norms of a church but it can be done. Dare to declare and direct people! Pastoring is not for wimps!! At the end of the day this church enjoyed doing more for Christ and community. The people must never be underestimated. Just challenge them to be the great gifted people that they are

I began to teach an “Adult confirmation” class that teaches people what it means to be a Christian who is part of the UMC. Long time members and new members of all ages, our oldest is 87 our youngest 24, meet together for several sessions learning about our heritage, our theology, and our mission.

Staffing adjustments and changes were necessary. Not easy work but vital work. Just do it! Though we now have a great team for which I am most grateful, I know that it is never concrete. People come and go. Life happens. It is so sad when churches fail to recognize this fact of life and fearfully fail to address staffing matters.

As I prepared to answer your request I met with four of our key leaders and asked, “What is working with my leadership and what is not?” All noted the following;

My leadership is gutsy, honest and speaks truth. The State of the Church dinner was a hit!
I am present with presence. I teach, I visit, I preach, I counsel, I have office hours. I play with kids in VBS. (I had six people thank me for coming to VBS. Can you believe that?)
I equip by modeling. Then I trust people to do it better than I did it.
I lead. As one guy put it, “We know who the leader is without a doubt.” I also praise people when they earn praise.

I speak the name of Jesus and of the power of the Holy Spirit. I do a great deal of sermon preparation and preach directly from the text. Not topics with textual passages thrown in, but text with relevant correlations thrown in. There is a difference! So many people have thanked me for “preaching from the Bible”.
As far as any constructive criticism that was offered, each one said, “Just please, don’t give up and don’t stop and take care of yourself.” I asked them to hold me to account on taking my day or two off each week. I need that accountability.

I am serving a church that has been taught that as long as the district apportionments and pastor’s compensations were paid that they were doing enough. I will not take a raise in pay until annual conference apportionments are paid in full. (Even though I need the money to pay off my seminary debts) I am working to educate the people on the good that connectional giving affords. They don’t need a heavy hand on this matter but a healed and fresh perspective.

Pastors have been given the task of holding up and onto our identity before God’s people. As I tell my children, “Remember who you are whose you are”.
This is one of our basic yet most essential tasks as pastors.

Loving the Challenge,
Lori

I'M STILL CARRYING THE PIZZA (Saralee Perel)

2011-11-05T10:14:00.002+13:00

From Mike's Funnies ...

I'M STILL CARRYING THE PIZZA
By Saralee Perel

Last week at the supermarket, a young gal named Tara who was bagging my groceries said, "Can I help take these to your car?"

As always, for the eight years since my spinal cord injury I said, "No thanks." But that particular day, I was in trouble. I had overdone exercise the day before. Hence, I couldn't lift my feet to walk and had to shuffle instead. Tara could tell I was hurting. "Let me just help," she said sweetly.

When I finally said, "I'd love your help," I should have felt a great sense of liberation because it was the very first time I had agreed to someone helping me in all of these years. Instead, I felt like a failure.

On our way to my truck, Tara and I became friends. But at my truck, 19-year-old Tara became my teacher.

When I eventually agreed to her suggestion to sit in the front seat while she loaded the groceries, I put my head in my hands and cried. "I feel like a two hundred year old helpless wreck. I hate that someone's putting my groceries in the truck."

She stood by the open door where I was sitting. "I know you could have done this yourself," she said. "But it was so much easier to let me do it." And then she said a life-altering sentence, "Getting help should never make you feel bad. It should always make you feel good."

I will never forget her words.

She tentatively moved her arms to hug me. When we hugged, it was one of the most meaningful hugs of my life.

At home, I plunked myself down on my favorite "plunking" spot. It's in front of the fireplace where I hang out on large pillows. My husband, Bob, came in and plunked next to me. When I told him about the groceries, he tenderly brushed away my tears with his fingers.

"Sweetheart," he said. "Why is it so hard for you to ask for help?"

"Probably denial about my physical state."

"I think it's two other things," he said. "One – asking for help makes you feel inferior and two – you think you're bothering somebody. And three – "

"You said 'two.'"

"I just thought of a third."

"I'd so love to hear it." I covered his face with a pillow.

He took the pillow away and said, "If you do that again, I'll – "

So I did it again.

He managed to say, "Is this subject a tiny bit touchy?"

"I can handle it," I lied.

"The third is that asking for help reminds you of all the things you have a hard time doing or can no longer do at all."

This time I covered my own face with the pillow and said, "I hate this!"

"I know." And with that, he helped me to a standing position. That's something he's done hundreds of times. Yet I have felt guilty every single one of those times . . . until now.

It was because of Tara that I changed. I told Bob my new conclusions: "By asking for help, does that make me inferior? Of course not. Am I bothering someone? Who knows? But if I am, whose problem is that? Will asking for help remind me of the things I can't do? Heck, yes." Bob knew my crusade was successful because of a pizza.

When he opened the pizza box I brought home the next day, he was astonished and said, "It's round! You asked for help!"

You see, before I met Tara, I'd never let anyone carry a take-out pizza to my truck. Instead, using my cane with my right arm, I'd awkwardly carry the pizza box with my left, resulting in the box constantly tilting one way and then the other. By the time I'd get home, that round pizza would be a smushed pile of cheesy red gunk in the corner of the box.

Bob and I plunked down in front of the fireplace and ate.

"How did it feel to accept help?" he said.

"Well, my new way of thinking helped. But the part about reminding me of things I can't do? Like carry my own pizza? That didn't feel good."

He took cheese off my chin and ate it. (We eat like monkeys.) "Sweetheart, you may never get used to the things you can't do. But it's better to be aware of that, than to hide under the pretense of 'I don't need help.'"

And so, I have learned the following:

1. It does not diminish me to ask for help.

2. A 19-year-old gal was more influential than the shrink I saw for two years.

3. A round pizza doesn't taste nearly as good as a pizza all smushed up into a luscious gooey pile of cheesy doughy gunk in the corner of the box.

------------

Award-winning columnist/novelist, Saralee Perel, can be reached at sperel@saraleeperel.comor via her website: www.saraleeperel.com
She welcomes friends on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SaraleePerel
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Copyright 2011 Saralee Perel. Permission is granted to send this to others, with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.

The Poverty of Our Leaders (Henri Nouwen)

2011-11-05T10:06:00.000+13:00

Thanks brother Nouwen ... for writing and saying things that leaders find it hard to say but which needs to be said :-)

The Poverty of Our Leaders

There is a tendency to think about poverty, suffering, and pain as realities that happen primarily or even exclusively at the bottom of our Church. We seldom think of our leaders as poor. Still, there is great poverty, deep loneliness, painful isolation, real depression, and much emotional suffering at the top of our Church.

We need the courage to acknowledge the suffering of the leaders of our Church - its ministers, priests, bishops, and popes - and include them in this fellowship of the weak. When we are not distracted by the power, wealth, and success of those who offer leadership, we will soon discover their powerlessness, poverty, and failures and feel free to reach out to them with the same compassion we want to give to those at the bottom. In God's eyes there is no distance between bottom and top. There shouldn't be in our eyes either.

The Challenge of teaching Islam to US Counterterrorism Professionals (Tawfik Hamid)

2011-11-04T14:08:00.000+13:00

speaks for itself ...

The Challenge of teaching Islam to US Counterterrorism Professionals

Why A Scientific Approach to understanding Radical Islam is badly needed

By Tawfik Hamid

www.tawfikhamid.com

Some elements of the FBI's counterterrorism training have been recently accused of being 'Islamophobic' [1]. These accusations were partially in response to reports thatcounterterrorism agents at the FBI's training center in Quantico, Virginia were being taught that "devout" Muslims are more likely to be "violent" and that American Muslims are likely to be terrorist sympathizers, according to training materials acquired by Wired'sSpencer Ackerman [2]. The documents have been described as offering violent interpretations of Islam such as tenets that "Any war against non-believers is justified". In addition, a congressional hearing has been conducted to address the issue [3] and recently the Obama administration pulled back all training materials used for the law enforcement and national security communities and is in the process of reviewing them[4].

Discussions about Islam and Radical Islam has become polarized and politicized between different parties who accuse one another of being either an "apologist" or being an "Islamophobe" (or a basher). In this political war the analytical discussion and debate has gotten thrown out the window. This situation is not only un-scientific but is also dangerous as it is vital we understand the ideological basis of "threat doctrine" of the jihadists and their sympathizers.

Discussions and critiques regarding training materials on radical Islam and Islamic terrorism can not use vague terms and relative expressions such as the word "Islamophobia". Instead, they need to specifically address the factual validity and accuracy of the information provided in the courses, books, or other training materials.

For example, instead of accusing the above mentioned document of "offering a violent interpretation of Islam in which any war against non-believers is justified", the (cite authors) could have provided a counter point by referring to at least one single widely acceptable Islamic Sharia or Jurisprudence book that challenges and criticizes this well established violent Islamic Sharia concept [5] - or in other words to provide the title of an approved Islamic book that clearly states that declaring wars against non-Muslims to spread Islam is "un-Islamic". This is particularly important since the concept of declaring wars against Non- Muslims to spread the religion is agreed upon by ALL schools of Islamic jurisprudence (until today). The existence of one single Islamic book (if exists) that challenges such a concept could have provided the necessary 'evidence' that the training is inaccurate. Providing such a Sharia Book instead of blaming others of"Islamophobia" could have brought the whole discussion about the topic from a sensational emotional accusation level to the level of scientific objectiveness.

Similarly, some counterterrorism instructors have been accused of saying that Islamic law was incompatible with the U.S. Constitution [6]. The ONLY way to prove that the latter statement is wrong is to provide a single official or recognized Islamic Law Book that clearly and unambiguously supports constitutional values of freedom of religion and equality of women. Until today, Islamic Law supports and justifies the killing of apostates, beating wives, and killing homosexuals. Before accusing others for claiming that "Islamic Law is incompatible with the US constitution" (check to see if this was called "offensive"), it is imperative to ask ourselves if the formerly mentioned violent principles of Islamic Law are compatible with the US constitution or not.

The current 'unscientific environment' in discussing Radical Islam has actually been used by Al-Qaeda terrorists to their benefit to attempt to influence the decision making within the U.S. For example, in the latest issue of Al-Qaeda's Inspire Magazine, the late American al-Qaeda propagandist, Samir Khan [7],criticized anti-Muslim counterterrorism trainers in the US. Mr. Khan wrote in Inspire: "Because the West was ardent to point out the mujahidin's attachment to Islam as extreme, portraying them as "fundamentalists," Muslims throughout the world asked: Wait, are they not then concluding that a good practicing Muslim is their fundamentalist enemy?"

For Khan, having Americans arguing that Al-Qaeda represents Islam is a great concept as not only is that message precisely what Al-Qaeda's been trying to promote for years, but the more the U.S. government behaves as if there really is a rise of Islamic Sharia taking hold across U.S., the more alienated that Muslims in the US will feel and, therefore, find validity in al-Qaeda's message. From AQAP's perspective, Al-Qaeda has no better friend in the United States than those American counterterrorism trainers and activists who advance Al-Qaeda's arguments for them.

The question now is if the above views of Al-Qaeda should lead us to stopping any program that exposes radical teachings? Quite the opposite, we need to evaluate Al-Qaeda statements in a rational manner.

The Al-Qaeda statements about the counterterrorism training in the US should actually make us question if Al-Qaeda terrorists - who enjoy beheading innocents - would ever tell us what is truly beneficial to them. We have the full right to mistrust the information they release to us as it is unlikely that they will tell us the truth about what would truly harm them - so that we can do it orinform us about what benefit them - so that we avoid doing it.

In addition, the described Al-Qaeda approach must be seen via the lens of Arabic and Islamic culture rather than our Western glasses. For example, Al-Qaeda in this case might be using a tactic that is commonly used by children in the Middle East. This tactic is simply to show your opponent that what he is doing to 'annoy' you is actually 'beneficial' for you. In this case the opponent is likely to stop what he is doing -which is actually what you want to achieve. The Al-Qaeda tactic in this case could be that. If they showed that criticism of Islam is hurting them it is likely that the US government will increase such forms of training (which is the opposite of what Al-Qaeda wants to achieve). On the contrary, an intelligent way to stop the training is simply to say that such training is 'beneficial' for their cause. In such a case it is possible that some US government officials may immediately jump to stop such training -which is exactly what Al-Qaeda wants to achieve (as stopping training about Radical Islam will make the government officials in the West ignorant about the topic and thus become passive in confronting its threat).

Unfortunately, some counterterrorism trainers who do not follow scientific methods when they address the problem of Radical Islam may actually help Al-Qaeda but via a completely different mechanism.

Using an unscientific or emotionally driven or biased approach in addressing Islamic Radicalism opens the gate for criticizing training about the topic and thus gives an opportunity for the 'apologists' of radical Islam to demandstopping all forms of training - Which is exactly what many Radical Islamic groups want to happen (for the same reason explained earlier).

Examples of unscientific approaches in addressing Islam and Radical Islam include:

1- Failure to define terminology such as the words "Radical", "Moderate", "Devout", "jihadist" and others. These words may mean different things for different people. Clear definitions of these expressions are vital to make the discussion about the topic of Islam more scientific.

2- Hiding information to prove the speakers view point. For example, hiding the existence of peaceful verses [8] in the Quran that may contradict some mainstream violent interpretations [9] to convince the audience that there is no way that moderate forms of Islam can ever exist.

3- Accusing all Muslims of being violent and ignoring that there is a percentage of Muslims who fit in the category of Cultural or Ritual Muslims and are not necessarily violent or pro-violence [10].

4- Failure to make a distinction between criticizing the theology and criticizing individual Muslims. Islamic theology may contain violent teachings but many Muslims practice a superficial form of Islam without practicing or even believing various theological aspects of their faith. Some Muslims could be unaware of or even have opposing views to these violent teachings [11]. It is important that trainers who teach the topic of Radical Islam clarify to their audience that criticizing certain theological teachings does not mean criticizing all individual Muslims.

5- Giving inaccurate information about Islam such as that Allah is the "Moon God"[12]. The latter completely contradict the basics of Islamic teachings [13], [14]. The document [12] has used the fact that some Muslims used the crescent as a symbol for Islam -to confirm their wrong assumption. The reality is that the crescent was NEVER used by prophet Mohamed or the early Muslims as a symbol for the religion. Others claim that 'Allah' is an Idol. The word "Allah" is basically an Arabic word that existed before the birth of Prophet Mohamed and was used -and is still used- by Arabic speaking Jews and Christians to describe the Lord [15]. It is fair to say that Islamic radicals are to be blamed for linking the word "Allah" to violence, for example, by saying statements like "Allah Akbar' while committing their barbaric crimes, however, this does not justify in any way deviating from the scientific and linguistic facts about using the word 'Allah' itself.

The lack of a scientific approach is also one of the features of the 'Apologists' for Radical Islam. The attempts of the latter group to underestimate the threat posed by Radical Islam may give misleading information to our homeland security professionals and thus can put our country at more risk.

Examples of the misleading approach of some apologists for Radical Islam include:

1- Ignoring the role ofIdeology in creating the problem of Islamic Radicalism -despite the existence factual and logical evidence that theideology plays a significant role in creating the problem of terrorism. The apologetics, for example, have not explained yet why circumstances that they suggest as the true cause of terrorism such as poverty, lack of dedication, political suppression, and others have not affected Non-Muslims-who live under the same socioeconomic and political circumstances- to the same extent as they have affected Muslim communities (e.g., the Christian Copts in Egypt).

2- Hiding the mainstream Islamic definitions that defineJihad in a violent manner and using rare interpretations for the word to give an impression that the concept of 'Jihad' is a peaceful concept of "Holy Struggle " [16]and it is all about the Western misunderstanding of the word . Hiding the traditional Islamic definition of the word Jihad and failure to explain how the word is truly understood in Muslim societies [17] has very serious implications as according to the assumption that 'Jihad' is a peaceful concept the US should probably respond to the radical Islamic Imams in Pakistan who declared Jihad on the US [18] by sending them a 'thank- you'note for offering peace to the US - instead of increasing the alert levels of the country.

It was not that difficult for US government officials to read any chapter about Jihad in one of the mainstream Islamic jurisprudence or Sharia books to know the real meaning of the word.

3- Selective use of information. For example, teaching about the 'peaceful' principles in Sharia Law without addressing the existence of 'violent' principles as well. This 'sugar-coating' for Sharia Law can be easily exposed by evaluating any approved Sharia or Islamic jurisprudence book and by observing the applications of this law in countries that apply it [19].

4- Using distorted logic.For example, building an assumption that Islamic ideology has nothing to do with terrorism because most Muslims are not terrorists. This reasoning, while looks logical, is actually unscientific. The following can illustrate this point: The fact that not every cigarette smoker develops lung cancer does not negate the fact that lung cancer is caused by cigarette smoking. Similarly, the fact that not every follower of Islamic ideology develops violent attitudes does not negate the fact that the Ideology could be the cause of violence attitudes that develop in some Islamic societies.

5- Lack of objective evaluation of Islamic core texts. For example some counterterrorism trainers have been criticized for mentioning that peaceful verses in the Quran are 'abrogated' by the violent ones [21]. The fact is that the concept of abrogation in the Quran is a well-known Islamic concept and is taught in the most authentic mainstream Islamic books and is based on Verse {Quran 2:106} [22] in the Quran. We cannot blame the messenger for his statement if it has a clear reference to the approved Islamic teaching books. Blaming the messenger in such a case is a form of scientific dishonesty that aims at hiding facts and misleading the decision makers.

To conclude, trainers for courses that teache about Islam and radical Islam Must use a scientific and factual approach when they discuss issues related to this sensitive topic. Failure to do so either by being biased toward (Apologetic attitude) or against (Islamophobic attitude) - is wrong as this can either make us 'underestimate' the threat posed by the Islamism phenomenon or 'exaggerate' it. An honest [3], factual, unbiased, and fiercely independent approach is needed. The decision of the Obama administration to pull back all training materials used for the law enforcement and national security communities can be a correct decision if the aim was to do an honest objective evaluation for this material. On the contrary, the decision can be dangerous if the only aim was to be politically correct with Muslim communities.

References:

[1]http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/09/15/319772/fbi-islamophobic-training/

[2]http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/07/fbi-islam-101-guide/

[3]http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/10/fbi-chief-anti-islam-training/

[4]http://dailycaller.com/2011/10/21/obama-administration-pulls-references-to-islam-from-terror-training-materials-official-says/

[5] The concept of declaring wars against Non-Muslims and offering them to convert to Islam, to pay a humiliating tax (Jizia), or to be killed is agreed upon by all Islamic schools of Jurisprudence until today. The concept is also approved and promoted in bestseller Islamic books such as Fiqh Al-Sunna, Minhaj Al-Muslim, Fiqh: According to the Quran & Sunna. The concept is still a mainstream form of teaching.

[6]http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/09/fbi-islam-domination/4/

[7] Samir Khan has been recently killed during the drone attack of Al-Awlaki

See: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/world/middleeast/samir-khan-killed-by-drone-spun-out-of-the-american-middle-class.html

[8] Example- Quran 2:256 Let there be no compulsion in religion.

[9] Redda Law (killing Muslims who convert to other faith) is a fundamental principle in Islamic Sharia Law and is the mainstream teaching in Islamic jurisprudence books.

[10] See: Understanding Islamic Culture Vital in Dealing with Its Problems (Article) at

http://www.tawfikhamid.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Understanding_Radical_Islam.pdf

[11]http://americanislamicleadership.org/

[12] http://www.islam-watch.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=840

[13] Quran 41:37 Among His Signs are the Night and the Day, and the Sun and the Moon. Adore not the sun and the moon, but adore Allah (G0d), Who created them, if it is Him ye wish to serve.

[14]22:18 Seest thou not that to Allah bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens and on earth,- the sun,the moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the animals; and a great number among mankind? But a great number are (also) such as are fit for Punishment: and such as Allah shall disgrace,- None can raise to honour: for Allah carries out all that He wills.

[15]An Arabic Christian web site using the word "Allah" to represent God See:http://www.arabicbible.com/arabic/a_salvation/a_salvation_gods_plan_for_salvation.htm

[16]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=972RW7PzYN4

[17] A Comment on Mr. John Brennan's Speech To CSIS, "Protecting The American People From Terrorism And Violent Extremism" (Article)

http://www.tawfikhamid.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Understanding_Radical_Islam.pdf

[18] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/27/pakistan-on-brink-as-imams-call-for-jihad/

[19] http://keeptonyblairforpm.wordpress.com/does-sharia-law-really-call-for-barbaric-punishments/

[20] The author in this example is not trying to make a similarity but only trying to make a scientific point of using logical analysis of the data.

[21] http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/09/fbi-islam-domination/4/

[22]{Quran 2:106} None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?

[23] The author would like to give an example of scientific honesty in the ongoing discussions and debates about Radical Islam when the Economist apologized recently to Rachid Ghannouchi (co-founder of the Ḥizb al-Nahḍah Islamic Party of Tunisia) for incorrectly quoting him in statements that portrayed him as an Islamic extremist.

Light Party 2011 magic show at KCC

2011-11-03T11:58:00.001+13:00

Some photos of parts of my magic show performed for our church's Light Party 2011. Thanks Liann for taking these photos!

settling down for the show after games

The Light Party theme for the year was "Under the Sea"

One of my favourite opening games that I had not done for 2 years

Using my magic box that stores my magic for a show and
doubles as a table and a close up mat if needed

due to time constraints, I cut out a few effects.

This is the part I love the most - picking a volunteer :-)

I love this part too when I somehow "escape" after "messing up" :-)

decided to add on to my cups and water trick with balloons

Teaching how to make a simple balloon octopus

Yeah! Nothing popped :-)

Still surprises me how many children want to volunteer despite the fact that they
could get very wet because they want a nice balloon sculpture

Part two of the trick

Setting up my version of a new trick added to my routine learnt from
a fellow magician Keith (from IBM 160)

audience participation to make sure I don't "cheat".

I like the concept of choosing a random volunteer with a balloon.
The revelation of my prediction ... which is later shown to be woefully "wrong"

My fellow magician Francis Wee (just turned seven) who comes up to rescue me
and try to fix my embarrassing mistake

And Francis does it and rescues me by producing MILK!
Whew! I am glad to see this picture that the volunteer is happy as I remember he
had a huge look of shock on his face when milk exploded from the can.
he had patches of milk on his face and clothes.

One of my favourites - the production of jelly beans that also with a
fire safety message built in

Teaching my adult volunteer how to use the safety lighter

A bit of fire always gets a good response :-)

And tadah ....

I changed my "teach a trick" effect with a surprise ending this year.
Very visual and I can pass out mini versions :-)

Some thoughts on Galatians 3:14-18: The source of the promise that does not change

2011-11-03T11:17:00.001+13:00

My Pastor's notes for the 6 November 2011 bulletin

To read click HERE

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo responds to critical Guardian article

2011-10-28T09:28:00.000+13:00

27 OCTOBER 2011

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo responds to critical Guardian article

On 9 September 2011, The Guardian newspaper in the UK published an article by Mehdi Hasan, senior political editor of the New Statesman, entitled “How fear of criminalisation forces Muslims into silence”. This contained a number of specific and personal criticisms of Barnabas Fund’s International Director, Dr Patrick Sookhdeo.
This is not the first time in the recent past that this newspaper has published a biased piece highly critical of Dr Sookhdeo’s work (see also this 2009 blog post by Andrew Brown). But on this occasion he has requested and been given the right of reply, and a shorter and significantly edited version of the article below has been published byThe Guardian today. Some points we would have liked to make had to be excluded from that piece for reasons of space or editorial policy, so we are now releasing this fuller version to our supporters.

Allegations such as those in the original article imply that highlighting the causes of anti-Christian hostility and speaking out for the freedom of oppressed Christians in Muslim-majority countries (especially converts from Islam to Christianity) amount to hate speech, and so can be used to discredit our advocacy on behalf of the persecuted Church.

In his recent article, Mehdi Hasan refers to me as a “rightwing ideologue”, a “crude, anti-Islam propagandist” and a “preacher of hate and division”. I want to respond here not only to these specific and personal charges, but also to the social and political claims that he deduces from them.

At the personal level, Mehdi Hasan does not, in fact, provide much of a case for me to answer. The only evidence he cites to support his allegations are the brief references to me in the manifesto of Anders Breivik, the Norwegian mass killer, and a few short quotes from my books. But given the wide range of sources quoted by Breivik, his references to my writings are hardly definite proof of right-wing extremism. And I am content for those who have taken the trouble to study those writings in any detail to judge whether I deserve the epithets applied to me in the article.

More needs to be said, however. Mehdi Hasan suggests that Muslims in Britain today are victims of “negative stereotypes” and “demonisation”. Yet he is himself prepared to use equally negative stereotypes to demonise those, including myself, who offer an understanding of contemporary Islam that is different from his own. His strategy is a common one: to defend a weakly supported opinion by accusing his opponents of extremism. But although this may give a spurious respectability to his view, it provides no defence against the serious criticisms that may be brought against that view.

I yield to no-one in my abhorrence of anti-Muslim prejudice, bigotry and hatred in all its forms, and I am on record as speaking out forcefully against it. I have also worked hard on a number of occasions for the causes of endangered and oppressed Muslim minorities. Sheikh Dr Muhammad Al-Hussaini, Director of Abraham House in the UK, has issued a response (read here) to Mehdi Hasan’s article in which he refers to my campaigning to defend Muslims in the Balkans from slaughter by the Serbs, my defence of Muslims suffering violence in India, and the protection by the church that I then led of a London mosque at a time of anti-Muslim hostility. I count Dr Al-Hussaini, and many other moderate and liberal Muslims, among my close friends.

But there is a crucial difference between anti-Muslim hatred and legitimate criticism of the religion of Islam. Like any other ideology, Islam must be open to being critiqued, and where its political aspects appear to pose a challenge to fundamental Western values, these issues must be discussed openly and responsibly, without the debate being obscured by charges of “Islamophobia”. It must also be possible to comment on the behaviour of individual Muslims where this contravenes our society’s basic norms, without being accused of racism or bigotry.

On YouTube videos Mehdi Hasan appears to refer to non-Muslims and atheists in very derogatory terms: “cattle”, "animals", “people of no intelligence” and even kuffar, a grossly offensive term applied by some Muslims to non-Muslims. (Some of his fellow-Shia Muslims even apply it to Sunni Muslims.) Admittedly, the context of these comments is unclear, but if he expects to enjoy the freedom to use such terms, I wonder on what basis he can argue for the silencing of reasoned and courteous voices that challenge certain aspects of contemporary Islam. I wonder, also, whetherThe Guardian would have published an article by someone who had seemingly called Muslims “cattle” or “of no intelligence”. Indeed, I wonder if that person would not be reported to the appropriate authorities or even to the police.

Mehdi Hasan queries the influence given to me by Western governments. The political and military leaders who have found my insights worthy of attention can speak for themselves. My work with the armed forces has been focused on facilitating understanding of and dialogue with Muslims, and it has taken place in the context of peace and community relations. This should perhaps be enough at least to gain my views a fair hearing, from anyone not invincibly prejudiced against them.

And there is in fact plenty of evidence from both Muslim and secular sources to support those views. Some parts of the Muslim community really are becoming increasingly isolated from other people, creating enclaves where they live largely according to their own rules. Smaller, more radical elements really do advocate – quite openly – a fully Islamic society under the rule of sharia law. As a result, some areas of British society really are being subtly but progressively Islamised. This process is not an invention of a few “anti-Islam propagandists”; it is a well-documented and significant social change that deserves, indeed demands, a fair-minded debate. I suggest that Mehdi Hasan’s unwillingness even to acknowledge its existence raises questions about his own credibility as a commentator.

I close with a personal note. I am a convert from Islam, and all schools of Islamic law prescribe the death penalty for an adult male Muslim who chooses to leave his faith. Having lived under this death sentence for my entire adult life, I am acutely aware of the plight of apostates from Islam in some Muslim-majority contexts, where they are at real risk of violence or even murder. Even as I write, an Iranian pastor, Youcef Nadarkhani, is on death row in Iran, and may be executed any day. If I had no other reason to speak or write about Islam, then giving these vulnerable people a voice in the West, where their suffering is so often ignored, would be reason enough. My unshakable commitment to liberal Western values requires nothing less.

I am surprised that The Guardian newspaper, which claims to recognise fundamental freedoms and presents itself as a paragon of virtue in this respect, appears to be so little concerned with human rights and freedom of conscience when it comes to Christians far away in non-Western contexts.

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo
27 October 2011

BARNABAS FUND
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About us: Barnabas Fund works to support Christian communities around the world where they are facing poverty and persecution.

Time for the West and many parts of Asia to "look East" again

2011-10-27T10:40:00.000+13:00

This video speaks heaps.

An important lesson for individuals, corporations, governments, politicians and yes, pastors too:-)

Some thoughts on Galatians 3:10-14 Faith brings blessings (Pastor's Notes)

2011-10-21T10:26:00.000+13:00

Pastor's notes for the 23 Oct 2011 bulletin.

To view click HERE

6 books for $6 and other ramblings

2011-10-15T14:53:00.000+13:00

Been a while since I blogged so here goes ...

But first, I popped by the Lions Club book sale this morning. And had a fun time (though it is getting harder and harder to scan books due to my bi-focals) quickly browsing through the many boxes of books.
This is one more thing I like about life in NZ. Other people's junk is often recycled for a good cause. Very little waste.

Anyway I picked up 6 books - all a dollar each (it's a "one book one dollar sale"). Here they are:

Another cook book I know ... but if I can find one good usable recipe from the book
it would be worth the money. Even if the recipe may have to be modified.
So far all the other $1 cook books I bought have given me at least one recipe that
I actually do use and a one this size and with photos of every recipe ... should be a good one.
And look closely at the sub title and you will see why I bought it ... "Quick and easy recipes ..." :-)

This pocket dictionary was the main reason I actually dropped by the book sale.
Last night Jennifer asked if I had a pocket dictionary handy as she wanted one - useful reference
when she writes her reports. Found two. This one is the better one.

Always a useful book to have around. Found two - first edition and 2nd edition.
So of course I bought the second edition :-)

Children's book but no less useful. Simple to read and I think will be a good resource
to help younger ones in church get exposed to the many very pressing issues faced by refugees today.
And something I can easily digest to give me quick summary facts about the subject.
Wish I had time to get involved again in refugee resettlement support work but sadly just too much
on my plate.

So sad to see this book discarded. I know NT Wright's "Simply Christianity" is the 21st century heir
to this CS Lewis book but this book is still in my top 25.

A little surprise too to find a John White book. I have always found his books practical
and easy to read.

Been thinking a lot about matters related to church growth and leadership / vision because by God's grace the church I am in is growing slowly but surely. One thing that seems to dawn on me (still a bit of a blur) is that I seem to lack the modern leadership abilities. (Yup, double use of the word "seem" in one sentence). By this I mean it is back to the macro and micro ministry thing that has "plagued" (?) me since my early seminary years and early years in ministry. Leadership is often tied in with "visionary leadership" with things such as the ability to "cast vision", anticipating the winds of change, knowing the trends and future trends and making provisions well in advance, charismatic leadership (not necessarily meaning holding to "charismatic doctrines") with the ability to inspire others to follow, full of faith, someone with CEO skills - guiding and training a team of able leaders, able to make the tough decisions, not affected by current circumstances etc etc etc.

I remember very well the advice given to me by Leighton Ford years ago - during the 15 minute slot each of personal time each of us participants were given with him (a national leadership seminar that I got selected to attend by strange circumstances :-)) ... "Think global, act local" ... I can think globally and I am comfortable acting locally BUT still never in a macro manner. Too many things on my mind seem to cause me to become partially paralyzed. I can multi-task but there is a limit. I seem to be happier and more effective "going with the flow". No mater how I try to set aside my "life walk metaphor of life", it seems I always come back to it again and again.

I do not doubt that I have pastoral gifts as well as a gift of teaching and perhaps now even preaching. And while I can do a decent to sometimes good job in administration, it can clearly get quite messy. As for leadership? Perhaps in a micro way, perhaps in aspects of mentoring or discipleship but leading a church? Hmmm... makes me wonder. Of course what ultimately matters is God's calling as "where He leads I will follow, where He sends me I am prepared to go. For as long as it's in His will, that's the safest place in the world I know" :-) (BTW, not "safe" as in "no problems" but safe as in having God's presence and grace. Thankfully in the church I am in I have wonderful support from my fellow elders and deacons, who among them have strong leadership and administrative gifts. Thanks be to God for this!

I suppose on of the problems and challenges is that in contemporary society, the role of a pastor is no longer the old traditional one. Now it includes planning, organizing, committee meetings, social work, mission trips, vision casting, training, motivating, counselling, mediating, networking, community involvement, visitation, in addition to the teaching, preaching, baptizing, marrying and burying ..." Not to say all these are burdensome. Some can not only be satisfying but loads of fun at times too :-)

Oh well, lots to think about. And I have other things to do so signing off ....