15, 16, 17

Ps Mark's sermon 28th Feb, SNL

15. Don't worry
16. Don't judge
17. Don't quit

We try to control situations, and when we can't control situations (which is always the case), we worry.
We try to control people, and when we can't control people (which is always the case), we judge. Except when we judge others, we judge ourselves even more. And that is a miserable direction to grow, for bitterness to take root.
When we find we can't control people nor control situations (which is always the case), we quit. But if we would let God take control of the situation and let him take control of the people (leaving the worrying and judging to Him), then we can be happily serving, remaining faithful and blessed in the process.

How wonderful!

Little Jack Horner

Extracted from pp21-22, Perilous Pursuits, Joseph Stowell, Moody Press 1994

... In a sense, ours is a "Little Jack Horner" world where the game of significance ignores the deeper issues of right and wrong. In a moment of what for him was stellar performance, Jack stuck his thumb into a Christmas pie, pulled out a plum, raised it high in the air, and proclaimed, "What a good boy am I." Pleased with his performance, he went public and sought significance through the applause and affirmation of those around him.

But don't forget where Little Jack Horner was sitting. If I remember correctly, "Little Jack Horner sat in a corner." As far as I know, the only reason little boys sit in corners is because they haven't been good. I also know of few mothers who reward their little boys for not being good by giving them a whole pie. It's possible he stole the pie from the kitchen.

However Jack got that pie, what's he doing taking credit for pulling out a plum, since it was his mother who put the plums there? Fundamental decency would require that he give credit to whom credit is due and not heap it upon himself. And even if you don't buy my analysis of the story, we would all have to agree that Jack is in clear violation of acceptable table manners by having his fingers in his food. But there he sits, inviting the applause of the world with what really seems a hollow and silly conquest.

It's this Little Jack Horner syndrome that makes us willing to do whatever is necessary to become significant. But if we ignore the process, we unwittingly erode our sense of worth by clouding our conscience. Regardless of the pinnacle we reach, our significance conquest finally becomes hollow and filled with regrets....

привет!

я действительно тоскую без моих друзей и место центральных азиатских степей. Я хочу возвратиться там. Если Вы читаете это, пожалуйста скажите привет ветру на ваших щеках для меня. Мир!

Ramble

Its been a while since I posted anything here, so here goes: two things that have bitten me to the core lately

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This acquaintance I know would use to greet his churchy friends with this question.

"how's your kingdom today?"

It makes you pause and think; painfully laden with truth, it forces us to reconsider what's really MINE and what's HIS. Have we as the evil shepherds in ezekiel fed ourselves on the sheep? are we planning to fatten the flock for ourselves, deciding to slaughter some and selling the surplus for ourselves? do we really think the true Master won't be asking an account of us?

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"1 LORD , who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?
4b [He] who keeps his oath even when it hurts" Psalm 15:1, 4b

Have we kept our oaths and promises we have made even when it hurts? i think its hard to find that happening much, sadly. Is our word we give so cheap we 'forget about it' when something inconvenient comes up? Do we stop doing something even when it means we're the only one left doing it, even when the rest have quitted? Do we go back on our word when we've promised it? It speaks volumes about our integrity, pride (in a good sense) and faithfulness. Are we what we say we are, or are we merely what we'd like others to say what we think we are? What drives us to do that?

"i'll be there"
"oh, i'll ask him about it"
"hey, if you need help, just ask me!"
"relax, i'll get it done"

Lately i've been hardpressed to stick to my word. It has stretched me to my limit though. Even when it hurts. When we make promises or decisions, do we consider its cost carefully before making it? Are we able to pay it? Proverbs speaks of the fool who sets out to build a tower without giving thought to his resources if he could indeed complete it. Making plans without considering the cost is foolishness. Only fools do that. Ouch.

Its just too easy, too cheap to let go and say, oh, i did not mean to follow through on that, or simply, apologize and make up for it sheepishly. So sad, so silly, so thin, so petty. How does that reflect the Christ-life in you, the consistency one expects from a believer, from one "mature"? One's tempted to be disillusioned. God help us!

Proverbs tell us it is better not to be bound by our own oaths; But if we do make any promise, we'd better make sure to follow through with it. Your residence on God's holy hill and your audience w the King depends on it!

'Ware! the day of reckoning comes surely and swiftly.

Phew!

What a busy weekend it has been... thursday nite practice for 9am service, friday night practice for SNL, Sat afternoon special training w Ps Derek Levendusky, SNL w ps Derek, Sat night pract for Orchard gig, Sun morn 9am service, 7pm gig w Andrew, 9pm gig w Z3 at Orchard. Not quite the thing i should be attempting to maintain in the long run... i'll get grouchy, stiff and old.

Oh.... i thought i thoroughly enjoyed the orchard gig tonight- both w Z3 and w Andrew (this fascinating guitar specialist, luthier and worshipper). Best of all, the 'audience' was largely made up of old friends who decided to drop by. Thank you for the support, ya'll! I liked the intimate musical interaction of guitar and tin whistle between Andrew and myself, especially since we hardly rehearsed (wonder if running verbally through songstructure counts). But it was neat, cos we got to express our love for God, and our dependence on Him in song, albeit we couldn't preach outright about Jesus nor the Cross.

Hopefully the people in the midst of the passing crowd who paused for a moment to stop, listen and think had something planted in their hearts. That's beyond us, and its the Holy Spirit's work. :)

And oh, lately i've been browsing through the "latest" in contemporary worship music (CWM- touted the next biggest "industry" in religious music)... There's this whole concept of a "worship artist" that's beginning to sound precariously packaged and marketed by forces outside of simple and honest worship-in-spirit-and-in-truth values. Surely the worship movement as such is not an end in itself, nor is it to write the next "big" worship hit; nor to have ministry success rated according to album sales. The worship movement exists because of a generational hunger for intimacy and truth before the Creator; and its end is the Christ-life lived out in full, affecting and infecting their generation for a tsunami change of life values- evangelism and missions. The mission movement MUST be the result of the worship movement.

"to love souls is not the most important criteria; to love God is" Hudson Taylor (paraphrased)

Worship is not so much a "for me" phenomena, as it is solely reserved for the King of Glory, our Creator God. To miss the point and Object of devotion is to miss the forest for the tree.

"the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." Daniel 11:32b
We know God, and are strong, and hence do exploits; Not to do exploits and hence strong, to know God.

Are we putting the cart before the horse?

Thought of the Day

Make every effort to
add to your faith goodness;
and to goodness, knowledge;
and to knowledge, self-control;
and to self-control, perseverance;
and to perseverance, godliness;
and to godliness, brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness, love.
2 Peter 1:5-7

Of Strategic Planning, Shofar, Tutorials and Pets

An incredibly busy last few weeks it has been, and here's my rambly attempt to make up for the silence, and mousetrailing.

I'm happy to announce that after months of waiting to figure out my software for research, through some amazing miracle, the software company's regional resident guru (yes, he's pretty much the guru) decided to come down and walk me through its capabilities... Well, after these 2 sessions (an intensive total 10 hrs), i should be sufficiently empowered to get things crunched. Its one immensely powerful software, and can just about be used to manipulate and analyse any vibration/acoustic signal you can think of, in watever way you want... which is simply too overwhelming for me to operate. THis is their website if you wanna check them out: PULSE from Brüel & Kjær. Check out the "case studies" section and see who else uses this monster of a software... you'll get an idea how being one person trying to learn it from scratch is sometimes barking up the wrong tree. Oh well... at least now i'm getting somewhere, hopefully! =)

Oh I've been involved with heartware.org with this "orchard of hope" project thingy... Basically i've been doing short performance-gigs with friends over the last two weekends, all on the theme of hope... This coming sunday Z3 will be there, doing an unplugged set at 830pm. I'll be also doing another slot with this guitar friend of mine at 7pm. This fella's a blast, so if you're in the area, just drop by. While we wouldn't be doing outright christian stuff, we'll be singing about life, hope and peace. Occassionally we launch into some "scatsinging", which is kinda cool- i take that to do some covert singing in the spirit, and mentally pray over each fella standing and watching us... for a hunger for Christ to gnaw within him.

Had an introduction to Strategic planning last friday with this really cool fella Steven Teo (btw, the website's really really odd, cos he's retired from that many years ago). As you can see, he's really made it up the corporate ladder and stuff, but he's happily quit all that, and given his life to become an itinerant evangelist, and specializing as a church organization consultant. I'm glad he's in the picture in YI. We'll hear more from this fella down the year. He's got substance to contribute on key biblical leadership and managment principles.

"A habit becomes strategic when it is done purposefully and in relation to specific desirable outcome"

Last week, I finally searched and dropped an email to this really neat שופר (shopar) maker in Israel; and he replied yesterday... I'm now considering if I should get it- he's like the stradivarius of shofarot. Lets see what happens.

I took my first tutorial class yesterday and more to come. It feels totally weird, giving tutorial to engine students- they don't ask questions, they don't respond; they just sit there, and happy you're going through the answers with them. Oh well, i was like that. Still prolly am.

Have two new guinea pigs from my sis-in-law. Gave to us at CNY... my dad's trying to see if they'll take to less processed food and more organic ones... happy to have some rodents running around.

And if you're looking for a really refreshing worship CD, get Kathryn Scotts Satisfy. The author of real, intimate songs like Hungry, this CD's been like water to my soul... Its all about hunger for God, and how he's the ultimate satisfaction to the hunger and turmoil of our lives. Hunger, submission and the Cross.

That's about it for now... More updates as time allows.

"Hungry, i come to You, for i know You satisfy..."