It All Goes Back in the Box

(Musings, and Prayer for 2008)

Again, we stand at the threshold of a new year
A year awaiting, the days to be lived through
Minute by minute, hour by hour
crossed out little boxes
never to return, only spent

One of the great universal constants - Time
Great and poor, rich and urchin subject to its tyranny and generosity
For all are given the same each day
Yea, some get to cross out more little boxes, others less,
(before we end up in a little box ourselves)
but the same is expected, no less, of each of us
to give an account of our days.

Teach me to number them then,
my wand'ring days on this green earth,
so I might have a heart of wisdom.
Wisdom to know the time and seasons
to know to sow and when to reap
when to till and to prune
Teach me to know your Spirit's call
to let the north-wind blow on my garden
and let its fragrance, the fragrance of Christ,
a-bound to all who are perishing
Lead us continually in triumphal procession,
bearing the death and resurrection of Christ
the power therein, in meekness and humility!

Another bend, 'round the pilgrim path
fellow peregrines on the journey of faith
toward the wicker gate
and fair Reepicheep calls to us,
amidst the great cloud of witnesses
"Further up and Farther in!"
they chorus, the saints who've gone before us
In the distance the city shines:
pennants fluttering in the winds
and white gulls chatter,
a horn sounds - The White City.

But the time is not yet nigh for most of us
Temperance and temptation, love and life
are yet before us, to make change in community, to affect nations
Thou root of Jesse, come, have thy life in us
that we bud like Aaron's dry staff
giving life where once there was none
Shine, like stars, Glow like cities on a hill,
life-preserving saltiness.
Looking forward to the upward way
Carpe Aeternum, Carpe Diem

For soon the days will darken,
the sun will grow cold and nights will be long
Hope among men will dwindle
and ere grace fades
The time will come when time itself
ceases to run, ceases to exist for us
Our pieces on the board all spent
the reckoning comes - the last door unlocks
When the game is over
it all goes back in the box

So teach us to number our days aright
to have wisdom in our hearts.
Strength for the year ahead,
Renewed mercies for each morning
Sustain us in your abiding grace
as we abide in you, we bear much fruit
Raise in us a holy desperation,
a holy despair with our kingdoms and castles in the air
A righteous despondence with the status quo
and utter disgust at our saccharine trophies which moth and rust destroy
O to be weak enough
to trust you, to rely on you wholly.

More of you, Jesus
and less of me.
That you Increase,
and I decrease.

Amen. אמן

Snow!

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I do wish it would snow...

Oh Humble King

The ultimate scandal - the Creator condescends, stooping to be a man, to bear upon Himself all of our brokenness, distress and pain. The only man to deserve no punishment bears the brunt of all mankind's evil. He comes, unassuming, showing us a Way to live and love, and redeems us from ourselves, paying the ultimate cost. Losing Himself, he gains us; losing ourselves, we gain Him. So that to live is Christ, and to die is gain. The topsy-turvy economy of the Kingdom.

You came and served, spent and poured out yourself for us, reserving none for your own. You healed, and gave life, walked on water and caused the blind to see and hearts to open. You gave hope to the hopeless, grace to the guilty, terror to those who control, manipulate and deceive. You were the hero, who broke through our walls to save us from ourselves.

1 In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through Him,
and apart from Him nothing came into being
that has come into being.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

9 There was the true Light which,
coming into the world,
enlightens every man.
10 He was in the world,
and the world was made through Him,
and the world did not know Him.

11 He came to His own,
and those who were His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him,
to them He gave the right to become children of God,
even to those who believe in His name,
13 who were born,
not of blood nor of the will of the flesh
nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh,
and dwelt among us,
and we saw His glory,
glory as of the only begotten from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
16 From the fullness of his grace
we have all received one blessing after another.

17 For the law was given through Moses;
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God,
but God the One and Only,
who is at the Father's side,
has made him known.

Spring Rains - Ephemerals

There is something about the rain each spring, that stirs the melancholic in me. It triggers feelings of restlessness, exhaustion, and yet gratefulness, rest and comfort. Ambivalent deep sighs that cannot decide if to be resignation or resolution.

Like the last breath drawn before a deep long dive.

Its been a journey, but more than ever, home and origin now seem distant, hazy and elusive. I'm far away enough now to start wondering. Where have I come from? and does that measure up in where I am going? Is it like chaos theory where one's starting conditions inadvertantly "predict" the final outcome (a paradox then, for a 'chaotic' system)? Is it a closed universe, or is there leeway for grace? A grace singularity, maybe? Perhaps one's past and origin matters less than I thought in this journey of faith. Its always the present process that matters; the product will speak for itself, but it is the now that matters - how I face the present - the present presence.

Its always crossroads, and its always decisions. And yet, at some level, nothing's changed. Its always christmas, its always easter; its always summer, its always winter; its always a drought, its always a deluge; its always laws, its always mercy; its always foolishness; its always wisdom; its always change, its always constant.

Ephemerals - meaning to the transient. Oh, to have a sacramental view to life, to attach meaning and significance to the ordinary, the extraodinary in the mundane. That has faded, like old shades. Have I grown, or is that the effects of 'maturity' or a certain cyni-skeptism that's crept in.

Transcending the transcience, putting landmarks to the journey? Perhaps that is the futility of it all, and a question begging. Perhaps that's not needed, and life is just meant to be lived, breathed, walked, and not analysed, contextualized and verified. There is a certain veneer of incredulity and insincerity in that, cringing much like name-dropping or other nasty social habits. A certain sheer over-romantization.

But I guess at some level, its not a bad thing. Taking stock. True, one does not drive looking through the rear-view mirror, but one has to, sometime. Its important to mark the signposts, but signposts are important for the now, and not good at all in the past tense. Signposts in the rear view mirror are almost useless - inevitably NOTHING tagged on the behind, just the post, and a few rivets. Inadevertantly, after the decision, that event's probability is 1 or 0. Nothing inbetween. Yet we are often muddled up in paralyzing double crossing self doubt.

Friends, fellow pilgrims, let us walk the walk, run the race, fight the good fight. 'Tis grace that's brought us safe thus far, 'tis grace that'll lead us home. His grace is sufficient for me, his glory shines in humble earthern vessels, these fragile treasures within. Come dance with me, come grow old with me, for the best is yet to be.

Amazing Grace
John Newton (1772)

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, Who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

Oda a Los Calcetines

(1954 - 1959, english translation below)
Pablo Neruda

Me trajo Mara Mori
un par de calcetines,
que tejió con sus manos de pastora,
dos calcetines suaves como liebres.
En ellos metí los pies
como en dos estuches
tejidos con hebras del
crepúsculo y pellejos de ovejas.

Violentos calcetines,
mis pies fueron dos pescados de lana,
dos largos tiburones
de azul ultramarino
atravesados por una trenza de oro,
dos gigantescos mirlos,
dos cañones;
mis pies fueron honrados de este modo
por estos celestiales calcetines.

Eran tan hermosos que por primera vez
mis pies me parecieron inaceptables,
como dos decrépitos bomberos,
bomberos indignos de aquel fuego bordado,
de aquellos luminosos calcetines.

Sin embargo, resistí la tentación
aguda de guardarlos como los colegiales
preservan las luciénagas,
como los eruditos coleccionan
documentos sagrados,
resistí el impulso furioso de ponerlas
en una jaula de oro y darles cada
día alpiste y pulpa de melón rosado.

Como descubridores que en la selva
entregan el rarísimo venado verde
al asador y se lo comen con remordimiento,
estiré los pies y me enfundé
los bellos calcetines, y luego los zapatos.
Y es esta la moral de mi Oda:
Dos veces es belleza la belleza,
y lo que es bueno es doblemente bueno,
cuando se trata de dos calcetines
de lana en el invierno.

==================================
Ode To My Socks
Pablo Neruda

Maru Mori brought me a
pair of socks that she knit
with her shepherd's hands.
Two socks as soft as rabbit fur.
I thrust my feet inside them
as if they were two little boxes
knit from threads of sunset and sheepskin.

My feet were two woollen fish
in those outrageous socks,
two gangly, navy-blue sharks
impaled on a golden thread,
two giant blackbirds, two cannons:
thus were my feet honored
by those heavenly socks.

They were so beautiful,
I found my feet unacceptable
for the very first time,
like two crusty old firemen,
firemen unworthy of
that embroidered fire,
those incandescent socks.

Nevertheless I fought
the sharp temptation to put them away
the way schoolboys put
fireflies in a bottle,
the way scholars hoard holy writ.

I fought the mad urge
to lock them in a golden cage
and feed them birdseed
and morsels of pink melon every day.

Like jungle explorers who deliver
a young deer of the rarest species
to the roasting spit
then wolf it down in shame,
I stretched my feet forward
and pulled on those gorgeous socks,
and over them my shoes.

So this is the moral of my ode:
beauty is beauty twice over
and good things are doubly good
when you're talking about
a pair of wool socks
in the dead of winter.

Mending Wall

Robert Frost, from North of Boston, 1914

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.

I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
'Stay where you are until our backs are turned!'
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.

Oh, just another kind of outdoor game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, 'Good fences make good neighbors.'

Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
'Why do they make good neighbors? Isn't it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That wants it down.' I could say 'Elves' to him,
But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather
He said it for himself. I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father's saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, 'Good fences make good neighbors.'

In Memoriam - Ode to a Numerical Chamber

September 2004 to September 2007

I devote this entry to the loss of a very faithful gadget, one that's been dependable through rain, hail, snow and dust, through siberian winter to australian summer, to steamy laotian villages in the monsoon, frosty mongolian nights with frozen fingers to the confusion of a barcelona fishmarket, from the great sanctuaries of gothic cathedrals to the open expanse of the pacific on a sail boat.

You have captured moments of joy, mundanity, life, the sacred, the sad; taken comets in glory, mighty constellations, delicate flowers, insects in love, galloping herds of deer, eagles in flight, pods of humpback whales in migration, crackle of great fires. Preserved for time the fickleness of emotions, the journal of travel, marking of births, documented relationships, music and dance and art in motion. Through your humble lenses you have sought to recreate vast deserts, the drama of the wilderness, magic of nacreous clouds, the intimacy of candle light. Friendships, rest, tests and risks. You have been dropped, lost, found, relost and refound; seen some of the best musicians from around the world, taken some astounding cuisine, captured humanity's finest art, and the most fabulous gems in the world. You were a personification of the faithful testifying witness, without bias, without qualms.

Yet now you are silent, alone, misplaced. You reside removed from my influence, lost in the bowels of international flight and schedule. Aloof, your lenses are silent, the apertures no longer obey, the pixels no longer fire. You are gone, faithful scribe. Fare you well. May you one day find your way back, in all mystery...!

You will join my list of stuff to ask God in heaven... along with other missing items/persons that have sometimes kept me awake in the quiet hours. Like whatever happend to my black notebook that I passed around in JC2 or that missing tape recording of the Tolkien poems or that kid on the street in Ulaan Bataar. I believe CS Lewis had some theology/philosophy about such things as you, that somehow you might be restored to me in heaven (even faithful dogs), by virtue that you form an extension of who I might be.

Its been 5 weeks

(jm in post-modern fractured scattered thoughts)

Its been 5 weeks, in 6 cities, thru 7 flights (go figure), 2 conferences,1 gig, and a gadzillion appointments, unexpected and otherwise - an honour. (andrew ong, dawn fung, andrew yu, kh, terence, ck, joel, paul, eva, sueann, lindy cheong, eliza, rudy, sheryl, lennie, audrey, jeff, tammy, judy, vincent, kiong, qy, dawn, jo chia, ps marg, mark yah, yyh, auntie dawn, poi, hsiapin, clement gandon, yixin, sam teo, fang seng, kevin, josh, jacq, merv john, uncle tham, jershillabeletheanna, xl+wj, jyeleanornathan, jhjames, jeanette, bro pat, ives, anna, seow, lam, goon, merv, jinyu, adder, charlene)

Something in that is exhilarating, tiring and fun. But what needs tuning is figuring out what needs relating vs what's nice to dabble. Too many pics, too many faces; i need some space.

to babble, to chill, to process, to hear myself think once again.

An Unexpected Sentiment

Sukkot 2007

Its strange, this coming and going, of meetings and farewells, of being present and absernt all at once. Familiarity interposed with uncertainty; songs of silence, tears of joy, grace that's earned. Friends and strangers all rolled into one continuum. The face of Jesus in all we see, the mind of Christ leading us.

How is it that althought I'm "at home", I feel increasingly less at home? This gnawing feeling of increasing unbelonged-ness points things squarely home to the heart. I grow, we grow, I move, we move on, lives lived. We have all changed. But furthermore, cynicism and crustiness creep inevitably into our hearts and the crevices of our minds. How much is growth, and how much is a numbed heart? Why the longing for belonging, why standing to be understood?

Lives interconnected, intertwined, of unexpected serendipities, chance meetings and divine appointments. What does it mean? Do these things that fall into place have a greater design, a higher wisdom? Do I meet you out of obligation, chance or ordination, and what are the implications for each? What is the process for earning your wings?

There is something in this mirage, something waiting to be learnt. The breeze begins to blow, I know the Spirit's call. And it melts, it melts into his love.

Oh I Want To Know You More
Steve Fry

Just the time I feel that I’ve been caught in the mire of self.
Just the time I feel my mind’s been bought by worldly wealth.
That’s when the breeze begins to blow I know the Spirit’s call.
And all the worldly wanderings just melt into His love.

Oh I want to know You more. Deep within my soul I want to know You.
Oh I want to know You;
To feel Your heart and know Your mind, looking in Your eyes stirs up within me,
Cries that say I want to know You,
Oh I want to know You more, Oh I want to know You more.

When my daily needs ordinarily loses life and song.
My heart begins to bleed: sensitivity to Him is gone.
I’ve run the race but set my pace and face a shattered soul.
But the gentle arms of Jesus warm my hunger to be whole.

Oh I want to know You more. Deep within my soul I want to know You.
Oh I want to know You;
And I would give my final breath, to know You in Your death and resurrection
Cries that say I want to know You,
Oh I want to know You more, Oh I want to know You more.

Annus Mirabilis

I think all things being fair, this 27th year of existence would probably have to be the most remarkably eventful. Its been twelve months of stepping out, growing, learning and stretching. This isn't to say there haven't been more exciting episodes in my limited days, but this has felt like one LONG deep breath held down longer than I should have.

Lets see what I can recall...
- Vince visits, followed by Terence the next week, then Merv John two weeks after, hotly followed by Audrey, Ruth, Christine and Mylene in the midst of a very wet, cold november!
- my first presentation at an academic conference, at Human Communication Science network (HCSnet) Summerfest 2006 end november
- said goodbye to housemates Andrew and Jiaming, and farewell to good friend Judy; car-sat for Aaron.
- Christmas spent in Townsville for Stable on the Strand 2006, where I got to be the friendly neighbourhood village snake charmer playing my pipes in the market place to a dancing fuzzy Ikea snake, over 6 nights to several thousand visiting townsfolk - grandparents to teens and toddlers; additionally we did a very random 'alt-worship' gig over at the youth tent, featuring keys, irish low whistles and overtone singing! Thanks to the Frewen-Lords and Jared!
- New year's eve with Adeline along the Cahill Expressway, thanks to extra tickets from John Smith
- Sydney festival with friends Ernest and Adeline, early jan
- Dan Laurin arrives in sydney for two weeks of intensive measurements, end jan
- Singapore for CNY over three weeks, 67 appointments and errands, including another worship gathering
- back to sydney for the start of a new session, early march
- Womadelaide2007
- Fang Seng and Hubert visit
- Eva visits
- Measurements begin with Jim N, mid April
- Paul arrives, hunter and Tets courtesy of Michio O.
- ISMA and ICA paper deadlines! mid may
- Xiaolin and Weijie visit, early june
- acquired a car!
- Adelaide - Coober Pedy - Uluru - A Springs road trip with Wernz and Chloe et al mid june
- Chloe visits, end June
- Hillsong conference, bump into Matt Chern, Adriana!
- Wesley album recording, courtesy of wernz. low whistles, didj and guit
- Arlen F from the NYPhil arrives, and some measurements on contra begins
- presenter for Channel Ten Scope, Science and Music
- crazy preparation for conference: measurements on saxophonists and data analysis
- presentation at AMPS 2007 august session
- 26-hour spore stopover, catching kiong, anna, ivy, andrew and a haircut!
- presentation at ICA2007 madrid and ISMA2007 barcelona; along the way, toledo, montserrat and paris; jammed with the Hang, Didj, Mouthbow and Jaw-harp
- spore stopover, with another gadzillion errands and appts, DesertSongs, and another year ahead.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Hola Espana!

So I'm here in Madrid, for the 19th International Congress on Acoustics, with over a thousand delegates from sixty nations. Its been quite a week, meeting other acousticians from elsewhere, and from other fields. Even the music acoustics stream has been an interesting exchange between researchers from disparate fields like physiology, psychology, engineers, choir conductors, physicists, musicologists, music historians and the lot. Tuesday's special session on voice acoustics was particularly interesting, as I got to give a live demonstration of Diphonic Singing, in the mongolian tradition (sygyt), before a panel of vocal experts. =)

My own presentation is in 12 hour's time, and I'm feeling rather nervy - 15 minutes to speak, 3 minutes of colloqua, before a panel of experts, people who write my texts! And another talk next week in Barcelona, on my main research topic.

Went to Toledo yesterday, and it was beautiful. Quaint crowded cobble-stoned streets barely wide enough for a car. The town's a maze, with streets going off at funny angles and slopes. Toledo's a medieval capital built on a hill... Pretty place, filled with monasteries, churches, nooks and crannies.

Off to Barcelona this saturday, and will keep posted. Pix to follow after the trip. Congress Dinner beckons! =)

lah-dee-daa

Ego Sum Defessus

How long,
how long do we have to hang on,
do we have to hope and persevere,
persevere til the race is done,
done at the end of the day?

Hope and faith, intermingling,
twirling, twining, binding,
seeming moments intangible,
light as light,
dull as dusk,
soft as dust?

Fatigue trolls on, fades
our spirits question, How Long?
How long before the day is done
before our tears turn to joy
'ere our courage worn thin
be filled with valiance again.

Not by might,
nor by power,
but by My Spirit,
says the Lord.

Move! mountain
Stay! time
Flee! greed
Fade! unbelief

Oh, me of little faith
Where else can I go
but to you?
You have the words of life.
With abandon, I fall, to fall again,
only to rise, to rise again.
Fly, to flee the gnawings of the soul
Flowing, floundering to thy lofts of hope.

(Charles Wes­ley, Aberystwyth from Ail Lyfr To­nau ac Emy­nau)
Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.

Wilt Thou not regard my call? Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—Lo! on Thee I cast my care;
Reach me out Thy gracious hand! While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand, dying, and behold, I live.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name, I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.

Australia - A Demographic Socio-Spiritual Overview

Its been bugging me for a while now... the state of spirituality on this island-nation. A seemingly rich spiritual heritage, but filled with deep spiritual poverty. People look everywhere else for answers. Polarized - that characterizes the spiritual affiliations in this land; it even characterises the state of the church - the evangelical protestant church here. Polarized and fragmented. I attach here, excerpts from the Operation World Website. What a remarkable observation: "Pray for revival – something Australia has never known."

For educational use, from Operation World Web Site (www.operationworld.org), . Copyright ©2001 Patrick Johnstone

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GEOGRAPHY

Area 7,682,300 sq.km. This island continent is largely grassland and desert in the interior but better watered in the east, southeast and southwest coastal regions, where most live in highly concentrated urban areas. There are three permanently inhabited dependent territories; Norfolk Is. (35 sq.km.; 2,500 pop), Christmas Is. (135 sq.km.; 2,300 pop), Cocos Is. (14 sq.km.; 600 pop).

Capital Canberra 328,370. Other major cities: Sydney 4,041,000; Melbourne 3,417,000; Brisbane 1,601,000; Perth 1,364,000; Adelaide 1,092,000. Urbanites 86%.

PEOPLES

Over 25.5% of Australians are foreign-born and 16.8% were born in a non-English speaking country. Figures below are approximate.

Anglo-Celtic 67.8%. Predominantly British and Irish.

Other European 20%. Migrants from nearly every ethnic group in Europe, many still retaining their cultural identity.

Asian 6%. Chinese 450,000; Vietnamese 150,000; Filipino 100,000; Indian 90,000; Malay-Indonesian 50,000; Japanese 30,000; Cambodian 25,000.

Middle Eastern 3.0%. Arabic-speaking 300,000; Turks 70,000; Iranian 25,000; Kurds 25,000.

Australian Aborigine 2%. Total 350,000, half of whom speak one of the 111 living indigenous languages. In 1780 there were 300,000 speaking 260 languages.

Other 1.2%. Pacific Islander, Latin American, African.

Literacy 99%. Official language English. Over 19% of the population do not use English as their first language. All indigenous languages 234. Languages with Scriptures 1Bi 8NT 26por 19 w.i.p.

ECONOMY

Mixed economy based on industry, agriculture and mining. Although the economy was restructured in the ‘90s, the Asian recession, external debt and severe periodic droughts limited growth for a time, but by 2001 economic growth was restored. HDI 0.922; 7^th/174. Public debt 23% of GNP. Income/person $20,090 (66% of USA).

POLITICS

A federal, parliamentary democracy formed in 1901 with 6 states and 2 federal territories. The British monarch is the constitutional head of state, represented by a governor general. A referendum was held in 2000 about becoming a republic, but it was rejected.

RELIGION

A secular state with freedom of religion. A rapid increase of those claiming no religion and the arrival of many non-Christian immigrants is making Australia a much more pluralistic society.

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Missionaries from Australia P,I,A 4,388 in 97 agencies and in 134 countries: PNG 260, Middle East 106, USA 83, Philippines 82, Indonesia 80, Thailand 70, India 67, Japan 50, Cambodia 34, Nepal 32, Congo-DRC 31, Tanzania 29, Spain 27.
Missionaries to Australia P,I,A 3,277 in 109 agencies: Australia 2,116 (928 cross-cultural), USA 337, New Zealand 173, Korea 85, UK 51. P,I,A 3,277 in 109 agencies: Australia 2,116 (928 cross-cultural), USA 337, New Zealand 173, Korea 85, UK 51.

Challenges for Prayer

1 Secularism and a pursuit of leisure, pleasure and wealth characterize Australia. Although 68% of Australians claim to be Christian, negative attitudes towards authority and tradition make it hard for the average man in the street to see the gospel as meaningful or the church as relevant. There is widespread interest in spirituality, but people are not turning to the churches to explore it. Pray that many might find solutions to life's problems and find their identity in a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Church attendance declined steadily from 35% in 1966 to 12% in 1990. This appears to have stabilized with about 10% of Australians in church on an average Sunday, and 18-20% in regular contact with church life. Decline continues in some of the larger and more traditional churches. There is some growth in the Salvation Army and various Pentecostal and charismatic churches though even this growth slowed in the late 1990s. In 1998 the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and about a third of all parliamentarians were professing Christians. Pray for revival–something Australia has never known.

3 Evangelicals are strong in the Sydney Anglican diocese and a growing minority in the Melbourne diocese (30%). Several mainline churches have evangelical majorities while all of the rest have significant and active minorities. However mainline churches are in varying degrees of polarization over such issues as the ordination of women, homosexuality and traditional church structures which are leading to further divisions. The casualty rate among pastors is a concern — there are over 10,000 ex-pastors, almost the same number as presently serving pastors. Pray for a greater understanding of the post-modern world, more effective proclamation of the gospel in relevant ways and use of appropriate structures for growing the Christian community.

4 Although some Australian churches have a good mission focus, there is a general lack of missions vision in most churches. The relatively large number of Australian missionaries suffer from lack of support at every level. The vision for world evangelization has to be imparted to pastors during their theological training. Mission awareness courses, such as Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, are now being used in every state of Australia and the steady growth in numbers is encouraging. Students of all ages are being changed and are getting involved as goers or active senders. Pray for them and that churches may be enthused through them. Pray also for the missionary force, especially those who have gone to pioneer areas.

5 Less reached peoples are found both among the indigenous Aborigines, the many post-war migrants and the 6.5 million of non-British origin–both Australian-born and immigrants. Pray for those local churches with an active ministry to such cultural communities and also for the work of local congregations, ECM and other agencies among the European minorities.

a) Aboriginal tribes. Only a few isolated groups have failed to respond to the very considerable missionary effort of past years. Most Aborigines are professing Christians, but there is a strong move to reassert their cultural identity.

b) Many people in working-class urban areas and in isolated mining and farming communities in the vast interior, northwest and north have had no vital biblical witness.

c) Muslims–around 255,000 from over 70 countries, (40% Arabic-speaking, 20% Turkish, 9% Bosnian, 7% Indonesian/Malay) with 125,000 living in the Sydney area and 82,000 in the Melbourne area. Muslims have increased a hundred-fold since 1947, and there are now over 80 mosques in use. Small beginnings are being made to reach these peoples by the Baptist Union, Uniting Church and Stepping Stone Mission's Training Community, resulting in Arabic- and Turkish-speaking groups of believers beginning to emerge. MECO's Centres of Fellowship are a significant ministry to Muslims.

d) Chinese–A high proportion of immigrants from SE Asia are ethnic Chinese and they may total as much as 450,000. About 20% of the Chinese are professing Christians; others are secular or adhere to the various Chinese traditional religions. There are over 130 Chinese evangelical congregations in the cities. Australia’s largest Presbyterian Church is Chinese. Some of the most lively student groups in universities are of the Overseas Christian Fellowships and these are predominantly Chinese. Pray for the complete evangelization of the Buddhists and non-Christians among them.

e) Vietnamese–possibly 150,000, mostly refugees over the past 25 years and their offspring . There are a few Christian congregations. AsEF is expanding a ministry to Asian communities in each state.

f) The diverse peoples from the former Yugoslavia. Most still retain the use of their mother tongues: Croatian 80,000; Macedonian 70,000, Serbian 35,000; Bosnian 14,000; Albanian 10,000. They come from some of Europe's least evangelized countries, and there are very few evangelical believers among them.

g) Jews number 85,000; half live in Melbourne. Celebrate Messiah Australia has a fruitful ministry among Melbourne’s growing Jewish community where there are many recent immigrants from Russia. CWI has a witness in Sydney.

h) Southern Europeans. Many use their original mother tongues, however many second- and third-generation settlers have assimilated into English-speaking Australian society and become estranged from their cultural roots. They neither fit into the ethnic churches of their parents nor feel at home in Anglo-Celtic churches. Pentecostal churches and the Jehovah’s Witnesses have had more success. Major groups being Italians 500,000; Greeks 300,000; Polish 120,000; Maltese 80,000; Spanish 70,000. These represent minorities that, if evangelized and motivated, could make an impact for God on their native lands.

6 The 350,000 indigenous Aborigines have been demoralized in their contacts with Western culture and greed and have been frustrated about their lack of control over their lands and their heritage. Recognition of the land rights of the first Australians has become a major political
issue in recent years. Reconciliation between black and white Australians is a crucial issue yet to be resolved. Some have adapted to the invading culture, but many have been marginalized, and others have retreated into the more inaccessible and inhospitable parts of the country. There are a number of areas, especially in the north and west of the country where there are strong congregations with effective outreach.

a) Pray for the Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship, a key coordinating body of Aboriginal Christians, as it encourages leadership development through its training college, outreach and church planting in every Aboriginal community. Pray that believers may boldly proclaim the liberating power of the gospel in the face of hostility from political activists.

b) Pray for the nearly 500 missionaries in 26 denominational and interdenominational agencies working among these people (such as the Aborigine Inland Mission, United Aborigine Mission, CMS and MAF).

c) Bible translation is in progress in 19 of these small language groups (through the 38 SIL and UBS workers); 26 languages have a portion of the New Testament. About 13 may still need translators.

d) The use of GRN records and cassettes in 86 languages is a vital contribution to the task because of the great linguistic variety among the Aborigines.

7 Witness among the 630,000 students in the 36 universities and colleges is barely adequate. AFES(IFES) with 70 groups, Student Life (CCCI), and the Navigators and Students for Christ are significant campus ministries, but the overall impact on student bodies is not large. Pray for a greater evangelistic zeal, a larger harvest for the Kingdom, and an increased flow of missionaries to the world from these groups.

8 Young people and children. There has been a drastic drop in Sunday School attendance, and alternative methods must be found to reach the younger generation. The Christian school systems are growing rapidly. The Inter-Schools Christian Fellowship (SU) has a valuable ministry in secondary schools. In every State but South Australia religious instruction is conducted in schools by volunteers from the churches. Many groups, such as Youth For Christ, the Crusader Movement, God Squad and others are seeking to evangelize young people. The innovative Fusion Ministries
has developed a well-researched and culturally relevant range of ministries to youth and to families based in 25 centres with 200 full-time workers across the country.

9 Christian Media

a) Radio. This could be more effectively utilized by Evangelicals through the national and local broadcasting networks, which are required, by law, to give a percentage of time weekly to religious broadcasts. Several explicitly Christian radio stations are attempting to obtain broadcasting licenses. Funding is a big bottleneck.

b) Literature. There are 300 Christian bookstores (9 of CLC) in Australia. Pray for literature to impact the younger generation of Christians. The evangelistic and teaching materials produced
by The Bible Society, SGM, ACTS International and World Home Bible League are especially worthy of prayer support.

c) Video. Create International based in Perth produces Christian videos of great value in witnessing. The JESUS film is being used in an innovative plan to focus on ethnic minorities called “JESUS: Gift to the Nation”.

Visitors Season Ends

A veritable, long procession of visits, visiting friends, some incidental, others more purposeful.
- Hubert and Fangseng
- visited Adelaide for Womad
- Eva visits
- Adeline and Co
- Paul, hunter valley and tets!
- Xiaolin and Weijie, fresh from boston
- Chloe and Cirong, just to bum around
- Daniel Wong leaves
- Matthew, Adriana for hillsongs
So with Matthew leaving last wednesday hereby visitor season closes. =)

Outback Road Trip

Painted Desert, in the Breakaways

Sunrise at Uluru

After the last few months of crazily living in the lab, I finally had the chance for a holiday, and went on a 2200km road trip thru South Australia and Northern Territories, in the process travelling more than halfway through the continent. The route took us driving through Adelaide, down through Kangaroo Island in the Southern Ocean, north through the Adelaide Hills into Port Augusta, then farewell to civilization as we covered the next 1000km through the desert, arriving first at Coober Pedy, then northwards towards Erldunda, west to Uluru, north through to Kings Canyon, and finally arriving at some sort of normality in Alice Springs.

Enroute to Kangaroo Island
Coast to Remarkable Rocks
Dancing with Remarkable Rocks
In the cleft of the rock
Northbound: Narnia and the North
Coober Pedy - underground homes
Underground Serbian Church
Painted desert, the Breakaways
Jolly bunch
On our way northward
Spinning on the milky wayWhossere? Foot of Uluru
Heaps of Molten Chocolate!
The upward way I go
Moonrise over Uluru
Shew me the ancient paths
An island above the desert-sea
Top of Uluru
Kata-Tjuta as seen from top of Uluru
All a matter of perspective
Uluru sunset seen from Kata-Tjuta
Sunrise at Uluru
Imposing cliffs of Kings Canyon
Are we already in the middle east?
Kings Canyon rim walk
Don't loooook down!
Climb!
Hobbiton?
Pool at the bottom of the canyon
Curious pancake-rocks. Spot Chloe
Sheer cliffs of the canyon!
Peering over cliff edge
In a dry and thirsty land
Ambling thru Standley Chasm
Noonday glow in the chasm floor
Desert rainbow!

Did I mention I love the desert? Great big expense of nothing. And yet life thrives. O bring me back to Central Asia...
Off into Nothingness
Brooding skies; an open land

Some points of note, and pleasant surprises from God:
- Our rental vehicle got upgraded to a Subaru Forester at no extra charge, when the engine of the car initially assigned to us mysteriously didn't work that morning, and there were no more equivalent vehicles in that category, so they upgraded us to a bigger, more powerful, spacious and taller car! (And they were apologetic about it, but we said, Oh, no problem!)
Our trusty vehicle
- All through most of the trip, we had amazing weather, including the highest concentration of intense rainbows and secondary rainbows I have ever seen in a day - 7 one day, and 5 the next day. To top it off, we even caught a mighty rainbow in the middle of the desert as we were headed back to Alice Springs on the 2nd last day of the trip. That rainbow was a rain/hail cloud system that swept through the desert that day. I will not quickly forget the smell of a wet desert!
Greeen fields of Kangaroo Island
- Despite seeing live seals, sealions, penguins, bandicoots, possums, wombats, wallabies, echidna, kestrels, wedge-tailed eagles, kangaroos, cattle herds, we're thankful we didn't crash into any of them. There were already too many road-kills lining the roads.
For those who are hungry - Very handy
Sealions basking, rainbow sunset
Young fur-seal teen
Cape Barren Geese
Little Wagtail
Penneshaw faery Penguin
Kookabarra sits on the ol' gum tree
Wedgetail Eagle sits in the evening coolness
Prehistoric monsters invade the road!
- Got to pick opals from a working opal mine, live underground, and hang around Coober Pedy - one of the places I've always fantasized about visiting, and never thought actually possible.
Heheheeheheh,...
An opal miner at work
- Great company, food, smooth trip, and timely wisdom persisted! Thank you Chloe, Cirong, Eleen and Wern for sharing the journey.
Shmiles!
What to say what to say....
Ol Buddies
Clockwise: Chloe, Wern, Eleen, Cirong