So much has happened…

Honestly, I can’t believe that the last time I blogged was half a year ago. Time flew by like nobody’s business, and so much has happened since then.

I get the feeling that nobody is actually reading this anymore as well, since this is as good as dead. Since the last post, I have entered into Chin Lien Bible Seminary, spent most of my time in school, played Diablo 3 (in the holidays of course), attended my future-brother-in-law’s wedding, went for F1 and now preparing for my own wedding.

Sometimes you just need to have an extended period of rest before the spark of inspiration hits you again for you to restart your blogging. Lots of things to share too, if anyone is reading.

For one, Chin Lien is as demanding as any school other than university. In fact, if you’re above 40, it might be a little hard for you to keep up with the pace we live at everyday. A late day starts at 645am, ends at 1030pm with a period of 3 hour rests (meals included) sandwiched in between. By the time bed time hits, trust me you don’t have the energy to do anything else. Earlier days are better, but only slightly.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. It’s so routine I’m actually liking it. I haven’t had this kind of life since what? Secondary school? Come to think of it, that kind of liberal timeline you get in uni really screws up your bioclock. It’s the same for working life. It’s an enjoying process here, albeit a little tiring sometimes.

Life is only good when you know you are meant to do whatever that you are doing right here, right now. This is the life that God has directed, and if you knew it, it would be the best life for you, even if you have to go through hell.

On another note, F1 was fun. Though if you asked me, I’d never buy myself a ticket to it. It’s just overpriced. Perhaps it’s my once-in-a-lifetime experience then, and also my first time up the flyer. It was fun to capture all those shiny cars in the spotlights. And of course, there is the deafening noise – sounds like an undying horde of flies each one the size of an elephant zooming pass you every time they passed by. All in all, a good experience – especially when it’s paid for.

Alright then, I guess this will last for another few months? I don’t know when my probe will gather the sparks of inspiration once again for me to spill some thoughts over these pages. Here is a picture which says a thousand words.

God Centered Biblical Intepretation

It's been a while since I've updated the site, and so I return with a book review. But before that, some updates on what I'm doing now. It started of from something my mum said - for the first time in my life, she told me that I'm fat.

This is serious. I mean she has always been complaining me being skinny and bony and this is the first time in 26 years that she called me fat and wants me to loose some weight. So I'm tasked for these few weeks that I'm here, to shake off some of the extra pounds I put on from the last month of work. The stress less month has rendered me a bit rounder and it's not just my mum who's complaining I'm plump. *wink wink*

Back to the review, this is the first book that I've read from Vern Poythress. I've read it quite some time ago, and only decided to write the review now to summarize some things that I've learnt from it so far.

Poythress is generally very clear with his literary work, and it is an enjoyable read. The book starts off with a group discussion on how one should interpret the Bible. As expected, the group wandered off aimlessly because without a clear foundation, one can interpret the Bible to say whatever one wants to say.

It is thus the book's aim to argue on how the Bible is indeed an divine instrument of communication and how Biblical interpretation should be centered on God. As a beginner's book, it aims to provide the very foundation for us to interpret the Bible so that we can better understand what God is saying to us at our current generation. Poythress is also at home when venturing into technical depths of linguistics, terms and meanings of language in general, and he brings in fresh perspectives on how one should be firmly grounded in the orthodoxy of Christian interpretation.

True to a reformer, Poythress drives home the point on Creator - creature distinction on interpretation. Human are not only sinful after the fall, but we are by nature, finite. It is thus important for us to admit that our works and knowledge will never be the same as our Creator's, and our interpretation will always fall short of the perfect understanding like that of Jesus and the Father in John 17.

Ultimately, interpretation, like all other human endeavor, is in need of redemption by Christ. It is only through the active participation of the Holy Spirit that we are able to understand the Bible, and in fact, everything at all. The book has other discussions by fictional Christian characters who differ in their way of interpretations.

It is a thought provoking book, and one read is not enough to capture the essence that the author has poured into the paperback.

On Teaching

I came here with the intention of posting another book review, but instead I shall let my mind flow for this time.

I believe that there is a rule at work when it comes to learning and teaching. When the transaction in the form of a lesson is taking place, the learner is as important as the teacher.

Granted, a great teacher will inspire and arouse the interest of his students, like Jesus. But even Jesus preached to many deaf ears, with only a handful of disciples in need of tuition for 40 days before the Ascension.

The point I want to make is this: we are shifting responsibilities (and blame) everywhere but ourselves. We go for a course, didn’t get anything out of it – course lecturer has no content. We go for music lesson, didn’t know how to play well – music teacher incompetent. We go for sermon, slept – pastor uninteresting. I’m not a saint in this as well, and I’m writing this to remind myself of my flaws. Effective learning needs diligent work and the correct attitude. We failed many times to ask ourselves what we should be doing when learning, but instead we expect some magic pill to grant us immediate mastery effortlessly.

The reason I wrote this is because students who thinks there’s a magic pill somewhere irritates the heck out of a teacher. If there really is a magic pill, it lies in the form of prayers and a lot of sacrifices. The disciples probably got the most magic pill-ish understanding on Pentecost, but that is not without prayers and God’s sovereignty. Their sacrifices thereafter would be an understatement if I describe them here.

I used to give some guitar lessons, but I got quite fed up with people wanting to practice 1-2 hours a week and expecting to play like Steve Vai. When it dawns on them that it’s not going to happen, they give up. Plain and simple. It maybe my fault – uninspiring, uninteresting,  nothing but tedium involved. But that’s how you gain – repeating and practicing over and over again despite all the drills.

Which brings me back to the initial rule – that the learner is as important as the teacher. It is my hope that when I teach, I can inspire and arouse at least a hint of interest, but it is my prayer that the learners come prepared.

How to Read A Book

It’s been quite a while since I’ve written reviews on anything at all. I figured that since I’m reading on a rather consistent basis now, I’d start writing some book summaries, so as to keep my mind sharp and to keep the posts coming.

Our journey then, starts with something with a hint of irony. It’s a book to teach you how to read a book. Upon reading it though, rather than being ironical, it becomes very practical because the author urges you to practice with the book itself – from reading the content page to reading the bibliography. Written in simple plain English, the book aims to provide a guideline so that the reader can get their most out of any book, be it for information or for understanding.

As a philosopher and an educator, Adler is brilliant in organizing the levels of reading and communicating the important essences in reading a book intelligently. Adler stimulates reader into asking important questions when reading a book, and how these questions are tweaked when the reader is faced with any genre of book.

Besides understanding how to read a book, the author also encourages reader to be demanding in coming to terms with the author, summarizing to perceive the unity and diversity of the book, owning the books by making small notes and understanding how the book impact our lives. Most of all, it is imperative for a reader to know that one must be active and there is a price to pay in order to understand any book, more so for good books.

If you truly want to get the most out of any book, but you find yourself staring at it, finishing it without truly understanding what it means and what you should do, this is the book for you. It is not a magic pill, but it is a good start.

Lin-sanity

To be honest, when I first saw the video of Lin against Nets with his 25 points, my reaction was – lucky kid. I was quite surprise there was no big hoo-ha over an Asian dude in NBA prior to his Nets win, and was just thinking that it probably was just a fluke streak.

Turns out it was not a fluke streak.

This guy’s the real deal. For four days in a row, I watched the NBA highlights – not because I intentionally visit the NBA site, but because my Facebook was flooded with either Jeremy Lin or Whitney Houston. When the 38 point victory over Lakers came, it struck home. This Chinese dude can play basketball – and he can play it well. A bit ironical as I believe that the icon for basketball pop culture was Slam Dunk, but the guy to actually realize it is Jeremy Lin, not Jeremy Nagasato or something.

Well you can argue that maybe it’s precisely because he’s an Asian, that’s why he’s garnering all the attention he has right now. Just to ground ourselves in reality, the last time someone obtain stats like Jeremy, that ‘someone’ was LeBron James. I’m pretty sure everybody knows who LeBron James is, and I’m pretty sure that everyone knows who Jeremy Lin is right now – they are on the same skill page.

What struck me more was that he’s a devout Christian, not just an average churchgoer, but someone who puts God ahead of his life. In an age like this, ingenious sportsmen and devout Christians stand almost on complete antithetical grounds – just look at the football players. In a way, the temptation is humungous – fame, money, women, fans… it’s like the world at your fingertips. If one is not grounded firmly in truth and faith, one will be drift wood in the tide.

That’s also why I said a prayer for Lin that night I read his story, and I hope to remember this brother in Christ in my prayers all the time. God is the God of basketball. It is in His sweet pleasure that He endows Lin with such skills, and such humility that all glory might be for Him.

Soli Deo Gloria.

God’s Fireworks

I was on the way back from Sydney when I passed this humongous cumulonimbus somewhere in the Indonesian islands.

The scenes of peaceful cirrus far below the wings are much more familiar, but this brings about the thought of God’s grandeur and that the heavens, truly, declare the wonder of our God.

Messiah No. 1-4

Recently I've discovered a very nice series of Messiah uploaded on youtube and would like to share here on my blog. It's in the 1980s, but the quality is nothing short of pristine. Some note worth mentioning is the King's college choir, consisting of boy sopranos, countertenors, tenors and basses, essentially all men - very sweet and light combination indeed.

This is but the first scene of the very first part of Messiah, and it tells of the fulfilment of the prophecies in the old testament, particularly the prophet Isaiah at this instant:

"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished,
that her iniquity is pardoned:
for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway
for our God.

Every valley shall be exalted,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low:
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough places plain:

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together:
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."

Isaiah 40: 1-5

The first scene consists of the Overture, the very gentle recitative vv1-3, the aria v4 and finally the chorale singing through v5.

Isaiah 40 is recognised as the turning point in the book of Isaiah - that the Lord no longer calls down judgement to the people of Israel, but calls them back to Him. Isaiah's tone changes from confrontation to assurance, with the Lord promising a Messiah that will one day come and display His glory to all the people. Verse 3 is later cited in the gospels of Matthew and Luke on John the Baptist as the one preparing the way, and pointing thus towards Jesus Christ the Messiah.

I have not included the lyrics of the last part of the video as it is part of Scene 2 (No.5).