On Politics—

“I don’t know if this sort of quiet, unsolicited honest can work in our rude, noisy politics, but it certainly is far more presidential than the dodging and fudging that you get from most candidates. It has been argued that Obama’s style is too cerebral, too elitist. That may be true. He assumes maturity in his audiences, in the press, that simply may not exist. But given the stakes in 2008, perhaps it’s time for all of us to grow up and meet the challenge of a difficult moment of our country.” – Joe Klein, Time Magazine, Nov 12, 2007

What really bothers/scares me about elections isn't the choice of candidates. Rather, it’s the people who are voting …it seems like more and more, elections end up becoming nothing more than a glorified popularity contests – candidates, desperately seeking votes from the people that they’ll do anything and say anything to satisfy the depraved hearts of the public. And what do people want? Almost all of them want their own peace and comfort, even at the expanse of seeking/choosing what is right. Conventional wisdom of doing the right thing is always hard thing seems to have disappeared in American public opinion. Well, after all, this society w/ loss of objective moral values, the only right thing is meeting the desires of individual. We all know that most Americans are addicted to TV, sold out to entertainment industry, consumed by consumerism, begging for the next jolt of visual shock treatment and stop at nothing to satisfy their selfish desires – and these are the very people who are electing our leaders and public officials…this is actually what scares me about United States…

if i can stop one heart from breaking

"If I can stop one heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain
If I can ease one life the aching
Or cool one pain
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again
I shall not live in vain" - Emily Dickinson

Worship Team Handbook—

“It is true we have a more diverse, more accessible range of music available to us now than ever before. But not all of what’s out there is deep. The power of new forms of worship is not their funky grooves. Some music reduces worship to the experience of a TV show theme song: It grabs your ear long enough to make an identity for itself and to hold your attention for sermon. We have to ask, is our approach to worship helping people to come to God, or is it merely catchy?”

Alison Siewert

Few criticisms I have for the modern, contemporary worship styles

1. They are commercial and reductionistic, to the point where some people would not feel they are in the environment of worship unless there are high level of noise, in the likeness some rock concerts.
2. They are too shallow – much of what I see and observe are replacing of style over substance. Music might sound great, to non-musicians. But for those w/ very discriminating ears, it’s not something they would pay money to listen.
3. There is very subtle and thin line between experiencing God’s presence and being caught up by emotional wave.

who's in control -

At first I saw God as my observer, my judge; keeping track of the things I did wrong so as to know whether I merit heaven or hell when I die. He was out there, sorta like the president – I recognized his picture when I saw it but I really didn’t know him. But later on when I met Christ, it seemed as though it was rather like a bike-ride. But it was a tandem bike and I noted that Christ was in the back, helping me pedal.

I don’t know just when it was, but he suggested we change places. And life has not been the same since. When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but it was predictable – it was the shortest points between two points. But when he took the lead, he knew the delightful longcuts. Up-mountains and thru-rocky places at breakneck speeds, it was all I could do to hang on. Even though it looked like madness, he said, ‘pedal! Pedal!’

I worried, I was anxious. And I asked, ‘Where? Where are you taking me?’

He laughed and didn’t answer. And I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into his adventure. And when I said, ‘I’m scared!’, he’d lean back and touch my hand. He took me to people w/ gifts I needed – gifts of healing and acceptance and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey – My Lord’s and mine. And we were off again.

He’d say, ‘give those gifts away now. They’re extra baggage – too much weight.’ So I gave to the people we met. But I found that in giving I received. And still our burden was light. I didn’t trust him at first, in control of my life; I thought he’d wreck it. But he knows the bike’s secrets – he knows how to make it bend, take sharp corners; he knows how to jump to clear high rocks. He even knows how to fly to shorten scary passages. Now I’m learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places and I’m beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face and my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ. And when I’m sure I just can’t do anymore, he just smiles and says, ‘Pedal! Pedal!

Quoted by, C. Swindoll

I worry when I—

Add: more things to the already full schedule; pressure to my image and reputation; your expectation to my agenda; when I have to live up to what you have to be – makes me angry.

Subtract: God’s presence for my crisis; his timing for my desires; prayer for my day; perspective from the moment of difficulty. – makes me doubt.

Multiply: my problems by inserting my solutions too rapidly, look for a way out instead of way thru; fears with my imagination [‘what if, but maybe’ statements] – makes me afraid.

Divide: life into the secular and sacred – makes me forget.

C. Swindoll