Quote on Tough Love

*A life with love has some thorns, but a life without love has no roses.*

Hiding Behind Job Titles

I received the latest issue of NUSS Annual Report. They sent it all the way to Vancouver. Glad for that. As I was flipping through the pages, I paused to look at a photo on the networking pages. In that photo, there were 3 gentlemen, looking intently into the namecards that they have received from each other. I remember the kind of typical behaviour in the business world:

"Hi, I am Bob."
"Hi, I am Paul."
Bob: Paul, What do you do?
Paul: I am a Managing Director of ABC Multinational corporation.
Bob: I am the General Manager of XYZ Bank.
Paul: So what do you do at the bank?
Bob: I manage staff, ..........

Why am I uncomfortable about it? It is not because of their job. It is not because of their status. It is also not because of the desire to want to network with different people. It is basically the concern that people's identity are so intertwined into their careers that the moment their job is gone, so does the identity. It is a very common practice for people to be sharing more about their work, what they do, rather than who they are. I guess, hiding behind job titles, job descriptions is far easier than about sharing about ourselves. John Powell's observation in his book: "Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am?" exposed the human tendency to want to feel good, to want to look good, and the need to be likeable. Powell's book listed the reason why people hide themselves behind the titles and the work they do.

"I am afraid to tell you who I am, because, if I tell you who I am, you may not like who I am, and it's all that I have."

That book was written in 1969. It is still very true today. Networking gatherings are increasingly not for me, especially when they resemble masquerade parties.

kianseng

More Photos from yesterday's gathering (courtesy of Hai Yang)

An After-meal chat. 


Group Photo 3 


Group Photo 2 

SEA + Friends Gathering - 22 Apr 2006

We had a wonderful gathering this Saturday with a couple of South East Asians + friends. Represented were people from Philippines, India, Japan, Switzerland, UK, Canada, and of course Singapore and Malaysia. We wanted the occasion to be able to say goodbye to KC/Sophia and Alvin/Fern but they did not turn up. So we did what was the next best thing. We eat. We talk. We laughed. We prayed.

Hwee Yang prepared two braised ducks complete with sambal and duck sauce. Sid made casserole. Michael brought ice-cream and Elaine brought roast pork. Hai Yang and Hwee Choo brought their famous Sayur Lodeh + banana cake. Priscilla came with her sister Pat who was visiting from Adelaide. They cooked fried bee-hoon, complete with the famous Vietnamese chilli sauce. There were also spring rolls, fruits and other delicacies. Izumi, Yuki, Sara and Cornelia add to our joy with their presence. Even Professor Donald Lewis came down from his office amidst his busy work to eat with us, albeit the leftovers.


Food Galore as usual. 

What made this gathering an amazing surprise was despite us not knowing what the rest are bringing, we brought our food by faith and there was no duplication of food.


Not many people at 12PM. Rubber time lah. Most arrived by 12.30PM 


Group Photo. Smile! 

Cheers to a end of Winter term 2006 and we look forward to an exciting summer school.

Regent College - Soul of Ministry

Fascinating.

Years ago, one Christian college embarked upon the vision of establishing closer links for Inter-Varsity fellowship. That college is Regent College.

Regent College, became well known for its awesome summer courses, which attracted top faculty like JI Packer, John Stott, Alistair McGrath, Eugene Peterson, Larry Crabb, Bruce Waltke, Marva Dawn, Luci Shaw, Gordon Fee, Gordon Smith and many others.

Then one college bucked the trend, of becoming the un-seminary at a time where most seminaries train people only for the 'Full-Time' Christian ministry, to be one that trains people for all vocations, both marketplace as well as Christian organizations. That college is Regent College who became world famous (Thanks to Dr Paul Stevens and many others), for its marketplace ministries.

Now Regent College has re-aligned its focus again. This time, to address the high fallout of graduates from pastoral ministry, embarking upon a very rare initiative, THE SOUL OF MINISTRY. The purpose is to help MDiv candidates at Regent College to address more adequately the areas of spiritual discernment and emotional well-being.

Check out this great web site offered by Regent.

http://www.pastorcare.net

I am looking forward to this amazing initiative for the next intensive 2 weeks of studying together and grouping together with all the MDiv students currently at Regent College. Regent is not a perfect place but it is certainly a place that constantly seeks to improve itself aggressively for the sake of the Christian witness to the world. Not for vain glory, but for the glory of God.

kianseng

Flowers fade.....

This is the same tree about 2 weeks later. The flowers have mostly fallen off, after a period of bright bloom. Reminds me of Isa 40:8-9.  


April 8th photo. 


Fallen flowers on the grass. Lots of them! 
ISA 40:7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.

ISA 40:8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever.

Life is short. The flowers themselves tell a story. We too are like the flowers blooming for a season before our flowers of vanity will drop off. Let the logos be in our minds. Let the Torah to be in our foreheads. Let the Word be in our hearts. For that is eternal.

kianseng

Ps 23 Recitation

Mishmor leDawid.......... Memorising Ps 23 in Hebrew.... Recitation test tomorrow.......

Looks like Philadelphus, vanilla beauty.