Music for Meditation

This is one of my favourite classical melodies. Written by a French musician named Erik Satie (1866-1925) at the age of 22, the "Trois Gymnopedies" is a series of three piano pieces that have a slow, intentional, and melodious manner that aids reflection and careful thinking.

Here is a Youtube rendition.




Here is a shorter version.





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Euro 2016 TV Schedule (Canada TSN - Group Stage)

Here is the tentative list of TSN Schedule. For updates, click here. All times North America Pacific.

EURO 2016 SCHEDULE (NORTH AMERICA PACIFIC TIME)

(Picture Credit: thevpnguru.com)

Click here to see times in Asia-Pacific.

Midweek Meditation: "Our Deepest Fear"

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are  powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others." (Marianne Williamson)

BookPastor >> "A Vision for Preaching" (Abraham Kuruvilla)

This review was first published on Jan 4th, 2016 at Panorama of a Book Saint. 

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TITLE: A Vision for Preaching: Understanding the Heart of Pastoral Ministry
AUTHOR: Abraham Kuruvilla
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015, (214 pages).

Three words anchor this book: "Preach the Word." The purpose is to let the Word shine in this world biblically, pastorally, amid an "alchemical and distillatory tendencies of this generation." This means not submitting to humanistic desires for newness but to re-tell God's story faithfully regardless of old or new. This means not succumbing to tendencies to reduce to Word to what it is not, but let the Word speak clearly, insightfully, and powerfully. As far as the author is concerned, it involves eight questions based on eight preaching thrusts:

1. Whose words were these words originally? (Biblical)
2. Who said it? (Pastoral)
3. In what context? (Ecclesial)
4. What should these words convey? (Communicational)
5. What is the general thrust of the text? (Theological)
6. Who was the audience? (Applicational)
7. Why was it said? (Conformational)
8. To what ultimate end? (Doxological)
9. By whose power? (Spiritual)

All of these are summarized in one vision statement: "Preaching is biblical (Biblical) - by a leader of the church (Pastoral) - in a gathering of Christians for worship (Ecclesial) - is the communication of the thrust of a pericope of Scripture (Communicational) - discerned by theological exegesis, (Theological) - and of its application to that specific body of believers, (Applicational) - that they may be conformed to the image of Christ, (Conformational) - for the glory of God (Doxological) - all in the power of the Holy Spirit (Spiritual)."

"Lord Have Mercy" (Slater Armstrong)

This is a beautiful meditative song from Slater Armstrong.

LORD HAVE MERCY (G)Words by: Steve Merkel
Sung by: Slater Armstrong

Verse 1:
Jesus, I've forgotten the words that You have spoken
Promises that burned within my heart have now grown dim
With a doubting heart I follow the paths of earthly wisdom
Forgive me for my unbelief
Renew the fire again

Chorus:
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on me
Repeat

Verse 2:
I have built an altar where I worship things of men
I have taken journeys that have drawn me far from You
Now I am returning to Your mercies ever flowing
Pardon my transgressions
Help me love You again

Repeat Chorus

Verse 3:
I have longed to know You and Your tender mercies
Like a river of forgiveness ever flowing without end
I bow my heart before You in the goodness of Your presence
Your grace forever shining
Like a beacon in the night

Repeat Chorus 2x

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A Child's Changing Perceptions of Their Dads Over the Years

This is a delightful chart that shows the changing perceptions of dads from the eyes of their child at different ages. It's adapted from an article here.

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Midweek Meditation: "God's Love Letter For You"

This is a well made video based on Ps 139 and other Bible verses. It's a nice slide by slide reflection of God's Word.


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