Atonement

A thin haze blew in from the ocean, hiding the mainland behind a veil of gauze. Aunt Flo grew quiet; she sat on the windward deck beside me and looked over the water toward the dim and fading shore. After a while she tiurned toward me and asked, "The word atonement - do you know what it means?"

"It means to atone for your sins. To make amends for your wrongs." I had given her a quick response, mouthing empty words, because I thought that was what she wanted to hear.

"No," she said,"it means at-one-ment - to be at one with God."

I was dumbfounded by the way she broke the syllables down; I thought she was toying with words, playing silly parlor game. But my mind wouldn't let go of what she said, and the more I thought about at-one-ment as opposed to atonement, the more her insight appealed to me.

Years later, I discovered the concept wasn't originated from Aunt Flo. Rabbis often refer to at-one-moment during Yom Kippur, the hi.gh holy Day of Atonement for Jews.

~ "First You Have to Row a Little Boat" by Richard Bode

The Vocation of Being Right and Being Relevant

There are many reasons that we are in this financial crisis. One is the challenge of the vocation of being right and being relevant.

As a member of church, having attended church services over 10 years, the question sometimes at the back of my mind is “Why do people come to church, so patiently and so persistently weeks after weeks, yet somewhat know something is amiss within their them, within church and the Services?”

This is a question the clergy and the leaders of the church need some consideration and owe a reply “Are we giving them THAT?”

THAT is
- The image one has when we mention church or going to church.
- The image one has when we mention the word “Priest”, “Father”, “Pastor”.

What is the image one has when we mention “church” or “coming to church”?
What is the image one has when we mention the word “Priest”, “Father”, “Pastor”?

Ask again, ask again, ask again, ask until they really think about what they say
- a very different set of replies may emerge. What we have initially sought but lost along the way, before we were “influenced”.

Weeks after weeks despite feeling a little amiss, I come seeking solace with God, in God. (We are not arguing “God is everywhere”). When I see my “Priest”, “Father”, “Pastor”, I want to a man of God, bearing the image of God – in him I see God and find solace in his words, in his actions.

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."


The calling of being right and being relevant – it is required of all of us, not just the clergymen.

So, likewise, savings should be safe.

(Coincidentally, there is an article on Straits Time today “Church pastors like none other - They have built their churches from scratch into two of the richest and biggest in Singapore." There maybe or may not be connection between the two articles as I have not read the other.)

Wander, Wonder, Wonder

A woman in a coma was dying. She suddenly had a feeling that she was taken up to heaven and stood before the Judgement Seat.



"Who are you?" a Voice said to her.

"I'm the wife of the mayor." she replied.

"I did not ask you whose wife you are but who you are."

"I'm the mother of four children."

"I did not ask whose mother you are, but who you are."

"I'm a school teacher."

"I did not ask you what your profession is but who you are."



And so it went. No matter what she replied, She did not seem to give a satisfactory answer to the question. "Who are you?"



"I'm a Christian."

"I did not ask what your religion is but who you are."

"I'm the one who went to church every day and always helped the poor and needy."

"I did not ask you what you did but who you are."



She evidently failed the examination for she was sent back to earth. When she recovered from her illness she determined to find out who she was. And that made all the difference.



~ The Prayer of the Frog (Anthony de Mello)



Exodus 33

Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."


The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"



My PRESENCE will go with you, and I will give you REST.

Testimony - Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.

At church, we are encouraged to give testimonies in the presence of fellow brothers and sisters, to give account of God's goodness in our lives.
Sometimes we have embarrassing moments when pastor gives an invitation to the congregation to come up to share a testimony and no one comes forward. Everyone either browses through the bulletin, pretends to pray, looks to the floor and gives those non-eye contact glares.

How come? What is a testimony? Is it a circumstance-based, an event-triggered happening in OUR LIVES, and God responded with some other (nice) happenings towards it? Is it a chain of "active" happenings or a "passive" discovery?

The woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"

Nothing seems happening here.

Popped!

Recently I had an issue with a church friend, and thank God we have resolved it between ourselves. No need for pastors, church elders or other church friends.

It started after I was late for my ushering duty at church. After that incident, at times, when I arrived at Service, I received the remark "How come you are not late?"
That upset me greatly and I was filled with frustrations and angry thoughts throughtout Service. And I was thinking "Now, all my preparations for Service are gone. This person has just spolit it all for me." And I ended up feeling shitty about being shitty over the whole thing.

Such preparation!
"God I want to worhsip you, I prepared myself to worship you. But that person! That one remark just vaporised everything."
What a prideful preparation, which cannot even withstand a petty prick.

Hey you people! Can you please stop your endless chatters behind there! I am trying to worship God in front here! And I cannot do it with the echoes of your chat, up there in my mind.

Revelation, Recognition and Response

Riddle is meant to be deciphered and Mystery is meant to be revealed.

Is God a riddle or a mystery?
To give God consideration or to make God comprehension?

Revelation <-> Recognition <-> Response

All have been sufficiently revealed but not all have sufficiently responsed.
For lack of sufficient recognition?

10 Things to Invest In

I am making up a list of 10 (?) recommendations for investment and definitely I hope to make something out of it.
Invest In

1) The Missing Link of Singapore Education system

2) A "Retire Into" Job

3) Knowing yourself

4) A mini library to grow old with

5) A period of economically non-productivity

6) ...

7) ...

8) ...

9) ...

1o) ...