Why I wish I was home
Bradd Pitt madness!
(Photo by wvs)
Huge crowd waiting for hours for the arrival of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The screening of Pitt’s latest movie, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was at Elgin Visa Screening Room as part of 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.
Confessions of a Reticent Seminarian
This past Labor Day weekend was the least productive weekend so far in my seminarian career. Whereas I usually spend about four hours reading/studying each day on the weekend, I was barely able to spend two hours reading on Saturday and Sunday, if it all. And thus, Monday was spent playing catchup to all that I should have read. That was not fun, and still, I didn’t get all caught up.
But I’m working on it now. Yes, and it’s killing me :S
I didn’t spend an overt amount of time hanging out with friends, though when I did (i.e. the entire Sunday night) I did feel guilty. It was a much needed break from work, but still I didn’t get all that I wanted to get done.
Why? I spent too much time napping, checking Facebook, feeds, emails, Flickr photos, napping, and checking Facebook again and more feeds — mindlessly, not purposefully; not really doing anything. Subsequently, I haven’t been studying enough, reading my Bible enough, praying enough or journaling or blogging enough. The last journal entry in my Moleskine lists Sept 2 as the date; my last real blog entry as Sept 1. That’s just unacceptable! Where have I been? What have I been doing?
Why has all this been happening? Because I am homesick. I just admitted it to a seminarian friend a few hours ago. Moping around, napping, doing nothing: I confess, it is because I miss home, for I have never lived away from home for school before. And while I honestly do not feel like I miss home, my lack of motivation to study seems to be due to nothing else other than homesickness! I see no other possible reasons.
So if you are reading this, please pray for me. That I would be driven to glorify God by diligently studying & doing my spiritual disciplines consistently; and be rid of this weird unmanly feeling! And if you could leave a comment about doing so, that would be of great encouragement to me!
Time to get back to Baby Greek:( Thanks for your prayers.
SDG
Tabula Rasa
There was a time not long ago that I subconsciously thought that coming to Southern Seminary and moving to Louisville would be the answer to all my problems. Not that I have any significant problems in my life or traumatizing issues to deal with, but I am sure there was a part of me that hoped to run away from those unresolved concerns that plague my sinful heart. Those who truly know me know that I am mature enough not to start seminary with such a mentality, and that is why in the months leading up to my start at Southern I had actively sought to die to such sinful, unhelpful, futile thoughts.
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The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious
This morning at the beginning of Dr. Moore’s Systematic Theology I class, many classmates shared prayer requests for various bad things that were happening to them or their family; much personal calamity and hardship being suffered. So in light of that and just hearing of some recent news, I have a prayer request:
Pray for my close friend back home in Toronto. She got hit between the eyes with a softball on Saturday; there’s a swelling under her eyes, possibility of a broken nose and internal bleeding. She can see, but she’s in pain (though mostly emotional)… and would welcome the prayers of seminarians and saints who read this blog. May the Lord bring healing upon her, to give her strength and peace, to see Christ’s hand at work in her time of suffering.
We read the following passage this morning in class. It was related to our call to Christo-centric study of theology, but it was heart-wretchingly appropriate in these times…
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
Severe Weather Alert
The Weather Channel keeps on telling me there’s a Severe Weather Alert going on!
…Heat advisory remains in effect until 8 pm edt /7 pm cdt/ this evening…
Temperatures from the upper 90s to around 100 will combine with high relative humidity to create heat index values from 104 to 112 degrees into early evening.
A heat advisory is issued when a period of hot temperatures is expected to combine with high humidity to create dangerously hot outdoor conditions.
Drink plenty of water…stay in an air conditioned room…wear light colored…light weight clothing…stay out of the sun…and check up on the very young…elderly and pets. Never leave children or pets in an enclosed vehicle.
Those working outdoors this afternoon should reduce their activity…take more frequent breaks…and drink plenty of water. Also wear a high spf sunscreen to avoid sunburn. When possible… Reschedule work during the coolest time of the day.
Alarms Blaring
(More photos here)
Another hot day in Louisville, Kentucky here!
After my family left back for Toronto this morning at 7am, I went back to my room to catch a few more hours of sleep. Then I started the long process of settling in and organizing my room. I’ve moved big empty cardboard boxes out of my room, but I still have a lot to organize. I had lunch with a floormate from down the hall; he’s Malaysian and he’s here to do his PhD in church music/worship. He kindly invited me to have lunch with him; he cooked cabbage porridge and we shared that together over some good conversations about our ministry callings.
Later that afternoon, I got my picture taken for my photoID, and met up with a fellow new M.Div/School of Theology student I met through Facebook. I had Desiring God books sent to his mailbox earlier to hold on for me, and we finally met up so I could take those off of him. We had a really good two hour conversation about church, theology, and ministry, and he invited me to join him for a Bible study tomorrow night at 9th and O Baptist Church. Looking forward to that 
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Arrived Alive
Hello y’all!
While most of my brothers and sisters from my home church are away to Oakville, Ontario for the church summer conference, I am in Louisville, KY with my parents and sister. I’m moving in this weekend into my dorm room — purposed to spend the next 3yrs pursuing a Master of Divinity at Southern Seminary.
Thirteen Hours
I must say, it was a long 13 hour drive in from Toronto to Louisville. We left home late this morning, just before 9am. Crossing the Ambassador Bridge at Windsor/Detroit took over an hour! We started waiting in line to cross the bridge at ~12:40pm and didn’t cross it until almost 2pm. And then at Customs, I had to wait in line for almost an hour, waiting to get my Visa (I-20) processed and get an extra card stuck to my passport to prove my status as a student.
Thus, we didn’t leave Customs until like 3pm! LOL Talk about a long day of waiting:S Since we were delayed so much already, we ended up picking up Wendy’s along the way and ate in the car while driving down I-75… all 30 pieces of chicken nuggets that is!
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Goodbye to you
This is it. I’ll be on my way to Louisville by the time this is posted.
Goodbye to you, by Michelle Branch.
Of all the things I’ve believed in
I just want to get it over with
Tears form behind my eyes but I do not cry
Counting the days that pass me byI’ve been searching deep down in my soul
Words that I’m hearing are starting to get old
Feels like I’m starting all over again
The last three years were just pretend
And I said**
Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold on toI still get lost in your eyes
and it seems that I can’t live a day without you
Closing my eyes and you chase my thoughts away
To a place where I am blinded by the light but it’s not right **And it hurts to want everything
and nothing at the same time
I want what’s yours and I want what’s mine
I want you but I’m not giving in this time **And when the stars fall I will lie awake
You’re my shooting star
Piper responds to Minneapolis Bridge collapse
Pastor John Piper blogs about the bridge collapse:
At about 6 PM tonight the bridge of Interstate 35W over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed. I am writing this about three hours after the bridge fell. The bridge is located within sight of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Most of us who minister at the church cross this bridge several times a week. At this point I don’t know if any staff was on the bridge. Desiring God offices are about a mile from the bridge.
There are no firm facts at this point about the total number of injuries and fatalities. When we crossed the bridge Tuesday on our way out of town, there was extensive repair work happening on the surface of the bridge with single lane traffic. One speculates about the unusual stresses on the bridge with jackhammers and other surface replacement equipment. This was the fortieth anniversary of the bridge.
Pastor John then gives some timely reflections…
All of us have sinned against God, not just against man. This is an outrage ten thousand times worse than the collapse of the 35W bridge. That any human is breathing at this minute on this planet is sheer mercy from God. God makes the sun rise and the rain fall on those who do not treasure him above all else. He causes the heart to beat and the lungs to work for millions of people who deserve his wrath. This a view of reality that desperately needs to be taught in our churches, so that we are prepared for the calamities of the world.
The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that John Piper is a sinner and should repent or forfeit his life forever. That means I should turn from the silly preoccupations of my life and focus my mind’s attention and my heart’s affection on God and embrace Jesus Christ as my only hope for the forgiveness of my sins and for the hope of eternal life. That is God’s message in the collapse of this bridge. That is his most merciful message: there is still time to turn from sin and unbelief and destruction for those of us who live. If we could see the eternal calamity from which he is offering escape we would hear this as the most precious message in the world.
Read Piper’s entire blog post here.
Things Missing
I cannot find a book that’s supposed to be on my bookshelf: John Piper’s God’s passion for His glory: living the vision of Jonathan Edwards. I don’t think I gave it away as a gift, but I really want to bring it to Louisville. If you borrowed it or if I gave it to you as a gift, let me know. I’ll just get myself another copy. It’s a great book that features Piper’s commentary on Edwards’ The End for Which God Created the World.
Speaking of which, I will be leaving Toronto this Saturday, August 4 by 8am. My parents & sister will be driving me down to Louisville (well, I’ll mostly be driving actually!). Just before arriving in Louisville, I’ll be stopping in Cincinnati to pick up a MacBook from the Apple store;-) And my family will be with me to check out the city until they leave Tuesday morning for the drive back to Toronto.
And since I’ll be away from Toronto just about indefinitely for the next 3 years at least, I’ve canceled my Toronto cell phone number. It is now officially inactive. I already have my Louisville mailing address and land-line phone#, so I’ll be sending that out very soon. (Or ask me, if you want it)
Anyways, if you have borrowed something of mine and have not returned it (books, cds, dvds, etc) — please return it to my sister / parents once their back in Toronto.
By His Grace and For His Glory
Sharing & Testimony of my Call to Ministry
I shared the following 10 minute speech with my home church’s English congregation this morning. May this piece of writing be an encouragement to you — wherever you may be on your spiritual journey.
DOWNLOAD & LISTEN:
My church has released the audio of my sharing on its website. Download the MP3 here, or just listen here:
Good morning brothers and sisters!
I address you today, not as someone who is any better or more holy – but as a sinner who has been saved by grace alone – a child of God who has been justified by faith in Christ’s substitutionary death on the Cross. You and me, we are very much alike, for I also am a Christian who struggles in this spiritual journey, and yet—I am preserved by the Holy Spirit to persevere on this mission to make much of Him who has died to make us righteous.
First off, I want to repent and apologize to you for my pride and arrogance. I think over the years, I’ve often said many things that I did not mean or intend to say, or mistakenly come off in the wrong way or have been misunderstood. I know I may often seem very dogmatic about doctrine and how church should be done. And for those times I have unlovingly criticized how or what we’ve done things here at Jaffray, I apologize. I just wish you could know and understand my heart and where I come from, and how much I do love this church…
That you could see what I see every time I have conversations about doctrine and theology, what I picture in my head when I think about the church in all its intended beauty, and why I would ever consider giving up my own career goals to serve the Body of Christ. For what fills my mind every time I think about “church” is Christ Jesus himself on the Cross — He who purchased the church with His very own blood.
As Martin Luther once said,
“This life, therefore, is not righteousness
but growth in righteousness,
… not being but becoming…
We are not yet what we shall be
but we are growing toward it.
The process is not yet finished but it is going on….”
So I hope you can bear with me, imperfect as I am, as I try to be more and more humble in this pilgrimage!
Writing, Packing, Working
Writing
I am finishing off the final touches for my sharing for the “commissioning” service at church, which is happening tomorrow. I’ve been typing out and editing the speech that I originally wrote in my journal, and the process is somewhat frustrating because I have so much to say and yet only 10 minutes to say it all. Here’s to speaking quickly!
Also, I say quote unquote “commissioning” because my pastor told me he’s changed the wording in tomorrow’s bulletin. Apparently, it’s not a “commissioing” service perse, and he’s not going to be giving me a “charge” but a “message” to encourage me personally during the English Service (not joint service, fyi). I really don’t want to care or make a big deal out of it, but as the first congregation member who has grown up in this church and is pursuing full-time ministry and seminary, I find that this will be a defining moment for Jaffray. As a church, how this send-off service is going to be conducted will create a precedence for how the church leadership treats future seminarians from the Jaffray’s own congregation.
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Under Construction
Please excuse the temporary ugliness & non-functionality of the site — I’m in the middle of some site upgrades/changes.
Update: it looks like I’ll be switching themes — off of K2 and the True Blue style (which I’ve been using since Feb), cause it’s too much work to keep it unbroken & working properly in all browsers. A new theme, right in time for my move to Louisville — w00t!
3 Things to Memorize, 3 Books to Read
3 things I must memorize asap (well, within the next 4 months):
- the names of the books of the Bible in order (and correctly spelled),
- the Ten Commandments (short version and in order), and
- the text of 1 Timothy 4:7,
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness.
and 1 Timothy 4:16,
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Plus, I must read these 3 books:
- Bunyan, John. Pilgrim’s Progress.
- Steer, Roger. George Müller Delighted in God! Tain, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2004.
- Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1991
And since I plan on attend Chapel faithfully throughout this semester for grade, I could additionally read for personal enjoyment:
- Packer, J. I. A Quest for Godliness. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 1990.
All this, just for the Personal Spiritual Disciplines (40150) course I am taking with Dr. Don Whitney every Wednesday this fall.
Ahh…. I should start studying
Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?
My sister and I had a bad argument about church on Sunday during lunch. We’ve reconciled about it a bit, but I’m sure she’s still a bit edge-y about it. It’s bothered her so much that she blogged about it. I don’t blame her; much of what she says is valid. Even though she doesn’t really understand where I come from every time I do open my mouth, I understand where she’s coming from — and it humbles me that I could very well be wrong a lot about the things I have complained about in the past.
I only wish she could see what I see every time I have theological conversations (arguments, really) about doctrine and theology, what I picture in my head when I think about the church in all its supposed beauty, why I would ever consider giving up my own selfish ambitions to live for and die for the Body: Christ on the Cross — He who purchased the church with His very own blood.
While my sister and I were not arguing about orthodoxy and heterodoxy, it is apt to quote a spiritual mentor of mine, Dr. John MacArthur, at this time. He recently tried answering this very question about unity between those who hold to historic Christian orthodoxy and biblical Christianity — and those who are aberrant and try to turn others away from truth. Here’s how Dr. MacArthur put it: (more…)
Rebuked of Legalism by Grace
When talking to anybody and everybody I meet that are more than just mere acquaintances, us seminarians/future pastors seem to be put on a holy pedestal — as if we are somehow better, more holy than everybody else. While it is true that those who teach will be judged with greater strictness (James 3), the preconception that we are more spiritual or holy is completely unfounded, for the only difference I know of between me and non-seminarians is the specific calling from God upon our lives. It is simply a different calling of vocation and life’s ministry.
Seminarians are human too; we make mistakes; we sin; we need to repent and ask for forgiveness from God like everybody else.
I was recently rebuked by a fellow brother in Christ of my carelessness in seeking to encourage and edify — unintentionally doing so at the wrong time, wrong place, with little love & gentleness, nor in much of a spirit of grace. Thank God for his correcting me of my wrong doing. It is indeed another reminder of what a sinner I am, one who is daily in need of the discipline of Christ’s grace in order to be convinced that I am His own — a saint.
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Fat Baptists?
The statistics previously reported by the Baptist Press were erroneous (Southern Baptists are 30 times more likely to be obese than non-Christians and are the most obese of any denomination studied in the United States). They have since edited and corrected the article to be a bit less detailed:
Baptists are more likely than people in other denominations and religious groups to be obese, according to a study released by Purdue University in 2006.
Hmm… must find the report for this study!
See also this Resolution on gluttony that did not make it to the floor for a vote at the 2007 SBC annual meeting.
You’re Invited
The following will be announced today, during the English and Cantonese services at my home church, Toronto Jaffray Chinese Alliance:
Our brother, Alex Leung, has been accepted into The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He will be leaving for Kentucky on August 5 in preparation for his M.Div studies in August. There will be a commissioning service next Sunday, July 29 (at 9am). Please come and join us to celebrate his new journey.
If you are free and have no ministry responsibilities on the 29th –you’re invited to share in this celebration with me
Please pray for me as I am preparing a 10 minute testimonial for that service, as well as packing up for the move to Louisville.
Raining Cats and Dogs
The weather outside my office right now: raining mad!
More…
Difficult
I am a hard man.
Sometimes very stubborn, hard to change in terms of opinion and viewpoint; often “difficult”. I am a difficult person to get through to, especially in terms of theology (well, if you are Arminian, Emerging, contemplative, or liberal, that is). The way my theology comes out of my mouth could very well be considered “conservative”. Maybe that is just my character, and how I process situations in life. I almost always need closure and conclusions to everything that I go or think through.
Where are the benefits?
So it seems, on my latest pay-stub it says that I have banked:
Sick Days: 13.50
Float Days: 2.00
13.5 days of paid sick days, and 2 days of floating vacation! I didn’t realize I had such days banked until now, but it’s about time I saw some real numbers! After 3 summers (~12 months) of civil service to this big’ole City of Toronto, there seems to be some benefit in working for a cas-strapped municipality like this one 
Disclaimer about Comments & Emails
I recently updated my About page with a link to a new Disclaimer page that has user expectations about comments and emails from you my blog readers. (HT to Said At Southern, as it borrows similar user expectations)
The most significant change is that from now on I expect all commentors to use their real name when commenting/emailing me (either in full or initial+name). Commenting by a nickname or anonymously (as seen in this recent post) creates a hostile environment where the commentor seems to be unopen to dialoging nor receiving correction or rebuke as they are hidden behind a smokescreen.
From now on, anyone commenting anonymously or with a pseudonym may have their comments removed without notice. Hopefully, this would make my site here more dialogue friendly
For more info, please read the
Disclaimer about Comments/Emails
