Thursday, March 27, 2008

Thursday, March 13, 2008

"I am Republican!"

And guess what? Brothers got my supports ~ subports ~ sub-worts! Ahem, yes, I am well aware that pastors ought not to be political ~ "we can change, yes we can." Peace. Honestly, I like him solely becuase he is black . . . not because he is not qualified, nor because of his differing values and theological convictions . . . I just like him because he's a brother. Is that really fair?



Postscript: Another video was made by will.i.am & company . . . "we are the ones" ~ google this video and you'll find an incredibly wide spectrum of opposing responses.



The last president who spoke like this was JFK ~ charismatic, a master "wordsmith". I wanna see where Obama takes us (think "Obamanation"). Unfortunately, someone who would rather speak and open "more" dialogue with the likes of Iran and North Korea might end up bringing it down to the line. I think that's what happen when JFK "talked" to the Soviets . . . we had nukes parked offshore from Florida. Yeah I know, that was a different time . . . but it sure feels the same today. Am I the only one who recognizes that liberalism flourishes in the industrialized nations? How then would the Obama negotiate with the fundamentalist regimes of N. Korea and Iran . . . with his liberal rhetoric? Supporting Obama is like supporting the slow death of our nation . . . "go ahead wit'cho selves."

Men Who Have Made a Profound Impact on Me

I have spent a considerable time the past year wondering "how in the heck did I come to be this way?" Well, with some reflection and thought, I felt that it would be good for me to put forth a short list (I hope) of names that I find myself either quoting or referencing (i.e. benchmarking or compare/contrasting and against/from):

- Rev. Bob Wiebe (retired, pre-Charter RCMP 25-year veteran, 2nd career minister with the C&MA, worked "homicide" among the toughest Indian Reserves in Canada, my mentor and former regional developer of the Western Canadian District of the C&MA, the toughest man I know)

- My Father (an old school Chinese church planter/pastor who "walks slowly and carries a big stick", God-fearing, well-versed in the old ways of the motherland, grew up fatherless, attended Alliance Bible Seminary in HK; Canadian Theological Seminary in Regina, SK, currently running with the name "Ambrose Seminary"; Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL; International Theological Seminary in Los Angeles, CA)

- Uncle Jack Yee (my god-father, a "man's man", taught me to "roll with the punches", self-made, self-taught, from GED to University he pushed himself, from sweat shop to one of the "O.G." supers at BART, taught me the ways of the Giants and Niners, a pillar at SFCAC - deacon for life, though we don't see each other as often now when we do there is always "the nod of acknowledgement")

- Rev. "Uncle" Louie Mar (my 2nd Dad, retired ATF special agent, 2nd career minister/missionary/church planter, taught me to love people and repent, showed me the value of transparency in leadership and accountability, softened my heart to see things "with the eyes of Jesus")

- Brian McLaren (helped me re-locate Jesus and re-imagine my journey with Jesus, gave me words to articulate my frustration, taught me the value of existing and embracing liminal space, introduced me to systems thinking)

- Dr. Stanley Grenz (rescued me from the Gen-X confusion and exposed the seismic postmodern shift in culture, connected with me using Star Trek Next-Gen speak, taught me to graciously appreciate different theological positions, introduced me to theological thinking, passed on the mantle of "post-everthings" to me ~ Leslie Newbigen, Frost & Hirsch)

- Dr. Tim Keller (taught me the gospel and the pastoral task of finding Jesus in everything, introduced me to biblical theology, passed on the wisdom of Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones to me, taught me "generous humility", taught me how to preach)

- Dr. John Piper (taught me God's sovereign grace, passed on the wisdom ~ "religious affecftions" ~ Jonathan Edwards and the Puritans to me, taught me pastoral authority and pastoral humility in ministry, taught me why I should preach)

- Dr. R.C. Sproul (taught me to think deeper theologically - systematically and biblically, connected me with the early church fathers, taught me the importance of doctrine and orthodoxy, taught me weird Latin terms, made me passionate about "doctrine and life", taught me the weight of a sermon, passed on the wisdom of Augustinian Orthodoxy, John Calvin and the reformers to me)

- Dr. John C. Maxwell (taught me that Wesleyan-Ariminians do truly love Jesus, set the standard and bones of organizational management and leadership, the ebb and flow of trajectory-oriented leadership, the art of "keeping it together", passed on the wisdom of UCLA's Coach John Wooden to me)

- Mark Driscoll & Company (taught me to love the Bible, to love Jesus, to love my wife, to love my family, to love the people Jesus would love, to love the handful of "!@#$%*@#$@s" at my previous church, contextualized pastoral boldness and prophetic ministry, taught me the spirituality of the UFC ~ which I've always been acutely aware of, gave me clarity and direction in the ambiguity and blur that the Pacific Northwest culture is so fond of embracing and espousing)

There are definately other names that I could add to this list: my current senior pastor (a leadership guru), Rev. Daniel Cheung (my sifu/mentor/guide/Yoda figure), Dr. David Wells (who taught me the difference between technique and theology), Dr. Samuel Ling (who clarified my Chinese/American confusion), Rev. Jack To (my homeboy and sounding board currently in San Diego), and Mr. Chuck Johnson (my grade 8 social studies, softball coach, and pro "tough love" advocate).

Canada's 10 most dangerous cities include 5 in B.C., says Maclean's

Maclean's has come up with a list of the 10 most dangerous cities in Canada (pop. 50,000 or more) based on 2006 per capita crime rates. It might surprise you. Five of the top 10 cities are in B.C., although Vancouver comes in at a surprisingly low No. 9. The others are Prince George (4), New Westminster (6), Chilliwack (7) and Victoria (8). Regina tops the list, although it was in a virtual dead heat with Saskatoon and Winnipeg. Only one eastern city, Halifax, made the top 10. The study took into account six types of crimes: murder, sexual assault, aggravated assault, robbery, breaking and entering, and auto theft. According to Maclean's, the break-and-enter rates in Chilliwack and Victoria would put them among the top 10 per cent of all American cities.

What? No mention of Surrey? Gheesh! Actually, I must admit that Surrey is quite the pleasant place to live ~ currently the reigning "Culture Capital of Canada."

Here's the top 10:

1. Regina
2. Saskatoon
3. Winnipeg
4. Prince George
5. Edmonton
6. New Westminster
7. Chilliwack
8. Victoria
9. Vancouver
10. Halifax

What do you think?

The summary of the article is here and the orginal Maclean's link is here.