Saturday, February 28, 2009

My Top Bible Translations


Being Chinese this somehow makes more sense to me. I don't know where I learned this from, but essentially when looking at the endless number of bible translations available there are two things to consider. In the realm of translations there are a myriad of factors to consider when going from the original manuscript language (i.e. biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, or Classical Greek - none of which are used or spoken today; see? Just like Chinese) to whatever language you are translating to. Who is doing the translating? What theological persuasion do they represent? Are they just "hard-core ancient text geeks" or "diehard into Jesus"?

The two main considerations would be which translation would you require? The two main approaches to bible translation are "formal equivalence" and "dynamic equivalence". "Formal" would be your "word for word" or literal approach while "dynamic" would be your "thought for thought." I would argue that both approaches are quite useful for the serious bible student - "serious" would mean giving great care to being faithful to the original meaning and thought. Having said that, here are my picks for bible translations that I would use for bible study and sermon preparation:

Formal Equivalence:
English Standard Version
New American Standard Bible

Dynamic Equivalence:
New Living Translation (2nd Edition)
New International Version

I also keep a New Revised Standard Version around because my bible school professors prefer using it, while the "CEV - Contemporary English Version" would be the NRSV's "thought for thought" wingman which also maintains "gender sensitive" language. I also like the readability and flow of Eugene Peterson's "paraphrase" "The Message".

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

My music has slipped . . . and faded . . .

Here's Theo Chou, "pal-o-mine" from the early 90's ~ we played together back in the day. He has since graduated from Berklee and moved onto better things . . . like session work in Taiwan (c'mon, who goes there?).



Notice Theo's white Strat Yamagishi custom ~ I believe so. Back in the day, Jimi was Yoda to all the aspiring musicians . . . all the SoCal Asian Christian pop bands, how I dread the memories. But then, God did some hard love hooking me up with my crew. "Thank you Lord for love and fellowship, guitar strings that sing out to you . . ." (ala AACF Terasaki fame).

Some of my peeps who can stir me to motion ~ local BC/Ottawa flav:

Stephen Toon or here
Vania Levans or here

Post-script note - props to Yoda Yamagishi, "Nippon Hendrix Axe Grill Marinade Master." For a lighter shade of LA, check out my "dai low's" tunes here.

For the record, I still prefer Paul Reed Smith (electric) and Taylor (acoustic) guitars . . . I really can't stand anything else but the Kurzweil PC-2X (weighted 88 key with B-3 options) . . . I just can't get away from the Ibanez Soundgear look and feel (2 MK1's and that light ash or mahogany bod) . . . and some day I will enjoy either the Mesa Dual Rectifiers or that psycho Bogner amp with the 11 setting. "Some day" when I learn to play.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

If I Was Back in LA . . .

If I was back in LA, I'd be doing this every night . . . Koreanz BBQ meets Taquería!


Visit page on mun2


Check out Kogi here and for their next "truck stop" here.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The B-I-B-L-E

"This week I happened to be in the fellowship room of an A.M.E. church in Philadelphia and there was a Bible on one of the tables, so I opened it instinctively. I discovered that it was the pastor’s Bible, and on the cover page I saw scrawled vertically the word 'B.I.B.L.E.', written as an acronym: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

It’s possible that I got overly excited about that. Maybe it’s a trite and hackneyed play on words old as the hills that I just never happened to come across before. I hope the man made it up himself."


Props to Sister Andrée Seu for that delightful insight. I believe there are roughly 24 AME churches in the greater Philly area.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Arrogance of Youth

One "pomo" take on the "pomo" generation . . . or the whatever they are called this second.

"There's just an arrogance to youth because life hasn't got a chance to beat it out of you yet" (Matt Chandler).