The Emergent Rock of Orthodoxy

"assurgent, convergent, divergent, emergent, resurgent . . . detergent, insurgent, preemergent" . . . current and future names of cool "pomo" or "po-pomo" or "po-po-pomo" movements. "Yee-ahh boyeee" (ala Flava Flav). Epic, just remember I thought of it . . . second.

Currently Playing on the Sansa E260

Each day I drive an average of 70 km (43.5 miles) round trip to church. Because of the side streets and location of our home to the highway, the average one way drive lasts 45 minutes. As a result, I have taken the opportunity to pack my MP3 player with tons of material for the drive (gargabe in, garbage out). I've spent an average of 36 hrs./month on the road or sitting in traffic ~ as a result, my richest learning so far in life has occurred.

Here's a shortlist of what's gone down so far:

- "The History of Christianity I" taught by Dr. Frank James III of Reformed Theological Seminary (33 classes)
- "Humanity, Christ, and Redemption" taught by Dr. Robert Peterson of Covenant Theological Seminary (38 classes)
- Various talks gathered from Together for the Gospel, Acts 29 Church Planting Network, Desiring God Conferences, etc.

Most recently and currently playing on the Sansa E260:

- "Old Testament History" taught by Dr. V. Philips Long (36 classes), formerly of Covenant Theological Seminary and currently at Regent College in Vancouver, BC
- One of the most incredible sermons on "the Holiness of God" that I have heard yet, preached by C.J. Mahaney ~ kudos to Adrian Warnock for reposting "old sermons" (though I sure don't think it's that old)
- Maria Kliegel playing J.S. Bach's Cello Suite No.1 in G Major (BWV 1007)

My Sansa's my new best friend . . . until my FM transmitter begins to act up.

NT Wright on the Colbert Report

Bishop Wright of Durham was talking new heaven and new earth with Stephen Colbert (6/18/08), click here.

"I'll see you in the afterlife and we'll settle it there . . ." (Colbert on Wright).

Signs & Wonders: John Piper Style

Back in the 80s, during my high school days, my sister - who was at Biola University at the time - had to attend worship services of differing styles for a class she was enrolled in. So we decided to go down to Anaheim Vineyard for an evening service one Sunday. All I remember was the Kansas City prophet Paul Cain - strange & weird (apparently, Cain has since been booted by Mike Bickle and Jack Deere). Don't know which was weirder, the testimonies themselves or the fact that 2,000 or so people sat through it with me. He shared about how Jesus showed up in his bedroom of his second story home - which was surrounded by a chain linked fence that was high enough to prevent climbing. Jesus showed up and sat down by his bed and the weight of the second person of the Trinity caused Cain to turn over in bed. Yep, we sang a few of the Vineyard classics that night too . . . feeling weird just thinking about it (80s Praise & Worship Charismatic EMO?).


There were the Kansas City Prophets, the Toronto Blessing, the Brownsville Revival, and now the Lakeland Revival (the last two being from Florida). I admit I had that one weird experience that I just can't shake . . . especially when I hear people sing "I Believe in Jesus" or "Refiner's Fire". But for real, how on earth am I to celebrate with the entire body of Christ?

I'm glad you are with me this far, 'cuz I gots to give props to Pastor John Piper for his opening prayer back in February of 1990 (not too long after my Vineyard experience).

"Oh, Lord, if there is a wind of true, biblical, spiritual power blowing in our day with signs and wonders and healing and prophecy, forbid that I should stand in the way! Don't pass Bethlehem by. Make me the leader you want me to be for the greatest blessing of this church, and the greatest missionary effectiveness. But then, on the other hand I pray, Oh, Lord, forbid that we should lose our biblical bearings; forbid that we become trendy or faddish and begin to substitute the sand of experience for the rock of revealed truth. Show us the fullness of the power of the gospel, Lord, and keep us from preoccupation with secondary things, no matter how spectacular."

For the entire sermon, click here.

Apparently, this guy was in Anaheim that night too. Gheesh, go figure?

What is good theology?

"Being God-centered in one's life is essential to being God-centered in one's thoughts. This God centeredness is the 'sine qua non' of good theology, for, without it, it is impossible to think our thoughts after God, which is what defines good theology."

Taken from the essay, "The Nature & Function of Theology" by Dr. David F. Wells

Good theology versus bad theology is a theocentric approach versus a anthropocentric approach to God, His Word (Scripture), Salvation (therapy/technique versus "gospel power"), Jesus (good teacher or 2nd person of the Triune godhead), etc. If Jesus Christ is not front and center in "the church", who the hell then is that guy we see every week?

"A church without theology and a theology without God are simply not options for the Christian faith. One can have religion without God or theology, but one cannot have Christianity without them." (R.C. Sproul quoting David Wells who in turn quoted Ian Ramsey)

"For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power . . ." (The apostle Paul)

WOW! I sure feel good.

Pastor John Piper said "If I tried to be like him [Mark Driscoll] . . . I would spiritually evaporate . . . I read slow, if I tried to read as many books as you [Mark Driscoll] did, I wouldn't be able to read the Bible . . . [in regards to being relevant] work real hard to feel this [Bible]."

Click here for the actual blurb.

I read real slow.

The Evolution of Dance

Examining Two Enemies of the Gospel

"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.

"A Good Soldier" by Mark Driscoll

8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter

Something for me to look forward to . . . in the distant future. Thanks to search engine archives that save info for eternity, whoever comes looking for trouble in 10 to 15 years, watch your six! Like they say, "great minds think alike."

Written by columnist W. Bruce Cameron, click here for the original article.

Rule One: If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure as heck not picking anything up.

Rule Two: You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three: I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, In order to assure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric staple gun and fasten your trousers securely in place around your waist.

Rule Four: I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate: when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I WILL kill you.

Rule Five: In order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is "early."

Rule Six: I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make YOU cry.

Rule Seven: As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process which can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight: The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places lacking parents, policemen, or nuns. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka zipped up to her chin. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which feature chainsaws are okay. Hockey games are okay.

Copyright 1998 W. Bruce Cameron

Life Imitating Television

Okay, especially with recent events (shootings at Virginia Tech), the thoughts regarding "how much does media impact and influence?" begin to swirl. On a lighter note, I found this article light-heartedly comparing a disgruntled wife with the dark televsion series "Desperate Housewives." This woman put dog poo in her now divorced ex-husband's curry, check out the article here.

P.S. Is it just me or does Cho Seung-Hui fit the profile of the majority of the guys in your typical North American Asian local church, evangelical college/career group? The same type that attends church but somehow does not fit in with the more culturally savvy and popish "Asian Invasions" at Intervarsity, Crusade or AACF? And to put more pain on shame, Cho's own grand-aunt calls him an "idiot" on international media! Food for thought: how do we meet the needs of the "socially-challenged" & "socially-marginalized" Asian-americans in our midst? How can we biblically deal with Asian shame? Somehow, after reading the Cho family press release, I felt that the sorrow, pain, and shame expressed by Cho's sister was exponentially greater than if a non-Asian wrote the statement. Why is that?

God, have mercy and grace on the Cho family . . . have mercy and grace on the families of the fallen of Virginia Tech . . . have mercy and grace on all of us.

Inspiration Leads to Imagination: "3rd Man in History to Walk on Water"

I was inspired by War to post this (for those of you wondering what pastors do amongst themselves; this is taken from my actual email INBOX - from my daily dose of pastoral "stuff"):

"The 3rd Man in History to Walk on Water"


The 1st was Jesus of Nazareth . .

















The 2nd was Simon Peter, the apostle . . .























Then there was this guy . . . Jose



Did I mention that I received this from an individual of the Hispanic persuasion?

Carlson Gracie Black Belt Roster

More for my own archives than for anything else (taken from ADCombat News):

As told to www.tatame/com.br: 'Because of his passing with many people claiming to be his Black Belt, Grandmaster's Carlson Gracie's wife Marli Gracie decided to release the official list of his Black Belts':

Carlson Gracie's Black Belts:

Alberto dos Santos
André Mendes
Anselmo Montenegro
Antônio 'Tony Malone' Gadelha
Aaron Laponte
Antônio Ricardo Bittencourt Cavalcanti
Alexandre Nascimento de Oliveira
Alexandre Macedo
Allan Góes
Amaury Bitetti
André Pederneiras
Antônio Cláudio Correia Leite Buchaul
Antônio Ricardo Jardim Libório
Antônio 'Tuninho' Rodrigues
Ari Fernando 'Galo' Araujo Rocha
Armando 'Maninho' Alves Gonçalves Filho
Arthur Virgilio Neto
Bráulio Carsalade
Carley Gracie
Carlos 'Penão' Alexandre Conceição
Carlos Frederico Rodrigues
Carlos Antônio Rosado
Carlos 'Bagana' Lima
Carlos Henrique 'Caíque' Vieira Cavalcanti Gomes de Oliveira
Carlos Rollyson
Carlson Gracie Júnior
Christian Kennedy Grandi
Cássio Cardoso
Clayton de Souza
Clóvis de Souza
Crézio de Souza
Djalma José de Santana Filho
Edyr 'Monge' Moreira da Silva
Edson 'Baiano' Carvalho
Elair Gilberto da Silva Reis
Élcio Figueiredo
Fábio Macieira
Felipe Fígalo Barbosa
Fernando Carlos 'Nutri-Baby' Carvalho da Silva
Fernando 'Pinduca' Melo Guimarães
Fernando Rosenthal
Francisco 'Toco' Albuquerque Neto
Francisco 'Grego' Trivelas
Franco Cézar de Camargo
Jerônimo Dix-Huit Rosado Ventura
Gustavo Gussen
Gutenberg Mello
João Antônio Fernandes Filho
José de Oliveira
José Eduardo Vieira Cavalcanti Gomes de Oliveira
José Mario Sperry
Júlio César 'Foca' Nunes
Leonardo 'Leo D'Ilha' Ferreira Borges
Luís Carlos 'Manimal' Mateus
Luís Carlos Vallois
Luís Cláudio Isaías de Souza
Luís Fernando 'Nando' Costa
Luís Roberto 'Bebeo' Duarte
Manoel Maria 'Maneco' Cardoso Neto
Marcel Laguna Duque Estrada
Marcelo Alonso Duque Novais
Marcelo Bustamante
Marcelo 'Bocão' Ferreira
Marcelo Mangueth
Marcelo 'Playmobil' Pache
Marcelo Procópio
Marcelo Saporito
Marcelo Tadeu Domingues de Oliveira
Marco Aurélio Kühner de Oliveira
Marco Aurélio Lisboa Valladares
Marcos 'Parrumpinha' da Matta
Marcos 'Flexa' Neves Mello
Marcus Vinícius de Macedo Soares (got to give props to the old man)
Marcus 'Conan' Vinícius Figueiredo da Silveira Júnior
Mauricio 'Saddam' Carneiro
Mário Cupertino
Miguel Kelner
Miguel Monteiro de Carvalho
Moisés Bormac
Murilo Bustamante
Orlando Saraiva
Osiris Maia
Oswaldo 'Paquetá' Gomes da Rosa
Oswaldo Vianna
Otávio Augusto 'Peixotinho' de Oliveira
Paulo 'Mamão' de Albuquerque Martins Pereira Filho
Paulo 'Paulão' Leite Filho
Pedro Paulo de Secco Freire
Renato Tavares
Ricardo de La Riva Goded
Ricardo Jucá Santos
Ricardo Luís 'Ray' Moraes Diogo
Ricardo Luíz Perrone
Ricardo 'Kiko' Velloso
Rinaldo Santos
Roberto Cardoso
Rocyan Gracie
Rodrigo Medeiros
Sérgio Abimerhy
Sérgio 'Bolão' de Souza
Sérgio Cohen
Sérgio Íris de Almeida
Vauvernargues 'Marinho' Xavier Vicentini
Vinicius 'Vinicinho' Cruz
Vitor Belfort
Wallid Farid Ismail
Walter 'Soldado' da Silva
Walter Guimarães
Wander de Souza

Racism Re:Loaded

Okay, so shock jock Don Imus used the phrase "nappy-headed hoes" to describe the Rutgers women's basketball team. Wow! The response has been overwhelming: Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (a Michigan Democrat and chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus), Julian Bond (chairman of the NAACP's national board of directors), Kim Gandy (president of the National Organization for Women), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the National Association of Black Journalists, the list apparently goes on.

Anyhow, here is an insightful end quote from the CNN article:

Howard Kurtz, media critic for The Washington Post and host of CNN's "Reliable Sources," said Imus is known for his comedy, but "his comedy too often strays into the offensive." Kurtz, whom Imus once called a "boner-nosed, beanie-wearing Jew boy," said Imus should be held accountable for his remarks, "but there is also a good side to Don Imus, and I don't think that should be completely obliterated in all of this chest thumping."

Again, I contemplate whether or not the reaction would be as seismic if the receiving end was reference regarding another ethnic group . . . maybe Jewish, or Chinese, or Kazak. Then again, why do Black rappers still refer to one another as "fill in with N-Bomb" and their women as "hoes"? Oh yeah, that's not racist (when you make "those" remarks against your own people - check previous post). Man, it's tough being white folk nowadays.

Food for Thought: If you are a white presidential nominee hopeful, don't be caught singing along with your favorite Snoop Dogg album. It'll cost you . . . well unless you are Black, Asian, Hispanic, American Indian . . . so long as you are not white . . . or is that White?

Thoughts from the Overflow Bin

Got to get these out before the brotherman forgets!

Actual quote from my cousin who visited us when we first moved to Surrey last year:

She visited us on a sunny Saturday morning. "Yeah, I just saw K-Fed walk across the street at 10:00 AM with his 24 pack of Budweiser . . . welcome to Surrey."

Now for the listening audience. I will admit it . . . I love beer. Not your Coors Light or Trick-a-fob or not even your Stud-visor varieties. I love the local brew-meisters who get it down on the money - the micros . . . "know wha' I'm sayin'?" Anyhow, I've tallied up a list of my favorites so far . . . yes I am deeply infatuated with the pale ale persuasion (and yes they are mostly Canuckian and listed in order of preference) :

Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale (the grandpappy of pale ale's and also unbelievably Canuckian)
Granville Island's English Bay Pale Ale
Henry Weinhard's Blue Boar Pale Irish Ale (Oregonian, props to the motherland!)
Okanagan Spring's Brewery Extra Special Pale Ale (now owned by Sleeman's which is in turn owned by some foreign company); their 1516 Bavarian Lager gets props too
Moosehead Pale Ale (but I must say I "heart" their all malt lager)
Sleeman's Amber, Cream, Honey Brown, Silver Creek (a class of their own, I love 'em all - I am a Sleeman's Man)
Big Rock Brewery's Grasshopper (wheat ale with a wedge of lemon), Warthog (gots to give props to Cow-town)
Whistler Brewing Co. Classic Pale Ale (will admit that this is the lowest rating on my list thus far)

Currently fridgecasting on the I-Pack:

Cooper's Brewery Sparkling Ale (a Southern Australian crew)
Kamloops Brewery Original Pale Ale (same guys who brew the Whistler brand)

And during the summer months I prefer Strongbow with the occasional Corona (stay close to my Cali surf roots). Completely off topic would be my red wine of choice: Henry of Pelham's Boco Noir (2004 wasn't all that bad) - killer on the ribeye boyee! Boy am I ever glad I got that off my shoulders . . . phew!

Recent Surge in Canadian Population

Rapid growth - "We’ve been growing faster than we were, and faster than all the other major rich industrial nations, according to Canada’s latest head count."

Click here for the article.

Skit Guys Racist? Naw!

Recently, the blogosphere has gotten buzzed by a recent book put out by the Skit Guys - 2 standup, youth ministry types who are seemingly gifted "skit guys" (nope, I have not yet nor will I anytime soon read the book). Anyhow, there was apparently a Chinese character who was portrayed in a stereotypical manner complete with "ethnically-enhancing" phonetic lines. Aside from the fact, that the main guy representing the response to Youth Specialities is Korean - is there an official Chinese response? - this has caused me to wonder, "what is racism?"

According to Dictionary.com, the word "racism" means:

1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.

2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.

3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

So let me get this straight, as long as you don't talk trash about the other "peoples" it's all good? Meaning, as long as I keep the trash talk aimed at my own "peoples"? Apparently there are 55 ethnic minorities who are also called "Chinese" - I guess I'm in the tank for my Fukinese jokes since I'm Cantonese, wait that's okay we're all Han. Being a healthy, local-born Chinese (the North American, West Coast variety), I tend to fall in the "belief" category that comedian Russell Peters describes as "we got white people so scared that they are the racists when in fact every other immigrant group that comes to the US is more racist than you will ever imagine." Peters does a great impression of a Honger shop keeper in his standup routine, "be a man!" (I suppose being Cantonese it's okay to refer to my own peoples as "Hongers" - just don't let white guys use that term, we'll lynch 'em; just kidding, no really) If you've seen it, you know what I mean. Anyhow, all the visible minorities in Canada don't think he's a racist for protraying another visible minority group with somewhat uncanny accuracy. Then there is one of my favorite screwball-type comedians, Bobby Lee, who does his regular Asian-typecast character on MadTV - I think he's hilarious. For the record, as someone who is of Chinese descent, I am in no way offended by his impersonation of the "Blind Kung Fu Master". Don't get me wrong, racism is wrong. But when Asians complain about racisim . . . come on . . . if the white folks really knew what we thought.

BTW, I don't know if this sort of thing would fall under the category of "post-colonialism" or something another. Then again, I don't think I really care. Skit Guys, thank you for your apology, no need to go overboard and sign up for sensitivity training or whatever other extreme thing you might think of doing. Food for thought: "the single most discriminated people group in the Los Angeles Area is the single, white male." True OR False?

Man Aged 107 Forsakes Sex for Longevity

Sun Feb 25, 9:24 AM HONG KONG (Reuters) - A 107-year-old Hong Kong villager, who still enjoys an occasional smoke, has attributed his longevity in part to decades of sexual abstinence, a newspaper said on Sunday.

"I don't know why I have lived this long," Chan Chi -- one of Hong Kong's oldest people -- was quoted as saying in the South China Morning Post during an annual feast for the city's elders.
"Maybe it has to do with the fact that I have lived a sex-less life for many years -- since I was 30," said Chan, a widower whose youthful bride perished during the Japanese invasion in World War Two.

Chan, from Hong Kong's less built-up New Territories hinterland, was pictured looking sprightly and eating heartily at the banquet.

A former chef, he said a low-fat diet and regular dawn exercises had helped him fight off the ravages of old age.

But the centenarian, who's had no difficulty living a monastic existence for nearly 80 years, admits the pleasures of tobacco have been harder to resist.

"Now I want to quit," he was quoted as saying of his decades-long cigarette addiction. "Maybe the government should ban cigarette sales so I can give it up," he added.

I particularly like how Reuters described Master Chi's lifestyle - "a monastic existence" . . . yeah, whatever. Has anyone else read "Sacred Marriage" besides me? My favorite quote from Gary Thomas' book was "if you want to follow Jesus, stay single; if you want to be like Jesus, get married." BTW, I'm married.

Peace Out to "the church"

It's been a challenging few weeks - wife went into preterm labor, resigned from "the church", received "bad press" released from the church leadership. I hope this all ends soon . . . very soon.

Fortunately, this has given us the opportunity to revisit and recall the "O.G." vision we sensed God leading us towards years ago. I think Chris Seay & Doug Pagitt hit a chord with me when they started their respective Christian faith communities.

Here is the "values" statement taken from Ecclesia Houston (Chris Seay's crew):

"We are a Holistic, Missional, Christian Community"

Holistic: We believe that the Gospel impacts every area of a person's life and culture. We reject unfounded categories that divide the world into uniquely sacred or purely secular. God is redeeming all of creation through Jesus.

Missional: We believe that the church exists for the world and not for herself - she is to introduce and usher in the Kingdom of God into every part of this world.

Christian: We embrace the teachings and divinity of Jesus Christ as well as His unique role as the means of salvation from sin for all who believe. We embrace the Scripture as God's primary instrument by which He introduces this message to the world.

Community: We believe that salvation brings people together as a reflection of a triune God: Father, Son and Spirit. Saved from sin by faith through grace, the people of God are able to live in unity as was intended by God in the beginning.

Here is the one from Solomon's Porch (Doug Pagitt's crew):

"Solomon's Porch: a Holistic, Missional, Christian Community"

Holistic: Understanding that all areas of life are connected, including faith, time, family, work, body, money, intellect, et al.

Missional: Our belief is that God intends Christianity be a way of life which sends us into the world to serve God and our neighbors, so that God's will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. The church is never to be the withdrawn or isolated end user of the gospel of Jesus; rather, we receive it so that we may be equipped and sent into the world to love our neighbors and serve "the least of these." In this sense, Solomon's Porch doesn't have a mission; it is mission.

Christian: As Christians we see ourselves as a growing people who are learning to live life with God in the way of Jesus. We represent a generous orthodoxy, rooted in the Scriptures and consistent with the ancient creeds of the church.

Community: Desiring to share life with one another in a way that we become a living, breathing, local expression of the global, historical body of Christ.

Yeah . . . amen.

We've labored prayerfully over these values the past 4 or 5 years. Finally, I believe that we have reached the point where we cannot continue on without them. No more settling, no more compromise - it's make it or break it. No more overtime or even double overtime.

Though we've left behind many good people and perhaps "not-so-good" people at "the church", we are grateful that God has led us back to revisit something familiar . . . the original vision and dream that He called us to. Sovereign God, Your grace is truly amazing!

"X'mas" - Trying to Take Out Christmas!

Okay, for the archaic illiterates in my church - X'mas is not some marketing conspiracy to "X" out Christmas. Yeah, yeah, I can hear you all screaming "but, Christ must!" The X is the Greek upper case letter "chi" from which the Greek word "Χριστος" or "Christos" is spelled from. This is the Greek word from which we translate the English "Christ" from. "Χριστος" means "anointed one." So please, stop the "Kill the Da Vinci Coders" and such - crawl out from under your KJV rock once in awhile and catch a breath of fresh air. So kids, nothing wrong with "X'mas," it's quite nice actually.

The Real Jesus . . . circa 1999

This is a Jesus ad from England that ran back in 1999. That's my brother! Click here for the site that begat this madness. Don't forget to check out black Jesus, bar code Jesus, and oh yeah Rasta Jesus.

Man Shot 68 Times Dead

Apparently, Anglio Freeland, became a "cop killer" (also "cop dog killer") suspect the moment he bolted after he was pullled over. After 500 officiers scoured the woods looking for him, plus 24 hours of manhunt, 9 officiers of the SWAT team pumped 110 rounds of lead at him - 68 of which were hits. That's a 61% hit/miss percentage for those keeping score at home - almost as bad as a drive by shooting (but that's another conversation). Food for thought, what caused these officiers to "cease fire"? Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd responded with this "I suspect the only reason 110 rounds was all that was fired was that's all the ammunition they had . . . we were not going to take any chance of him shooting back."

Let's do some math here, 110 rounds divided by 9 cops = 12.22 shells/cop. Assuming they might be using the Glock 22 (.40 caliber sidearm of choice by America's finest), there is actually a 15 round mag capacity. So, come on guys, you didn't really squeeze the trigger hard enough! Where'd the 25 extra rounds go? Or perhaps they were all carrying HK MP5 A4's which would totally cut that number down, since the sub-machine gun has a carrying capacity option of 15 or 30 rounds for your clip! If we went with the 30 round clips, we are still sitting with 160 rounds or so in our chambers. C'mon Judd, was that all the ammo they had?

Note to all "would be cop killing suspects" - cops take care of their own, even if you might not be guilty. Shoot first, ask questions later - by the way that was meant for the cops.

Click here for the Fox News article.

A Secular Postmodern View of the Islamic Extremist Afterlife

A Soldier's Prayer From a Writer's Pen

I believe the scene was the day before the 54th went into battle. The former slaves "freedmen" of the 54th were gathered around in the stillness before the battle. Morgan Freeman (in the movie "Glory") begins to pray the following words while in the background the humming of the tune "O Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord" is simmering:

"Tomorrow we goin' to battle.

So, Lordy, let me fight
with the rifle in one hand...
and the Good Book in the other.

That if I should die
at the muzzle of the rifle...
die on water or on land...

I may know that You,
blessed Jesus Almighty, are with me."

Men of the 54th - rest in peace.

The "Rodney King School of Theology"

The school of thought which espouses the "Can't we all just get along?" brand of theology. Coined by Christian signer turned "theo-blogian" Steve Camp during a blog-rant-reply session here.

This is the paragraph that birthed this profound piece of theologizing:

"Let's not reduce though this discussion to the Rodney King School of Theology - 'can't we all just get along?' I find this common on Christian blogs. Nice is considered more important than truth (which I am not suggesting that you or candleman affirm). There is nothing wrong with fiery debate over key issues facing us. Where are the Christian Limbaugh's and Hannity's? That in part is what the vision for this blog is--a place where vigorous debate can occur without the touchy feely sentimentality associated with many Christian blogs."

Hey, how about the LAPD School of Theology? Espousing the "beat-the-crap-out-of-you-and-stay-the-hell-up" brand of theology? Truth is, if "the man" gots a gun, if his beatdown is hard 'nuff, I'd "stay-the-hell-up" too. Hmmmmm.

Pablo - You can be all you can be . . .

"Pablo, you can be all you can be . . . in the terra cotta army." A German art student only known as "Pablo" snuck undetected into the subterranean resting place of the infamous tomb of the Chinese terra cotta warriors in Xi'an. Pablo sure looks alot like Ben Stiller. Click here for the article.

Here's What the Pope Said

ALTOETTING, Germany (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday that Islamic holy war was against God's nature and invited Muslims to join in a peaceful cultural dialogue.

In a speech at Regensburg University, Benedict made an unusual reference to jihad, or holy war -- a concept used by today's Islamic extremists to justify suicide bombings and other attacks.

Benedict's address was about faith and reason, and how they cannot be separated and are essential for "that genuine dialogue of cultures and religions so urgently needed today."

Citing historic Christian commentary on holy war and forced conversion, the 79-year-old pontiff quoted from a 14th-century Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Paleologos.

"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," the pope said. "He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.' "

Clearly aware of the sensitivity of the issue, Benedict added, "I quote," twice before pronouncing the phrases on Islam and described them as "brusque," while neither explicitly agreeing with nor repudiating them.

"The emperor goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable," Benedict said.

"Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul," the pope said, issuing an open invitation to dialogue among cultures.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the pope was not giving an interpretation of Islam as "something violent," although he said the religion contains both violent and nonviolent strains.

Benedict did not touch directly on the current controversy over Islamic extremism, although it is an issue he follows with concern. Last year in Cologne, Germany, he urged Islamic leaders to take responsibility for their communities and teach their young to abhor violence.

Last week, he told a gathering of Christian, Muslim and Jewish representatives in Italy that no one can "use the motive of religious difference as a reason or pretext for bellicose behavior toward other human beings."

Benedict will make his first visit to a Muslim country in November, when he is scheduled to travel to Turkey.

Gerlinde Axmann, a 40-year-old social worker, watched Tuesday's speech on one of the large screens set up in a square near the cathedral.

"That was a very important start to dialogue with Muslims amid the terrorist threat," she said, calling Benedict's appeal to reason "a building block toward finding a way to argue with each other without using weapons."

"I think it's very important for him to bring these things up in society," she said. "Muslims aren't going to take us seriously until we become conscious of our own values. For example, they take the pope much more seriously than others in the West."

Click here for the complete article from CNN.

Note to Self: When annoyed, in doubt, underpaid, disillusioned, blatantly ignorant, disregarding of life itself . . . JIHAD!


[Indonesian Muslim protesters hold up signs during a rally outside the Vatican embassy in Jakarta September 18, 2006. The sign on the right reads, "Let's crucify Paus (Pope)". REUTERS/Dadang Tri]

For more on Al-Quaeda's official response to Pope Benedict's call to rational discourse among different faiths, click here.

Here we go again . . . burn Hollywood, burn.

Elton John says "NO" to Marriage

Elton John says he’s glad he got hitched to long-time partner David Furnish. Just don’t call him “married.”

“I hate people saying I’m married,” John told the London Mirror. “Marriage is a heterosexual term for men and women. We’ve got a civil partnership. It’s not a religious ceremony and I didn’t want to get married. I just wanted a lifetime commitment.”

He says he expected an outpouring of hatred from the public, but it never happened. “I thought I might get the odd flour bomb but there was no negative reaction,” he said. “It was the nicest day of my life, with all the people I love most.”

Taken from Jeanette Walls MSNBC Gossip column, click here for the article.

Notable quotes from Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin

taken from The Associated Press/Canadian Press on Tuesday, September 05, 2006



A selection of quotes from television star and wildlife enthusiast Steve Irwin, who died Monday after being fatally stabbed in the chest with a stingray's barb:

"Crikey!" - his catch phrase, exclaimed repeatedly during his television show whenever something interesting happens.

"I get called an adrenaline junkie every other minute, and I'm just fine with that."

"I have no fear of losing my life - if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it."

"I've worked with more dangerous snakes than anyone in the world and I've never been bitten. It's a gift."

"I bled a lot. I got hit across the face. We couldn't film for seven days. I got hit, whacked, underwater, across the face. I finished the shot, got into the boat and blood started coming out." - on one particularly close shave.

"Crikey, mate. You're far safer dealing with crocodiles and western diamondback rattlesnakes than the executives and the producers and all those sharks in the big MGM building." - comparing dealing with deadly animals with show business.

"Crocodiles. I've been catching them since I was nine. No problem."

"Fear helps me from making mistakes, but I make lot of mistakes."

"It is all about perceived danger. In front of that crocodile I was in complete control. Absolute and complete control. That is my profession. I would be considered a bad parent if I didn't teach my children to be crocodile savvy because they live here, they live in crocodile territory." - On the 2004 controversy in which he was filmed holding his infant son while feeding a snapping crocodile:

"To hear people say that it was a publicity stunt, that I'm just like Michael Jackson, well, it just tears me up. It makes me sick to my stomach to be compared in that way." - On the same incident.

Rest in Peace Crocodile Hunter - you OG hard core.

Who will disarm Hezbollah?

Here's an interesting look into the situation in Lebannon currently. Time magazine posted an article discussing the actual existing military framework left in Lebannon. Here's one stat for thought:

Military Budgets

Lebannon: $542 million
Israel: $8 billion or $8,000 million

Just crunch some numbers here, a unarmed F-16 back in 1998 was going for $18.8 million a piece. Back in 1998, Lebannon could have purchased around 28 fighters (not including hardware and salaries for the pilots). Israel on the other hand, would be able to purchase roughly 200 F-16s (fully loaded with air-to-air missiles, salaries for pilots and support crews, maintenence costs, etc.) - they would still have change left over for tanks. They actually only ordered 107 back in 1997 (the F-16I at $45 million per), click here for the info. The F-16I's got delivered back in 2003, their range enables them to hit targets deep as Libya and Iran.

Click here for the Time mag article.

Mel Gibson & the L.A. County Sheriffs

For those of you in the know, skip this. For those of you still wondering what happened, check it out here. Plenty of people pissed off and doing more damage than Mel did while drunk - note to self, DON'T GET DRUNK! Aside from the fact that the Bible has much to say regarding drunkenness . . . and also much knowledge gained from watching your typical Friday night party . . . late night philosophy while tanked makes for some interesting reactions.

The part that got me was the L.A. County Sheriff's "Sarge" busting out the video camera to tape the incident. Perhaps to cover his butt in case Uncle Mel freaks a "Lethal Weapon" psychotic, smackdown fest? No, I think not. When was the last time any L.A. County Sheriff busted out a video camera (in addition to the one in the squad car) just to "capture" special moments with their suspect? Come on already! L.A. County Sheriff's call their buddies and do a Rodney King when nobody is watching! As if 1 L.A. County Sheriff deputy could not handle Mel Gibson . . . "uh oh, I think I need to call for back up." This is L.A. for crying out loud - the land where the "5-0" lays the smackdown for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Gimme a break! I'm surprised the deputy didn't call in his L.A.P.D. buddies to join him in a break dance - break every bone and do the "Humpty-hump" all over him! The deputy should be arrested for giving the Sheriff's a bad name - plus, the "Sarge" probably made some good $$$ from his "youtube" of Melly Mel.

Dude should've "Mad Max'ed" . . . too bad for the drunken remarks . . . anti-semitic (or racial slurs about Chinese for that matter) remarks during a drunken rampage isn't all that bad . . . he could've killed someone while driving.

I'm Trying Hard to Like the Old White Guy

Okay, we have this old white guy preaching at our church once a month-ish. I can stand the Salvation-Army-prohibition-on-alcohol-shoved-down-my-throat, I can stand the old school high value and usage of the KJV (as though these were God's own spoke words), I can even stand the old school expectations that hymns are somehow more "acceptable to God" than praise songs. I say that I can stand - I don't agree but I can stand. What I can't stand are the blatantly "white"-centric remarks that begin each sermon. "I was born in New Westminster, when I was young it was known as BRITISH Columbia (total spoken volume emphasis on 'British') Blah, blah, blah, blah . . . it's so good to see that Chinese now know the Lord." That's where I lose it. Yeah, we Chinese used to swing on trees until you white folk saved us and taught us how to be civilized. Arrogant, self-centered . . . I don't need some old white guy who thinks he is more spiritual than me preach that he's better than me - expressed indirectly through his wrinkled "white"-centric tendencies. Funny thing is that the guy is involved with teaching ESL - perhaps I just can't stand him because he is "the Old White Guy." If I could only find a baseball bat with the words "post-colonial" written on them - I'd lay the smackdown on this bad boy.

Technical Definition of "Gossip"

What is gossip? Really, what does it mean - technically? Someone shared with me that gossip is talk or chatter that is malicious in nature. I didn't really catch the entire definition, but something about that particular definition didn't sit right with me. It sort of sounded like this: "I didn't gossip because my intent was not malicious." I disagree.

Malicious = deliberately harmful; spiteful (used to describe something: malicious gossip)

The word "gossip" does not refer necessarily to something malicious in nature.

Gossip = to talk socially without exchanging too much information; a report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people; rumor or talk about others of a personal, sensational, or intimate nature

Gossip often reflects the shallowness of character and the self-righteousness of a person's heart - spoiled kids love to gossip, stay-at-home moms tend to gossip, and people with control problems like to gossip (and often with malicious intent to demonize their opponents thereby re-establishing control in the void).

What is a morally bankrupt government?

Okay, so we have a bunch of these Anti-Israeli war machine protests popping up all over the country. One of the catch phrases I've heard from the local Arab/Muslim protest guy (I think from Toronto) with the megaphone say: "Israel is a morally bankrupt government!" Alright, that kinda makes sense - but then is Lebannon a morally wealthy government? What would you do if a known terrorist group started launching shoulder held missiles at your country? Say about 100 per day? Hitting random targets along the border. And let's add that they are a political party within the federal structure of the country next to yours. Oh and by the way, their prime directive includes annihilating your nation and setting up a government next door to yours with ideology that will certainly wipe you off the face of the planet. Plus, they are in bed with 2 other neighboring countries who hate your guts - like really hate your guts. Pretty confusing? What is a morally bankrupt government? Is it one that chooses to protect it's citizens? In that case, both Lebannon and Israel are quite guilty of that - since Lebannon has allowed for Hezbollah to flourish and rearm itself financially, politically, and militarily after the Israeli withdrawal back in 2000 . . . for what reason? Perhaps to protect its citizens? How does a terrorist group such as Hezbollah develop into such a military machine similar to an army without "somebody" (think Russell Peters) allowing it to happen? They have weapons that put small third world countries to shame - firepower, they have a military rank and file - structure, they have financial backing - cash money . . . no we are not talking about Nike or Microsoft, we are talking about Hezbollah. And another thing, its quite arrogant of them to call themselves "Party of God." I'm not suggesting that there is a simple solution to this, but c'mon already - what's up with the fear mongering and the fuel dumping on a critical global firestorm?

Body Odor & Ear Wax - That "Gwai Low/Low Faan" Factor

Okay, I've heard it for years - typically from my Chinese Aunts (both from my extended family and church). White folks smell "different" from Asians. I don't even want to go there. But then again, it has been scientifically proven. Yes, can you believe that? Click here for the article from the NY Times.

But then again my mother-in-law believes that white people smell because they eat cheese. If cheese smells, people who eat cheese must smell too. Good ole' Chinese wisdom . . . good grief.

Leadership Dialogue Rant #1

Okay, I admit that I didn't expect this one coming. After "preparing" the leadership several months ago with a ream of my personal philosophy of ministry, resume, theological stance, blah, blah, blah . . . I realized tonight that perhaps they did not read any of the material when they hired me on. Which is okay . . . for now. A few highlights of the comments we wrestled through tonight:

- "Last Sunday's worship was terrible!" This was the first of a series of comments. Most of these comments were rant in nature - not the welcoming type that encourages fellowship and open sharing. Rather the type that forces everyone to clam up due to it's intensity and shock 'n' awe value. This was followed up with a ton of "back up" data composed of phrases such as "those people" or "they" or "some people." Apparently, "they" think (and the "they" represented "99%" of the congregation) that if things don't change "they" will leave. I responded by sharing that I received a few positive responses from people - statistically speaking, it is impossible that 99% of the congregation hated it. Talk about sensationalism. Maybe its just me, but I've never felt that coercion and manipulation worked - actually I did at my last church, they beat me to a pulp (but that's another story). Obviously, I was totally in the mood to sing "Kum Ba Yah" at this point - and this was just the beginning. I thought that at the conclusion to a 3 part series on worship - which emphasized that worship was not about our choice of music, style or tradition - people would be more in tune with the fact that worship is essentially about God and not about us. Back to the drawing board. I also felt that the comment was rather arrogant because it implied that someone besides God had to capacity to judge whether or not something was acceptable or not . . . or better yet judge something to be terrible. Does someone have a god complex?

- "Too many new songs, too contemporary, I don't understand why we have to sing praise songs that just repeat the same phrase 7 times." I responded by saying that if it required for me to sing hymns all day and all night in order to achieve or vision of a healthy community . . . I would. But a better way, a more Christian way, would be to find common ground. Then I was told that I better learn some hymns. I responded by saying "you can learn some praise songs." This seem to fan the flame that seem to have been burning for a few days by then. I have a problem with people who get into the whole "new" versus "old" debate. It usually involves phrases such as "our church has never done that before . . . [and it never will]." There is something so out of touch with culture in that type of an attitude. Presently, we worship in a church that is immersed in culture - the ethnic groups represented each morning, the types of instruments sitting on our stage, the different age groups, and the fact that we all have different values that shape who we are. Here's food for thought: Hymns used to be new songs, hymns were contemporary at one point in time.

- "Because of all the new songs at the summer camp, I felt like I was baby sitting!" Okay, by this time their is an obvious air of angst and frustration in the air. This is no longer about "terrible worship" it is slipping into the realm of "I'm-gonna-get-so-personal-about-this-one-that-I'm-gonna-bring-you-all-down." What does summer camp have to do with "terrible worship?" It was a different context entirely. The one reaction I did have was that perhaps I was too spiritually immature and inferior to fellowship with the "Baby Sitter" - then I thought, "gheesh how arrogant, high and mighty, holier-than-thou of you to say that!"

- "Remember, we ARE a Chinese church." Strike three - I still don't know what this has to do with "terrible worship." Is it a comment about the conservative nature of the church? Is it a blatant admission to the arrogance and racism of Chinese? What does this mean? Perhaps this was a poor attempt to insinuate "we are conversative" -what I did hear and see was "I am a legalist and fundamentalist." Perhaps we should respond by building a 12 foot wall around our compound to keep out the non-Chinese. But I chose to share about a certain Mennonite church in Vancouver that woke up one decade and realized that their neighborhood had become entirely Chinese. For a Mennonite raised in a German-speaking church, this is a HUGE thing. Think about singing, reading the Bible, preaching entirely done in German - they had to make a choice. Either the REAL God of Israel only speaks German OR God might actually know some Chinese too. Fortunately for Killarney Park, they chose the latter. I have hope that we ARE the "body of Christ" - a community that reflects the beauty and tapestry of God's creation - socially, economically, racially, psychologically, etc. I just didn't feel like getting into the whole "Chinese-really-aren't-the-center-of-the-universe-get-over-it" debate.

- "We need to address the dress code." This was an issue that provided some good dialogue. I have always felt that going down the road of "Christian leaders should . . . dress, talk, smell, look, act . . ." was the WRONG direction. This can easily lead towards the direction of legalism and shallow spirituality with no depth. It also begs the question, "what if Christian leaders do not fit the rules and qualifications you have set out?" Does the person who creates the rules have God-like powers to rewrite what should and should not be? No. Unfortunately, extreme legalism breeds a conformist mentality based on fear and guilt - there is a complete failure to truly love and accept.



Round 1. Fight!

Invites to Join the Big Boys

Okay, if we invite one group, we need to invite them all. That's how the Taliban did it. If Hezbollah gets to join the government, let them all join as well - such as Hamas. It would seem that Israel doesn't mind contributing millions of dollars to Palestine just to blow up some of "their" buildings. I never thought I'd see the day when terroists sell out and join some government - assimilate into the system. If anything, I feel sorry for the Lebanese people - they are the only government in the region that allows for both Islamics and Christians to serve in public office together. Every other place you go to (except for Israel) you might just get shot running for office if you are a non-Islamic. So Hezbollah comes in with a seed group of soldiers from Iran, give them 2 decades or so, now they are a political party. Think of the NDP, but deadlier, with a mission to establish a militant Islamic state here in British Columbia - one that smells just like Iran. Crazy thoughts, eh?

Re: Being Special & Aimlessly Wandering

Had an interesting conversation with a fellow this morning. Hooked up late in the morning at the neighborhood Tim Horton's to do a meet-n-greet customary for new pastors integrating into a new community. Anyhow, everything about this conversation revolved around one thing - nothing deep or philosophical, just the same ole' plain thing . . . "I know what I should do but I'm just lazy." Yep, that's the whole conversation - all 3 hours worth. There is a ton of stuff that any of us could probably stuff into our melons for whatever it is worth, but if you are just lazy . . . does it even matter? So I sat across from the fellow thinking weird thoughts . . . such as, "gotta grow up already" or "that's life buddy" or "just do something man, anything would do." Anyhow, we somehow got on the topic of architecture . . . sure enough, the discussion found its way to the phrase "form and function." If memory serves me correctly, the actual phrase is "form follows function." The fellow across from me adamantly added ". . . AND meaning." Whoosh, like a speeding bullet - what the?


"And meaning?" I responded by saying "if you have form and function, doesn't meaning just emerge?" Aside from the fact that I questioned whether or not the lazy mind would even thoughtfully consider meaning . . . I can already hear it, "putter-putter-spew-spew-cough-cough" (sound of mental engine stalling and seizing). I don't remember ever hearing a response. I didn't think that it was time to engage in the finer points of existentialism. Then again, being lazy could be similar to the sense of alienation experienced as a result of being unique in the indifferent "crowd" or "others."

Greater Vancouver Area AYCE Sushi

Alright, it's about time that I documented my exploits. I don't even know how many AYCE (all you can eat) sushi places we've hit since coming here. Let me recap the past 2 months:

Richmond Sushi (lunch visit in Richmond)
Sui Sha Ya (dinner visit in Coquitlam)
Top Gun Sushi (always lunch visits at the New Westminster Quay)
Taisho Sushi (lunch visit in Burnaby's Metro Town)
Fish on Rice (always dinner visits in Burnaby off Willingdon & south on Kingsway)

We've been back to Top Gun Sushi's lunch several times within the past 2 months. They are quite consistent - service and quality of food. Judging by the PDA Bluetooth hook ups with the kitchen and layout of their menu I would guess they were run by the same guys at Richmond Sushi (which is just as techno freakie). The Quay is nice to visit, not much to look in the Public Market - definitely a place I would not visit if Top Gun wasn't around. Don't forget to get your "2nd hour free parking" voucher. Bathrooms are clean. Funky smell sometimes - bleach mixed with funk from paper mills outside. 8 out of 10 bones.

Richmond Sushi is efficient and consistent as well. This is a no brainer for lunch. Technology offers accurate orders - but then again, I have been conditioned by the Sushi joints to ALWAYS miss a few items from my original order. Always an 8.5 out of 10 bones.

Fish on Rice is scoring at the top of our "best place for AYCE sushi dinner." They have a good variety of sashimi, sushi, robata, and yes they also have soft drinks on their menu. By far, the most variety on a menu - yes we did a cross comparison with the other places listed above. We especially enjoy the rock cod robata, toro nigiri, and most definitely the tuna and beef tataki. Always a solid performance, good portions, and consistent taste. However, don't bother using the facilities though. 8.5 out of 10 bones (because of the rest rooms).

Sui Sha Ya in Coquitlam was a pigsty. The place was sticky and dirty - which normally does not concern me - but this place was Taiwan, mildew, humid nasty. The bathroom was worthy of shutting the place down. The service was horrible - I just can't stand hunting down a server visually with the "pissed off WWE superstar stare." A few times we even spoke directly to the servers and they just ignored us - totally deserving of the smackdown! Believe it or not, the California rolls actually tasted decent - which my 2 year old scarfed down. Aside from that, nothing of concern or importance - nothing, nada, zilch. Bad service, bad food, bad experience - I strongly recommend staying away from this place. For the desperately famished, 5.5 out of 10 bones. Yeah, I know they have multiple locations - more places to spread their nastiness.

Taisho Sushi had one redeeming feature - it was in the mall. Bathrooms were okay - way better than Fish on Rice or Sui Sha Ya. Lunch rush consists of self-service pickup of sushi from one of two belt driven sushi movers. Limited sushi selection - not too sure if any of the sushi is made to order . . . 2 hours earlier? Menu is difficult to navigate, not user friendly. The menu was not balanced - nothing was consistent except for the tough beef ribs and old dynamite rolls - well, the salmon and tuna nigiri were no miss. I give them a 6 out of 10 bones.

Note that if any place scores under a 5, they aren't even making sushi. A 5 out of 10 simply means that they have passable sushi and barely legitimate "others" on their menus. I scored these places based on taste, quality, cleanliness, service, and variety.

Vancouver 0 - Calgary 2

Okay, here is another one of those posts that just reflects my Calgarian sensibilities post-relocation to the Lower Mainland. Fortunately, I must say, I live in the wonderful city of Surrey. The Province will go ahead with a "controversial" plan to widen Highway 1 and twin the Port Mann bridge. So far, so good. Now, this might cost commuters a smacking $2.50 big ones for a one way trip . . . alright, I still need to think about that, but no serious red flags yet. The Province even tossed in recent survey data that put commuters at a whopping 70% support rating if tolls were either reduced or even eliminated during non-peak hours. Okay, that still sounds within the bounds of reasonable. THEN, we hear from the Dog Pound from Vancouver's city hall . . . "uh, duh, if we widen Highway 1 it will clog our Vancouver city streets with more cars . . . uh, duh." WHAT?!?! Click here for the article. Are you guys whack or WHAT? What gives with all the weirdness from Vancouver? Dudes, have you been on 1st Avenue during traffic hour? Or Hastings? HELLO doorknobs from Vancouver city council, are you budheads still puffing? I'm in no way claiming to be a professional civil engineer/planner by any stretch of the imagination, but it just might help the yaks at Van-city Hall to get with the program and make it less stressful for all the outer lying areas (e.g. Burnaby, Co, PoMo, PoCo, Surrey, Langley, etc.) traveling to and from work - who in turn put cash into the pockets of the Van-city regime!!! Gheesh, what kind of logic is that??? Widening Highway 1 JUST might relieve some of the traffic congestion that STARTS in the city of Vancouver and eventually bleeds east of the city! For a bunch of Granola loving, Eco-pushing, tree-hugging, try hards . . . you would think that they MIGHT or WOULD lean towards an initiative that would reduce greenhouse emissions . . . ARGH! Vancouver TRY HARDS!

Just for the record, here are the actual BC Stats for population of municipalities as of 2005 (also cities affected by the widening of Highway 1, not including Maple Ridge: 73,280; Mission: 34,742; Chilliwack: 70,522; etc.):

Burnaby: 204,324
New Westminster: 57,480
Coquitlam: 121,973
Surrey: 393,137
Langley: 25,716
Township of Langley: 97,125
Abbostford: 127,434

roughly: 1,027,189 people

VERSUS

Vancouver: 583,267 (guesstimate 1/3 of this for the east side affected areas)

So You Want to Buy a House?

I found a great cache of archives from CBC Radio entitled "Get Smart with Real Estate." Check them out here. I haven't had time to go through all the broadcasts yet, but the one I listened in on was well worth it. "Is Vancouver in a housing bubble and what is a housing bubble?" Check that one here. BTW, you'll need a Real Player to listen in on the goods.

On another note, when we signed our initial purchase contract and placed a downpayment on our apartment, the sales person had an interesting comment for us. "So you are 'real home buyers'?" She must have said this three times - as though she were staring right into the elusive eyes of Sasquatch for the very first time in her life! We were the first actual home buyers she'd ever met - not some yahoo investor rep/standin guy. That very same week, a bunch of real estate agents we contacted to assist in finding a home in our price range, called us back and gave us grief for not signing on with an agent. After some confusion, I discovered that there was a spot on our sales contract that had a space for a real estate agent - opps, we just buy things back in Calgary. I didn't know we needed someone to represent us on getting new digs, in Cow-town when purchasing new you just hit the builder for the bill - yeah, pay some kook to buy slurpees for me . . . right. Perhaps, I was just turned off by the all-too-common-turn-down attitude of most Lower Mainland realtors. I don't even think they want business - seriously. Back in Calgary, we had roughly 1,900 listings in a city with 4,000+ realtors. Heck yeah, they'll work for your business. Vancouver, you need to wake up! Props to y'allz in Cow-town - you deserve the gold!

Tory Budget

Okay, I never really took notice in the past, but now it's personal. Since we came to Surrey, we've been noticing this PST on some of our receipts. Ouch! Thanks to the new Tory PM, we might just see some 1% cut off from our current GST (currently sitting comfortably at 7%). That's a whopping 6% GST (Goods & Services Tax for those of you still wondering)! I guess for those of you with kids are also quite happy - come July 2006 we will see a universal child care benefit that will put $1,200/kid under the age of six in the pockets of parents . . . apparently, this is still taxable, but to whichever spouse earns the lower income. Dude, it's nice living in Canada. If you are still going "huh"? Check out a summary of the 2006 Federal Budget here.

Kicking it in Surrey

Great experience the other day. Wife went in to the local bank for some change for the laundry room. A few of the other customers with her included: an Islamic woman wearing a head covering dressed quite modern and stylish, 2 Vietnamese men attempting to wire a load of cash, and a few East Indians. She felt quite comfortable being a visible minority for once in her life (especially one from suburban Calgary). I thought that was neat, I like that.

FYI, "Population by Ethnic Origin in the GVRD from 2001 Census" data - click here. Interesting data.

Weapons of Mass Productions

Do you have:

Shills in the shrine?
Commerce in the cathedral?
ATMs in the apse?

Forget the tedium of fashioning a whip of cords, which may require multiple applications before being effective! Stop shouting yourself hoarse about the Lord's house becoming "a den of robbers!" Quit crying about not being strong enough nor angry enough to turn over tables!

Let the TEMPLE KLENZERTM do the work!

The TEMPLE KLENZERTM emits a powerful pulse of electromagnetic energy, instantly disabling the computer circuitry of any cash register, cash machine - or any other cash cow - that may have invaded your sacred space.

As an added bonus, the TEMPLE KLENZERTM also disables most cell phones - no longer will your prayers be interrupted by ring tones of the theme from Beverly Hills Cop!

ORDER NOW AND RECEIVE A HANDSOMELY ENGRAVED PLAQUE OF THE BEATITUDES ABSOLUTELY FREE! Perfect for posting in your local courthouse, public school classroom, or military recruiting office! (Gospel of Luke version - includes both "blessings" and "woes"!)

*Results may vary. Do not use TEMPLE KLENZERTM if you wear a pacemaker, are pregnant, may become pregnant, or know anyone who has ever been pregnant. Side effects may include ringing ears, nausea, dry mouth, drooling, weight loss, height loss, loss of appetite, blurred vision, weight gain, dizziness, fatigue, hyperactivity, shortness of breath, prickly heat, boils, frogs, locusts, and darkness.

Courtesy of Sojourners Magazine. April Fool's! =)

Frank Shamrock / Cesar Gracie Knockout Clip

The two fights that pumped me up the most were the Shamrock/Gracie and Hughes/Gracie matchups. I found the video highlights to the Frank Shamrock/Cesar Gracie fight here. Frank sure looks good in the standup - guess his time with Cung Le has paid off. Well that fight's over. After Royce's classic line to Matt Hughes "this is my house [referring to the Octogon], I built it", I hope his fight lasts longer than his cousin's (upcoming on UFC 60 May 27). BTW, it is interesting to note that Matt Hughes placed Psalm 60.12 on his official website:

"With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies" (NIV).

Favorite TV Shows

I don't know why, but someday I will reflect back on this post and soak up the wisdom and growth that occured between then and now. Here's my list of favorite TV shows:

The Unit (CBS) - a special ops army unit that answers only to the president
NCIS (CBS) - Jethro Gibbs, former Marine sniper, cool as ice
E-Ring (NBC) - everything Special Forces, the Pentagon, and politics
Battlestar Galactica (on SciFi or Space) - raw, fracken raw
Restaurant Makeover (Food TV Canada) - kooky jingle polka music
Holmes on Homes (HGTV) - "If you're gonna do something, do it right the first time!"

Now you know what I'm about, peace.

Watch March Madness for FREE!

Okay, everyone calm down. CBS has finally done it, they have FREAKED out! Yeah, that's right they will offer FREE streaming video of the NCAA Men's Basketball Finals FREE! Did I say Free, yes I did say FREE! "All 56 games from the first three rounds of the tourney will be available for FREE!" Get the message? For you bad boyees at work in some cubicle someplace, somewhere - bosses beware! HA, click here for the dealz. Man, that's just crazy!

Calgary Housing Market Getting Hotter

Taken from the CTV News site

"It's almost hard to believe, but Calgary's housing market is now even hotter. It's great if you already own a home, because prices are still going up. The average sale price of a single family home in Calgary hit $342,000 last month, up 29 per cent over last year. The price of condos is also way up. In February, the average price was $217,000, up 22 per cent from the same time last year. The skyrocketing prices are making it hard for first time buyers to afford a place. Ironically, the hot market is also making it tough for realtors. There are approximately 5,000 agents in the city, clamoring for between 1,500 and 2,000 listings."

All I can say is . . . wow and darn. I'm moving into the highest real estate market in all of Canada (Greater Vancouver Area), click here for their real estate market stats. I also found a great blog - the Vancouver Housing Blog - that offers good, thorough market insight into the Vancouver real estate bubble.

A side note on this real estate boom - healthy province (thank you Uncle Ralph), healthy city (thank you 25,000 people moving into Cow-town a year), healthy economy (naturally a money maker . . . I also know that gas and oil won't last forever). Calgary has all the right ingredients for a healthy real estate market at this time - it makes good sense for it to boom. But what's up with Vancouver? Is it truly a developer's paradise? What gives in Van-city?

Dr. Wafa Sultan: Freestyle Battle #?

Anyone ever heard of Dr. Wafa Sultan? Well you should, the Arab-American, Syrian expatriate took on a certain Algerian Imam Jihadist named Dr. Ibrahim Al-Khouli on Al-Jazeera TV (February 21, 2006) in a freestyle battle of the intellectual type. Did I mention that Dr. Sultan is a woman? All I can say is . . . she got MAD skillz YO?

Click here for the video clip.
Click here for the transcript.

You know the world is different when . . .

I recalled a quote I heard a few months back with Chris Rock,



"You know the world is different when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the US of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the 3 most powerful men in America are named 'Bush', 'Dick', and 'Colin'!"

Yo Chris, how much fo' jus' one rib?

What's Your Vocation Worth?

I finally found something that substantiated a theory of mine regarding the low investment and high expectations of pastors. Unfortunately, this theory is now a fact. Keep in mind that Canadian Chinese churches consistently come well under the average in terms of pastoral salaries and packages - this is yet another fact that my denomination has made yearly reports on (from time to time, our denomination's districts will collect info regarding pastoral salaries and benefits for reporting purposes).

Anyhow, aside from the fact that most respectable Chinese parents will not allow their children to pursue liberal arts degrees (and just because 1 parent out of a thousand releases their child into Bible school doesn't justify the disillusionment of the 999) - let alone chase dreams of full-time Christian ministry - what kind of a message are we sending to our next generation (a message that has been repeated a few generations already)? Low pay, a hostile and discriminatory view of ministry, the added parental guilt and manipulation of financial success . . . end result, a non-sustainable and underdeveloped vision for local-born Chinese ministry . . . in other words, no future.