Collecting Star trek Comics

I am a reader and collector of Star Trek comics.

This is a wonderful website by Mark Martinez Star Trek Comics Checklist where he documents every Star Trek comic ever published.

The Long on North Island

Memories of New Zealand #5: New Friend, New Country


One of the highlight of my New Zealand trip is to meet my blogger and spiritual friend, Pastor Paul Long of Kelston Community Church in Auckland. Paul blogs at Paul Long's Rambling. It is a wonder of the Internet that though we have been friends for many years( even before he left Malaysia), we have never met in person before! So I have really been looking forward to meet my digital friend in the flesh.

I really appreciate Paul taking a drive from the east side of Auckland to where I was staying on the North Shore on an early Saturday morning. It was a great time of fellowship and we hit it off at once. No sense of awkwardness. It is wonderful to be in the company of a kindred spirit. He is very enthusiastic about his calling as a pastor to this church. He shared his hopes and aspirations for this community of faith that he is shepherding. I came away from that short time of fellowship with the impression that if I want anyone to be my pastor, Paul Long will be the one. The Kelston Community Church is blessed to have him as their pastor.

Here's what he writes about me:

...I had a nice though short visit with Dr. Alex last week (he was in Auckland for a couple of days on the way to Ozland). Now I know another reason why he is into spiritual formation ... he can really draw all kinds of stuff out of me! (like a therapist) LOL!! Positive stuff lah ... no laments! And he gave me a stack of "Spiritual Formation the Run". Will enjoy giving them away soon!!

Thanks, Paul for being my spiritual friend and my online community of faith. Good to meet you.

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Top 5 Books to read during Advent and Christmas

Christian History Home > Reviews > My Top 5 Books to Read During Advent and Christmas

My Top 5 Books to Read During Advent and Christmas

Carmen Butcher, associate professor of English at Shorter College in Rome, Georgia, scholar-in-residence, and Christian author and blogger | posted 12/10/2009 01:23AM

This list represents my own desire during this holy season to experience new birth in my soul, as modeled by that divine-human baby lying humbly in the manger. My main interest is in learning how to do discipleship, in finding affective theology to grow in me a more Christ-minded, thankful, wonder-filled, and kinder lifestyle. These are the books I am sipping tea over and steeping in this Christmas.

St. Augustine: Sermons for Christmas and Epiphany Translated and annotated by Thomas Comerford Lawler

From the Paulist Press Ancient Christian Writers series, this splendid book of sermons invites us into the lives of the earliest Christians. Here, as the translator says in his excellent introduction, the "brilliant and profoundly spiritual" Augustine explores the divine mystery of the Verbum infans (the unspeaking infant Word) in fifteen sermons for the Christmas season, two for New Year's, and six for Epiphany. With great pastoral care for his congregation, Augustine expounds the Christian creed, exposes the heretical fallacies of his time, explains difficult passages of Scripture, praises God's infinite and ineffable mercy, and works to resolve his listeners' doubts—all in language that is accessible to the ordinary layperson. Above all, Augustine asks us to celebrate with deepest joy and gratitude the "wondrous humility" of the omnipotent and divine Word's coming into this world as a helpless human infant.

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Christmas Sermons Translated and edited by Edwin H. Robertson

Hanged on April 9, 1945, for conspiring in a plot to assassinate Hitler, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the most unforgettable Christian writers of the 20th century. He writes that Advent is genuinely celebrated by "those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, who look forward to something greater to come." This collection of his complete Advent sermons challenges us to consider how Christ's incarnation can transform our lives. It also includes insightful biographical information.

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Advent and Christmas Wisdom from St. Thomas Aquinas By Andrew Carl Wisdom, OP

Through the writings and prayers of this Doctor of the Church and founder of the Order of the Preachers (Dominicans), this Christmas book calls us to loving action founded on the discipline of daily prayer. Its devotions from Advent through Christmas lead us into intimacy with God. Each includes a reflection from Aquinas, Scripture verses, a prayer, and a call to action that helps us live out God's new birth in some practical way each day, thus emulating Aquinas's goal: "Nothing but you, Lord. Nothing but you."

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Bernard of Clairvaux: Sermons for Advent and the Christmas Season Translated by Irene Edmonds, Wendy Mary Beckett, and Conrad Greenia

Based on the critical Latin edition by Jean Leclercq and H. M. Rochais, this scholarly collection succeeds in being both engaging and readable. It includes an excellent introduction by Wim Verbaal, situating the reader in Bernard's 12th century milieu, when he was an unknown Cistercian abbot. It includes seven sermons on the Lord's Advent; six on the eve of Christ's birth; five on the Lord's "birthday"; one on the feasts of St. Stephen, St. John, and the Holy Innocents; three on the Lord's Epiphany; and several for afterwards, all with this eternally vibrant theme: "There will be no lack of what you can do so long as you do not lack brotherly love."

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Martin Luther's Christmas Book Edited by Roland H. Bainton

The well-known Reformation scholar and author Roland H. Bainton (d. 1984) here presents 30 timely excerpts from Martin Luther's Christmas sermons, nine Nativity illustrations by Luther's contemporaries (including four by Albrecht Dürer), and two of Luther's five Christmas carols. Luther's down-to-earth meditations on the reality of Christ's birth—Mary's cold and lonely stress, Joseph's misgivings, Herod's scheming, the wise men's questions, and the divine baby's naked accessibility—reveal the miracle of the Incarnation as a real event in history. Luther's message is that we should keep Christmas every day of the year.

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My Farthest Pastoral Visit

Memories of New Zealand #4: Old Friends, New Country

Late last month, I made my farthest pastoral visit- 8,371 km (5,202 miles)! That is the distance between Singapore and Auckland, New Zealand. That did not include the distance I have to travel from Johor Bahru, Malaysia to get to Changi Airport in Singapore.

Meeting my old church-mate and his family is worth all the traveling. It is great to meet up with this wonderful family who has migrated exactly one year ago. Back in Malaysia, the husband and I served in the same church together in leadership roles. We were also in the same accountability group. During our stay, we are introduced to two other members from our home church who have migrated seven and twelve years ago respectively. All are hungry for news from the home church.

Whatever their reasons for migrating (and they are all valid reasons), it has not been an easy transition. It means leaving family, friends and jobs behind. It also means times of uncertainty and insecurity. In mid-life, they have to be retrained for new careers. I am happy that they are able to overcome all obstacles, and to observe that their family unit is now much stronger.



Makan is still an enjoyable activity and the table fellowship great. I am glad that they are settling down well and have found a wonderful church to worship with. It was good to renew old friendship and to catch up with each others' lives. Much have changed but much remains unchanged. They may be Kiwi now but they are still Malaysian inside out, and offers great Malaysian hospitality.

May the Lord continue to bless them.
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Idea of Loving God to Loving God

Another good reflection from Mark Galli.


Christianity Today, December (Web-Only), 2009

SoulWork

Waiting for Jesus to Show Up

Moving from loving the idea of loving God to loving God.

Mark Galli | posted 12/10/2009 10:33AM

Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, was a prolific writer. But apparently he didn't like to write. As he put it, "I love having written."

I admit that when it comes to Christian devotion, there are too many days when I say, "I love having prayed." I think of myself as a committed Christian, but many days prayer is more duty than delight, certainly not something I bound out of bed and eagerly begin. But I do admit to often being happy once I have prayed. It seems I like the idea of prayer more than prayer itself.

I know this is true because of the mental battles I fight upon first waking up. I often hear the enticements of the Enemy: Why not just sleep in; you deserve it; you've been working hard. You're not going to get much done if you're tired all day.

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Inhabitants of New Zealand

Memories of New Zealand #3: Baa Baa







I wonder what Jesus has in mind when he refers to us as sheep?

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Gordon MacDonald on Church Leadership

From Christianity Today online

Gordon MacDonald's articles and books are insightful and are always worth the reading. I like this article where he applies principles from Jim Collins' book How the Mighty Fall to church leadership.

How a Mighty Church Falls

What it takes to prevent congregational decline.

Gordon MacDonald | posted 11/29/2009

Soon after I finished my theological education, I was asked to become pastor of a congregation in Southern Illinois. This was my first great awakening to the realities of pastoral leadership, and it was an uncomfortable experience.

The skills (or gifts) that led the congregation to invite me to be their spiritual leader were probably my enthusiasm, my preaching, and my apparent ability, even as a young man, to reach out to people and make them feel cared for.

The position description called for me to report to a board of deacons who, while well-intentioned, were not highly experienced in organizational leadership. It also said that I was responsible to lead a staff that consisted of a secretary, a Christian education assistant, two day-school teachers, a part-time choir director, and a janitor.

What it didn't say was that the congregation was seriously divided and disillusioned due to an acrimonious split in which the previous pastor had persuaded a hundred people to join him in leaving the church to form a new one down the road.

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The Genesis Enigma

I read this interesting, newly published book, which I picked up at a departmental store in downtown Melbourne, on the 8 hour flight from Melbourne to Singapore.

Professor Andrew Parker is one of those scientists who are Christians that do not see a dichotomy between science and religion. Presently he teaches at Green College at the University of Oxford and at the University of Sidney. He is also the Research Leader at The Natural History Museum in London. With his impeccable scientific background, Parker attempts to approach the first two chapters of Genesis - the Creation account. He takes pains to establish at the beginning of the book of his belief in the inerrancy of the Bible. However he takes issue with those who takes the first two chapters of Genesis literally. The first two chapters should be understood as an account on how life was established on earth as by one who narrates an event. Thus the 'days' are not literal 24 hours but periods of time.

Starting from the Big Bang and using the latest scientific discoveries, Parker relates the scientific account of evolution to the first two chapters of Genesis. In the first chapter of Genesis, there is twice when God said, "Let there be light" - verse 2 and verse 14. Parker attributes the first light (v.2) to be the event after the Big Bang when energy is converted to matter thereby forming atoms and later suns, galaxies, and planets. Then he shifted his focus to earth where in the hot, volcanic surface of the earth, complex molecules came together to form single cells organism. These cells became more complex by using photosynthesis to store energy. The first complex organisms to populate the land were plants thus agreeing with the Genesis account.

It is in the second account of light (v.14) that Parker proposes his bold assertion. He suggests that the second account is when eyes were evolved. These newly evolved organisms were better at survival because they can see (see the light?). This, Parker postulates, is the reason for the fantastic expansion of new species in the Cambrian Period in earth's history. This is his 'Light Switch Theory' which won him the 'Scientist of the Year' award by The Royal Institution (London) in 2000. It is the evolution of eyes that aided in the evolution of sea creatures, birds and land animals. Parker is convinced that the evolution theory is no longer a theory but established facts. Thus he implies that creationism and intelligent design is not rational.

The main thesis of this book is that there is no way the author/authors of the first two chapters of Genesis can know enough about the Big Bang and evolution to describe so accurately the order of events for the development of life on earth. This and the question of 'what is energy' before the Big Bang is the Genesis enigma. Parker suggests that the answer can only be God.

While the scientist in me cheered Parker on as he describes the various scientific processes in his book, however the theologian in me was troubled by the way he try to fit together the Genesis account and the theory of evolution. Parker's discovery of the development of the eye as the Big Bang of evolution is a major milestone in evolution theory. However I was not comfortable when he applied it to explain the second account of 'let here be light' (Gen.1:14).

This is an admirable attempt to reconcile the theory of evolution with the first two chapters of Genesis by an eminent scientist. However, like eminent theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher in the nineteenth century who tried to reconcile Christianity to the scientific worldview, it creates more questions than answers. There will always be gaps in our understanding of God and his handiwork.

This is a good book and I will recommend it to those who wants to know more about what happens after the Big Bang and how life appears on earth.

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Some Thoughts

Thoughts..... Anger is a condition in which The tongue works faster than the mind . You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future! Everyone needs to be loved... especially when they do not deserve it. Everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it. It's important for parents to live the same things they teach. If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for. The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow. Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together. . Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts. We take for granted the things that we should be giving thanks for. Love is the only thing that can be divided without being diminished. Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon others. For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness that you can never get back.

HT: Punna

The Exorcist as a Christmas Special?

While I am reluctant to criticise our public television, I wonder whose bright idea it is to screen such a movie and by what leap of logic to bill it as a Christmas Special?

CHRISTIAN FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA

(PERSEKUTUAN KRISTIAN MALAYSIA)

Address: 10, Jalan 11/9, Section 11, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Telephone: (03) 7957 1278, (03) 7957 146, Fax: (03) 7957 1457

Email: cfmsia@yahoo.co.uk

9 December 2009

CFM STATEMENT ON THE EXORCIST III movie shown on NTV7

on 5 Dec 2009 SATURDAY at 11PM

THE EXORCIST III MOVIE DOES NOT REFLECT CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) strongly objects to the recent showing of the movie The Exorcist III by NTV7 on 5 December 2009 at 11pm which was promoted by the network as a “Christmas Special”.

The CFM, which represents the Christian community in Malaysia, views with disdain the decision of the network to broadcast a satanic and horror movie for public viewing and to say that it is in connection with the season of Christmas. Such a programming decision is utterly incomprehensible and wholly inappropriate.

If indeed it is the genuine desire of the network to broadcast movies as part of a “Christmas Special”, we feel that the network should be screening movies that exemplify the Christmas spirit of love and sharing rather than a satanic and horror movie. We wonder what message the network is trying to portray to the public about the true meaning of Christmas.

The world is full of violence and horror on a regular basis. Let us at least set aside the season of Christmas, when Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, as a time to promote love, joy and peace.

signed

Bishop Ng Moon Hing

Chairman and the Executive Committee of the

Christian Federation of Malaysia

About Lesslie Newbigin

Lesslie Newbigin's writing plays a large role in helping me to understand the missional role of the church and about the emerging church movement.

The Missionary Who Wouldn't Retire Lesslie Newbigin, born 100 years ago today, launched a new career at age 66 by calling Western churches to act like they were in the mission field. By Krish Kandiah

When I speak with students around the world, I find them confident in their ability to present the gospel. They tell me that God loves me, that I have sinned, that Christ died for me, and that I need to believe in Jesus to get to heaven. Their confidence is reassuring, but their content is worrying. Doctoral students and seminarians often seem to have no deeper grasp of the gospel than do Sunday school children. The gospel they present has been reduced to a personalized product that offers the ultimate bargain—exchanging spiritual poverty for eternal riches. The problem with much of our evangelism is not what we include but what we omit: the Holy Spirit, the church, persecution, obedience, mission, reconciliation, resurrection, and new creation.

The gospel according to Newbigin challenges this thinking in two distinct ways. First, he calls us back to a gospel that brings personal reconciliation with God, but also a gospel that connects us with God's reconciling purposes in conscience, culture, church, creation, and cosmos. Second, he calls us back to a gospel that is more than a series of bullet points, a story that centers on the flesh-and-blood character of the divine Christ.

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Boiling Mud, Hot Rocks and Geysers

Memories from New Zealand #2: Rotorua, North Island

New Zealand lies within the Pacific ring of fire and is in an active volcanic area.

boiling mud and hot pools

hot springs within a wonderful green belt

hot rocks with sulphur crystals

cool stream at the side of hot rocks

very hot rocks

hot geyser



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Visiting Hobbiton in New Zealand

Memories of New Zealand #1: The Shire

I am a vivid Lord of the Rings fan long before it was made into a movie. I love Tolkien's writings, his poems and new languages, his detailed design of the Middle Earth with it own history and mythology. The Lord of the Ring is a three book trilogy written by T.R.R.Tolkien which consists of

The Lord of the Rings
Tolkien's own cover designs for the three volumes of the first edition
Volumes: The Fellowship of the Ring The Two Towers The Return of the King

The major part of the movie trilogy was filmed in New Zealand, a beautiful country.



The Waikato region of the North is one of the finest farming region in New Zealand. A unique site in this beautiful farming country near Matamata in North Island was chosen to be the Green Hill Country of the Shire, Hobbition, Middle-Earth.

Here are some of the props that was used in the first fifteen minutes of the first movie, The Fellowship of the Ring and the last few seconds in the last movie, The Return of the King. The Hobbit hole shown above is where Frodo and Bilbo lives.

An quiet pond on the farm was converted into a Hobbit village, complete with bridge and village square. The photos below shows the completed set on the same pond above.



Another view of Frodo's and Bilbo's house. The hobbit hole on the right is the woodcutter's hut where the night-riders came looking for the hobbits.

This is the Birthday Tree around which were celebrated Frodo's birthday.

I have had a wonderful time at Hobbiton. The guide was very helpful and knowledgeable. He showed us the exact location where each of the shots of the movie about the Shire were taken.

We are very gladful to our New Zealand hosts who drove us to this way out place.

Man, I am going to watch the movies again.

Interested? Contact www.hobbitontours.com

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Challenging the Status Quo in Theological Education in Asia

Abstract

Asia is in a constant flux of rapid socio-economic changes. The church is growing rapidly and there is a need for competent, confident and spiritually matured pastors and leaders. The curriculum for theological education in Asian seminaries is often based on the traditional classic fourfold content of biblical studies, systematic theology, church history, and practical theology. There is a tendency for these institutions to focus strongly on content in their curriculums. Their approach to teaching is usually instructional schooling which is the proven pedagogy for content transmission. Unfortunately instructional schooling has been proven not effective in producing graduates capable of complex decision making, creative thinking, reflective in actions, and life long learning. These are essential qualities for spiritual leadership in the information age. Problem based learning (PBL) with its track record in medical education offers the pedagogy to develop these qualities. Seminaries in Asia should seriously consider a radical paradigm shift in curriculum redesign following the Problem based Learning (PBL) pedagogy.

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This is an article I wrote about a challenge to theological education in Asia. I have earlier blogged about some thoughts I have while researching for this article.

Are learning ancient languages useful for pastors?
Are our pastors adequately prepared for ministry?
Do theological education forms or deforms spiritual formation?

Here are some interesting comments on theological education made on blogs recently by an Asian student and a seminary lecturer.

Sze Zeng
Local theological study, church and the end of the first semester
Kar Yong
What my students think of us

Please read my article and let me know what you think.

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My Second Daughter Graduates

Today my second daughter graduates. After seven years (one year for foundation and six for her basic degrees), she walks on the stage and receive her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Medical Sciences (B.MSc) in the University of Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia today. It have been a hard and tiring journey for her and her family. We wish to express our joy and gratitude to God for his providence and protection. And we wish to express our thanks and gratitude to friends who has been praying for her and support her in so many ways.



Soli Deo Gloria

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