Chung's Blog

God Is Sovereign But...

2008-11-05T00:50:00.001-08:00

we all will be called to account.

God is sovereign, it's a given. God knew what would happen tonight and He knew who would win. He knows what the future will bring under this government, and we can find peace in that God is still King of kings, and will ever be. But that does not absolve the guilt of our choices. One day, justice will be served. It will be perfect and swift, and we will all be called to account. Heaven will come to earth and we will know the paradise of peace and the Presence of God, but not before we stand before the Great White Throne.

Tonight, I am unapologetically repentant, convicted of the sin of staying silent. Because of fear and ignorance, I kept quiet the voice and freedom given me. I will be called to account for not standing up for the oppressed, not speaking up for the disenfranchised, and not defending the weak. By God's grace will I be ushered through the pearly gates and hopefully hear 'well done' regarding the sum of my life, but on this account, I will hear no such thing. I would have lost either way tonight, but for giving less than I knew could, I committed the sin of omission, and so I am responsible, accountable, and ashamed.

Tonight I mourn, for millions of little babies, one baby at a time. Each little one is often lost in the faces of millions I see in my calloused imagination, beyond my mind to grasp. But tonight, I mourn for each one, two, three at a time, because each one deserves to be remembered, each one deserves to be mourned, each one deserves to be grieved by someone.

There was an opportunity to overturn an unjust and immoral law. The next president will appoint 2, possibly 4 Supreme Court Justices. Even two unrighteous judges, who saw the fallacy of mere man setting the line between life and death, could have set the nation on the path to save scores of lives. But now, barring a divine interruption, we will most likely have to wait an entire generation to get that chance again.

The precious babies are forgotten and forsaken by the ones called to be their guardians and protectors - mothers, fathers, neighbors, and now God's children. My pain tonight is not just one of defeat, or the loss of an opportunity to defend the disenfranchised and unborn. My pain is also knowing that I was not the only one who stayed silent for fear of social reprisal.

I am a sinner and I have sinned just the same. But in my penitence, let me attempt to teach transgressors another way.

In such a light, may I suggest the following for sober consideration:

-Many believers were motivated more by the economy than by human life, they loved money more than their unborn neighbor.
-Many believers either voted against their conscience, voted out of ignorance, or have badly misinterpreted or ignored the Bible regarding the unborn.
-The ones who were ignorant or misinterpreted the Bible had pastors who didn't tell them otherwise because, among many reasons, they may have been afraid they would lose their tax-exempt status.
-Scores of young people, many of whom are believers, voted their naive way, because the elders who sit at their gates neglected to show them wisdom.
-George W. Bush may have caused 1 million people to die violent deaths in Iraq in the last 5 years, but at least 5.2 million babies will die in just as violent a death in the next 4.
-We have exchanged 8 years of perceived failed policies for 40 more years of almost certain genocide.
-If you believe life begins at conception, you really had only one choice tonight.

Starbucks

2007-09-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

There's no better way to learn theology than to deconstruct Starbucks. Let me, however, begin with two disclaimers and a warning. Number one: for the sake of protecting my street creds as a hardcore coffee lover, I must confess that Starbucks is not my favorite...although it is a very convenient and pretty good last resort, sorry Buehrle. Number 2: there ARE better ways to learn theology than to deconstruct Starbucks, like reading the Bible. I was just using hyperbole. Warning: this is a blog version of 19th century writing...which means it's going to be long and descriptive, for a blog entry anyways.

It's the stupid little things in life that can brighten up the mundane blue-gray hue of an ordinary day. As I was walking through a brand new shopping development, I looked from a distance toward a nearby, newly-spawned Starbucks that is yet to have it's grand opening. I'm sure it's not open yet because their building was still gutted the last time I checked. However, I do see people in the familiar green and black uniforms walking in and out. Assuming they're just having their pre-opening training for their new recruits, I walk in closer to get a peek at this world-class training that's been replicated 12,000 times in 40 countries. As I edge in closer still, I see people in civilian clothes hanging out. Preplexed, I presuppose that they have indeed opened without my knowledge, how dare they.

I'm greeted at the door by a friendly barista who explains to me that their official opening is tomorrow and today is a special event for friends and family. As I turn to walk away, the friendly barista tells me that I'm a friend of Starbucks today and welcomes me in. Before I have time to process what's happening, she then tells me that everything is FREE! That word suddenly became my new favorite four-letter word and it transformed this very-familiar, pottery-barn accesorized place into a wonderland. The entire menu was at my disposal. In an instant, I understood what Charlie felt like when he first walked into Willy Wonka's factory.

For the first time in years, I looked up at the menu and actually read it. This was a once in a lifetime chance to exceed my usual $2 Starbucks limit and to get whatever my heart desired, and I was on a mission to order the most expensive drink I could find. I was surprised to find that none of the drinks were over $5.

I ended up getting a Venti Orange Creme Frappaccino. Then I hit my first dilemma. Should I order something else? Like a $8 sandwich or a $3 bottle of water? I should, but it feels weird to. But why not? They did say everything was free. I should clean the place out. No, but I can't, it's too much, I'd feel like I'm taking advantage of them. But they're Starbucks! They don't need the money! Finally, exhausted at my self-arguing, feeling slightly psychotic and not wanting to spoil this wonderful day with regret, I let it end with my Frap.

Then, just like Pavlov's dog, I reach down for my wallet just as I've always done for years. As I'm pulling out my wallet, I hit my second dilemma. This is FREE. Which means I don't pay for it. Arrrrgghhh! This feels so weird. You mean I can just turn and go and wait for my drink, and they're going to just give it to me??? Is this a trick? Are they going to suddenly accuse me of stiffing them and call the police? I did a double take. I pretend to walk off and then quickly turn to see if they would say anything or try to stop me. When nothing is said, I walk away, keeping my eye on the employees to make sure I was doing the right thing. Not paying at a Starbucks counter completely disoriented me. I had completely lost my center!

I felt compelled to pay. There are many things in life that are supposedly free, but there are almost always strings attached. And it's not like we're getting duped by the evil corporation. It's a deception of mutual consent. They tell us it's free, we know full well that it's really not, and in a moment of self-dillusion and greed, we take the deal having both satisfied our consumerist appetite and justified ourselves figuring that we got something for free. You get a free gift with a credit card, but you end up paying many-fold just in interest. You get a free drink, when you purchase a meal. You get your first 2 months of cable free, but you pay for 10. But this wasn't like that at all. They just gave it to you. Just like that.

I learned many truths through this. For one, I learned that when someone gets something completely free, you are compelled to give back what that something was worth. I received a 5-dollar drink, and I felt compelled to give back 5 dollars. When we truly receive the grace that saves our lives from eternal damnation, if we truly believe it, it is in our nature to be compelled to return to the source of that grace and salvation something equal in value...a life for a life.

And that in itself is not a full analogy. Because although we were given eternal life, more supremely we were given God Himself, and for that to happen it cost God His life. That is why we are compelled to worship Him for eternity, because God is of infinite value and there will never be a time when we will ever feel like we've given back in equal value what was given to us.

Secondly, I had a buffet of premium Starbucks coffee and foods that were essentially mine, at least as much as I could consume for that day, but out of fear, mistrust and suspicion of what the friendly barista said, I partook of a relatively minuscule amount. I was blessed with every blessing in the Starbucks realm, but could take only what my faith and understanding in what the friendly barista said would allow (sorry, couldn't help myself).

Thirdly, a guy standing in line was calling all of his friends to come and get the free Starbucks. I think the analogy there is obvious.

But what impacted me the most, although I was ecstatic about getting free Starbucks, was how difficult it was for me to just receive. I don't think I'm over-dramatizing this at all. On more than a few occasions, I've seen people receive gifts with extreme reluctance. Something in the human soul hates getting something for free. We hate not working for it, and we hate getting something we know we don't deserve. When people receive unreluctantly, it's because one of 2 reasons. They truly understand free grace or they wrongly feel entitled to it.

I think life is more full of paradox than we know and today, I discovered the utter joy and inner torment of receiving something for free.

Miracle Night at Youth Camp

2007-07-26T23:48:00.000-07:00

I would have a hard time believing it if I didn't see it with my own eyes. Tonight, we had our evening session for our 3-day youth camp. Gary Gilbertson and his missions team of college students are here to serve and minster to us. Tonight was an unbelievable night. Gary, after his message, started to pray for kids with uneven limbs and they grew even, right in front of everyone's eyes. Needless to say, all the youth who had gathered around to witness it, were all astonished. And then the college students began to pray for kids with uneven limbs all around the room. And then the youth started to pray for other youth with uneven limbs, and we saw arms and legs grow right in front of us as we prayed!!

Here's what's even more astonishing/funny. Almost every time, the shorter limb grew, then kept growing until it was longer than the other limb. Then it would go back. Sometimes it grew back and forth like that several times. Everyone thought it was funny, except of course the person getting healed. With shear panic, they would tell us to 'put it back, put it back! It happened to me. My right arm was slighty shorter than my left. It grew out until it was further out than my left arm and then went back.

I know, it sounds like some psychological phenomena and we shifted our legs and arms subconsciously. I assure you, I physically tried to keep my arms and legs in place so that wouldn't happen. And you can tell when someone is shifting their legs back and forth because then their whole thigh and hips will move too. In addition, some of these youth's legs and arms were growing and shrinking by several inches! Even the most skeptical kid in the youth group acknowledged that he saw limbs grow. And I'm serious, this kid is EXTREMELY skeptical and cynical, and he admits that he witnessed it.

We so badly needed a breakthrough like this in our youth group and we certainly need it for our city. It was amazing, if you were there you could not have denied it. It was just one of those nights. Paul was once shipwrecked on the island of Malta and the Bible says that EVERYONE on that island was healed. Everyone in our meeting with uneven limbs were healed. By the end of the night, we were looking for people with uneven limbs and couldn't find anymore. Even kids with other ailments were healed too. This one kid was complaining to me all night about a pain in his knee. It was obviously more than just a strain or a sore. He was instantly healed.

The most exciting part was that kids were praying for other kids and doing miracles. They were doing the work of the ministry, and they were operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. How many kids can say they made someone's limbs grow?!

Building Miracle

2007-06-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

I think every church plant is always on the lookout for buildings. As you go about town, you make a mental map of all the places for lease and all the places you wish were for lease. About a month ago, we felt like we hit a place where we really needed a building to move forward with what God was calling us to do. We started actively looking for places, even though we had absolutely no room in our budget for a building. Within a week, we found a place (which is a miracle in itself in a place like Vancouver). Within 10 days, we found the money to finance it. Within a month we signed the lease and took the keys.

It's a 2-story, 2100 sq/ft warehouse which will house the Dream Center, a social action center to help the poor, and meetings for the youth and young adults. The upstairs will house the offices for Five Stones Church, China Transformation Project, Humanitarian International Services Group and Willgo, Inc. We've already outgrown it!

This acquisition of the building is just one of the many miracles I'm witnessing around me right now. Unfortunately, I can't post the other things that are happening on the web. Let me know and I'll mail you a CD of one of Rich's recent sermons where he details what's going on.

Falwell Receives His Praise

2007-05-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

Jerry Falwell passed away today. Right now, he's in heaven, looking into the face of Jesus and seeing the beauty that every single one of us has longed for since our birth. He stands today before His Maker and is giving an account for his life. And today, he receives his perfect reward.

There are many of us who disowned him as a brother, despised him as a fundamentalist and were embarrassed by his witness. There are others who were grateful to have an uncompromising advocate for Christian values in the political arena. I have been strangely both at the same time. At times, I've been frustrated that he and the brand of Christianity he represented was of little help, at times a hindrance, to my unbelieving friends seeing Jesus for who He really is. At other times I've been quietly grateful, because as anyone who is politically center-left or center-right knows (I am center-right, a passionately moderate conservative), it is those who are on the radical extremes of the spectrum who keep the agenda leaning in our favor.

But what I felt or thought about Falwell is useless. I am not his judge. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 4 that no one is his judge, not even himself. He says a scary thing when he says even his conscience is clear, but that it doesn't necessarily make him innocent. Paul exhorts us to judge nothing before the appointed time, but to wait when each will receive his praise from God. But until that time no one can say for sure. Who knows, at this very moment God could be judging Falwell to have done everything God called him to do. At this very moment, he could be hearing, "well done, good and faithful servant, come and share in your Master's happiness." And as you take your next breath, brother Jerry could be basking in the speechless satisfaction of knowing that he pleased God fully with his life. Who knows? My judgments are meaningless.

Today, as I pray for Falwell's family, friends, and church, I also reflect on my own life, and on questions that are hard for a confessing people-pleaser like myself to answer: Am I living to please a lesser judge? Or am I living to please the only Judge that can give me my praise at the appointed time? Could I live with the hatred of the whole world to feel His pleasure? Would I freely trade in the acceptance of my family, friends, other christians, for God's reward?

Wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. -1 Cor 4:5

Poetry Slam

2007-04-03T00:26:00.000-07:00

Just came back from a poetry slam in a dark French cafe in an artsy district of Vancouver. If you've never heard of slam poetry or spoken word before, it's a new form of creative expression birthed out of the hip hop movement, and could be most closely identified with ancient Greek oratory. It's more than a poetry reading, like the ones you see on TV with the cheesy French guys wearing all black with berets, sitting on stools, snapping, calling everyone 'cats'. It's poetry performed with all the theatrics of life, words crafted to bring you into the world of the poet, with all his joys, pains and everything in between.

It gave me insight into one of the many tribal cultures here. It was mostly young adults, all jaded, cynical and confused, wandering and as someone once said, speaking with all the anger of disillusioned love. This world is broken, these poets just reminded me again. But through the charcoal-colored glasses, I could see seams of redemptive light in their words. As the apostle Paul said, they seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. We are all broken because of sin, and we are all trying to find our way back to Eden. Some have just been given bad directions.

2007-02-12T22:44:00.000-08:00

I'm coming off a binge of information on China, where I devoured books, articles and audio lectures on it's history, politics, and economics. All I can say is it's really, really big, and it's incredibly hard to wrap your mind around the sheer volume of everything in this country. Take chopsticks for example. There are currently 1.3 billion people in China and they use 45 BILLION pairs of disposable chopsticks each year, which amounts to about 25 MILLION grown trees being cut down annually (Peter Navarro - Coming China Wars). Boy, will this make the Carrboro treehuggers mad.

The Chinese Minister of Religious Affairs recently put the newest estimates on the number of Christians in China at 130 million, that's nearly half the population of the US. It's hard to keep up with China. Things are changing very quickly. By the time I finished my last book, which was published in late 2006, it was already old news. The 2008 Olympics in Beijing will be an interesting time when the whole world will turn it's gaze to China. What will the world see and how will they respond?

Gospel Music and Beer

2007-01-30T22:07:00.001-08:00

Okay, not the kind you're thinking of with a mass choir, whirling organs and a horn section. No, what I'm talking about is worship that preaches the Gospel.

I've been thinking, if there is prophetic worship, could there be evangelistic worship, or even apostolic, pastoral or teaching worship? Well, we know that protestant reformers like Martin Luther used worship as a mechanism to teach theology. Why would he do that? Well, because most of the people in his church couldn't read. And in addition to preaching, another way to teach them doctrine was through hymns, that's why hymns are so full of rich theology. So he took music from his favorite drinking songs that he sang with his buddies at his favorite watering hole and wrote songs like the famed, A Mighty Fortress. He took truth, put them into plain-language, and put it to familiar tunes that ordinary people could connect with. We take hymns as a traditional style that helps us connect with our spiritual past and our conservative, contemplative side. But to Luther and his contemporaries, it was the rock 'n roll of their day that he used to teach truth, but also pushed the boundaries of their old-school, latin liturgy. As Luther once said, "why should the devil have all the good music."

My paradigm for worship is being demolished. Church-planting is all about getting people saved. In fact, I guess that should be the point of everything we do on this earth. My sunday-morning worship is beginning to conform to that. It's not an easy transition, but it's how God is leading me in the context of planting churches. Even as I was pondering this in my own heart, during a praying meeting, Rich, not knowing what I've been wrestling with, felt like God was going to use the worship to evangelize. That's all the confirmation I needed to let go of the old, and to hit the pavement seeking out the new.

The Master Plan of Evangelism

2006-11-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

As well as getting practical experience during my internship, I'm also trying to form a philosphy of ministry from which to operate out of. To that end, I've been on a steady diet of books since I've been here. The first book was The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman. The premise of the book is that God's design of evangelism involves both ministering to the broader public as well as multiplying yourself through mentoring a few. Coleman goes through the mentoring process Jesus undertook with his Twelve as a model of teaching, equipping and releasing for us to follow.

What was my major take-away from this book? The disciples, in addition to receiving teaching from Jesus, worked WITH Jesus, side-by-side. They were doing more than just meeting for coffee every week and getting advice about their lives (although I'm sure they did plenty of that). But they also rolled up their sleeves and as Jesus was multiplying the fish and the loaves, they were busy handing it out to the multitudes. Seeing a mentor in action, in his work and ministry, and seeing their response to different situations in a variety of contexts, is worth a million coffee appointments.

The importance of mentoring was already laid in my foundation. Now, I'm building on top of that the importance of actually working together. I know, not very profound. But I'm hard-headed and it takes a while for me to really 'get' things. In hindsight, I can see that working itself out with my mentoring relationships in my past and present. I never really carried any of my mentors' bags, so to speak. Mostly because I had that pesky guitar to lug around. But there was incredible value in those times on the road with Ben on the way to a ministry thing, or planning a missions trip with Bob, or playing guitar with Will, or riding along to run errands with Rich. And yes, of course, in having a great cup of coffee with Pastor Jim (mostly because coffee's a shared passion--and because he has an awesome counseling gift that I aspire to have). Most of these times were irregular, and even infrequent, mostly because these guys are all over the map (I mean that in a literal sense). But I learned a lot just being around them in a shared working context, in addition to hearing them speak.

So here is the real implication of this recent 'revelation'. I believe in structured mentoring programs and if I'm ever involved with one in the future, it might look something like this: people are paired up based on similar ministries, gifts, callings or vocations. And then, in addition to being required to meet regularly, they are also required to work together in some capacity. Okay, again, not really a third heaven-type revelation. It's a small ingredient in a very big pie. But what excites me are the ramafications of successfully executing this one little piece a million times over in every mentoring relationship in the Kingdom. What if there was a spokesman that traveled around the world to impart this one miniscule truth, but did it effectively? Would it be worth it if he taught nothing else but gave his entire life to push this one idea? Of course, this type of mentoring is already happening, but what if we could implement it in a very systematic way so that people didn't have to figure it out on their own, and we didn't have to struggle so much to actually do it? Again, welcome to my crazy, idealistic, church-planting mind.

what's happened so far

2006-10-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

First of all, I didn't know a post about grapes would get so many comments, especially smart-alecky ones :-). Anyways, at the request of Mr. Daley and company here is how Dave is doing one month into his Vancouver adventure.

Mostly, I've been just trying to absorb my new surroundings. There's a lot to download and digest. Honestly, I'm on information overload and all my thoughts are still raw and unprocessed. In the mean-time, I've been just settling in, getting to know the Kao's and planning for the fall. We'll be ramping up our church activities in October, but so far, its been planning and organizing stuff. I've officially taken over the responsibilities for the worship and I'll be helping out with the youth. Starting in January, I'll also be working on one of the university campuses here, which is getting me very excited.

There's a lot of things up ahead. I'll be spending the next few months figuring out how I'll fit into all these things and how much to be involved in each of these things. Mostly though, I'm realizing that I'm not necessarily called to a ministry, a city or even a church. Right now, I'm here to help Rich, whether its taking out the trash or helping him with his church.

What I'm finding most valuable right now is just the daily life training I'm getting just by being around Rich and Memie. Everyday I learn more about what a godly and healthy family looks like. As some would say, some things are more caught than taught. I'm catching things that would probably take years for me to learn in any other way. I'm probably underestimating the impact that its having on me. I'm very grateful for the Kao's and what they're imparting to me, even stuff they might not quite realize.

I'm also volunteering at a super cool Christian school that the kids go to. Its Spirit-filled and they have a very high standard of excellence. I'm helping out with their 7th grade worship team...that's right, they have a 7th grade worship team. Not only that, but they do prophetic worship. It's so cool! I wish I had a worship team at my school growing up.

What has God been saying to me? Well, its been hard to hear. But he has been speaking. But, for whatever reason, he has been spoon-feeding me. Don't know why. I'm impatient and want to know everything now. I need to just trust.

I'm doing well and having fun. I miss NC, especially friends. It was a blessing to see a lot of you this weekend. And I'm so glad that technology allows me stay more connected. Overall, I'm excited about what God's going to do, but have no idea how to make of what's going on because everything is so new. And as always, let me know how you guys are doing. That is all for now.

Gift of Grace

2006-09-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

I just finished the third Sunday doing worship here at Five Stones and we had a great time.
This time it was even more special because it was the first Sunday to use the new banners we got with the gift Grace gave to the church on the summer mission's trip. Its really helped brighten the atmosphere. Now everytime I see these banners, my heart will be endeared toward my Grace Church family.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. And its not those kind of banners. These are actually pretty cool.

the grapes

2006-09-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

That's Matthew, Heidi and me eating the biggest grapes I've ever seen. They grow 'em big here in Vancouver. The Kao's have 4 kids so this house is always full of energy and activity. They're super fun to hang out with, and they've taken good care of me.

the stuff

2006-09-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

To give you an idea of what church planting is like, this is the stuff we shuttle back and forth every Sunday. Fortunately, we don't have to lug around as much stuff as we would normally have to because the room is already outfitted with chairs and a sound system. Rich has the system down pat. As you can see, it all fits nice and snug in the back of their minivan.

the church

2006-09-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

This is the Douglas College lecture hall that we're currently meeting in. And that's me doing worship. There's about 60 people in the church now. We're beginning a series of outreach services in October, which will hopefully bring in some unchurched folks.

the office

2006-09-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here is my office, which also happens to be my room :-). You can see the Caribou Coffee that Rich and Memie brought from NC for me. It was so thoughtful. There's no Caribou here so its a little taste of home I get to have every morning.

the room

2006-09-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

So here is my room. It sits in the basement of the house, although, its so nice you can hardly call it a basement. Its a hard life.

The Good Confession - a tribute

2006-09-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

A good man passed away this week. And in the midst of it all, I'm making an effort to say that God is good and to mean it, even though right now its not my natural inclination to do so. One, because that's what Ray would've wanted people to say. Two, because I know that's what I'm supposed to say. But mostly, because that's what Ray would've wanted people to say. How do I know? Because that was his good confession all throughout his ordeal. And it was his prerogative to have it that way. Besides, it was primarily his suffering, it was his cross to carry. It was his to bless and it was his to curse. I fumble over my words sometimes when I try to explain to others how he faithfully endured his suffering and remained true through it all. Nothing I say seems to fully convey what he was like. He was a walking miracle. The way he steadfastly testified to the goodness of God and how he worshipped ceaselessly in his suffering was simply unnatural. He would often open up the weekly prayer meetings at his home with a sweet psalm of praise to the Lord, and it was clear that it was coming directly from just an overflowing heart. Every time he opened his mouth to speak, a quiet hush would come over my soul as if to say, "watch and listen, and be amazed." And I was, every time. Nothing he said was trite, or generic, or disingenuous. He couldn't be. He was dying. The one certainty you can have with a man facing death is that he'll only say what he means, because he has no reason to say otherwise. Through the fire of his convictions, he brought back life to words that often times seem to me like empty phrases and worthless platitudes. Bless the Lord. Trust in Him. God is good. He purified these words through his suffering and returned to them the rich meaning and life it was meant to have when it was first breathed. He had the right to speak them because it was without hypocrisy. And so he had the right to be heard.

The good confession of a dying man demands a response. Even the most rebellious of souls cannot ignore it. It blew my mind. How could he be saying these things? How could he be praising the same God who was allowing his affliction with such ease? And what would my confession be if I were in his place? Its somewhat of a bewildering mystery to me and it challenges the sincerity of my own faith. And it will continue to do so until I can pass the same test that Ray endured.

Ray is alive and well. I am not deceived. His body has died, but he is more alive today than any of us could hope to be in this life, in a way that is more immaculate and joyous than we could ever imagine. Our most celebrated times of worship, our deepest moments of intimacy, our most joyful times of fellowship with God and man, are feeble attempts at what Ray is experiencing in fullness. He was already giving us a preview of what was to come for him, and for us one day. By his jubilant laughter and his unrelenting worship, even in his suffering and pain, Ray showed us what the kingdom of heaven is like. Ray brought a little of that kingdom to us on this earth and now he is experiencing it without measure, jealous for us all.

What is Ray's legacy? I can't speak to the whole of that because I’ve known him for only a few years, except to convey the impact he had on me. Had he lived, as we were hoping against all hope, my faith, no doubt, would have been renewed to a whole new level. But his death left an everlasting impression. It was like a crowning seal on everything he said, everything he confessed, and everything he taught me about suffering and who God could be for you in affliction. His passing shifted my sights to the eternal, and it made the temporal seem shamefully small. His final confession, one which was made both as a single, final breath and a culmination of all his acts of faithfulness, one which was made in silence but speaks an eternally better word, the one that ultimately gained primacy, was that God is good, not just now in the land of the living, but forever and ever.

I have...

2006-09-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

finally arrived. I left a day late because Hurricane Ernesto canceled my flight. So after saying goodbye to the Eversons, going for sushi, not sleeping, going to the airport at 4am, coming back, sleeping all day, saying goodbye to the Eversons again, flying through Atlanta, then Salt Lake (I know now why they call it Salt Lake)...I am here. I can't beleive something called Ernesto caused so much trouble. Sorry if your name is Ernesto.

I'll put some pictures up soon. In the mean time, to give you an idea of what I'll be doing, here is a picture of the lecture hall that the church is meeting in. That's Rich Kao leading worship, which is what I'll be doing soon. Just imagine me where Rich is in this picture (its not that hard to do) (and yes, its because we're both short and really really good-looking) and that's what it'll be like soon. (I ripped this picture off of Rich's blog, hope that's okay Rich!)

Also, guess what? Its Labor Day here too. That's weird. Oops...I meant its Labour Day.

Crank: Movie Review

2006-09-01T22:41:00.001-07:00

Just came back from watching Crank. Recommendation: sucks. I give it an F+. The + is for emphasis, to emphasize the F. Just kidding. It wasn't that bad. But I wouldn't watch it if I were you.

the thunder roles and it smells like sushi

2006-08-31T23:00:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a Garth Brooks song, exept of course for the sushi part. Just came back from half-priced sushi night at Sushi Blue's. My stomach is happy with the fusion of raw fish, soft crabs and cream cheese. yum. There's thunder in the skies and we're awaiting the coming storm as I digest my last meal in NC. It will be a memorable night for me as the Carolinas await Hurricane Ernesto and I await the jump into a new season. The turning of the seasons will end with a darkened storm and begin with sushi. How fitting. How symbolic of where I've been and what I sense is coming. God spoke to Job in the eye of the storm. And God is reminding me as He reminded Job that He was God and had every perogotive to do whatever he pleased. That before he met Job's suffering with an abundance of his goodness, He, through a storm, had to show Job that it would be entirely out of His goodness and will that He would bless Job, not out of obligation or even based on Job's faithfulness. I am God, you are not. I will bless because I want to, not because I have to. He wanted to show that what He was about to do for Job originated with God and ends with God. Soley out of Love, no strings attached. As the Piperheads would say, this is how God gets the most glory. And I am again reminded that God is sovereign and He's bigger than I think.

God was not asleep at the wheel.
In fact, the whole thing was his idea.
Job 1:8
Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?
It was God who gave Satan the idea to afflict Job.

Joel 2:25
"Then I will make up to you for the years
That the swarming locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust,
My great army which I sent among you."
It was God who sent the army that consumed the years, and it is God who will make it up.

Hosea6:1
"He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds."
God never makes mistakes. It was God the whole time.

got called out

2006-08-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

Man, got called out by Keith Hazel tonight, big time. It was so accurate and precise, it was scary. I've always believed in that stuff, but after that word, I feel like I've been born again.

He said I needed to step out from hiding behind music and from being behind the scenes, which I frequently do. He also spoke of church-planting, discipling church planters and being an arrow sent out by Grace. They were all new things that I've been contemplating a lot since I've decided to do a ministry internship at a church plant in Vancouver. And with anything like that, I've been wondering if I really can do something that involves so much risk, and if, indeed, God was calling me to do that. What a supernatural comfirmation!

Rich and Memie purposely didn't tell Keith about me or what I was planning, so he didn't even know who I was. They were great about the whole thing. Even at the risk of Keith telling me to stay in Chapel Hill, they trusted God to do what's best.

First Post!

2006-08-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Finally made my way into the blogging world. I'm still here in NC, but I'll be gone soon and this is where I'll be chronicling the next leg of my journey.