nobody at home

2012-02-03T00:27:00.001+11:00

Erm... well, for the first time in years I've finished preparing for Sunday already. I finished last night (Wed night) at about 2am. It's partly because I'm not doing a standard sermon this Sunday but more of a seminar/Bible study.

This post is a mix of stuff that generally come up toward the end of preparation...

Worldview

I always want to be shifting worldviews when I preach. I don't want to give people a list of things to do because that is moralising and leads to a works based religion. I'd rather preach grace and to do that I need to show them how God makes a difference to their fundamental worldview.

For Isaiah 40, the original readers were having their worldview challenged by threat of foreign nations. The Israelites thought God had promised them land and blessing but foreign powers were taking their land. Isaiah comes along and says, "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God" and that God himself is going to come and bring this comfort. Their worldviews are being re-aligned to trust God again.

For readers today, this same message of comfort comes to us and ultimately God himself came as Jesus. An example of a worldview shift that Isaiah 40 might bring for modern readers is: to someone who thinks their sins are beyond forgiveness (in spiritual exile) - Isaiah 40 says Comfort, your sins are paid for (now by Jesus). I could preach "trust God more" but that would just make people feel burdened and lead to people viewing trust as a good deed.

Blank moment

Pretty much every time I prepare a sermon I have a "blank moment". It's not really a blank moment, but rather a "I don't like what I've prepared so far so I'm going to scrap it and start all over again." Yep. I scrap everything and start again.

I find this one of the hardest things because it usually happens on a Thursday night. So I'm left with one proper day of preparation to come up with something. Anyhow, it helps me toss out all the peripheral things I might say and keep the important things. It also makes me pray. Real hard.

Defeater belief

This is a Tim Keller thing that Sam Chan got me onto. I hope I got them right. The idea is that every person who is not yet a Christian has certain beliefs that stop them from accepting Jesus. These beliefs "defeat" any hearing of the gospel, they stop people from listening. Defeater beliefs would include questions like "If God is good why is there evil?" and "Don't Christians have a bad record in history?". So in every sermon you chip away at these defeater beliefs by showing that the defeater belief doesn't necessarily hold. This gives Christians ways to approach their friends and it also gives those who are not yet Christian something to think about. And in the long run, your congregation will want to invite their friends because it speaks to their friends.

Outlines

Sermon outlines. Some people start the writing of their sermon with an outline. And this outline is something you can include in a bulletin to help people follow what you're saying. I find that when I prepare an outline, it is more about flow and timing rather than a logical grid. I guess I use a more oral approach than literate approach to preaching.

So I don't really have outlines. Instead I have different basic structures which I use for different genres. I have a rough structure for narrative, for prose, for topics, etc. Behind all these is an even more basic structure: I begin in our world (and surface a human problem), then I go to the world of the Bible (and show how the Bible solves our problem), then I go back into our world (and think about how Biblical principles work out in real life). Our world -> Bible -> our world.

There is one genre which I don't seem to have a structure which I would use - poetry. I have nothing for poetry. Isaiah 40 is poetry. Hmm... the only thing I can think of is that poetry works by engaging your sense. So if I preach poetry, I just want to reiterate the main picture/message of the voice of the poet. Isaiah itself says the same thing over and over... and kind of how poetry works - it works over the same ideas in different ways. (Think Lamentations and the many Psalms having similar themes and sounding similar). There's a certain richness in exploring a simple message in different contexts.

2012-01-30T12:22:00.000+11:00

Praying

I'm actually like posting about my sermon preparation process because it's forcing me to think about all the things that I want/should/could be doing - many of which I often forget to do until later. One thing that I often forget is to pray.

Praying might seem like a simple thing to do, but I just find myself "doing" the sermon but forgetting that I'm meant to be preaching God's word. Asking God for some help just falls by the way side.

So... if I do forget to pray, I think God finds a way to make me pray. Usually I get stuck or something and I'm just so desparate that I'm forced into remembering to pray. It also forces me into thinking about what God is saying to me personally.

All the things that you get told about preparing any Bible teaching just seems so easy to forget.

I think my forgetting to pray and lack of reliance on God to proclaim His word is what makes my sermon preparation time irregular. Even if I do pray, it's as if God is wanting to show me that he's the one in control of the whole process. So... I'm quite ok with not knowing how long it will take for me to finish a sermon because that in itself reminds me to pray.

Like MC Hammer said, "We got to pray just to make it today."

Commentaries

I'm now at the stage where I feel like I have a good idea of what Isaiah 40:1-11 is about. I've done the English, done the Hebrew and now I want to look at commentaries to answer any questions I have about the text.

I usually like commentaries in the following series:

The Bible Speaks Today (BST)

Focus on the Bible

NIV Application

New International Commentary of the Old Testament/New Testament (NICOT/NICNT)

Word Biblical Commentary (WBC)

The first three are more easy to read. The latter two are harder and helps if you have Greek/Hebrew (often called 'technical commentaries').

I like BST because it's easy to read and explains the passage in chunks. NIV Application commentaries are generally an easy read too. NICOT/NICNT ones are also generally easy reading but go in more detail. WBC I find useful for Greek/Hebrew.

But I'd usually look at commentaries based on the book. That is, no one series has a great commentary on every book of the Bible.

So for Isaiah, I'm mostly looking at Kirk Patston's commentary on Isaiah subtitled 'Surprising Salvation'. This is mostly because I sat in Kirk's lectures so I can understand what he's writing about.

If I read a bit in a commentary and I don't understand it, I try to read it again. If I don't think the second reading is getting me anywhere I just leave it behind. Either the author is being too obtuse or I'm not smart enough. Neither of those things are going to change this week.

All in all... I find that commentaries are answering questions I'm not asking, so they're only helpful for me if I'm looking specifically for certain information. Oh and introductions in commentaries are often helpful to give all the background and overall information about a book too. But even so, I'd only want to engage that material after I've read the text myself.

2012-01-27T12:37:00.002+11:00

Greek/Hebrew

I'm now reading and reading and reading Isaiah 40 in preparation to preach it on 5 Feb.

I usually work off the NIV but at some stage I'll look at other English versions and also the original language. The Bible is originally in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. We studied Hebrew and Greek at Bible college.

That this means is I have no Aramaic and very little Hebrew and Greek.

Usually, one every 3 or 4 sermons I'll try to translate the whole passage. The others I'll just 'refer' to the Hebrew/Greek. Isaiah is in Hebrew and I didn't have time to translate, so I'm gonna just refer to the Hebrew.

When doing translations and referring to the Hebrew/Greek I'll look at the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and Holman's Christian Standard Bible (HCSB).

I like the HCSB because it captures a lot of the original language meaning in readable English.

I like the NASB for translation because it is very literal. So much so that I find reading it really hard. I don't use the English Standard Version (ESV) beause the NASB is more literal and the ESV comes from the Revised Version line of translations anyway.

(Side note: many English translations are derivative, and so there is the Revised Version, Revised Standard Version (RSV), NASB, ESV line... they read similarly although have different philosophies and theologies behind them.)

So for Isaiah 40:1-11, from looking at the Hebrew, I've noticed a few things. Many of the important things to notice are readily presented in good commentaries. That means you don't need Greek or Hebrew (or Aramaic). It's good that we have people write commentaries so we can dig into the text more and be blessed with its riches.

I'm paying attention to the fact that Isaiah 40 is poetry, so the use of words is important and rhythm is important.

In the first couple of verses...

v1 The word for 'comfort' is nhm. It can also be translated 'repent'. So... I now I want to see if there's anything to that.

v2 "speak tenderly" is literally "speak to the heart". How nice.

v2 "hard service" has military connotations - ie. it's very much about exile and war.

v2 The first instance of 'sin' has a sense of iniquity/guilt. This guilt is done with.

v2 The second isntance of 'sin' is a different word and is more about something done against someone.

Maybe the different words for 'sin' emphasises different aspects to sin?

Now, some of these observations are not that significant and some may not be valid (I'm not that great at Hebrew!), so I'll check with commentaries to see if they notice these things too. I certainly don't want to make big what is not. I find it annoying when preachers make a big deal out of one word when really there's nothing to it.

I remember a lecturer from college say that you can't build theology on one word. Theology is in sentences and paragraphs and chapters. I like that.

So yep. That's my text work so far. Another 9 verses to go.

Short attention spans

I have a really short attention span.

Really short.

I find it really hard to listen to sermons.

I tune out after about 20 seconds.

If I try hard, I stay with it for about 2 minutes.

At SMBC, we had preaching groups called 'Expounding Scripture'. We had to take turns preaching and give feedback. It's so hard giving feedback when you're constantly daydreaming!

Yeah ermm... some people say my sermons are short. In my defensive defence, I'd like to say that my sermons vary in length and having a look back, they average just over 20 minutes. Some are 10 minutes. Some are 30 minutes.

Anyhow, if I tend toward shorter sermons it's because I myself have a short attention span. I want to preach so that everyone can hear and will hear and will want to hear. If I can't even pay attention for that long, why would I expect someone else to? It would be bad if I got bored of my own sermon while I was preaching it.

Yup. That's it for this post.

2012-01-25T23:49:00.002+11:00

Ok, so I'm now up to reading and gathering thoughts for my sermon on Isaiah 40:1-11 on Sun 5 Feb.

Reading really involves reading the Bible only. I've been reading bits of Isaiah and more so the immediately preceding and following chapters of the passage I'm preaching on. So since I'm preaching Isaiah 40:1-11, I've read in more detail Isaiah 36 onwards and I'll probably read to about Isaiah 46.

Ideally, I'd read all of Isaiah... but it's huge and I'll probably only be able to skim most bits. I'll have to rely on my memory of Isaiah for major themes. If we were going through the entire book of Isaiah, then that might make life easier in terms of reading the whole book.

And then, I'll gather my thoughts and make some notes.

Then I'll read Isaiah 40 again. And revise/refine/throw away my notes.

Then I'll read the passage (and surrounding passages) again... until I think I understand what it's going on about.

I'll probably also start writing down any questions I have - these I'll try to find answers from commentaries and lexicons.

Oh and when I take notes, I don't take notes in a word processor. I used to, but one day I was sitting behind Trevor Hodge in class and he was using a mind mapping program. I thought, "Wow, that's cool. Taking notes in a non-linear fashion. I want to do that too!" But he's a Mac user... so I had to look for a PC one. There's quite a lot out there, but I settled on Freemind. Google it.

So, here's my rather bare mind map of my thoughts so far.

Here's a mind map from a sermon I have already preached. It usually ends up something like this.

So... basically... this part of the sermon preparation isn't all that different to any other Bible teaching session/seminar/workshop/et cetera. I'm really just trying to understand the Bible.

2012-01-25T00:54:00.005+11:00

Occasionally, people ask me, "How long does it take to prepare a sermon?"

I usually respond in a manner akin to this: "I usually start reading the passage about a month before. Then about 2 weeks before I'll try to gather my thoughts about the passage. Then near the end I might read some commentaries. And then on the Thursday (if I'm preaching on Sunday) I'll start writing... and at some stage it finishes."

This is of course just the process part. All along the way I either pray or God forces me into prayer. Over the years, God has dramatically changed the way I prepare for sermons. He forced me into it. It's like I have no choice now.

I used to be able to put aside say 10-15 hours and by the end of it I'd pretty much have a talk of some sort. But then my process became more complex as I put more thought into the people in my congregation and how Jesus might make the message simpler and compelling for them.

And now, I basically have no control over whether a sermon is prepared in time. Some times it just finishes itself on Thursday or Friday. Some times it's 1am on Saturday night/Sunday morning. I don't really time myself, but I guess preparation could be anywhere between 10 and 50 hours. I don't know how to explain myself to other preachers who prepare with more efficiency or consistency. Some times I feel stupid for not being able to "finish a sermon".

Anyhow, the next sermon I'm preaching is on Sunday 5th February at church in the morning. It's on Isaiah 40:1-11. It's also the first sermon on a series on Isaiah so I'm thinking about doing a mini-seminar on Isaiah as a whole before preaching.

So where am I in this process?

It's less than 2 weeks to go, but I'm really only in the "reading" part. This is largely because I've been preaching every fortnight the past two months so I'm not quite with it. I'm also starting to gether thoughts.

I thought I'd have some fun and try to post how I'm going with this sermon preparation. Hopefully these posts will make the message clearer. Along the way I'll probably also talk about "methods" and "tools" I use... just for fun. Part of the inspiration for these posts is from some dude who collected sermon transcripts from some well known preachers. It was fascinating just seeing the notes they used.

So... anyone care to offer how they go about preparing for sermons?

2011-09-29T00:07:00.003+10:00

I stayed up with Amy to help her with an essay on predestination. She produced an essay. I produced this...

2011-07-26T10:52:00.007+10:00

My kids annoy me some times.

Mostly when their emotions explode onto their siblings. Or they are simply not content with the soft toy in their current possession. Or if they won't go to sleep.

As a father, I have many good reasons to curb their behaviour.
1. Learning to control their emotions will help them discern what is worth getting worked up about and what isn't.
2. We should be content with what God has provided for us and be thankful that others can enjoy toy vacuum cleaners too.
3. Sleep. You need sleep to be awake and function. God gave us rest. Rest.

But perhaps behind my desire to impart a way of life happy under God is my desire to come home to peace. Maybe in the moment, I care more about my own comfort than for my children to grow up loving Jesus.

Jesus said something about following him and being uncomfortable in the same sentence.

Maybe I need to learn that being put in a position of discomfort to reconcile grumpy children is a good thing. And the more it happens, the more both I and my children grow in maturity in Jesus. If in twenty years time my children love Jesus and are willing to do anything for him, then I would thank God for the smile on my face. That would be a fun moment.

Often people ask me what it's like to have three kids.
I say, "It's hard work but it's a lot of fun."

2011-06-19T00:00:00.001+10:00

Amy is studying church history and nostalgia created this...

2011-03-04T23:52:00.001+11:00

Dear Sermon,

Could you please write yourself tonight and print yourself out tomorrow morning? I'd like to get some sleep now - the type of sleep one gets while on holiday not having to worry about anything in the immediate.

Of course Sermon, I don't mean to discredit you or belittle you, it's just that I feel that we haven't had a great week. You and I just didn't click. I guess that's what happens most of the time between us, but I don't think it should always be like this.

What happened to us? We used to work well together like peanut butter and jam. It was almost formulaic. But now every time I open my Bible, you look at me with this "You can't treat Me like the last one" look. And then you actually say it, "Hey Aaron, I should be different to the last one because it ain't the same passage." Yes yes, I know, but do you realise how much I've been praying that you might at least help with the whole process?

Look, I'll give you some time tomorrow but we really need to sort this little thing between us soon because Sunday is less than two days away. I guess it'll be another late night chat on Saturday between you and I again. Again.

Your pal,

Aaron

2010-12-13T22:10:00.001+11:00

Some books I read in 2010

A Task Unfinished by Michael Griffiths

A practical book about how your church can be involved with global missions and supporting missionaries. A very useful book for all church leaders and anyone interested in mission.

Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris

Written by teenagers, for teenagers. Alex and Brett tell us that we should do hard things for God, but I feel they tend to push 'big' hard things (like political campaigns) more so than 'small' hard things (like saying sorry). An ok read. Can you tell that I'm not that excited about this one?

Cross-cultural Servanthood by Duane Elmer

An excellent book about how to think and go about Christian ministry in a cross-cultural context. Probably worth reading even if you're not in a cross-cultural context.

Dead Women Walking by Jennifer Su

Three stories about three Taiwanese women who found freedom in Jesus. I read this within a week because it had me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible

I haven't read the whole Bible this year, but I bought an HCSB to see what it was like. I like it so far. It's a newish translation which stays close to the original Hebrew and Greek without being too terse (like the ESV). Better than the ESV for me.

Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

Jerry tackles several sins that Christians tolerate such as gossip, selfishness, etc. A bit preachy.

Gospel in Life by Tim Keller

Not exactly a book but a group discussion series (DVD + booklet). It shows how the gospel affects different aspects of life and teaches you how to bring Jesus to your friends. The best material I've ever used for a young adults small group. No joke.

Transforming Worldviews by Paul Hiebert

A slightly academic book that seems to be written for practitioners explaining the characteristics of different worldviews. It also has a chapter on a Christian worldview. It was good for deconstructing a worldview, but there wasn't much practical help on how to bridge a worldview with Jesus.

2010-11-14T23:12:00.004+11:00

Today as I was driving home, the clouds looked particularly fluffy. Almost cartoon like fluffiness.But if you were to actually touch the clouds they wouldn't be fluffy anymore. It would be a lost misty moment. And I guess we know that clouds aren't fluffy at all. If you've ever been at high altitudes you know that being in the midst of clouds is actually not all that exciting because you're just in fog. Fluffy clouds are best enjoyed from a distance where you feel the urge to reach out and squish them between your fingers but can never quite get there.

2010-10-10T03:22:00.001+11:00

2010-08-26T00:32:00.003+10:00

no one is in my tale
i've hidden you my ail
all day the migrants sail
all day the refugees wail
i flail i fail
another mail
i want a purple pail
a pail to hail
the common grail
which still derails
nobody in tale

2010-08-19T13:27:00.020+10:00

The search for a good children's Bible

A couple of years ago we bought Bibles for our girls who were about 1.5 years old then. They each received different Bibles so we could read different versions. We had no idea which children's Bibles were good so we went with what looked okay after 10 minutes of browsing.

It was a near impossible task choosing a children's Bible because there are just so many and you can't really work out which are good. It's easy to see if the pictures illustrate the story, or if big events are in there (eg. creation, the promise to Abraham, Jesus' death and resurrection, new creation). But you can't read the whole thing...

Eventually, we just guessed.

The two Bibles were:

The Beginner's Bible (published by Zondervan)
our now bandaged The Beginner's Bible

The Lion First Bible (published by Lion Books)
our Lion's First Bible

Now that we've read through them for a couple of years I find that there are strengths and weaknesses to both.

The Beginner's Bible has:

nice simple picturesgood to see it starts with creation

low word count (good for toddlers)the promise to Abraham is in there

consistent pictures of people
(you can recognise Jesus from story to story)Jesus' death and resurrection - vital!

hardcoverit finishes with the new heaven and new earth - good good

However, I also found The Beginner's Bible tended to be moralistic (works based). One example is the story of Jonah. In The Beginner's Bible, Jonah is portrayed as a prophet who stuffs up but comes good in the end. In the Bible, it ends with Jonah sulking because God forgave the Ninevites.

Also, the transition between the Old Testament and New Testament is rather awkward. The last story in the Old Testament is Jonah. Then all of a sudden Jesus' appears. This means the overall storyline of the Bible is somewhat lost when reading The Beginner's Bible.

So what about The Lion First Bible? Well, it has:

nice realistic pictures
creation is a good place to start

consistent pictures of people
(you can recognise Abraham from story to story)
God's promise to Abraham - descendants as many as stars in the sky

shows the storyline of the Bible
(last Old Testament story is about an expected new king)even the wording is similar between this story and the story of new creation - nice

hardcovergood to see Jesus' death in picture

However, I found that the stories take too long to get through. Half way through each story, one of the kids start to lose interest despite my enthusiasm. I mean... just look at the number of words per page compared to The Beginner's Bible.

So today, I went to buy a Bible for our boy who is about 1.5 years old now. Seeing as though we already had the above mentioned Bibles, I decided to go with:

The Big Picture Story Bible (published by Crossway Books)
our brand spanking new, just out of the plastic Big Picture Story Bible

It has nice big pictures (the book is about 1.5 bigger than the other two Bibles) but the "big picture" refers to the overall story of the Bible. That is, the big/overall picture of the Bible. It also has a low word count, consistent pictures of people and is hardcover.

Even the back cover shows overall story in a picture.

However, being focused on the overall story of the Bible means it is not as exhaustive as the other Bibles - nor is it trying to. So for example, Jonah doesn't actually appear in The Big Picture Story Bible. Additionally, The Big Picture Story Bible reads more like a Sunday school lesson on a story rather than just a story. The book asks you questions. You may or may not like that. So hey, that's life I guess.

Oooh. As an aside, there are also good books which just tell single stories from the Bible. I quite like this one.

Basil the Branch
I like how it retells Jesus' parable of the vine and branches by making the branch a character. The kids love it and it gets the point across. Not a substitute for a whole Bible, but good for learning.

Still, I think there are some useful things to consider when looking for a good children's Bible. Here are my random thoughts in random order...

1. Read the Bible yourself. If you don't know what's in the Bible, how are you going to know what should be in a children's Bible?

2. The age of the child. We bought Bibles for 2-4 year olds. The Lion First Bible would be great for say a 5-6 year old, but is just too wordy for our kids at the moment.

3. Stories. Children (and adults) learn by stories. Good children's Bibles will recognise that. Instead of just taking chunks of the Bible and making the words simpler, a good children's Bible will tell it in a story. For example, The Lion First Bible weaved Paul's letters into stories of Paul's journeys. The Beginner's Bible told Psalm 23 like a story by having pictures illustrating what's happening.

4. Pictures. Kids who can't read look at pictures. If they're boring, it's like reading a Bible with a font that's too small. You just get sick of it after a while.

5. Storyline of the Bible. It's important for kids to know that the Bible isn't a bunch of rules. Instead, the Bible is God's story of restoring his people and his creation to be with him through Jesus. Kids need to know that.

So there you go. Can anyone recommend other good children's Bibles?

2010-08-18T13:04:00.005+10:00

“The sermon was good but everyone is Chinese”
An investigation of ways in which members of selected English Speaking Congregations of Chinese Churches engage in evangelism through friendship with friends of non-Chinese ethnicity

by Aaron Koh

A project submitted for the degree of Master of Divinity
Sydney Missionary and Bible College
June 2010

Synopsis

“The sermon was good, but everyone is Chinese”. That was the response I received after inviting a friend to my English service (which is part of a Chinese church). It is this attempt to evangelise an ethnically non-Chinese friend and similar experiences of others which prompted this project. There seems to be little literature specifically dealing with Chinese churches in Sydney, especially on whether members of English speaking congregations wanted their ethnic non-Chinese friends to join their church. So interviews with members of English speaking congregations of Chinese churches were conducted.

The literature review showed that first generation immigrants tend to associate among themselves but the subsequent generations assimilate to the dominant culture. The efforts of Chinese churches in Sydney have been focused on retaining Chinese culture for the first generation and training leaders to retain the second generation. But it was found that the interviewees have a Biblical desire to ethnically diversify their congregations and to evangelise their ethnically non-Chinese friends. Interviewees who were in the work force had more contact with ethnically non-Chinese people and had negative experiences with inviting their non-Chinese friends to church. The interviewees also consider inviting their friends to church as a natural step in evangelism. However, they also consider their level of evangelism as insufficient. The minimal engagement in evangelism (in any form) is of concern.

Most interviewees thought their church would remain predominantly ethnically Chinese but they also thought that this was a hindrance to evangelism. If ethnic diversity is desired then issues such as the biological growth from Chinese speaking congregations to English speaking congregations need to be addressed and researched. Older OBC church leaders also need to listen to feedback from younger ABC members. The greatest concern however is the minimal engagement in evangelism whether to ethnic Chinese or non-Chinese. This will need to be addressed along with the ethnic diversity of ESCCCs.

2010-08-17T20:40:00.000+10:00

at a public toilet

2010-07-21T12:43:00.004+10:00

I know this is not particularly interesting for most people but hey... I've been watching as many Audrey Hepburn movies as I can lately (mostly borrowed from the local library).

I now have a wider appreciation of Audrey Hepburn. Until recently, all I could think of was Breakfast at Tiffany's but her movies are much more varied than that.

Here is my list starting with most liked...
Charade
Roman Holiday
Paris when it sizzles
War and Peace
Sabrina
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Funny Face

(edit 5 August, 2010)
I just watched My Fair Lady, which I'd probably put just below Breakfast at Tiffany's. The singing was just too much. I mean... it had an intermission!

2010-07-05T22:00:00.001+10:00

Micah 7:5-6

Do not trust a neighbor;
put no confidence in a friend.
Even with her who lies in your embrace
be careful of your words.

For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man's enemies are the members of his own household.

Micah prophesies against the wicked Israelites, describing them as people who hate their own family. A few hundred years later, Jesus quotes Micah...

Matthew 10:34-38

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
" 'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -
a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

What is Jesus advocating here? Is he saying that his followers should literally hate their family members? Is Jesus disbanding the family unit?

In Matthew 12, Jesus is speaking to a crowd of followers while his family are seeking his attention. And here, Jesus seems to ignore his family and instead calls the crowd "my mother and brothers".

But then as he hung on the cross, Jesus tells his disciple John that his mother Mary is "your mother" (John 19:27). In doing so, Jesus is at least making sure that after he dies his mother will be taken care of by John.

Also, elders of the Christian community are to be model husbands and fathers.
1 Timothy 3:4-5

He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)

They are to be good family men.

Well, I think this tension can be resolved by thinking about the way we read the Bible. Most of the tension lies in the difference between a individualistic reading and a corporate reading.

Matthew 10 clearly states that following Jesus will involve hating your family. But what does this mean?

1. An individualistic reading would say that following Jesus will mean neglecting your family. It will mean that there will be times when your family will come second to following Jesus. You as an individual must carry your cross even if it harms your family relationships.

Some charge Christians with breaking up families. Some churches run their programs such that individual members of the family are taken away from each other. The parents may attend a Bible study meeting on Tuesday night, on Friday nights, one child has meetings on Wednesday nights, another child attends a different group on Thursday night, another child attends a high school youth group, etc. By the time all family members are committed to the Christian church cause, the family has been separated each night of the week.

This doesn't seem to square with the Biblical teaching to maintain healthy families.

Now I know that following Jesus may mean that you may have to do things which will annoy your parents or children. It may even frustrate them and cause some 'war' within the family. This is probably part of what Jesus means in Matthew 10. It's hyperbole - following Jesus comes even above your family.

In Micah 7, the prophesy is describing wicked people. It is wicked people who hate their families. Jesus is saying that following him goes as far as being identified as one who hates their families.

But is neglecting your family what Jesus means? If so, one could logically conclude that any Christian could say that their were following Jesus in neglect of their family. So how do we sacrificially follow Jesus while still taking care of our families?

2. A corporate (or communal reading). The cost of following Jesus would then not be about an individual family member acting autonomously. Instead, the Christian father might decide to move his entire family to another suburb, city or country to bring the message of Jesus to others. It might mean a high schooler decides on a career that pays less (and so decreases their ability to financially support their parents later) but better cares for society.

Such a family might be charged with hating themselves. This sort of discipleship of Jesus might spur comments like:
"Why are you moving your family there? The schools are worse and your kids will have less chance of succeeding in life."
"Don't you care about your parents? You should be aspiring for a better career so your parents don't have to worry about you or themselves when they get old!"
"Pakistan? Why go there? It's so dangerous and dirty. Think about your family!"

Carrying your cross is so much more important that the health and financial security of your family. Perhaps a radical following of Jesus would make people say that you are bringing the sword to your family - hating your father, your mother, your mother-in-law.

2010-07-05T21:45:00.000+10:00

Some random thoughts about what your church should look like...

1. The gospel of Jesus -> is it preached and lived?

2. The Bible -> is it genuinely communicated?

3. Evangelism and missions
- local -> does the church equip members to go out with the gospel? can I invite my friends to my church?
- global -> does this church equip members to go out with the gospel to all nations?

4. Discipleship -> will I help others grow in Christian maturity?

5. Fellowship -> will I contribute to the dynamics and encouragement of the community?

6. For those who are not yet Christians -> is your church somewhere you would recommend to someone looking for a church?

2010-06-20T22:33:00.002+10:00

In the last month, we've been watching a lot of DVDs...

Asterix goes to the Olympics
War and Peace
Fargo
Rear Window
Curse of the Golden Flower
Ironman
The Dark Knight
X-Men Origins: Wolverine

My favourite out of all of these is War and Peace. I'm starting to get into Audrey Hepburn movies. I watched Breakfast and Tiffany's with Amy a little while ago, and that was pretty good. I like the 'realness' of it - it's not just a shallow romantic comedy. I've got Roman Holiday and Funny Face waiting on the shelf...

2010-06-15T13:51:00.000+10:00

Who actually thought Australia had a chance against Germany?

Last time, we thought we had the best team in years. We played well in a friendly against the Dutch just before Germany 2006. We had to beat Uruguay just to qualify. We actually had to play well before the world cup began. And we did.

This time, no one thinks we have a particularly good team. We drew to New Zealand and lost to the USA just before South Africa 2010. We beat Qatar to qualify. We didn't need to play well before the world cup began. And we didn't.

Maybe it was qualifying through Asia.
Maybe it was Germany being too good.
Maybe it was our aging team.
Maybe it was Pim Verbeek's strange tactics.
Maybe it was our defensive midfielders.
Maybe it was Lucas Neill.
Maybe it was Harry Kewell.
It's always Harry Kewell isn't it?

Maybe Mark Bosnich's got it right...
He said,

"This game was lost before a ball was kicked ... to go out before the game and make out your opposition is superior at a pretty big press conference is a self-fulfilling prophecy."

"You don't mind losing if you give it a shot, but we never did."

Maybe we lost because we didn't think we could win.
Maybe we didn't believe in them.
But maybe we had nothing to believe in.
And when you've got nothing to believe in, you've got nothing to hope for.

Ghana anyone?

2010-06-11T14:39:00.001+10:00

So I've handed my last essay in.
I've attended my last lecture.
But I've yet to hand in my final project.
And I've yet to complete my final exam.

2010-05-28T23:40:00.000+10:00

2010-04-28T22:55:00.002+10:00

So, recently I had a conversation involving how our youth groups at church ensure that what is taught is genuine and Biblical. Over the years I've had many conversations about this with people from other churches and my own church.

Some times people object to lay people writing their own study materials. Before I studied at Bible college, some would wonder what qualified me to write Bible study materials.

I always tell them the same thing.

The leaders in our youth groups have been trained to read the Bible and write materials to study the Bible. This has happened through youth leadership conferences, personal Bible reading, the weekly experience of leading Bible studies, listening to hours of sermons, regularly being part of Bible studies, etc.

I think the tendency to be over cautious about the quality of Bible study material is linked to our understanding of the Bible itself. As a Bible believing Christian, I believe that God speaks to us by his written word - the Bible. And I also believe that the Bible is 'perspicuous'. That is, the Bible is understandable. We don't need a priest figure to interpret it for us because we can all understand it for ourselves. God communicates with us on our level.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:14-15 (NIV)

If the Scriptures are able to make children wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, then surely it can make young adults wise for salvation too - especially high school and university educated young adults who have sat under good preaching and participated in Bible studies for years.

I think our hesitancy to let those younger than us to teach the Bible betrays our lack of confidence and understanding of the Bible and God.

Do we doubt the Bible study leader or do we doubt the Bible?

I wonder if we would be daring enough to let children teach the Bible to others?

2010-04-18T15:30:00.005+10:00

In the Hebrew Bible, the order of the books is different to what we're used to in English translations. The Hebrew Bible has three groupings: the Torah (Law), the Nevi'im (Prophets) and the Ketuvim (Writings). Many of the names of the books are also different; they're usually a word or two from the first phrase of the book.

So... here is the Old Testament, following the Hebrew order with the Hebrew names. I've also translated names to what they mean. (Hopefully I've got this right.) Can you work out which book is which?

/The Law
In the beginning
These are the names
And he called
In the wilderness
These are the words

/The Prophets
Joshua (Yahweh loves)
Judges
Samuel 1 & 2 (Asked of God)
Kings 1 & 2
Isaiah (Salvation of Yahweh)
Jeremiah (Yahweh has lifted)
Ezekiel (God has strengthened)
Hosea (Salvation)
Joel (Yahweh is God)
Amos (carried)
Obadiah (Servant of Yahweh)
Jonah (dove? [feminine])
Micah (who is like Yahweh?)
Nahum (comforter)
Habakuk (embrace)
Zephaniah (Yahweh has hidden/treasured)
Haggai (festive)
Zechariah (Yahweh has remembered)
Malachi (my messenger)

/The Writings
Psalms
Job
Proverbs of
Ruth (friend)
The Song of Songs
Collector
How!?
Esther
Daniel (God is my judge)
Ezra Nehemiah (help; Yahweh comforts)
Chronicles 1 & 2

2010-04-17T23:06:00.001+10:00

I knew I was teaching my kids to count wrong! 1, 2, 3, 3A, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9...

2010-04-08T15:12:00.003+10:00

To David Clines
whose commentary on the book of Job prompted this more modest one
Norman Whybray - Job (187 pages)

David Cline's Commentary on Job 1-20
David Cline's Commentary on Job 21-37
David Cline's Commentary on Job 38-42
Total: approx 1,500 pages...

2010-03-23T22:56:00.005+11:00

Reinheitsgebot - German Beer Purity Law

Apparently, beer means a lot to Dan Murphy's

They even cite the German beer purity law.

The problem is that the beer they feature is the Franziskaner Dunkel. A dunkel is a dark wheat beer. A wheat beer has wheat. Wheat is not one of the four ingredients in the German beer purity law. I think Franziskaner only makes wheat beers. And anyway, a beer that abides by the German beer purity law doesn't necessarily make it any more natural than any other beer (or better for that matter). But I have to say that the Franziskaner Dunkel is one of my favourite beers.

2010-03-19T12:13:00.002+11:00

Random thoughts about things that frustrate me at times for no real good reason.

1. Orangutans. It means 'man from the jungle' (or something like that). It is pronounced "orr-rung-ooh-tarn" not "oh-rang-a-tan". There is no such thing as an "oh-rang-a-tan".

2. Microwaves. If your microwave door leaks, it's not the end of the world. You don't get cancer from it (per se). Microwave ovens cook by generating microwaves. These waves are not gamma rays (or alpha or beta). If microwaves emitted radiation (ie. nuclear radiation) then a leaking door would be the least of your concerns. Imagine all that FOOD that you just nuked. You would be digesting radioactive food!

2010-03-08T14:39:00.004+11:00

Last night we were finishing off season six of The Shield when I thought one of the actresses looked familiar. She looked like the mother in Romulus, My Father. I liked Romulus, My Father so much I bought it for my sister. And then borrowed it from her.

After finishing The Shield, I looked in the extras and there was a special feature on Franka Potente. Yes, it was the mother in Romulus, My Father. Cool. So I started watching the special feature. In it Shawn Ryan, the creator of The Shield, introduced Franka as someone avid movie goers would recognise. Recognise? Romulus, My Father is an Australian movie - not exactly a universally popular movie. What could he mean by "avid movie goers"? Then he said that Franka was in Run, Lola Run and The Bourne Trilogy. Oh... Run, Lola Run!!! I really like Run, Lola Run too! I borrowed it from the library last year and made Amy watch it. I even thought it might be cool to name our son Manni (after Lola's boyfriend).

So anyway, Franka Potente is cool.

2010-03-02T22:45:00.004+11:00

Chinaman masculinity...

So I'm sitting in the Mitchell Library (part of the State Library of NSW) and I'm wondering... what is behind the Chinese man's frustration that the pretty Chinese girl always ends up with the tall White guy.

Ok, so that's not always true. But here are some random thoughts about the whole thing with Chinese guys "losing out" to White guys with Yellow Fever. These thoughts are probably... not entirely true. But oh well.

In Chinese culture, a boy is raised to be obedient, respectful and hard working. This means a Chinaboy becomes a Chinaman when he does what his parents tell him to do, speaks in humility to those older than him and runs a successful business.

In Australian culture, a boy is raised to be independent, honest and drive a utility vehicle. This means an Aussie boy becomes an Aussie bloke when he moves out of home, speaks his opinion and drives a utility vehicle.

So when a Chinagirl grows up in Australia, she looks for an independent, honest and utility vehicle driving bloke. But she looks around and all the Chinamen are sissified ping pong players. They live and home, never say anything to rock the boat and drives some Japanese import. So Chinagirl is frustrated with the lack of masculinity in the Chinaman clan and start looking elsewhere.

At this point, I want to defend the cross-cultural balancing act that many Chinamen attempt. They stay at home because moving out of home before you get married may well indicate some sort of rift in the family. They don't speak everything on their mind because usually relationships are more important than scorching truth. And they don't drive utility vehicles because utes have leaf suspensions to carry a cow at the back which are terrible for handling but if you get say a Honda Civic and dump Bilstein shocks on all four corners it'll squat around every corner. I digress...

So yes, what's my point?

Erm... even though Chinese guys have a multi-dimensional outworking of masculinity, I think Chinese guys need to grow some balls and just be more assertive at times, especially with girls. Now, assertive doesn't mean forceful, but just... willing to be publicly shamed for the girl. Now shame is something that Chinese people don't do well!

2010-02-27T03:21:00.000+11:00

I guess it was time to eat them last week...

2010-02-09T21:24:00.003+11:00

Today, I got a card in the mail.

My State Library Readers card!!!

2010-02-09T10:31:00.002+11:00

I love durians.

And I think durians are the most Christocentric fruit because:
1. Durian is the King of fruits - Jesus is the King of Jews
2. Durian is thorny (well, it's spiky) - Jesus was crowned with thorns
3. Durian is a stench to some but an aroma to others - Jesus is a stench to some but an aroma to others

So... I love durians.

2010-02-08T16:19:00.001+11:00

I spoke to Felicity on the phone today. It was the first time I've talked to her properly on the phone.

2010-02-04T11:18:00.003+11:00

Cultural shift, assimilation, dilution, integration and enrichment.

Here are some quick unreferenced and unrefined thoughts with no bibliography and no academic rigour.

All cultures shift throughout time - there is no static Australian culture.

Australian culture in 2010 might be characterised by say Master Chef, Indian bashings and baby bonuses (this is just a caricature). However, that wasn't Australian culture in the 1910. What is "Australian" now, is not necessarily what was Australian 100 years ago, nor what will be Australian in 100 years time. Culture is fluid.

So when people migrate to Australia, they take with them a migrant culture from a specific time in history and bring it to a particular Australian culture in time. Nevertheless, there are some core characteristics of a particular culture that endure time.

For example, when I migrated from Singapore to Australia in 1990, I carried the baggage of 1980's Singapore. If you were to go to Singapore now, it would be a different place. But, Singaporeans are big on food. They are now. They always have been. And they always will be. Probably.

Now... where are going with this?

Well, many migrants want to maintain their cultural heritage, which is great. However, it would be naïve to think that a migrant's home culture can be completely retained because even the home culture is slowly evolving. If the home culture was so good, why did they come to Australia? There must be something about Australia which made it desirable. But it is also insensitive to assume a migrant will completely assimilate.

So what then?

Well, usually there is a blending of cultures. A migrant could consider this blending as a dilution of their cultural heritage. In a sense it is, but since all cultures are fluid then it is perhaps better phrased as an integration of culture, rather than dilution. Additionally, the presence of a migrant to a community can be enriching. The migrant culture brings new food, traditions, smells, customs, languages, etc. Of course, people from different cultures are less likely to get along with each other but diversity is part of what it means to be human.

And just a little thought on how this plays into church life.

Well, if you're part of a migrant/ethnic church, then church offers a respite and sanctuary for maintaining your home culture. But often, the ethnic church culture remains static and gets stuck in the home culture of year 19XX - the year when the church was first planted. Meanwhile, the home culture has moved on, and Australian culture is racing along. The church then creates its own culture, based on an antiquated idea of what it really means to be of their culture. This means the church becomes out of date - more and more so.

The solution? I dunno. But it's something worth thinking about.

2010-02-01T12:13:00.001+11:00

Today is my official first day of interim trainee pastoring at strathfield 9am. I met up with Josh.

2010-01-22T13:21:00.003+11:00

I found a font that had me at hello.Check it out at The Crud Factory.

2010-01-19T16:26:00.001+11:00

I saw an owl but by the time I got my camera it was gone. I settled for a ring-tailed possum.

2010-01-17T01:12:00.001+11:00

Jonathan likes trees. He keeps pointing to them and saying "dehh, dehh".

2010-01-09T22:39:00.001+11:00

2009-12-31T02:04:00.001+11:00

What better way to spend the night before New Year's Eve than in front of a laptop subconscious and insomniac?

2009-12-23T22:33:00.001+11:00

Good bye 2009 diary. Hello 2010 diary.

2009-12-17T14:29:00.000+11:00

It actually went over 38, but I missed the moment.

2009-11-23T00:40:00.001+11:00

swim on a hot day

2009-11-06T19:32:00.004+11:00

More macro. I worked out to set the aperture on a lens, so some photos have a wider depth of field. All photos are not cropped.

My eye.

Crop of the reflection of the car.

Crop of the blood vessels (bottom right of eye pic).

2009-11-02T21:27:00.000+11:00

2009-10-31T16:32:00.016+11:00

Ok so more photography stuff to bore you.
Introducing "Photo play number 3 version 2."

I received my extension tube in the mail. It's essentially a metal cylinder. You can get ones which actually control the lens, but this one does nothing but add space between the lens and the camera. It was most effective with a longer lens... but as can you see here, the set up looks quite ridiculous with this lens fully extended. It rather resembles a phallus does it not? (By the way, if you don't know what a phallus is... don't google it... perhaps wikipedia it).

What does this do? It creates a macro effect of sorts. This means you can focus on objects which are close to the lens and get images like this...

Applications are usually limited to small things like flowers and bugs. Because this extension tube doesn't control the lens, I can't control the depth of field. [There are extension tubes with electronic bits to control the lens, but this one was $US10 and I'm cheap cheap lah.]

So without control of the lens, very little is in focus. The background is just a blurred mass of grey-brown (which in this case is quite nice - the flowers stand out). I think the background is actually a fence.

This is just so you get an idea of how big the flowers are - smaller than my index finger.

Fun fun.

2009-10-29T12:30:00.001+11:00

Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.

For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD.
- Psalm 117 (NIV)

2009-10-16T23:00:00.000+11:00

I took a photo of what I initially thought was a bee... but then it turns out it's a wasp... and it's building a nest...

2009-10-15T22:00:00.002+11:00

Photo play number 3 is Mr Macro. Basically... really really close up stuff. There are many ways to achieve a macro effect. One is to buy a macro lens which lets you focus in really close to a subject so it looks big. But they cost a lot of money. Cheaper (and less effective) methods include...

1. Taking your lens and turn it back to front. So you take the lens off the camera and then just point it the wrong way round (holding it manually). There are more sophisticated ways such as using a reverse mount... but I just held the lens.

Here is a shot of my dressing with a 50mm f/1.8.

Here is a shot of the bloody bit on my dressing with the 50mm lens turned back to front. The depth of field is so narrow there's hardly anything in focus.

2. Another way is to just stick a lens back to front in front of another lens. This seemed to have better results with my gear. All of these photos have been brightened because they turned out pretty dark.

Some patch of skin on my leg.

The letter 'M' (for macro) on my laptop.

Part of my right big toe.

And Amy's beautiful right eye. You can even seek the sink in the reflection.The amazing thing is that she let me take the photo, especially as she was getting ready to sleep and I'm sticking a camera literally 5cm from her face. But this is my favourite one.

So there you go. Macro. I've also ordered an extension tube which is another method of achieving a macro effect. All it does is puts a gap between the lens and the camera so 'magnifying' the image. We'll have to wait to see how that goes.

2009-10-14T23:38:00.007+11:00

Ok, so this is verging on narcissistic but sometimes the only willing subject is oneself. Today's photo play is brought to you by 'bokeh' - apparently from the Japanese which means 'blur'.

I got this idea from the Canon Photo5 competition (not that I entered). One fun thing you can do is play with the shape of the out of focus areas simply by putting a paper cutout over the front of the lens. I made one with a star like pattern. The result was starry-looking-out-of-focus-spots. For one of the shots, it made the entire background blur look a bit surreal.

I think this technique has more interesting effects at night with things like street lights and candles out of focus. Anyhow, this is my photo play...

2009-10-13T22:29:00.003+11:00

I've decided to have a play with photography. Photo play number 1 is: Normal shutter speed (1/50s) while spinning the camera results in...

2009-10-12T00:21:00.007+11:00

I'm currently watching the Champions League Twenty20 match between NSW Blues and Sussex Sharks. Every time a wicket falls they show the cheerleaders but strangely they quickly zoom in on only two of three cheerleaders.If you look closely, you will see that the cheerleader on the right has no boobs. She's a he! A male cheerleader - but dressed the same as the female ones. Yup...

2009-10-04T22:44:00.002+11:00

Some times people ask me if it's harder with twins. I usually respond by saying that since our first kids were twins, we don't know any different. It's all just normal. Now with three kids all under three, some times people ask me if it gets easier with the third. Short answer - no. There's THREE of them!

Before we had kids we used to be quite flexible with the way we spent our time. We could go out for dinner if we didn't feel like cooking. We would just jump into the car and bada bing bada boom - we'd arrive at KFC. Now, if we want to go out for dinner we have to plan hours ahead, get the bags ready, make sure the kids have napped and then load the car with nappies, water bottles, spare clothes... and the kids. Dinner = military exercise.

We used to be able to go out on Friday nights to places called restaurants. Drinks in the city was even a viable option but now 7:30pm is bed time. We used to be able to roll out of bed and still get to church on time. Now if we don't wake up by seven twenty-one and thirty-two seconds, we'll be late.

Some times I wonder if I should be spending more time with other people and investing myself in them. I wonder if I should be doing more at church or in the soccer team. I wonder if I should keep up with a wider circle of friends.

With the kids, I feel like I'm being restricted from doing more - perhaps more productive things.

But then... my kids are people. And I am spending more time with them and investing myself in them. And I'm doing more at home. I'm keeping up with my wife and children. How do you quantify that kind of productivity?

Would I really give up a Friday night around the dinner table with live entertainment from two giggling girls? Would I miss putting the girls to bed for a drink in the city? Do I resent waking up to cuddle my boy?

Perhaps I just need perspective some times.

I'd rather be a good father than spend their childhood trying to solve the worlds problems.

2009-09-30T23:06:00.008+10:00

Well, it's almost three years since I started studying at Sydney Missionary and Bible College.

Upon reflection, I have to say that my hopes of college community have been fulfilled - chuckles on the college lawn, tears in the dining hall. Bouncing ideas with college friends has been a humbling activity. It has both broadened and sharpened my understanding of God and the world.

At times lectures are incredibly thought provoking. Sometimes you discover a shade of God you had never realised and are filled with a sense of liberation. At other times lectures are boring. That type of boring which makes you fall into a coma, from which you may never awake.

I now know that there's so much more to know. But I've also come to know that knowing isn't all there is to know. I can't help but see other views and methods with more empathy, yet I wouldn't accept anything uncritically. Overall, I think I'm better equipped to serve God wherever he may want us to do so, whether it be overseas, in rural Australia or in the city. I think I've also come to understand who I am better - culturally, spiritually, relationally.

This year, I've been on a 3/4 load. This means I still have half a year of study after this one. So my time at college is coming to an end soon. I will soon be a graduate.

I can see why graduates miss college. What they miss is the atmosphere created by the people. They miss the people. I think I will also miss the people. But the pilgrimage isn't over. And continuing this journey with friends I've made at college sounds just as exciting.

2009-09-30T22:39:00.002+10:00

no one is here in past
i've seen back too fast
all day the sun is cast
all day the moon at mast
i blast i last
next stop is laughs
i want no aghast
aghast to farce
a flask of jars
where tomorrow is vast
nobody at past

2009-09-25T20:49:00.002+10:00

This is a Macaw.

According to an old fact sheet from Burke's Backyard, this South American parrot costs between $7,000 - $10,000 in Australia.

So... where did I see this Macaw?

The car wash of course!

2009-09-18T23:04:00.001+10:00

My first attempt at sourdough...

You may notice that the bubbles aren't very big. The dough didn't rise much, so I cheated and used commercial yeast to get it going.

2009-09-16T22:53:00.001+10:00

Amy.

(This would not have been possible without the new lens. The pictures would have gotten darker as I zoomed in.)

2009-09-11T20:59:00.008+10:00

So, I bought a new lens. It's a Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II... which is just a normal zoom lens. Compared to my kit lens (Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II), I can now take faster photos across the whole range.

So anyway, this is with my old lens...

And this is with my new lens on the same settings...Not much difference, except the edges are much brighter.

At 100% crop it's a different story...

Old...

New...You may notice the writing on the jar is much sharper, and the other little vessel doesn't glow as much.

Apparently, some copies have auto-focus issues, but this one seems fine.

I focused on the letter 'D'

And on the title "Warning to Israel"

But the advantage of this lens is the versatility. Basically, I can take photos in less light than the other lens (and it focuses better). I also have a Canon 50mm f/1.8 which is faster still, but it's a fixed lens and is quite "zoomed in" on my Canon 1000D so I can't fit whole bodies in the frame.

Anyway, in time I'll post things which I bought this lens to do. It's not like I take photos of keyboards and jars very often.

Meanwhile, I'm about this happy with it.

2009-09-10T21:04:00.001+10:00

2009-09-04T16:24:00.000+10:00

2009-08-31T21:04:00.002+10:00

In the past week, I was sulking about the West Tiger's losses, the Ashes loss and the Bledisloe Cup loss. Plus I ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament in my left knee which will require surgery and rehab which puts me out of soccer for about two years.

But also in the past week, our college principal's elderly mother died, our college property manager's twenty year old son was killed in a car accident and a friend at church succumbed to cancer leaving behind her husband and a teenage son.

2009-08-28T10:51:00.001+10:00

2009-08-25T17:04:00.005+10:00

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.

- Isaiah 43:1-2 (NIV)

When you pass through the waters, through the danger point, through the police station, through the customs office, when you are called to give an account of your new identity, you will not be there alone.

- Walter Brueggemann

2009-08-22T16:21:00.000+10:00

Bock on the way.

2009-08-20T22:39:00.002+10:00

In high school, we studied an art movement called Dada. A man named Joan Miró who was one of the first to practice Automatic Drawing. This allowed the hand to freely move randomly over the paper and so allowed the subconscious to express itself.

In high school, I tried Automatic Drawing. However instead of subconscious expression, I created doodles. Last night while looking at some doodles I did in high school, I realised that my 'style' has not developed since. The doodles decorated study notes and the like... something I still do.

I wonder if there is such a thing as Automatic Writing. Or better still Automatic Typing. Let me set my subconscious free...

The wing to bat to bad to barrrrrr the fore. Moogie moogie man for more. Now, I think, I see, I hear a cow from spain. No Spain. Spain. Explain. Me. My. Why. Try.

How was that eh?

2009-08-18T00:32:00.006+10:00

12:10AM 18th August 2009... Tuesday?

I have an urge to write. I've come under such compulsions intermittently the last couple of weeks. Each time nothing emerges. Like sitting on the toilet praying for that stool to loosen. Or attempting to purge an empty stomach. Nothing. A strained nothing. Creativity belches and squeals but no fruit or seed comes forth. So like I was saying, I feel like writing. I get that feeling when I've just read something crap, or at least uninspiring. Something predictable and mechanical. I just read crap - uninspiring, predictable, mechanical stiff brown stool. And so I try to write. Of course it doesn't take long for me to realise that the banter I produce is much the same as what I have just read, except of course worse. I suppose forced creativity is a humiliating exercise. When you force epiphanies you get perphipaneese. What?! So it is part of an hour past midnight and I really should be resting if not meandering through the realms of deep slumber. Speaking of which, I have been finding the journey to that place quite a difficult task. At some stage in life, I should get this sleep thing sorted out. I just can't get to sleep. Well, I can, it just takes me a long time. Like I'm trying to find an obscure location without directions. Which I am prone to attempt. A five minute drive to a soccer field can always take 15 if I am so compelled. And as I get lost, I tell myself that I'm taking the scenic route, enjoying the trees and familiarising myself with another part of town. Not that I'll ever go back there, but hey, it's all about the journey not just the destination. Well, I must resign. Until next time... yeah, I dunno. Maybe you'll want to write too?

2009-08-16T22:34:00.002+10:00

At the ABC shop...

What did you see?

This is what I saw...

2009-08-14T23:35:00.000+10:00

Time seems to stand still when finishing an essay!!!

2009-08-13T14:37:00.000+10:00

Time flies when you're writing an essay!

2009-08-11T21:18:00.002+10:00

Moon, Tree, Blue Sky

2009-08-03T22:54:00.004+10:00

I never thought cricket commentary could be entertaining... especially when it's online!

from cricinfo.com

Here come England, in pursuit of six more wickets. Quick wickets. Cheap ones. Cheap and scabby ones. The win's rapidly slipping away from them, but if they make a good start to this session, you never know.

Onions to Clarke, FOUR, oh that's a disgracefully brilliant cover-drive. That's the sort of stroke which'll make all the other cover-drives feel rubbish about themselves. Glorious from Clarke

This is all becoming a little soporific. I'll do my best to inject some life into proceedings, but there aren't even any buses or pigeons to talk about. The usually lively Edgbaston crowd are subdued. Or in a drunken stupor

2009-07-29T22:57:00.002+10:00

over a desert in western australia somewhere...

on the clouds at dusk...

2009-06-16T13:57:00.011+10:00

My home is not a place for study

The way space functions in my home reflects its ordained design.

My bedroom is a space for sleep and changing clothes. Half the space is bed, almost half is wardrobe, and the remainder is carpet. The carpet is there so you have space to roll off the bed and move to the wardrobe where clothes await. There is simply no space for study.

The girls' bedroom is their playground and their abode of rest. From the lighting fixture hangs a rainbow, Noah's ark and animals. It reminds us of renewed life on earth. The clothes in the drawers are bright pinks and reds. The scattered toys are remnants of recent playful activity. Everything about their room speaks of life and happiness. There is no room for study.

The kitchen is small and functional. The cupboards are for crockery. The oven is for cooking. The sink is for cleaning. It is cramped but cosy. Not for study.

The living room is a place of vitality: for dancing, playing, eating, talking and relating. The television hides in the corner, the couch lines the wall and the large windows allow sunbeams to bounce around the room. Centre stage belongs to an open space: for dancing, playing, eating, talking and relating. It is just not inducive to study.

The garden is just outside. It is green. Inside there is little green. Most 'greeness' is seen on the television, when gardening shows and sports are on. Again this causes you to glance toward the garden, seeking the peace and serenity of lush green patches.
The green outside juxtaposes the white tiles inside. God's creativity is put side by side with man's making. The green is where infant feet graze the grass and little digits dig dirt. There is peace in the green, not to be disturbed by the chaos of textbooks and morbid plastic hues.

The toilet brings relief. But it is only physical relief and mental relief comes merely as a secondary consequence. And if you linger in your relief then it only results in distress. Pins and needles are not fun when sitting on the toilet. The toilet cannot provide sufficient time for study.

My study is ironically no longer a place of study. It now houses a cot and is the boy's bedroom. Instead of being a study, it is just storage for big books and a beautiful baby. How can you study when he coos at you?

My home is not a place for study.

So, now I am out of the house and in the library. But the library doesn't seem to be a place for study either. Instead, I procrastinate. And when procrastination prolongs, then my screen saver appears... photos. Mostly of my family. It too drives me to seek my home, my family.

Well... back to study before I go home.

2009-06-15T13:44:00.000+10:00

I'm a banana.
Yellow skin on the outside.
Mash banana on the inside.
Mash banana, mash banana.
Mash banana, mash banana.
Mash banana, mash banana, banana.
Banana, banana, banana.

2009-06-11T22:05:00.002+10:00

How to wash up to the glory of God (plus washing up tips)

Finding joy in washing up

...

[W]e can share the joy of the Creator as we bring order from chaos. God’s first creative act brought order from chaos (Genesis 1:1-2). And that first creative act is prototypical for all creative acts. Being made in the image of Creator to care for his creation means we are made to share his joy in order and beauty. We sweep a yard and then lean on the broom handle admiring what we’ve done. That is a profound act. We are expressing our true humanity and sharing in God’s joy at creation. It’s the same with washing up. The dirty washing up becomes a pile of clean crockery. The cluttered kitchen becomes new again.

2009-06-09T21:14:00.016+10:00

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד
וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ

Listen up Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Love the Lord your God with all your mind and with all your life and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

2009-05-24T22:06:00.001+10:00

kookaburra sits on the old gum tree
merry merry king of the bush is he
laugh kookaburra laugh kookaburra
gay your life must be

The only problem is that this Kookaburra is sitting on a Jacaranda tree... and it seems to have lost part of its upper beak. I wonder if that makes life difficult for a kookaburra...

2009-05-11T12:47:00.002+10:00

Are we to spend eternity somewhere off in space, wearing white robes, plucking harps, singing songs, and flitting from cloud to cloud while doing so? On the contrary, the Bible assures us that God will create a new earth on which we shall live to God's praise in glorified, resurrected bodies.

Anthony A. Hoekema, The Bible and the Future (Exeter: Paternoster Press, 1978), 274.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Revelation 21:1-4 NIV

2009-05-10T09:18:00.000+10:00

2009-05-08T23:00:00.002+10:00

p91 p91
from the sands of Egypt you have come
only the length of my index
once from a far lengthier codex
not a scroll
not a roll
of your size some may shun
but you will always be my p91 p91

2009-05-08T11:48:00.001+10:00

One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven,
eight, nine, ten.
He has eleven!

Eleven!
This is something new.
I wish I had
eleven, too!

- Dr. Seuss One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish

2009-05-06T22:11:00.000+10:00

Two days later...

2009-05-04T08:00:00.001+10:00

Rainbow Lorikeet in the Lillypilly tree (no crop).

2009-05-02T22:09:00.001+10:00

I'm collecting photos of my bruises acquired from soccer this year. I was going to save them all up until the end of the season, but this one from today's game is worth posting now!

2009-04-27T13:25:00.002+10:00

Google Maps Alphabet map

A dangerous mind: what turned Martin Bryant into a mass murderer?

2009-04-14T00:44:00.003+10:00

no one is here at table
i've been left unable
all day the nose is nasal
all day the talk is banal
i tell i sell
go well go shell
i want a ceiling cell
a cell to fell
the dell gazelle
where tables are swell
nobody at table

2009-04-13T22:53:00.007+10:00

On Saturday, I finally got around to cutting the lawn and cutting my hair, both of which were getting long.

Shaving my head is usually a simple process. As the clippers buzz away, the fuzz on my head is reduced to uniformly cropped hair. It's also light entertainment for my girls. As I was shaving my head, Felicity copied me and said, "I want to cut my hair too." I don't think Amy will let me get away with that one.

I then proceeded to mow the lawn - a chore that I find satisfying even though our lawn has more weeds than grass. Mowing the lawn however is not a simple process. The freshly cut lawn reveals masses of clovers, ever multiplying dandelion and an army of creeping something-or-other. There are so many weeds of so many varieties that I feel overwhelmed. And if I were to actually rid the lawn of weeds, the uncovered top soil would invite fresh weeds to take the place of their predecessors.

So I've come to a new position regarding my lawn. I've decided that weeds are only weeds if you don't want them there. And since the weeds provide good ground cover and grow better than the grass, I now consider them to be in a symbiotic relationship with the grass. The weeds just make up for the deficiencies of the grass. Together they form a wonderful array of complex plant-life that are but my lawn. With this new outlook on my backyard, I can focus on cultivating my passionfruit vine with a clear conscience.

Nice. But I also missed a spot shaving my head.

2009-04-10T23:05:00.004+10:00

Things we saw at Port Macquarie...

Snotty koalas...

Dolphins...

And... Port Macquarie rocks

2009-04-10T22:39:00.001+10:00

At last. Passionfruit.

2009-03-21T20:06:00.000+11:00

Well, we've recently got a wireless router at home and I inherited a phone so this entry is posted from my phone while sitting in the girls' room. Fun fun. Although... I can't work out how to start a new line...

2009-03-20T00:00:00.000+11:00

Recent blisters from a soccer game...

2009-03-16T21:20:00.001+11:00

2009-03-04T21:32:00.003+11:00

My dad and I recently went on a day trip to Canberra for passport reasons. So, while we were there we visited the Australian War Memorial. Inside were weird displays like...

But the main reason I wanted to go was to see the Victoria Crosses. These were stored in the Hall of Valour. The room was dimly lit and each Victoria Cross was accompanied by other medals awarded to the same soldier. Several lone Victoria Cross hung below a young man's face. Their stories were mostly similar; a young private who signed on at the beginning of WWI and received his VC before his 21st birthday. Some died doing so, others lived as invalids for their remaining years.

One particular VC I wanted to see was Trooper Donaldson's Victoria Cross. I'm not sure what it was about seeing all the VCs, but it was rather emotional. Maybe it was the lighting, maybe it was the photographs, maybe it was experiencing the history. Just by being there felt like I was remembering someone else's story. Every Victoria Cross was awarded because they risked their own lives for the safety of others and completion of their duty. Real hero stories.

On the way to Canberra, I noticed that the rest areas were named after those who had received Victoria Crosses. Remembrance Driveway. At the War Memorial, there were plaques about remembrance. Remembering the sacrifice of others, so our present and future welfare could be secured. I don't know whether I can directly relate a war fought overseas to defence of our country, but if these Victoria Cross recipients are our heroes then they are heroes that perhaps we can all honour, respect and aspire to.

2009-02-06T22:00:00.002+11:00

its hot and its late
the heat bears heavy weight

smoking gum leaves waft in
smoky eyes close thin

party somewhere around
voices noise and sound

i feel the heat
i cant sleep

and i wait for another day
puffing fog to obscure sun rays

where is the rest i desire
where is the shade without fire
where is the cloud and the rain
where is the work without pain
where is the me i want to know
where is the we i want to show
where is the us i wish we had
where is the happy without sad

2009-01-26T11:11:00.000+11:00

2009-01-21T00:16:00.007+11:00

Read previous post first!

Ok, so Noddy being Noddy couldn't wait one night to create a reflecting contraption.

And it's a hot night... it must still be close to 30 degrees.

Ok, so it works!

Even on the floor.

Even at some distance.

Even from across the room. But notice the shadow cast by the reflector... the bright patches in both top corners.

So I modified it. Reflector Mark II.

Well, it works... too well really! I had the same flash setting as before and now it's over-exposed.

Ahhh, better.

Good at a distance.

And no noticeable shadowing.

Good from across the room.

So this is a mock group photo consisting of Noddy, Brown Dog and Beige Dog. Notice the bright square in the glass door which is actually the flash lighting up the ceiling. I suppose this would be rare situation.

Canon software corrects budget lens distortions. This lens is budget. So here Beige Dog look as fat as he should. And the light fall off on the edges is corrected. This could be significant in a darker room, especially for group shots at say Christmas. It would be odd for someone on the edge of the photo to look considerably more tanned than everyone else.

So I tried to take a photo of the reflector in action, and this is what happened.

One thing I noticed is that the flash bounces onto my face. A piece of paper or foil behind the flash would actually direct more light upwards and towards the subject of the photo, rather than my already glowing forehead. That modification will have to wait for another day.

2009-01-20T22:49:00.007+11:00

Noddy has perfect complexion and the only three dimensional facial feature is his nose.

"I like having my photograph taken", says Noddy.

At night there isn't much light and taking photographs becomes troublesome. Often there is camera shake or motion blur. But he still likes his photograph taken, so he resorts to flash.

Noddy doesn't like direct flash because he thinks he looks flat.

"My rosy cheeks are only a pale pink! My jaw is hardly discernible! Can you even see my nose?!?", cries Noddy.

Noddy decides to use bounce flash. But Noddy realises he doesn't have an external flash!

How did Noddy do it? The diffused light reflected from the ceiling brings out Noddy's jawline very nicely.

"And there's my nose! My nose! My beautiful nose!", chirps the delighted Noddy.

Ahhh, that's how bounce flash was achieved with the built-in flash.

"A hand mirror! Why that's ingenius!", declares Noddy.

Noddy is very happy now. He is considering making a substitute for the hand mirror.

"It has to be smaller and lighter, I think. Perhaps I'll make it from cardboard and aluminium foil.", says Noddy.