As I waited for the filter guy to come, I flipped through Asian Beacon's issue on pornography. Never did I realize the effects of it, especially in view of how women are degraded in the male addicts view.
Then, my mind wandered into the worst case scenario stuff. Imagine if the guy like, or boyfriend, or husband was trapped in porn. It's not only his problem lor. It becomes mine too. Because the more submerged he is in it, it means that I would eventually be compared to the almost physically perfect women used to portray that they want to be beaten and enjoy viscous sexual escapades at anytime, anywhere.
If I understand correctly, porn can be as much a threat to a relationship/marriage as a third party seducer or affair. And it's already in the homes of many!
As I read on, some thoughts of how devious Satan is came to mind. An almost helpless thought struck me that all is lost. How can we save our deteriorating society from this invasive corruption? Is it not a futile attempt? Why do we even bother? Yet I can think of at least one brother who struggles with this. And because I love him, I bother. And believe that there's hope. There has to be. The transforming power of God MUST do something to set these prisoners free. He MUST. If He doesn't, we have lost. And the devil laughs maliciously.
How do we, Lord, purge this wickedness from ourselves, our minds, our church, our communities?
My only thought? Prayer. Yet, I do not mean this as an end. Too often we see prayer as something we do when all comes to a seemingly helpless end. We say we pray when we don't know what else to do, have no words to speak. Yet, prayer is not the end. It is the beginning of finding the right solution, it is the seeking of strength to carry on the battle. Prayer and worship are not the end. It is the beginning of an undefeatable process to overcoming the impossible. (Did that make sense?)
Our prayers should propel us to action. Our worship should birth the ministries we endeavor in.
Come, come to Him all you who are weary and heavy laden, He will give you rest. Come with your burdens. Come with your anxiety. Our worship and prayer should be the place where He manifests His glory and imparts wisdom and direction on what we shall do with our burdens, our anxiety, our struggles with sin and bondage.
In every situation, may we be found giving thanks. Thank God for the victory that we have in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Showing posts with label Lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lessons. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Friday, November 21, 2008
VBS - Very Busy Saturday
=)
VBS is actually Vacation Bible School. It's my first time being involved, so I am observing a lot.
I feel that much could be done to make it run more smoothly. Am also just wondering how Uncle Richard managed to entertain 50+ children for 7 days with Children's Holiday Club and how come we're just going to be so happy that it's over tomorrow, day 2.
Helpers
I wasn't very much involved in CHC since I was allergic to kids and kept my distance from Sunday School and Children Ministry. But I do remember people like Fern, Daniel, Jia Huey, Agnes, David, Michael Phoon, helping out...committed to help out.
We have many youth helpers but many of them seem to think they are above the rest (since they are now youth) and don't want to be involved with these 'little kids'. Not only do they not help, but some of these are so busy entertaining themselves and being 'privileged' that they actually cause the disruption in the activities. If your helpers aren't listening to you talk, fat chance your participants will.
However, I think Mi Lin is amazing with the kids! Totally salute her!
Organization
I think communication is again the downfall of this. Just take the living skills session. The person in charge asks me last minute if I would mind taking the session. I do. And I question how things are done. I ask her who is supposed to be in charge. She says she is, but she cannot co-ordinate all three age groups at the same time. Understandable. But it's not like you just found out that there are 3 age groups. So, who did you assign in the first place? She said the team leader. But she doubts he actually read the material.
I tell her that she cannot just assume such. It is not fair for the team leader to assume that he has not taken into consideration his responsibility. Has she asked him? She said that he is too busy and doesn't want to impose on him. By now she can see that I am not willing. I could, but am not willing to be the scapegoat. Let's put it this way, if there is a first time, there will be a second. I'd rather postpone my first time.
Later in the day, I am asked if I would be willing to share the gospel message with the children using a certain diagram. I think I am very blunt and many people will begin to see that I am not really that obliging. I smiled and said 'Nope.' I think he didn't know what hit him. 'WHY?' he asks. I say that I have no idea how to use the material and was not prepared. Surprisingly, he doesn't ask again. Maybe I am very clear about certain things that I will do and will not do.
I think what upsets me the most is how things are unorganized. Even in registration, if we are supposed to be at the registration desk at 7.30am, then the people in charge should be there too to instruct. Instead, we don't know who they are and when they arrive, still do not brief us on anything! Perhaps telepathy is the way to go these days? =)
Communication
This is what I was trying to say earlier too. I suppose if you want people to be able to work independently, you have to tell them what they are supposed to do, and where to get the supplies. Because I have not been around the past few days, I assume that I am the one in the dark only. But...it seems...no loh...I'm not very far off from everyone else.
I think this lack of communication is the 'scapegoat' for all especially when they can honestly 'I have no idea'. It's amazing how the helpers are supposed to help facilitate craft without fore knowledge of what the craft is and how to go about it. Perhaps this WAS communicated (but I was not informed) and just that the infomation was not retained...yet I doubt so.
My great heartache
My great heartache was to see children missing the point of singing, doing actions together, and to see them not get the point of the object lessons. My great heartache is seeing facilitators reading from script, big words about yoghurt and recycling and fermentation without the kids responding at all.
I am not sure if it's just me who thinks this way. I feel that telling kids to pray when most of them are not believers is skipping a step if we do not tell them WHY we pray and WHAT is prayer. I think that talking about worshipping God falls on rocky pathway if they aren't listening and if we are using adult songs to tell them 'This is my desire'. What is a redeemer? What is our soul?
I disagree with MANY things. But I do not proclaim to be an expert. I don't think we should tell kids about worshipping God on the first time we meet them when we can't even get them to sing a fun song with actions.
But these are all methods. And so, I do not want to argue with methodology. However, it would be good to review what we are doing with our target group of children. I think it is unfair to spend 10 minutes giving instructions in Mandarin when there are Indian and Myanmarese children who don't know what is going on when we speak in Mandarin. Even the HELPERS don't know what is going on!
If the kids don't want to come again, I can't blame them. When Joel didn't want to sit down in a group to join the activities, I can't blame him. I didn't like it, but I just can't blame him. I, as a helper, didn't know what was going on, and there was no obviousity of who was in charge. Even as a helper, I don't know who is my head!
So, my heartache is that the message is lost. The deeper meaning of everything that was prepared is lost.
Will there be a next time?
I remember thinking to myself that that would be the first and last time I am involved with VBS. Do I find joy in being around the kids? I have to say yes. Though I feel out of place and takes me time to warm up, I do want them to have a good time and to want to come back again next year. But I don't know, I somehow don't think VBS is my choice of ministry. On top of that, the sactuary smells of shoe after lunch.
I do not agree that they should eat lunch in the sanctuary for the reason of convenience. We make it a rule not to eat in a place of worship, yet, we contradict ourselves. I find internal struggles with this as I see the rationale, and I know God is not angry with letting us eat in the sacntuary. But it just isn't right.
I don't want to be involved next time because it's just too disheartening. And there is a fear that if I helped out more, there wouldn't be much of a change either. So, all this is just talk...is it?
I decide that tomorrow, I will try harder to be a better helper. I will try harder to make a difference in one or two kids' lives. That's as much as I could possibly ask and hope for.
VBS is actually Vacation Bible School. It's my first time being involved, so I am observing a lot.
I feel that much could be done to make it run more smoothly. Am also just wondering how Uncle Richard managed to entertain 50+ children for 7 days with Children's Holiday Club and how come we're just going to be so happy that it's over tomorrow, day 2.
Helpers
I wasn't very much involved in CHC since I was allergic to kids and kept my distance from Sunday School and Children Ministry. But I do remember people like Fern, Daniel, Jia Huey, Agnes, David, Michael Phoon, helping out...committed to help out.
We have many youth helpers but many of them seem to think they are above the rest (since they are now youth) and don't want to be involved with these 'little kids'. Not only do they not help, but some of these are so busy entertaining themselves and being 'privileged' that they actually cause the disruption in the activities. If your helpers aren't listening to you talk, fat chance your participants will.
However, I think Mi Lin is amazing with the kids! Totally salute her!
Organization
I think communication is again the downfall of this. Just take the living skills session. The person in charge asks me last minute if I would mind taking the session. I do. And I question how things are done. I ask her who is supposed to be in charge. She says she is, but she cannot co-ordinate all three age groups at the same time. Understandable. But it's not like you just found out that there are 3 age groups. So, who did you assign in the first place? She said the team leader. But she doubts he actually read the material.
I tell her that she cannot just assume such. It is not fair for the team leader to assume that he has not taken into consideration his responsibility. Has she asked him? She said that he is too busy and doesn't want to impose on him. By now she can see that I am not willing. I could, but am not willing to be the scapegoat. Let's put it this way, if there is a first time, there will be a second. I'd rather postpone my first time.
Later in the day, I am asked if I would be willing to share the gospel message with the children using a certain diagram. I think I am very blunt and many people will begin to see that I am not really that obliging. I smiled and said 'Nope.' I think he didn't know what hit him. 'WHY?' he asks. I say that I have no idea how to use the material and was not prepared. Surprisingly, he doesn't ask again. Maybe I am very clear about certain things that I will do and will not do.
I think what upsets me the most is how things are unorganized. Even in registration, if we are supposed to be at the registration desk at 7.30am, then the people in charge should be there too to instruct. Instead, we don't know who they are and when they arrive, still do not brief us on anything! Perhaps telepathy is the way to go these days? =)
Communication
This is what I was trying to say earlier too. I suppose if you want people to be able to work independently, you have to tell them what they are supposed to do, and where to get the supplies. Because I have not been around the past few days, I assume that I am the one in the dark only. But...it seems...no loh...I'm not very far off from everyone else.
I think this lack of communication is the 'scapegoat' for all especially when they can honestly 'I have no idea'. It's amazing how the helpers are supposed to help facilitate craft without fore knowledge of what the craft is and how to go about it. Perhaps this WAS communicated (but I was not informed) and just that the infomation was not retained...yet I doubt so.
My great heartache
My great heartache was to see children missing the point of singing, doing actions together, and to see them not get the point of the object lessons. My great heartache is seeing facilitators reading from script, big words about yoghurt and recycling and fermentation without the kids responding at all.
I am not sure if it's just me who thinks this way. I feel that telling kids to pray when most of them are not believers is skipping a step if we do not tell them WHY we pray and WHAT is prayer. I think that talking about worshipping God falls on rocky pathway if they aren't listening and if we are using adult songs to tell them 'This is my desire'. What is a redeemer? What is our soul?
I disagree with MANY things. But I do not proclaim to be an expert. I don't think we should tell kids about worshipping God on the first time we meet them when we can't even get them to sing a fun song with actions.
But these are all methods. And so, I do not want to argue with methodology. However, it would be good to review what we are doing with our target group of children. I think it is unfair to spend 10 minutes giving instructions in Mandarin when there are Indian and Myanmarese children who don't know what is going on when we speak in Mandarin. Even the HELPERS don't know what is going on!
If the kids don't want to come again, I can't blame them. When Joel didn't want to sit down in a group to join the activities, I can't blame him. I didn't like it, but I just can't blame him. I, as a helper, didn't know what was going on, and there was no obviousity of who was in charge. Even as a helper, I don't know who is my head!
So, my heartache is that the message is lost. The deeper meaning of everything that was prepared is lost.
Will there be a next time?
I remember thinking to myself that that would be the first and last time I am involved with VBS. Do I find joy in being around the kids? I have to say yes. Though I feel out of place and takes me time to warm up, I do want them to have a good time and to want to come back again next year. But I don't know, I somehow don't think VBS is my choice of ministry. On top of that, the sactuary smells of shoe after lunch.
I do not agree that they should eat lunch in the sanctuary for the reason of convenience. We make it a rule not to eat in a place of worship, yet, we contradict ourselves. I find internal struggles with this as I see the rationale, and I know God is not angry with letting us eat in the sacntuary. But it just isn't right.
I don't want to be involved next time because it's just too disheartening. And there is a fear that if I helped out more, there wouldn't be much of a change either. So, all this is just talk...is it?
I decide that tomorrow, I will try harder to be a better helper. I will try harder to make a difference in one or two kids' lives. That's as much as I could possibly ask and hope for.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Reverting to & honoring original commitments
Grandma in Ipoh is sick. The message we got was that she was deathly ill and we were advised to go see her as soon as possible.
This was an interesting predicament. Not only is Sunday my sure-must-work day, it was also the day for the SG direction meeting, and I had promised to standby for Crystal to play keyboard and was supposed to play keyboard for the BM service.
It made me choose to prioritize. Work or family? I chose what I believe God would want me to choose, and that was to go back and visit grandma, if only for the last time. The SG meeting didn't need me. The BM service would find a keyboardist. But I only have one paternal grandma.
After removing myself from all the promises and responsibilities, dad SMSes me to say that there was no need to rush because we would leave at 4pm. This meant, I could standby for Crystal, and attend the SG meeting for at least 2 hours.
I had a choice though...I could have disappeared, and excuse myself early from church. But God has taught me to make right decisions to honor previous commitments and to bring honor to Him. So, I went for the meeting. Halfway through, dad SMSed again to say that we weren't going back to Ipoh because mum found out that it really wasn't as bad as they said.
This meant, I could play for the BM service.
Sometimes, when I think of it, I just wonder why I don't take the advantage and just disappear, take a break since I was already originally excused from these responsibilities. I could go home and sleep and no one would know the better. Or so I would think...
Playing for the BM service was a joy. I was pleasantly surprised that Jojo was willing to help play with me. And it proved to be so good! I enjoy playing with a guitarist strumming. It was good. Even Li Ching said it was God's providence! Ya, playing for the BM service was a joy.
But I was also tired, and after the worship, that's when my perseverance gave in. I just didn't want to do the 'right' thing of staying to listen to another sermon. I know that if I do, He will speak and I will hear something. But I was just so tired of doing what I was not prepared to do. I decided, I would excuse myself. So I did. After some moments of solitude in the sanctuary, I went home, an hour earlier than scheduled.
As the day closes, I know that I have done the right things, in honoring original commitments. It has come to a point where there is no need to question what is the right thing to do. Technically, there isn't a wrong thing. But what I mean by 'right' thing is that the thing that would preserve integrity, making one a person of their word, and I believe bringing God pleasure in the obedience.
Perhaps the Egypt issue really has helped a lot. Having said that, in the past, I would have done the same lah. Just that I think these times, I am more conscious of my actions and decisions.
One can plan the day and change all the plans made originally to do what is important and urgent. But when things get topsy turvy, what do we do? By default, I think I am 'programmed' to revert to original commitments unless some very good alternative plans had been made to overcome the sudden ad hoc changes.
The Lord's name be praised for the lesson I learnt and am still learning.
This was an interesting predicament. Not only is Sunday my sure-must-work day, it was also the day for the SG direction meeting, and I had promised to standby for Crystal to play keyboard and was supposed to play keyboard for the BM service.
It made me choose to prioritize. Work or family? I chose what I believe God would want me to choose, and that was to go back and visit grandma, if only for the last time. The SG meeting didn't need me. The BM service would find a keyboardist. But I only have one paternal grandma.
After removing myself from all the promises and responsibilities, dad SMSes me to say that there was no need to rush because we would leave at 4pm. This meant, I could standby for Crystal, and attend the SG meeting for at least 2 hours.
I had a choice though...I could have disappeared, and excuse myself early from church. But God has taught me to make right decisions to honor previous commitments and to bring honor to Him. So, I went for the meeting. Halfway through, dad SMSed again to say that we weren't going back to Ipoh because mum found out that it really wasn't as bad as they said.
This meant, I could play for the BM service.
Sometimes, when I think of it, I just wonder why I don't take the advantage and just disappear, take a break since I was already originally excused from these responsibilities. I could go home and sleep and no one would know the better. Or so I would think...
Playing for the BM service was a joy. I was pleasantly surprised that Jojo was willing to help play with me. And it proved to be so good! I enjoy playing with a guitarist strumming. It was good. Even Li Ching said it was God's providence! Ya, playing for the BM service was a joy.
But I was also tired, and after the worship, that's when my perseverance gave in. I just didn't want to do the 'right' thing of staying to listen to another sermon. I know that if I do, He will speak and I will hear something. But I was just so tired of doing what I was not prepared to do. I decided, I would excuse myself. So I did. After some moments of solitude in the sanctuary, I went home, an hour earlier than scheduled.
As the day closes, I know that I have done the right things, in honoring original commitments. It has come to a point where there is no need to question what is the right thing to do. Technically, there isn't a wrong thing. But what I mean by 'right' thing is that the thing that would preserve integrity, making one a person of their word, and I believe bringing God pleasure in the obedience.
Perhaps the Egypt issue really has helped a lot. Having said that, in the past, I would have done the same lah. Just that I think these times, I am more conscious of my actions and decisions.
One can plan the day and change all the plans made originally to do what is important and urgent. But when things get topsy turvy, what do we do? By default, I think I am 'programmed' to revert to original commitments unless some very good alternative plans had been made to overcome the sudden ad hoc changes.
The Lord's name be praised for the lesson I learnt and am still learning.
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