Life's Crosses

In a place and space like Singapore, you wouldn't think that this concrete jungle can be kind enough to allow both nature and greenery to sit alongside together in a harmonious relationship with its hard and straight look of the cities.

Yet that seems to be the case and a good effort at that with the emergence of the renovated parks and recreation areas on this island. I made a 2+ hour walk with two other parishioner friends yesterday morning along the parks, flora and fauna of the Southern Ridges, beginning with the Hort Park through to Alexandra Road area,  past Henderson and ended up at Telok Blangah hills into Harbourfront.

It was a walk with nature and kept me in perspective with the fact that life is not all about people and things within the immediate surroundings of my own comfort zone, but also into the wild and green of nature and all things 'bright and wonderful'.

This has been a good Advent exercise to get in touch with the natural wonders around me and not to take anything for granted. Anybody who feels cramped and boxed-in with a dash of migraine can take up this walk of sorts to clear your cobwebs in your head and get some fresh air along the way too!

(more pics from my outing here)

There is a little miracle going in with a particular new movie just out in the States and is drawing crowds away from the current mooning of a vampire movie, New Moon. The miracle that lies in this new movie is that it is Christian based, by a Christian director and tells a heart-warming true story of sorts which portrays Christianity that is neither didactic or gratuitious. It gives a sense of goodness which does not "slap people in the face with religion". I first came across this about a month ago when I happened to watch the trailer from iTunes and was immediately captivated by it, wondering if it will make waves or turn heads later on due to its motivational message and an honest-to-goodness Christian kindness that  would appeal to the ordinary senses tired of rethoric, supernatural gobbledeegook and New Agey nonsense.

Terry Mattingly, a religion columnist for Scripps Howard News Service and the director of the Christian-oriented Washington Journalism Center said, “Most films from Hollywood that involve faith take out all the details — it’s just vague and mushy or it’s negative religious stereotypes. But ‘The Blind Side’ is a real movie. And then it has another factor: showing respect for religious motivations and emotions.”

Check out the trailer here and a somewhat spoilery of a blog entry on the movie here!

We now find ourselves in the midst of Advent and with the 1st week of it now.

I am in the Seminary for these 3 days till Thursday, giving a retreat to the seminarians who are preparing themselves to be installed as lector or acolyte. Much of my reflection for them would be on their role and duties of the ministries which they will be living out as of tomorrow evening, Thursday, when they get installed by the archbishop in a special ceremony at their seminary chapel, attended by some priests, families and friends.

In the series of reflections is included this dimension of hope, coupled with faith, which asks of the seminarians to pay careful and close attention on how they can be persons that bring this Hope which people greatly need. Christians, in general, are to live as if there is a future to look out for, but one that is far more revealing and utterly fulfilling than what we can get in this world.We usually sell ourselves short by concentrating too much on this world and forgetting that we do have a greater life we are all called into - namely to be with God.

While not forgetting what we must still do here on earth in making it a better place for all, we must also see that this 'better place for all' is really a practice and pointer to a 'greater place for all'!

It took me a while, but I finally managed to drag myself to put in something here after much procrastination.

Part of why I could do so is because I had finally summed up some courage to make a buy for a Macbook Pro as my primary laptop, my older Viao having been put into the pasture due to 'old age'. The Sony laptop was already showing signs of dementia when some of its keys on the keyboard seems to forget what character to give when I press them. When SITEX came along, I headed down to the Expo and after some walking around, I decided to throw caution into the wind and plonked down my money on a 15" Macbook Pro which also offered some nice extra freebies and an Applecare  extended warranty (for $168). Now I am a Mac person. Perhaps I can now wear my old Apple t-shirt which is sitting quietly in the cupboard more often!

Actually, I am now writing this on my Mac!

Today, being a public holiday (Hari Raya Haji) also offered me an opportunity to catch up on putting something here as well. The past week and even today, had been rather busy. They were spent fire fighting some problems that crept up within some ministries I am currently looking after. There were a series of meetings and talking things through, with much discussion and giginv and taking, that after all of this, my whole body and mind just want to shutdown awhile. Thankfully, much have been resolved and, while there is still a lot of work to be done, all concerned were able to cooperate and move on to the main goal at hand - for the greater glory of God.

I had finished one retreat today for the Communion Ministers. It was a half day affair and a good and inspiring one for all. I had an hour and a half to share with them a passage from Hebrews 11 on faith and when it was over, there was a general renewed awareness for a better relation with our beliefs concerning how we live it out and the good examples of life to put into practice.

All in all, a fruitful and quiet day which the grace of God was allowed to flow and touched people's lives.

I am feeling a little Christmas-sy this evening.

I headed down to the parish bookshop a few doors down and got myself a 5 CDs of Christmas hymns, songs and music in this spur of Christmas spirit that seems to have pervaded my office today. One of the newly purchased CD is already playing, with the music wafting and weaving its unmistakeable magic around the room.

This was a far cry from a few days ago, or even a week ago when I had the dubious honour to be hit with the blues that made the past days rather moody and lost. I was feelnig myself getting much more irritated easily and wished I could hit out at something. I managed to reined in my emotions and decided yesterday to take a bus-ride towards ECP and did a spot of roller blading. But the ride was tediously slow due to the traffic jams that occurred along the Paya Lebar Road toward Tg Katong. Coupled with the fear that it may rain along the way, as I saw the skies were cloudy, I was getting impatient and feeling frustrated as the minutes wore on. Thankfully I finally arrived my destintion and the skies cleared and I had my first full-fledged roller blading in two years. There is this feeling of the freedom of doing something out of the usual office or ministerial work...

Part of my moodiness lies in the fact that I have been doing much fire-fighting and problem solving with the ministries currently under my care. On the surface, everyone seems nice to everyone. But scratch a little deeper, the ugliness and bitterness of the reality of politicking in any ministry begin to show. But, by God's grace (it's the only way can see how), things are slowly being worked out. They just demand a little sacrifice to walk a little way off the comfort zone a bit.

Another reason for the moodiness is the realization that I have gotten another year older and wondering what  good have I really done (my thanks to all who have given me the birthday wishes and greetings!). It is this good that Paul was beating himself over when he says that he wants to do the good that is called for in his life but ended up doing the bad instead. I can empathise with him on that.

But today, the curtain of gloom seems to have lifted up to reveal a picture of hope and freshness that takes one away from engaging in a seminar with the devil and to face the rubrics of happiness which God offers. Hence the Christmas mood of sorts. It is the reminder, once again, of how Godly power can be found in the weak, meek and lowly. Yes, it is difficult to flow with that when I am in a position that can force me to control and dictate the flow of events. Nonetheless, this is the way of the basin and water the towel. It can also be the 'lonely' way which few dare to walk on...