They are human too

I was reading a friend's blog. She is a pastor's kid. To me she always looks so tough and strong and independent. I seldom read her blog, but that day I read her blog month by month. I seen the struggle that she had gone through. And all the things that she had gone through and is going now is just like any other people. Suddenly came to my mind is that, "Oh she is a human too". Just a phrase and my thoughts developed.

I see how high expectation it is to the pastor's children to behave within the expectation of the congregation where the congregation's children are not behaving the way they are expecting the pastor's children to behave. It makes the children not growing in a normal way, and always living in fear because every act they do will be penalize by people - they just could not grow up as children. It is no wonder not many pastor's children have the passion to serve as fulltime!

This kind of expectation same goes to the fulltime and to the pastor.

I think we should see each other as a human where we all live under the same grace from our Lord Jesus Christ! We go through the same pain and struggle. We call upon the same Lord in times of trouble. We belong to the same body of Christ every time we partake the Holy Communion.

Isaac

What would Jesus think?

Luke 24:44 44 Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

What do you think about this when Jesus read the book of the Law and saw that everything that was written is written about him?

Just a thought.

The Fear of the Student

Do you know what is the fear of most of the students here? Yes! not being able to graduate from here and need to extend another semester of year here. Many reasons that will cause us not being able to graduate - not able to meet the requirements such as GPA is not met, or you failed certain subjects.

Sometimes I feel that as a student here, I need to please the lecturer (not all - majority to those "traditionalist"!) in order to pass my subject. Sometimes even though you disagree with their point of view, you will tend to put their view in the assignment so that you can get higher marks in order to pass your subject. In summary, you are being hypocrite!

I finally couldn't stand with this anymore. One day, in a discussion, I have reason to disagree with an author whom the lecturer respect or "admire". I voice it out, and directly I can see the changes of the face, and I got this comment that my argument is too general. I didn't fight back because I just want the lecturer know that not all of the author's points are correct - he is, too generalizing certain point and make his argument with an agenda behind.

If the student fail because they failed to please the lecturer, I think the lecturer themselves must reflect on it: whether they are showing off their knowledge that they are always correct or teaching us the essence of the Bible. Most lecturers here I think in my personal opinion have a presupposition upon the students (especially those who are young) that we as students lacked of experience of the things in this world without they realizing that we have lived in this world for 20 over years. They say we are naive, but I say they are naive with certain arguments too - their view on using technology in church and prosperity of the church!

This year I've been voicing out a lot of dissatisfaction of the school in handling certain issues. I've told myself actually not to voice out anything and be patient until I finish my study. But what is not right is not right and there is reason why God put the burden and let you see all these problems! You must act not waiting and pray for wisdom!

The fear that hinders the student to act is that we afraid to hurt the lecturers and in the end our marks in our subject will be affected! Marks affected, GPA affected; GPA affected, cannot graduate.

Isaac

Obediently Praying vs. Praying Obediently

In the midst of stress in doing my thesis. Along the journey, most of the lecturers will say just write something down, then you'll know where you are heading to. As I reflect back in the journey of doing my thesis, I read a lot, I research a lot; but I have not written anything yet.But I thank God that I'm now in my chapter 3 just because I wrote something. I was very ambitious last year to finish at least a chapter, but I failed because I kept on reading and researching but did not put anything down on paper.

Well, that is the introduction to what I want to share in this post. Sometimes our prayer life is liken to my thesis journey. Sometimes we keep on praying and keep on waiting for an answer. We do not realize that if we obediently follow, we will find the answer. Take answering the fulltime call for example. It is always a struggle to answer the call because it is really a cost to follow Jesus. Most of us including myself will have this reaction to pray but scare to make decision to answer call. If we keep on praying and do not answer the call we will not know whether we are call or not. Sometimes we just need to obediently follow and take the courage to answer the call.

Imagine if Joshua has no courage to lead the Israelites into the promise land, and did not obey the call that God asked Moses to pass down the leadership to him. I do not think that the Israelites will win all the battles that they have gone through. Of course one will say that if Joshua is not obey, God will call others to do his will, perhaps Caleb.

This reflection was inspired by the Bishop message in one of his sermons in FCC. He said one thing that captured me and it disturbs my mind. He said that sometimes we have to 'stop' praying and start to obey with action. By saying this, he did not mean to ask us stop praying.

This caused me to think further that OBEDIENT IS AN ACT OF PRAYING as well. It is an act of praying with faith that we might see the results that God has intended for us to see with this step of obedience.

Praying is just the most simplest answer a person could give when they are challenged. We won't move to another higher calling if we do not obey!

That is the difference between obediently praying and praying obediently. Where an adjectives is put can make such a huge difference to an action. Obediently praying is act of praying and obediently answer the call with faith. Praying obediently is just praying (hopefully with faith) without obediently act on it.

An example I can think of now is Abraham. When God commanded him to go to Canaan, he obediently praying. He packed up all his stuff and starts his journey. He does not know what is going to happen, but with faith he knows he will reach his destination as God has promised. Each of his steps to Canaan is a prayer of faith; each of his steps to Canaan is an act obedient in faith.

May the Lord bless us and guide us as we obediently praying in our lives. AMEN

Isaac

The Lord is my shepherd

Ok, I'm in the midst of ethics class now. Hmmm...sound not ethical. But the class starts with a reflection on Psalm 23 AGAIN!! This psalm has non-stop come to us at least for 5 times since last Friday.

hmmm.....what is the message for us?

Isaac