“Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War when Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison’s Landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land. During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on his stomach, the captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment.
When the captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead. The captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his own son. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out. Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army.
The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial despite his enemy status.
His request was only partially granted. The captain had asked if he could have a group of army band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral. The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate. But, out of respect for the father, they did say he could have one musician play.
The captain chose a bugler, and he asked the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth’s uniform. This wish was granted, The haunting melody we now know as “Taps,” used at military funerals, was born.
Source: Pulpit Helps (July 2001) article written by:
Diane O. Sides
Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Pastor's Training
"Pastors [in the past] were valued for their ability to bring and keep order rather than for their ability to bring and lead change. The reality was that pastors were being equipped to preserve the past rather than to create the future. We became known for being traditional rather than transformational. The ritual replaced the radical. The pastor/teacher replaced the apostle/evangelist.
The Church soon lost her momentum and had less and less to manage. Seminaries were producing pastors who were ready for their pulpits but not for the challenge. pastors found themselves experts in biblical exegesis, but novices on cultural exegesis. The rapid shifts in society only added to their dilemma. We knew something was wrong, but we couldn't quite place it. America was turning from a Christian-friendly nation to, at best, Christian-indifferent. The playing field was definitely changing, and we were unprepared for the new rules.
In many ways the emergence of the parachurch reflects the paralysis within the local church. When we stopped calling youth to the mission of Christ, Youth With A Mission emerged. When we ignored the opportunity to reach university students, Campus Crusade emerged. When we settled for church attendance and neglected discipleship, Navigators emerged. When we hesitated to call men to the role of spiritual leadership, Promise Keepers emerged. Yet while the parachurch was rallying and mobilizing men and women whose hearts were longing to serve Christ, it was at the same time accelerating the spiritual anemia and decline of the local church. The church became a fortress from the world rather than the hope of the world. This disconnection from our present context exemplifies the need for holistic ministry. Seekers are looking for spiritual integration. This means we must provide community with cause and meaning with healing. Having one without the other only leaves us fragmented. We must transform the fragments into a mosaic" Erwin Raphael McManus, An Unstoppable Force: Daring toe Become the Church God Had in Mind, Loveland, CO: Group Publishing, 2001), pp. 24-27.
Indeed this is the challenge that the church faces today. This problem is not only visible in the Protestant denominations, it also is real and visible in the Seventh-day Adventist churches. What can we do about this?
The Church soon lost her momentum and had less and less to manage. Seminaries were producing pastors who were ready for their pulpits but not for the challenge. pastors found themselves experts in biblical exegesis, but novices on cultural exegesis. The rapid shifts in society only added to their dilemma. We knew something was wrong, but we couldn't quite place it. America was turning from a Christian-friendly nation to, at best, Christian-indifferent. The playing field was definitely changing, and we were unprepared for the new rules.
In many ways the emergence of the parachurch reflects the paralysis within the local church. When we stopped calling youth to the mission of Christ, Youth With A Mission emerged. When we ignored the opportunity to reach university students, Campus Crusade emerged. When we settled for church attendance and neglected discipleship, Navigators emerged. When we hesitated to call men to the role of spiritual leadership, Promise Keepers emerged. Yet while the parachurch was rallying and mobilizing men and women whose hearts were longing to serve Christ, it was at the same time accelerating the spiritual anemia and decline of the local church. The church became a fortress from the world rather than the hope of the world. This disconnection from our present context exemplifies the need for holistic ministry. Seekers are looking for spiritual integration. This means we must provide community with cause and meaning with healing. Having one without the other only leaves us fragmented. We must transform the fragments into a mosaic" Erwin Raphael McManus, An Unstoppable Force: Daring toe Become the Church God Had in Mind, Loveland, CO: Group Publishing, 2001), pp. 24-27.
Indeed this is the challenge that the church faces today. This problem is not only visible in the Protestant denominations, it also is real and visible in the Seventh-day Adventist churches. What can we do about this?
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The Story About a Flock of Geese
There's a story about a flock of geese flying south for the winter. As the birds were heading to their winter destination, an early snowstorm forced them to take shelter. They spotted a farm with an open barn, landed, and took shelter in the barn overnight.
The farmer was quite surprised to find that he'd left the barn door open and that the barn was now occupied by a flock of wild geese. But he took compassion on the snowbound birds and provided food for them. The snowstorm lasted several days, and the geese decided to stay put. The farmer continued to feed them.
When the storm finally broke, the geese debated about whether or not to continue on their journey. Because the farmer had been so kind, they decided to stay a while. The farmer thought it was quite a novelty to have a flock of wild geese at his disposal, so he continued to provide for them. The arrangement worked for all parties involved, and the geese decided to stay the winter.
When spring finally arrived, the birds had become acclimated to their new environment. The farm was quite a comfortable place to stay. There were ponds where they could swim, and they had plenty of food. Instead of flying north, the geese decided to stay the spring and summer, too. Before long, this flock of wild geese had become completely domesticated. The seasons came and went, but the geese remained on the farm.
As years when by, the geese began to feel a little guilty about what they'd done to themselves. They'd see other wild geese fly south in the winter and remember the days when they had journeyed forth with the same reckless abandon. So to assuage their guilt they devised a plan. Every year as winter approached, the eldest goose stood before the throng of geese to tell the story of the former days when they used to fly south for the winter. He recounted the trials and difficulties as well as the great joys they encountered when they were wild.
As we, the church, head into the future, we can't settle for domestication. We can't settle for just hearing about the glory days of the church. Instead, we must return to the much older ways. We were born to be wild.
From Wes Roberts and Glenn Marshal, Reclaiming God's Original Intent for the Church (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2001), pp. 28-29.
The farmer was quite surprised to find that he'd left the barn door open and that the barn was now occupied by a flock of wild geese. But he took compassion on the snowbound birds and provided food for them. The snowstorm lasted several days, and the geese decided to stay put. The farmer continued to feed them.
When the storm finally broke, the geese debated about whether or not to continue on their journey. Because the farmer had been so kind, they decided to stay a while. The farmer thought it was quite a novelty to have a flock of wild geese at his disposal, so he continued to provide for them. The arrangement worked for all parties involved, and the geese decided to stay the winter.
When spring finally arrived, the birds had become acclimated to their new environment. The farm was quite a comfortable place to stay. There were ponds where they could swim, and they had plenty of food. Instead of flying north, the geese decided to stay the spring and summer, too. Before long, this flock of wild geese had become completely domesticated. The seasons came and went, but the geese remained on the farm.
As years when by, the geese began to feel a little guilty about what they'd done to themselves. They'd see other wild geese fly south in the winter and remember the days when they had journeyed forth with the same reckless abandon. So to assuage their guilt they devised a plan. Every year as winter approached, the eldest goose stood before the throng of geese to tell the story of the former days when they used to fly south for the winter. He recounted the trials and difficulties as well as the great joys they encountered when they were wild.
As we, the church, head into the future, we can't settle for domestication. We can't settle for just hearing about the glory days of the church. Instead, we must return to the much older ways. We were born to be wild.
From Wes Roberts and Glenn Marshal, Reclaiming God's Original Intent for the Church (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2001), pp. 28-29.
Demonstration Plot
Today I came across an illustration from Craig Van Gelder’s The Essence of the Church: A Community Created by the Spirit (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001), pp. 99-100.
“Growing up on a farm in rural Iowa provided me with an object lesson for understanding the church’s being mission by nature. Each county in the state employed an extension agent to work with farmers…. As new farming technologies, seeds, and fertilizers became available, the extension agents introduced these to the farmers. My dad, like many farmers, was often hesitant to acce3pt the innovations. One of the methods extension agents used to gain acceptance of these innovations was demonstration plots.
A strip of land, usually along a major roadway, was selected as demonstration plot, where a new farming method, seed, or fertilizer was used to raise a crop.
It was uncommon for farmers to remain skeptical throughout the summer as the crops grew. But there was always keen interest in the fall when crop was harvested. Invariably, the innovation performed better than the crops in the surrounding fields. By the next year, many of the farmers, including my dad, would be using the innovation as if it had been their idea all along.
The church is God’s demonstration plot in the world. Its very existence demonstrates that his redemptive reign has already begun. Its very presence invites the world to watch, listen, examine, and consider accepting God’s reign as a superior way of living.”
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Camel’s Nose Principle
I came across this parable which I thought could be used for a youth talk someday. So in order for me not to forget, I thought that I will just copy it up and publish it on my blog too. According to the website that I copied from, Lynn Fowler wrote it. But after googling up the story, it seems that this is a modified version of a parable originally from India. Nevertheless, I know you’re going to enjoy this story.
The Camel's Nose Principle - A Modern Parable
It was a cold night in the desert, as most desert nights are, but Ahab the Arab was not concerned.
He was quite comfortable in his tent, with its waterproof goats hair outer covering (not that it often needed to be waterproof out there!) and its rich tapestry hangings lining the walls and ceiling. The desert sand of the floor was covered with a thick carpet, over which were strewn huge, soft cushions.
Ahab was curled up on these, his blankets pulled about him, when he felt a slight draught from the direction of the tent door. Funny, he thought, for the double flap was heavy enough to keep out even the strongest desert winds.
Turning, he saw in the flickering light of his lamp that something was intruding through the tent door. What was it?
Unable to discern the shape, he reluctantly threw back his blankets, and dragging himself from the comfort of his cushions, padded over to take a look.
As he came near the door, he suddenly realized what it was: a nose! A camel ' s nose, to be precise!
Ahab was cranky enough at having been forced to leave his bed: now he was really mad. He slapped the camel hard about the nose several times, all the while yelling at the top of his voice, “You mangy camel! You flea-bitten son of a desert dog! Who do you think you are? How dare you stick your nose in my tent? Get out! Get out! GET OUT! Back to the dunes where you belong!”
The camel shook his nose sharply to escape the slaps, then spoke in a low, pleading drone.
“Please, Master,” he drawled, “have mercy. You are comfortable here in you tent, but the desert night outside is freezing. It is so cold that my poor nose is developing chilblains!
“I knew that you are a good, kind master, and that you would not wish your poor, faithful camel to suffer in this way, so I was sure that you wouldn ' t mind me sticking my nose in here where it can be warm. Please, Master, it ' s just my nose! It will take up such little space! Please, Master!”
The camel was making Ahab feel bad. Besides, it was late, he was tired, and his bed was beckoning him. He really didn ' t feel like arguing with a determined camel.
“Oh, all right,” he grumbled. “I suppose just your nose won ' t hurt. But just your nose! Nothing more! Is that clear?”
“Of course, Master. Thank you so much. You are indeed a wonderful Master.”
“Hrmph!” grunted Ahab as he shuffled back to bed.
Just as the mists of sleep were beginning to swirl about his mind, he felt it again. He raised one arm out of the blankets to be sure.
Yes, there was that slight draught coming from the tent door again. Groaning, he rolled over and looked toward the door.
This time he didn ' t need to get closer to see what it was - the camel ' s whole head was sticking through the flap. Springing out of bed, her rushed to the door and began to buffet the camel around the head.
“You lousy bag of jackal food! Didn ' t I tell you, your nose and nothing else? Didn ' t you agree to that? How is it that now your whole head is in my tent? Don ' t you know that your nose is just the part on the end of your head? Out, fleabag, out!”
“Oh dear, kind Master,” pleaded the camel. “Surely you would not deny your faithful servant this one thing!
“You see, Master, my ears are very sensitive, particularly the tips. And the desert night is so cold! They were really burning with the cold, Master! In fact, they were in grave danger of falling off! It would not be good for my master to be seen riding a camel with no ears!
“In your great kindness, Master, let me keep my head in the tent!”
“Oh, all right,” muttered Ahab, unable to think of anything to say in reply. “But just your head, hear me! Nothing else!” He turned and stomped back to bed.
Not a great length of time had passed before Ahab felt that slight draught. With a sigh, he again lifted his head and looked toward the door.
Sure enough, there was the camel with his front legs inside the tent.
Ahab jumped up and ran to the door, where he kicked the camel hard in the shins. However, he had forgotten that he had bare feet, and it hurt his toes far more than the camel ' s leg.
After hopping about on one foot for several minutes, he turned on the camel.
“You vermin-infested apology for a beast! Is this you head? I told you, nothing but your head! And now your legs are inside my tent! Get out, before I use your hide as a rug for the new camel I shall buy!”
“Wait, Master. Do not let your anger hide your kindness, for you are a good master who would not wish his faithful servant to suffer. You see, Master, it ' s my knees. I have arthritis, you know, and this cold does effect them so. Sometimes it gets so I can hardly bend.
“My master would not want his faithful camel to be unable to kneel for him to climb aboard. So I knew that my master would not mind me keeping my knees warm in his tent.”
Ahab spluttered and fumed, but finally agreed. “Very well, but just your legs. Hear me, you no-good camel! Just your legs!”
Time passed, and Ahab was again drifting into sleep when again the draught came - this time a little stronger. Without even looking first, Ahab staggered to the door, where the camel was standing with his hump inside.
He didn ' t bother hitting or berating the camel this time, but simply stood with his hands on his hips.
“These four times you have disobeyed me, camel. What is it this time?”
“Well, most good and kind master, it ' s my hump, you see. As you well know, Master, my hump holds many days ' supply of water, and in the cold of this desert night it has turned to ice. Have you any idea, Master, what it feels like to have a hump full of ice?
“I knew my good master would not wish this for his faithful servant and companion.....”
“All right, all right, ALL RIGHT!” sighed Ahab, cutting him short. “But not one centimetre more! I mean it this time, camel. If you disturb me again, and I find any more of you in this tent, I will take my faithful sword and slit your no-good throat from one flea-bitten ear to the other.”
Quite some time passed without disturbance, and Ahab sank into a deep sleep. Then he began feeling cold. Really cold.
This was far more than a draught from the door. He tried to pull the blankets closer around him, but there were no blankets. When he reached down and patted around to find them, his hands met not the smooth plumpness of his cushions, but rough, cold sand.
His eyes sprang open. Above him was not the dark warmth of his tapestries softly lit by the flickering of his lamp, but a black sky studded with millions of stars.
He looked around. He was lying, minus both cushions and coverings, in the open desert. Some metres away he could see his tent.
Picking himself up, he hurried to the door and peered through the opening. There, lounging on his cushions and covered by his blankets, was the camel.
He had just enough time to take in the scene before two large hooves hit him squarely in the chest, sending him flying back out into the desert
As the sand settled around him, he heard a hoarse, mocking voice from the tent: “AND STAY OUT!”
For too many years, the devil has used the Camel ' s Nose Principle against the Church in every area from art to science, from music to politics, from education to public morality, and the Church has resisted him with all the effectiveness of a sleepy Ahab.
Isn ' t it time we reversed the process?
Article Source: http://christian-topics.info
Thursday, April 14, 2011
What's After PhD?
What kind of person will you become when you finish doing your PhD?
This is the kind of question you may want to ask yourself when you go home to your respective countrie with an additional three letters after your name. Many students that I have observed have had dramatical changes when they finish their studies. Yes, indeed all of them are more knowledgeable compared to the first time they came here. But what about their willingness to work? Their capacity to adjust to others who are not PhDs? Their humility? Their attitude towards their colleagues? Their attitude towards the 'work'?
These questions are for you to ask yourself. Please try to answer them in such a way so that you can do some soul searching and be happy and contented with what you will become, after your PhD.
This is the kind of question you may want to ask yourself when you go home to your respective countrie with an additional three letters after your name. Many students that I have observed have had dramatical changes when they finish their studies. Yes, indeed all of them are more knowledgeable compared to the first time they came here. But what about their willingness to work? Their capacity to adjust to others who are not PhDs? Their humility? Their attitude towards their colleagues? Their attitude towards the 'work'?
These questions are for you to ask yourself. Please try to answer them in such a way so that you can do some soul searching and be happy and contented with what you will become, after your PhD.
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Friday, March 11, 2011
Running for My Health
In each person's life, whether rich or poor, young and old, there will come a time when he or she will finally realize that he's got to do something in his life. Something to improve his living condition, from bad to good, from good to best.
I have reached that point. I realize that all my New Year resolutions are just slogans that are just meant to be slogans; promises that are made to be broken. I have to make drastic changes in my life. It should not wait. It should be now.
After an overnight fast I went to take my blood test and health screening at the gym. I was able to get the results of the health screening right away. The blood test results, however, will be available after a few days. I found out that I was 'sick,' very 'sick.' I am 35 years old but my body age is 63 years old. I am overweight, an obese person with 95 kg on the scale. I am well on my way to 100 kg in no time if I will not put a stop to it.
A few days later, I was shown the results of the blood test. The results were almost as bad as the health screening results. My cholesterol was high, HDL was low, Triglycerides were super high.
So here I am at 35, expecting another addition to the family when I turn 36, and spiraling down to all kinds of diseases that an overweight man could get: heart attack, diabetes, gouty arthritis, etc. I have to change my lifestyle.
Several days prior to that, Tasha lost weight by taking an all fruit juice diet for 3 straight days. The only food intake was juice, nothing else. She lost several kilograms. I want to start that way too.
I went for four days with a similar fruit juice diet. From 95 kg, I went down to 92 kg. I had to control my rice intake and continue on the fruit diet.
Several weeks after that, I was encouraged to join the Morning Star exercise program. The first day I joined, I barely ran a hundred meters and was already exhausted. Today was the second day for me to run with them. I was surprised that I made big improvements.
Today I ran from the gym, made one round, without stopping. With a steady pace and encouragement from Pastors David and Jesin, I was able to make it. There were times that I felt my body could not cope anymore, but they were both beside me encouraging me to continue until the end.
What a pleasure it was. Tired but happy. One mile of running without stopping! Can't wait to see what my third day will be like. Praise the Lord for his goodness for me today.
I have reached that point. I realize that all my New Year resolutions are just slogans that are just meant to be slogans; promises that are made to be broken. I have to make drastic changes in my life. It should not wait. It should be now.
After an overnight fast I went to take my blood test and health screening at the gym. I was able to get the results of the health screening right away. The blood test results, however, will be available after a few days. I found out that I was 'sick,' very 'sick.' I am 35 years old but my body age is 63 years old. I am overweight, an obese person with 95 kg on the scale. I am well on my way to 100 kg in no time if I will not put a stop to it.
A few days later, I was shown the results of the blood test. The results were almost as bad as the health screening results. My cholesterol was high, HDL was low, Triglycerides were super high.
 |
| My blood test results |
Several days prior to that, Tasha lost weight by taking an all fruit juice diet for 3 straight days. The only food intake was juice, nothing else. She lost several kilograms. I want to start that way too.
I went for four days with a similar fruit juice diet. From 95 kg, I went down to 92 kg. I had to control my rice intake and continue on the fruit diet.
Several weeks after that, I was encouraged to join the Morning Star exercise program. The first day I joined, I barely ran a hundred meters and was already exhausted. Today was the second day for me to run with them. I was surprised that I made big improvements.
Today I ran from the gym, made one round, without stopping. With a steady pace and encouragement from Pastors David and Jesin, I was able to make it. There were times that I felt my body could not cope anymore, but they were both beside me encouraging me to continue until the end.
What a pleasure it was. Tired but happy. One mile of running without stopping! Can't wait to see what my third day will be like. Praise the Lord for his goodness for me today.
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