Something pastor said on Sunday made me write something into my journal. Part of it is directly relating to a longer post that I hope to complete soon. The other part is of course the subject of this post! (DUH!?!)
Yeah... so set theory (not axiomic set theory, but the analysis style approach). Pastor said that cliques can destroy Christian fellowship. And as I have heard from some of you, that is true. Cliques are like compact set, closed and bounded. Nothing can enter it and nothing can come out of it. (more or less ah...)
I think we as the Church are called to be more like open sets, where (intuitively) they do not have boundaries. When we sing songs that have words like, "build this church without walls", do we really mean it? How can we build a church without walls when we already have set up walls in our own cliques, our own SG even, and shut out even our fellow brothers from them?
The whole point of having small groups, are to be groups that do not have boundaries and that when a newcomer comes in, when someone brings a friend, when another batch of primary 6s enters the YM, we can make them feel welcome.
The model of dividing the YM into small groups is not a new one. It's the original pattern of the church in the book of Acts. It is therefore a 2000 year old model! If you read any books on church growth (numerical in this sense) they will all adhere to the model in Acts. Small groups that over time start to include other people till they reach a certain size then they split! And the process repeats over and over. You cannot replicate this process if your group is so "clique-ish", close and bounded. You need to get rid of the boundaries and be open!
Complements. The www.dictionary.com definition of this word is, either of 2 parts that complete the whole or mutually complete each other. The mathematics set theory definition is that if a certain element is in a set, then it is not in the complement of the set and, and conversely as well. Yup, almost the same meaning for the 2 definitions.
Unfortuantely, I guess that over time we have misread the word to mean that if 2 things or people complement each other well, it means they are almost the same. Well, obviously not totally correct. And that's where misunderstandings can arise I guess.
To me, if you really complement each other; chances are we are totally different people. So, expect arguements and the such! But you know, God has really made us in such a way that the people whom we can really work well with are precisely our complements. I don't know how that works, but that seems to be the case. So, when you are in a project and it seems thatyou can work well with the people in the group, expect some shouting matches! But you all will be really good friends at the end of the day. Like the crazy YM Com! (those of you who have sat in our meetings will understand!)
By the way, Sophia is really my complement! :D
Friday, July 29, 2005
Friday, July 22, 2005
A tale of 2 spaces
Well, my good friend Kelvin Tan has been bugging me to blog! So I am going to entertain him with a post that he would probably not understand! Then again, I don't think I will understand it either! Anwyay, U-liang blogged about his Honours Project, so I thought I wrote a bit about mine as well, so as to let you peeps out there know what kind of trouble I've gotten myself into!
A tale of 2 spaces, that is the project title given to me by my supervisor A/P Denny Leung (who in my opinion is one of the best lecturers in the NUS math dept). The project is categorised under topology, geometry and analysis. So, I would think that most people, who are in their correct frame of mind, would avoid this project at all cost!
Back to the point, the scope of the project is to characterize certain topological properties of the Cantor Space and the Baire Space. Both of which have interesting properties that make them useful in mathematics.
What I have accomplished so far. Well, I have spent the past week reviewing some results and theorems from metric spaces. But after taking MA4211 and MA4262 (you can read about them in my April archive) I don't think there is really much to review. Also started to read up a bit on topology, which is actually quite interesting, but not what I expected. Now I know why the wolfram website characterizes analysis and topology as seperate branches in mathematics.
Yesterday was a pretty good day (or so I thought). A brain wave suddenly hit me and was able to write down what I thought was a satisfactory proof to one of the ten results that I needed to proof. Oh well, seems that I made quite a huge oversight and did not consider something pretty important to the result. Well, only goes to show that I need to relook that whole proof all over again. But well, it's an interesting project so far!
So, Rev Tan.. happy!?!?! (You can try asking your girlfriend to translate for you! If she understands!)
A tale of 2 spaces, that is the project title given to me by my supervisor A/P Denny Leung (who in my opinion is one of the best lecturers in the NUS math dept). The project is categorised under topology, geometry and analysis. So, I would think that most people, who are in their correct frame of mind, would avoid this project at all cost!
Back to the point, the scope of the project is to characterize certain topological properties of the Cantor Space and the Baire Space. Both of which have interesting properties that make them useful in mathematics.
What I have accomplished so far. Well, I have spent the past week reviewing some results and theorems from metric spaces. But after taking MA4211 and MA4262 (you can read about them in my April archive) I don't think there is really much to review. Also started to read up a bit on topology, which is actually quite interesting, but not what I expected. Now I know why the wolfram website characterizes analysis and topology as seperate branches in mathematics.
Yesterday was a pretty good day (or so I thought). A brain wave suddenly hit me and was able to write down what I thought was a satisfactory proof to one of the ten results that I needed to proof. Oh well, seems that I made quite a huge oversight and did not consider something pretty important to the result. Well, only goes to show that I need to relook that whole proof all over again. But well, it's an interesting project so far!
So, Rev Tan.. happy!?!?! (You can try asking your girlfriend to translate for you! If she understands!)
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
differentiation or integration?
(relax... it's not a maths post)
We're God's Family
We are different in so many ways
Yet God has made us all His children
And He has called us to
Be together as a family
In this Church
We're God's family
In His family
Together we worship and pray
That His love may flow through us
And help each other grow
And as one we'll offer Him our praise
Though there are times we may stumble and fall
We have each other to help us carry on
This song was written by Angie Goh a long time ago if I am not mistaken. (Stef... help me out) It was written in the mid-80s for the church family camps, and for many years it was always the camp theme song. We've not sung it for a while... perhaps it's time to update it's style! (HAHA!!!)
Today, I was reminded of a simple fact of life. God made us all different; and that's so beautiful! But unfortuantely, the world distorts the beauty in this difference and the pressures of the world accentuate those differences and drive people apart. Happens everywhere, but it's especially obvious in a relationship-intense place like church.
But why do I think it's beautiful? Because it just goes to show the amount of hard the work the Maker puts into creating each of us into unique masterpieces. Can you imagine that? God has had to create everyone on this earth with so different personalities and idiosyncrasies that we can all be distinguished from each other. No two people on this earth is exactly the same; at the very least, their fingerprints are different! That's amazing isn't it.
But unfortuantely, many of us don't see it that way. And I know that as a result many of us within church cannot get along with a fellow brother or sister. We just refuse to even get reconciled with each other. Rather than let the differences complement each other in ministry, we have let them drive us apart.
Let me say this, that it is fallacious to think that everyone one in the YM Com has the same opinion all the time. We have had our differences, some very serious differences in fact; as well as our arguments. But we've always let the Lord lead us, and we've respected each other's opinions. One example I can think of is the highly unpopular descision of segregating the genders within the SGs for this year. Only 2 people, myself being one of them, was strongly for this separation. Everyone else leaned in favour of cross-gender SGs. But as the Holy Spirit led us, we knew that we had to take this unpopular line as would be better in the long run. Different opinions, but with God's guidance, we are still a united team.
Same for all of you in the YM. Stop seeing the differences as divisive, but as complementary to the overall experience of life. The reverse process of differentiation is integration; and in the non-mathematical use of that term, it means to put things together. That's the way it should be.
Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another - Proverbs 27:17
Yup, we are called to sharpen each other, to build each other up in the faith, with love. Just the way we use iron to sharpen iron. And when you use iron to sharpen iron, well, sparks fly!
We're God's Family
We are different in so many ways
Yet God has made us all His children
And He has called us to
Be together as a family
In this Church
We're God's family
In His family
Together we worship and pray
That His love may flow through us
And help each other grow
And as one we'll offer Him our praise
Though there are times we may stumble and fall
We have each other to help us carry on
This song was written by Angie Goh a long time ago if I am not mistaken. (Stef... help me out) It was written in the mid-80s for the church family camps, and for many years it was always the camp theme song. We've not sung it for a while... perhaps it's time to update it's style! (HAHA!!!)
Today, I was reminded of a simple fact of life. God made us all different; and that's so beautiful! But unfortuantely, the world distorts the beauty in this difference and the pressures of the world accentuate those differences and drive people apart. Happens everywhere, but it's especially obvious in a relationship-intense place like church.
But why do I think it's beautiful? Because it just goes to show the amount of hard the work the Maker puts into creating each of us into unique masterpieces. Can you imagine that? God has had to create everyone on this earth with so different personalities and idiosyncrasies that we can all be distinguished from each other. No two people on this earth is exactly the same; at the very least, their fingerprints are different! That's amazing isn't it.
But unfortuantely, many of us don't see it that way. And I know that as a result many of us within church cannot get along with a fellow brother or sister. We just refuse to even get reconciled with each other. Rather than let the differences complement each other in ministry, we have let them drive us apart.
Let me say this, that it is fallacious to think that everyone one in the YM Com has the same opinion all the time. We have had our differences, some very serious differences in fact; as well as our arguments. But we've always let the Lord lead us, and we've respected each other's opinions. One example I can think of is the highly unpopular descision of segregating the genders within the SGs for this year. Only 2 people, myself being one of them, was strongly for this separation. Everyone else leaned in favour of cross-gender SGs. But as the Holy Spirit led us, we knew that we had to take this unpopular line as would be better in the long run. Different opinions, but with God's guidance, we are still a united team.
Same for all of you in the YM. Stop seeing the differences as divisive, but as complementary to the overall experience of life. The reverse process of differentiation is integration; and in the non-mathematical use of that term, it means to put things together. That's the way it should be.
Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another - Proverbs 27:17
Yup, we are called to sharpen each other, to build each other up in the faith, with love. Just the way we use iron to sharpen iron. And when you use iron to sharpen iron, well, sparks fly!
Monday, July 04, 2005
fret buzz...
No I am not refering to the problem that is found in some guitars, but refering to what I read whilst doing my QT this morning (afternoon actually). From Utmost for His Highest:
Worrying always results in sin. We tend to think that a little anxiety and worry are simply an indication of how wise we really are, yet it is actually a much better indication of just how wicked we are. Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way. Our Lord never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to accomplish His own plans but to fulfill God’s plans. Fretting is wickedness for a child of God. All our fretting and worrying is caused by planning without God. - Oswald Chambers
"Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing." - Psalms 37:8
We always get anxious over small things, like who is leading worship this sunday, what songs to lead, what to say, which program team is on, what time are we to report. What honours project am I going to do? etc etc etc...
But yeah... these words just poke to me and I am reminded of the other set of verses found in Matthew chapter 6. Jesus tells us not to worry for why think about the troubles of tomorrow when today has enough troubles on it's own.
True indeed. We never know what is going to happen tomorrow. We can and should plan for the future, but what I think what God is really telling us is to trust in Him, and have faith. And not to be so "kan chiong" all the time.
So trust in the Lord, have faith and He will provide. And do not worry; I learnt long ago that it is a sin to worry. And it leads to evildoing.
I don't know about tomorrow
I don't know about tomorrow
I just live from day to day
I don't borrow from the sunshine
For its skies may turn to gray
I don't know about my future
For I know what Jesus said
And today He walks beside me
For He knows what lies ahead
Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand
Worrying always results in sin. We tend to think that a little anxiety and worry are simply an indication of how wise we really are, yet it is actually a much better indication of just how wicked we are. Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way. Our Lord never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to accomplish His own plans but to fulfill God’s plans. Fretting is wickedness for a child of God. All our fretting and worrying is caused by planning without God. - Oswald Chambers
"Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing." - Psalms 37:8
We always get anxious over small things, like who is leading worship this sunday, what songs to lead, what to say, which program team is on, what time are we to report. What honours project am I going to do? etc etc etc...
But yeah... these words just poke to me and I am reminded of the other set of verses found in Matthew chapter 6. Jesus tells us not to worry for why think about the troubles of tomorrow when today has enough troubles on it's own.
True indeed. We never know what is going to happen tomorrow. We can and should plan for the future, but what I think what God is really telling us is to trust in Him, and have faith. And not to be so "kan chiong" all the time.
So trust in the Lord, have faith and He will provide. And do not worry; I learnt long ago that it is a sin to worry. And it leads to evildoing.
I don't know about tomorrow
I don't know about tomorrow
I just live from day to day
I don't borrow from the sunshine
For its skies may turn to gray
I don't know about my future
For I know what Jesus said
And today He walks beside me
For He knows what lies ahead
Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand
Sunday, July 03, 2005
serendipity
Disclaimer: To the VCFers, the title of this post is NOT inspired by the musical! Read on and you will know!
I think to many of us in PMCYM, the term "serendipity" (or serend for short) is over abused. We don't really know what it means, so here is the dictionary defination of the word: (taken from www.dictionary.com)
Serendipity
-The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
-The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
-An instance of making such a discovery.
I think we've come to think of "serendipity" as a "mini-Bible study". But in fact it is more about making discoveries about each other within the SG setting; a little more each sunday. But more than that, it is about making discovieries about God that matters.
So to the SGLs, don't lose heart if your charges don't seem to pay attention and are talking all the time. You never know when they would make a fortunate dicovery about God that will change their lives forever. But one thing that does not fit that defination above is that I don't think it happens by accident. I think it's the will of God. So SGLs: keep on doing what is right and don't waver from the narrow road!
On a more personal side; spent some time looking through old photographs once again. But this time at Sophie's place. And we finally found something close to what we have been looking for the past few months. Childhood photographs of each other. Well, we finally found one of me (and my brother as well)! Unfortuantely she wasn't in that particular picture, but most definately at the same event! Photographic proof that we actually met when we were young.
God is really playful but at the same time amazing! That He can bend the fabric of time and bring 2 lives together in such an amazing way! I'm still in awe of all that had happened in the few days, may we never loose that awe! Was it serendipity? Yes and yet, not quite. It was God!
I think to many of us in PMCYM, the term "serendipity" (or serend for short) is over abused. We don't really know what it means, so here is the dictionary defination of the word: (taken from www.dictionary.com)
Serendipity
-The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
-The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
-An instance of making such a discovery.
I think we've come to think of "serendipity" as a "mini-Bible study". But in fact it is more about making discoveries about each other within the SG setting; a little more each sunday. But more than that, it is about making discovieries about God that matters.
So to the SGLs, don't lose heart if your charges don't seem to pay attention and are talking all the time. You never know when they would make a fortunate dicovery about God that will change their lives forever. But one thing that does not fit that defination above is that I don't think it happens by accident. I think it's the will of God. So SGLs: keep on doing what is right and don't waver from the narrow road!
On a more personal side; spent some time looking through old photographs once again. But this time at Sophie's place. And we finally found something close to what we have been looking for the past few months. Childhood photographs of each other. Well, we finally found one of me (and my brother as well)! Unfortuantely she wasn't in that particular picture, but most definately at the same event! Photographic proof that we actually met when we were young.
God is really playful but at the same time amazing! That He can bend the fabric of time and bring 2 lives together in such an amazing way! I'm still in awe of all that had happened in the few days, may we never loose that awe! Was it serendipity? Yes and yet, not quite. It was God!
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