Revelation as tradition development

I read David Brown's book Tradition and Imagination.

His contribution to me is trying to solve and steer a middle course between modernism and postmodernism dialogue.

Modernism seeks for integration,objectivity and historical truth.
Postmodernism seeks for situatedness & coherence.

In between the middle course dialogue being facilitated from imagination

Lovely flowers show us God's faithfulness...

If God cares so wonderfully for flowers...
won't He more surely care for you? Matthew 6:30

Singing birds tell us of His tender care...

Look at the birds...
Your heavenly Father feeds them.
And you are far more valuable
to Him than they are. Matthew 6:26

Soft rains remind us of His refreshing grace...

I will send down showers in season;
there will be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26 NIV


Sunny days reflect the light He brings...

I am the light of the world. Whoever
follows Me will... have the light of life.

John 8:12 NIV


All of spring proclaims the hope God gives our hearts!


See! The winter is past; the rains are
over and gone. Flowers appear on the
earth; the season of singing has come.

Song of Solomon 2:11-12 NIV


Blessings,

--Holley Gerth

DaySpring Writer

Lovely flowers show us God's faithfulness...

If God cares so wonderfully for flowers...
won't He more surely care for you? Matthew 6:30

Singing birds tell us of His tender care...
Look at the birds...
Your heavenly Father feeds them.
And you are far more valuable
to Him than they are. Matthew 6:26

Soft rains remind us of His refreshing grace...
I will send down showers in season;
there will be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26

Sunny days reflect the light He brings...
I am the light of the world. Whoever
follows Me will... have the light of life. John 8:12

All of spring proclaims the hope God gives our hearts!
See! The winter is past; the rains are
over and gone. Flowers appear on the
earth; the season of singing has come. Song of Solomon 2:11-12

--Holley Gerth-- DaySpring Writer

Daily rest

I read from China Source March article by Mark Swallow the following quote of Sabbath Rest from Emily Dickinson

A Sabbath Poem

Some keep the Sabbath going to Church --
I keep it, staying at Home --
With a Bobolink for a Chorister --
And an Orchard, for a Dome --

Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice --
I just wear my Wings --
And instead of tolling the Bell, for Church,
Our little Sexton -- sings.

God preaches, a noted Clergyman --
And the sermon is never long,
So instead of getting to Heaven, at last --
I'm going, all along.

The author advices us
Firstly draw a time line for initial check-up of our life & time use,then
Combating a kind of Rest is Guilty Type Philosophy,finally
Think about how Jesus did in His life.

May we have restful spirit in our daily life today.

An Improved poem

Steve told me the following of my Poem,

Your 7-word, 4-sentence Tang poem is fantastic,esp. with the use of a housing estate for sentence beginning.Just some knowledge sharing, when I learnt Tang poem in childhood I got that we should emphasize on the accent of the last word for sentence 1, 3, and 4. It is what we call 押韻.


I then changed it as follows:

海 風迎面輕吹拂
怡 人美景現足前
半 日閒暇如芬花
島 上客閒心滿輝

漫步海怡半島

朋友Steve遊畢大浪灣傳來下列打油詩 :

海風自南吹彼心,
朗日睛空晶光現,
汝童堆玩海灘沙,
夕陽漫照樂出神.

我今早到過南灣，亦回贈下列詩句:

海 風迎面輕吹拂
怡 人美景現足前
半 日閒暇就此過
島 上客閒心滿溢

More leisure quotes

A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. There will be sleeping enough in the grave.Employ thy time well,if thou meanest to gain leisure.
--Benjamin Franklin--

He enjoys true leisure who has time to improve his soul's estate.
-- Henry David Thoreau--

The most desirable thing in life after health and modest means is leisure with dignity.-- Cicero--

We give up leisure in order that we may have leisure, just as we go to war in order that we may have peace.--Aristotle--

South Horizons & Leisure Quotes

"Leisure is time for doing something useful; this leisure the diligent man will obtain, but the lazy man never”-- Benjamin Franklin --

"Leisure is a form of silence, not noiselessness.
It is the silence of contemplation such as occurs when we let our minds rest on a rosebud, a child at play, a Divine mystery, or a waterfall.”--Fulton J. Sheen--

"Leisure is the Mother of Philosophy.”--Thomas Hobbes--
.
"All intellectual improvement arises from leisure”--Samuel Johnson--

Basketball Throw

Around 7:00a.m. we went to a nearby park basketball court. As Yannie has to face her PE basketball throw exam,Janet suggested her to have pre-exercise. I assumed to be her trainer though no good at basketball,at least not like Janet as she's the school team player in high school years.

I told Yannie to notice three things in her throw.

One is direction, 向度
another strength 力度 and
the third height 高度 in her throw.

Good throw primarily needs to be accurate towards the target,together with balanced strength and sufficient height in the throw.

These three are also important in our life outlook :
Correct direction exerting effort in strength,together with high esteem in our walk.

After the exercise,Yannie stayed back home for studies and we went on a trip to South Horizons in HK Island to walk along the seashore with leisure talk on vacation.

Food gifts

I enjoyed monkey head fungi during supper time which's good for my stomach.I also got smoked salmon today from afar.

Thanks to God for His kindness as we serve Him with a grateful heart for His loving provision.

Floral Show 2008

We went to the 2008 Floral show this afternoon after the service. It's Janet's interest to attend before the close tomorrow. Last year we went once and this is the second time we went together. Yannie did not like to go and she stayed home for rest and studies.

We took a number of photos and the new one I just put on the web page.I did not quite enjoy myself for the show but admited it's beautiful to see all the different flowers. We bought one called 驅蚊草 for HK 20 dollars to bring back home.

I went to the Hong Kong Library just opposite the flower show before meeting with Janet together.It's still my habit to read books with personal interest.I borrowed 5 books all related to bible and theology.

Life 's alphabets

How's our lives ? Do they like either or both of the followings ?

Avenue or Adventure
Barrier or Bridge
Competition or Communication
Desire or Duty
Escape or Example

Fear or Faith
Gain or Give
Hate or Hope
Illusion or Insight
Judge or Joy

Kite or Key
Load or Leisure
Money or Meaning
Noise or Norm
Oversight or Overcome

Pain or Peace
Quit or Quiz
Race or Rest
Sale or Sail
Take or Taste

Uniformity or Unity
Vapour or Victor
Worry or Welcome
X or X-Ray
Yet or Yes

Zero or Zenith

面對彼拉多的七個問題

1. 約18:33
你是猶太人的王麼? Scandals?! 自己的信仰，還是別人的 ?
(對主須有個人性的認識 !) 識主
2. 約18:35
你作了甚麼事呢 ? Solemn Charge ?! 主的國民要為祂而爭戰 !
(有否站起來維護信仰 ? ) 辯道
3. 約18:37
你是王麼 ? Sovereign King?! 我是且為真理作見證 !
(是否為真理作見證 ? ) 作證
4. 約18:38
真理是甚麼呢 ? Scornful Truth?! 凡屬真理的，均聽從主 !
(真理使得自由，聽從就是順服 !) 聽從
5. 約19:9
你是那裡來的 ? Eternal Source ? ! 安靜沒話
(默然不語的需要) 默然
6. 約19:10
你不對我說話麼 ? Amazed Silence ? ! 默然
(安靜生命的操練) 安靜
7. 約19:10
你豈不知我有權柄 Suspended Sentence 政治權柄是被賦予的!
釋放你，也有權柄把你釘十字架麼 ?
(比世上更高的權柄 ! ) 權柄

Cemetery walk

We went to the church cemetery this afternoon to see my father,already a year since his leaving.As it's a regular day and nobody's around,it's quiet and travels was smooth.

Then we took another 15 min.to walk up to Pokfulam Road from Victoria Road to see another deceased old lady,already 15 years since her departure.She's our church sister and donated her sold house to us to have a new gathering place. Her family and relatives are in Shanghai.

Going up the cemetery made me think of many past Christians'contributions to life when they were here. Some days later it will be our turn to lay down like them before our works are over.It's the loving-kindness of our Lord to spare us here when there's still time to serve Him.

A bit sad to see mother's loneliness with father's going away!Anyway I always gathered some wisdom each time to walk in a place like cemetery.Life is too short to stay long.

Lord help me to fear you as you are the Almighty One to worship.You are worthy for our bowing down to honor you.

Easter Qoutes & meditations

Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and happiness. ~Floyd W. Tomkins

And he departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here. ~St Augustine

The story of Easter is the story of God's wonderful window of divine surprise. ~Carl Knudsen

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time. ~Martin Luther

Easter tells us that life is to be interpreted not simply in terms of things but in terms of ideals. ~Charles M. Crowe

Easter cross has a lot of significance for the Christian community.

A cross symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, reminding us of the blood that Jesus had shed in lieu of the sins committed by mankind.

It is a sacred symbol that signifies faith.

An empty Easter symbol cross, on the other hand, is indicative of the resurrection of Lord Jesus that represents the triumph of goodness over evil spirit and life over death. Thus this symbol of Easter, cross is indicative of both crucifixion and resurrection.

If on one hand, it signifies sacrifice, and then on the other hand, it is a symbol of new life.

Lord ! May your sacrifice and new life strengthen us as we go forward !

Kahlil Gibran

I borrowed the Lebanon poet and philosopher Kahlil Gibran's comprehensive volume today.His seven reprimands on souls captured my attention as follows:

Exalt myself by exploiting the weak
Feign a limp before those who were crippled
Elect the easy rather than the difficult
Console oneself with the mistakes of others
Claimed to be strong in patience but docile because of fear
Avoid the mud of life with garments held upraised
Stand in hymnal to God but considered the singing a virtue

Almost three weeks

It's been a while since I wrote blog last time. I came on a training trip for 12 days and without my computer and websites around.

Well all have been fine and I got to know a number of Chinese pastors with good memories. My hermeneutic course with them went on smooth and they seems well absorbed in the process. Thanks the Lord.