109th - Manful vs sinful

The 108th entry from GW is to "let our indulgences be manful not sinful".

This is tricky. Heres why -

For what it is to be a man? Have the lines been drawn too thin? Or has society made the "perfect man" fade into the twilight with the arrival of the feminist movement or even the BGT movement? Whichever way we put it, man, the real man to the core, is scary slowly fading into oblivion.

I cant help it but to quote scripture again. Heres what Paul has to advise Timothy his disciple.

"Whoever aspires to be an overseer (man) desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full[a] respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap".

There. No need to add words or expound further.

If there are indulgences that needed to be aimed and cultivated for, I believe it is by focusing into the words of wisdom found in scripture (like above) that has been there all along, always ripe for the picking..

110th: Got Conscience?

In this series, I'd like to put forth my own interpretation and application of George Washington's Rule of Civility and Decent Behavior. Starting with the 109th down to 1st.

The goal is two fold. For me to observe people around, single out behaviors how these rules of civility are applied in the daily world. The learning and observing would be beneficial if it starts with my own application instead.

109th - Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.

On conscience. Webster defines it as an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behavior.

Question is - where does this voice come from? Have we ever wondered? Is it innate? Is it acquired? Is it from the remnants of the voices our parents muttered when we were still infants that finds its way into the recesses of our brains? Or is it spiritual? The silent whisper from God? Whatever form or fashion it is, I'm sure all of us can relate to this.

So for today, my conscience is telling me that it is bad to lie. Lying about anything is bad. Whether it is white lies, black lies, all kinds of lies is wrong. Bad. In my inner circle of people in the office now, I can sense people with hidden agenda and ulterior motives constantly twist facts and tell lies in order to advance their interest. This is bad. Question is - have we gut the guts to confront? Is it worth pursuing?

I have come to the conclusion whatever peoples motives are, I'd simply stick to applying this rule daily, on my life, adding to my own principles. So that once people perceive me as honest and trustworthy in ALL my dealings, small or big, then my influence will then be widespread.

Thus begins an impactful person both in and out of the marketplace.

You?

Key to Success - Use of 5 senses

Its 'graduation' time again back in my home country. It is during these times that all people, from all walks of life, have at least something to look forward to.

Parents are excited (maybe alarmed) by their kids graduating. Knowing that they are now either going for higher learning or become part of the jobless circle. Either way, I'm sure they have mixed expectations lingering on their heads.

Graduates are excited (maybe alarmed too) of what the future is in store for them. No matter what the result of their years of learning, its back to facing real world scenario. A scenario where equations become harder to equate to actual real world situations. Theories in books are in fact ideas formulated in the crucible of the cranium or in the comforts of the lab. Skills in handling a conflict situation is in fact as age old as handling a street fight. Scientific approach are well, remains to be purely scientific. That the distance between two points is not really a straight line in the real world.

I often stumble upon people with so much potential in their 4 or 5 year academic journey that they end up disgruntled, demotivated, tired, too theoretical, cynic even. 

The cure? More exposure to practical real world problems early on. Such as house chores! Fixing a broken plumbing teaches one the basics of hydraulics. Ironing clothes could be framed to a materials engineering exposure, fabric vs cotton atomic strength. Washing the dishes reminds people of geography (enviro engg) and the chemistry of water/solid objects.  Cooking food humbles one about  molecular structure of the ingredients, and how the scent is simply a simplified organic chemistry in action.

There is so much to offer in life by just being observant. And that to me is the secret to success, and that there is no secret really. We are all given 5 senses to use. Use it or lose it!

Steve Jobs 8 Leadership Style

Here's an article I stumbled on the web which hammers home the message of SJ.

QUOTE. "Brilliant. Passionate. Overbearing. Impatient.

Steve Jobs's management style has been described in many ways, both positive and negative. Love him or hate him, there's no denying what he accomplished: Within a short time, he built the most successful company on the planet. Before that, though, Jobs was actually forced out of Apple (in 1985). A few months later, he founded another company. This startup, appropriately named NeXT, focused on producing high-powered computers for the higher education industry. A talented team left secure positions at Apple and followed Jobs to his new endeavor--evidence of how much people believed in him. The following video shows excerpts of a company retreat that Jobs orchestrated during the first three months of the company. And it's fascinating.

There are at least 8 lessons the previous author has observed, and they are summarized below..

1. Show your passion (3:46)

Jobs was well known as an excellent presenter, and his skills are on full display in his introductory speech. He uses repetition well. He's enthusiastic. He's natural. But most important, he believes what he's saying, and he's not afraid to put himself out there. If you don't get passionate about your idea, no one else will.Jobs: "We're doing this because we have a passion about it...because we really care about the higher educational process. Not because we want to make a buck."

2. Focus on creating value (4:50)

As an entrepreneur, there's no greater feeling than providing a product or service that people feel will make their life better.

3. Challenge your team (6:15)

Throughout the video, Jobs probes and challenges his people. He doesn't accept anything at face value. He wants to know why people feel the way they do. And often, he lets them know exactly why he disagrees.

4. Keep everyone on course (6:53)

Yes, Jobs could be overbearing. But as Guy Kawasaki (who worked for Steve Jobs twice) put it: "If you ask an employee of Apple why they put up with the challenges of working there, they will tell you: because Apple enables you to do the best work of your career." Jobs: "There needs to be someone who is the keeper and reiterator of the vision.... A lot of times, when you have to walk a thousand miles and you take the first step, it looks like a long way, and it really helps if there's someone there saying 'Well we're one step closer.... The goal definitely exists; it's not just a mirage out there.'"

5. Define the right priorities (7:26)

As your company evolves, it's easy to lose sight of what's important. Culture shift is a danger. But it's your company. Don't compromise on things you believe in. It's what got Jobs kicked out of Apple in 1985, but it's also why they brought him back--and what made Apple such a success. As the NeXT team discusses its priorities, you can witness Jobs's remarkable ability to focus on what's most important, and even more critical, to defend why it's important. When team members challenge priority No. 1 (keeping the price of the computer at $3,000), Jobs vehemently defends it: "They didn't say if you made it go three times faster we'd pay $4,000.... They said, 'Go to $3,000 [or] forget it.' That's their magic number.... Nobody else says that they can do that.... Whether it is or not, in reality, who knows. Whether it is or not in terms of their commitment to push us, we've established that." The team followed his lead, and price stayed priority No. 1. You know what's important, but can you prove why it's important? If so, then your team will follow.

6. Know when to interrupt (9:52)

A member of the team proceeds to goes on a rant. She goes on and on, and Jobs remains patient...at first. But as she continues, his patience runs out. He interrupts to refocus. Many years ago, I sat in on a meeting where a senior member of the team talked for 20 minutes without interruption. We were all thinking the same thing, but nobody had the courage to speak up. Finally, another manager (who was new to the company) respectfully put an end to the speech, to everyone else's relief. I learned a lot from that episode. Be a good listener. Be patient. But know when you need to step in, and you'll save a lot of time and resources.

7. Learn from the past, but don't let it own you (11:11) 

As one team member laments past failures, Jobs speaks up: "I don't want to hear 'Just because we blew it last time, we're going to blow it this time....' This is a window we've got...it's a wonderful window." Any great entrepreneur knows that failure is part of the process. The more you try, the more you fail--but success is out there. You've just got to find it.

8. Focus on the positive (12:22)

At the end of the weekend retreat, Jobs said the following: "I find myself making lists of things we don't know, and then I remember that our company's 90 days old. And I look back to all the things we do know. And it's really phenomenal how far we've come in 90 days." When you have a long road ahead of you, it can be intimidating to focus on what's left. There will always be plenty to do. Remember to look back at what you've already accomplished, and that can give you the motivation you need to move forward. " UNQOUTE

My take is that whatever SJ does is centered around one word - legacy. He simply wanted to leave a legacy that will be remembered for ages to come. And all his energies are channeled to creating that legacy long before other people can describe theirs.

Practice makes perfect

Religion is not the problem of this world. Its the the "practice" of religion. It's the interpretation even. Perhaps best summed up that it all boils down to the "understanding" of religion.

This thought came about when reading an article about a Jewish man and a Muslim woman collaborating on a corporate top notch project driven to produce top notch result.

Moral morass

Balzac said "behind evey great wealth is a great crime".

Often we hear stories of people who made it big time in the papers. And we often wonder how could the dude or the gal who's seemingly ordinary to ones eyes suddenly amass staggerring and mind boggling wealth in proportion to their skills. Only by digging deeper would one then finds out the reality of the quote above. 

We hear of skillful politicians who are in collusion with their campaign donors and benefactors. Or of the enterprising entreprenuer lacing prodicts with odd ingredients (eew) to save cost. Or of the shrewd corporate army general and their cohoots cutting cormers and inflating corporate profitability. The bigger question - what is/or are their motivations why they do what they do. Greed? Selfishness? Power? Not for me to judge.

On another area of life we also hear stories of "do gooders" under the guise of guilt. Meaning doing something for humanity in order to hide a character flaw. Or of people who donate to charity in order to not appear greedy. Or those who perform community service and outreach only to crumble at the weight of their own double lives. 

Is there a cure to this morass? Believe there is. First, be aware of ones "dark side". And just when one is tempted or lured towards their dark side, awareness is a powerful first step. Next is acceptance. Accept that as human beings we all have these tendencies. Third and last is diverson. We re-channel dark thoughts to activities until all our energies are spent. 

Dont know if you agree with my prescription, but it is working in me. Experience is the best teacher indeed. 

Trials of many kinds...

I don't know about you but I've been thru hell and back this week.

Consider this - a close friend's kid is diagnosed with cancerous cells engulfing the teens frail body. And the friend is at its wit end from all angles (emotionally and financially). In a span of a week, the family's fate hangs in the balance. Seeing them go thru this wrecks me as well. I wish I could do more.

I want to remind myself though lest I forget that this journey called life is littered with trials, testing and tribulations. And that life is indeed a series of problems. We just came from one, were undergoing one and we will face one in the future. Having the proper mindset will spell victory from defeat.

I remember scripture which says in James: ² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. "

Often its easy to spew these words to someone who's into heavy dose of bombardment from all angles. But when spoken with love, I believe it will make a huge difference in their lives. Of course, count on our Maker to make his move. And there you go - perfect antidote for the perfect storm.

Tough love from a caring father - repost for its content and depth of voice

The political system former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew built during his time was a British parliamentary system in form but truly a Confucian order in substance.

In Confucian ideals, the benevolent leader (emperor) is wise and compassionate and possesses the mandate of heaven (overwhelming popular vote).
The people are highly respectful of their leaders, single-minded in their common purpose and deeply loyal to their nation.
The state is administered by an efficient and educated class of mandarins based on meritocracy and incorruptibility.
There is a merchant class that is prosperous and a peasant class, which is harmonious.
Peace and order (lack of chaos) are the foundation of prosperity and progress.

These were ideals for ancient China, and proven in modern Singapore.
Viewed through Western media and its prescribed "universal" moral standards of governance, Mr Lee and his system have often been unfairly portrayed as oppressive, dictatorial and draconian.

In the East, this is wise, compassionate but strict leadership in the best of Confucian traditions.
In an imperfect world of compromises, many of us with Asian roots would value peace and security above freedom of speech and freedom of the press; economic empowerment before political liberation; and country, community and family before self.

Stop judging Singapore and our founding father by Western ideals (of liberal democracy, absolute freedom of speech, and so on) and you will start to appreciate what we really are and the archetypical benevolent leader that Mr Lee truly was.

As Mr Lee once said, he is answerable to no one, except the then two million lives at stake under his watch.
He did not seek to be popular or loved, but merely to serve his comrades to the best of his ability and up to his last breath.

A loving father who cared enough to be strict with his children, so we may grow up to be hard-working and disciplined, well conditioned to succeed and in harmony.
He knew that unlike large countries, we had no endowments to depend on and would, by default, starve to death if we did not have the will, unity and ability to succeed.
Tough love from a caring father - that is the founding father of Singapore that I know, love and revere for eternity

Sermon of a Holy Man - Re posting after attending a seminary graduation

by Rt Revd Rennis Ponniah

I had the joy of hosting the Ordination Retreat for 12 ordinands in October this year; it was an exceptionally moving experience. What made the retreat unique was that they came from five different countries; Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal and Singapore. The gathering afforded them an opportunity to consider their calling to the “vocation of a Priest”. What is it that will bind them together as “brothers in holy orders” across national boundaries? What does it mean to be an Anglican priest in the Church of God?

I bring to you the fruit of our study and reflection. I share as a fellow-priest, but this message is not just intended for priests or ordinands, it is also for all in our Diocesan family. As clergymen, we are very grateful for the many pastoral staff and lay leaders who share several aspects of a priest’s vocational calling. It is also important that members of our parishes are aware of the classical role of our Priests so that they can support and encourage us in our vocational faithfulness.

In this introductory article, let me start by addressing an urgent need for us to give priority to our primary vocational tasks.

Called to Vocational Tasks

So much is expected of the priest in the modern city – chairing meetings, organising major projects, replying emails at the speed of smartphones and sometimes initiating financial ventures – that it becomes easy to lose our way and neglect the major tasks of our calling. The affirmation of men and meeting the expectations of our congregation for dynamic leadership and management can become our priorities instead of pleasing God through our faithfulness to our calling. As one of my clergy colleagues recently remarked, “If there is a parable to describe our modern situation, it may well be entitled the ‘Parable of the Lost Shepherd’. The hundred sheep, safely in the fold, wait hungrily for their shepherd to find his way back to them.”

We do well therefore as priests to heed the call to vocational holiness – to being true to the central tasks of our calling. What then is our vocational calling as priests? In a word, I would say that our call is not to run an organisation or meet people’s felt needs, but to build a community of disciples. I often remind myself, “I am not running a church, I am building a community.”

With this in mind, the key vocational tasks of a priest can be identified as:

1.         Preaching/Proclamation of the Gospel

2.         Discipling/Teaching and Equipping bands of people

3.         Interceding/Shaping and leading Corporate Prayer and Worship Services

4.         Pastoral Care and Spiritual Direction (cf. the role of ‘the wise man’ in the Old       Covenant)

5.         Leading the people out in Mission and Community Service (Jn 10:16; Mt 28:

          18-20)

6.         Oversight of the flock and Governance. (1 Pet 5:1-2)

The greatest threat to fulfilling our vocational tasks is our management responsibilities in our urbanised parishes. I am not saying that management work is not needed in priestly leadership; however, they should not stand in the way of our primary tasks. This is clear in the account of the early church where the apostles found themselves diverted from their vocational calling because they were personally managing the task of food distribution to the needy. They learnt to delegate this task to others in order that they may give their ‘attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word’ (Acts 6:4). Sadly, priests today may be delegating away their primary vocational tasks, while focusing on secondary ones. We are farming out the task of pulpit preaching to frequently-invited guest speakers and the task of intercession to church intercessors.

We are called to ‘’prayer and the ministry of the Word’’.  We are called to ‘’attend to God’’ in prayer and the study of His Word, and then to minister to people out of the strength of His presence. Are we attending to the needs of men (emails and mobiles) but ignoring our Lord (e.g. prayers and devotions)? Adapting the language of Watchman Nee, we need to ‘‘sit’’ before we can ‘‘walk’’ and ‘‘stand’’ for God. The Anglican priest’s intercessory role has been described by an Anglican archbishop as “being with God with the people on your heart.” We attend to people by first attending to God.

Called to an Exemplary Life

Without a doubt, a priest is called to be an example to the flock. A priest is to be an example not just in the carrying out of vocational tasks, but also the way in which he goes about his tasks and the person that he is. How can we lead others to follow Christ if our own lives do not reflect His Mastery over character and conduct? Hence, the primary thing we model for our congregations is personal holiness in our life before God.

For this modelling to happen, we must walk with our people on the ground. They need to see and be inspired by our own growth and progress in holiness. Our people will forgive (and endure) our incompetencies, but the one thing we owe them as their shepherd is our pursuit of authentic holiness. Therefore, we pursue godliness with all our heart and energy, as we rely on the Holy Spirit’s renewing work within us.

Within holiness, a particular trait we model for our flock is servanthood. That is what our Lord emphasized as the distinctive mark of Christian leadership. We do not resist “bending low” in our service to others. We go the extra mile to express Christ’s love to the person in need. We make sacrifices in order that others are blessed. We are not easily offended and ‘turn the other cheek’ when treated unfairly. In doing so, we are not men-pleasers as our reward is in heaven when on that glorious Day, we will hear the Lord saying, ‘‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’’(Mt 25:21).

It may be worth pointing out an aspect that is often over-looked. This has to do with a priest’s owncommitment to grow in community. Do we build relationships with people within our own parish so that there is mutual accountability and a spurring of one another? Are we committed to a prayer band or a small discipleship group in the parish that meets regularly? Anglican priests are also committed to building the Diocese as a ‘connectional’ church where there is submission to the Bishop and his appointed team of senior office-holders. This fostering of collegial ties binds the whole family together. And moving from the church to the home front, the priest is committed to playing his part to build his own family to be a community of love where God is honoured and Christ is personally embraced by every household member as Saviour and Lord.

Called to Joy

In surveying all that is involved in being an Anglican priest, it will not be surprising that a common response would be; ‘‘Who is sufficient for such a ministry?’’ Our Ordinal reminds us that such a ministry cannot be undertaken apart from divine enabling.

Ultimately, we are strengthened by the promise that ‘He who calls you is faithful and He will do it’ (1 Thess 5:24). The call to priesthood is ultimately a call to joy for those whom God has set apart from birth for this vocation. Yes, the vocational call is demanding but because of God’s promised enabling and companionship, a priest can embrace and discharge his calling with joy. What a high calling and privilege it is to be chosen by God to be near Him and to minister in His Name. When I am at the Communion table or pulpit, I often remember the words of the Psalmist, “Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy” (Ps 43:4).

I believe the Lord is calling us back to our primary call, vocational tasks and personal exemplary holiness to the flock. We need your prayers and the fire of the Holy Spirit. When we return to our calling, it can only mean a new quality of shepherding, a new vitality for the church and a new impact on our society and world. All this can be fulfilled by God’s power and for His glory!

Leadership is followership

A careful man, I ought to be;
A little fellow follows me.
I do not dare to go astray
For fear he'll go the self-same way.

I can not once escape his eyes,
Whatever he sees me do he tries.
Like me, he says, he's going to be,
That little chap that follows me.

He thinks that I am good and fine;
Believes in every work of mine.
The bad in me he must not see;
My life to him must an example be.

I must remember, as I go
Through summer's sun and winter's snow,
I'm building for the years to be,
For that little chap that follows me.

Investment 101 - Habits of the Wealthy

Its amazing how kids pick up investment concepts these days. I was with my eldest son last night and we talked about investment techniques. I ask him point blank range - why do you want to get rich. And who are the people you admire the most in this world?

His answered startled me. He said he admired Michael Jordan for his work ethics and focus to the task of winning. And he said his reason why he wanted to get rich is so he can have the freedom and be liberated.

I re-oriented him by saying your goal should be to "be wealthy'. Wealthy in the sense that it does not only entail money but also wealth of friends, contented family members and last is material things to make you happy.

He obliged.

And so I told him my 4 rule of thumb to pathway to getting wealthier and be liberated from work are as follows -

1. Buy Assets.
2. Invest and minimize spending.
3. Live below your means.
4. Be the master of money, not its slave.

I warned him that there are plenty of rich people who are stingy and not even willing to spend a dime on charitable act. I said avoid these people. They are the fair weather friends.

I encouraged him to be generous in the process of accumulating wealth.  And as a concrete example I told him how my own life is also patterned after these 4 principles.  I share there are 'obligations' too when one becomes wealthy. That means you are expected to have influence. Expected to donate generously. Expected to contribute to politicians etc. Expect also that people will come after your friendship for your wealth.

The biggest caveat of all is how to differentiate people who are your genuine friends from those who are fair weather ones.

In the end of our 1 on 1, I thought he came away being pressured to start the habit of thinking rich and managing wealth wisely. Read "The Richest Man in Babylon' as a starting point was our parting action point.