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Today was an eventful day. Let’s start from the morning, where I awoke to find that I had slept in by about half an hour, and I had to get ready within 15 minutes to get to church on time. In the end, we left when we should’ve arrived and arrived 20 minutes late. What can y’do?
Worship, since I had missed most of it and came in somewhere near the end, felt pretty empty and disconnected from where I was, so I stood and just thought about the words. Like Dan said, our current form of what we call “worship” is really incomplete and just a small, relatively secondary aspect of worship as a whole. But that’s besides the point.
Pastor Ted had a message to preach about God’s love and mercy in His man, His message, and… if there was a third point, I missed it. I caught most of it though, even as I was sketching and inking my latest creation, a self-portrait in a sense. Today’s message was actually quite provoking and impacting, and I’m thankful to God for speaking through Ted today.
Then came the response. Again, I did not dare open my cursed lips to sing anything, lest God be listening. I guess I just don’t believe in doing anything if it’s not from the heart outwards, and not an attempt to work towards the heart from outward actions. It just doesn’t feel right. Call it cowardice or call it reverence. Maybe sensible hypocrisy is the best term to describe it with. Doesn’t really matter.
The monthly Communion came next and I had actually decided ahead that I would not be partaking, but Ted’s small pre-Communion message got my attention. Jesus the Great Physician did not come to heal the healthy, but to heal the sick. And who more sick than I?!
Laughing at myself, I sometimes think I’m a manic-depressed spiritual hypochondriac. So I ended up eating and drinking with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, though a part of me wondered whether I was drinking hell and damnation upon myself, regardless of how careful and critical I had tried to be (i.e. as greatly as possible) while inspecting myself. I came up with the usual: I was once again short of God’s standard of perfect obedience.
The Communion made me really rethink and reconsider my orientation towards God. I’m glad God’s grace really is infinite. Like I’ve been thinking and pondering lately, Jesus is the Infinite Bridge between an Infinite God and His oh so finite children. God’s love is completely unlike anything anywhere.
God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- 2 Cor 5:21 [show]<div class="esv"><h2>2 Corinthians 5:21 <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F47005021" width="40" height="12" class="audio"><param name="movie" value="http://www.esvapi.org/assets/play.swf?myUrl=hw%2F47005021" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /></object></h2>
<div class="esv-text"><p id="p47005021.01-1"><span class="verse-num" id="v47005021-1">21 </span>For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (<a href="http://www.esv.org" class="copyright">ESV</a>)</p>
</div>
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Sunday school wasn’t really quite interesting today, as there was just a random party/role-play thing planned. Garry and I spent that time scripting (very roughly) a scene for this year’s Christmas drama production. We joked around and brainstormed, just to get our heads back into the project.
Fast forward to the night’s program, which consisted of musical guests performing 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s hits and a talent show. About 7 of us (5 stage hands and 2 actors) had been working on a little skit imitating the Matrix Ping Pong skit that a group of Japanese stuntmen did way back when. I’ll be posting up the video recording of our version of it as soon as I get my hands on a copy.
-Aside-
In the mean time, click the title for a short video of a performance than non other than my new most favourite songstress (who happens to be French, yet English speaking as well). Her name is Alizée, a bubbly girl in her early twenties. There’s something about her and her music that I can’t quite place, but I like it, whatever it is. In the video, she’s performing a Madonna cover of La Isla Bonita live. Check it out.
-End aside-
We won the talent show, but only by 2 votes. It was a close call of 209 to 207, with us beating Sharon’s lovely traditional Chinese musical performance that I personally loved. I wasn’t around to accept the award with the rest of the team, as I was preparing for the night’s fireworks show that went off mostly without a hitch. Sam did manage to mount a firework upsidedown, thereby risking the safety of the audience and himself (even though he made it such a point to have everyone know to pay attention and be careful right before we started). He later laughed the goof-up off and even revelled in it. What silliness.
Other than that, the night went off pretty nicely. My personal highlight was when I had just about given up on finding Crystal there last night, and she came out of nowhere to surprise me. I had just finished mooching a chip off of some random person’s plate when Johnny pointed her out, standing at the door. I proceeded with escorting the wounded Princess (who had calf pains from sitting) around the church.
We went upstairs and then took a break for Crystal to recuperate and then went back downstairs where we found two seats to the side of the foyer. Soon after, Mrs. Crystal (her mother) came up and told Crystal to meet some girl that was an acquaintance or something. I waved and said hi to Auntie, but she didn’t seem to notice at all.
-Aside 2-
I’ve been getting mixed messages. Crystal’s mother seems to ignore me whenever I say hi or wave or whatever, but Crystal tells me that’s exactly the kind of stuff her mother wishes I would do more often. Seriously though, her mother scares me.
-End aside-
I was indirectly instructed to watch my Mistress’ bag while she went to greet the girl, and so I did. I’m not too sure where this is going, but yeah. I was glad Crystal was around for me to poke fun at and walk and talk with.
-Aside 3-
I seriously suggest anyone who hasn’t clicked the title to do so now to watch Alizée perform a cover of Madonna’s La Isla Bonita. Apparently, Alizée took dance, singing, and acting when she was young and is now one of the most popular French singers. Go figures. She’s good.
-End aside-
