Orcae ita

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Recollecting a Chirstmas gone by...

(Click here to skip the blah-blah and go straight to the vidoes or scroll right down.)

Haven't blogged for quite some time now. Well, it's that time of the year again and memories come flooding back...memories of Christmases gone by and the hectic but fun activities we'd do as a church. Two of my most memorable Christmases were 2001 and 2006. This blog is about a Christmas Musical we did back in 2001 titled, The Perfect Gift.

It was never meant to be a big production (big at least for me!). What started out as a small youth play suddenly boomeranged into a big one that ran consecutively for two days and was telecast on the local TV channel. The voices in the play were pre-recorded as hiring lapel mics for every actor was beyond our budget. Our budget was so minuscule that the backdrops had to be painstakingly hand-painted. Thanks to the hard work, skill and absolute dedication of the following people this musical became a reality.

Reena: My beloved wife, who not only spent many nights scoring the music and sequencing it, but also helped me time the voice recordings and filled the gaps with live music. Thanks to my b-i-l Alan who loaned us his Alesis module for a couple of years.

Joyce: My kid sister who was the work-horse and my 'punching bag' to vent out all my frustrations. She coordinated all the logistics and kept a check-list of all the millions of things that had to be done. She would finish her day working as a research assistant and catch two or three buses home and then dive into all the little things that had to be done...right from calling up participants to spending nights attaching sequins to the angel's costume.

Varsha: She is an exceptional artist who could virtually read my mind and do a concept sketch. But during this play she did more. Navin was supposed to get the sketches onto 7 backdrops. He said, "Trust me macha...I'll get it done". A week before the play, the backdrops came back and I almost fainted. I ran to Varsha... she smiled wearily and said... "get me the cloth, paints and people, I will do it myself". Frantically we set up a tent on her roof and got to work. The last backdrop was completed just couple of hours before the play went live. Kudos to her... what talent... I am yet to come across a person with such a talent. Without her last-moment back breaking work, this play would've been a disaster.

Dr. Meghna: Starting early October we had practices at various locations in the city and most of these were in the evenings after people returned from their offices. It was impossible for me to be at all the places. So I turned to Meg and boy, did she take on the task by the horns. She trained and supervised all the practice sessions, while doing a role herself. In the play she is Daveed the shepherd. Man can she dance!!! She is now a radiologist par excellence in the US.

Teresa Luke: My 81 (then 74) year old mother-in-law who is 20 at heart. She took care of all the costumes and make-up. She did a fantastic job.

Jean: She is the one I tasked with writing the script originally, which she did. However, I did edit the script heavily (not her fault) and most of the time on the fly to either accommodate the recording or to adjust a hic-up in the flow as we practiced the modules. Terrible injustice to her really, but the circumstances were such. Sorry Jean...I hope you understand after all these years!

Navin: Last but certainly not the least...my trusted wing-man Navin. He was by my side all the way; transporting me from one place to the other from practice sessions to market alley-ways as we scouted for bargain deals. Many a logistics he co-handled with my sister Joyce. He and Joyce took care of all the coordination work back-stage and the change of sets.

Voices:
The voices were done by the following people:

Jefferson (Jeff): The multi-talented Jeff lent his voice to most of the characters including the lead character of Joseph. Some lines are going to stick to him for life...eg."women I say, who can trust them!!!"(Part-2 @ 6:27). Another one with a mallu accent (Part-5 @ 9:14)

Philemon: Magi, Shepherd

Dr George Cherian: The booming arch-angel voice from heaven, The hysterical laughter of Herod and the sarcastic tone of the Innkeeper

Most of the female voices were the actors themselves.

Other special mentions:

Thomas John (TJ): Reena outlined the lyrics for Herod's song Give It Up For The King, but TJ edited it heavily and lent his voice to the lead vocal. Over all it turned out well for a home recording.

Dr. George Cherian: Took care of implementing the 'Star' which moved along the aisle in front of the magi.

The CPI boys: These guys were always there, right from helping in the backdrop painting to acting and doing all the mundane tasks which no one wants to do.

Somey: Silently praying and organizing prayer support without which we would've run out of steam.

Shibu: He took care of all the publicity ensuring we had a good turnout. The place was packed on both days. He also handled the video recording and brought in a TV channel to broadcast the play.

Last but not least, my sincere thanks and appreciation to our Pastor who supported and encouraged us so much.

Due to YouTube restrictions, I had to break up the video into 6 parts.

The Perfect Gift - A 2001 Christmas Musical by NLF Bangalore

The Perfect Gift - Part 1 of 6

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The Perfect Gift - Part 2 of 6

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The Perfect Gift - Part 3 of 6

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The Perfect Gift - Part 4 of 6

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The Perfect Gift - Part 5 of 6

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The Perfect Gift - Part 6 of 6

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Credits:

Actors:

Grandpa: Abraham Chacko
Liz: Sarah (Sangu)

Joseph: Shelly (Voice: Jeff)
Mary: Sandy (Voice: Self)

Mary's friends:
Patricia: Frani (Voice: Joyce)
Esther: Savitha (Voice: Joyce)
Lydia: Leena (Voice: Meg)
Anabelle: Michelle (Voice: Self)

Mary's mother: Emmy (Voice: Self)

Angel: Praveen (Voice: Dr. George Cherian)
Innkeeper: Sunil (Voice: Dr. George Cherian)
Rich man-1: Saju Eapen
Rich man-2: Sabu
Rich lady: Bhavani

Shepherd Daveed: Dr. Meghna (Voice: Jeff)

Shepherd-2: Hemanth (Voice: Phil)
Shepherd-3: Sanjay (Voice: Jeff)
Little Shepherd: Sneha

King Herod: Benny (Voice: Dr. George Cherian)
Court Announcer: Francis (Voice: Jeff)

Soldiers:
Ganesh
Sadanand
Pradeep
Ravikumar
Chandru
Kiran

Court Wazir: Daniel (Voice (Song): TJ)

Magi-1: Aldrin (Voice: Phil)
Magi-2: Alfred (Voice: Jeff)
Magi-3: Babu (Voice: Jeff)

Slaves:
Murali
Deepak
Dileep

Child Jesus: Angeline

Shepherd Dancers:
Shoba
Olivia
Dr. Meghna

Choreography: Dr. Meghna & Michelle

Original Script: Jean

Costume & Makeup: Teresa Luke & Anita

Lights: Jefferson (Jeff), Anderson (Andy) & Jacob (Appu)

Backstage Management: Joyce & Navin

Backdrops & Props: Varsha

Original Song "Give It Up For The King" composed and sung by: Thomas John (TJ)

Music / Recording / Sequencing: Reena John

Friday, August 03, 2007

The Case for a Creator - Lee Strobel

Part 1 of 6

Part 2 of 6

Part 3 of 6

Part 4 of 6

Part 5 of 6

Part 6 of 6

Friday, July 06, 2007

And you thought you could play the guitar!!!

Andy McKee - Drifting

Check out this 'Harp Guitar'
Andy McKee - The Friend I Never Met

Andy McKee - Tight Trite Night (Don Ross)

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Closet Talent

Here are two of my favorite clips of ordinary folks with an extraordinary touch. These people if judged by the 'cover' would never be read. But given the opportunity, reveals amazing potential and depth not perceivable from the outside. No style here folks... just substance.

Paul Potts

This first clip is of Paul Potts who worked at a Carphone warehouse. He took part in Simon Cowell's show Britain's Got Talent (much like American Idol) which was held at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. Paul sang a condensed version of Giacomo Puccini's "Nessun dorma" Here's the video clip:

+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - +

Fred Mittle, young at heart:

The performer in this clip is 84 year old Fred Mittle, who suffers from congestive heart failure. This song was to be a duet between Fred and another chorus member, Bob Salvini from the chorus, Young At Heart (a chorus of performers between 73 and 92). Sadly, Bob passed away a few weeks before this concert was filmed for the movie "Young@Heart" and it was left to Fred to carry the song on his own; having to sing with an oxygen tank by his side. Tears welled up as I watched this octogenarian render Cold Play's 'Fix You'. Truly amazing, the way he bends timing with the sheer power of his performance.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Ground Zero

It was Sabbath. He knew it from the throngs of people going up to the temple. But for him this day or any other had been the same for the past 38 years as he lay there paralyzed beside the pool near Sheep Gate, gazing expectantly at its placid waters. Once a year the water stirred by an angel (or an underground hot spring!!!) brought healing to those who could get there first. In 38 years he had never succeeded, and deep down, knew that he never would. He was an invalid and did not have the education or experience, good looks or upbringing, influential contacts, or rich relatives to "make it happen"... and now after 38 years he did not have the will or the hope. He was literally just a few feet away from a miracle, but in his impotent state he could have been 10,000 miles away... so near yet so far!

In the early days beside the pool, he dreamed big. He would get into that pool at the right time and walk out a new man... He would get the right job... marry the right woman... have the right kids... go to the right church... play golf... He would even donate a significant part of his income in helping people like him get into the pool in time... yeah all this and more, once he had dumped his past in that murky water... his mistake riddled past. He would definitely not commit them again. No way... he would be a changed man. Those were costly mistakes.

There was only one problem... it was always someone else in that pool every time. People just like him… people he had encouraged not to give up; they were the ones there before him. Straight out of the water they came... thanking him... for without his encouragement, they said they would have given up long back. Now that they had made it, they were very sure that he himself would make it. "Hang in there buddy", they encouraged him, as he had them. Wearily he smiled... deep down inside him, his heart was sinking... as were his dreams...shrinking... Yes, he thought... maybe one day he too would get into that pool first and be healed... maybe one of the passers-by would lend him a helping hand... maybe after that, he would try to get a modest job... Would he? He wondered. The world as he had known had changed as he languished for years beside that pool. Now everyone worked on computers and talked on cell phones. He would, maybe, in his spare time help people who just like him could not get into that pool...maybe... he had already downgraded his aspirations as ground realities like menacing tentacles gripped him. Indeed he had made mistakes... costly mistakes that landed him here. How he wished he could undo them.

Well, all that was 38 long years ago. Now he no longer dreamed... nor even glanced up at passers-by. He just lay there staring at the water as if in a trance... if only he could get in there... his only wish in life was to get to that water first... what after that?... he did not know... he did not care... after 38 years he had no dreams left. His dreamscape resembled ground-zero after a nuclear blast. He dreaded picking up the pieces from where he left 38 years ago... his prime was gone... so was his drive... his energy... I wonder if deep down inside he even cared if he got into that water at all.

But this Sabbath day, among the hundreds of feet that passed him... one stopped... he didn't notice at first. Maybe someone had paused to answer their cell phone or even light a cigarette. But these feet, they stayed there planted... as if on purpose. Slowly he looked up. A man was looking at him. Someone was actually paying attention to him after 38 years! But why? The stranger looked intently at him and asked "Do you want to get well?"

What a ridiculous question! It was like asking a choking man if he wanted the Heimlich maneuver (well almost). "Do I want to get well? Well let me see... nope... I'm happy the way I am... in fact I'm looking forward to another 38 years of pool gazing!".

The irony of the question, however, was not to satisfy the curiosity of the one asking, but a deeper, soul searching question addressed to him… like the beam of a searchlight on his tired heart. The truth was... he had stopped believing in ever being healed. In fact, he had totally forgotten about being healed. His world had become so myopic... all he wanted in life was to get into that pool. Nothing else mattered.

"Sir, I have no one to help me get into that pool when the water is stirred", he replied. "Can you help me? But then... the pool hasn't been stirred in a long while! Can I have your mobile number sir, so that I can call you the moment that pool gets stirred? You'll have to come real quick though... If you don't come quickly, someone else could beat me to it."

"Get up!" the man said authoritatively, "Pick up your mat and walk". His brain hadn't even registered the incredulous words of this stranger before healing and strength coursed through his broken body!

38 years rolled back in the blink of an eye. He got up. He couldn't believe it. He looked towards the pool. There was barely a ripple. Was he dreaming? In 38 years he hadn't stood on his own feet... and yet it only seemed like yesterday. He had no difficulty getting up or picking up the mat even after four decades of paralysis. Only his mind could not catch up with his feet as it froze in wonder and disbelief. He was whole again!

Suddenly he remembered... the stranger!... where was he??... he looked all around him... but all he could see was the milling crowd.

Jesus meanwhile had quietly slipped away...

Adapted from John 5:1-15
Miracle Maker - Delirious?

I’m waiting here for my life to change,
When the waters stir you can rearrange me.
Just one touch is all I need,
I’ve nothing much but the wounds I feel,
I’m looking for the hand of the miracle man.

Holy, you are holy,
Who was and is and is to come.
Holy, you are holy, Saviour, Healer,
I’m standing at the feet of the miracle maker.

I’m holding on, with your life in mine,
Living water’s come,
And you’ve rearranged me.

Holy you are holy,
Who was and is and is to come.
Holy, you are holy,
Saviour, healer,
I’m staring in the face of the miracle maker.

Holy, you are holy,
Who was and is and is to come.
Jesus, precious Jesus,
Thank you, Saviour,
I’m walking in the shoes of my miracle maker.
I’m standing with the faith of a miracle maker.

Written by Delirious? ©2005 Curious? Music UK
Album: The Mission Bell

Friday, February 02, 2007

Entsundige mich mit Ysop

This has been my pm for days now on gmail and msn. Many have been asking me what this means. Well... the clue is in the dp itself! It's nothing but Luther's rendition of Psalm 51:7 "Cleanse me with hyssop..." - NIV. Translated from German it means, "Unsin me with hyssop". The context of this verse is David's penitent prayer (Psalm 51) after being exposed by God through the prophet Nathan concerning his adultery with Bathsheba. A terrible, terrible scar on David's character. It brings to my mind renowned men of fame in Christian circles who have fallen from their pedestals due to their urge to merge (or splurge!). They have all virtually disappeared from public life; their lives irreversibly shattered by their shame. We have all made mistakes one way or the other...mistakes we desperately want to undo. But try as we might, their haunting memories hang on to us like barnacles on a whale. If there's one feature I love most on my comp, it's the 'undo' feature. No matter how many mistakes I make, I can always undo it... 'like it never happened'. If only there was a 'Ctrl-Z' in real life - sigh! Well, there isn't and there ain't gonna be one. Mistakes made are made. People's impression about me may be altered forever, no matter what I do. But David obviously was not concerned (dunno for sure!) about people's impression about him. He definitely was worried about God's impression about Him as echoed in verse 11, "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me". Verse 4, "Against You, You only, have I sinned ". What God thought about him was very important to David. In the light of this, Luther's rendition becomes very poignant, "Unsin me...". "Make it Lord in Your sight like it never happened". Verse 7, "Cleanse me with hyssop". Hyssop is a perennial herb which finds its first mention in the Bible in connection with the Passover (Exodus 12:22). Hyssop, which soaks up the blood, was used as a brush for sprinkling or painting the door posts. Jesus, the Passover Lamb, soaked up my sins and mistakes in His body and cleansed me with His blood. He 'unsinned' me. - Romans 5:9.

In His books... my mistakes just never happened!

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Revival in Shillong

"LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known..." Hab 3:2 NIV

The revival sweeping across the Presbyterian churches in Meghalaya and particularly in Shillong is now well known. I am not getting into its history here, since it has been documented in detail by people like Barkos Warjiri, Sheila Cherian and Reuben Pradhan among others. For those interested in knowing more about the history of this revival please visit these excellent websites:
http://www.shillongrevival.com/
http://revivalfire.info/
http://www.welshrevival.org/histories/roberts/contents.htm
http://sheeju.wordpress.com/revival-news/
http://torestoration.googlepages.com

Some of the above sites have pictures and videos of the amazing events which have been taking place in the churches in Shillong since mid 2006.

I too have been following the news about the outbreak of revival in Shillong churches since September on Alban Lyndem's John 832 Bible Study forum. There was always a constant struggle between my heart and my mind as I read and heard about these amazing happenings. I desperately wanted to go to Shillong to witness this revival. And God granted my wish in December 2006 through Alban and his family in Shillong. Here's a brief account of what I saw, heard and experienced and my impressions (mine alone). A few pictures were taken (by Alban) during our visit, and they are available below (apologies for the poor quality).

Visit to Nongkrem

Entrance of the church in Nongkrem (Click to enlarge)

On the 30th of December 2006 (our 8th day in Shillong), after a wild, exhilarating and exhausting visit to Iweduh (those who have been there will know what I'm talking about), Bah Michel arranged for a visit to Nongkrem Presbyterian Church where a revival meeting was to take place at 7:00 in the evening. Having seen and taken pictures of the glittering objects that fell in Mawphlang, I was gripped with excitement as we approached Nongkrem, a small village near Smit about 12 km from the town of Shillong. We reached only by 7:30 pm while the first prayer was going on. A typical church like others in this area with wooden pews facing a sizable rostrum. The wooden panel behind the rostrum had the design of a cross worked into it. There were 2 rows of pews on either side of the main aisle. The rows to the left were occupied mainly by women and children and they were more in number compared to the men who sat on the right. All in all, maybe around 200-250 people - a small gathering for a church this size. The rostrum had approx. 15 (not sure) chairs for the elders and deacons who sat facing the congregation; but during this service only 4 elders were present (the main pastor himself was not there). We seated ourselves at the back (middle actually since the church was only half full). Unlike the city churches, where people are usually in formals, here most people were dressed very simple... all wrapped in Khasi shawls because of the biting cold. The whole service was in Khasi. Being a revival meeting, I was expecting lot of music and 'praise & worship' compared to the usual Sunday morning service. Surprisingly the format remained the same. After the opening hymn (sung from hymn books... no fancy LCD projectors here), one of the church elders began to preach. Not able to understand a word and being quite snug in my Naga shawl, I began to doze off... (not just me... but even some of the elders who sat on the platform). To aid my slumber... the power went off for 15-20 minutes and the preacher droned away in pitch darkness. My dozing thoughts were "nothing's going to happen here". No glowing cross as in Malki... no falling glitter... no angelic lights... just a normal church service.

After the 50-minute message (by now the electricity returned), everyone stood up for a hymn. There was no music of any sort, but the passion and fervor with which these simple village folk sing is something else. Then the elder said something ("let us pray" I presume), and everyone started to pray out loud. From here the service took an unexpected turn. Since I could not understand a word, I thought they must all be reciting the Lord's prayer. But after a while it became apparent that all were just praying out loud. This is when I noticed some commotion (for lack of a better word) in the front where the small children were seated. Someone carried a small child, while others scurried to lay mats along the main aisle. By now, more children were falling and were being carried to the mats and covered with shawls and blankets. Some more choruses and hymns followed... especially songs on revival. People were clapping and singing with even more fervor. There was an atmosphere of expectancy. During this time, a small girl two rows ahead of us was carried to the mat. She was sobbing uncontrollably and some young people squatted around her and began to lay hands and pray for deliverance. God's move was very tangible. I was ecstatic! It was going to be a long evening of just lingering in His awesome presence, maybe even experiencing a touch from the Lord. But alas... the closing prayer and benediction soon followed and before I knew it, the church emptied out... everyone left except for the little ones on the floor and the young people huddled in prayer over them. Although majority of the congregation left, God's mighty presence was still moving in that place. I stood watching in awe the few young people ministering to the young children. Reluctantly, I left when I was informed that we were invited to tea at one of the elder's homes and that we had to leave. I just could not tear myself away from this place. The presence of God was unmistakable. Here I was... somewhere in a nondescript village in the NE of India in a 'non-charismatic' church, witnessing the mighty move of the Holy Spirit. No 'praise and worship', no charismatic preacher, no soft music, no choir singing 'ministering' songs, no invitation to come to the front to be 'prayed for'... hardly the kind of ambiance where I expected 'things to happen' .... and yet... God moved at a different level! Unexpectedly... unobtrusively... powerfully... among unassuming children... among the youth...

Chidren laid on the mats and youth huddled in prayer over them (Click to enlarge)

What was amazing is that children seem to be the ones experiencing the touch from God. The older generation, I observed, were aware of revival happening in their midst, but few appeared to have tasted of it, although they support it wholeheartedly and enthusiastically. I would have thought... the elders and pastors would have been there praying and ministering after the service... but no... they all went to their homes... and to my utter amazement, the evening's preacher was enjoying a smoke outside (maybe it was the cold - lol).

Even as the ministering goes on the church empties quickly after the service (Click to enlarge)

Children lying on mats covered in shawls and blankets (Click to enlarge)

This visit has completely changed my view of God's workings. For years I thought God moved supernaturally only in pentecostal and charismatic churches and that too in certain "settings". But what I witnessed here has opened my eyes. No big preachers of international repute here... In fact, no names AT ALL! No theatrics. Just lives being changed by the power of God. A new generation being awakened to fulfill His purposes.

Over tea at one of the elder's house, I heard testimonies of miraculous happenings in the various churches around Shillong. Of angels, glittering objects and children falling, singing and dancing and prophesying. But more amazing were testimonies of how communities were being transformed, of pubs and bars losing customers and being forced to close, of broken families being reunited, of father's heart's turning to the children and the children leading their fathers to the Lord, of how people were once again flocking to churches. I asked some of the elders if they themselves had experienced a touch. But not one of them appeared to have. I asked them why do they think it was so... and they said... "maybe because of our own presumptions".

How true... our own presumptions and prejudices can be the hurdles to a personal revival... but God is not hindered as He continues to work in the hearts of those who simply believe.

I come away with a deep hunger to know Jesus Christ more, to experience Him as these little children did. Their melodious chorus still ringing in my heart...

Ah Trai phah rebaibal (3)
Ai kan sdang shwa na nga.

Pynbaptis ia nga Trai (3)
Da ka ding U Mynsiem.

Pynrhem hapoh jong nga (3)
Da ka ding U Mynsiem.

Pynim la ka Balang (3)
Ai kan sdang shwa na nga.

Ai bor ba ngan ialap (3)
Ia ka kyrteng jong Me.

"God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding." Job 37:5 NIV

John832 Bible Study Forum has more pictures and accounts of the revival. A very special thanks to Vinod for his Olympus C-700

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Gil Shohat - Israel Chamber Orchestra

Gil Shohat (Composer, Conductor and Pianist) of the Israel Chamber Orchestra performing at GNB-Bangalore.

He was accompanied by 2 Violins, a Viola and a Cello

They performed some of Shohat's own compositions in addition to J.Brahms' Piano Qunintet in F minor and S. Rachmaninoff's 7 Preludes.

The performances themselves were brilliant, but interrupted now and then by cell-phone rings. At one point Shohat mimicked the ring-tone on the piano and the whole audience burst out laughing. That person would probably never again attend a concert with his/her mobile-phone.

The pics haven't turned out that great as I was experimenting with the Olympus C-700's various aperture settings. The Olympus courtesy Vinod.

About Gil Shohat: www.gilshohat.com

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Yes Sidhu, the entire nation is with you...

On December 27, 1988, Gurnam Singh was dragged out of his car and bludgeoned to death by joker turned cricketer turned Member of Parliament turned killer, Navjot Singh Sidhu and his friend Rupinder Singh Sandhu. On December 6, 2006, 18 years later, the division bench comprising of Justices Mehtab Singh Gill and Baldev Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court convicted Sidhu for "culpable homicide not amounting to murder". The sentence…a 3-year jail term and Rs. 90,000 (about $2000) to be paid to the widow of Gurnam Singh. Lady Justice did catch up but 18 years too late...blindfolded and without her sword. Meanwhile, these two murderers have been roaming free for 18 years (not that this is about to change anytime soon). 3 years for a murder? An engineering course takes 4!!! And Rs.90,000? (the price of a bike!) ...is that all a man's life is worth?

The Times of India (Dec 7, 2006) ... "a smile flickered for a brief moment on Sidhu's face as the judges pronounced the sentence". A smirk, if you ask me. These were his witless comments when he came out of the court to hordes of waiting supporters, "For me what is not morally correct is also not politically correct and I am happy that the entire nation is with me". This really sums it all up. Now you know how abysmally low the morals of our MPs are and what our parliament is really made up of and how these people got there.

Only a day earlier, Union minister Shibu Soren was convicted of killing his secretary and got a life sentence. A "rarest of rare" judgment in my opinion - some consolation. Ideally, he should've hung.

We the people are the ones who vote for and send these criminals to our parliament. Read again what Sidhu said, "For me what is not morally correct is also not politically correct and I am happy that the entire nation is with me". Yes, Sidhu, the entire nation shares your guilt.

... and to think that Mohammed Afzal almost did this country a favor...

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Chained to the mistakes of the past?

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Smile you're on...

There's a trend I notice these days. Praise & Worship meetings are beginning to resemble mini-concerts. Right from the coordinated 1-2-3-4 starts and heavy intros to the elaborate interludes...the emphasis seems to be on 'getting it right'. Everything has to be as per the 'original' - right from the style, the beat, the chords, the sequence, the scale, even right down to the vocal intonations and tonal inflections. It doesn't really matter if it's a scale only Sandi Patti can sing as long as it is the 'original'. (Of course, 'original' gets redefined every now and then; when someone brings a CD they claim is the 'original' original). Heavy lead guitars and punchy bass virtually drown out the congregation (you just can't compete with 1000++Watts of house speakers + stage spillover). In fact, it's better to just clap and listen than try to sing, especially when you can't hear yourself. Yet, it all climaxes in a heady protracted ending where long after the singing has stopped, the lead guitar and drums continue racing to a grating finish at the rising crescendo of 'spontaneous' applause. BTW...that's just about as spontaneous as the congregation gets. Then there is a brief hiatus as the band regroups for the next 1-2-3-4...

Back in the heydays, theme parties were a rave... nowadays 'theme' worship seems to be cool... instead of everyone dressing up in cowboy attire...the whole service is rigged to 'glory'… you just can't miss it. It's all pre-programmed. The welcome, exhortation, songs, and the sermon (thankfully it hasn't affected the benediction yet!) are all woven in thematically.

Animated backdrops that blend graphics and special effects are perfectly timed to the beat to create the mood. Video cameras pan and zoom in on the band as they 'perform'. Backed up by back-up singers and a 50-member choir, the church's walled garden squad puts on a good show.

With all this now beamed directly to the couch, courtesy "God's TV channels"....the accent seems to be on being 'picture perfect' or should I say....TV perfect. So smile...who knows...someday, sometime, when you least expect it....you could be on God's TV.

lol.... just a tongue-in-cheek animadversion of the way I see things... but the bottom-line is that the Church must march on. It must evolve as it has over the millenniums to keep the hope of salvation alive in an ever evolving generation. Every generation has their share of criticisms and in time themselves turn aristarchs. Nobody is right, yet nobody is wrong. Jesus did not bother much about the mode or method... He was concerned about people. People change, modes and methods change, but Jesus does not. Thank God, amidst all this change, there is a God who never changes. Yesterday, Today, and Forever the same.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

All-sovereign

In the Septuagint, Pantokrator is the Greek equivalent of El Shaddai 'The Almighty' who visited Abraham in Genesis 17.

In our standard English versions of the New Testament pantokrator is generally translated as, 'Almighty'. As Sidlow Baxter says in Majesty, "It certainly does mean almighty, but it is almightiness with a distinctive complexion. The prefix, pan, means 'all'. The remainder, krator, means power, but especially power in the sense that the word, krator, is united with pan in the adjective, pantokrator means all-dominion. The nearest English translation of it is 'all-sovereign'".

StudyLight.org ( www.studylight.org) defines Pantokrator as:

1. he who holds sway over all things

2. the ruler of all

3. almighty: God

In the New Testament, the word pantokrator is found only in Revelation (except once in a quotation from the Old Testament – 2 Corinthians 6:18 ).

Here are the references to Pantokrator (Almighty in KJV) in Revelation

Rev 1:8 - I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Rev 4:8 - And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Rev 11:17 - Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

Rev 15:3 - And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

Rev 16:7 – And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

Rev 16:14 - For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Rev 19:6 – And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent, reigneth.

Rev 19:15 - And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty, God.

Rev 21:22 – And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb are the temple of it.

Jesus Christ is Pantokrator (All-Sovereign)
Revelation 1:7-8 refers to Jesus Christ as the Pantokrator . "Behold He comes with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, even those who pierced Him and all tribes of the earth shall wail over Him. Yes, truly. I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty (Pantokrator)."

Here's the definition of Pantokrator from Wikipedia:
Pantocrator literally means "Lord (or master) of Everything (the universe)". It is one of the names given to Christ. At the Council of Nicaea, the divinity of Christ was officially defined as Pantokrator, the master of everything. The word is usually translated as "almighty" in English but has a subtler meaning, indicating an active creator who remains fully engaged in the world. It identifies Christ as the Logos, "without whom was not anything made that was made," and with the Alpha and the Omega, "who was, and is, and is to come."

Friday, December 01, 2006

Just another excuse for a party

Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la la la…

December, the mother of all weekends is here. In a world where "work hard, party hard" seems to be the general philosophy, weekends are a rave. We leave our offices early and hurry to the nearest bars, cafes, malls and discotheques. We have worked hard the whole week (or so we like to think), now it's time to unwind. From Miller time on Friday to Sunday dinner time we sleep, eat, drink and splurge like there is no tomorrow.

Come December, and it's no different.... Take any average weekend magnify this many times (approx. 15 times), throw in a fat man in a red outfit… some holly, mistletoe, a fir tree, some trinkets, lights and voila...we have X'mas!!!

X'mas like any other festival has become an excuse. For what? To let our hair down, to have a ball. All in the name of Jesus. Which Jesus? 100s of Jesuses are being born daily in Latin American countries. Surely not those Jesuses!!! The Jesus I know is the Christ, the Savior of the world. Where is He in all the festivities? He is nowhere (at least visibly). He is working silently in the hearts of those who are reaching out to Him for grace.

X'mas is no longer only for Christians. Why else would non-christian far eastern countries start decking up the place as early as early November? Or why would my non-christian neighbour buy an X'mas tree and have it all decked up? It's time to celebrate. It doesn't matter what or why. While marketeers race to "cash in" on the season, for the average Joe, it's an invitation to start his year-end celebrations. After that it's a whole month of eat, drink, party and shop till we drop. All this culminates with one final binge on New Year's eve. Come Jan 1 and half the world wakes up with one massive hangover that lasts the whole month, not to mention new year blues. Once again we trudge through the whole year waiting for that mother-of-all-weekends at the end of the year. The cycle repeats.

Oh ya, then there are some of us who sit on our haunches the whole year and suddenly spring into action with plays/chorals/shows to "evangelize" the whole world. Hiding behind the façade of X'mas we hope "they" get the "message". Having done our bit, we then settle down to another year of contemplation and complacency.

At the core of almost all festivities lies it main ingredients: Lots of food, drink, revelry and gifts (read materialism/consumerism). Add to this small lamps, (diyas), crackers/fireworks and presto we have Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. Or add parades, colorful floats, samba music and naked ladies and it's Mardi Gras! Or paper dragons and lanterns, and we have the Chinese New Year.

What has changed? Nothing. We just need an excuse to celebrate.

Wish you a merry(hic) Christmas and a weary new year!

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Supreme Justice

On the evening of November 3, 2003, while returning from the home of a classmate, 7-year-old Raj Preet Kaur (alias Guddi) a 2nd standard student was allured to the cotton field of Amrit Singh, a farmer from Ramgarh estate in Shahpuria, Punjab (India).

31- year-old Amrit Singh raped the little girl. She died of excessive bleeding from her private parts. Her dead body was recovered from the field late that night.

He was arrested on the basis of a statement of a witness who had seen the victim in his company on the fateful evening. M.S. Chohan, Additional Sessions Judge, Mansa, sentenced Amrit Singh to death after holding him guilty of raping a minor and then murdering her. The sentence was later upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Investigators had pointed out that the little girl had resisted the 31-year-old Amrit Singh. Some black hair was found in her hand, which they felt was Singh's.

He had refused to offer his hair sample for a DNA test.

The victim's body bore the sign of extreme brutality. She was smothered and grievously assaulted by Singh. His lawyer had sought to give a twist to the case saying some other persons who were not arrested might have raped and killed her.

Amrit Singh moved the apex court challenging the conviction. On November 13, 2006, three years after the ruling of the trial court, the Supreme Court of India, commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment.

Times of India (November 13, 2006)

A Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and Dalveer Bhandari also agreed with the trial court and the HC about the guilt of the accused and felt that Amrit was rightly convicted for rape.

However, it had serious doubts about fastening the murder charge on the accused. "The death occurred not as a result of strangulation but because of excessive bleeding," the Bench said quoting the doctor's report, which noted that at that age, a girl has two litres of blood in the body and as she had bled half-a-litre of blood, it was enough to cause death from shock.

"The death occurred, therefore, as a consequence of, and not because of, any specific act on the part of the accused," said Justice Sinha, writing the judgment.

It refused to classify the gruesome act as a "rarest of rare" case which had resulted in the death of a girl who was ostensibly being escorted home by the accused, her neighbor, on the evening of November 3, 2003.

Courts impose a death sentence only after being convinced that the case falls in the rarest of rare category.

The apex court imposed rigorous imprisonment for life on Amrit Singh, but when judged by the standards used in the Hetal Parekh case, the Bench may seem to have taken a lenient view of the heinous crime.

The Supreme Court Bench said: "Amrit Singh had no premeditation for commission of the offence. The offence may look heinous, but under no circumstances can it be said to be a rarest of rare case."

"Momentary lapse" as a mitigating factor may be cited by the defence attorney of a rape case accused. "The way the girl was raped may be brutal, but it could have been a momentary lapse on the part of Amrit Singh, seeing a lonely girl at a secluded place."

(The above news has been compiled from sources such as Ind Law News, The Tribune, DNA India. The latter portion was compiled from “Victim dies, rapist spared the noose” Times of India, dated November 13, 2006.)

Life imprisonment in India usually means 14 years. That means Amrit Singh would be a free man before he is 50 (maybe even 10 years earlier). Imagine if he was not rescued by the Supreme Court, he would be a dead man. What were the trial courts thinking while awarding Amrit Singh the death sentence? Can’t they empathize with a 31-year-old man who was burning with lust? All he did was give vent to his primeval urge – never mind it was on an 7-year-old girl. He did not mean to leave the little girl bleeding slowly to her death in the cotton field. As Justice Sinha noted, death occurred “not because of any specific act on the part of the accused”. At least he did not strangle her. It was, after all, just a “momentary lapse”. Don’t we all err some time or the other? As the court said, it only “looked heinous”.

To empathize with a person, one has to be of a similar bent of mind. Thank goodness our Apex court has people who can empathize with criminals like Amrit Singh!

It’s time Lady Justice took off her blindfold.