So it is now about 1 hour past Easter. If I were home a bit earlier and not having to do so much networking online, I might be able to write this up before midnight.
Anyhow, a few hours ago was my church's baptismal service. It was also a secret celebration of my 11th baptism anniversary. Yes, I got baptized yesterday 11 years ago. Time flies, eh?
Shortly I got baptized at WCCAC (my home church), I gained myraid opportunities to serve, such as playing the piano in Sunday services. As the church truly appreciated my musical skills (thanks for the commend and thank God for the gifts), I was often asked to play in important events such as Christmas service, Easter service or baptismal service. Same thing repeated year after year, and gradually I started to wonder whether they had asked me to play because they really appreciated me, or because it had become a habit. Seriously, whenever they needed someone on piano, they would always ask me first. Usually I would be happy to help, but eventually I got quite tired of it. I was especially tired with playing in the baptismal service, as it had stayed in the same format for the longest time. Not only that, the church did not even bother to change the hymns they sing in the service. It was always either "Amazing Grace" or "I Have Decided". And then we always had to sing "O! Happy Day!" I remember playing "O! Happy Day!" 28 times in a row in one of the services. I couldn't possibly find another way to play it!
It was only after I moved to VCAC (my current church) that I started to pick up the joy in serving in baptismal service again. I didn't say "playing" but "serving" instead because I've played different roles such as worship leader, pianist, and drummer. I know my roles are restricted to the music area, but at least it doesn't always stay the same. As the variety of roles revive my interest, I slowly realize the underlying meaning of serving in this type of service. Of course, we serve as a response to the love of God. But for serving in the baptismal service especially, I find it is a way to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the public proclamation of brothers' and sisters' faith in Christ. Following Christ is the greatest thing to do in life, shouldn't we be happy for those who choose to go this way?
Congratulations to those who got baptized last night! :-D
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!
耶穌奇妙的救恩 (生命聖詩 174首)
1. 耶穌奇妙的救恩，超過我眾過犯；
我口舌怎能述說，更將從何頌讚？
祂除我罪擔憂愁，使我得著自由；
耶穌奇妙的救恩使我得拯救。
2. 耶穌奇妙的救恩，臨到失喪之人，
藉救恩我罪得赦，並拯救我靈魂，
主為我解脫捆綁，使我得著釋放；
耶穌奇妙的救恩使我得拯救。
3. 耶穌奇妙的救恩，施與罪惡之人，
靠主的大能救助，使我順服歸神；
蒙主賜平安滿足，得享天堂永福，
耶穌奇妙的救恩，使我得拯救。
副歌：主耶穌奇妙無比的救恩，深過波濤滾滾大海洋；
高過最高山嶺，美過最美泉源，奇妙救恩足夠我需用，
闊過我一生所行的過犯，大過我一切罪污邪情，
我要稱揚主聖名，我要讚美主聖名！
Monday, April 13, 2009
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Favorite Number Collection
As the grand finale to my university life (finally!), I am going to talk about my favorite numbers.
For the longest time, my favorite numbers have been 4 and 7. I associate with number 4 tremendously in my life as a musician, so it just naturally becomes my favorite number. On the other hand, I tend to like things that other Chinese people don't like (or dislike what they like). The homonyms to the Chinese character of "four" means "death", which makes the number rather inauspicious. Chinese people hate inauspicious things, so they avoid using this number. I, however, am the devil's advocate LOL ...
My other favorite number 7, as I feel it is a number of satisfaction and perhaps celebration. God used 6 days to create the world (see Genesis), and in the seventh day He rested. He demands human beings to work only 6 days and observe the Sabbath on the seventh day. During Moses' time, God demands the Israelites to prune their vineyards and gather their crops for six years and take a sabbath of rest on the seventh year. When Jesus was cruxified on the Cross, He used His scarce energy to say the final seven sentences. After He said, "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit," He breathed His last. Then in the third day, He resurrected, as a fulfillment of His salvation. There are many more examples in the Bible that uses number 7 as a finish; if you are interested you can find out from there. ;-)
Now I have another favorite number in my collection, and that is number 8. Before I would avoid this number because this is an auspicious number in the Chinese culture, for the homonym to this number in Chinese means "prosperity" or "wealth". I personally do not think prosperity nor wealth is the ultimatum to life, so I would avoid anything that promotes it. Nevertheless, I like this number very much now because of how God reveals His work on me with this number.
At the tender age of 16, I have thought of being the president of my fellowship. However, when this thought became reality, I was already 24. God used 8 years to ready me. I wondered why it took so long, but then I was thankful it did because I didn't know how to love people nor communicate with them before, yet God values relationship development more than operating a fellowship, which I was already perfectly capable of when I was still a teenager. Now, I am starting to train younger generation of leaders. All these brothers and sisters I am training, though they are younger, are my beloved friends.
I started my first university degree in music when I was 18. And today (this precise day), being 26 now, I finished my third music degree in UBC. So 8 years of hard work in post-secondary institution! Originally I only intended to do my BMus and MMus, but somehow God convicted me to do an extra two years of DMPS (Diploma in Music Performance). People would think 8 years of university without a break is insane. But you know what, these extra years not only made me a better musician, but also a much stronger person. If I insisted on jumping out to the society 2 years ago (for the sake of peer pressure or trying to pay back student loan), I probably would have failed my career poorly. Two years ago, my musical abilities were still only mediocre and I was totally a vulnerable person. I am not saying I am super-good now, but at least my skills are beginning to be recognized. So thank God - He is the master of my life; only He would know how long I should stay in one stage of my life and when to move on to the next without going through too much trouble.
The 9-1-1 incident happened on the second day of my university life. From that disaster I saw corruption, fear, hatred and uneasiness in humanity. The only thing that would resolve these crisis is Jesus Christ. So I promised God I would definitely go on short term mission someday, to bring the gospel to other countries in the world. Year after year, I gave myself many excuses not to go on STM. Finally, at the end of this month, I am going! Again, God took 8 years to ready me to fulfill my promise.
So, what can I say about this number 8? It is wonderful! Because of what the Lord has done in me!
For the longest time, my favorite numbers have been 4 and 7. I associate with number 4 tremendously in my life as a musician, so it just naturally becomes my favorite number. On the other hand, I tend to like things that other Chinese people don't like (or dislike what they like). The homonyms to the Chinese character of "four" means "death", which makes the number rather inauspicious. Chinese people hate inauspicious things, so they avoid using this number. I, however, am the devil's advocate LOL ...
My other favorite number 7, as I feel it is a number of satisfaction and perhaps celebration. God used 6 days to create the world (see Genesis), and in the seventh day He rested. He demands human beings to work only 6 days and observe the Sabbath on the seventh day. During Moses' time, God demands the Israelites to prune their vineyards and gather their crops for six years and take a sabbath of rest on the seventh year. When Jesus was cruxified on the Cross, He used His scarce energy to say the final seven sentences. After He said, "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit," He breathed His last. Then in the third day, He resurrected, as a fulfillment of His salvation. There are many more examples in the Bible that uses number 7 as a finish; if you are interested you can find out from there. ;-)
Now I have another favorite number in my collection, and that is number 8. Before I would avoid this number because this is an auspicious number in the Chinese culture, for the homonym to this number in Chinese means "prosperity" or "wealth". I personally do not think prosperity nor wealth is the ultimatum to life, so I would avoid anything that promotes it. Nevertheless, I like this number very much now because of how God reveals His work on me with this number.
At the tender age of 16, I have thought of being the president of my fellowship. However, when this thought became reality, I was already 24. God used 8 years to ready me. I wondered why it took so long, but then I was thankful it did because I didn't know how to love people nor communicate with them before, yet God values relationship development more than operating a fellowship, which I was already perfectly capable of when I was still a teenager. Now, I am starting to train younger generation of leaders. All these brothers and sisters I am training, though they are younger, are my beloved friends.
I started my first university degree in music when I was 18. And today (this precise day), being 26 now, I finished my third music degree in UBC. So 8 years of hard work in post-secondary institution! Originally I only intended to do my BMus and MMus, but somehow God convicted me to do an extra two years of DMPS (Diploma in Music Performance). People would think 8 years of university without a break is insane. But you know what, these extra years not only made me a better musician, but also a much stronger person. If I insisted on jumping out to the society 2 years ago (for the sake of peer pressure or trying to pay back student loan), I probably would have failed my career poorly. Two years ago, my musical abilities were still only mediocre and I was totally a vulnerable person. I am not saying I am super-good now, but at least my skills are beginning to be recognized. So thank God - He is the master of my life; only He would know how long I should stay in one stage of my life and when to move on to the next without going through too much trouble.
The 9-1-1 incident happened on the second day of my university life. From that disaster I saw corruption, fear, hatred and uneasiness in humanity. The only thing that would resolve these crisis is Jesus Christ. So I promised God I would definitely go on short term mission someday, to bring the gospel to other countries in the world. Year after year, I gave myself many excuses not to go on STM. Finally, at the end of this month, I am going! Again, God took 8 years to ready me to fulfill my promise.
So, what can I say about this number 8? It is wonderful! Because of what the Lord has done in me!
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