Freddy Lam > Recent Status Updates

I just read the introduction and I already like the premise: how to live on earth as it is in heaven, and not have this escapist mentality that plagues evangelicalism. For this, Nijay turns to Bonhoeffer and his letters from the Prison speaking of a holy worldliness, religionless Christianity not for the elites but the common human, not ascent but descent, not the good life but participate in Christ’s suffering.

This first chapter opens up narrative in a fascinating way, through narrator, setting, plot, characterization. Who knew land can say so much about a story, or characterization of flawed or imperfect followers is a feature, not a bug, and the presence and absence of a name can mean dishonour or honour, depending on the context. Genealogies, Judges, Ruth, Kings, and the gospels all have purpose portraying women too.

So far, just reminding me as a male pastor how easy we overlook the women in the Bible or applications to both is worth the introduction. But the examples of common misreadings outside of story, larger narrative and context is eye opening. And how we mistreat or mishandled women and have double standards compare to sinning men reminds me I am often a more functioning mutalist, lots to unlearn and relearn.

Skipped writing for a number of chapters. There are three exams so far which need further interaction. This chapter after baptism is about temptation and how Jesus relied on attachment to God to prevent moving into protection mode, maintaining connection. First test is about alleviate distress of hunger, second test about faithfulness (availability) of God, a struggle for jungle, and finally, test about love, desert.

This chapter on the reign of death, not just individual sin, and reign of life found in Jesus who gives life in the Father through the Spirit enters the former in order to defeat it from within. The temptations and work of Jesus all point to how he can defeat the reign of death (I am what I do, I am who other say I am, I am what I possess). I love: Jesus not only saves us from death, he also saves us for life.

I believe in a jungle God, and I live the life of a jungle of anxiety. My go to is maybe so i am indecisive. Because everything is maybe, I pay extra hard to read people non-verbally, and dislike rules, logic. Relationship is most important and I can smother congregants and think for them, though I am learning not to do that. But I can also overread what’s not there, and beat myself up and feel shame easily.

Jesus incarnate is the best proof God doesn’t hate our humanity, because humanity is redeemed in the flesh by God becoming flesh, in a social location and circumstance much like ours, abused, mistreated, shamed, ridiculed, and yet not lose his humanity and took shortcuts as our foreparents did in the Garden of Eden. Our perfection by human standard (which really is the enemies’ standard isn’t the goal).

Delivery, begin with non-verbal and how the heart can’t betrayed the lips, our emotions must first be stirred by God before we can stir others. Devotion, prayer, and Bible study, in that order as we prepare. Lots on neurobiology and what I talked with Collin about today. Then really practical practices on words, tone, emphasis, and preaching without notes, the bane of my existence. Maybe I can try the one page…

Intimacy and independence, we are now getting into the quadrants and God’s imago dei, to seek him, serve him, and reconnect with him. The child experiencing a thunderstorm is an effective illustration about how intimacy builds courage for the next independence, and the water as metaphor for boiling over or freezing stiff describes the window of tolerance well. Rupture and repair, from Thompson caps it nicely.

This chapter is on the power of story, and the best parts are the examples. I was hoping to hear Timothy Tennent. A few skilled were mentioned, such as indirection (David and Nathan), apostrophe (speaking to imaginary foe), retell Bible stories (Exodus), through examples from Tim Keller (ironically about a pill he takes at 11 or he will die to describe the necessity of prayer), Tony Evans. It really helps!

God with us and God through us, joy and holiness, reorient our life from guilt, shame from sin and a mean God to the purpose of plan of God to reconcile us. Not set apart by a taskmaster, but invited into family business as children of the most high King.

On style, Arthurs reminded me of tools I used but did not know it and things I could use but didn’t choose to. The idea of direct sensory experience - memory - imagination as a way to reach the affections, often for me happens at the introduction. Using concrete words, painting pictures with words, and explaining abstract words, verbs and nouns, repetition. Lots of great samples like Evans and Carter.

This chapter about joy is a reminder from all I’ve read from Curt Thompson, Jim Wilder, etc. on attunement from infancy, but in a more accessible language and with good illustration from the sons of the author. Number 6:24-26 about amplifying and returning to joy, and how too much presence can overload is a new thought. Everything in moderation, right?

Connection and Protection
Yes, Maybe, No
This first chapter sets the premise of Joy as attachment, and Desert, Wilderness, and Chaos for us to survive. I like the suggestion of the emotional wheel because often we can be at a lost for words. The two traps to growth of more information and/or willpower is true in my life. I am still hoping to be convinced the better vision (also in building habits) is the answer.

Lord’s remembrancers, stirring remembrance is as old as Moses, the Prophets, and Epistles preaching. Stir means the heart, through analogy of the known to awaken the unknown. This chapter is loaded with good contents it may need to be read again to fully absorb this. The importance of logics and reason, teaching, persuasions, applications all combine for
A memorable time travel back for the present!

Chapter 4 is so good on how forgetting is a sin of denying God’s goodness and love, and how we in the information social media world are wired to distraction and short attention span, how the brain works as it builds and filters information according to relevance, and having unfiltered memory isn’t a blessing either. We must forget three things: the world, forgiven sins, and so-called-accomplishments.

Pain is the physical, emotional distress caused whereas suffering is measured in time, an abandonment unlike Adam and Eve perceiving God’s action in Eden under the lies of Satan, bringing isolation and shame. Our brain works in the nine of attunement that suffering is temporal and narrative, and pathways form as we repeat the stories. Suffering cause by others, ourselves, and the two time zones.

Ignatius again this chapter was on consolation and desolation, and Hudson is helpful with definition and also where you might see it. Our inner landscape is bombarded with so many messages and experiences, when do we feel a change or prompting? Like the two disciples in Emmaus, they sensed their heart warmed. Consolation: gave life, fruit of the spirit, mercy in sinfulness. desolation? Endless possibilities.

Jesus Christ, the hope of glory. Glory, the mutually satisfiying love and presence between the Father and Son in the power of the Spirit we are invited to, who sees us, loves us and wants to be with us, transforms our shame to hope through a community who even at the zenith of our darkest confessions does not run away but maintain the same gaze of love and acceptance, healing us and making us whole, a glimpse of hope

On the chapter with perseverance, the one quote that’s best is the slowest person reveals the theology of the church. They may lead us to Jesus and slow us down enough to hear the pain and sufferings we would otherwise miss when we focus on programs and plans. Can we slow down? Can we avoid suffering or should we embrace and not pray for comfort, because Jesus longs to form us together, and together is slow.

On theology together, the authors focus on the church and how it is better to be a community wrestling together the uncertainties and mysteries of faith (heresy is often a reduction into simplicity), how churches embrace the creed and its history, how Paul contemporarized in his time Ekklesia from civic Townhall to a gathering of mutual faith, and so much more. Again, a bit of an info dump.

The metaphor of standing gives imagination and physicality of us being embodied creatures, where all our senses are animated before thinking, bottom to top, right to left. It coincides with what Jim Wilder says, and our trauma and pain wants us to bypass instead of revisit it. Dust and breath reminds us we are body then spirit, not body as bad. The presence of Jesus provides the space to stand, in spacious fields.

We think we are at war either God, others as well as ourselves. Jesus is peace, here to repair the rupture, to name places where we have experienced trauma so they can be healed when God is no longer distorted. Our various selfs according to Schwartz and Cook all form who we are as an integrated family, and the stories we tell to ourselves form patterns in our brain as it interprets and respond. Be curious.

In dealing with community trauma, honesty before God through lament and praise reminds us of who we are. The former, a rebellious people who was exiled because of our silence to the plights of the poor and vulnerable. The latter, a subversive, rebellious, and political declaration that despite surrounded by so many gods, principalities and powers, rulers, government and nation states, the King and his kingdom reign!

The chapter on lament describes the escapism of the digital world and its trappings compared to a God who wants to bear our pain, anger, hurt through the poetry of lament. The digital persona allows us to be someone else and demands immediacy, while lament is slow and raw, gritty with no pretending or hiding. Learning how to fight fair with God becomes an invitation to his gracious and loving presence, not answers.

In the first chapter of the final section of Embracjng, the focus is on equipping the saints in seven ways. Lots of gem in here, kingdom-first, purpose, gifts of the community manifested, creative deployment of Sunday school, pastors as spiritual guides for each laity, and mission not overseas but local, and theologians who can handle scriptures faithfully, contextually, and hear God speak. Lots of saintly wisdom.