The Moment (SEALS 2008)

A beautiful moment of generational reconciliation at the South East Asian Leadership Summit (SEALS), March 2008, Open Door Presbyterian Church, Hearndon, Virginia


As described in Chapter 6, I attribute the possibility of this moment in part to the attention we gave to culturally contextualized worship, such that these first-generation pastors could see that second-generation leaders were not forgetting who they were.


Elder Chiv Taing, translated by Pastor Amra Phou
On behalf of the first generation . . . 
We do have that dream
Of coming to the land of opportunity
And, you see, we came from a war-torn country
And we came here
And we tend to have that protectiveness, 
Not allow the second generation
Not allow, our children
To be led by the Lord
We tend to be too protective
And we failed to recognize the leading of God
To move to the next generation

And on behalf of the first generation
I would like to apologize for that

Let you go, let you go . . .

[ I want to cry too ]

I would like to seek forgiveness from all of you,
On behalf of the first generation
I should have recognized the power of God 
And allowed God's work within the church
To prepare the church, to build a bridge
For the next generation
And from this conference I will go back 
And educate my people
And let them realize that we need to let go of the next generation
Allow God to work
To build a bridge to bless throughout generations
Not just words, but I'm going to go back, and commit to pray to the God of Jacob
To lead you guys in the way of the Lord

You guys, its O.K.
God bless you guys from now on
And be strong

And I would like to bless you
And encourage all of you to continue to be the light of the world
And the way you continue to serve each other,
The first and second generations
And allow God to lead all of us
Thank you.

(Of course, the younger generation surely has plenty to ask forgiveness for as well. For an excellent reflection on the differing generations and what they can learn from each other and give to each other, see Ken Fong's Pursuing the Pearl, especially his "Three Letters" in chapter 9.)

The Gospel and My People

The Gospel and My People
by Nhuanh Ly
Used by permission

As presented at the 2008 convention of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, meeting at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley

Never Not in Need of Grace
Words and music by Russell Yee
(c) 2000 by Russell Yee, please do not republish without permission
Art by Art: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (German, 1794--1872)

This video is piano only. Full music score available at: Never Not - full score

Downloadable mp3 file of piano only: Never Not - mp3 (same audio as above video, but better quality)

(Anyone want to record a sung version for me?)

*******************

Jesus tells the story of two men who went to the Temple to pray [Luke 18:9-14].

The first man was feeling pretty good about himself.  He figured that whatever is wrong with this world, it wasn’t his fault, because he’d lived such a good life.  So he prayed: “God, thank you I’m not like other people.  I work hard, I do everything I’m supposed to do (and a little more), I stay in control and don’t mess up; I keep it all together.  Thank you, God.”  And he went on like this.

The other man was different.  He knew he was no better than other people.  Oh, he was a law abiding citizen, he paid his taxes and he even helped others pay their taxes too.  But in his heart he knew his thoughts and desires were not pure, he worried about all the wrong things, and his heart was not whole.  So when he prayed, he simply said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

That day, only one of these men went home right with God.  I want to be like that man.

  am          C          G         am
I work really hard and I rarely complain.
  F          C/E          G   F  G    GFG
I try not to show it when I’m in pain.
  am          C          G          am    G am
I plan what I say, and I keep to my space;
        F            C       G      am
But I’m never not in need of grace, no,
    F            Bb      C
I’m never not in need of grace
Chorus   C                Eb/C
Please save my soul not just my face--
       F                 G  am
   I’m never not in need of grace
     C                     Eb/C
Not “Sometimes,” “Maybe,” “Just In Case”--
          Ab           Bbdim7              C
   No I’m never, never ever not in need of grace.  ***


  am       C            G             am
I optimize things and I don’t like to wait,
  F         C/E        G  F G    GFG
I watch, consider, and calculate.
  am      C          G       am  G am
I usually live at my maximum pace;
        F            C       G      am
But I’m never not in need of grace, no
    F            Bb      C
I’m never not in need of grace


  am         C           G           am
I never make waves and I pull my own weight.
    F        C/E      G F  G    GFG
All favors I always reciprocate.
  am       C           G        am   G am
I honor my parents and honor my race;
        F            C       G      am
But I’m never not in need of grace, no
    F            Bb      C     
I’m never not in need of grace.


***
1, 2: G Ab C  Bb Ab C  Ab4 Ab C
3: C Bb Ab Eb Db (to bridge)
4: F Ab Bb C (end)


Bridge
C              Bb2/C
Dearest Jesus, how I need you--
    F               Ab/F  G
at my worst and at my best!
C              Bb2/C
Save me from myself, I plead you!
    F            Ab/F    GFG   GFGFG. . .
Only you can give me rest!

Lisa Golden and Elice Leong


Water Lotus Easter Banners

New Life Christian Fellowship
Castro Valley, California

The water lotus symbolizes purity and rebirth, and thus well expresses Jesus' victory over sin and death. The association with water also brings to mind Christian baptism, which in the early church was often received during the Easter Vigil, so to spend Easter as one's first day as a baptized believer.

Russell Yee

The Last Supper

1995

On permanent display at
New Life Christian Fellowship,
Castro Valley, California
_____________________________________________________________________

Using items typically found on a Chinese-American restaurant turntable, I have depicted Jesus' Last Supper with his twelve disciples.  By so recreating that momentous meal, I have drawn together Jesus' transcultural offer of his life, together with the specifics of my culture, through which (in part) he makes that offer to me.

The bowls, spoons, and teacups are plain white china, from China.  They are matched and touching, expressing Jesus' solidarity with his disciples.  Their chopsticks are likewise touching, with Jesus' pair forming a cross, the place where he will offer up himself.

In the center are a rice serving bowl and a teapot representing the body and blood of Christ--his very life, which he gives to all who would receive it.

Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, is depicted by the isolated, overturned teacup and bowl/spoon (which he will not be using, since he will leave the table early), and by the solitary pair of chopsticks, also isolated, and bent.  His chopsticks and spoon point to the dish, in which he will dip at the moment Jesus identifies him as the traitor.

The red napkin expresses both the Chinese sense of health and vitality, and the liturgical sense of Jesus' cleansing blood.

A restaurant name appears on the menu cover in Chinese (gé lóu, "loft, garret") and English ("The Upper Room").  The location is given in Hebrew: "Jerusalem, Israel."  Inside the menu are the accounts of the Last Supper taken from the synoptic Gospels and the First Epistle to the Corinthians.