Two Sundays

This morning at church, Pastor Michael Tan preached. He is one of the 'newer' pastors, and he hasn't had many opportunities to preach so far.

I don't know if it's a human thing, or if it's just me, but I respond differently to different speakers; if I like a particular speaker, I am more likely to pay attention during a talk or sermon, and vice versa if I'm not too fond of, or if I barely know, the speaker.

But this morning I was reminded of what Eric Peris said, about him kneeling before the monk. He said, "It is not the monk I to whom I am giving reverence, but the robe; the robe is the symbol [of authority]." I cannot recall his exact words, but it was something along the lines of how the robes a priest wears does not exalt him, but rather serves as a symbol of the authority and sovereignty of God.

And I believe it is the same with the office of the preacher. When a person stands in front of a congregation, whether he or she has been a pastor for 50 years, or just a layperson, I believe that person stands with the authority of God to preach. And if we open our ears, we will hear.


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In conversation with Sivin last Tuesday, we talked about the Pentecostal church in the United States, and how many Pentecostals have become 'evangelicalised'.

At church this morning, as I was thinking about it, I realise there are many things about Pentecostalism that I neither fully understand or even endorse, but I think its mysticism is like a colour the spectrum of Christian heritage would be duller without.


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Last Sunday, at KLCC, I saw these:


DSLR-man, leaving no doubt as to his identity or intentions.


The Leica-man, blending easily into the crowd.


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On another note, I've successfully developed my first two rolls of film. (By 'successful', I mean that I have usable negatives, not that they are anything to shout about, but certainly usable.)

More on this new development (no pun intended, really!) later.