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.
Hi Ben,
ReplyDeleteHappens to me too,with rgds to speakers. For certain speakers I know that were prone to "digression" of doctrines etc, I take a sharper listening while with speakers who I deem more sound, I take a backseat, so to speak.